I do not own Ranma ½ or any characters part or parcel of that great work, nor lay claim to any of the incredible ideas expressed by Rumiko Takahashi, or Viz video. This is just a labor of love from one fan to the rest.
Chapter 19. Collection Notice.
Ranma lets out an almost primal sounding growl as she lets the body of Kodachi Kuno slip from her fingers, starting to stalk towards the head of the Ayanami with slow, menacing steps. She stops as he pulls a gun, and points it not at her, but at Nabiki.
"You know this is just business, right? I'm sure we can make a deal and work all of this out. We are both reasonable people, and understand that this is just how things are in our line of work." Sohei says, trying to hide the little tremble in his hand that isn't holding a gun.
"It started as business, then you had to go and make it personal, Sohei." Ranma says through gritted teeth, her gaze unwavering.
"Look, I am sure that we can work this out. How much is it going to take to make you forget this little incident?" Sohei says as he watches her intently, hoping that his men arrive sooner rather than later.
Ranma points her good arm at him "Your head, on a platter. I should have finished what I started before, now, I am thinking it's time to collect."
Sohei swallows hard, eyes remaining on Ranma as he says. "How about a trade? I give you the girl, you let me go? That's fair, right?"
Ranma shakes her head "There is no reason for me to believe that you will not come after her again. You stand to lose too much face if you just let us go. Throw down your gun and I will make it quick. You hurt her, and I promise you I will make you scream for days."
Sohei starts to sweat, this isn't how it was supposed to go down. He paid good money for the extra muscle, the Kuno's alone were outrageous in how much they wanted. And there the queen bitch herself lay at Ranma's feet. No one should be that good. No one should be that untouchable. He should have bought her off first thing, her or the bitch that was cackling like a mad woman again. He should just pull the trigger, shoot the bitch in the head and then do himself. That would show the little red headed tramp.
The only reason he didn't was, at his core, he was a coward. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to experience what Ranma was sure to do to him. There just didn't seem to be a good out.
"Fuck it." He says as he turns his head, lining up the shot. If he was dead, he might as well take the little bitch with him. Sure, what Ranma was sure to do to him was going to be awful, but at least this time, the little psycho bitch would fail.
Ranma moves, pushing herself hard. No way she can make it to Sohei before he takes the shot. Only one option, and it was going to suck. She moves as fast as her battered body will move, putting herself between the gun and Nabiki, gritting her teeth as the shot rings out and she feels the round slam into her right shoulder. As she starts to go down, she throws the syringe that she had palmed at Sohei with enough force to drive it home in his thigh. Ranma rolls as she hits the ground, coming back up to a three point stance as Sohei grips his leg and yells out in pain.
"You crazy bitch! I'm going to kill you!" Sohei yells as he raises the gun, starting to take a step before his leg gives out and he crashes to the floor. "What...What the fuck! What the fuck is wrong with my body!?"
Ranma slowly stands, and starts to walk towards him. "Kodachi likes her drugs. That was an ampule from a tranquilizer gun loaded with a paralyzing agent, I would guess. She wants her subjects alive and able to feel things, but unable to fight back. She was a real piece of work." She leans down and takes the gun from his hand.
Sohei looks up, eyes wild with fear. "You can't kill me! I'm the head of the Ayanami! There will be repercussions! People will come after you and that little bitch of yours!"
Ranma shakes her head as she checks the gun. "I killed your father and your older brothers. And, I need to set an example. You chose the wrong fight, Sohei."
Two shots ring out, then a metallic clatter as a gun hits the concrete.
A short time later a short figure carrying an unconscious woman wrapped in a blanket makes her slow way out of the wreckage of the backside of the compound. The girls of the Teahouse find Ranma first, Koda and the dark-skinned Amaya sweeping the grounds while Michi tends to the unconscious Tachi. They rush towards her, stopping short at the menacing look they get from Ranma before she recognizes them.
"You...Have to help 'Biki, she is in bad shape." Ranma says before slumping to the ground.
Koda and Amaya exchange looks, moving over to check on the two injured women before Koda calls Michi to inform her of the condition of their charges. A rapid fire series of questions follows, as the combat medic does her best to assess how they are over the radio before ordering the other two to see about getting them to safety as she prepares to move Tachi herself.
Once word of Sohei's death starts to spread, the Ayanami quickly lose the will to fight. The surviving members of the Ayanami family make a break for it, scattering to the winds so that they can try to collect the scattered remnants of the family's power and wealth. The power vacuum that is left behind will quickly fill, as the lesser families start to jostle for the bloody scraps. But that is a worry for another day, as Kyo Tanaka looks over the losses that they have suffered, and sees to the transport of the dead and wounded back to the compound.
Conspicuously absent are Ranma, Nabiki and the girls of the Teahouse. After a brief search, Kyo calls his men back, pretty sure that if they survived, they are being hidden away someplace safe, at least until they are healthy enough to move.
