Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2. The curses and names for them were made up by me as far as I know, but I still won't lay claim to them either.
All criticism is welcome, however, if you are going to try and flame me, at least be original. There are only so many times you can be told, "You Suck!!!" before it gets boring.
A/N: Only made this because even a pitiless SOB like me has pity for Ranma and want a little vengeance for him. Plus I couldn't continue my other story till I got this one out of my head… hate when that happens. Oh, yeah, this is based after the final wedding attempt stated in the manga. If someone appears OOC, eh, it happens.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ranma Saotome sat on the roof of the Tendo home staring into the night sky without seeing it. It had been four months since the failed wedding.
He hadn't expected things to go back to normal, whatever that might be, but he had at least hoped for an apology from someone for everything going wrong. True, he hadn't really wanted to marry her at the time, he still considered himself too young for that, but it hadn't been their decision to make. Now he still had the problem with the honor of the entire situation. As if that wasn't enough, his growing despair at the problem was slowly causing the Neko-ken to rise more easily to the surface in him, even without a cat around. He couldn't save the honor of the girls he doesn't choose, and that would leave a stain on his honor. However he couldn't run away, it just wasn't in him to do that. His feelings for Akane had swiftly disappeared after the wedding and the threat she made during it. He still cared for them all and didn't want to see anyone hurt, but he was sure he didn't love her anymore. To top it all off, everyone he cared about kept getting hurt. Mostly because he was around them when he was attacked. He didn't see anyway to stop that from happening by staying here, and no matter how good he was, he couldn't be everywhere at once. Plus if he did run away, someone would use one of them to get him to come back. No, the only way to end this all honorably was to commit seppuku. He didn't want to die, but the Arts taught to protect the weak. He couldn't do that if his living put them in danger…
As he thought that last thought, he saw a flash of light as a shooting star moved across the sky heading east.
Maybe the old temple to the east of Nerima would be a good spot, no one with the exception of Ryoga would be able to find me and stop me. So be it, tomorrow at dusk, I will do it.
With that, he jumped down from the roof and went to his bed to sleep.
-------------------------------
Kasumi awoke early the next morning to begin the daily routine of preparing everything for breakfast. As she entered the restroom, she was startled to see the furo already filled and heated. She then heard movement down in the kitchen. Concerned, she went to see who it could be at this time of morning and was even more startled to see Ranma in the kitchen preparing breakfast. As she entered, Ranma looked at her.
"Good morning, Kasumi."
"Good morning, Ranma, what are you doing up so early?"
"I just decided that you needed a break this morning. If you want, you can give me pointers as I'm not the best at this, but other than that, you can't help."
She was shocked. No one had done this for her before, and the smile on his face. It wasn't his usually confident grin. It looked forced. And determined.
"Okay, Ranma, if you insist…"
He didn't need the advice, she saw. He knew his way around the kitchen quite well and seemed to be adding just the right amount of spice to everything. She was concerned, though, as to what caused him to look and act like this, it was so unlike him to have an expression like that. She pushed her concern to the side when she heard the sounds of others in the house getting up. It sounded like Mr. Saotome was the first, followed closely by her father. Akane was the third person she heard, and Nabiki…still hadn't moved. She went to set the table while Ranma was cooking.
As she was setting it, Soun Tendo came downstairs to sit and read the paper. It had been a long night out with Genma, drinking and scheming to combine the schools. They hadn't come up with anything that they hadn't already tried, or that would even come close to working. Seeing Kasumi setting the table was different, but he didn't think about it too much. That is until Ranma walked out of the kitchen carrying the food. This did nothing but confuse him as Ranma usually sparred with Genma in the mornings. That, and Ranma was usually hard to wake up, requiring either a kick from Genma or a bucket of cold water from Akane. The smell of the food, though, enticed the others downstairs.
Genma was first downstairs when the smell of the food reached him, all thoughts of Ranma not being in his futon gone. Akane came down a few minutes later. Nabiki finally stumbled downstairs, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. After good mornings all around, one of which more grunted than spoken, most noticed that it was Ranma serving out the food instead of Kasumi. Genma spoke nothing of it when food was placed in front of him. Akane was about to say something, but the forced smile on Ranma's face stopped her. Nabiki never even noticed. Breakfast was, for once, quiet, with no yelling's, no beatings, and no insults. This concerned Akane, Soun, Genma, Kasumi, and was what snapped Nabiki out of her morning stupor. Genma was especially concerned, even if he didn't show it while stealing Ranma's food off of his plate. All were concerned because Ranma wasn't reacting to the theft of said food. He just sat and quietly ate what food wasn't being stolen. Kasumi was the first to speak at this sight.
"Ranma, are you sure you are okay?"
He looked startled for a second as he looked at her.
"Of course, Kasumi, why do you ask?"
