Ranma ½ - A World Without Sorrows
What turned Ranma ½ into the story of high adventure it became? Were
the gods really toying with Ranma? Was he really a nexus of
realities, a conjunction of chaos? Or was his father really born
under a bad star?
I present to you a MidSpace production oneshot fanfic.
Ranma ½: A World without Sorrows
Please be advised that this story features dark and adult only
content. Illicit sexual contact is implied between several characters
both above and below the age of consent. Some scenes may offend some
readers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The sky was clear and bright as the sun shone down outside the
Nerima railway station, where a mature largish man stood wearing white
workers overalls. At first glance he could have been considered
suspicious, considering the small eyes behind eyeglasses and the cap
on his head that hid a balding scalp.
Anyone who stopped long enough to watch however could quickly
tell he was a working man, as he slowly carefully opened up the
advertising sign mounted on the wall and removed the poster inside.
He would roll it up and slide it in a cylindrical container before
removing another from an identical container next to it, before
unrolling it and sliding it in place inside the sign.
Securing the sign's frame with a key, he lifted the cap and
wiped the perspiration from his forehead with a cloth only to finally
notice the teenagers filing past, some headed for the station
platform, a few others headed in the opposite direction.
Squatting down to his toolbox, he watched as some school girls
file past in their short school skirts. Watching the sway of skirts
as they went past, his glasses would fog up and a slight grin appear
on his face.
His pseudo break was broken when a group of boys filed past,
forcing his attention back to his work as he tidied up and prepared to
move on to the next sign around the corner.
From his squatted position he closed up his toolbox and was
about ready to get up when he noticed a girl running towards him with
her school blouse barely closed. The look of distress on her face
almost as if she's running from something. She appeared to be
reaching with both hands to properly button her blouse closed as she
was running, when something slipped from her skirt and fell to the
ground near the man.
Glancing at the object, the man realised the girl had dropped
her wallet. Turning his attention back to the girl, he found her
still running, having failed to notice that she'd even dropped it
Half expecting she would realise soon that she'd dropped
something, he kept watching, but she didn't slow once, before running
around the corner, seemingly headed for the station.
The man got up and stretching his back a little painfully.
"I'm really getting too old for this. Perhaps I should find a new
line of work," he said to himself.
Stepping over to the wallet he leaned down to pick it up.
For several moments he was unsure whether to run after the
girl. Reconsidering it, he fliped open the wallet, and notices the
student id inside, for Ueda High School.
Nogiwa Kasumi, 17 years old.
The photo showed a teenage girl with a cute face, long straight
brown hair in a simple tie that hung just past her shoulders, and a
simple fringe that only partially hid large deep brown eyes.
He was looking at the photo for a few moments before he
realised he was staring at the photo of a girl who was probably old
enough to be his daughter.
Snapping the wallet closed, he picked up his toolkit and
containers of rolled posters before setting off after the girl.
As Nogiwa Kasumi approached the ticket entrance she reached for
her wallet, only to find it strangely missing.
She stalled in front of the machines, as she quickly patted
down her skirt in desperation, causing a few people behind her to get
irritated as they stepped around her to move through the ticketing
machine.
A couple less considerate individuals knocked her roughly,
causing her to let out a small cry as she stumbled off to the side
near some public phones.
Taking a breath, Kasumi searched her clothes again in hopes of
finding her wallet, coming up empty handed again. After all the days
events, to now lose her wallet was enough to make the girl weep at the
futility of going back to find it.
Leaning on one of the phones for support, Kasumi recalled a
previous time when she went near a phone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kasumi was six years old at the time when she first discovered
her mother was sick. She was out shopping with her mother, when one
day she collapsed on the street. A kind man who was passing by at the
time called an ambulance and took the frightened and confused six year
old girl to the hospital.
Without any hospital cover to pay for the expenses, the passer
-by who had helped them also paid for the bills and for the tests to
find out what was wrong with her mother Nogiwa Kimiko.
That was when Kasumi was told that her mother was suffering
from something called acute myelocytic leukaemia, and that she didn't
have long to live. For a six year old girl, it was a frightening
experience, to discover that the mother who had cared, and nurtured
you for you whole existence was dying, and there was nothing anyone
could do.
It would be two months later, that Kimiko passed away, leaving
her young daughter in the care of the man who had helped pay for the
hospital bills.
After living with her mother whom she had relied upon all her
life, she found life with this man to be strange, with all sorts of
odd rules, like not talking to the neighbours, or answering the phone.
One time when he had left her home alone doing chores, the phone
rang. The first time, Kasumi listened intently before it stopped
ringing after half a minute. The second time, Kasumi stopped what she
was doing and stood in front of the phone wondering if perhaps the man
was calling home, expecting her to pick it up.
After a few seconds of indecision, she finally lifted the
receiver, and gave a polite "hello".
There was a strange voice on the other end asking for a
Buichirou whom Kasumi had never heard of. Before Kasumi could reply
however, something hard hit her across the face, knocking the phone
out her hand. She clutched a hand to her face as she turned about in
alarm, to find the man had come home.
Without a word, he picked up the phone and hung it back on the
receiver before finally opening his mouth to yell at her about never
touching the phone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Trying not be caught up in the memory, Kasumi picked up the
phone, trying to remember the number of Asakusa Children's home, where
she was now living, only to come up with a blank. In frustration she
thumped the number pad, only to have tears well up in her eyes again
as she is unable to remember the number.
As she hasn't lifted the earpiece to her ear, she doesn't her
the ring tone on the other end. For several seconds Kasumi continues
to sob, oblivious to the sound of the phone getting answered on the
other end.
Realising that holding the phone wasn't going to help Kasumi
lowered the receiver onto its cradle, never hearing the voice on the
other end calling out "Hello, this is the Goddess Assistance Agency…"
As several celestial telephone exchanges between the pay phone
and handset sitting in Heaven signalled the disconnection of the phone
call, the woman on the other end slowly lowered the handset onto its
cradle and stared at it for a few moments.
"That's very unusual, to be cut off like that."
Leaning against the phone again, worrying desperately what
she's going to do to her home. She had cut school early that day,
only to seek out her biological father who lived in Nerima who she has
never met. Instead of meeting him, she ran into the boy she knew as
her half brother only to be nearly raped at his hands.
