"We Are the Palace Guards"- a Ranma 1/2 alternate-verse fic. RanxAka. other pairings not yet decided. rated T for violence and suggestive themes (which I'll put in at some point). its genre was hard to list since it has characteristics of a few, so I put it under general until I find a proper one (or not). listed under Ranma and Akane because they are the main couple.
summary: The setting is in the past. The Ranma cast are palace guards. Beware: more serious than funny. Character personalities changed. RanxAka. others not yet decided (as stated above).
disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ranma 1/2. And it's a good thing I don't because I'd mess it up anyway. :)
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Chapter One: Separation
It had been a week since a spread of the plague reached the Castle East, taking with it all the members of the royal family that had resided there. The people of the castle and the people of the land were in mourning. To most of the castles residents, the death of the monarchy meant just that- the death of the royalty. To others, however, it meant that their lives had to change.
One such group was the elite guard, also known as the Head of the Guards- those who had been charged the duty of protecting the royal family from harm. This team, a group of four females and three males, known throughout Japan as "the Seven of the East", were meeting to decide what their next move was now that their "masters" were gone, leaving them with no one in the castle that they trusted to lead, and no one left that they had promised to serve. The elite guard had only protected the previous royal family because they had chosen to- they were that powerful. Now that their "contract", as it was, was over, ended by the death of the royal family that they had sworn to protect, they did not have to stay...
"I say that we stay here," the cook, Ukyo, said. "We can't just leave the rest of the people alone, unprotected, just because the lord and lady are gone. They'll be worried, scared."
"That may be true," the informant, Akane, spoke up, tilting her chair back as she thought. "But think about it. If we're here when they call upon a new leader to serve the castle, will we not then be demanded upon to serve him as well?"
Akane had lost most of her girliness when she had joined the elite guards, but some of her feminine side made an appearance as she twirled a few strands of her short hair around her fingers carelessly. Ranma, the captain, watched her out of the corner of his eye as he continually surveyed the room, ears and eyes open and body ready for any possible sudden attack. Even in times of peace, he was always ready, always prepared. Some called it paranoia. He called it survival.
The elite guard had reason to be cautious and alert. As the most powerful protectors in the castle, they were the biggest threat to all enemies of the East, and thus, most likely to be targeted. Many times, one of the seven had been ambushed, and sometimes, even as a group. Ranma's job as captain was to make sure that his team always remained safe. So even when they relaxed a bit, he was always watching over them- sharp and alert. As always, he remained silent as his team discussed the problem by themselves. If he had something important to add, he would speak. But normally, he was only needed to make the final decision final.
"We have made it a habit of swearing our loyalty to only those who have rightly gained our trust and respect." Mousse, the trap master, added from near Shampoo, the master of disguise, who was leaning against the wall close to his chair. She often refused to sit, even when it was just them, saying that it was harder to pull a disguise seated down, though it never seemed to cause too much of a problem for the young woman to do it in times of trouble. The room that they were in now, while debating the issue of stay or go, had been suggested to them by her. It was one of the far off rooms in the castle from the main hustle and bustle of the castle residents, and contained a window for an easy escape. Though, Mousse had pointed out, that the window would also make them an easier target for their enemies to get them. Therefore, as extra precaution, they had kept the window closed.
"Shampoo have to agree with Mousse here." Shampoo said in her soft, musical voice, quietly speaking from her corner of the room. "We no know who come now. We no obligated to stay here. Castle is nice, but make Shampoo uneasy since lord and lady die." She didn't shift position, but her comrades could see her uneasiness by the slightly wary look in her eyes and the way she had her arms crossed, even though they were loose, not tense. Even though her Japanese never was perfect, Shampoo could disguise her voice to be so when she needed. Around her comrades though, she allowed her regular tone to be heard through. "If we stay, Shampoo afraid we be stuck with bad lord and he no want to let us leave. Is bad chance. Shampoo say we go."
"But, hon, who says that they'll be bad?" Ukyo asked gently, aware of Shampoo's cautious nature. In truth, all of them were cautious. But Shampoo had one of the biggest trust issues of the group. Arguing in anything but a soft voice, even as one of her few trusted friends, would shake up Shampoo badly and make her even more nervous.
"We have no way of knowing until they come if they'll be any good or not."
"True." Ryoga answered, also sitting in a chair. He turned to Kodachi, who was next to him. "But finding a blood relative could take weeks for the castle informants and searchers. And it's not like they'll ask Akane for help."
Akane nodded, quiet, listening. It was true. Since the elite guard was basically a category of its own from the castle guard, with enough power to back it up that it didn't need to serve the castle or its residents, or lord if they didn't want to, and because they were not part of the original guard that served the castle, the people in the castle tended to avoid them as much as possible. People who didn't swear eternal loyalty to every lord were not seen in a good light with the castle residents. And the fact that sometimes the guard seemed to possess inhuman strength and speed served to further make the people uneasy. Akane was especially avoided, as was Ukyo and Shampoo and Kodachi, because they were female guards, a rarity, and elite guards at that. They ranked above the regular male guards, and always refused any advances made on them in the past from any men, guard or not.
