Michael Gutin
Disclaimer: You know the drill...BLAH BLAH BLAH not my characters YAP YAP YAP belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the ol' pathetic plea to not be sued.
"…" means speech
(…) signifies thoughts
If it's in italics it must be a sound effect
>… > shall be the lovable panda signs
Sick of It
Chapter 1
Wherein Ranma Kicks a Shoji Board
A lone figure wandered the abandoned streets of Nerima. It was late enough that everyone else had gone to sleep by now, which suited the figure fine. He needed time to think, because he had a lot to think about.
As he stepped out of the alleyway, it became clear that this was a man, and a martial artist at that. The only other distinguishing feature was the figures short, braided pig-tail. He walked slowly, deliberately, as if he had nowhere to go, this was perfectly reasonable, because he didn't. And so he trudged on, half-heartedly kicking any debris that came across his path.
Elsewhere a building stood. Closer examination revealed it to be unmarked except for a lone sign which merely stated
"Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."
All was silent except the occasional sounds of several bricks breaking accompanied by the sounds of someone breathing heavily. Akane Tendo stood inside, usually breaking bricks helped sooth her anger, but today they seemed to have no effect.
(That baka!) she though, (How dare he get mad at me? HE was the one that was abusing poor P-Chan, and he just couldn't help but hang onto Shampoo, that hentai JERK!)
With that her hand shot down and obliterated the blocks. Her hand stung a little, but the pain went away soon enough, unfortunately, her anger did not.
(I guess I should just try to get some sleep) she thought (besides, what do I care what that jerk does, anyway?) With that Akane abruptly turned around a left the dojo, leaving everything silent in her wake.
The pig-tailed figure had finally found a place that suited him. It was nothing fancy, especially considering how much time he had been spending at the Tendo household, but he needed a place to be alone, and this place would have to do. The figure sighed,
(What am I gonna do?) he wondered. He remembered what had taken place recently, and a change overtook him. Even from a distance, anyone could tell you that he was mad. He was very mad. You could feel the anger radiating off of him.
(I'm sick of it! Sick of all of it! Sick of all of them! I'm sick of all my fiancés, and I'm sick of all my enemies, and I'm sick of my parents, and I'm...I'm just plain sick of all of it!)
The figure started muttering something under his breath
(I'm done with it, all of it, no more Akane hitting me whenever it suits her, no more Shampoo glomping on me without warning, no more of Pop's "training", I'm not doing any of it, not anymore!)
At this the figure settled down, still angry, but a slower, more peaceful anger, he didn't want his rage to burn out, he had a lot he needed to get done.
(I have to make a stance, but what do I do, maybe I'll ask...NO! This is about me, making my own choice, I'm doing this all by myself, I'm gonna get some things changed or die trying!) the figure smiled at the thought (But what to do first...)
Ryoga wandered, he didn't know where he was, but that was expected. He almost never did, he was tired though, and hungry, he hoped that he would find a place to eat soon.
For now he trudged on, depressed about the latest misfortune in his life, mentally reciting his mantra of "It's all Ranma's fault." Perhaps this, and only this, was what drove him ever onward.
The pig-tailed one sat unmoving. He had been that way for several hours. He had done more thinking in the last day then he had ever thought possible, and it still didn't seem like he was getting anything done.
(First, I have to sort out how I feel about everyone, then I can go from there.) His mind instantly thought of a certain short-haired girl (Akane...no, I have to smart small, fix the minor problems first, then I can get to fiancés)
He then thought of less important people in his life
(Happosia, that old goat, always grabbing at me, just like everyone else...) with that, the figure gave a small chuckle.
(Happosia, the one person who treats me the same as he does others, if that ain't irony, I don't know what is. I don't think there's anything I can do or say to change him, well then, onto someone else...)
Light showered through an open window and onto a bed where a girl was sleeping. The light woke the girl up; she yawned and slowly got out of bed and ready for school.
She sat down to eat and noticed something was missing. She realized that the spot next to her, where Ranma usually sat, was empty. That brought back all the memories as well as the anger from last night back.
(How dare he run off without a word, now I'm left here worried ab...No, I'm not worried about that insensitive jerk! He can leave forever for all I care!)
And yet the girl could not shake the gloom that enveloped her, and on her way to school she kept glancing at that fence, expecting Ranma to be there running with her, however as she neared the school there was still no sign of him.
A familiar voice called out to her "Akane Tendo, finally though art rid of the vile Saotome's sorcery, and we may now bathe in the deep springs of our love, tally not my sweet, for I shall date with you!"