Kasumi started to sob again softly into her hand when she felt
a hand on her shoulder.
Giving a sharp cry of shock and fear she stepped back into a
wall and turned to confront a large man wearing white overalls and
glasses.
Kasumi isn't sure what do as the man lifted the cap from his
head to reveal his balding head and the small eyes behind his glasses
held onto his head by string around his ears.
"Excuse me terribly miss, but I couldn't help but notice that
you dropped this outside."
Kasumi takes several seconds to focus upon the object that man
held out in his hand.
"My… my wallet," she stuttered as she cautiously reached for
it.
The man held his hand out, giving the wallet back to her.
"I only opened it to check your ID miss Nogiwa," the man
explained.
"Oh dear," Kasumi replied as she held her wallet to her chest
almost as if it were her only possession in the entire world.
"You aren't going to check it?" He asked. "To make sure the
money is all there."
"I don't have keep much money in it," Kasumi confessed. "But
without my train ticket I can't get home. Thank you so very much for
returning it."
"You're welcome," the man said with a polite bow before turning
away.
Kasumi stared at the back of the man a little shocked before
she opened her wallet and looked at the contents, finding her train
ticket and less than six hundred yen.
Pulling the ticket out, she hurriedly went through the
ticketing machines and onto the platform.
The sound of the speakers on the platform crackled for a moment
before a voice of a man spoke up. "The train departing on the
platform 4 is bound for Tochomae. Please stand clear of the closing
doors. The next train on platform 2, stopping all stations to
Ikebukuro will arrive in 5 minutes."
Standing on the platform, Kasumi waits patiently for the next
train to Ikebukuro amongst dozens of other students and commuters. It
isn't long before someone notices the poorly dressed girl with her
mussed hair, and partially buttoned blouse as it was missing a few
buttons and mentions it aloud to their friends.
Several more people happened to hear what was said, and turned
to look too, further spreading what was said.
Standing in the middle of it all, Kasumi clearly heard the
whispers over everything else on the platform. The whispers and
remarks were always the same since she was a child. Always mentioning
how poor she looks, how disgraceful her parents must be to let their
child go to school like that, how appalling her home life must be, how
scandalous it was to have a school who allowed girl's like her to
attend.
As the voices rose above the sound of mere whispers, Kasumi
moved over to the side of a vending machine, hoping to be less noticed
as she huddled next to it.
Once out of line of sight though, the voices that had been just
whispering were now conversing at full strength about her, with little
regard to how much she herself could still hear.
That was when a couple of girls wearing the uniform of Saint
Hebereke's high school, a private and exclusive school just for girls
approached the vending machine. They pulled out their purses and made
and effort to find some coins when they appeared to innocently
discover Kasumi standing beside the vending machine.
"Oh my, that is disgusting," one said.
"It looks like this machine has been contaminated," the other
replied.
"Yeah, now that it's been touched by someone like her," the
first one snidely finished, and they both laughed.
"I guess we'll have to go to the machines at the other end of
the platform now," the other girl replied. "I don't think I can
stomach coming near this one ever again. There is no telling what
horrible disease you might catch."
The two girls laughed as they turned away and headed down to
the other end of the platform, satisfied at their verbal hazing of
Kasumi.
It wasn't new to her, having been the target of such
ritualistic torture by many girls since she started high school, but
hearing it from girls that she had only just met, hurt her much.
The trust in people who she had only met was always broken in
such a manner.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kasumi huddled to herself trying to shake off the cold feeling
of the water as it soaked its way through her school uniform. Winter
had not yet settled in, but the cold water now against her skin was
only a couple of degrees warmer.
The girls in the window above her giggled madly as they
withdrew the bucket and stared at her trying to shake the water off
like a dog.
Some of the other students, including boys could only point and
gawk before Kasumi finally took off around the corner of the building,
seeking the nearest bathroom to try and dry her clothes and hair
before the next period.
Leading a dripping trail into one building, she walked up to
the toilets onto to stop and stare at the padlocked door.
"Why is it locked?" She asked in a quiet yet surprised voice.
Several girls who happened to be hanging around the door had
already noticed her when Kasumi approached. One of them heard her
question and spoke up.
"I think they said it was out of order. Something about a
broken pipe I think," she said.
"You'll have to use the other one," another girl replied.
Kasumi nodded in understanding and headed back outside rather
than drip her way through the entire building.
Around the building, she headed up the back stairs to the
second floor. Inside however, she was met with a different set of
resistance.
"This is the sophomore's bathroom," a girl said as she blocked
Kasumi's way.
"Please, I just want to use the driers," Kasumi pleaded.
The girl shook her head in scorn. "You'll just drip all over
the place," the girl replied, noticing the puddle already forming on
the floor. "The teachers will have a fit if we mess the place up."
"But I'll clean up afterwards!" Kasumi said.
Another girl stuck her face out of the bathroom. "What's
taking you so long?" She asked the first girl.
"The freshman wanted to use our bathroom," the girl replied.
The second girl just looked at Kasumi up and down for several
before replied. "She'll just have to use the other bathroom. Send
her away then get back in here. We need to figure out what we're
going to do with Mr. Okazaki."
With that she stepped back into the bathroom closing the door.
The first girl looked at Kasumi before puckering her lips.
"Sorry, you'll just have to go elsewhere," she said before turning her
back and following the other girl into the bathroom.
Slowly Kasumi headed towards the stairway door, wondering where
she could go. There was the school nurse's office, but she was a real
stickler for procedure, and more than likely call the Children's home
to inform them, then when she got back she'd be reprimanded for
getting into trouble.
Outside Kasumi took a deep breath as she started to realise she
was getting cold and held her arms against her chest trying to keep
warm.
She was about to head downstairs as she noticed one of the
seniors, a boy coming up. He stopped on the steps just before her
when he noticed her standing there.
"Are… are you okay?" the boy asked after a few moments. "I
noticed what happened before and I…" He paused staring somewhat at
Kasumi's soaked clothes.
"I'm… m… o… okay," Kasumi replied, trying to repress her teeth
from chattering.
"Where's your school blazer?" the boy asked.
