Ah, the sounds of dawn fill the air with fresh beginnings and the warmth of the first rays of light. Birds composed in the light breeze, spurred on to orchestrate the symphony of life in gentle calls of happiness. The unmistakable glow as the crystalline sparkles of dew begin to re unite into the air, helping to build on the earthly aroma of a new day's hope and harmony.
Ranma wasn't having any part of it, no. Morning means another day of chaos beginning it's spiral which would surely spin out of control. No, he doesn't want any part of it... Kasumi's cooking was something he could use as an excuse to get up, the boy's nose letting his brain know of it's awareness of his favorite thing to do besides martial arts. Eating. Not yet though... Just a few more minutes to hide away from it all, curled up under his blankets he scrunched his face in a futile attempt to ignore the sounds and smells of a waking Nerima.
SPLASH!!!
"FOR THE LOVE OF KAMI WHY!" Ranma shot to his... errr... her (but we will use the male pretense to identity Ranma, for now) feet in a fit of madness ready to destroy the source of randomness that he was practically, well almost, used to.
"I had to you jerk, or we are going to be late for school!" exclaimed an irate Akane at the sight of Ranma's unmistakable glare of impending doom.
For a moment Ranma thought to himself of how many ways he could start this conversation. In less then a moment he had already decided to just let it go, as he held his boxers up from falling down his now female body. Clinching a fist, the red head stood there in a brief moment of rage and silence, then said fist made sudden contact with a snoring panda who would now be asleep for much longer. He made direct eye contact with Akane to make sure she was aware of his icy glare.
"Hmph, Honestly Ranma, I was just trying to help," the Tendo girl scoffed folding her arms in disgust of the barbaric ways of her fiancée.
"Yeah!? Well, gee Akane, thanks for noffin' you... you... uncute Tomboy!!" Ranma nearly yelled as he began to undress to change into the normal red shirt and black pants that was definitely a trademark of the young martial artist.
Akane dropped the bucket that held the water she used as a makeshift alarm clock. "Breakfast is ready," she said with a certain annoyance in her voice as the youngest Tendo walked down the stairs. "I don't need you to walk with me to school either."
"As if!" Ranma shouted, dangerously, to the idea. "Like I'd be caught dead with you... feh whatever," he noted finishing the last button at the top of his shirt, then began the decent down to the first floor of the Tendo residence.
After taking a seat at the table Ranma crossed his arms across his chest, eyes closed, mouth shut, and frowning in an attempt to ignore everyone. And he did just that, as they stared for a moment. Soun in particular was looking rather weary at the moment and was just about to say something when Akane cut him short.
"I can't believe how immature you are Ranma, honestly!" she growled as Kasumi set her breakfast in front of her. Kasumi was doing the same for Ranma as if Akane hadn't even spoke a word. "ME!? Immature?!" the red headed beauty replied viscously slamming 'his' hands on the table top, causing everyone to jump slightly.
"Ok you two, that is quite enough already, I've got a splitting headache and I haven't even had to deal with anybody at school yet, geez," Nabiki exclaimed, well more like just said, her voice had total control of its pitch and volume with accuracy only she could pull off in these situations. Soun glanced at his middle daughter and decided not to speak and instead began to eat his meal. Akane followed her father's lead and began eating quickly, not caring if she was being uncute about it. Ranma was already finished and set his dishes aside thanking Kasumi for the delicious food with a nod of his head. Kasumi smiled brightly at the motion given to her by the red head. "Well I'd love to continue this conversation... Actually, no I wouldn't," he said while standing up and walking out the door, book bag in hand.
"I do believe you may have actually pissed him off Akane," Nabiki said calmly taking a sip of tea shortly after.
"And I should care why?" she inquired her sister with a nonchalant look of whatever.
Nabiki smiled with a thought in her head, best left to stay unsaid at the moment, then looked at her father "Daddy, I think it's time you gave up on the idea of Akane and Ranma getting married. It's only getting worse and worse between the two... " she trailed off noticing a Panda standing at the end of the table.
"Groufff!" Genma protested to Nabiki's statement then hung his head.
"..."
Ranma was nearly half way to Furinkan High, hands behind his head, he quickly glided across the fence that divided the road from the dip in the landscape where a canal lay running through it. He didn't care that he was still in his female form, it meant Akane would probably leave him alone for the most part. It would probably make her even more angry, that was the idea anyways. Thinking back at the morning's happenings he sighed loudly, the feeling of total and complete annoyance threating to overwhelm his emotions with anxiety and stress. "What am I supposed ta' do... That damn girl is gettin' worse and worse everyday..." he thought out loud as he did quite often. At that he stopped, looking down at his feet he slowly tried to brush away the feeling, but it was unshakable. "Tch, whatever..." was all he could say.
Jumping down from the fence he turned to look back, only to find his face pressed straight into the bosom of Akane Tendo. Stepping back very quickly he waved his hands in front of him looking very frightened, he was dead for sure now.
"I. well you see. I.. I mean... I," an extremely flustered Ranma struggled to say anything else.
