Oyu no Ranma
A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Zorknot
Chapter 13: Orienteering
Disclaimer: If you enjoy this fanfiction, please consider purchasing the source material. There's a Ranma 1/2 manga as well as an anime. The writer of the manga, Takahashi Rumiko and the cast and crew of the anime all deserve credit. Curious fact: the English dub of the first season of the anime features the voice of Sarah Strange, who later played a character in the live action fish-out-of-water comedy Men in Trees, which had the mom from Dead Like Me in it. Sarah was also in the Michael Keaton movie White Noise. I'm sure Kevin Bacon has to be involved somewhere.
~~~~~Ch.13: Orienteering~~~~~
~~~~~Ryoga~~~~~
"…and so we both left the prison looking for the Saotomes and stopped here," Ryoga finished. The other girls had both asked questions, but the one who seemed the most interested was Megumi. She didn't just ask about things that related to the Saotomes, but also things about how he felt, details about events that brought him here. He felt so relaxed he almost told her about the Jusenkyo curse, but there are some secrets that are so big they get wedged in the throat even when you want to tell them. And maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell her everything anyway. Even if she was the most understanding and direct girl he had ever met. "I should have realized he was going to be trouble, but …"
"Don't worry about it, man," Megumi said, putting a delicate hand on his shoulder, "We can take care of him. Besides how could you have gotten here otherwise?"
It was nice of her not to mention his sense of direction directly. He still didn't like that she was able to figure it out from his story despite him trying to hide it, but at least she wasn't laughing at him about it like Ranma would. He nodded at her forgiveness. Then he stood up, causing her hand to fall from his shoulder. "He's going to wake up soon. He's really strong. I don't know if you'll be able to hold him."
Megumi looked at her hand oddly for a moment and then stood up herself. "We're all martial artists here. Even Kasumi, though you wouldn't know it. We should be fine. We appreciate the help though."
"I brought him here, I should take him out." Ryoga spoke bravely, though he wasn't sure if he could last in a full on battle with Kumon. It wasn't just his technique; it was the way he moved. There wasn't just ability there, but a ruthlessness that was alarming.
"Hold your horses there, hot stuff," the eye-patch-wearing Nabiki said, seemingly amused by something "We want to solve the problem, not make it worse." She gave Megumi a glance and then continued. "Besides we need to make sure your issues with Ranma are settled."
Ryoga laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. He had actually forgotten his reason for being here. But it wasn't every day three beautiful girls asked to tell them about his life. Thankfully Soun and the panda had left, the area, presumably to continue their game somewhere more quiet. He had to think about what he was going to want tomorrow when he was depressed and alone again. He frowned in concentration. "I just want a challenge. A fair, honest challenge. No running away to China. No excuses. Just a fight to knock out or submission."
"I can swing that," Megumi said happily. "I mean…er I'll talk with…uh..Ranma about that, but I'm sure he'll agree."
"Is he your boyfriend?" Ryoga asked, depressed at the idea.
"No! I just…I…he's my…"
"He's her cousin," Nabiki explained, smiling crazily. "And Megumi's our cousin. Her mother's sister is Ranma's mother and our father is Megumi's father's brother…I think." Nabiki shook her head. "You could say Megumi brings the Tendo and Saotome schools together."
"Huh. Interesting," Ryoga said warily. He got the feeling he was missing something. Especially at the wide-eyed stares Nabiki was getting from Akane and Megumi.
"So the real question is: what are we going to do tonight?" Nabiki's voice hardened into a practiced, professional tone. "Ranma isn't here right now and it's too late for a challenge at any rate. I'd say you could take the guest room, but the panda sleeps there, so that might be awkward."
"I can find a place to sleep." Ryoga raised a hand to allay the concern.
The incredulous looks he got from the three girls were heart breaking.
"The dojo is empty isn't it?" Akane asked.
Nabiki banged her fist into her palm. "Yes. That will work. So, you can stay in the dojo tonight and the challenge can be tomorrow morning before school."
Ryoga frowned. "How is Ranma going to get here in time?"
"Riiight," Nabiki eyed Megumi contemplatively. "I suppose we will have to give Ranma time to get here. Seeing as he won't know about the challenge until tomorrow."
"Cripes, Nabiki, we can have the challenge after the official one tomorrow. It's not like I'm going to have any trouble with that guy anyway."
To Ryoga's confused look, Nabiki explained, "Megumi and Akane get challenges all the time from people who want to either date them or fight them. It used to be pretty chaotic but I managed to move it to every Tuesday and Thursday after class. It makes things easier."
"Hey, you created that situation. We had to force you to stop it and you're still making a profit on it," Akane pointed out.
Nabiki put her hands up. "Fair enough. But I set up the system for exactly these kinds of situations."
"I don't want to challenge Megumi, just Ranma." Ryoga stated, still confused.
Nabiki shook her head. "I'm sorry, of course this must be strange for you. You see Megumi is using Ranma's name in school. Her parents were killed, and even though us and the Saotomes are taking care of her, there's still some question of whether or not the government would consider her to have adequate guardianship. So she's using her cousin's records until she can find a better solution. The Furinkan school system isn't nearly thorough enough to check whether a form says M or F. But she still has to be careful not to be seen with the real Ranma, or else people might get suspicious."
