Blood-Stained Soul

By Kyle Emmerson

    Ranma 1/2 and all of its characters and situations are
the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi. I use
these characters and situations without permission.

	Some concepts also borrowed from 'Blood Legacy: The Story
of Ryan' by Top Cow Comics. Thanks guys!

Prologue: Between Summer and Winter

****

	The cityscape of Hong Kong lay before her, an urban testament to the
success of the Chinese city.

	And on the forty-fifth floor of one of the grandest hotels ever to
grace the earth, Ukyou Kuonji found herself highly disappointed by the
view.

	"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned," she spoke, ever so silently.

	If there was an answer, she never received it. Or maybe the blood all
around her was far too thick to have made any difference. The blood of
wealthy businessmen, high priced prostitutes and crime bosses. All evil
blood. Blood that nothing holy could ever penetrate.

	And then there was Ukyou herself.

	She stepped on onto the ledge of the outer balcony. The wind blowing
through her ancient, grey hair. The sun reflecting off of her dry,
wrinkled skin. Her torn and blood-spattered clothing flapped with the
breeze.

	If she jumped now, it would make things easier. Far easier for her
mentally, but too many questions would have risen afterwards.

	No. It would be better to wait for it.

	Counting down mentally, she ignored the mass of corpses behind her.
After this, it would be over. The bomb would explode, erasing all evidence
of her ever being there, and the short flight she would experience could
be vastly exhilarating.

	Ten seconds. Hopefully it wouldn't harm any innocents in the floors
below.

	Eight seconds. She hoped the city could be prepared. She came here to
escape from Japan. From the source that started it all. The source that
called her a friend, and then made her life take a drastic turn.

	Five seconds. Ukyou closed her eyes. Fifty years... a long time. A
long period of self-loathing. A period of time she found herself hating
more and more.

	Three seconds. Perhaps in the next life things would be different. She
could spend it being a real human being, instead of the tormented soul she
was now.

	Two seconds. She heard the audible click from behind her. She opened
her eyes in shock as she realized she was two seconds off.

	Oh well. Not to worry. Same outcome.

	The bomb exploded with a such a force as Ukyou had never seen. It
pushed her from behind, sending her flying over the cityscape. Easily one
of the tallest building in the area, Ukyou found herself counting the
buildings pass underneath her.

	One block. Two.

	The burns she received from the bomb explosion didn't bother her as
she continued to count the building.

	Three blocks.

	She never made it past the fourth block. Instead, she hit the side of
the grey stucco building with great force. Had she still been alive to see
it, she would have noticed the impact crater she had left on the side as
she hurtled towards the ground, nearly thirty stories below.

	With a crash, Ukyou landed on the roof of a Volkswagen, crushing both
the car, and the single occupant inside. The occupant survived it with
minimal damage. A broken back, but due to the incredible medical
technology in the year 2046, it hardly mattered.

	And so Ukyou Kuonji was dead, and she dreamt.

	She would not remain dead for long.

****

	Okay, you may be wondering about this one... I got it from a comic
book series (of which I've only read the first issue) called 'Blood
Legacy: The Story of Ryan'. I found myself thoroughly captivated by this
comic, and that's where the inspiration for this came from. Call it a
fusion if you wish, but I'll be taking it in a different direction. (As
far as I know. *shrug*)