"Ranma you, you Pervert!" Akane slapped him across the face as she said that last word. It was a direct hit too, that stung Ranma's heart as much as his face. Everyday! Everyday this happens to him, and he takes like he was told to, for what logical reason. For Pops? To unite the schools?
Ranma stared blankly back at her, the wind blew through his bangs hiding his beautiful blue eyes briefly. It was too much, the anger he saw in Akane's eyes beating down on his very existence. Ranma's legs slowly gave out, letting him fall to his knees as he sat back on the heels of his feet. His head slowly slumped down and to the side as he sat there completely silent. Akane slowly went from angry to worried as she realized that Ranma had did nothing in protest to her actions, which was definitely not...normal.
'Did I... actually, hurt him?' She thought to herself while slowly leaning down to see her fiancé. Unfortunately it was to late to apologize.
"Akane!" the read head yelled into his fist with all his might. Then he went limp,"Why?"
She watched Ranma leap up onto the house beside them, and then with another elegant leap he was gone from sight.
'What have I done?' she thought to herself, this was disturbingly different.
'Ranma... what's gotten into you?'
Taking a seat in her homeroom class, Akane looked back where Ranma would be sitting to find the desk vacant. She couldn't understand why this time would be any different then all the other times she had hit him. It was an everyday event after all, which he was always quick to reply with his own quick and ruthless assault of words.
"Hey Akane, where's Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked, very surprised to see him absent, considering Akane was in front of her, as in, now, or in the present time.
"I... I don't know..." she replied quietly, staring down at her hand after a few seconds of feeling guilty.
Ukyo picked up on Akane's emotions instantly and gave her a serious look of concern.
"Did you and Ranma-honey have a little fight, hmmm?" she inquired, a slight smirk now replacing that look of concern.
Akane said nothing, folding her arms and raising her head away from the spatula wielding okonomi chef.
"You are terrible at hiding your feelings, ya know? Why not give up on Ranma, he's more trouble then he's worth," Ukyo stated, patting Akane on the head.
"Why am I so much trouble? I would really like to know what I do to cause so much that it can't be handled," Ranma asked curiously, appearing behind a startled Ukyo who was now also beating herself for what she had just said. Akane flinched slightly as well.
"Ranma darling, why are you in girl form?" asked Ukyo as she faced him then gave a glance back at Akane.
"This is the way I awoke this morning... really starting to get on my nerves havin ta change back all the time... tch, always at the worst times," he replied, eyes closed and a sweat drop rolling down his cheek.
"Ranma... are... are.. you ok?" asked Akane. He opened his eyes half way to see Akane was looking at him with a slight appearance of guilt and sorrow. Turning his head away he rested a hand on his forehead and let out a deep sigh. "I...I don't know anymore," he said quietly, closing his eyes again.
"Wha?" was all she could manage.
"I don't feel like talkin' about it, what a waste of my time." he concluded.
During Lunch while Ranma was hangin' with the guys, still in girl form by the way, he noticed a few of them giving his body a glance or two... or three. "Ah guys, cut that out!" he yelled in disgust.
"Ranma, you know, you really look much better as a girl.. heh eheh heh," one of the boys confessed.
"Yeah man, and you never go out on dates with your girls. Man I wish I had that many women at my disposal." another proclaimed, fists clinched tightly with tears flowing down his cheeks.
"Gah! What are you saying? Do you want an ass kicking, one that would be of the colossal magnitude type?! You're gonna make me sick. Besides, all the girls that like me, are ... insane!!!" the red head blurted out intelligently...sorta.
"So I'm Insane now too eh Ranma?" came a voice that could freeze the Black Sea.
"AKANE?!?!" Ranma screamed jumping up into the tree next to him, his eyes huge and pupils pinpointed in size.
"Have anything else you like to add while I'm here?" she said glaring darts into his backside.
Ranma recomposed himself and stood on a healthy branch that gave him a top view of everyone in the area. "Hmph, tomboy." He noticed Ukyo and Shampoo had arrived to, this caused him even more discomfort as his nerves were totally on edge as it was.
"AHHH!! My lovely and beauteous Akane! And the ever sultry Pig-Tailed-Girl!" Kuno heralded out to his loves.
"RANMA!! PREPARE TO DIE!!!" Ryoga blurted out loudly, his fist landing on the branch where Ranma once perched, which in return exploded into many slivers. The bandanna wearing martial artists then landed firmly next to Akane, looking up to find his rival air-borne and fleeing the scene.
"Ranma you coward! Don't you dare run away!!" Ryoga demanded as he gave chase.
"This is INSANE!" the red head screamed while attempting to escape the horror that was Ranma's everyday life. "Why can't you all just leave me the hell alone, for crying out loud!" and with that said, Ranma made a few quick yet large leaps and was suddenly gone from everyone's sights.
Ooooo's and Awwww's were heard from the students as they realized that Ranma had disappeared in just a blink of an eye.
"What the hell!?" Ryoga shouted at the top of his lungs then proceeded to punch the ground in a fit of rage, this causing the ground to explode underneath him. "Ranma I swear one day I'll get you!" Ryoga cried out as he stood in the center of the huge crater he had just added to the landscape.