Ryoga nodded slowly. Something didn't seem quite right about the explanation, but Nabiki was probably summarizing a complicated situation for him. Turning to Megumi, he asked, "Both your parents are dead?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Uh…very tragic story. Mom and dad, er… I mean the Saotomes are like my real parents though. So it's cool."
"Yeah, Megumi's parents were always away," Nabiki expanded, "They were never really there for her."
"My dad is a bit like that," Ryoga said with a tinge of melancholy. "I almost never got to see him, but I'm still glad for the times when I did. It still must have been rough on you, to hear they were gone."
Megumi's face went completely serious. "I didn't really notice it at first," she said, "But over time, yeah, It was kinda like an extra emptiness that I didn't know how to fill. It's been a lot better since I moved here though."
There was an odd silence. Again, Ryoga felt like he was missing something.
Nabiki broke the silence by clearing her throat slightly. "Well, it looks like we have a plan. Ryoga, I hope you won't mind tagging along with us to school tomorrow. We want to be sure you can make it to the challenge after all. I guess now we better see how your buddy from jail is doing."
"He isn't my 'buddy'," Ryoga grumbled.
Kumon was leaning against a kitchen counter, voraciously consuming a bowl of Ramen, when Ryoga looked in with Megumi and the other girls.
"You mustn't eat so quickly, Ryu-kun, you might get indigestion."
"FUG OOH! Ah ee ah fah ah ah wah to!" Kumon spoke as eloquently as he could be expected to manage with a mouth full of noodles.
"I thought you were going to tape him up." Megumi wondered out loud.
"I couldn't do that!" Kasumi waved the idea off. "The boy reminds me too much of myself when I was his age."
"You're not going to go crazy on him?" Megumi asked.
Kasumi shook her head, her smile hardening a little. "He's not nearly as irritating as you, Megumi-chan. He does not disturb my harmony."
"Well, excuse me!" Megumi protested.
Swallowing what was in his mouth, Kumon asked, "What's with the congregation? You bitches going to try to gang up on me now?" The way Kumon stared directly at Ryoga let him know he was being purposely included in the insult.
Ryoga cracked his knuckles in response, hoping for menacing.
"We just want to know if we can come to an arrangement." Nabiki spoke from behind Ryoga.
"An arrangement? What, are we decorating for a party or something? Shit, girl, all I want to know is where the fuck Saotome Genma is, so I can tear the bastard apart limb from limb for killing my father. That and he has something I want."
"And what might that be?" Nabiki asked.
"It's a secret technique. You wouldn't understand. Too advanced for any of you fucktards."
"This secret technique…" Nabiki's voice turned positively sultry, "it wouldn't happen to be the Umisenken, would it?"
Kumon's frown told Ryoga that Nabiki had guessed it, whatever it was.
"What would you know about it?" Kumon sneered
Ryoga turned around to see Nabiki's arms crossed, her un-patched eyebrow raised. "More than you ever will."
"Hey, Nabiki? Don't you think…" Megumi started, but Nabiki interrupted her.
"At least if you plan on going on like this," she amended. "Why should we give you anything if you keep saying you're going to kill us all the time?"
"It ain't rocket science, Patches. If you don't give me what I want, then I'll kill you."
Nabiki nodded. "And then we'll tell you where Saotome Genma and the secret of the Umisenken is after you kill us? Is that the plan?"
"What, you got a better one?"
"A counter offer? Yes. Indeed I do." Nabiki stepped forward so Ryoga could only see the back of her head as she spoke to Kumon. "Agree not to kill anyone. Make a formal challenge, and we will see that Uncle Saotome receives it. I'll officiate the challenge. I'd ask if you wanted someone on your side to officiate as well, but from what I've seen, I sincerely doubt you have anyone on your side."
"I'm on his side." Kasumi said matter-of-factly.
"Huh? Why?" Ryoga asked.
Kasumi looked down. She looked strangely shy. "If Uncle Saotome did kill this boy's father, he should answer for it."
"But Kasumi, I thought you hated violence!" Akane protested
"C'mon Kasumi, he's got to be lying about Pops. Even you got to see that." Megumi said.
Kasumi shook her head. "What I see is a very hungry boy who has lived without a father or mother for far too long. I believe his story."
"Listen, lady, thanks for the food and all, but I need you like a need a blister on my ass. So kindly fuck off."
Megumi gestured at Kumon in frustration."You see, Kasumi? He's not worth it. He's an asshole."
Kasumi put a hand on Kumon's shoulder. "He hasn't had a chance to be anything else. You have."
Kumon shrugged off Kasumi's hand, diminishing the effect somewhat, but Ryoga was still impressed. The taller girl actually managed to make him feel a little sorry for the guy.
Nabiki sighed. "Do you agree to my terms or not?"
Kumon nodded. "Yeah. I want to challenge that bastard tomorrow morning. And the big girl can be my referee if she wants. Don't want her panties getting in a twist. Any of you do anything tricky though…"
Nabiki's hand came up, "You'll kill us, right? Look tell it to me again after I've had my," Nabiki looked at the clock on the wall, "mildly attractive person sleep, and maybe I'll care. Toodles." She turned the stopping gesture to a goodbye wave and turned to leave.