Akane shook her head and sighed (I am NOT in the mood for this today.)
The sun found yet another victim, a lazy boy with a pig-tail snored one last time before sleep was taken from him.
(Bwah?) He though groggily, he proceeded to look around
(Oh man! I actually fell asleep here, what time is it anyway? Too late for school by the looks of it, ha, going there is a waste of my time, I've got other problems.)
He got up, and proceeded along the fastest form of travel he knew, the Nerima Roof Express, he headed West, towards what has been his home for 2 years, the Tendo household,
(I'm sure going to miss it...)
Nabiki's face revealed nothing. It rarely did, she prided herself on this.
She wasn't cold, not really. It was more that she was...afraid.
Her mother's death was a huge blow to her. She had spent days, weeks wrapped in a shell of depression. When she emerged, she made herself a promise. Never again would emotion get the better of Nabiki Tendo. Let other's get caught up in the heat of the moment, she would be the calm at the center of the storm, she would be the cool head in a time of crisis.
She told herself that she must disconnect herself from all those unwanted emotions. And so she did.
He stood there, the sight of what had been his home made him hesitate, but only for a moment.
He opened the front door and went inside; he saw a familiar site, his dad and the Tendo's playing shoji. His smile stretched from ear to ear, as he realized what he should do. He had wanted to do it for so long, and what better time than now. With that he calmly snuck up on the two men, both absorbed in the game, he then took a deep breath, wound back his leg and kicked the damn game board as hard as he could. Needless to say, it was not coming back. Before they could do anything, the boy proceeded to scream
"DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR ONCE!"
Before quickly heading up the stairs and into his room. Both the men gaped for a second, before Soun quickly burst into tears and Genma held up a sign that said
>But it's be kind to Panda's Week!>
The boy wasted no time packing up all his stuff out of his room and loading it into his backpack. He was almost out the window, when he was stopped by Kasumi.
"Oh, my!" she said, "Whatever are you doing Ranma?"
Ranma looked helplessly at Kasumi, what could he say? You don't get mad at Kasumi, you just don't.
"Er..." he said sheepishly, "I'm going out...for a while..."
Kasumi merely smiled, "Okay, just try to be back before dinner" she said.
"I will" Ranma lied.
(But this will be the last lie), he decided, (I'm gonna tell everyone the truth about everything, that's the only way things will ever change around here.)
And with that he leapt out the window and sprinted out of sight.
Ukyo Kounji was confused. Ranma hadn't been in class all day, it was lunch, and she was getting answers, now. She saw Akane eating lunch under the shade of a tree, alone,
(There she is!) she thought (If anyone knows where my Ranchan is, it'll be that violent tomboy.) All she said, however, was,
"Hey there Akane!"
The girl in question looked up; Ukyo was shocked to see a worried expression on her face.
"Hey Ukyo" Akane responded weakly, "If you're asking about Ranma, don't bother, I don't know where he is."
Ukyo was not so easily deterred, "Are you sure? It was probably your fault that he left."
Akane suddenly looked angry, "My fault? That insensitive baka deserved it!"
Ukyo sighed, she saw that this conversation was going nowhere, she tried a new approach,
"So exactly what DID happen, Akane?"
Ranma jumped from rooftop to rooftop and smiled inwardly.
(That couldn't have gone any better!) he thought to himself, (I got my stuff out, and even gave the old man and Tendo something to think about.)
He scowled, (That'll get the message through, there's a new Ranma in town, and boy are they gonna be sorry they ever chased the old one away...)
Shampoo hummed happily to herself. She was riding her bicycle along the fence.
(I miss Ranma when he go to school today, is okay, maybe I give him date to make it up to him.)
She stopped with a frown. School had let out, but she saw no red against the sea of white and green uniforms.
(Airen no is here? Maybe he decide to dump pervert-girl and be with Shampoo! Aiyah! Maybe he already at the Nekohanten, waiting for Shampoo! Must go quickly.) And so Shampoo sped of, her purple hair swaying in the wind.
Ranma reached his destination, Tufo's clinic. He peeked his head in.
"Tofu-sensei, are you there?"
Tofu quickly emerged from his room and gave Ranma a quick scan,
(Nothing appeared to be injured) he thought.
Ranma said nothing for a moment, then gathered his courage
"Hey Doc...err...well you see, I sorta, sorta left the Tendo's...and..."
Tofu, caught of guard, started to speak when Ranma cut him off.
"Please let me finish" he said softly.
Tufo merely nodded, so Ranma continued
"Look, it's just, lately, everyone's been trying to get me to do things. Everyone just keeps pressuring me: my fiancés, my family, my friends...I know I've put up with it for so long, but I just...I just can't, not anymore."
