Chapter 01: One's Blood
XxXxXxXx
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Soul Eater is owned by Atsushi Ohkubo
XxXxXxXx
Ranma stared out of the window of the taxi dispassionately. Her mother's blood had activated in her recent fight with the Musk Prince, and the loss of the Open Water Kettle had hit her hard. As the prince gloated, Ranma had felt something snap. Her blood boiled as her body changed, and not in the familiar ways of her curse. Her training had made her body a weapon, but her mother's blood had truly weaponized her. Two katana blades shot from her wrists as she launched herself at the dragon-hybrid. Everyone watching from the outside, Ryoga, Mousse, and even the prince's two dimwitted retainers, cowered in a group as they watched the angry redhead savage the one who had taken away what she was.
Ranma had left Herb both alive and locked him back into his curse form as well, and informed the newly locked girl that it was encouragement to find a cure for both of them. And while she was still angry at the Musk 'Princess', Ranma still promised Herb that she would share a cure if she found one.
It was days later when Mousse and Ryoga had managed to drag her sleeping form to her mother's house, Mousse had been leading, and explained everything to her. Ranma had woken up, dazed from whatever Mousse had drugged her with to knock her out, only to see her mother's face leaning over her. Nodoka had been startled when her child, whose situation she had barely understood, disappeared from the bed. When she looked around, she saw Ranma braced in the corner of the ceiling, and the glint of a steel blade sticking out of her wrist. Just looking at her child, Nodoka sighed. Some of it made since now, considering what she was.
Nodoka Saotome was a Demon Weapon that had married into the family after allowing her weapon blood to be sealed. She had sealed her blood and the abilities it granted her due to her wanting to leave The DWMA without finishing her training. She never wanted to fight, she only wanted a family. Lord Death had been exceedingly kind and understanding, especially when she knew that he knew the reason she had given for leaving was not the her only motivation to do so. That Stein boy had taken an interest in her, and she had been terrified about that. The boy even knew he was part of the reason she was leaving and had apologized, in his own creepy little way. Nodoka still shuddered at the thought of him.
Nodoka had gently coaxed her child down from the ceiling, slightly admonishing the red-haired teen for leaving gouges in the wall. Ranma seemed to freak out even more when she had called her child by her proper name, and it had taken several tense moments of quick talking to let Ranma know her two friends had explained the curse, by showing her Mousse's duck form, and explaining what had happened with the Musk and her curse being locked. Nodoka had managed to pull Ranma into a tight hug stating that now she knew, she would be taking Ranma to meet with some of her old colleges to see if they could help her with the curse, and to train her in using her weapon blood.
Ranma had been stunned when she had been told of what she was now capable of, though she was leery of relying on others. Ranma didn't care that most Demon Weapons paired up with Meisters to utilize their weapon form's full potential, she would refuse to allow anyone to 'wield' her without being her equal outside of an emergency. To Nodoka, Ranma had taken to her weapon blood just as she expected, the teen had been trained by her husband after all.
She knew that Genma had some weird ideas about relying on others and weapons, and it was obvious that Ranma had inherited those ideals from spending close to twelve years with her father. Ranma would try to do everything on her own, which was doable if a Demon Weapon was skilled enough, Nodoka had heard that a young boy who turned into a guillotine had become a Death Scythe on his own, so she didn't doubt that If Ranma applied herself, the teen would be able to reach the same level. What worried her was how well Ranma had taken to incorporating her weapons blood into her fighting style. When Ranma had realized that she couldn't be disarmed, she had reviewed each and every weapon kata she knew and made a discovery about her weapon transformation, if she was familiar with it, she could become it.
Nodoka had told her that her clan was famous for having multiple forms, and Nodoka had had two, a katana and a naginata. With every weapon Ranma picked up and practiced with, she added to her arsenal. So far Ranma had reviewed the katas and several traditional samurai weapons she knew, such as katana, naginata, and kanabo, to other weapons used by Martial artists throughout Japan and China, such as the bo staff and nunchuks. A total of ten weapons at the moment. Ranma had even gone as far as asking Nodoka for books detailing the martial weapons used in Japan and China, stating she wanted to master the weapons of those countries before going to others.
After a few days, Nodoka had gotten the reason to why the boys had brought Ranma to her instead of the dojo when Ranma had let it slip that if she didn't come back with her curse unlocked, she would be forced to marry Soun Tendo, the father of the household. Nodoka had taken this news quietly, mulling it over as she made lunch. Telling Ranma she would be going on an errand and she wouldn't be back until dinner, Nodoka sent Ranma off with a grocery list and enough cash to get everything needed to make dinner.
As soon as Ranma was out the door, Nodoka headed to the train station herself. It was a short ride to Nermia, and a quick walk to the Tendo Dojo. She didn't announce herself, Kasumi having given her permission to drop by anytime. The main reason she didn't want to announce herself at the gate was because she wanted to catch her husband. And catch him she did. As she walked into the living room, calling out her greeting, she saw her husband take a flying leap into the koi pond through the open doors and come out a panda. Whatever excuse was on the sign he tried to wave about was cut short by the family katana, causing him to cowering the pond as Nodoka politely asked Kasumi to gather Ranma's things as she would not be returning to the Dojo any time soon.