Kasumi shook her head. "I don't know," she replied, having
somehow misplaced it during P.E.
"Well if you stay like that, you'll catch a cold. Why don't
you go inside and use the dryer's in the bathroom?"
"The sophomore's d… don't like freshmen to u… use it," Kasumi
replied.
"And I suppose the other one is…"
"Locked," Kasumi replied.
The boy couldn't quite understand why the other bathroom could
be locked, but since the bathroom had latch, then it was quite
possible someone else had brought a padlock to school and locked the
door as a joke.
"Why don't you come inside, and use the guy's toilets then,"
the boy said moving up the stairs past her, only to stop at the door.
"At least inside you'll be warmer right?"
Kasumi thought about it for a while, trying to gauge how much
trouble she would get into if found in the boy's toilets.
"Look, I'll even make sure no one else can come in," the boy
offered, seemingly very sincere.
Feeling a sneeze Kasumi sniffed, trying hard to repress it,
until she could not longer hold it back. "Achoo."
"Look, now you really are getting a cold" the boy said, coming
down the steps to grab her hand.
Kasumi didn't have a chance to resist as he pulled towards the
door, and yanked the door open. Once inside, she didn't resist,
letting herself be pulled along until the boy reached the boy's
toilets.
He continued to hold her wrist as he pulled the door open and
stuck his head in. "Just as I thought. No one here," he said before
pushing the door all the way open and pulling her inside. "Most of
the sophomores are too lazy to come up here during break, and use the
other one instead."
Kasumi suddenly found her wrist released as the boy turned back
towards the door and opened it a crack. "I'll keep a watch from
here," he said.
"O… o… okay," Kasumi replied somewhat dazed at the generosity
she was receiving from this boy without even knowing his name.
"Thankyou for what you are doing. I am Nogiwa Kasumi."
"Fine, fine," the boy said waving a hand, before glancing
about, noting that she hadn't moved. "Why don't you start drying
yourself already? The longer you take, the more likely someone will
come along."
Kasumi looked at him in surprise before realising he was right.
Stepping over to the hand driers, she hit the chrome button
starting dryer, quickly getting hot air blowing. Gripping her shirt,
she held it out under the blowing air.
"The name is Yoshiro," the boy said over the sound of the
dryer. He glanced again at Kasumi, noting again how inept the girl
appeared to be, trying to dry the soaking clothes while still wearing
them.
Leaving the door, he walked over to Kasumi and spoke up. "I'll
dry a lot faster if you take them off first and wring out the water.
All you're doing right now is keeping yourself warm."
"I… I can't do that in here!" Kasumi said in shock.
"Look, just squeeze your hair over the sink and have a look how
much water comes out, and then think about your clothes."
Kasumi did as he suggested, and squeezed her hair over the
sink, getting a lot of the water out. Looking at her clothes now, she
realised he was only speaking the truth. Looking back at Yoshiro, she
noticed he'd returned to the door to keep watch.
Letting out the breath she'd been holding, she loosened the
ribbon and unbuttoned her blouse. It came off her body with a wet
sucking sound. Holding it over the sink, she twisted and squeezed out
as much water as she could. Using the blouse she was able to wipe
some more of the water still on her bare skin before squeezing it once
again.
Carrying the blouse over to the dyer, she turned it on again
and hung it over, allowing a part of it to hang underneath and dry as
she returned to the sink, and consider the rest of her clothing.
Looking at her skirt, though it hadn't received the brunt of
the water that was dumped on her, it had still soaked up whatever had
run down her, until it was soaked halfway down.
She glanced again at Yoshiro, making sure that he was still
paying attention on the door, before she unzipped the skirt and
stepped out, finding that her panties too were clinging wet to her
body.
Dealing with the skirt first, Kasumi lifted her purse out,
laying it on the side of the sink before wringing as much water as she
could from the heavy fabric.
It wasn't as much as she hoped, but she was glad for every drop
of moisture that left her clothes and went down the sink.
Turning about, she half thought she caught Yoshiro looking at
her, but now he was facing out through the narrow doorway again.
Remembering the dryer with her blouse had stopped already
Kasumi hit the button again, and now turned on the other dryer before
hanging her skirt over that one also.
Now that both dryers were taken up, Kasumi could only turn the
clothes about and hit the buttons again when they cut out
automatically.
"You know," Yoshiro spoke up after turning his head slightly so
he wasn't yelling out into the corridor. "You only have to worry
about your bra showing through your blouse now. If it's still wet,
it'll soak right though again and everyone will see it."
Kasumi looked down to the padded bra she wore, knowing without
a doubt, that without taking it off she couldn't dry it.
Taking her time to consider it, she looked again at Yoshiro.
The dryers cut out again, forcing her to press the buttons and turn
the clothes, feeling that they were starting to dry.
Looking again at her bra, she slowly came to a decision. She
could feel her pulse quicken as she reached back and unhooked the
straps. Looking up she made sure Yoshiro was still keeping his
attention on the door before turning about and removing the bra.
Even as she turned to the sink, she couldn't but feel as if
Yoshiro was watching her as she bent over the sink and squeeze as hard
as she could to get all the water out.
Even after several times, it still felt damp to her fingers.
Figuring that she couldn't get anymore out without using the drying,
she slowly turned about half only to find Yoshiro still concentrating
on the door.
Letting out a breath, she was towards the dryers only half
covering herself when Yoshiro suddenly glanced her way.
The look Yoshiro gave her seemed very innocent before his face
snapped back to the doorway without a word.
Kasumi's hands were shaking when the sound of both dryers cut
out.
She started them again quickly, and shoved her bra under the
one with the blouse, keeping her back to Yoshiro all the while.
"You know…" Yoshiro said.
Kasumi glanced over her shoulder, noting that he was keeping
his attention on the door.
"Have you thought about asking a sophomore for help?" Yoshiro
asked.
"Help with what?" Kasumi asked in confusion.
"You know. How the other girls treat you. I've seen it a few
times."
Kasumi was silent for a while as she thought about how to
answer him. "None of them are interested in doing anything. It's
like they don't care. It's like the toilets. There are the sophomore
toilets, and the freshman toilets."