Though all four women were of marrying age, as were the three men in their group, none of them had ever shown any interest in anyone of the opposite gender, and often spent little time away from each other, communicating with the people and even the regular palace guards as little as possible. In the castle, except for the lord and lady, the elite guard had been outcasts. Now that the lord and lady were gone, they had to decide whether it was worth staying to wait for the next heir to come or not, aware that if they were going to leave, they'd have to while everyone was still mourning, before people began to demand that they stay. It was times like these that they disliked most being able to make their own decisions, because it was always so much trouble. But because they all refused to be tied down to an obligation that they did not agree with, they were choosing whether to wait in or out of the castle now.
"Well, we have to make a decision." Kodachi said, leaning on the table, arms folded. "It's not like half of us will serve this place and the other half of us won't. We have to stick together, or we have no one. So what is?" That was the biggest issue. All of the elite guard had hard lives before they had met, and they only trusted each other. The lord and lady were probably the only other people with whom they had trusted, which had been why they had chosen to serve them in the first place. And even that was not to the extent that they trusted one another.
The group was silent for a bit as they thought it over. Talk was never wasted on them. If they didn't have to, they didn't utter a single word, even to each other. It was just their way- they knew each other enough that silence like this between them was never uncomfterable.
At last, someone spoke up. It was Ranma.
"Without a lord that has earned our loyalty here, and no other person to whom we owe a loyalty to of any kind, we have no reason to remain in the Castle East. We'll leave." He looked around at his group, making eye contact with each, briefly resting, and on Akane's last, a second longer than the others, before continuing.
"For the time being, we have no purpose here. We can still protect the people of the land that we had sworn the lord to protect outside of these castle walls same as before, if not better- if we choose to protect them. We don't need to be here. There's no necessity of it."
His team members all nodded slightly, as proof that they both agreed with his decision and were listening. Kodachi, especially, paid attention. She was the most uncomfterable in the castle, having a bad past experience to match her disdain and uneasiness for both it and most of its residents. The only reason she had stayed was her loyalty to her comrades and to the lord. If she did not have to stay, she would rather not.
The team did not speak. They waited patiently, knowing that Ranma would elaborate. He never gave a vague order. And they were all willing to follow, no matter his decision. It had been a unanimous choice that he would be their captain. They trusted him to do what was best for all seven of them, without exception.
"Until we are needed here, until a new lord arrives, we will separate ways." He looked around at all of them again. His expression did not change. However, he wasn't issuing a direct unchallengeable order- he almost never did. He took a pause to let the idea sit in and for them to grasp the implications of it, allowing them time to think and debate in their minds, giving them time to voice their opposing opinions, if they had any.
"If and when a new lord appears, we will gather to observe him and see if he is worth the position. We can watch him, but we cannot take away his position for any reason." He made eye contact with everyone again, letting them know with eyes alone what "taking away" a lords position implied. He stated it for clarity, so that there were no mistakes or "misinterpretations"- no excuse.
"Even killing a corrupt lord is still killing a lord, without orders. Do not harm him or consider it until coming to me first, if reason or cause presents itself. Understand?"
Silence. That meant that there were no objections. Everyone had agreed. They looked at him and waited for him to continue speaking.
"Good." He nodded his head, an agreement to their unanimous decision, adding his vote to theirs. Then Ranma continued, issuing his last orders to ensure that they'd be safe. It was always the first thing on his mind and something that he never left out.
"Remember, no notifications to any palace person, palace guard, or each other. I want no contact between any of you, to each other, or to me, until our next meeting. No endangering yourself or others, and most of all, don't let anyone know who you are." he finished.
If anyone objected to the plan at all, now was the last time to speak up, they all knew, or it meant that they completely agreed to it. If no one spoke, they would be held to that silence as their word. The seven, as I said, rarely had to speak many words to communicate with or understand each other. And rarely was a decision made by Ranma disagreed with. Not because they feared him as the captain. But because they trusted him to do what was best.
No one spoke. At last, Ranma allowed his eyes a brief close, only a bit longer than a blink. It was the only sign that they had that showed them how hard this was for him. He, like the others, was very close to his teammates of the elite guard. And though he was often quiet and reclusive, they were more important to him than anyone or anything else would or could ever be. Looking around the room at his loyal comrades one last time, making eye contact with each of them, he spoke one last time.
"Be careful out there, everyone. I should see you again. However, if no lord ever comes, remember, this group is disbanded. No more contact, ever." It was their safeguard. They had all decided long ago that if ever they had no reason to be the guards that they were, they would disband until needed again. Having all of them together at once otherwise would bring about all sorts of trouble. Their many enemies would see it as a chance for war, whereas separated, they posed little to no threat because they only worked as a group. If they did not have a purpose to band together as a team, it was safest for all of them to stay as far away from one another as possible. Again, Ranma had made the decision as the captain. And though he clearly did not want it, just like everyone else, their lives were more important to him than never seeing them again. As long as they were alive.
