Welcome to the third installment of Bindings. Whereas the first two stories addressed some of the contradictions surrounding Kasumi, now it's Ryoga's turn. This story occurs between "Kasumi's Fate" and "Tofu's Return." Note that it's really not necessary to have read the other two stories, but Kasumi and Nabiki might seem a little out-of-character without the back-story.

Fair warning: This story has a very different tone than "Kasumi's Fate" or "Tofu's Return." Some of the subject matter is a bit grim. Since Ranma ½ is primarily a humor Manga, it was necessary to re-write certain pieces of the story a few times to lighten the mood and avoid some out-of-character issues. I don't think it is dark enough to rate an "M" (and the sun does rise), but please let me know if you think otherwise.

The usual disclaimer: Ranma ½ is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only. I do claim the characters of Shizuka and Hideo Jouda (if you want to borrow them, you have to ask – just common courtesy after all). I also claim the Stone Oni of Aokigahara since he crawled out of my consciousness (where are my meds?), but I cannot claim (nor do I want to) Aokigahara itself, which is a very real place in our world unfortunately.

Brothers

Chapter 1: First Iteration

Ranma walked quickly through the forest, sometimes switching from two legs to four depending on the terrain. The sun had set about an hour or so ago, but his eyes had no issue seeing the terrain. His ears picked up the scurrying of the local wildlife, but he had no interest in them. He could feel his target ahead, just on top of the next plateau. Unfortunately, his sharp nose smelled blood – a lot of it. He broke into a run, cresting the ridge and breaking into a little clearing. In the center of the clearing, a young man lay on the ground before a large stone statue. The man appeared to be about 19 or 20 years old – he also had his stomach slit open. The wound was easily deep and long enough to be fatal. Off to the side, a young woman lay on the ground as well. She seemed to be whole, except that her dress was torn and soiled. Ranma dismissed her for now and ran to the man – maybe there was still time to stop the worst of the bleeding.

As he reached the man, Ranma felt a tremendous blow to the head that knocked him back ten meters. He shook the stars from his vision and looked again at the center of the clearing. The statue had turned to face him. It was a hideous thing, a hominoid about four meters tall with a huge belly. Besides the stone sandals on its feet, it wore nothing but a stone loin cloth about its waist. There were two horns on its round head. Its face was dominated by the gaping mouth filled with large oversized fangs. The lidless eyes were the same grey color as the rest of the body, but Ranma could still feel them stare at him. A low growl rumbled from its mouth, "This does not concern you. Leave."

Ranma hissed back at it, "I'll decide what is and isn't my concern." He got to his feet and went into a battle crouch. He made to spring at the statue, but instead snapped into invisibility and streaked toward the man determined to snatch him away from the base of the statue. The thing's senses and speed surprised him though as it unerroringly connected with his skull again. Once more, he found himself knocked several meters away from the man.

Despite Ranma's invisibility, the stone eyes pinned him down. Once more the mouth rumbled at him, "The boy is mine. Leave."

"The boy belongs to himself," Ranma growled back.

"No!" the mouth thundered. "The boy is mine. He had been mine for the last several centuries."

"Stuff it. The boy is not two decades old and he is quite mortal."

The statue raised its hand and a stone spike shot from it at Ranma, but Ranma easily dodged it. Ranma began stalking out a circle around the statue in an attempt to get behind it. The statue's head rotated to track him though. Another spike shot at him, but Ranma disdainfully avoided it. "Leave or die!" the thing rumbled again.

"I owe this lad. I'll not abandon him to be killed by you, and you'll have a damn tough time killing me!" Ranma snarled.

"I did not slice his belly," the statue rumbled. "He did that himself."

Ranma eyed the body more carefully and noticed a tanto blade near one of the hands. "You compelled him, demon."

The stone monster began laughing. Ranma could hear the savage joy in its tone. "Oh no! I compelled him to rape the girl and impregnate her. He slit his stomach in despair when he realized what he done."

"You mean 'What you did'. Is there not enough misery among the humans that you couldn't have skipped the need to add more?"

"There is never enough, and soon there will be more. My new life has been conceived tonight. Once more, I will walk among the living, and once more they will be in absolute terror of me."

Ranma thought fast as he prowled the circle. Obviously, statue housed a demon oni. He needed a way to distract or, better yet, upset this thing. "If you died once, you'll die again. As you rise, so shall your enemy."