Genma had, almost in an instant, left the pond and returned to his human form using the tea he had been drinking, demanding why Ranma wasn't back yet. Nodoka told him that first reason Ranma hadn't returned was because she refused to marry a man. The glare she had shot at Soun for going along with the idea, even if it was supposed to be a ruse to convince Ranma to hurry up, causing the man to collapse into a weeping puddle of goo. Genma, bereft of his back up, meekly demand the other reasons Ranma wasn't coming back. As Kasumi returned with Ranma's belongings, Nodoka informed him that Ranma was going to be heading to the United States for training in her family's way of fighting.
Genma was stunned. As his wife left, he stood there, deep in thought. Nodoka didn't like to advertise her weapon blood to those who did not know, and Soun's daughters qualified as not knowing. Not only was Ranma locked, but her weapon blood had activated, so Nodoka, who most likely decided that the Seppuku Contract didn't matter because of her family's abilities activating. All this really meant to him was that he was losing both his meal ticket and his shield from the people he had swindled, and that the child was disappearing into the American South West. He disappeared that night, after telling Soun to inform his daughters of what was going on and to try to convince one or more of them to go to Death City to keep close to Ranma. No use in letting Nodoka ruin all of their hard work trying to unite the schools while he laid low after all.
When Nodoka had returned to her home, she had found her child acting as the rope in a game of tug of war between two girls. After some shouting from Ranma and a disapproving motherly glare from her, Nodoka found out that these two were Ranma's fiancées. The one with the purple hair was Xian Pu, or Shampoo, of the Chinese Amazons, and the other was Ukyo Kunoji, an old friend of Ranma's. The girls tried to butter her up while trying to lay claim to Ranma, who was now looking through her pack making sure everything she had left at the dojo was there, and Nodoka put her foot down. Essentially the engagements were 'on hold' until the curse was unlocked. She did inform them that if they wanted to visit, Ranma would be living in Death City while undergoing training. The girls were upset, but understood that they weren't forbidden to see Ranma.
That was how they ended up in the taxi three days later, on a road going through Death Valley towards Death City. Ranma could see it on the horizon. Her mother sat next to her in casual clothes, a modest blouse and a long skirt. Normally Nodoka would wear one of her many kimonos, but with the long flight and immediately hopping into a taxi, she wore one of the few sets of casual clothes she owned. Ranma knew her mother was uncomfortable, and it wasn't just her clothes that made her feel this way.
Nodoka had told Ranma everything about why she had left, and what returning meant. When she had called Lord Death to introduce him to Ranma and explain the situation, she had been informed that Stein still lived on the outskirts of the city. Lord Death also informed her that if she wished, he could unseal Nodoka's weapon blood and allow her to finish her training with Spirit Albarn, his personal Death Scythe. When a man wearing a black suit and a cross shaped tie walked into view and saw Ranma, he freaked out and screamed that he was a faithful husband even if he and his wife were going through a divorce and that he couldn't have a child that was as old as Ranma was. Ranma chuckled at the memory of the red-haired man, whose hair was a few shades darker than hers, was back handed by Death and told to calm down.
Spirit, his daughter, and her weapon partner were supposed to meet them at the small home that Lord Death had readied for them and give her a tour around town while her mother and Spirit went up to the school to enroll her and Speak with Lord Death.
Her mother hummed nervously as the gates of the city loomed over them, the taxi pulling into a small parking garage just inside of the city. Looking around, Ranma saw why, the streets were too narrow for anything larger than a motorcycle and they were decently crowded as well. Besides her pack and her mother's suitcase, everything else was being shipped over and they should have them in a few days.
As Nodoka paid the taxi fair, someone started walking towards them. He was a boy that was a year or two younger than her, wearing a yellow and black jacket and seemed to be albino if his hair and eyes said anything. He stopped in front of her and smiled, humor lighting up his eyes as he looked her over, "You the new transfer? The name's Soul Eater, I'm a Demon Scythe. My partner, Maka, and her father started one of their one-sided fights again, so I decided to head over to see if you needed any help."
Ranma took the hand he extended and shook, "Ranma Saotome. I have to ask, what's so funny about me?"
Soul grinned as he raised his hands in mock surrender, "Nothing much, I'm just imagining how much worse things are going to get for Death Scythe when Maka sees you.
XxXxXxXx
Soul wasn't disappointed as he led the new transfer and her mother to the small home that had been set up for them. The moment Maka saw the older girl, she gave her father the stink eye and asked, "How's it feel to have one of your children coming to see you? I bet you never even knew she existed!"
Spirit Albarn collapsed into a quivering puddle of goo as he latched on to Maka's leg, blubbering as he denied that Ranma was his daughter. Before Maka could deny anything, Nodoka stepped in, "I can guarantee you that he's telling the truth. I've only been with one man in an intimate fashion in my life, and your father is defiantly not my idiot husband."
