Hey there,

It's me again...Going to give you Number 4 now.

As always, C&C is always welcome, flames will be filed in the 
round folder.

Copyright Notice:
I looked around and noticed that none of these characters belong to 
me...Some are borrowed, most are stolen...All are used in 
deference to the original. Salud!

This turned out a little longer than I had originally planned, so I 
decided to break it up into two smaller pieces...More digestible for 
Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeau Noelle! Etc...

***

The All-Americans
By
Joshua Trujillo

Part 4 - El Diablo y El Lobo

Ranma picked up the towel sitting next to the bed. He dried his 
face and sat on his bed. He tried to appraise the woman in front of 
him. Akane was so hard to read sometimes. Heck, all the time. She 
seemed to almost carry a worried expression, but Ranma could tell 
that her pride wouldn't let her show it. Ranma gestured to the lone 
chair in the room. Akane pulled the chair to him and sat down.

Ranma watched her sit there and mentally gather her thoughts 
before she spoke. Something big, huh?

"Ranma, uh, what are..." Akane began, haltingly, "What are your 
intentions...To me and uh, my sisters?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I mean, you seem...I don't know," Akane got up at this point 
and began to pace.

"Akane," Ranma said, "Spit it out."

Akane turned and looked at him.

"Okay," Akane said at last, "What was the deal with the 
strawberries last night?"

Ranma couldn't hide his smirk. He got up and made his way to the 
window across from his bed and leaned against the sill. The warm 
night air blew in slightly. Ranma closed his eyes and tried to shut 
out the memories that seeing Akane seemed to bring back to him.

Snarling, biting fangs, sinking into his flesh. The fear, the burning 
fear. Finally the fire shooting through him...

Ranma opened his eyes and dropped his hand, which had 
unconsciously grabbed at his right side. He smirked again and 
looked back to Akane, who was still waiting for an answer.

"I was just having a little fun," Ranma said, "Sorry if I offended 
you. I didn't mean to."

Akane's gaze softened and she blushed slightly. She looked down 
and put her hands behind her. Ranma went to her.

"Akane," he said, a hint of playfulness in his voice, "I promise I'll 
be a good boy, okay?"

Akane looked up at him and couldn't help but giggle at the stupid 
look he gave her. What was it with this guy? She straightened and 
tried to look serious.

"Another thing Ranma," she asked, "About the...uh...scar?"

The smile died on his lips. Ranma stood up and walked back to the 
window. God, why did she want to know? Why should she care? 
The fire, the fire, the pain and the fire...Ranma opened his eyes as 
he grabbed his side again. He didn't even remember closing his 
eyes. He shook his head.

"I really wish you wouldn't ask about that, Akane."

Ranma felt her hand on his shoulder and let her turn him around. 
He looked in her eyes. He knew that look, he'd seen Rei give him 
that look a few times. It said that she wasn't going to give up until 
he told her what she wanted to know. Ranma knew he couldn't 
hide from what happened for long. He pushed her out to shoulder 
length and took his shirt off. 

He couldn't help but notice how she looked at him, the same way 
that Rei had. Ranma sighed, too many parallels. Akane and Rei 
were so different though. Akane ran her hand over the scar at the 
right of his abdomen. He flinched slightly and she looked up at 
him.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head.

"It's just an old wound," Ranma said, sighing at her touch on his 
skin, "Sometimes, the pain returns like an old memory, but it never 
stays. And it doesn't bother me when I play sports, so that's good."

Akane kneeled and followed the scar around to his back where the 
other side of the scar resided. She then noticed something she 
hadn't seen before. The symmetry of it...

"Ranma," she asked, "Is this a gunshot wound?"

Ranma nodded slowly and helped her to her feet. She looked into 
his eyes and blushed again, looking down. She then noticed more 
of the scars that laced his body.

"Ranma," she began, "I know that you don't have to tell me, but I 
think it'd be better if you did. Would you please tell me what 
happened? Ranma, you're only seventeen, but it looks like you've 
fought for your life hundreds of times. Please Ranma, tell me."

No way around it. He shouldn't have been so careless, but then, 
since they're living with him, they would have found out sooner or 
later. Maybe he could head off some complications later by telling 
her now. Maybe it would make things worse. He couldn't tell. He 
sighed and sat back down on the bed.

He began...

***

He looked out over the mesa. There was a slight breeze that 
normally came in the early summer months. Ranma was contented 
here. He had a number of friends and there were any number of 
things that made his life happy right now. The desert stretched far 
in front of him and he wondered if there was any sight in the world 
as beautiful as the mesa. He doubted it.