"What about a boy then?" Yoshiro said, looking in Kasumi's
direction whilst she wasn't looking. He ran his eyes up her winter
stockings and over her clinging panties before settling on her bare
back. "I mean, none of the boys are like that."
The dryers stopped for a moment, leaving the room in silence.
"What boy would help me?" She asked in a quiet voice, before thumping
the buttons. "And how could he possible help?"
"I'm helping you aren't I?" Yoshiro said. "As for how… I
could tell them you're my girlfriend, and tell them to get lost. I
mean, if they ever try something again, I could, get a couple of my
friends to intimidate them a little."
Kasumi glanced over her shoulder at Yoshiro who was once again
looking through the doorway.
"Your girlfriend?" Kasumi said in shock, her fingers holding
her bra under the dryer were frozen in shock until she felt them
burning under the heat and moved them.
Turning back again, she readjusted the clothes, checking how
they were drying. "But why me?"
Kasumi's head was so filled with the prospect of a boyfriend,
and someone who would go out of their way to help her that she didn't
hear the door closing.
"I mean, why help…" Kasumi stopped when she felt the arms reach
around her, one hand clutching firmly onto one of her exposed breasts,
the other pulling her hips against something solid. "… What… what are
doing?"
"Shhh," Yoshiro whispered past her wet hair into her ear. "To
be my girlfriend means we can do things like this," he said roughly
kneading her breast.
"Ow… that… that hurts," Kasumi half cried.
"That's because you're not properly relaxed," Yoshiro said
pushing her towards the wall.
Kasumi pushed her arms out before her head smacked into the
tiles, dropping the bra on the floor.
"See, that's better," Yoshiro said with a grin. His other hand
snaked down underneath her panties, sliding down into her crotch.
"N… n… no… please don't," Kasumi stammered, as she felt his
fingers sliding across her slit.
"You're my girlfriend aren't you?" Yoshiro asked, carefully
watching her reaction. "You do want my protection from all those
girls don't you?"
Against the wall Kasumi's hands shook in fear, while her heart
beat rapidly inside her chest.
Slowly she nodded. "Yes."
A grin appeared on Yoshiro face as he slid his finger in,
eliciting a sharp cry from Kasumi.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It wasn't the last time he touched her like that, just like it
wasn't the last time the girls of her class would haze her. Come
spring, Yoshiro graduated and left her alone once again, at the
mercies of the girls. If anything, when the daily torture resumed, it
was worse, as if the girls were making up for lost time.
Yoshiro however was not the first boy to touch her either.
Deep down, Kasumi wondered if she was always meant to suffer at the
hands of others.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"You need to take all your clothes off," the man said, his
large hands roughly pulling the dress over her head. "You can't be
having a bath wearing your clothes now can you?"
Kasumi as a six year old looked up at the man who had taken her
in after her mother died with large round eyes slowly filling with
tears.
"Hey, there's no need to cry. Your mother used to do this
every day for you, didn't she?" He asked,
Kasumi rubbed a small fist across her cheek before nodding.
"Well then, let's get undressed and get very clean then," he
said as he reached over his head to pull his clothes over his head.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Whilst it only lasted several weeks, the memories of the pain
she suffered felt like a lifetime. It was only when a neighbour who
by chance discovered her staying at the man's place that she was
rescued. Kasumi had no understanding then of why she ended up at the
Children's home in Asakusa, but she was told some years later that
none of her Mother's relatives wanted to take her in. That was fine
with her, as she found life at the home much more tolerable then
living in the home of yet another stranger.
Her reverie was broken as the sound of speakers above her
crackled with static.
"The train is now arriving at the platform 2 will be stopping
all stations to Ikebukuro. Please stand back from the line. The
train is now arriving at the platform 2 will be stopping all stations
to Ikebukuro. Thank you."
As the commuters on the station platform moved forward,
readying themselves at the points where the train's doors were to open
when the train stopped, Kasumi herself shuffled forward into the crowd
to give herself a chance to get on in case the train were too full to
take everyone.
She had just gotten into the group of waiting passenger when
someone shoved her roughly. Kasumi barely caught sight of a school
uniform much like Saint Hebereke's as she stumbled to the edge of the
crowd, dropping her purse and several items as she fell to the
pavement. There was a sound of tittering amongst the group somewhere,
which Kasumi tried to ignore.
Moving with deliberation as legs pressed near her back, Kasumi
picked up the items one at a time, until she came to a piece of paper.
It was a piece of paper with a single name, and an address on
it.
It was the off chance at overhearing the conversation between
some girls at school several days ago, that she realised that she
could find her father. Printed on the birth certificate with records
in the Children's home was the name of Soun Tendo.
It had taken a few more days to track down the man who was
supposed to have fathered her before finding him in Nerima.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking the chance of getting into lots of trouble once she
returned to the Children's home, Kasumi ditched school early that day,
slipping past the guard at the school gate with a fake pass to take a
train to Nerima.
Since she had checked a map in the school earlier that morning,
Kasumi headed out from the train station in the direction she thought
the Tendo home would lay.
Kasumi was not the only one ditching school that day. Three
boys in the standard black uniform of the local Furinkan high school
had just spent the last of their money in the local game arcade and
finally decided to leave the shop lest the manager ban them
permanently for unruly behaviour in their favourite hangout.
Outside the three boys were still adjusting their eyes to the
late spring sun, when Daisuke, the boy with short brown hair elbowed
the one to his right in the ribs.
"Ouch," complained the boy next to him, rubbing his ribs
underneath the school uniform in pain. "What'ca do that for Daisuke?"
"Ranma, look what I spotted at 3 o'clock," Daisuke said.
The boy in question looked about, his longish black hair
shifting as he turned his head left and right.
"What do ya mean 3 o'clock?" Ranma complained at the boy's use
of overcomplicated terms.
The other boy with wild unkempt hair spoke up. "I think he
means over there," Hiroshi said, pointing across the street.
Ranma's brown eyes narrowed as he squinted to look at a girl
walking along the path on the other side.
"I don't recognise the uniform," Ranma said.
"Yeah, I don't think she's local. I ain't seen her about
before," Hiroshi added. "Perhaps she's lost."
"Lets see if needs a little assistance finding her way,"
Daisuke said, stepping forward.