Maka faltered for a moment before sighing, "Sorry, but ever since Mama started the divorce, I've kinda been expecting a half-sibling or something to pop out of nowhere as proof of my Father's philandering."
Pulling her leg free from Spirit's grasp, Maka walked over to Nodoka and Ranma, "Here's your keys, Lord Death said that you, ma'am, are supposed to go with my Father to the School so you and Lord Death can talk. Soul and I are going to show Ranma around until classes let out so Sid can monitor her an academic placement test."
Ranma made a face at the mention of the placement test. School was not her strong point, but her mother had explained that there were two classes that were decided by the physical capabilities of the student, but they all shared the same classes during school hours. The N.O.T class was the one her mother was in, and they were the ones that didn't go out on dangerous missions, only here to learn to control their abilities. The E.A.T. class was the one her mother thought she would get into. Nodoka thought that she would be a shoe in because of her combat aptitude.
Dropping her bag in the room marked with her name, Ranma looked around. The room, like the house, was lightly furnished, only containing a western styled bed, a desk, and a dresser. The furniture in the rest of the house was traditional Japanese, most likely at her mother's request, but just as sparsely furnished. Turning at the sound of footsteps, she saw Maka and Soul walking towards her, Soul had her mother's suitcase in hand. Taking it from him and placing it the master bedroom, Ranma turned and asked, "What's first?"
Maka grinned as Ranma's and Soul's stomachs growled, "How about we head over to the cafeteria for lunch?"
XxXxXxXx
It was rather late in the day to be eating for Maka, but the two walking stomachs had loaded up their trays as she settled for a small fruit salad to snack on. She could make dinner a little later than usual. Ranma seemed to be enjoying the food, looking like she was savoring it as Soul gaped at how much she was eating, her tray was piled higher than his!
"So you've been training for the past 11 years and it was only recently that your weapon blood woke up?" Maka asked as she set her ever present book down, interested in the person in front of her. Ranma had already explained the curse, which did weird them out slightly, but considering what they normally dealt with it wasn't even in the top five of the weird things the two partners had seen.
"Yeah, Mom was surprised at how good I am once she found out the curse. She thinks I might qualify for E.A.T. on combat skills alone." Ranma said as she polished of another piece of fried chicken, not a single speck of meat left on the bones.
"They'll test you on that, and you and whoever you're Meister is will have to keep a certain grade point average to remain in E.A.T., otherwise you'll be bumped down to N.O.T." Maka said, taking in Ranma's look of distaste, "Lord Death decided to make it that way so only the ones that are truly prepared can undertake missions. Soul and I are one of the best teams in the E.A.T. class and we've nearly die a few times now. Lord Death, despite being the Grim Reaper, does not like sending his students to their death. He considers it a waste of both life and potential."
Ranma sighed as she shook her head, "I don't want a partner, I've always do everything on my own except in the worst case situations."
Soul grinned, "If that's how you feel, better keep your grades around a C-B average, But I think you should find a partner to even out with. I mean, I'm a decent student even though I get a D every once in a while, Maka's straight A's keeps us in the E.A.T. class."
Ranma shrugged, not really caring at this point. She'd just have to crack down and study harder. She could handle it, now that she didn't have the distractions here that she had back in Nermia. As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Maka stood up, "Well since you're done eating, let's get you over to Sid's classroom. You have a placement test to take."
Ranma groaned as her head hit the table.
XxXxXxXx
The three watched as Sid finished marking the test Ranma had finished, making a noise of approval, "You did very well for how much school you missed, you're only really behind in your math and science classes. So while most of your classes you will be with Maka and Soul, you'll be a year behind with math and science."
Ranma shrugged as she stretched, popping her back, "I can live with that, but right now I need a good fight. I've been cooped up since I left Japan, I really need a good fight right about now."
Sid grinned as he heard a commotion in the hall, "I think I can arrange something real quick, I got a troublesome student that's always raring for a fight."
Walking over to the door, Sid opened it and yelled, "Get in here Black Star, I got a new student in here that says she can whoop your ass!"
Sid pulled back from the door quickly as a blur of blue and black rocketed into the room, skidding to a halt in front of Sid, "Where is she, I'll show her the strength of the man who will surpass God!"
"That would be me Star Boy," Ranma said, grinning as the boy whirled around, "Hope you got the skills to back up that claim, then you might actually be a challenge."
Sid placed a hand on Black Star's shoulder to prevent him from launching across the room, "You know the rules Black Star, no fighting in the classroom. Go find Tsubaki and meet us in the training fields."
Black Star grumbled and said he would be there in fifteen minutes before shooting out of the room yelling for Tsubaki at the top of his lungs.
XxXxXxXx
Author's Note: The common Plot Bunny is a very dangerous creature. You cannot kill them, only soothe them. The only way to get rid of them is to put them on paper. Please enjoy this story and leave comments and suggestions below.