Choco came over the ridge behind Ranma and stood there 
watching him. He had become friends with this person on the 
lower ridge after he had fought off a pack of wolves almost single 
handedly. Choco had brought his new wounded friend back to the 
reservation, where his father and grandfather had taken the boy, 
Ranma, to the local hospital. Ranma was in a coma for the next 
week, his father earning a much deserved reaming from the tribal 
elders in the process. Choco still couldn't get an answer as to why 
Ranma was out in the desert all alone.

Colate finally got to the ridge next to her brother and looked down 
to see why Choco had stopped. Ah, Ranma.

Colate had come to regard Ranma as more than a friend since she 
had known him. He was strong and smart and...Cute. She knew 
that Ranma liked her back, but couldn't explain why. He got so 
flustered when she would ask him about his feelings towards her. 
She liked that, it made him look cuter.

They looked at each other and nodded silently. Creeping down the 
hill as quietly as they could, they snuck up on Ranma as he was 
watching the sunset over the mesa. Colate was the first to pounce, 
falling flat on her face as Ranma vaulted effortlessly backwards 
over her. Then, the race was on. Ranma took off back towards the 
village with Choco and Colate in pursuit. They could never catch 
him, of course, but it was a merry run anyway. Ranma would slow 
and allow them to catch up and then take off again.

They were happy. They were all of twelve. Ranma had moved into 
the area the previous year with his worthless father. Being close 
enough to the reservation made it easier for Ranma to play. But 
there seemed to be something almost holding him back, something 
that neither he nor his father Genma would talk about. Sometimes 
it scared Choco to think what it might be, especially with the little 
demon-man Happosai coming around again. Choco knew that 
Genma had some dealings with the man. He also knew that Ranma 
would suffer because of it.

***

Ranma looked at the attic floor. He put his shirt back on before 
continuing. Akane could tell that he was almost on the verge of 
tears recalling this story. Maybe she should...No. He was the one to 
decide to get this story out and dammit, she'd help him with it.

"You see," Ranma picked up, "I had been friends with those two 
for almost a year before this happened."

At that, he patted the area where the bullet scar was. Akane winced 
slightly.

"I had taken one of the elders as a teacher," Ranma leaned in close, 
"Actually, they had asked me when they saw what a twelve-year 
old could do. Anyway, that was the night that they were going to 
make me a full grown man and I could join the tribe if I wanted to. 
But then something happened that not only forced me from the 
tribe, but made me unable to forgive either Genma or Happosai."

There was a strong pause as he remembered.

"Is that where you learned to fight?" Akane asked.

"Hmm?" Ranma came back for a minute, "Yeah, among other 
things. You wouldn't even believe half the stuff I know."

"Like what?"

Ranma thought for a minute.

"Like this," he said, going to the open window.

He looked out for a minute and dropped to one knee. He seemed to 
be praying or something. Akane gasped as a glow lit around him, 
golden light dancing across his skin, making it look like he was on 
fire. The fire built until his eyes snapped open and threw his hands 
towards the open window.

"Mouko Takabaisha!" He roared.

The golden light sped rapidly from his body, through his 
outstretched hands and shot out the window in a huge beam of pure 
power. The light from the blast made Akane cover her eyes. And 
when the light subsided, Ranma was standing in front of her 
wearing the most stupid grin. Akane felt like smacking him, but 
thought that would give him the wrong impression.

Ranma went back and sat back down on the bed. Akane returned to 
the chair.

"That was the night I was going to become a full man in the eyes 
of the tribe," Ranma began again.

"Yeah, you said that."

"Oh," Ranma thought for a minute, "Well, when we got back to the 
village, we found it in flames."

***

The light from the fires could be seen in the next valley, but there 
was no help coming on that night. Ranma, Choco and Colate ran 
into the village. Screams met their ears on all sides as they could 
see a dozen or more men in black jumpsuits running around 
shooting people. Ranma's mind was racing.

"Choco, Colate," he shouted over the screams of pain, "Split up 
and get the survivors to the next village over."

Both nodded in acknowledgment and the trio split. Ranma moved 
in between crates and old cars, trying to hide from the hit squads. 
Ranma jumped behind some old tires when a couple of goons ran 
past. He looked to his right and saw Juaquim. Juaquim, another 
adoptee of the tribe was cowering behind one of the parked cars. 
Ranma risked a peek and ran to Juaquim.

"What are you doing, Ranma?"