"Come with me," Kasumi said, "I'll find you a place for tonight."
"If you want to fuck, we can do it right here," Kumon said with a bark of laughter.
"Hmm?" Kasumi asked. Ryoga was alarmed to see Kasumi's fingernails elongate and grow sharp and metallic as she moved them to Kumon's throat. He looked around to see if anyone else was seeing what he was seeing, but everyone else had left for bed.
"Uh…nothing," Kumon backtracked.
Kasumi sighed, "Younger men are all the same"
"Hey! Ryoga!" A warm hand grabbed his wrist. "I've got to take you to the dojo."
Thrown by Megumi's directness, Ryoga stammered, "I-I can find it myself. You don't need to worry."
Megumi shook her head. "You're making it to that challenge tomorrow if I have to handcuff you to my arm. Get moving."
Ryoga followed her to the dojo, spending the whole time trying to figure out how he might be able to ask Megumi to go out with him, wondering if he should, and finally reasoning that there was no way she would be interested if she found out about his curse. It was all Ranma's fault for running off to China, and finally, tomorrow, he would pay.
"Good night!" Megumi said before she left.
"Good night!" Ryoga called back.
~~~~~Ranma~~~~~
She was sitting down on the bed. All Ranma could see was her back. Her hair was short, black, and curly.
"It's a perm," she said.
"This is a dream," Ranma said back.
Kirika turned around. "You shouldn't do that."
"Do what?"
"State the obvious." She took a shuddering breath. "Dreams don't often bear up against scrutiny."
"You've been crying."
Kirika turned back around. "For about a decade, apparently."
Ranma looked around, but the rest of the room was a vague amorphous cloud. "Mom says she forgives you."
Kirika nodded. "What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Do you forgive me?"
"What do you mean?"
"You used to be a boy."
"I still…"
Kirika stood up. "Don't try to lie, dear. It doesn't work with me. Besides, look at yourself. "
Ranma looked at her hands, her pig tail. Her. "I'm still 90% male."
Kirika walked around the bed to face Ranma. "After Jusenkyo, you were fifty percent female. Now you are 55% female. I'm afraid that's just the physical changes though. Mentally…" Kirika waved at the femininity of Ranma's dream self.
Because it was a dream, Ranma's breasts actually got bigger and her usual Chinese outfit morphed into her school uniform. "Stop that!"
"I wish I could." Kirika's eyes looked into Ranma's. Because it was a dream, they weren't just blue, they were glowing. "You have a strong will, but in moments of uncertainty, vulnerability…you reach out, and most of the time, I'm what you grab onto."
A large monstrous panther leapt onto the bed next to Kirika.
"Most of the time," Kirika repeated bitterly.
Ranma's eyes widened. She started to shake.
"Before you leave…you know where Oka Kosuke is now. You need to tell Kasumi." The panther bounded from the bed.
Ranma turned tail and started running, curiously he was now a boy. A young boy. He felt like he was running through jelly. Not fast enough, never fast enough.
"Help heal my daughters, Ranma." The voice sounded strangely calm. Not pleading, it sounded more like she was offering advice. "Help them."
It was odd hearing the words as the six inch claws of the panther were tearing into his back. It was almost enough to make him forget to scream. Almost.
]][[
Ranma jolted awake, sucking in a breath.
You know where Kosuke is.
Ranma swallowed. She was sweating. She wiped the moisture from her forehead.
Help them.
Help.
Tasuke.
Kosuke.
Ranma jumped out the bed. "Tasuke is Kosuke!"
And then she sat back down as a wave of cold realization hit her. "Crap. Tasuke is Kosuke." She had trusted Tasuke. Took her advice. Took her potion. The person who killed Akane's mother, Nabiki's mother, Kasumi's mother, and Ranma still halfway thought of her as some beneficent aunt. How was she supposed to feel about that? What was she going to do? Go to China to kill her? That didn't seem like something she could do.
At the very least she should stop being a girl. Taking the vial, becoming more comfortable with her girl side, it was all just playing into Kosuke's hand. She had to stop.
She expelled air as she laid back down. She stared at the ceiling. She didn't want to. Every reason to change back into a guy, and she just didn't want to.
It didn't matter. She promised her mother she would go back to being a man full time after a day. Her time was almost up and she still hadn't said goodbye to everyone yet.
And what was the deal with the Megumi thing last night? She should have come clean right away instead of playing along. It had been fun pretending to be someone else, but it didn't jive well with going back to being a guy. She wasn't exactly sure why. On the surface, it seemed like a good way to explain her girl self while allowing her guy self to come out to fight Ryoga, but Ranma had the feeling it was going to complicate things somehow.
Ranma got up. She had to talk to somebody about this. Someone who wasn't Akane.
]][[
Nabiki opened the door only a few moments after Ranma knocked.
"I don't know what I'm more upset about. That you're knocking at my door this early, or that I was actually already up." Nabiki looked half-dead; her hair was in disarray, she had circles under her eyes and…
Ranma blinked. Nabiki wasn't wearing her patch. The stitches around her eye looked mostly healed, but what was strange was that the eye that was hurt was a pale blue color, instead of the copper brown of her other eye.