He paused to take a deep breath before continuing
"I'm just damn tired Doc, but you, you've never asked me to do anything. You've give me advice, and guidance, but it's always my choice to follow it, you never turn your back on me, never demand anything from me, your a...friend, more than that, right now, you might be the only true friend that I have for now."
(And now for the moment of truth) Ranma thought,
"I really don't want to impose, but could I stay here, with you, it would just be a while, until...until I get things settled with everyone...?"
Tofu looked at Ranma and saw the stress that was written on his face,
(Of course) Tofu thought (If anyone should be stressed, it's Ranma, I think it's time someone gave him a break.)
Tofu gave Ranma what he hoped was a reassuring smile and said
"No problem at all, stay as long as you like."
Ranma looked so relieved that the doctor couldn't help but smile. Ranma smiled too,
(I have a place to be alone) he thought (and better yet, I have a friend, an ally, someone I can really trust.)
For the first time since yesterday, Ranma felt happy. The happiness did not last long, after unpacking, Ranma sat down in the room Tofu had provided him, once again lost deep in thought.
Sitting cross-legged, it looked like Genma was meditating, but peace of mind was the last thing Genma had.
The events that occurred earlier had thoroughly confused him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.
(The boy's been acting strange) he mused (That ingrate, after all I've done for him. Why doesn't he show some appreciation for once? Why can't he just marry Akane like me and Soun have asked him too so many times. What's the world coming to when a boy can just come in and do what he pleases? I've let him screw up enough, but today...that was the last straw, I was actually winning for once! I'm gonna have to knock some sense into that boy...huh? What's that smell?)
He heard Kasumi's voice calling "Mr. Saotome dinner is ready."
(Well, maybe I'll have dinner first.) With that, the glutton scrambled to the table and began his sacred ritual that is known as eating.
Ranma laid down and prepared for sleep. He decided that he would go to school the next day, what he would do there, he didn't know.
(Whatever happens, happens) he decided (I'll take the actions as they come, and I'LL make the choices, and I'LL take the responsibilities, it will be ME at school tomorrow, the real ME.)
That was the last thing he thought before sleep overtook him.
(What a nice rest) Akane though as she got up, (I wonder why I feel so refreshed? Probably because it was so quiet yesterday, so...boring)
She frowned at that thought
(Boring? What am I thinking? As if I like all that chaos that he brings into this house! Huh! I nice day without all of his stupid fiancés is just what I've needed)
She headed down for breakfast, and saw that her father was crying.
(Oh, great) she sighed, "What's wrong dad?"
Soun looked at her, in between sobs he managed to get out "He...he yelled at me...and...all his things...he's left..."
Akane paled (NO!) she screamed silently (He wouldn't leave, would he?)
She jumped up and ran as fast as she could and checked the room that Genma and Ranma had been staying in, indeed the room was devoid of all of Ranma's things. She looked a moment before realizing,
(He's gone...he's really gone this time...what did I do?)
She replayed the scene in her head.
(I don't get it, we were fighting, but we always are...and then I hit him...but...his face...I was so angry I didn't notice...he was trying to explain and his expression was different...he was...sad, and...I have to find him! And if he ran off with another girl I'll kill him!)
It was like any other trip to school, except for one thing. Ranma had always dreaded school, the walk there had always been a depressing one, each step taking him one step closer to his eight hour trip of boredom.
But now, Ranma felt...anxious, he didn't know what would happen, but he d...
splash
(Dammit! It's that stupid old lady again, now I have to change back to a...no, no I don't, that was the old Ranma. Yes, I'm not going to be late for school just to turn back into a guy, everyone's going to have to deal with it. I'll turn back later, when it's more convenient to me) he though smugly.
(Yup) he thought, (If this is any sign, things are changing, things are changing indeed...)
Kuno eyed the premises warily, searching for any sign of the vile Saotome. What he saw instead was a sight that he had yearned for so much, his beloved pig-tailed girl had come!
Sure enough onna-Ranma was running as fast as she could, trying to avoid being late. Kuno, of course, decided that she must have missed him so and was running into his arms.
"Oh pig-tailed one" he began "I see now that thine love is as plentiful as a..."
was as far as he got, before his face became an unwilling stepping stone for an onna-Ranma that was in a big hurry.
"Not now" she called back to him "But I'll be glad to pound your face in later" she assured him before disappearing into the school.
(Well,) onna-Ranma thought (I made it on time, now Miss Hinako has no excuse to drain me, then again that doesn't usually stop her...)