Ranma found himself sitting underneath one of the many bridges that crossed the small river running parallel to the road that was on the way to the Dojo. He had stopped by Dr. Tofu's to change back to his male body, but of course it just had to rain. So was Ranma's luck these days, he had become the official water magnet of Nerima. It just seemed to find him everywhere, like some evil curse on top of the already evil curse he had. So Ranma sat quietly, his arms wrapped around his shins as he rest his chin atop his knees, contemplating the events that had happened at lunch. Why was his life the center of chaos? Why could he not understand his feelings? Why was he so oblivious when it came to the opposite sex? 'Feh' he thought to himself. It was nothing like martial arts, there was no secret technique he had learned from his father to handle these difficult situations. His father had never trained him for the battle of love. Ranma found himself blaming his incompetent father for a lot of things that went wrong in his life. The fiancées, the curse, the never ending battles that seemed to only be his fault, and not his father's, even though he usually hadn't caused any of them completely. It was painful to be the center of everyone's rage, affection, sadness... after all, how could anyone possibly blame him for the faults that plagued his past. "I was only a child, how can anyone expect me to be held responsible?!" he proclaimed out loud to his audience of water and rain. Ranma was hurting, but it wasn't like he was about to cry or anything. He had been trained not to cry, or rather he had been programed not to cry so to speak. Crying is unmanly according to his father. This brought a short bout of laughter as he realized he was in his female body. "Unmanly to cry, how ironic." But it worked really, his sadness seemed to convert into anger and frustration, as his father never allowed him to show anything remotely close to sadness or despair. He frowned slightly, picked up a rock and tossed it into the nearby body of water that was flowing in front of him. Standing up suddenly, he walked to the edge and stood motionless, staring at the girl in the water that was staring right back. It was him, err her, himself?
"AURRGH!!!" Ranma screamed pulling at his hair in frustration, then quickly frowned and folded his arms in a moment of self-pity.
"No! I will not let this drag me down!"
After all he had more speed and agility in his female form. This mixed with his extremely quick and up beat style of fighting meshed very well. Ranma smirked when he noticed the rain had stopped, finding himself wondering if 'P-chan' had actually gotten any better on his last training voyage. He turned to Furinkan and decided he would find out.
"RANMA!!! where have you run off to this time?" inquired the furious fanged boy to no one in particular.
"Right here P-chan," came a smug female voice that Ryoga turned to see was Ranma standing atop an old five story office building.
"Be a MAN and fight me, Ranma!" Ryoga spat out glaring at his long time rival, hoping saying this would hit a nerve.
"Hmmm. So... What would you say if I said no to you, eh Piggy?" Ranma asked him frankly.
The umbrella wielding boy cracked his knuckles while putting on a smug face. "Heh... I would say , QUIT acting like a GIRL and fight me like a MAN!
"Ooooooooooo, I'm so scared... somebody help me," Ranma said acting the damsel in distress sarcastically. "Here's a thought, If I beat you as a girl would that crush your ego? Just a thought."
"Shut up!!! J-Just fight me! You demented psychopathic cross-dressing womanizer!" Ryoga spat clinching his fist and hunching down a bit, his ki building inside himself at an alarming rate.
:::Notice, Ranma will now be referred to as He or She depending on which from he is in:::
Ranma Smiled with confidence . "Lookout Below!!" And with that she stepped forward plummeting down quickly towards the earth. One push off the building, about half way down, flipped her body once as she hit the ground, feet first with a thundering and earthshaking presence that echoed for miles upon miles across Nerima. She stood up slowly from her crouching position inside the newly formed crater in the ground to stare the Lost Boy dead in his eyes. Ryoga looked... shocked... as if he had just seen a ghost, speechless as he stood staring at her like a deer frozen in headlights.
"R-Ra...Ranma?" he asked cautiously while taking a step back, his danger senses screaming at him to run. RUN FAST AND HURRY!
"Heh." Ranma put a hand out towards him in a lazy looking defensive stance. "What, you think your the only one who goes training Ryoga? Did you actually think I would not get any better while you were away, no wait... let me correct myself.. Lost for Kami knows how long?"
This hit Ryoga hard. Here stood in front oh him his arch rival, with a completely new presence of confidence and ki control. Ryoga felt scared... terrified even, as he noticed just how powerful that presence was.
"No.. NO!!!" he screamed running at Ranma full force with as much speed and power he could bring forth, put into a single punch aimed at her face. Ranma swayed backwards and to the right as Ryoga flew by. She grabbed his arm, stopping his movement completely and fell backwards pulling him down and over. This caused him to flip over her crashing down into the street. The sheer power buckled the air around them. After the initial impact with the ground he plowed through the cement and dirt making a ditch 30 or so feet long. He slowly came to a stop resting in the debris pilled up against his back. Ranma landed firmly at his side. Her face showed a bit of worry after realizing how hard he had hit, but it wasn't her fault that he put so much into that punch. All she had done was simply redirect his move into her own. She pulled him over to check on his condition and paled at the enormous amount of blood coming from his left side, obviously the impact area.