"Find her way into your pants you mean," Ranma said.
All three of them burst into chuckles as they crossed the
street to intercept the girl.
Hiroshi was first to reach her, stepping in front to lean an
arm against the wall, effectively stopping her.
"Are you lost little girl?" Ranma asked, putting on a
persuasive grin.
"I… Um…" Kasumi hesitated, as she turned about, spotting two
more boys who seemed to be almost her age, surrounding her somewhat.
"I'm fine thankyou," she added quickly before stepping around Ranma.
Daisuke looked at Ranma who just raised his hands in silent
gesture of "I tried. Now it's your turn."
Stepping quickly, Daisuke caught up with the girl, falling into
step beside her. "I don't recognise your uniform. Are you from
around here?" He asked.
Kasumi looked at the boy, feeling as if she wasn't going to
lose them any time soon. Thinking perhaps if she told them what they
wanted to hear, and then they would leave her alone. "I came from
Matsudo to visit a friend," she told them, finding a lie would
probably be easier.
"Would this be a girlfriend, or a boyfriend?" Daisuke asked.
"Ah… just a friend of the family," Kasumi replied hesitantly.
"So no boyfriend then?" Daisuke asked.
"No," Kasumi said with downward cast eyes. Immediately she
picked up her pace, hoping they would take the hint and leave her
alone.
"Hey!" Daisuke yelled, when Kasumi suddenly broke into a run.
The three boys broke into pursuit, following the girl as she
turned down a street in an attempt to lose them. The echo of the feet
on the pavement behind Kasumi was enough to send her again turning
down a blind alleyway, thinking she could lose them somehow with her
slightly longer legs, instead to suddenly come to a dead end.
Turning about, she found the three boys come to a halt,
completely blocking any way out.
Gaining his breath back first, Hiroshi approached the girl.
"Do you parents know you're out of school?" He asked as he came in
close. "You know a girl like you could get into a lot of trouble out
here all by yourself."
He poked a finger at her shoulder, pushing her back until she
was against the high wall that blocked the alley before grabbing both
her shoulders.
"You do know that don't you?" He asked.
"I… I didn't think," Kasumi replied with wide eyes.
Daisuke snorted. "She didn't think?"
"Is she dumb or something?" Ranma asked.
"Do you know how you are leaving this alleyway?" Hiroshi asked,
as he ran one hand down her shoulder till her was touching her bare
arm.
Daisuke and Ranma came forward also, leaning in close.
"There is something called a toll you have to pay to each of
us," Daisuke said.
Kasumi was trying hard to hold back the tears. "Look, please
I'm just trying to find the Tendo home," she pleaded with them.
Hiroshi and Daisuke were shocked enough to both turn and look
at Ranma.
The long haired boy looked didn't look at either of them,
instead looked as Kasumi for several long seconds. Without a word,
Ranma suddenly grabbed both Daisuke and Hiroshi by the arms and
dragged them away from the girl.
"Look. If you go back up the alleyway and left, and left again
at the street, follow this road until get to Murakami Street then turn
right. You have to turn left again at the doctor's clinic then follow
it all the way over the river. Four blocks after that turn right and
you can't miss it."
Kasumi stared at the black haired boy for a few moments before
bowing her head briefly, and then took off down the alley, turning
left where he had directed her.
"What the hell are you doing Ranma?" Daisuke said, punching
Ranma in the shoulder hard enough to make the boy wince.
"If she's a friend of the family, then perhaps she's looking
for mom. And you know what she can be like," Ranma said.
"She's one scary lady dude," Daisuke said.
"Glad she's your old lady and not mine," Hiroshi said.
"Gee thanks guys," Ranma said in scorn. "If the girl isn't
some friend of mom, then having a girl under my own roof is a hell of
a lot better than doing it in this stinking alleyway."
"So you're going home then?" Daisuke asked.
"Duh, of course idiot," Ranma slapped him across the head in
revenge for the shoulder punch.
"Guess we'll see you later then," Hiroshi said. "Tell us how
it went later."
"Sure. First I got to beat her home. That means taking the
shortcut," Ranma said. "Guys?"
Daisuke and Hiroshi looked at one another before locking their
hands around each other's wrists and held them low.
Ranma stepped up onto their locked arms as they lifted him high
enough to catch the wall and scramble up. "See ya guys," he said
before disappearing over the other side.
Whilst rushed, Kasumi could not fault the instructions given to
her by the boy. Following the road after the last turn, soon brought
her into sight of a large walled property with sign next to the gate
that said "Tendo estate."
Standing there she looked up at the size of the entryway,
trying to quell her nerves and remember what she planed to say to the
man who was her father. With some trepidation, she pushed open one of
the heavy doors, only to be somewhat awed at the size of the property
that lay behind it.
On one side was a wooden fence that obviously hid a fair
portion, but the other side was bordered by a low hedge, allowing her
to see the rest of the well maintained yard and its garden.
Trying not to get too caught up, Kasumi kept moving until she
reached the front door. After a few deep breaths to calm herself, she
knocked on the wood as firmly as she could.
Tendo Nadoka looked at her son with frown. "I wish you
wouldn't skip school like this Ranma," she said, trying to educate him
properly. "You won't learn anything if you keep missing classes like
this."
"It's not like they're teaching anything important today,"
Ranma replied as he popped a cracker into his mouth and munched it.
"Just some lame biology crap that I know already."
"Still, it's not right to…" Nadoka was saying when she heard a
knocking at the front door.
Ranma was first to move, getting up from the chair in the
kitchen. "I've got it mom. It's a friend coming over to help me with
some of that maths," he said, heading out of the kitchen.
"Maths?" Nadoka said in surprise. "First he's skipping class,
now he's getting maths lessons?" She could only shake her head in
surprise at what might be going through her son's head. Turning
about, she returning her attention back to the food she had been
preparing when Ranma arrived home.
Kasumi blinked in quiet surprise as the boy she saw earlier
opened the door.
"So you made it," Ranma said.
Kasumi thought for a moment she had been somehow misled, but
she remember the sign out on the street definitely said Tendo.
Perhaps he is half my brother, she thought for a moment.