Nabiki caught Ranma staring and immediately covered the blue eye. Then, sighing she removed her hand. "I guess you already saw it now."
"Nabiki, I…I'm sorry…"
"Shut up, Saotome. I'm over it. Let it go. What do you want?"
Ranma grimaced. "It's not that big a deal. I'll talk to you later." She turned to leave.
"Amateresu's polka-dot undies, Ranma, just say what it is. You've got me curious now anyway."
Ranma turned back. She frowned. "Why would your eye change like that?"
Nabiki lowered her head slightly to be eye level with Ranma. "My mother's eyes were this color." Nabiki pointed to her blue eye.
Ranma remembered the way Kirika's eyes glowed in the dream. She shuddered and looked away. "I had a dream about her last night."
"Oh?"
Ranma lifted her gaze just in time to see Nabiki's brows come together in a look of concern before relaxing into her usual slightly smug smile. "So you know," Ranma said through a sigh. "Figures."
"Come inside."
Ranma nodded and followed Nabiki into her room. Nabiki offered her a corner of her unmade bed and Ranma sat. "You saw the first black out. I guess it makes sense you figured it out. Is that why you came up with the whole 'Megumi ' thing last night?"
"Well, I don't know, you came up with a good part of that yourself. What was that bit about your parents? You almost had me fooled."
Ranma shrugged. "I was thinking about how I felt when I was growing up, thinking my mom had died. What I said just sort of came out of that."
Nabiki nodded. "You had a kernel of truth to sell it with. That's why it worked."
Ranma wasn't sure she was comfortable getting kudos on her lying technique. "The point is, you made me your cousin. You didn't have to do that."
"I couldn't make you my sister. We look nothing alike."
Ranma frowned.
"As far as I'm concerned, Ranma. We're related. Why do you think I've been so nice to you?"
Ranma held the bridge of her nose. "I'm still trying to put things together. I'm not as smart as you. Could you just explain things for me? How are we related?"
Nabiki sat on the corner of her desk. "When you punched me, you killed me."
"What?"
Nabiki smiled. "I would have been upset if you hadn't saved my life."
"I did some stitches but…"
"No, that just kept me from scarring too badly." Nabiki looked down for a moment and then she addressed Ranma with her head tilted as if she herself were unsure about what happened. "The first thing I remember after waking up was a feeling of being loved. I hadn't felt that in a while."She frowned and shook her head. "My sisters, my father, we love each other, but we don't express it that often. Especially not me. And I've felt like I was more or less alone for awhile now."
"Since your mother died."
Nabiki sighed. "Yes, everything starts there, doesn't it? But like I was saying, here was this feeling of love, of being protected. And I saw her. She smiled at me. I heard your words. You prayed to your mother's spirit to cure me. But your mother wasn't dead. And my mother was inside you. And now one of my eyes is the same color as hers." Nabiki slid off the desk. She sat next to Ranma on the bed. "She is inside you as much as she is inside me. We are sisters."
Ranma felt a feeling of warmth at the idea…followed by a feeling of panic. "I'm not a-"
"Oh you're a girl alright, Megumi." Nabiki gave Ranma a playful slap on her shoulder. "Flirting with that Ryoga boy like you were."
"What?"
She stood and made a dramatic pose "Oh, Ryoga! You've had it SOO HARD!"
Ranma felt heat in her cheeks. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"
Nabiki sobered somewhat. "No, not really. But you were a little overly interested in his life story. "
"But I ruined his life! If I had just paid attention to him instead of treating him like crap we might have been friends."
Nabiki crossed her arms. "You do know that he's an idiot, right? Never mind his direction sense, why would he bother chasing you for YEARS just because you missed one lousy challenge?"
Ranma shrugged. She kind of understood, but at the same time it did seem a little strange.
Nabiki sat in her office chair, crossing her legs. "You know, it would make a lot more sense if you were a girl from the beginning. Then he would just be your basic stalker."
Ranma shook her head. "I was the first real martial artist he had ever met that wasn't related to him. And I basically ignored him. You have to see how that could drive you crazy."
"A little crazy, sure, but this kid has more obsession than Calvin Klein." Nabiki leaned forward. "Face it, Ranma, you're sweet on the boy." She checked her nails. "Not that I can blame you. He does have a great body …if you can look past the fact he has the brains of an empty shoe and a personality like a rolling boulder."
Ranma sighed in frustration. "I feel like I owe him, okay? I want to give him a serious challenge. I want to try to make up for what I did to him."
Nabiki held up a hand. "No, Ranma. You don't owe him anything. Logically, you understand that, right? He made several false assumptions and that's what brought him here. What's going on is that you feel guilty, and you want to feel better about yourself, right?"
"Okay…"
"And as an added bonus he's cute and makes you feel attractive, right?"
Ranma looked away.
"Use him. Find a way to get him to forgive you, and in the meantime enjoy his company. Yes, things might go wrong. They probably will. But when they do, you'll want different things, and maybe you'll be better at getting them."
"He's a person, Nabiki. Not a tool."
Nabiki stood up and walked to the door. "That's debatable." She turned around."Listen. Life is complicated enough without having to question every thought that comes into your head. You're talking to me because you want to. Does it really matter why you want to? If you're getting something out of this, does that mean I'm just a tool to you? "
"Uh…" Ranma suddenly felt a little guilty.