A few days later….
Konatsu knocks softly on the door to one of the guest rooms reserved for special guests, entering a brief moment later. "You should sleep, Ranma. You will do her no good if you are still recovering yourself." The mother of the house scolds one of her oldest friends gently.
Ranma sighs, her right arm in a sling, her left hand holding the hand of the restless woman in the bed next to her. "I know, I just don't want anything else to happen to her. Do we have any idea what Kodachi pumped into her?"
"We have some ideas. It is likely that we will have to treat her body and mind, after what has happened to her. Miss Watanabe will be on call, for when she regains consciousness." Konatsu assures Ranma, as she settles gracefully on Nabiki's other side.
"It's my fault, Konatsu. If I hadn't dragged her into my world, it's likely she would not be in the shape she is in now." Ranma says, biting her bottom lip.
"If this One may be so bold? If you had not protected her, if you had not paid with blood and bodily injury, it is the opinion of this One that Miss Tendo would be dead." Konatsu fixes Ranma with a baleful gaze.
Shrinking a bit, Ranma sighs and nods. "I know that...But I can't help but wonder. What if she had found some good cops, and gone into protective custody? What if I hadn't happened along, would she be injured and possibly hooked on whatever Kodachi filled her with? By the Kami, Konatsu, if I had been just a bit later she would have been dead, or worse."
"When you are like this, it is hard to make you see reason, Ranma. You are a good person, and you have done much to help our Miss Tendo." Konatsu says, watching Ranma as she checks on Nabiki.
"How is Tachi doing?" Ranma asks, changing the subject as she shifts a bit.
"She is recovering. She lost an arm and an eye, but against a foe like Tatewaki Kuno? This One thinks those are small prices to pay. Once she has recovered, we will be taking her to Jusenkyo." Konatsu says as she pours tea for the both of them.
"Did she finally prove herself, then?" Ranma asks, curious.
Konatsu shakes her head. "It is not a matter of proving oneself worthy, but of showing that one is ready to start a new life. We make sure that our Lillies are truly ready for the cost they must pay, for the weight of what the curse means before they are reborn into their true selves. Miss Watanabe insists that she give them all a full battery of tests before we take them to the springs, and that they are truly ready to cast aside who they were. Plus, they must be ready in case they do get changed back to their birth forms. We have yet to find a good way to lock ourselves into our cursed form, but for us it can hardly be called a curse, after all."
Ranma shakes her head. "So, why exactly did I have to remain in female form, then? I can heal up just as well in my natural form."
Konatsu fixes Ranma with a look. "And risk you getting changed into your female form while you are still healing, and have stitches? This One does not wish to stitch you up every day because you can't stay away from cold water."
Ranma looks sheepish. "It's the curse, I tell you. It just happens."
Konatsu nods, then looks aside. "We can not dissuade you from leaving, can we?"
Ranma sighs and rubs the hand of the woman at her side with her thumb. "It's better this way. It's going to take Nabiki a while to recover, and the remnants of the Ayanami want my head. Some of the other Families are unhappy with me, as well. I need to make myself scarce for a while. The police will want to put her back in protective custody, likely give her a whole new life. One without me in it."
"This One thinks you are being an idiot, Ranma." Konatsu says as she fixes Ranma with a dark look.
"I probably am, but I would rather die than see her hurt again." Ranma says sadly.
"So, you think that by hurting her you can prevent more hurt? I thought you were wiser than that, Ranma." Konatsu says sadly, dropping the mask she almost always wore as the matron of the House.
"You and I both know that I'm just an idiot, when you get to the heart of the matter." Ranma says.
"And where will you go, Ranma?" Konatsu says in a resigned manner.
"Somewhere quiet, far from everyone. Somewhere I can heal, and tend to my heart and body." Ranma says quietly.
"It is wrong, walking away from her. She will be quite vexed with you." Konatsu says sadly.
"I know, but I can't risk her to just be selfish." Ranma says as she bows her head.
"No, you will just run from the one good thing you have been graced with. This One thinks you are an idiot." Konatsu says as she rises, collecting the tea service.
"I know I am, Konatsu. Thank you...For taking care of her." Ranma says as she bows low.
The next day, Ranma is gone.
Nabiki doesn't wake up fully until the next day.
A/N
One more chapter, then this story is finished.
But the tales of Ranma, Nabiki and the Teahouse will not end her.
I am already starting to work on a tale regarding the Teahouse, and I have plotted out a story for Ranma and Nabiki after the end of this story.
Expect to see more of Akane, Ukyo, and I look forward to introducing Quang Pu, the daughter of Ranma and Shampoo.
There are elements of this story that I intend to expand on, and work into other works.
Between that and the Mirrorverse tales, on top of Time and Time again, I am going to be a busy writer!
Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it.
Stay Frosty!