"YOU LIE!" Another spike shot at Ranma. He dodged and sprang at the boy's form, but the statue's hand shot out at him. Ranma was ready for it this time and successfully dodged it, but he couldn't get near the young man. The statue continued shouting, "THE BALANCE IS BROKEN."

"The Balance is never broken. Sometimes, it tilts one way, sometimes another. It always corrects itself," Ranma taunted.

"Not this time," the statue rumbled quieter. "The mortals broke it themselves. The Kamis will not be able to right it this time."

"Then the mortals will right it, but the Balance is never broken. Your enemy will rise, and will toss you down again."

"My enemy is cold dust and has long passed beyond the cycles of this world. He is condemned to wander the afterlife, just as his descendants are condemned to wander this world."

A light went on in Ranma's head. "So you're the one who cursed this boy's family. You displayed remarkably poor form there. A good curse should fade after a few generations. Otherwise, Karma begins to kick in. All you've done is guaranteed your complete destruction."

"THERE IS NO KARMA. THE BALANCE…" The statue broke off and looked down at the young man. There was a sigh from the boy and life fled from him. A mist seemed to rise slowly from the body and encircle the statue. The chest of the statue swelled and the mist was drawn in through the mouth. When the chest exhaled, the statue looked at Ranma malevolently. "It is done. Twenty generations of despair now feed me. I have seen each and every one of them to the grave, including this boy's father. What my enemy has taken is mine once more. The very last of his line will serve as my new body."

Ranma cursed. He had lost the boy. Further battle was pointless. He now glanced at the girl. She seemed to be about twenty years old. Her hair had been braided into three long pigtails that she had woven on top of her head like a crown, and she wore a multi-colored silk scarf about her neck. She would have been considered very pretty except for the fact that she was also covered in deep bruises, which gave mute testimony to the violence she had seen. The bruises gave Ranma pause and he considered her horrible fate, now condemned to die painfully giving birth to an Oni. Her life from this point forward would be misery and hell. The demon would drain her spirit just as sure as it had taken the boy's. Ranma believed in life, but sometimes mercy demanded something else. He leapt at the girl, prepared to deliver a killing blow.

"NO!" The demon threw a blizzard of spikes at Ranma, but Ranma was ready for them – he phased out and allowed the spikes to pass through him. The spikes slammed into the girl piercing her heart, liver, and abdomen killing her instantly. Ranma made a swipe at her neck, severing the head from the body. As the Oni screamed in rage, Ranma picked up the head and streaked into the forest. He heard the Oni tearing after him, but its stone body could not navigate the forest as quickly as Ranma.

"NO! I WILL NOT BE DENIED! GIVE HER TO ME!" the Oni bellowed.

Ranma didn't waste time responding out loud as he tore into the thick underbrush. He needed to give the girl's spirit enough time to escape. If the Oni got her head, there was a chance it could resurrect her. Ideally, Ranma needed holy ground to bury her, but Ranma's current status made that difficult. He dodged another set of spikes and ran through a copse of trees, placing as many obstacles between himself and the Oni.

Suddenly, as he looked for more obstacles, Ranma heard a soft voice echo in his ears: "My family's shrine. Take me there."

Ranma almost dropped the head as it spoke to him. "Excuse me?" he said around a mouthful of hair.

"My family's shrine is nearby. Take me there," the girl said.

"Done, my lady, but directions would be useful." Behind them, the Oni ripped through the forest, tearing through brush and firing stone spikes any time he caught a glimpse of Ranma. The thing was powerful, plowing through everything in front of it. Ranma put on a burst of speed and began choosing the thickest tree trunks to dodge around.

"There's a road to the right. If you take it, it will lead to the shrine," the head told him.

"No good. If I'm on the road, the thing will have a clear shot. I have to stay physical to carry you. I need to stay in the woods."

"Then there's a deep ravine on the left. If you take the high trail, it narrows to only a meter across the cliff face."

"Sounds promising. How deep is it if the demon falls?" He streaked through another copse of trees.

"Over a hundred meters down."

"Damn thing can probably jump that, but we can pick a new direction while it's falling." He sped off in the direction the head indicated. He quickly found the trail and dodged another volley of spikes as he tore up the path. The path was a bit narrow for him as well, but he had a few advantages over the Oni with regards to balance – he could use his claws to give himself extra purchase. There was a roaring sound behind him. As Ranma spared a quick glance, he saw that that the Oni was creating a channel in the cliff wall with his hands as he ran. It was slowing it, but not enough to lose it. Damn! This thing had immersed itself in powerful despair for far too long.