"Damn it, you idiot," she said softly while picking him up. "I guess if that punch woulda hit me, I'da probably been in just as bad of shape." She dashed off towards Dr. Tofu's clinic.
Ranma sat in the waiting room as Tofu did what he could for Ryoga. Her clothing was stained with the blood of her opponent, as well as her arms . She felt pretty bad about what had happened, her face was empty of emotion, her eyes closed, oblivious to anyone else in the room staring at her. While waiting she tried to focus her thoughts on what would be happening for the next few weeks, knowing Ryoga would be immobile for some time. Yes, it was that bad. Dr. Tofu had finally come out and gestured for Ranma to come back into the room he was treating Ryoga. After entering he closed the door and gave Ranma a quick look up and down her body.
"You look troubled, Ranma."
"I feel, kinda bad... lota stuff has been gettin to me recently," she said letting out a small sigh.
"Well Ryoga is stable... He isn't going to be able to fight for awhile though," The doctor said raising Ranma's arms and tilting her head checking for any injuries she may have obtained.
"I figured as much Doc, I didn't mean to... I didn't realize... eh, it wasn't my idea, to hurt Ryoga so badly," she finished doing a few stretches as the doctor nodded.
"Well, your clothes are ruined. I have a dark blue kimono that you can borrow to get home, but you'll have to stay in your cursed form. Anyways why don't you go take a bath and get cleaned up, I'll call the Tendou's and tell them what is going on, ok?" He said while pushing his glasses back up his nose.
"Yeah, okay Doc, where's the bath at?" Ranma asked quietly.
The young doctor pointed to the door in the back of the room and smiled lightly,"Take your time and relax, I'll bring you the kimono after I'm done with the call."
Ranma nodded and slowly walked back to the bathing room. Tofu watched her leave, his senses telling him something was... off.
In the warmness of the water Ranma couldn't help but think Akane would probably be coming over to yell at him for picking on 'poor' Ryoga. It wasn't his fault that Ryoga wanted to fight all the time, heck, he even tried to be friends with the directionally challenged martial artists. To say that he was worried was a bit of an understatement. He was growing tired of being the reason for everyones problems. Honestly, could one really blame him for feeling this way?
"Feh, whatever," he thought out loud. That being said he got out of the warm water and looked over to the bucket of cold water a few feet away from him. Leaning down he took said bucket and flipped it upside down, shivering a bit as the cold water flowed down her body rapidly. Changing on purpose was usually something Ranma was against, but she really didn't have a choice, and at the moment was not one of the major priorities in her mind. After setting the bucket down she stood, walking over to a table that held a few neatly stacked and folded towels, then took one and wrapped it around her body. She turned a bit and saw herself in the mirror across the room. For a second she lost herself in the reflection staring back at her, slowly walking towards the mirror that had caught all of her attention. The martial artist slowly raised her hand to touch the girl staring back at her, she never did quite understand how or why this body attracted so much attention. Most of this attention was very annoying to say the least, but sometimes it worked out to her advantage. There was a knock at the door.
"Ranma are you done in there?" Asked Dr. Tofu, a bit of concern laced in his voice.
"Y-yeah?" She walked to the door and opened it looking up at him. "W-what?"
"You've been in there for nearly 2 hours now, are... you ok?" He questioned again, looking straight into her blazing blue eyes, trying to read any emotions that would give him a better understanding of the change he was feeling in her aura.
"T-T-Two hours?!" She looked a bit confused as the doctor nodded to confirm what he had said.
"Ranma, you look extremely tired. You really need to take better care of yourself. I really worry about you sometimes," he said lifting her chin up a bit then turning her head to the side, he did this to sense ki patterns as well as brain activity. "As your doctor you can always tell me anything that is bothering you, I'm very knowledgeable you know?
"Well, I dunno... Feels like somtin' bad is about to happen... and I'm so tired... of all the crap that happens in my life, nobody cares about me, nobody listens..." she trailed off slowly, as the doctor handed her the kimono he had stated earlier.
"What about Akane?" he asked noticing the red head flinch a bit. The doctor could read confusion and hurt within this flinch, maybe a bit of fear?
"I don't think Akane... I'm... heh, let me put this on really quick," she said a bit squeamishly, then closed the door.
Ranma walked out a few minutes later, closing the door behind her. She turned slowly, giving the room a quick look over. Noticing Ryoga she slowly walked over to his bed and stood next to it staring down upon him. The bandages covering his wounds were already soaked in a considerable amount of blood. His breathing was slow and shallow, and his face was pale. This was not what she had intended to do in the very short battle they had earlier that afternoon. Ranma didn't hear the door open and close, nor did she hear the footsteps that approached the other side of the bed.
"R-Ranma? Did you do this to Ryoga?" It was Akane. Ranma slowly looked up into her terror filled eyes and froze. Ranma felt... bad, evil, like a demon or a monster.
"Ranma?" Akane asked again, the fear in her voice sent shivers down the red head's spine.