Even his speech was different. Respectful, eloquent, but still to the point. This was concerning to say the least.
"Ummm, no reason Ranma, just you seem to be different this morning."
"Ah, it's because I've made a decision last night."
At those words, Genma spoke up.
"What kind of a decision are you talking about, boy?"
"Everyone that the decision affects will all find out at the same time."
Nabiki, while finishing her meal, tried to figure out how to turn this to make her some money. His not telling everything or mentioning what the decision was about was no help at all. She would just have to sell what little she did know and see if that helped.
Genma immediately jumped to the conclusion that he had made a decision to marry Akane. He started patting Ranma on the back.
"Glad to see you have finally decided to marry Akane."
With those words, the Soun waterworks started up with Genma and himself cheering about the joining of the schools. Ranma said nothing, just finished what little was left on his plate, and began to clean up the table. Kasumi began to stop him, but the forced smile stopped her again when he looked at her. Akane noticed Ranma looking at her sister weird.
"What are you looking at Kasumi like that for, you pervert? And what makes you think I will marry you, anyway?"
Ranma looks up from his cleaning the table, with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"What are you talking about, Akane? Looking like what?"
As he says this, he picks up the last few dishes, and begins to walk into the kitchen.
"Don't walk away when I'm talking to you, you stupid pervert."
He doesn't respond to her as he comes out of the kitchen. She sees the same smile on place on his face, for some reason, this sends her over the edge. Pulling a huge mallet from thin air, she begins to swing it at him.
"RANMA NO BAKA!!!"
Right as the swing reaches him, he holds up one finger, stopping the mallet. Everyone, including Akane is too startled by this to move. With the mallet stopped, Ranma walks around Akane and heads upstairs to get his bags for school. When he comes back down, they are all still in their same spots, except the mallet is gone and Akane looks extremely confused.
"Better hurry, Akane, or we will be late for school."
She starts to move then, with a shell-shocked expression on her face, to get her school bags. Everyone else remains sitting at the table. As the door closes from Ranma leaving, the words "Oh, my." are heard followed by the sounds of three people face-faulting.
-----------------------------------------
The walk to school was surprisingly quiet. Ranma had effortlessly dodged all splashes of cold water, with what looked like no effort or conscious thought on his part. When they reached the school, Tatewaki Kuno jumps towards Ranma with his boken swinging down at his head.
"Evil Sorcerer Saotome, I will smite thee and free theeeeeeeee…"
This last was because as he swung, Ranma had reverse spun to the right, bringing his elbow around to catch Kuno in the back of the head, sending him flying towards and then through the wall surrounding the school. As soon as he had connected, he had continued to walk as if nothing had happened. Gosunkugi, seeing this, decides today probably isn't a good day to go after Akane.
School that morning was quiet, mostly because of the disconcerting affect of Ranma sitting up and appearing to be attentive in class. This was confusing even the teachers. All decided not to say anything, in case he stopped paying attention, though.
At lunch, he didn't do his usual jump out of the window. Instead, he picked up his books and slowly walked out the door with everyone else. Akane's friends walked up and asked her if anything was wrong. She just shook her head slowly saying, "I wish I knew."
As Ranma slowly walked to the tree he usually ate lunch under, Shampoo and Ukyo, both of whom had been waiting below the window for him to jump out, went towards him. Shampoo jumped towards him, intending to glomp him, but caught nothing but air as he was no longer there. She blinked and looked around to find him next to the tree sitting down. Ukyo blinked, she had never seen Ranma dodge a glomp by Shampoo or move that fast outside of a fight. She walked over to him as Shampoo stood up and slowly walked over as well, confusion apparent on both of their faces.
"Ranma-baby, are you okay?"
"Airen okay?"
He looks up as if just noticing that they are there.
"Hello Ukyo, Xian Pu."
Both stopped to look at him. Something was seriously off. Ranma wasn't acting normal at all. Both stepped forward cautiously and felt his forehead.
"Airen not be sick. What be wrong, Airen?"
"Maybe we should take you to see Doctor Tofu, Ranma-baby."
"Don't worry, nothings wrong with me, I've just made a decision last night."
Both were startled at that news.
"What kind of decision, Ranma-baby?"
He looked up at both of them with a forced smile.
"Don't worry, everyone the decision affects will all know at the same time."
His statement shocked them. They both sat down next to him, without trying to force their food on him or glomping him.
As the lunch period was close to ending, Ranma stood up and began to walk towards the building.
"Xian Pu, Ukyo, have a nice day."
With that, he entered the building.
-------------------------------------
After school, he slowly walks home, Akane nearby, but neither saying anything. Halfway home, Akane finally can't stand it anymore.
"What's wrong with you, Ranma?"
"Nothing, why do you ask?"
"There's not nothing wrong with you, you are acting completely different than normal."
"Hmmm, I guess I hadn't noticed."