Nabiki raised a hand as if to quell any misgivings. "I think of you as a sister. I hated you when you first came, with your judgmental attitude and prudishness, but after that punch…After seeing my mom again…I just feel like we share something precious, crazy as it sounds."
Ranma gritted her teeth against the lump in her throat. "I can't be your sister, Nabiki. I'm a man. I'm going to live with my parents. After today I won't be a girl anymore."
Nabiki was silent for a moment. She frowned. "Damn it, Ranma, how dumb are you?" She got up abruptly and angrily strode to the door, snatching her eye patch up from the nightstand.
"I can't stay a girl. The blackouts..."
"She's inside you. I don't know why, or what it means, but after thinking she was dead all this time…" Nabiki looked out her door for a time before turning back around. "She's my mother, not a parasite. Maybe you should try helping her, instead of running away from her." With that, Nabiki put on her eye-patch and left.
Into the silence and emptiness that followed, Ranma uttered one word: "Crap."
]][[
Ranma found Kasumi downstairs just as she was heading outside. If she was going to start trying to help Kirika, doing what she asked her to do in the dream had to be a good place to start.
"Uh, hey, Kasumi?"
The taller girl turned around. "Good morning, Megumi-chan."
"You don't need to call me that right now. Ryoga and the other guy aren't around."
Kasumi tilted her head in thought. "I prefer to think of you as Megumi until they are both gone. I hope you don't mind."
Ranma looked away "I guess that makes sense." She took a breath. "I have something to tell you."
"Oh?"
Ranma gritted her teeth as she tried to think of a way to relate the information. "I guess I should just tell ya and you can do what ya want after." Ranma took a breath. "I know where your mother's killer is."
Kasumi turned around and started walking out of the house again.
Ranma scrambled in front of her "I met the jerk over in China. Didn't realize it till this mornin'. Not sure what to do about it, but I had a…feelin' I should tell you first." Ranma wasn't sure she was ready to talk about her dream with Kasumi. Even thoush she was there for at least one of the black outs, she wasn't sure how much she knew or how she would feel about it.
Kasumi nodded. "Thank you for letting me know." She continued walking.
"Wait, what are you going to do?"
Kasumi stopped and closed her eyes. "I am going to try to save a young man's life if it's possible. Then I will wait."
"But…"
"When Oka Kosuke sets foot on Japan, I will murder him."
"What if he never comes to Japan?"
"Then maybe I'll manage to die without any more blood on my hands."
Ranma frowned. "I don't get it. If he's here you're going to kill him, but if he's in China you're fine about it?"
Kasumi let out a breath and placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I can't bring Mom back. If I go after him, it will just cause more death. If he comes here though…death will be unavoidable one way or another." For a moment, Kasumi's grip on Ranma's shoulder tightened like a vise. Then she relaxed. "I'm sorry. It was good of you to tell me. Please forget about it though." Kasumi released Ranma's shoulder and walked out of the door.
After a stunned moment, Ranma ran out after her. "How the heck am I supposed to forget about it? The bitch killed your mother! And I had tea with her! Him."
Kasumi stiffened. "Excuse me for a moment," she said in a small voice. Then in a flurry of movement she ran to one of the large stones placed around the koi pond. She screamed and waved her arms at it, glints of metal hitting the stone with a clang as sparks shot out, bright in the early morning dimness. The attack lasted for about half a minute as blades kept appearing out of Kasumi's hands and then retracting. Then the eldest Tendo daughter stopped, taking deep breaths, her hair in disarray, and her eyes wide with fury.
Slowly she collected herself into a semblance of her previous calm, and she walked deliberately past Ranma toward the dojo. Ranma followed her up to the doorway. Pausing before she entered, Kasumi addressed Ranma one last time. "You seem to have swallowed the lies your father has taught you about the violence you call art wholeheartedly. I don't think I can do anything about that. Maybe it's a lesson we all must learn on our own. Let me just give you some advice. There is only one way to win a challenge to the death."
"Yeah?"
"Refuse the challenge." Kasumi slid the dojo door open.
Mulling over Kasumi's tidbit of advice, it didn't exactly seem the right time for Ranma to mention that she had Kirika's ghost living inside her. As it was, she was interrupted before she could say anything else.
"It's about fucking time you came by!" Kumon snapped from his position on the floor sitting Indian style. "I was just about to kick this traitor's ass."
"Good morning, Megumi-san!" Ryoga said. "You too Kasumi-san," he said, seemingly as an afterthought.
Ranma found herself smiling at Ryoga's overly polite manner. It was so easy to forget that the boy had threatened to kill her male side several times the previous night
It was going to be an odd day.
~~~~Ryoga~~~~~
The middle-aged man wore a bandanna and glasses tied to his head with a string. His gi looked like it was white once, but was now a dingy gray. The man looked fat at first, but Ryoga realized that he was all muscle. This was a man who had lived the art, who even as his body deteriorated with age, was able exude an incredible aura of strength. "I did not kill your father," he said.
"Bullshit," Kumon shot back.
Saotome Genma shook his head. "Your father was my friend. We drank together every Friday."