"I... didn't mean to... it happened so fast Akane, please believe me," she said quietly, shaking her head slowly while taking a few steps back. Why did she feel like running, it wasn't her fault damnit, Ryoga attacked HER!
"I, can't believe this, you..you.." Akane said walking towards the slowly retreating girl in front of her.
"Akane please, you... I, he attacked me," she said frantically trying to explain, her brows tilted up showing her panic and confusion.
"Heh! How did it feel Ranma" the youngest of the Tendo daughters continued, inching closer and closer. Her eyes filled with rage as she took Ranma by the throat and pressed her body firmly against the wall, with the other hand she pulled back ready to punch the shorter girl in the stomach.
"You're such a foolish boy. I will put you into a new kind of hell all over again."
Ranma couldn't move, her body was limp, her brain was slowly beginning to shutdown. She could feel warmth, like a wave of energy, flowing through her, and something not right, ticking, like a countdown to the end of an old year.
"Just remember that you could have had this girl, she was so in love with you."
Akane's first punch took all of the air from Ranma's lungs, her blue eyes took a look of emptiness.
"And now it's over, Ranma is dead."
Then came the second, as brutal as the first, bringing tears that rolled down her cheeks in a slow stream of pain and acceptance.
"The REAL curse begins now. Die Ranma DIE!"
And finally the third and final blow, it shattered the wall behind her back with ease, blood trickled down the side of her chin as her eyes rolled back into her head. Akane let go as she was pulled back to reality with the help of a screaming Dr. Tofu that was shaking her desperately trying to make her stop.
Akane quickly found herself screaming too.
Darkness. Noiseless. Emptiness.
What is death. Honestly it can mean so many things. Put simply it means to end, or cease. Or a Life? Maybe, a certain way of life even? A branch can be dead, but the tree is still alive. Even the death of a thought. The end of a thought?
Ranma slowly opened her eyes just a bit, the early morning sun lighting up a room she wasn't used to seeing. A hospital? Her body was heavy, and everything looked like it was about to fall over. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. She was curled into a ball, tightly pulled into herself. There were, things, attached to her body, in her mouth, nose. She could now hear a heart monitor faintly in the background. She tried moving a bit, looking for anyone in the room, but no one was in sight. Confusion began to show on her face as she tried to reason why she would be in a condition such as this.
'Fought Ryoga,' she thought to herself, 'kicked his ass in one move... almost killed him...'
'But then? I can't remember anything after that...'
She managed to look at the door slowly opening to see here mother.
'Oh freaking lovely' she thought.
"Ranma? R-RANMA!? Oh KAMI-SAMA Your awake!!!" Nodoka exclaimed wildly at the now wide eyed red head before her.
'Grk, she knows?' she thought panic stricken.
"RANMA IS AWAKE!" She shouted jumping up and down as she exited the room proclaiming to anyone close.
Moments later Nodoka quickly reappeared in the room along with Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi, crying, laughing, hugging. Just what was going on here? She wanted to ask actually but, she couldn't even move, tired and weary from an unknown battle? One in which she nearly died, was that why she had all these medical contraptions strewn along her arms, chest, and everywhere else? Her mother sat down on the chair next to the bed, raising her hand to rest it upon the forehead of the younger red haired girl.
"Oh Ranma, I am so relieved that you've pulled through!" she let Ranma know. "You are so strong and brave my dear."
Ranma's look of confusion and worry didn't slip by her mother, Nodoka nodded slowly.
"I don't care about the contract dear, I nearly lost you!" Tears welling up in her eyes as she heard Ranma sigh desperately. "I can only imagine how confused you must be feeling right now, but please don't worry dear. You need to rest and overcome this obstacle in your life, I know you can do it."
It took all of Ranma's concentration and will to keep her attention on her mother, but soon the overwhelmingly need to sleep caught up and claimed it's keep.
Ranma woke rather quickly the second time around, noting the tubes that were running into her mouth and nose had been removed. A sigh of relief filled the air as she moved her hands, over her mouth and forehead of her own strength. Sitting up cautiously she took in her surroundings again, still rather dizzy and floaty feeling. Her mother had fallen asleep in the chair next to her and was leaning on the bed for support, her head buried in her arms.
"Mom," she whispered softly as she remembered what her mother had said the first time she had awaken. She leaned over and hugged her softly, trying not to wake her while doing so.
"Ranma?" her mother asked while slowly lifting herself to see eye to eye with her child.
"Oh, gee, I didn't mean to wake-"
"NO! I mean it's ok dear, don't worry," she said recomposing herself quickly then hugging Ranma again with all she was worth. The two of them held each other for a bit before finally letting go.
"We have a lot of catching up to do, please don't ever hide anything from me again," Nodoka pleaded, a few tears falling down her cheeks.
"Mom..." Ranma stated blurry eyed.
"Here let me help you get more comfortable. See these buttons? They control the bed's positioning." With that she pressed one of the buttons, it raised the head of the bed to where Ranma could sit up, but lean back into it.
"Thanks, this is much better," she admitted, here voice weak and strained. "Mom, I don't remember... how I, got here... It appears I've been out of it for awhile."