Remembering her manners, she bowed again. "I am Kasumi Nogiwa.
I'm here to see Tendo Soun if he is home."
Ranma looked the girl silently as if considering her request.
"The old man is taking a nap at the moment," Ranma replied.
"But if you came to see him, I guess he won't mind been woken up."
"I don't want to intrude," Kasumi replied.
"It's no problem," Ranma said stepping aside. "Come on in."
Kasumi stepped in, slipping her shoes off inside the entryway
as Ranma closed the door.
"Come this way," Ranma said, leading her up the stairs. "The
family room isn't clean enough for guests at the moment."
Kasumi nodded in understanding.
Up the stairs, he turned left into the first room, which lay
mostly empty except for a couple of cushions on the floor.
"If you can wait here, I'll go see if the old man will see
you," Ranma said, seeing her accepting what he said. Heading out the
door he was about to close it when he finally remembered. "I'm Ranma
by the way," he said before sliding the door closed.
Kasumi let out a long breath, wondering why she had been
nervous so far. She hadn't met her father yet, and still she felt as
if her hands would not stop trembling. Trying to calm herself, she
looked around at the large room, counting the number of tatami mats
lining the floor. When she finished, she could only wonder how much
money her father must have to have such a large unused room like this.
The desire to continue looking around wore on her, so she sat
down on one of the cushions and waiting. It wasn't long until the
door opened again, and Ranma stepped though carrying a tray with a
drink and bowl of crackers.
"The old man is walking up at the moment, and says he'll be
with you in a few minutes," Ranma explained as he settled the tray on
the floor beside Kasumi. "He said to relax while you are waiting, so,
um, here's a drink."
Ranma turned about and headed back through the door before she
could reply. "I have to do something, so I'll be back later."
"Thankyou," Kasumi said as Ranma closed the door.
Kasumi looked at the glass of what appeared to be chilled fruit
juice before deciding she would have a few crackers first as she
waited.
After another cracker, Kasumi couldn't help herself and had
another, then another, until she realised the bowl had been emptied.
After lamenting that she had finished off the crackers so
quickly, it was only then that she realised the crackers left her
throat somewhat dry.
Picking up the glass of juice she took a long sip, only to
choke after a moment, and has to swallow it before clearing her
throat.
To remove the burning sensation, she sipped on the juice some
more hoping it would go away. Instead, she suddenly found the glass
empty and put it down.
Through a crack in the doorway, a single eye watched Kasumi for
several minutes, patiently watching as she finished the drink laden
with expensive alcohol. After the girl appeared to review the room,
its contents, and the empty glass for the tenth time, did Ranma get up
and open the door.
"Is Mr Tendo going to be much longer?" Kasumi asked feeling
strangely relaxed.
"Um, my old man had to leave suddenly," Ranma said, slowly
closing the door behind him. "There was a phone call and he had to
leave. He said to apologise for not been able to see you."
Kasumi stared at Ranma for several seconds, as if slowly taking
in what he said. After skipping school and the long train journey
from the other side of Tokyo, to get this far, only to not even see
the man, left her somewhat disappointed. "Perhaps I should leave and
come back another time," Kasumi suggested.
"It's unfortunate," Ranma said.
Kasumi shifted in an attempt to get up, only to find her legs
cramped from the short time sitting down.
Before she could say a word, Ranma had already bent down and
gently grabbed her, helping her up.
Getting her balance, Kasumi slowly realises that Ranma was
still holding her, and one hand was sliding up her back while the
other was sliding up her stomach.
"What… what are you doing?" She asked in shock.
"What does it look like?" He shot back.
"It… don't, please you don't…" Kasumi tried to say, as his
gently slid his hand up her skin, caressing her as he unhooked her
bra.
Suddenly afraid, Kasumi tried to break free, only getting a few
steps before he stops her. With a twist, she suddenly found herself
falling to the floor as Ranma dropped on top of her, forcing her down
with his weight.
She tried to struggle, only for him grip her wrists tight,
pinning them with one hand. With the other, he ran it up over her
chest, fondling her breasts through the loose bra. Sliding his
fingers in, he pulled at the buttons on the blouse, ripping it open
and popping off several.
"Please don't," Kasumi repeated herself.
To get better access, Ranma grabbed the bra and yanked hard,
tearing the small straps out that it came free.
"No!" Kasumi cried as Ranma ran his hands across the exposed
breasts, touching the erect tissue delicately.
"Your mouth is saying no, but your body is saying something
else," Ranma said, as the tissue became firmer under his finger.
Kasumi closed her eyes and sobbed, finding no enjoyment at all.
After tiring of her breasts, Ranma removed his hand, and placed
it behind him, sliding it underneath the waistband of her skirt.
Slowly he worked his hand downwards, sliding it through her pubic
hair.
Finding the girl's cries somewhat irritating, Ranma opened his
mouth. "What do you want with my old man anyhow?" He asked, as he
finally found what he was looking for.
Looking up, Kasumi opened her mouth, barely whispering. "He's…
he's my father."
Ranma was frozen speechless for several long seconds, before he
suddenly withdrew both hands.
A light knock at the door interrupted both of them, as it slid
open to reveal a traditionally dressed woman. "Mom!" Ranma simply
said as he slid of Kasumi in surprise.
Nadoka could only stare in shock at the scene in front of her.
Before she could react to the sight of her son trying to seduce some
girl she had never seen before, the girl suddenly got up from the
floor and ran from the room. Brushing past her, Nadoka could only see
tears in the girl's eyes as she tried to keep what was left of her
clothes closed.
Kasumi didn't stop at the sound of the woman's voice, deciding
that she had obviously been tricked she was leaving right away. She
wasted no time slipping on her shoes and ran from the house, leaving
the front door open as she ran down the path.
Out through the front gate, she ran down the street, barely
missing a moustached man as she bowled around the corner. Without a
word of apology, Kasumi kept running, hoping never to come back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The hope and hope desire that Kasumi felt before, now felt like
the piece of paper in her hand. It's thin and fragile nature crumpled
easily within her hand. The happy family reunion she had sought with
her father had disappeared just like that.
To Kasumi, it had been like this as far back as she could
remember which began with the death of her mother. The happy
memories, the childhood feelings were gone, replaced with sorrow, pain
and torment.
