Ranma's Cured?
Chapter 7: Ryoga's Rage
Ranma dodged the attack as Ryoga's umbrella crashed into the ground, sending shard of rubble flying. Ranma tried to run, to escape her rival's wrath, but the lost boy easily followed her.
Ukyo and Akane were glued to the ground, dumbfounded. They had seen Ryoga angry before, but somehow it seemed that he had gotten...worse.
Akane knew why. Ranma had told her about Ryoga's curse, and she had come to believe in her friend. She guessed that Ryoga must somehow blame Ranma for being unable to cure himself properly. Or something equally inane. She clenched her fist in anger. She would not allow it.
She was going to protect Ranma.
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Ranma had ran all across Nerima, and Ryoga still kept up. Taers fell fro her eyes as she remembered her father's last words to her.
"You are a weak, pathetic little girl." He had said. "You are not fit to call yourself my 'son'."
Those words were what had sent her into a depression. She had even accepted it on a superficial level, acting more withdrawn, more....girly, as her ftaher would probably say.
Which is why, even though she had fought Ryoga plenty of times before, she was running away, frightened. She no longer herself herself in that way.
She only saw what her father saw.
She tripped and fell. She tried to get up, but a shadow fell on her. She looked up, terrified, at the lost boy who ahd chased her.
"That's the look I always wanted to see." Ryoga said, sneering. "The look of terror on your face as I made you pay for making my life a misery."
"Why?" Ranma whimpered, tears falling.
"Becuase of you, I am now cursed! Because of you, I no longer even have HOPE for a cure! Because of you, I have seen HELL!"
He swung his umbella back, ready to pound it into the young woman's face.
"RYOGA!"
He turned, and blushed at seeing Akane.
"Akane." He said, dreamily.
He didn't say anymore as Akane punched him in the face.
"Don't you dare hurt my friend, P-chan." She growled.
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Ukyo had finnaly reached Akane and Ranma. She had been looking everwhere, having no idea where they were. She found them in the street, Akane hugging tightly Ranma, who sobbing uncontrollably.
When the chef got close enough, she saw Ryoga lying on the ground, unconcious. He had a large bruise on his face. Ukyo prodded him with her foot, causing the lost boy to moan.
"Ranma, this isn't like you." Ukyo said.
Akane nodded. "Yeah. You didn't do anything, you just sat and let him do what he wanted. Why didn't you fight back?"
Ukyo gasped. "What? Then who hit him?"
"I did." Akane answered.
Ukyo nodded. Now that she thought about it, Ryoga's injury was trademark Akane.
"I think it was more surprise than anything else." Akane stated, unnecessarily.
Ukyo looked down at the two friends. "So, Ranchan, why didn't you do anything?"
Ranma looked up at the two girls, watching her expectantly. "But I'm.....I'm not good enough. I was weak enough to allow myself to become like this." She gestured at her body. "I'm....I'm too weak to fight anyone."
"Why do you think that?" Akane said, her voice filled with sympathy.
"F...Father said so....after..." Ranma was having difficulty speaking.
Akane embraced the young woman. "It's okay. You don't have to say anymore."
Her expression was disdainful. Genma Saotome had a lot to answer for, now. And she was going to see to it that he
did.
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Genma sneezed. Nodoka looked at him worringly.
"Are you coming down with a cold, dear?" she asked.
Genma gestured dismissively. "Of course. Someone's probably just talking about me."
With the, Saotomes continued to eat their meal.
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Nabiki sat in front of the three amazons, her face completely neautral.
"So, do we have a deal?" Nabiki said, business-like.
Cologne nodded. "We do indeed."
Nabiki grinned her most charming smile. "Excellent."
She and the old ghoul shook on it.
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Yeah, it's a little short, but whatever.
I wanted to have Ryoga accidentally confirm the truth about his curse, but it didn't turn out that way.
Next time, Ranma and friends confront the Saotomes. I wonder how well that'll turn out?
Hope ya enjoyed it, and please comment.