Nodoka turned her head to the side for a moment, then took a deep breath and faced her child again, trying to hide the pain and sorrow she felt.
"M-mom? What's wrong?"
"It's hard to explain dear. Let's just say you became the best of the best... and it attracted an evil-," she was cut off by a man's voice.
"Spirit, that possessed the closet person to you, to achieve its goal to end your life." It was Dr. Tofu. He pushed his glasses up hiding his eyes briefly, his face solemn and calm. "Or at least I think it was trying to kill you."
"Akane!" Ranma said, a look of shock on her face.
Tofu flinched at this and walked closer to the two. "She doesn't remember anything, Ranma. Do you?"
Ranma seemed to be searching for a lost memory as her face tilted down a bit. "I remember that I was terrified of something, something was inside of Akane." Tightening her fist she looked back up at him with anger and frustration but then slowly lost her resolve. "Is Akane ok?"
"She is now, for the most part," folding his arms and closing his eyes as he stood thinking.
"For the most part?" She noticed this question brought his eyes open quickly.
"Well, Ranma, given the time, we have helped Akane a great deal with this. She blames herself for what happened to you," he explained while checking on Ranma's vital signs and other medical notations of importance.
"Time? How long have I been out?" Ranma asked beginning to feel something was defiantly wrong. Way wrong.
The doctor slowly looked over to Nodoka, he noticed the tears streaming down her face and sighed.
"Doc?"
"112 days, Ranma. 4 months."
The dream becomes reality...
"Ok, soooo, uh, I'm," Ranma stuttered out, her face going through many different emotion changes.
"Like I said Ranma, I think it was trying to kill you. If you consider the circumstances, technically it succeeded." The doctor sighed lightly and was about to speak again, but he saw the girl's face.
Ranma's face quickly turned white, her breathing heavy and sporadic in intervals.
Nodoka quickly embraced her child and rocked her back and forth trying to calm her down. Ranma was falling apart, she knew what this meant. She didn't even have to ask, she all ready knew. But why was this happening, what did she do to deserve this. She could feel the world crashing down around her, her eyes beginning to produce tears that she couldn't hold back any longer.
NO! NO! NO!!!!!!!
"No..." she cried out over her tears. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"
The scream was a horrifying sound, filled with anguish and pain, which made her mother hold her even closer.
"Be strong my dear Ranma!" Nodoka was trying her best to calm her child. "I will be here for you, no matter what."
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Ranma was standing at the window in the room, looking down upon the street, she watched the world in slow motion. Her eyes were rather blank in emotions, and one look told anyone she hadn't slept well in days. Her body was recovering quickly from being immobile for so long, which really wasn't that surprising considering who she was. There wasn't a scare or anything to show how badly she had been hurt, which did surprise a number of the other doctors.
She turned slowly, upon hearing the door closing, to see Akane slowly walking towards her with caution. She noticed that the dark haired girl had grown a few more inches, it seemed she towered over her now. Or maybe she didn't grow? Maybe she just never really payed that much attention before...
They kept there eyes locked for a moment before Ranma slowly turned back to the window with a small smile.
"Wow, Akane, you look great," she said quietly. "You better be taking care of yourself, and not beating yourself over this... cause it's not your fault."
"Oh, R-Ranma," Akane spoke with apologetic emphasis in her voice as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, pulling her back into a gentle hold.
"It can't be helped after all."
"I've been waiting for so long, to see you, to see you awake and alive," the taller girl confessed as tears began to stream down her face. Ranma turned slowly in her arms to look up into her eyes, a small smile appeared as she gently wiped Akane's tears away with a sleeve.
"Don't cry Akane," she said as tears threatened to fall down her own cheeks, but she wanted to be strong for her.
"I'm...I'm-"
"Sshhhh. Don't blame yourself. I don't blame you at all."
"Ranma, I..."
Ranma's eyes widened just a bit at the taller girl's stammering words, her mouth open a bit, she couldn't help freezing there in her arms. Akane was simply beautiful. Ranma was starting to fall into a trance, that is until Nodoka coughed a bit. The two girls quickly untangled themselves.
"MOM!" Ranma yelped, her face red as mars.
"Did I disturb you Ranma? Yes of course, what a silly question," Nodoka said looking embarrassed, she looked to Akane and gave her an "I'm so sorry" type of look.
"I-It's ok mom, don't worry, heh heh."
"Well, ok, anyways, you are allowed to come back home now. I bet you would love to take a nice long warm bath."
"Oh home? Well, gee, I guess I've been here long enough," she scratched the back of her neck looking nervous. "I would really like to get out of these pajamas though, little pink stars aren't my style."
Nodoka nodded slowly setting some folded clothing down on the counter. Ranma walked over to examine them carefully, noticing they looked a lot like the light blue silk Chinese outfit she had used to wear as a boy. As a MAN. They were made from a much more higher quality material, also much smaller, which she assumed was to actually fit her female body rather then both male and female. She sighed rather loudly at this conclusion.
"Well I'll get changed really quick," taking the clothing into the bathroom and closing the door.
"She's so... small and fragile," Akane whispered to Nodoka as an observation.