The anticipation on meeting her father after so long had given
her much hope, but what her brother had done wounded her deeply,
dredging up all the old memories, which in turn brought a welling of
tears to her eyes.
Never had Kasumi let it get her down for so long. To sit there
and sob was to acknowledge that she not strong enough. To not get up
and continue was admit she could not cope. To not push forward and
try again was accept her defeat.
The accept defeat was not something that Nogiwa Kasumi could
forgive herself for. Struggling slightly, Kasumi lifted herself up
from the pavement, the piece of paper still held tightly inside her
clenched hand. With the same hand she tried to wipe away the tears,
only for more to stream down her face. It wasn't because of the
treatment of her brother or the malicious whispers of the train
passengers this time. It was the last happy memory she had of her
mother whilst in hospital.
Kasumi had already heard the bad news from the doctors, but it
was her mother that had explained what the doctors could not convey to
the six year old.
The words had both frightened and confused the young girl,
unable to understand why her mother was leaving her.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Be strong Kasumi," Kimiko said from her hospital bed as she
grasped the hands of her child. "Whatever happens, you must have the
will to persevere. I know you have it in you. You only have to keep
trying and never give in, and you will find happiness."
"But I don't want happiness if you aren't with me," Kasumi
replied somewhat confused.
Kimiko had laughed for a few moments before she started to
cough in pain.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The understanding of what her mother had told her did not sink
into her head until weeks later after she begun living with the man
who took her in.
Kasumi stepped forward, unable to completely wipe the tears
from her face. While she missed her mother, she also knew she was
probably watching from somewhere. Kasumi knew she couldn't give up.
Turning about, Kasumi took a hesitant step she thought would take her
back outside of the station.
Whatever happened, she knew she had to confront her father. To
do any less, was to give in.
Kasumi tried again to wipe the tears from her face, unable to
completely dispel them without opening her hands. Taking another step
forward, she felt her foot slip into nothingness as if she suddenly
reached the edge of the platform. Kasumi could only blink her eyes as
she heard the horn of the approaching train.
Most commuters eye's were either on the approaching train, or
the unusually dressed girl, and didn't notice the convex security
mirror beginning to glow as a head appeared through the solid glass.
It was only one of the station employee's who noticed the appearance,
but was too shocked to even open his mouth to say anything. Because
of that, he didn't notice the girl on the platform down below,
stepping off the edge, into the way of the oncoming train.
Belldandy had barely manifested herself when she noticed the
girl plunging off the edge of the station platform, just bare meters
in front of the oncoming train. In the briefest of moments
Belldandy's lips moved as she hurriedly invoked a spell on the area,
appearing to slow time down enough to voice another spell.
Pressing two fingers to her lips in a kiss, Belldandy whipped
her hand forwards, causing a wind to suddenly whip along the platform
and pick up the girl mid-air, before carrying her onto the nearby
station roof.
As wind carefully deposited the girl on the roof, Belldandy
floated down to the ground on gossamer wings before launching herself
skyward to glide smoothly down the roof next to the girl.
Just as her feet touched down on the roof, all of time suddenly
returned to normal and the train slowed its way into the platform, its
brakes screeching in protest over the sound of the horn as the driver
attempted to bring the train to a halt somewhat short of its normal
position.
On the roof above the confusion, Kasumi slowly blinked to clear
her eyes as she raised her head to look at her surroundings, finding
herself on the station roof, instead of in the path of a train, or
worse yet, dead.
"What… what just happened?" she asked somewhat dreamily.
"Until a wish has been made, I can't rightly allow the
contractor to die unnecessarily," Belldandy said.
When Kasumi turned her head to find a smiling Goddess with long
flowing hair and bright clothes standing over her, she could only
stare in awe.
"Why…" Kasumi stumbled over her words. "How?" she asked.
"An introduction is needed. I'm Belldandy, a Goddess. I came
here to help people like you Nogiwa Kasumi and grant you your wish,"
she said, staring with impassioned eyes at the girl before her, having
no doubt at all that the poor girl before here was no one else but
Nogiwa Kasumi.
"A Goddess? How can you be a Goddess?" Kasumi asked in
disbelief.
"I came from heaven to grant Nogiwa Kasumi her wish," Belldandy
said.
"A Goddess?" Kasumi said again, starting to think the woman in
front of her was either crazy or putting on an act. "There aren't any
such thing," she said out loud.
"Perhaps I should fully introduce myself. I'm from the Goddess
Assistance Agency. Goddess First Class, Second Category, Unlimited
License," Belldandy said with a slight bow. "My name is Belldandy."
"There's no way…" Kasumi said shaking her head. "My half
brother did this… or perhaps someone else I've never heard of before,"
she said starting to think that the whole world was against her.
Putting her hands down, Kasumi braced herself and stood up
somewhat unsteadily on the ribbed surface of the roof, only to tear
whatever buttons were left to hold her blouse closed as a result.
Standing there watching, Belldandy continued to smile though
inside she felt a deep sadness at seeing Kasumi's reaction.
Looking down at herself Kasumi could only feel embarrassed at
the open exposure of her breasts in such a public area. Fumbling with
the edges of the fabric, Kasumi couldn't find anything left to hold it
closed as she slowly started to weep.
Without a word Belldandy started a small sing-song spell that
danced in the air as it sailed across the space to Kasumi, whipping
around the girl for several seconds before subsiding and leaving an
astonished Kasumi holding the completely restored blouse. The rest of
her uniform was also repaired and looked almost new. Underneath she
could even feel the missing bra she thought she had left at the Tendo
house.
"You… you did that?" Kasumi stared accusing at Belldandy.
"Yes. Because of the misfortune and hardship you have
suffered, your willingness to continue trying even under these
conditions, have earned you the privilege of heaven's grace. Any wish
you desire Nogiwa Kasumi will be granted."
Kasumi collapsed to her knees and broke down to sob
uncontrollably.
Stepping forward, the Goddess placed her arms around the
sobbing teenager, holding her close to comfort her.
"All I ever wanted was a family. I wanted to fit in," Kasumi
explained between fits of sobs. "And I wanted to be happy. Above all
else I wanted to be happy. You can do that?" Kasumi said, turning her
face ever so slightly to Belldandy's, looking at her expectantly.