Everyone inclined their heads simultaneously towards him. They knew that they may never see each other, but it was highly unlikely that the castle people wouldn't find a royal blood relative. The question would only be how long they had to wait until a new lord was found. The elite guards were patient, and they were confident that that time would come to pass. A castle without a lord was in danger until a new one was found. Someone would be found. They were betting and hoping for it. In this world, the seven of them truly had no one else but each other.
Everyone was quiet as they had what would be last moments together for a long time. Finally, after several glances, eye contact, and almost unnoticeable hand signals goodbye, they were ready. It was time to leave.
Shampoo and Mousse were first. They both bowed their heads towards their friends, standing up straight first and facing the room, and were abruptly gone. The window let in a light breeze, carrying in a single leaf. It hadn't been open before the meeting.
Ukyo waved to Ranma and the other three.
"See ya, all. Hope you can get along without my cooking." She winked cheerfully, with a smile that was a little forced as she tried to make the joke, and then she too was gone in a flash, out the window, hoisting herself up to the roof with a flip and leaping off on the rooftops like a ninja, leaving the least possible trail so that she couldn't be followed by any enemies to wherever she was going to go.
Ryoga nodded to Ranma, Akane, and Kodachi, a solemn incline of his head.
"See ya soon." he said, his voice slightly rough from emotion at having to depart from everyone that he was so close to, and walked out the connecting castle door, hand held up in a wave. He made a turn and disappeared. You couldn't even hear his footsteps. Though his heart was heavy, as with all the guards, his footsteps were light to conceal his presence. He was gone.
Kodachi stood up from her seat and bowed to Ranma.
"Good-bye, Captain. Take care." she lifted her head to acknowledge Akane with a brief nod, which was returned, and small smile as well. "We'll meet again." she said softly, and you could hear the hope in her voice.
She also took to the window, climbing out by sitting on the edge and swinging her legs over to the other side, graceful as always. She walked slowly across the grass towards town, as if she was out on a stroll. At least one of the elite guard needed to be seen at the castle during that time. It would be the castle resident's last look at one of the Head of the Guards in a long time. Kodachi had willingly been that last person.
Akane and Ranma both stood, facing each other at opposite ends of the table. Kodachi had sat one seat from Ranma's side, her seat still out from the table. His other side had been an empty seat. Ranma had been close enough to the window to hear the outside noises and simultaneously keep an eye on all of his team members, something he had always done, even before being appointed captain. Akane had always admired how he looked out for all of them, even in the little things like that (in comparison to things like the agreement among the guards now). She knew that he was having them do this for their protection, but she was still sad. Ranma, who could probably read this best on her, on the face that she had learned throughout her life to keep so carefully blank, held out his hand.
He smiled then, a small smile, but it was still something. It made him look a bit younger, more handsome- one of the few ways that showed that he wasn't as his position of captain made him appear to be. Akane was glad for that smile. She took his hand in his, still amazed at how it swallowed hers in its grip. Of all the guards, Akane had known Ranma the longest, had the oldest bond with him, and was the closest.
"See ya, 'Kane." he said, using he nickname to reassure her that everything was alright. "We'll be seeing each other again before you know it."
She smiled back then. Of course. How silly of her, she thought. She wouldn't have to be alone forever. Just endure it, for awhile. Just hearing his words raised her spirits. Another reason that Ranma had been named captain. He calmed the guards' fears. Most importantly, he understood that there was more to a person than their abilities- there was emotion, fragile and delicate. He had been the one to protect them physically and soothe them emotionally. He had done a lot more for all of them than any other person ever had.
"It would be a good idea to head West for now." Ranma told her, his hand still holding hers as he spoke the suggestion that was more than a suggestion, but not an order. "I hear that a lot of things are happening there," he added, hinted. "The information network near the castle should keep you pretty happy until it's time to return."
"Thank you, Captain." she said, feeling relief now that he had given her a direction to go in. Even though she was the informant, she hated making choices like such this- where to go as she waited for the time when she could see everyone again- especially with worrying about the best place to receive new about the new lord as soon as he came so that she could return and see everyone again. So that she could be first to see him and the others arrive. "I'll see you soon too." Both their hands gripped each others a bit harder then, and trembled slightly. Neither liked the idea of being away from each other so long.
With that last smile, she and Ranma dropped hands and Akane walked towards the door Ryoga had gone out of. She turned back one last time to get a last look, her eyes filled with so many things, before walking a short distance down the hall and making a turn out of sight. Ranma was left in the room alone.
He ran his hand through his messy hair, his pigtail moving slightly from the movement, and sighed. It was deep and harrowing, as his brain filled with the knowledge of the long road ahead- the time he would have to spend away from his comrades until a new lord was found. But when a servant walked into the room not half a minute later, the room was neat and in order, as if no one had been in it at all.
No one would see the elite guard of the East again for several months.
-chapter end.
Ps. "West" is capitalized because the hint is for her to go to the Castle West. More on that in later chapter "Akane's Journey" (not to appear for a while).
