The Blood is the Life VI Nabiki trudged up to the house, grimacing as she slipped out of her shoes and examined the blister rising up on her right foot. She wished she'd known it was going to be such a long hike; she would have worn something more comfortable. She wriggled her toes for a moment, enjoying the sense of freedom, then stepped into the hallway. Everything was quiet... a little too quiet. Tofu, Ranma and Akane were here, or at least their shoes were, but there was no sound from upstairs. Obviously they hadn't found any vampire. Sighing at the thought of a whole day wasted, Nabiki limped over towards the staircase. She caught a glimpse of her father out of the corner of her eye and turned to see him sitting still as a statue. A single tear trickled down his cheek as he stared gloomily at the shogi board. The sight of her father neither cheerful nor wailing unsettled her - she hadn't seen him like this in years. Nabiki decided to stop in the kitchen before going upstairs. Kasumi was clearly upset, and reacting to stress in typical Kasumi fashion - she was cooking up a storm, because the kitchen was one thing she did have control over. Her knife flashed and clattered a little too loudly as she rapidly chopped vegetables. She wasn't humming. Filled with foreboding, Nabiki backed out of the room silently, glad that Kasumi hadn't noticed her watching. This was just the way those two had acted when Mother died. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Nabiki asked quietly. Instead of answering her, Soun buried his face in his hands. Nabiki stifled the urge to repeat her question and hurried upstairs. The door to Ranma's room was open, and Nabiki stepped in to see Ranma and Akane huddled together on the floor in front of a sheet-covered... "Wh-what?" Nabiki stammered. The lump under the sheet was too big to be anything but the Panda, and Ranma's tear-streaked face told her all she needed to know. "Oh, no." "Excuse me," Tofu said softly behind her, and Nabiki moved numbly out of the way as he entered the room with an armful of garlic blossoms. "Forgive me," he said in that same quiet, humbled tone. "I thought it would be best to do this while it's daylight." He proceeded to go through the ritual of rubbing the pungent blooms against the window and door frames before hanging them up as wards. Ranma glanced down at the edge of the white sheet covering his father and clenched his fists. A fat lot of good those damned flowers had done for Genma and Ryoga. "Come on, Ranma," Akane said in the gentlest tone he had ever heard from her. "It's not good for you to stay here." "I'd rather be alone," Ranma said flatly, backing away from her and brushing his tears away. "Ok, you can stay in my room, then," Akane answered slowly. "Nabiki, can I stay with you?" "Sure, sis," Nabiki said, though it came out as little more than a whisper. "There," Akane said. "You can have the whole room to yourself. Is that Ok?" Ranma nodded, afraid that he'd start crying again if he tried to voice his gratitude. Akane looked at him as if she understood, and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder as she rose and left the room. Supper that evening was a somber affair. A gloom settled over the Tendo house as the last rays of sunset cast a blood-red glow over the horizon, and the stunned, silent remaining members of the household gathered around the table. None of them could choke down more than a few mouthfuls of the feast Kasumi had prepared. Afterward they quietly made their arrangements and settled in for the night. Ranma lay wide awake in Akane's bed, listening to the muffled noises as she and Kasumi set up a futon on Nabiki's floor. The noises eventually stopped, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Dinner hadn't been the same, without the old man trying to steal his food, and it felt unnatural to go to sleep without a good sparring session. Ranma tossed restlessly on the bed, unable to get into a comfortable position, then finally dragged the pillow and blanket onto the floor and settled down. The smell of garlic pervaded the whole house. As long as he lived, grief would always smell of the pungent blossoms hung over the doors and windows. He'd never hear Pop give another pompous lecture... The tears started to well up again, and he rubbed his eyes fiercely with his knuckles. Men didn't cry. Akane waited in the hallway until the sounds of Ranma's fitful sobbing had given way to a restless sleep, then crept back into Nabiki's room. "Is he Ok?" Nabiki whispered, and Akane mentally kicked herself for thinking she could sneak in and out of Nabiki's room unnoticed. "He's taking it hard," Akane whispered back. "At least when Mom died, we had each other. He doesn't have anybody to talk to." "He has you," Nabiki said. Akane was still staring up into the dark long after Nabiki went to sleep. Hungry. So damn hungry. Why wouldn't it go away? He supposed he could always crawl outside and wait for the sun to finish him off... nobody would really miss him, except his mother. He wondered if she even knew what had happened. He hoped not. He couldn't go on attacking people. That girl - her long, dark hair, her wide, terrified eyes - she haunted him. Her hands had battered at him, her nails clawing at his face, his eyes, and he hadn't even felt it. He had almost killed her, and the memory of her filled him with guilt and longing and the rich echo of dark pleasure. For all he knew, she might have died later, after he left her drained and sobbing in the deserted alley. He was, for