Nodoka nodded in response. "She is one big emotional wreck right now too, we need to try and get her to release those emotions eventually... She has put up a strong face since waking up." Nodoka tilted her head slightly and frowned. "This is going to be very hard."
In the bathroom Ranma was trying to put on the newly acquired clothing her mother had given her. They were very form fitting and showed her voluptuous figure. Ranma looked at herself in the mirror and began to fume with annoyance, it was quickly replaced with the reality of the situation.
I have to stay strong, Ranma Saotome never gives up. No matter what. No matter... what.
Turning to examine herself in the mirror quickly before stepping out into the room, she noted that she hadn't grown any taller at all. Had it really been 4 months? Yes, Akane's hair was longer, and she was much more filled out and toned. Time to face the world.
It was late afternoon when they had arrived at the Tendo residence. Akane held the door open for Ranma and her mother. "Welcome home"
The red head stood in the doorway and looked up to the girl she knew as her fiancé. Were they still engaged? Why didn't her father come to visit her? So many questions began to fill her head now that she was home. Home? "Home?"
"Yeah, what did ya think? We couldn't just abandon you, I mean, not that you really have anywhere to go, you know?" The youngest Tendo admitted, wincing a bit at how that sounded.
Ranma slowly walked through the door and into the dining room, taking a seat while glancing over at Nabiki who seemed to be working on something school related. Akane sat next to Ranma and faced her slightly, observing her features carefully.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, now that we are home, we can try to answer them for you. You will need to keep an open mind about all of this, dear," Nodoka smiled lightly, then went into the kitchen to make some tea.
"Well I guess," she paused to look at Akane for a moment, then back down at the table. "Pops?"
"Ranma, your father left after he found out you were," Nabiki slowly frowned. "Your father is a coward."
Ranma slowly placed her face into her hands, her body slumping forward trembling a bit. She couldn't think of anything but how there probably wasn't anything in her life worth living for. It was starting to really sink in, this wasn't a bad dream, it was reality. Her trembling became more violent as she tried to pull herself together, she didn't want to cry, it felt like admitting defeat. Unfortunately this keeping up of appearances just made her look even more like someone at the brink of a major breakdown. Taking in a deep breath, she sat back up straight, and focused her shimmering blue eyes with the eyes of the middle Tendo. "He couldn't handle me being this way," the red headed girl said quietly, and mostly to herself. "Tch, who am I kiddin', I can't handle me being this way!"
"Keep it together Ranma, I know you, and I know that you can learn to accept almost anything," the middle Tendo stated, as if this should be no different.
Closing her eyes tightly and bringing her fists up just underneath her chin Ranma growled, then struck the table with her right palm. "But Damnit! I was raised to be a MAN! What the hell am I supposed to do now!?" she barked loudly while beginning to stand, this was cut short quickly by a pair of hands that brought her back down into the lap of- "Akane?! What... What are you doing!?"
"Calm down Ranma," the youngest Tendo murmured while slowly wrapping her arms around the smaller girl in her lap. She rested her chin on the top of Ranma's head, which put there size difference in a perspective viewable to Nabiki. Ranma's face of rage gave way quickly to that of shock, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. The raven haired girl slowly moved her face down Ranma's head until her lips were inches away from the smaller girl's left ear. Ranma froze feeling the warm breath upon her upper neck, it sent waves of tingling energy up and down her body like a cool summer breeze.
"Everything will be ok, I will help you through this Ranma. You don't have to hold back your tears for anyone," Akane whispered, noticing the effect of her words had caused Ranma to shiver slightly.
"A-a man doesn't c-cry," Ranma retorted rather weakly.
"I've seen many men cry Ranma," Nabiki stated taking in a slightly annoyed breath. "And besides, your not even a-," she stopped herself, closing her eyes, while frowning.
"Don't say that Nabiki, I... I will find a way to cure this!" Ranma exclaimed raising a fist for emphasis.
"Mmmm, I see, just like you were going to find a cure for your first curse?" Nabiki asked curiously.
Ranma's fist started to shake furiously as she tried to stand.
"Ranma, no!" Akane exclaimed, tightening her hold on the smaller girl.
"Akane! Let..Let go!" Ranma shouted trying to twist and turn her way free.
"No! Please Ranma!"
"I can't... handle this!"
"I can't handle losing you again!" Akane confessed tears rolling down her cheeks as she held Ranma close, burying her face into the read head's back.
Ranma slowly went limp, her raised fist fell to the floor with a small thump. She was to tired to run, to weak to fight. Her eyes glazed over as her face took on a manically depressed expression.
"Ranma, prepare to die," came a soft female voice behind Ranma and Akane.
Akane turned quickly allowing Ranma to see the owner of the voice she had just heard. She stood straight wielding a large red umbrella, fiery red eyes and golden yellow hair that draped wildly over shoulders. Her build was very similar to that of Ranma's, maybe a bit shorter, and a bit less curvy, still strikingly beautiful. Her black silk shirt and bright yellow pants brought out the fair color of her skin.
"R-Ryoga?" Ranma asked in utter shock, her eyes wide again as she stared.