"I don't give a shit about that. You gave my Dad a secret technique. Said it would make him a bunch of money."
"It would have too, if he had used it correctly."
"Yeah? Well maybe you should have mentioned that if he used it he might ACCIDENTLY DESTROY HIS HOME!"
The voice caused the ground to shake. Even though the sound wasn't directed at him, Ryoga could feel the paralysis strike him as the vibrations coursed though his nervous system. He had only seen the technique a few times. Almost very time, though, there was something sharp that came out when Kumon yelled. It cut through the bars of the jail Kumon was staying in.
The stout martial artist jumped to the right. Something brushed past his gi rustling the pant leg. A tear appeared there. The older man grimaced, bent down and ripped off the lower part of the pant leg.
"He attacked before the challenge officially started. 1 point penalty." Nabiki crossed her arms, her feet in a wide stance.
"I disagree." Kasumi said. She stood across from Nabiki, looking oddly imperial with her hands behind her back.
"Are you kidding, sis? His leg almost got cut off."
Kasumi shook her head. "You are more aware than anyone that what is said is just as important as what is done. The match began the moment the conversation started."
"Kasumi, there's reality and there's the rules. The match doesn't officially begin until we say it does."
"And I say that the match has started," Kasumi continued pertly.
"Well, what do you say, Hibiki-chan?" Nabiki asked.
He was the closest thing to impartial so he got roped into being the tie breaker. "I think this is all kind of silly. They should just fight and whoever's left standing wins."
"I believe that means the ruling goes in my favor." Kasumi was a strange girl. Her eyes were fierce now, but at times they seemed almost vacant. Just before the match it had seemed as if her mind had gone on a small, pleasant vacation. And now it was like her whole body, house dress and all, was a coiled spring waiting for release.
"Hibiki, is that what you meant?" Nabiki asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah. Sure."
Nabiki threw up her hands. "Fine. Continue."
"I see you managed to learn the technique without harming yourself," Saotome observed.
"Yeah. I don't know. I guess digging my Dad's lifeless corpse out of the rubble of the only home I ever knew kind of gave me the idea that maybe I should try practicing the thing in an open field."
Saotome grimaced. "I didn't know that could happen."
"I don't give a shit," Kumon shot back. "Way I figure it, you're either a stupid fuck or an evil fuck and either way, you need to get the fuck beat out of you. So let's get this going before you die of old age."
"Fair enough," the older man said. Then he started to get bigger.
Ryoga thought he was imagining it at first, but the man was actually growing in size. After a second, he was as tall as the house.
Ryoga had recently had an altercation with a giant boar. He turned into a piglet himself upon occasion. It wasn't as if he was new to the idea of skill or magic. But this seemed to be on a different level. He felt like he did when he saw the invisible trapeze artists in China, though he eventually found out that was done with machinery and a small, balding man pulling levers behind a curtain. He couldn't figure out how someone could make themselves larger.
A fist the size of Kumon's torso whooshed toward the teenager. Strangely he didn't try to dodge. Instead he solidified his stance and crossed his arms in front of him to intercept the blow. It almost looked like he would be able to stand his ground, but the force of the blow was too much and he stumbled back. "Ha!" He said. "I knew it!. It's just a ki attack."
Ryoga swallowed. Just a ki attack? As if ki attacks were something any fool could do? Where did this Kumon guy come from?
Genma was now bringing the heel of a massive foot down onto Kumon's head but Kumon smiled, looking up at it. "MIST!" he yelled, clapping his hands above his head. Genma's leg seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke. Kumon gave the middle-aged man a smug look. But the look didn't last long. Shortly after the leg disappeared, the rest of Genma's larger body disappeared.
Genma was nowhere to be seen.
The space where he was standing was empty. So was the roof of the house. The water in the koi pond was undisturbed. Was he behind a tree? Up in a tree? There was a bright pink cirrus cloud directly over head. It was beautiful against the dark blue of the sky. Then there was a thud.
Kumon was on the ground. Kasumi rushed to him. Her hands felt his head. "He was hit by something. There's a lump."
Megumi ran up next to her. "Is he bleeding?"
Kasumi shook her head.
Ryoga stood up. "I'll help carry him inside." He walked to Kumon and bent down at his shoulders. Megumi wordlessly bent at the boy's feet. They lifted. The action seemed strangely intimate. He and Megumi were connected by the slack body of an asshole. She smiled before his mood could sour. Megumi had a beautiful smile.
"What is it?"
She looked up. "My Pops has been hiding things from me. I may have to kick his ass."
Ryoga liked how she seemed to be happy about that.
"Once we're inside, turn left and go through the door. We'll put him on my bed."
Ryoga gave a small nod and started shuffling backward into the house, Nabiki and Akane following just behind. Then he turned left.
"No, not that way. Left!"
"Your left or mine?"
"Oh yeah. Uh, mine I guess."
Ryoga reversed directions. He did a double take when he saw Genma next to the entrance to the kitchen.
Megumi craned her neck, following his gaze. She promptly let go of Kumon's legs. "Pops! What was that? You've been hiding that all this time?"
"I don't want to talk right now." Genma held his hands up. "I need something to eat."
"Okay, Pops, sure . I'll make up some eggs or something after we take care of Kumon."