all intents and purposes, a murderer. A murderer and a rapist. The thought of how far he had sunk, how unworthy he was of even loving Akane from afar, tore at his conscience. If he were capable of tears, he would weep. All he could do now was resist the will of the master and his own Hunger. The master might not come looking for him, since as far as she knew he could already be burned to ash. That meant he could be left alone with nothing but this driving need. He wished he did have the nerve to face the sun, but all his new instincts warred with that desire. Maybe if he waited long enough he could starve his way to a real death. "Akane..." he whispered into the silent dark. The Hunger rolled over him in waves, and it took all his willpower not to go looking for her in the night, not to pull her warm body close against him, not to sink his fangs into her throat, hearing her gasp at the unexpected thrill... It was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he rode out the Hunger until it eased a little. The pangs grew worse through the night, and he was glad there was nobody nearby to hear him groaning in agony. He had had long practice in denying his natural physical urges, though, and he was determined to resist this unnatural urge. He would leave this miserable non-existence, and win back what few shreds of his honor he could salvage. No matter what happened, he would not feed again. Akane turned to greet Ranma as he came downstairs the next morning, and had to catch herself before she could comment on his appearance. The poor guy looked as if he hadn't slept at all - dark shadows underscored his reddened eyes, and he was pale with grief. Akane bit her tongue to keep from asking if he was Ok. "Good morning," she said instead, trying to keep her tone neutral and hide her worry. She had never seen him look so...defeated. It seemed that the life had faded right out of his eyes. Akane cleared her throat a little nervously. "We, uh, saved you some breakfast. Are you hungry?" Ranma shook his head and looked around listlessly. There wasn't anything to distract him from the fact that if his father were still alive there wouldn't have been any leftover breakfast. Outdoors, the rain drizzled down from an ominously dark, overcast sky, which suited his mood perfectly. It was only a matter of time before it really opened up, and that seemed fitting somehow. At least the sky could weep over Genma without losing face. "S'cuse me," Ranma mumbled. He stepped out into the rain, walked to the koi pond and sat on a flat rock at the edge. The glassy surface of the water was marred by the raindrops, distorting the reflection of the pig-tailed girl as she started to cry again. This was no good. The old man would be appalled to see his son crying like a ... girl. From the doorway of the house, Akane watched as Ranma got up and walked to the Dojo, trying to swallow her tears. She'd give her a little time alone, then go check on her. Hungry. He was so Hungry! Where was the sun? It ought to be sunrise by now. He desperately needed the oblivion only the sun could give him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out - and there was someone nearby. Someone warm, breathing harshly as she cried... oh, it was definitely a woman. Her pulse sounded like a drum in his ears, starting off the sweet ache deep in his throat. And where was the damn sun when he needed it? Tofu woke up to a crash of thunder, filled with a sense of dread as he noticed how dark it was. He hoped things were all right at the Tendo house, but some inner sense told him that they weren't. He'd better call to be sure. "Hello?" a female voice answered. Nabiki. Tofu was disappointed it wasn't Kasumi - but glad at the same time, because he had to be able to carry on a conversation. "Nabiki?" he asked, "Is everything Ok?" "Well, other than Mr. Saotome being killed in cold blood..." "There weren't any disturbances last night? All the flowers are still in place?" "No, Kasumi took them down this morning. She says you told her we only need them at night." "No, you need them any time the sun isn't shining! Where's Ranma?" "He and Akane went to the Dojo," Nabiki answered, starting to sound worried. "Listen, stay in the house! You and Kasumi stay together and get those flowers back up. I'll be right over." A sudden flash of lightning struck nearby with a deafening clap of thunder, and the lights in the house went out, letting in the gloom from outside in one chilling rush. Nabiki yelped and dropped the receiver, then stooped to pick it back up, feeling foolish. She shook her head ruefully, glad that nobody had witnessed her moment of fright. Rain started to patter heavily on the roof as Nabiki made her way through the darkness to the kitchen. "Kasumi," she said, relieved as another flash of lightning starkly illuminated a female silhouette by the kitchen window. The figure turned to face her, its eyes glowing red as hellfire as the dark descended once again. No, said a husky Voice. Nabiki's heart rose to her throat, choking off her voice for one long, frozen moment as she unconsciously took a step back. The figure started to move toward her, and Nabiki suddenly found the will to move again. She backpedaled quickly, screaming, and then scrambled halfway up the stairs. A cold hand clutched her right ankle, throwing her off-balance. She bit her tongue hard as she scraped her chin on one of the stairs, and wrenched her right wrist painfully as her grip on the banister kept her from sliding down. Do struggle, the Voice said with a