"Come on Juaquim, follow the tire line out and get to the next 
village. We're getting everyone out," Ranma whispered as loudly 
as he would dare.

Juaquim shook his head vigorously.

"No, I won't leav-"

Juaquim didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as his chest 
burst outward in a shower of blood and gunfire. Ranma stayed 
down, shocked, but alive. He pulled Juaquim's body away from the 
car and saw that the bullets had gone THROUGH the car. Both 
doors, the seats, everything!

"Freeze."

Ranma did freeze. Like he'd challenge a gun that could do that? He 
was brave, not stupid. He got up and turned slowly to the voice. 
The man was dressed all in black, even his face was covered. But 
the gun was not. The man motioned out into the clearing. Ranma 
looked. Choco was already there, looking as if he'd put up a fight, 
but lost. Ranma walked slowly towards Choco. If frightened 
Ranma to think of what might have happened to Colate. He could 
feel the anger building and burning inside him.

Choco slowly cracked a smile. Ranma thought for a minute, but 
then realized what was going on. He smiled back and nodded. At 
about three feet, Ranma stopped.

"Kick ass, huh Ranma?" Choco asked, still smirking.

"Yup. Kick ass."

Ranma and Choco's right arms came down and grabbed one 
another. Ranma then pushed off and swung around, knowing 
Choco had done the same. Their left feet deflecting the guns, while 
their right knocked the gunmen across their jaws.

"Come on Ranma," Choco said, picking up one of the guns, 
"We've got the survivors and Colate is-"

A scream, high pitched and shrill, broke through the sounds in the 
clearing.

"Colate," Ranma said, taking off towards the noise.

"Ranma!" Choco yelled after his friend, "Wait for me!"

Ranma was far ahead though. As he entered the square, he could 
see Colate surrounded by several large men and one small man, all 
trying to pin her down. Colate was holding her own, but Ranma 
could tell she was tiring. Ranma jumped from the rooftop and 
entered the fray. Choco soon joined them. They were winning until 
a gunshot barked through them. And Choco fell. Colate dropped 
the guy she was pasting and ran to her brother. Ranma finished his 
own fight and stood over them both, giving cover.

The men were slowly gathering around them, picking themselves 
up from being completely tarred by three twelve year olds. Most 
were angry, but all seemed to be taking the orders of the small 
man. He was the source. Ranma risked a glance to Choco. Colate 
was crying and holding him.

"He's dying Ranma," she said through her tears.

"Come on Colate," Ranma said, flashing her a smile, "We beat 
these guys and we can get Choco some help, because it doesn't 
look like they'll let us otherwise."

Colate looked around and nodded. She wiped her eyes and stood, 
assuming a battle stance over her brother, while Ranma took up 
flanking position at her back. The silence was punctuated only by 
Choco's light moaning.

"Now," Ranma said, just loud enough for Colate to hear.

Burning with the desire to help her brother and Ranma's desire to 
save his friend, both sped towards the enemies, quickly out 
maneuvering them and smashed into them with the force of two 
tornadoes. Several shots were fired, but all were misdirected either 
into the ground, or into each other, by the duo. Ranma neatly put 
down his last attacker and turned back towards Choco.

It was the little man. Colate landed in a neat arc next to Ranma and 
saw the same thing. The little man was standing over Choco with a 
gun placed next to his head.

"That's quite enough, young man," he said, "You too young lady. 
Both of you are just causing all sorts of problems aren't you?"

One of the thugs came up to Ranma and removed his mask. Ranma 
gasped and sat down hard. It was Genma. Genma turned to the 
little man.

"Happosai," he said, "I didn't agree to any of this. They're just 
children for God's sake. I just wanted my son back."

The little man, Happosai, visibly shook with rage.

"I TOLD you NOT to use my NAME! I don't care about these 
brats! If they want to get in the way, then they DIE!" Happosai 
said, tapping Choco in the forehead with the muzzle of the gun, 
"And if your son is among them, then he dies too."

With that, Happosai raised his gun and fired at Ranma.

***

Ranma stopped at this and wiped his eyes. He was crying. He 
didn't understand it. He thought that all his tears for Colate were 
dried up. He guessed he was wrong.

"Ranma," Akane asked, "You don't have to go on if you don't-"

"No. I'm okay, it's just that you're only about the third person I've 
ever told this story to. Mother still doesn't know. I didn't realize 
that the pain was still there."

"You loved Colate, didn't you?" Akane more said than asked.