He stepped into his classroom. He could see everyone, even the teacher, were gazing at him as he took his seat.
(Let them stare) he thought (see if I care, it's not as if they don't know about my girl form, true I've never actually come to class as a girl, but they'll just have to deal with it.)
With that he slowly looked at all the students with a look that he hoped would convey the message of "get over it." His gaze had wandered over to Akane as the bell signaling the start of school rang.
Miss Hinako looked only a second longer before starting here normal lecture, onna-Ranma let his attention wander and noticed all the whispering that was going on.
(Probably talking about me, why is everyone so nosy anyway? What do they care if I come to class as a girl or not? Hmph! If they get excited about that, I don't know what they'll be doing in the next couple of days...)
To say that Akane was taken aback was a bit of an understatement. Here she was assuming that Ranma had left for good, and here he was sitting not five seats away from her. And as a girl no less! She thought he hated being a girl.
(Then again, he's been doing a lot of weird things lately, I'll have to talk to him at lunch) she decided. Until then, she couldn't help but steal occasional glances at him. It wasn't too long until onna-Ranma was fast asleep.
(Well,) Akane though with a smile (at least some things never change.)
Before onna-Ranma knew it, it was lunch time.
(Well, this is a good as time as ever to change back.)
He proceeded to enter the bathroom and splashed himself with hot water from the sink. With that out the way, he began to focus on his next important topic
(Food.) he though with relish,
(I know, Ucchan will give me food, I gotta find her.)
And find her he did. She was already behind her grill, delicious okanomiyaki sizzling. Ranma knew that he had a lot to talk about with Ukyo but, the food was so...he valiantly put up a fight with his stomach, but he may as well have been trying to stop the tides with a two-by-four.
He launched himself and landed perfectly in front of the grill. Ukyo looked up and smiled. Offering him a plate. The very second Ranma finished his food, Akane came stomping into view.
(Oh, shit!) he thought (She looks furious, she is going to let me have it) he stopped (No, not this time, this time I'm really going to give her a piece of my mind!)
Akane approached him, her feelings was clear,
"RANMA! How dare you just disappear! I was worried about you, and now you're sitting there talking to Ukyo? RAAAANMAAA NOOOOOO BAAAAKAAAA!"
She pulled out her mallet and swung it down with every intent to launch Ranma into semi-permanent orbit when...she felt something stop her.
She looked up, it was Ranma.
She stared at him and gasped, his eyes...they showed such anger. She had seen him this angry, but not at her, never did he look at her like that. Ranma pried the mallet from Akane's hands, ignoring the pain, he calmly took the mallet, and snapped the handle in half, he then tossed it away.
"No, Akane..." he whispered slowly "This time...this time you're going to listen to what I have to say."
She looked up at him, frightened. The look hurt Ranma, but a part of him thought
(Good! Let her be afraid for once! She isn't going to be abusing me anymore! She'll see what she took for granted...I'll make her!)
Ranma once again began to speak
"No more" he said it softly, almost gently "I'm tired of you and your temper"
His voice rose to a normal level "I'm tired of you insulting me, and I'm tired of you blaming everything on me."
He stopped for a second, this time practically screaming "You've taken for granted all the shit I've had to put up with, do you have any ideas what I've had to put up with, what I've chosen to put up with, just to make things better for you? I mean...I...I killed a god for you! And you...you still don't even trust me. Not once did you ever just...just listen to what I had to say. No...you called me a baka, and a jerk, and a pervert, and you hit me, you always hit me, and you are gonna be so sorry that you ever did, you...you..."
Akane was visibly shaking at this point. It was taking all her willpower just to maintain eye contact. Ranma felt he had said what needed to be said, he lowered his voice so only she could hear it, and merely whispered
"Payback's a bitch"
and proceeded to leave the school grounds. Behind him Akane collapsed as her friends rushed to comfort her.
Authors Notes: I don't remember the exact time I got this idea. But at some point I just wondered what would happen if Ranma just stopped putting up with everything that happened to him. I know that I made him way OOC, but it had to be done. Also let it be noted that was my first ever fan fic. Not that I'm gonna using that as an excuse but...wait, yes I am. With that in mind C&C are welcome...but no flames. We don't likes the flames, my precious...noooo, it burns our handses it does...
Ehem
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and if you did, don't hesitate to tell me about. C'mon, my ego needs inflating!
Update: Why was I not warned about the horrors of formatting!
Well, the most common complaint was formatting, and now I can see why, so I, you know, formatted it and stuff. Reward my back…er, finger breaking effort with more blind praise!