chuckle. Your frail efforts amuse me. With a whimper of pain and fright, Nabiki pelted up the stairs and into the pitch-black hallway, then ducked into Ranma's old room to hide. Oh, Miss Tendo? the Voice called, and Nabiki huddled up against the far wall, shivering in terror. The sheet-covered body of the Panda seemed to glow in the faint, gloomy light from the window. The thought of what the creature had done to Ryoga and Mr. Saotome, what it would do to her when it caught her, tore into her with icy claws. Each long moment was a heart attack, and she struggled to hold her breath as she realized her short, panting gasps were audible. Come out, come out, wherever you are... the Voice said in a gentle sing-song. Nabiki bit her knuckles to hold back a terrified scream and did something she hadn't done since her mother's death. She prayed. "Ranma?" Akane asked, shaking the rain off her umbrella as she stepped into the Dojo. "The storm's getting really bad. I think you should come back to the house." "Would you just leave me alone?" Ranma asked, irritated. "Look, I know how you feel-" "No, you don't!" "Yes, I do!" Akane finally snapped back. "I've been through this, too, you know!" And she suddenly burst into tears. "Oh," Ranma gasped, her eyes widening in sudden comprehension, then she looked down at the floor, shamefaced. "Sorry. I forgot." Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. And there were two heartbeats now, singing in his ears, calling to him. He bit down onto his own hand to stifle his groan of desire and need. It was Akane! Without a doubt, the second person was Akane! And the first - it could only be Ranma - had made her cry again! Ranma was just taking a hesitant step toward Akane, hoping to comfort her, when the section of the floor she was standing on exploded upwards. A clammy hand gripped Ranma's ankle as she tried to leap out of the way, and swung her against the floor with tooth-rattling force. "Ranma, I won't have it," a Voice rasped. "No!" Akane cried, brushing her tears away. "I won't have you making Akane cry!" the vampire howled as he bore down on Ranma, his eyes glowing with murderous intent. "Ryoga, don't hurt him!" Akane shrieked. He turned to face her, and Akane stared in horror at the lost boy she thought she knew transformed into a demon. There was something compelling and... seductive in his gaze as he turned and began walking toward her. Akane... he said, and his Voice sent voluptuous shivers down her spine. She knew what he had become, and for the first time she understood how helpless she was in the face of his power, his lethal, alien beauty. She could not bring herself to struggle against him, or even to want to struggle. As his cold hand rose to brush her cheek she leaned into the caress, even though deep inside part of her cringed. The vampire looped one powerful arm around her waist and dragged her up against himself, his body cold and unyielding as granite. Akane trembled in his embrace, allowing an icy finger under her chin to tilt her head to one side. "Akane..." he breathed, leaning in to brush his lips against her vulnerable throat, drawn by her warmth, her pulse racing in reaction to him - her pulse racing in terror. "I can't..." His face twisted, betraying some of his internal struggle. He froze for an agonized, eternal moment, his fangs brushing just against her delicate skin... then he pushed Akane away from him with as much gentleness as he could muster. Behind him, Ranma staggered to her feet and leapt at him in one swift motion. He turned to meet her charge head-on, so confident in his vampiric might he didn't even notice she was armed until it was too late. The vampire gaped at the shard of wooden floorboard protruding from his chest, then sent the pig-tailed girl sailing across the room with one backhanded sweep, the motion so quick it looked like a blur. A vicious snarl twisted his lips as Ranma slammed against the far wall and landed on the floor in a boneless heap. Then he turned to face Akane again. "Akane..." he whispered, and suddenly the red glow faded from his eyes, leaving just the lonely lost Ryoga she had come to know. "Oh, Ryoga," Akane said hopelessly, knowing that even now he had power over her. "Please..." Ryoga gasped. "Please, finish it...while I'm still myself..." Akane glanced desperately at Ranma, who lay unmoving on the floor. Her attention snapped back to Ryoga as he staggered toward her, pleading. If he touched her again, she'd be lost, beset... "It wasn't me...it was Her. Please, Akane! Please!" Sobbing violently, Akane lashed out and kicked the piece of wood, driving it a little further. Ryoga dropped to his knees and whimpered, agonized as the white-hot pain invoked violent instincts which he would not, he could not carry out against Akane. He whispered, "Please..." Akane drew a deep breath, focused her energy, and with one mighty blow sent the shard of wood straight through Ryoga's dead heart. The body of her friend fell over with a soft thud, the vaguest hint of a smile on its face. Akane stood for a moment more, staring, then fell to her knees. Blood coated her right palm, and she tried to wipe it off, but only succeeded in smearing it over her hands and skirt. Crying so hard she could barely breathe, she crawled over to Ranma and drew the unconscious girl up in her arms. Ranma 1/2 and all Ranma 1/2 characters are the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi, and are used here without permission or license. No claims to the above copyright are made by the author of this work.