Ranma leapt up from the ledge and crawled quickly along the face of the ridge. Because the Oni had cut into the ridge to make its path, Ranma temporarily vanished from sight overhead. "NO!" it roared throwing its arms into the rock and pulling away the cliff face.

Ranma felt the cliff face give away beneath him. "Oh Hell!" He scrambled and leapt from falling rock to falling rock, barely clearing the top of the ridge before it gave way too – all on top of the Oni with a huge crash. "That gives me about five seconds," he thought. He switched to invisibility. He could not hide the girl's head, but she made a much smaller target to spot than himself.

Sure enough, there was an explosion from the ravine and rocks flew out of it. With a crash the Oni leapt to the top of the ravine and scanned the forest. "WHERE ARE YOU? I'LL FEED YOU TO A SOUL EATER!"

"There's incentive to show myself," though Ranma. Out loud, he whispered, "Is the shrine close to the road? As soon as we cross the road, the Oni will see us."

"It's right next to the road."

"I hope so. Which way?"

"To the left, about a quarter of a kilometer", she answered. Ranma moved in the direction she indicated. "Is the boy dead?" she asked.

"Yes, the Oni has consumed him," Ranma answered.

"I see," the head answered.

"He wasn't like that you know," Ranma started again.

"Like what?"

"A rapist," he continued. "The lad was actually a very prudish boy. He was likely filled with horror to find out what happened to you."

"I know…I'm sorry for your loss."

"We were not close, but I owed him a favor. I'm more sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. I appreciate you freeing me."

"You're welcome, but we are not home yet." He turned to look at the Oni, still scanning the forest. "Did you know the lad?"

"No, he was a stranger to me." Ranma nodded his acknowledgement and crept closer to the shrine.

There was a huge crash behind him. The Oni had leapt the long distance from the ridge top to the road. It continued to scan the forest, occasionally looking up and down the road. Ranma worked on keeping trees and rocks between it and himself. While the Oni had picked his invisible form out in the clearing, it obviously had a tougher time with the forest as a back drop. Ranma saw the shrine up ahead and tried not to pick up the pace. Every little bit closer improved his odds. Finally, he moved himself just opposite the shrine. The girl had gone very quiet – her spirit's vitality fading, but not gone yet. Just as he prepared to leap across the road, there was a crash to his left. The Oni stood in the middle of the road. He spoke directly to Ranma. "Give me the girl. NOW."

Ranma didn't move, didn't breathe. He just watched the Oni. He noted that Oni was starting to glow faintly. It was failing just as the girl was.

"Give me the girl. I can see you."

"Liar," Ranma thought. "I can stay here all night and you'll never find me."

"I know you, Lost One. I know the desire in your Heart. Give me the girl and I grant you what you want – an end to your loneliness."

Suddenly, Ranma's heart quailed within him as the Oni touched his weakness. An end to his loneliness? What was that worth?

"You want love, Lost One, something that's been denied to you for all eternity. I can give your Lady to you. What worth is this girl compared to that? What is the boy worth? What is a dead line of men compared to that?"

Ranma viciously controlled his shaking. How long had he howled his anguish to the uncaring moon? He fought not to move, but it was getting harder. No. No, this was too much. How long must he suffer? He thought about showing himself when the Oni spoke again, "Come now. We of Aokigahara understand anguish!"

Ranma's shaking froze at that word. "Aokigahara?" he thought. "This is the Stone Oni of Aokigahara?" His eyes narrowed and his teeth were bared. His mind blazed: "I may howl my anguish at the moon, but at least I howl alone!" Anger and rage filled him now. "No one else shall join me in anguish because I failed now." With that, he conjured a small object and threw it down the path. It jingled as it hit the road, causing the Oni to spin around. Ranma ripped across the road behind the Oni.

"NO!" it shrieked, leaping at him. Ranma sprinted towards the shrine, but the Oni was going to catch him before he made it. He took the girl's head and punted it through the open door of the shrine, then faded to the immaterial as the Oni crashed though him. The girl's head spun to face Ranma as it flew through the door – her face lit up with a beatific smile before the death mask took her features.

The Oni staggered to its knees bellowing, "NNOOOO! I worked for twenty generations! I will not lose now!"

Ranma phased in ten meters outside the Oni's reach. He looked with disgust and anger at the Oni. Suddenly, a large metal screeching sound cut though the air, followed by two large booms. Ranma heard large heavy chains off in the distance. He addressed the Oni. "You're right, you will not lose. You have already lost. You lost the minute you set foot outside of Aokigahara. Now those you persecuted are coming for you. The Gates of Hell have opened wide to receive you. Prepare for Judgement." The sounds of the chains began growing louder.