"I'm hungry now!" Genma rushed into the kitchen.
"Crap." Megumi turned around, "Hey, Ryoga, uh, hang out for a bit would ya? I've got to take care of something."
"Can I help?" Akane asked, going to the entrance of the kitchen herself.
"I'm going to my room," Nabiki announced testily before going up the stares. She seemed to be annoyed at something.
That left Kasumi to help Ryoga deal with Kumon. She grabbed Kumon's ankles and lifted with solemn expression on her face. She lifted her chin in the direction Ryoga needed to go and he followed her lead.
"What's going on in the kitchen?" he asked as they entered Ranma's room.
Kasumi's face curved into a vapid smile. "Megumi-chan's finding something for Uncle Saotome to eat. They laid Kumon's body on the immaculately made bed. "Would you like something?"
"No, I'm fine. It just seemed a little weird how Mr. Saotome was acting. Megumi seemed almost scared."
"I'm sure Megumi-chan has it under control."
There was a loud clang in the kitchen.
Kasumi tilted her head. "Maybe I'll just check on her to see how she's doing."
Ryoga nodded, and followed her out of the room. Megumi was backing out of the kitchen. "Kasumi? I think you and Ryoga need to get out of here. Somethin's wrong with Pops."
Mister Saotome staggered out of the kitchen. His eyes were glowing blue. His skin was a shiny obsidian. "Something is wrong with you, girl."
The man reached out and tore a chunk from the door frame in anger. "You lied to me! You lied to me and your motherI"
Ryoga swallowed. This seemed a bit too personal for him to watch, but he wasn't sure if he should leave, what with the dangerous aura the room was filled with.
"I didn't lie!" Megumi protested, "I just didn't think things through is all. I just changed my mind!"
"You worthless slime. You have brought nothing but shame to our family from the day you were born." With every sentence, the dark man was taking another step toward Megumi. "I tried to mold you into a man among men. Tried to teach you honor. But you just keep doing these stupid girlish things."
Megumi was in an odd stance. Her shoulders were hunched and her arms hanging, while her legs were bent in a sort of crouch. She looked almost like an angry cat.
Kasumi put a hand on Megumi's shoulder. "Calm down, Megumi-chan. He won't hurt you."
Megumi blinked and straightened. "I ain't scared. It's just, I never seen Pops this bad. He usually just eats something and he calms down." For some reason she was using male pronouns now, and was talking like a gangster.
"You should be scared. I've had it with you, you weak-willed pansy. I'm going to beat the girl out of you!" The man with the glowing eyes charged forward toward Megumi, but Kasumi stepped in front of her, her arms crossed.
Long sword blades protruded from Kasumi's hands and she brought both edges to Saotome's neck. "She is not your son. She is your daughter. She is becoming a woman. You need to stop this silly charade."
"I don't listen to cowards." Saotome sneered. He grabbed one of Kasumi's blades with one hand and pulled, causing her to stumble forward. Then, grabbing with the other hand, he took the blade and bent it into a "C" shape. Then he bit into it, separating it into two with his teeth.
The severed part of the blade immediately dropped and splattered onto the floor as liquid blood. Kasumi gasped and doubled over. Ryoga rushed to give her support.
Megumi looked strangely calm. Turning to Ryoga she asked. "Could you please take Kasumi and find my hus-…Mr. Tendo?" Her voice was strange. More mature sounding. Perhaps a little more melodious in an authoritative way. "Tell him his friend is hungry. He will know what to do."
Ryoga eyed the scary looking monster Saotome had become, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Megumi closed her eyes in a strangely serene way. "I will manage."
Picking up Kasumi's now unconscious body, Ryoga ran off in search of Tendo Soun.
Soon the hallways of the Tendo residence began to look suspiciously like the streets of Tokyo. Desperate, Ryoga ramped up the search, running through buildings, marketplaces, culverts, trees, bushes. Kasumi was growing heavy in his arms, but still, he pressed on. He was farther away now. He had to try harder...
~~~~~Ranma~~~~~
He gasped for air as he scrambled out of the water. He was outside. A man dressed as a samurai was rapidly attacking his father. Pops still had the black skin and glowing eyes. The sword strikes of the samurai actually seemed to be doing some damage though. Small chips in the forearms revealed shockingly pink flesh beneath. One cut was starting to bleed. Ranma could hardly track the samurai's movements. He was a blur followed by a whirl, followed by a ring of four combatants followed, by an explosion of flailing limbs.
Ranma got out of the pond and onto dry ground as he watched. He was out of breath. He had to have been fighting or something. He didn't remember though. He just remembered Kasumi fainting and then…
It was another black out. "Why can't you give me a little warning when you do that?" he grumbled under his breath to Kirika, not expecting a response.
I wasn't about to let you stand around, slack jawed, while my daughters were attacked, Kirika responded. Her voice was in his head like the words to a catchy song. Not exactly audible, but definite, even while Ranma couldn't be completely sure they weren't his own thoughts.
Ranma shuddered. "Don't do that. Can't you make yourself, I don't know, more separate?"
A white orb appeared to Ranma's left. "Is this better?" It asked in Kirika's voice.
Ranma nodded. "Is there something I should be doing? The Samurai guy seems to be doing more than I could."