"Oh course dear," the Goddess replied with an honest smile.
"You can wish for whatever you want."
Kasumi buried her face again into the goddess's clothes. Her
voice was somewhat muffled, but Belldandy her it nonetheless.
"Then… then I wish that I had a family again, with sisters, and
I wish my father had never left my mother, but then Ranma… no, I wish
Ranma would still be born. I don't want him not to exist because of
me. Perhaps we can meet again one day, and we can have exciting
adventures and meet strange and wonderful people. But most of all I
wish I can always be happy, and have a smile like yours."
Kasumi pulled her face back and looked up at the Goddess again,
who now smiled deeply at the girl. Slowly however, Belldandy released
her hold on the girl and stood up, as blue glow slowly infused her
body inside and out.
"What… what's happening?" Kasumi asked.
Belldandy lifted her face towards the sky above as the marking
on her forehead lit up, shooting great light up into the sky and a
wind from nowhere blew about Belldandy, whipping her hair clothes
about. For several long seconds this continued until the light
dispersed.
Slowly Belldandy lowered her eyes to Kasumi, which seemed to
hold great joy in them. "Your wish has been granted, Tendo Kasumi."
"Kasumi opened her mouth to protest at the name as she felt
something strange washed over her.
"Kasumi!" called a voice, which caused her jerk suddenly.
Kasumi slowly became aware of her surroundings as if awaking
from some long dream.
She looked down at her hand, realising she was holding a knife
in one hand, hovering over a halved watermelon.
"Oh my, did I just doze off?" she asked herself.
"Kasumi! Nabiki, Akane!" called a masculine voice.
Kasumi became aware of a noise behind her, as a man poked his
head into the kitchen.
"Kasumi!" Soun Tendo, declared happily as he saw his eldest
daughter. "I have great news."
Kasumi carefully put down the knife, quickly forgetting the
fading images in her mind and turned to her father.
"What is it Father?" Kasumi asked, smiling happily.
This was, for Tendo Kasumi aged 19, the true beginning of her
new life.
The END.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Story History
6-Jan-2006: I've been nursing an idea for a few months now for a Ranma
story, where in instead of it following the canon until someone makes
a wish and the whole universe turns topsy-turvy, the story itself
starts mixed up, until someone makes a wish, and turns into the canon
we know. I've finally narrowed down a few base ideas on how to start
and the main characters.
To pull this off properly, I wanted to show a vast change in the main
character. Something that could rightly require the magic of some
item, or cursed object to bring about the change. Whilst Kasumi was
not completely central to the Rama ½ canon, she came across as the
best candidate, for showing a major change. Like a mirrored
reflection, she could show the stark difference between a desperate
and unhappy girl, to that cheerfully happy girl that she is.
8-Jan-2006: Have added some additional material to fill the plot hole
and inconsistencies in the story start. I wanted to spread the story
out a bit, showing past history of Kasumi, of how she became this
unhappy girl that she became. Apart from writing a diary style
dialog, the other effective means was to use my hated method of flash
backs. Yeah. I hate flashbacks. For a short story, I think it works
well, but in a long story, it detracts from the momentum, and confuses
the reader.
I also persisted in using Japanese context in the names, as a
reinforcement to how "real" this reality is supposed to appear, with
no magic, or cursed springs. Leading more towards the mirror image of
the Ranma reality.
After solidifying the main character, I needed to bring the magical
aspect back in. It took some though before I was able to settle on
the Oh My Goddess cross over. The number of fan fictions out there
that have crossed Ranma ½ and Oh My Goddess, and led to inevitable
comparisons between Kasumi and Belldandy – mainly because they same
Japanese voice actress – stagger me. I didn't want to copy this
eventuality. But without using Belldandy, it wasn't going to have the
right appeal. But there is one factor that actually favoured this.
The Kasumi in this reality, doesn't look, sound like, or match the age
of Kasumi in the Ranma ½ reality. I worked part of wording of the
wish into this. Kasumi wanted to look somewhat like Belldandy.
Hopefully I conveyed this enough in the story.
7-Aug-2006: I decided to start filling out the outline I wrote up.
Only the flashback of the event with Ranma was written, so now I've
created the flashback for the school hazing, and re-wrote the first
half of the story in a readable story format, instead of the half
arsed script formatted dialog that I started it in, where he did this,
she did this, then he did this. The events leading up the station
platform actually make a lot more sense now, and hopefully will slowly
lead the reader to the obvious conclusion.
8-Aug-2006: I filled out the wish sequence with some of the
conversation from OMG TV. Lifting of words straight from the Manga or
Anime isn't something I normally like doing because of how simple it
is, that any idiot can do it, but the fact is, without it, and using
some other words, it doesn't quite sound like Belldandy. And if
anything, Belldandy is the ONLY character in this fiction who is meant
to be in character.
9-Aug-2006: Finally finished the main content of the story. The last
part I wrote for this was actually when we first meet Ranma. In this
case, Ranma isn't the Ranma we know. He's the child of Nadoka and
Soun Tendo. Someone who has had a mother all his life, and a strong
father figure that isn't overcome with grief.
14-Aug-2006: I left a couple of holes in the story. One of which was
how/why Kasumi fell in front of the train. From the spectator's
perspective it was supposed to not appear clear whether she jumped,
fell, or was pushed. The reader was supposed to get the impression
that Kasumi had no intention of committing suicide, which is confirmed
later by what Belldandy says. I filled this out somewhat, also
describing why someone in Kasumi's position hasn't tried to commit
suicide yet.
The other hole still there is the evident gap in the age between this
Kasumi and the other Kasumi. This Kasumi is still in high school,
probably about 17 years old. Whilst in the start of the canon, she is
19. The only explanation I have is that this one was born later. Due
to the effects of the wish, the timeline shifts so much, that she is
also a little older. She would be more mature, have gotten to spend
more time with her dying mother, and given more opportunities to lead
a happy life, just like she wished for.
24-Aug-2006: Completed this oneshot fanfic story, and posted on
FanFiction.This story leads into the canon. There is no more, sorry.
----------------------------------------------------------------------