With that he began to walk faster along the top of the fence. As he was walking, he suddenly did a forward flip. Halfway through the flip, a mallet flew through the spot he had been standing. As soon as he completed the flip, he continued on as if nothing had happened.
------------------------------------
At the Tendo residence, Ranma stops and knocks on Nabiki's door.
"Come in."
Ranma opens the door and walks in, closing it gently behind him.
"What can I do for you, Ranma?"
"I would like you to do me a favor."
Nabiki raises an eyebrow at this.
"What sort of favor?"
He pulls out an envelope.
"I would like you to hold onto this for me, and if I'm not back by dusk, open it and read the contents to everyone. I will give you 900 yen if you do this for me. If I make it back before then, though, I want to letter back unopened. You can keep the 900 either way."
After saying that, he hands her the envelope. She shrugs and puts it on her dresser.
"Okay. I guess you are going out, then, until dusk?"
"Yes."
With that, he left the room. Nabiki goes back to reading her book, completely forgetting about the letter.
After he leaves Nabiki's room, he heads into the room he shares with his father, grabs his pack, and jumps out the window. He heads towards the east to the temple that is just outside Nerima.
-----------------------------------
The temple was in bad shape, it hadn't been used in decades. The last person to check on it had been four years ago. Everyone could see it as it was on top of a hill with no trees to hide it; however no one went to it. No one even really thought about it. Ranma felt at peace when he stepped beyond the final arch at the top of the steps. He walked towards the temple and into it from the front. Upon reaching the center, he sat his pack down and pulled the tanto out of it. He still had fifteen minutes till dusk. He pulled his shirt off and sat it to the side. Then pulled a towel out of his pack and sat it down on the ground and kneeled on it. He had a clear view of the sunset as the entrance he had walked through faced directly west. When the last bit of the sun went below the horizon, he stabbed with the tanto.
-----------------------------------
Xian Pu, Mu Tsu, and Elder Khu Lon all looked up at the same time. Something was wrong. Something had happened to Ranma. Suddenly, Xian Pu and Mu Tsu both passed out and fell to the ground. Elder Khu Lon felt like passing out, and could only stop herself from doing so for a few seconds longer. After she passed out, all was quiet in the shop. If someone had been there to witness it, they would have seen all three slowly vanish from sight.
-----------------------------------
Tatewaki Kuno and his sister Kodachi Kuno were both sitting in their home when something made them both look east. Tatewaki muttered, "Pig-tailed girl," at the same time as Kodachi muttered, "Ranma." At that, they both passed out and vanished.
-----------------------------------
Happosai was jumping around and finding all sorts of his precious goodies hanging out to dry when he stopped. Something was wrong with Ranma. He managed to jump twice more towards the Tendo residence before he passed out and vanished.
-----------------------------------
Ukyo was bathing when she felt it. For some reason a tear came to her eye and she passed out, vanishing soon after.
-----------------------------------
Ryoga didn't know where he was, or why there was snow everywhere in the middle of summer. And why was that weird red and white striped pole here? He walked towards the pole and stopped. Something was wrong with Ranma. He started walking back the way he had come, becoming increasingly tired with each step. He made it almost one hundred meters before he passed out and vanished.
------------------------------------
Kasumi was preparing dinner when she realized she had tears in her eyes. She realized that she was about to pass out and just before she did, she turned off the stove and oven for the meal. She then vanished.
------------------------------------
Suon and Genma were playing anything goes shoji, when both fell over suddenly and passed out, vanishing almost before they had finished falling.
------------------------------------
Nabiki, feeling suddenly very tired and fearful for Ranma, remembered the letter. She managed to grab it just before she passed out and vanished, letter in hand.
------------------------------------
Akane was sitting in her room, wondering where P-chan was when suddenly Ranma came to mind, with how weird he had been acting all day. She stood up to go look for him, but fell over almost immediately. She passed out and vanished as she touched the ground.
------------------------------------
Nodoka was sipping tea when she thought of Ranma. She reached over and grabbed the Saotome Honor Blade right when she passed out. She vanished soon after.
------------------------------------
Elder Khu Lon was the first to awake, followed closely by Happosai. She saw that she was kneeling at a very large round table. Sitting around the table counterclockwise from her were Xian Pu, Mu Tsu, Nodoka, Genma, Suon, Kasumi, Akane, Nabiki, Tatewaki, Kodachi, Happosai, Ryoga, Ukyo, two empty seats, and herself. The most disturbing thing though was the crystal statue of a cat in the center of the table. Inside was Ranma, shirtless, slowly shifting between his male and female forms and back again. He was completely shifting once every ten seconds. She noticed that all the cursed ones were shifting as well.