"No, well, not in the way you might think of love," Ranma said, 
smiling to himself, "She was more like a lifemate. Someone who I 
could really...BE...with. Not just simply to love, but to trust and 
honor. In the end, she ended up protecting me."

Akane gave him a questioning look. He smiled.

"She took the bullet for me. But, as you've noticed, the bullet went 
straight through her abdomen and passed clean through me too."

***

"It's...cold, Ranma," Colate said, weakly.

"I'm here Colate. I'll keep you warm."

A look passed across her face and she looked at Ranma's abdomen. 
Her eyes grew wide at what she saw there.

"Ranma, you're bleeding too! You're..." She said, choking.

"Easy, easy Colate. I'm okay. I've got to get you and Choco out of 
here."

"i...don't wanna...go..."

"I'm here Colate, I won't let you go."

"Colate?"

"Colate...?!"

"COLATE!"

***

Akane knew that this line of thought really wasn't healthy. It 
looked like Ranma was close to having a breakdown of some sort. 
Maybe time to find out about the rest, better not let him dwell on 
her.

"Ranma," Akane said, moving next to him, "Can you tell me the 
rest of it?"

Ranma nodded through the tears and abruptly stopped. He wiped 
his eyes and sharply exhaled out his mouth. He looked up at Akane 
with eyes of resignation. Eyes that shouldn't belong on this happy-
go-lucky person. Eyes that shouldn't see the things they'd seen. She 
rubbed his shoulder to try to get him to relax more.

"I'm...okay, Akane," Ranma said, finally, "Thanks for listening."

***

Ranma tried to stand to face the little bastard. He wasn't much 
successful with a gaping hole in his middle. He felt light-headed, 
nauseous and several other things telling him to lie down and 
sleep. He ignored them all.

"Hmph," Happosai said, taking more careful aim, "Stubborn one 
aren't yo-nnnggg!"

He got cut off as a massive chi blast leveled much of the town as it 
pushed Happosai off into the distant horizon. Ranma looked 
towards the source. It was an old wounded elder that had stepped 
into the square. It was Ranma's teacher. Burning Crow. Ranma and 
Crow pulled themselves to each other. Genma stood back and 
cowered at the power and will that they both showed.

"Ranma, my son," Crow began softly, "I have taught you more 
than many should ever know, but I think it's because of your 
greater destiny that I taught them to you. I am not far from joining 
poor Colate. Ranma, you will live and you will thrive and we may 
meet again, but not in this life."

Ranma tried to talk, but the move had taken much and Ranma was 
panting and spitting up blood.

"As for you," Crow turned to Genma, "A coward to the end. First 
you abandon your only son, then you forsake him to the devil 
himself. You KNEW what kind of demon Happosai is. And 
therefore, my last act will be to curse you and give you the length 
of your days to live out as the coward you are."

"No..." Ranma breathed out.

Ranma knew that the curses were a change in people. But he 
couldn't let that happen. Genma may be the scum of the Earth, but 
he was Ranma's only family out here. He couldn't let...

As the bright blue ball of chi formed in Burning Crow's hand, 
Ranma grabbed the hand and brought the ball into his own chest. 
Ranma then began to pass out, hearing something from Crow as he 
died as well, but not being able to make out what it was.

Then the blackness came.

***

"When I woke up, I was in another state and in a hospital bed," 
Ranma continued, "Genma said that he really was there only to 
collect me. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, but 
demanded that he never lie to me again. He agreed. During my 
rehab, he was a good a father as I could want, but once that was 
done, he went right back to his old ways."

There was some silence as the air lifted. Ranma seemed to calm 
more. Truth be told, Akane rubbing his back felt damned good.

"Ranma?"

"Hmmm..."

"What was the curse?"

Ranma looked up at her and realized that in all that, he'd never told 
her. He smirked.

"Well, I warn you, it's pretty damned strange," Ranma said.

"Try me."

"Every new and full moon, I turn into a rather buxom, if short, red-
haired girl."

Akane just looked out into space. No. Nope she didn't believe it. 
But she also couldn't deny the fact that Ranma had been through 
something more than ordinary. The bullet hole and that power blast 
were two indications that he was more than he let on.

"Think of it this way, you'll find out in ten days."

"Why ten days?" Akane asked, confused.

"The next new moon. Akane, I've got to go down and get the 
dishes done up, but..." he said, trailing off.

He began to go downstairs, then stopped and turned to her.

"I'm glad that I talked with you," he then turned and continued 
downstairs.

Akane smiled and cursed herself for blushing again.

"That Casanova..." She said quietly.

***