"That's right Ranma, now fight me!" Ryoga exclaimed shoving her large umbrella into the red head's face. Akane quickly swiped the umbrella from her grip causing Ranma to fall back and over, she then stood shoving the umbrella back into the face of the shorter red eyed girl.
"Not now Ryoga!" Akane exclaimed
"Urk!" Ryoga flew back against the wall grabbing her nose in pain. "A-Akane, that hurt!"
Ranma stood staring wide eyed, still slightly shocked, but then burst into a fit of laughter.
"HA HA Ranma," Ryoga fumed cracking her knuckles. "This is the second time you've made my life a living hell!" She ran in a straight line towards her target with a fist pulled back, ready to pound in the face of a certain red headed rival. Ranma grabbed the fist mere inches away from contact, sliding down to the floor causing Ryoga's hand to bury itself into the wooden floor. For a moment everyone was silent as they took in the awkward position Ryoga was forced in, which left her looking through her legs wide eyed and confused at a smiling Ranma. Ryoga quickly pulled her fist from the floor and twisted around to face her opponent once more.
"Alright young ladies, that is quite enough of that," Nodoka preached calmly, setting down a tray that held five cups of warm tea.
"I AM NOT A LADY," Ryoga and Ranma spat in unison.
"Ladies no," Nabiki stated with a smirk plastered to her face. "Tomboys would be a more fitting title for these two, wouldn't you agree Akane?"
Ryoga crossed her arms over her breasts and turned her head up to the side. "Hmph!"
Ranma sat at the table with a cup of tea held in her hands. Across from her sat Nabiki and Ryoga, to her right Akane, and to her left Nodoka. The air around them was quite and tense, but Ranma had to admit to herself that she felt a bit better knowing Ryoga shared the same problem as her. The down side of this turn of events was more questions unanswered, questions she really didn't want to bring up. "Well, at least I'm not the shortest one here," the red head stated scratching her nose lightly.
"Oh shut it Ranma," Ryoga retorted, closing her eyes tightly and bringing up a shaking fist. "You have no idea-,"
"Actually, I do." She watched Nabiki take Ryoga's fist in her hand and set it down on the table, then noted how Ryoga's face lit up with a red blush. Ranma slowly turned to face Akane with a raised eyebrow.
"Nabiki has been helping Ryoga," The younger Tendo admitted.
"Heh, he'll need it."
"Well, Mr. Tendo still lives here yeah?"
Akane nodded once. "And Ryoga lives here now too," she smiled looking over to Nodoka. "As well as your mom."
"Mom? You live here too?"
"Yes dear, we all help each other. And Mr. Tendo has started teaching classes again," Nodoka stated, then took a sip of her tea.
"Ryoga and Akane help with the classes too. They both have quite a following." Nabiki then took a sip of her tea as well while giving Ryoga's hand a gentle squeeze.
"Ha ha, that's right... WE!... ahem. We teach s-separate classes too," Ryoga explained nervously.
"And Kasumi?" Ranma asked.
"Married of course," stated the youngest Tendo confidently.
"To the doc I suppose," the red head giggled lightly then covered her mouth in shock of the sound she had just made. Nodoka shook her head a bit at the antics of her only child.
"You are correct, Saotome," said a male voice at the entrance hall.
"Welcome home Daddy," Nabiki greeted her father smiling.
"Mr. Tendo!" Ranma shouted while hopping over to his side staring up at him.
"Ah, yes?" Soun asked slightly taken back by her enthusiasm.
"Did you just call me Saotome? Not son or boy?" She stood in disbelief. If anyone, Soun would have at least made her feel like she hadn't lost her mind with those two simple titles.
"Ah, well, it's not like... Ranma, no matter what happens, I still consider you as part of this family," Soun admitted nervously.
Ranma took a step back with a look of betrayal upon her face, the voices in her head laughing, mocking and berating her.
You disappoint me Ranma, you ain't no son of mine! You are a weak pathetic girl, that I can't handle seeing. I'd rather disown you and leave forever!
Yes, that's right, you aren't a man amongst men anymore. You are a girl!
"NO Pops! Don't leave me... not like this," she said weakly while pulling at her hair, a look of terrifying horror upon her face. She heard the girls at the table talking, but couldn't make out a word, it seemed foreign. Stumbling forward through the front entrance she laughed manically trying to push down the overwhelming urge to burst into tears.
My son wouldn't cry, it shows how weak you really are.
"NO! I'm not weak! S-See!? I'm not crying," she laughed out, walking slowly forward as if she were drunk stumbling from right to left.
It only took seconds for Akane to appear right in front of the overwhelmed red head. She took Ranma's hands in hers and pulled her into a gentle embrace. The read head slowly became motionless, and her body once again limp.
"Akane... why... why me?" Ranma's voice was full of despair and agony.
"I wish I could answer that for you," the youngest Tendo stated sympathetically.
"What am I going to do?" Tears began to roll down her pale cheeks as she leaned into the taller girl, trying with all of her might to keep it together.
"Live."
Live. Life after death.
End of Part I