"NO! I AM AOKIGAHARA! ALL WHO HEAR OF ME DESPAIR!" it yelled.

Suddenly, the Oni cut off. Water began running out its eyes, ears, and mouth. "What the hell?" it gurgled. Ranma stared at the stone menace in astonishment. The sounds of the chains paused, and then began again, but the clinking and crashing they made sounded wrong; no longer solemn, but hurried. Yet, water flowed faster and faster from the Oni's orifices. Ranma had to step back to avoid getting soaked completely. He glanced down the road toward the sounds of the chains and saw two lines of shadowy men materialize, all running down the path toward the Oni, each line carrying a long heavy chain.

Abruptly, the stomach of the Oni burst, flooding water everywhere. The Oni stared at the water pouring out its middle. It looked at Ranma completely lost. "I…I don't…don't understand," it said. Then it collapsed in on itself, splashing more water on Ranma. For a moment, there was a small fountain where the Oni had stood, and then, there was just a large puddle. Ranma looked at the two lines of shades as they continued to approach, but no longer running. Each man looked as bewildered as Ranma felt. In his mind, Ranma counted each line – ten men each. He looked at the shade closest to him, and recognized the boy who once had done him a favor. The thin young man stood with his mouth hanging open, showing his even teeth.

"What…what's happening?" a girl's voice asked. The ghost of the young woman who Ranma had "placed" in the shrine walked out of the building and joined Ranma staring at the scene. Suddenly, she vanished as did two of the men closest to Ranma, including the boy he had known. The remaining eighteen men stared at the puddle where the Oni once stood.

The lead man in the far chain nodded to the other seventeen. At his gesture, they placed the two heavy chains on the ground. The man approached Ranma and spoke: "O Lost One, hear me. I am Iko Hibiki, slayer of the Stone Oni of Aokigahara." Ranma politely inclined his head to the man. Iko continued: "We have a problem."

When the sun rose, it found Ranma once again staring at the large puddle where the Stone Oni had once stood. He stretched in the warm light, enjoying a sensation he had not felt in millennia. This sensation was part of his payment for agreeing to attempt to resolve a conflict within the Balance. As a result, Ranma was no longer restricted to night time activities. He now had the power to search for his Lady by darkness or by day.

He thought back to the meeting…Ranma had followed the shade of Iko Hibiki to a gathering of various Powers-That-Be. The Gathering had greeted Ranma and offered him a very special task which only he could complete, given his unique status. In addition, they had declared that Ranma would receive part of his payment in advance if he undertook the task. This was because there was a fair chance that no one would ever remember Ranma undertaking this mission, especially if he was successful.

Ranma smiled grimly to himself. That was the problem with moving outside the circles of the world – the paradoxes began to pile up quickly. If it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't mortal, there would be a fair chance of erasing himself from history. But the current situation could not be resolved in the present, or the future. That left only one direction. He looked at the talisman given to him. When invoked, that would move him back seven years along the boy's life. His key task was to avoid an outcome where the Stone Oni killed the boy, because that set up a collision between Water and Earth. If not resolved successfully, a clash between the two Elements would occur, and it would be large enough that it may very well sink the country. Anything was permissible to avoid that outcome, including Ranma killing the boy himself.

His smile vanished at the thought. That was an absolute last resort as far as he was concerned. He had a debt to the young man. Granted, there was a chance that the debt would never occur now, but that didn't matter to Ranma. Even if he was the only one who remembered, it still occurred. Of course, even if Ranma had no obligation to the lad, he still would have taken the task – the payment was too good to pass up. He decided to exercise it now. Ranma leaned forward and studied his reflection in the sunlight, something he hadn't seen in ages. Two large yellow eyes were set in a white furry face, above a pink nose. The fur covered the large feline body completely. The cat's ears rose up like two white tepees on its large head. As the eyes stared deep into their reflection, something twitched, then cracked.

Ranma Saotome shot up in bed, with a scream locked in his throat. Quickly, he felt his face and checked for a human nose which he found, thank Kami-Sama. His hands moved to the side and found his ears. He looked at his hands, and didn't see claws. Slowly, he got his heart rate back under control and stopped the shaking in his limbs. He had dreamed of that damned cat again. He was going to beat the crap out of his father once the sun rose…