As people started to wake up, there were mumbled groans from most. Khu Lon was startled to find that she couldn't move anything below her neck. She could move her head around and speak, but she couldn't move her arms or legs. Her staff was sitting on the table in front of her, pointing at the cat statue. She noticed that Xian Pu's bon-bori, Mu Tsu's swords, Nodoka's sword, Genma's sign, Suon's shoji set, Kasumi's frying pan, Akane's mallet, Nabiki's calculator and a letter, Kuno's boken, Kodachi's ribbon, Happosai's sake, Ryoga's umbrella, and Ukyo's battle spatula were all sitting in front of them, all pointing straight at the statue holding Ranma. Khu Lon looked around at the place they were in. Everything was perfectly white. There was no source of light, no shadows, no walls or doors, nothing at all as far as she could see. This was highly unusual and more than a little disturbing. She looked forward and studied Ranma. He appeared to be unconscious. What worried her though was the thin red line going across his/her stomach. It looked like a cut, but it wasn't bleeding.
"What foul magic is this that binds the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High?"
The voice of Kuno disturbed her contemplation of the statue. What disturbed her more was the voice that answered him echoing in each of their minds.
"It is my magic which binds you, child. I bound you all to answer for your actions against this Pure Soul."
"Who are you? And what is a pure soul?"
Nodoka seemed to voice the questions all of them were thinking. The answer was short in coming.
"Names have little meaning to my kind. But you will need something to call me, so call me Dimitrios. I am an elemental demon of air. I am charged with the avenging of all Pure Souls. Lucky for me there are so few in the world. Unfortunately, all of them attract chaos as a lodestone attracts metal. As to what a Pure Soul is, it is a human that does it's best to protect and care for all those around it, even its enemies. They do not want to harm others if they can avoid it; however they are often forced into situations in which they must harm others. Most die young and live dangerous, if short, lives. This is the first time one has tried to commit seppuku, which is what brings me here and causes you to be bound as you are."
At his last statement, many gasped in shock. They had known something was wrong, with the exception of Ryoga and Happosai, but they hadn't realized it was that bad. Ukyo spoke next, tears streaming down her face.
"Why would Ranchan commit seppuku? There was no reason for him to do that."
"It was the only way he saw to save the honor of his family as well as all those he was engaged to at the time. It also assured the protection of all those he cared about. His absence would end the constant attacks, those around him faced. Barely did he save Akane Tendo after facing Saffron. All those he cares for have been attacked because of his presence. Some how each of you has suffered due to him being there. These are the thoughts which led him to end his life."
"Why dost yon pig tailed girl constantly shift with that swine Ranma Saotome?"
"Child, it has been explained and shown to you again and again. They are one and the same person. His female body is a curse that was placed on him from Jusenkyo. As are the animal forms of all those here that are shifting between two forms as we speak. Each fell in a spring and each was changed permanently. There is no cure. It is not each spring that is cursed, but the area the springs are on. Not many curses, but one large and powerful one. You could not counteract the spring with another, you would only mix the curses. You can only learn to live with the curse as best you can."
At these words Xian Pu, Mu Tsu, Ryoga, and Genma all seemed to wilt upon themselves, looking downcast.
"So why have you brought us all here?"
Nabiki had put on her 'Ice Queen' expression. She didn't know why they were all brought there, but she knew that they weren't brought here just to talk. She was also sure that she wouldn't like the answer.
"Ah, now we come to the meat of the matter. My purpose here is three fold. As I have already said, I am a vengeance demon. I first help you to realize the mistakes you have made, punish you according to your crimes, and, finally, free him of all that binds him, such as the debts of honor forced on him by his father and mother, the constant attacks by enemies and allies alike, and the fiancé problem he has. Some of the ways I punish may not seem like it at the time, but I assure you, in time, you will wish I hadn't done it. Now, I shall show you my true form. We will also be joined shortly by my sister. And she is not as nice about punishment as I am."
Suddenly blue smoke-like energy started to come up next to the empty seat closest to Khu Lon. It began to coalesce and take the form of a human. He appeared to be about six feet tall with pale hair more white than blue that fell to his lower back. He wore a long coat that was blindingly white in color and was belted at the waist. On his shoulders were two guards that looked to be made of a pale blue metal. His hands were covered by pale blue gloves and in his left hand he held the hilt and guard of a sword, but no blade. You couldn't see his face due to the mask he wore. The mask was white and featureless with the exception of the eye holes and the four point light blue star around the left eye.
He slowly looked at each person seated at the table. When he reached Khu Lon, he seated himself next to her placing the sword hilt on the table facing Ranma.
"Now, what say we talk before my sister arrives?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I didn't mean for it to be this long…was supposed to be one shot, but that idea went out the window. I didn't realize how long winded I could be… Well, there will be a second chapter now, hopefully that will finish, if not, I will end up putting my other story on hold till it is finished.
Sorry about the error with Nodoka knowing about Ranma/Ranko. This is the update for that and thanks to Wharpt for pointing that out.