The orb dimmed a little. "Your father is still in there, Ranma. This is just the darkness that drives him."
Ranma glared at the orb. Was there any point in denying he was hurt by his father's words?
He looked down. "What if he's right? I mean how can I have honor if.."
"Ranma, you need to get it together. You are the best. No matter what your father says. No matter what anyone says. You are the greatest of all them. You can beat this." The orb made abrupt circular motions to emphasize the points.
Ranma stared. "You…"
"No time for that now. You need to help your father. Soun can only hold him so long before he'll have to injure him more seriously."
The samurai attacking Genma like a kamikaze hummingbird paused during a move just long enough for Ranma to see his face. He blinked. It was indeed Tendo Soun in the armor.
Ranma felt a wave of pride and love for the man, which managed to both touch him and creep him out at the same time. "Stop that!"
"Sorry!"
"Where's Akane and Nabiki?"
"I told them to get help."
"Who could help?"
"I don't know for sure. Maybe no one." The orb dimmed. "The point was to get my daughters out of here without either of them feeling like they were running away."
"Great. So what am I doing?"
The orb brightened until it almost hurt Ranma's eyes."You are going to get a roast chicken."
Most restaurants were still closed. Grocery stores were just beginning to open their doors and even there, the chickens that would be available were either still clucking or frozen. They would need to be thawed which would take almost a full day, and even after that they would need to cook for at least an hour.
Kirika told Ranma why it had to be a roast chicken. Sometimes Soun would wake up after a nightmare and he would tell her of the things his master did to him and Genma. Still it seemed a little ridiculous to be doing what she was doing.
She had poured salt in a circle on a wide cookie sheet and around a oval container for roasting. It was filled, not with a chicken, but with steaming hot water.
Into the water, Ranma let three drops of blood fall from his cut thumb.
"You cannot bring something here, without leaving something in return," Kirika explained, "It's a basic tenet of all summoning spells."
"Wait, I'm doing a spell?"
Kirika ignored his question. "The next thing you have to do is infuse the water with some of your ki. You can do this because of the drops of blood you added. Just think of the water as part of your body."
"I'm doing all this to get a roast chicken?"
The orb dimmed. "You're doing this to save your father and keep my husband from getting injured."
"Fine." Ranma closed his eyes and tried to expand his ki into the water. He felt a tingling sensation as he slowly changed forms.
The orb dimmed further to an almost black. "I was not expecting that."
"I guess it's like I'm making another chakra node inside the water. The node is surrounded and so it triggers the curse." Just like in Tofu's experiment. Ranma felt a wave of excitement as she realized she might be able to use this to change at will. All she would have to do is find some water, heat it up, put some of her blood in it…okay maybe it wasn't that great a solution.
The orb brightened to a normal shade. "The blood has to be fresh for this to work. Otherwise you could just carry a vial of bloody water around and shove your ki into it."
Ranma nodded. It still seemed like a useful thing to know. "Now what?"
"Speak your true name and ask the spirits to guide what you seek to where you need it to be."
"Okay…" Ranma looked around, feeling very foolish. "I am Ranma Saotome. Please exchange this water for a roast chicken."
Nothing happened.
Kirika's orb dimmed.
"Well? What went wrong?"
Kirika's voice was tiny. "You didn't use your true name."
"Yeah I did!"
The orb brightened and dimmed in a throbbing pulse. "Your true name reflects everything you are. When you speak your true name, you feel both pride and embarrassment."
Ranma swallowed. "I think I get it." She closed her eyes, feeling the water in the roaster ripple. This had the feeling of something she couldn't take back. She was not going to abandon who she was, or where she had come from, but the truth was that she didn't want to leave the Tendos. Ever. With all their faults, even because of their faults, she would miss them. Maybe she really didn't know them that well, but it felt like a technique she had not yet mastered. And no matter what, she was never going to be the same. Nabiki had given her a name. She would take it.
She took a breath. "I am Ranma Megumi Saotome of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Spirits, please exchange this water for a roast chicken."
It suddenly felt like going downhill in an okonomiyaki cart.
Everything went black except for Kirika's orb. With her orb though, there now appeared thousands of orbs of different colors sizes and shapes. Feeling a presence behind her, Ranma turned around to see a gigantic, throbbing sun-like sphere looming over her. "What the-?"
"That's Jusenkyo. A corporation of errant souls that works to preserve its existence and the goals of its most vocal members. "
"What?"
"It's a demon, Ranma."
Reality popped back into focus. The sweet, savory smell of roast chicken wafted up to Ranma's nostrils.
Somewhere else, a befuddled homeworker was looking into an oven where the roaster was now full of water, instead of a chicken.
Far away in China, a millennia old demon was saying hello.
"Was this really worth it?" Ranma asked.
Kirika brightened her orb. "I don't have to worry about you losing any more of yourself now that you've named yourself. Furthermore, now you can help your father. I'd say it was worth it."
Ranma picked up the roaster with the chicken inside. "I hope so," she said, and she carried the roaster outside. She was barely a step out of the house before the roaster was ripped out of her hands.
A moment later, Genma was on the ground, a leg of the chicken was completely inside his mouth. His skin was slowly turning back to normal. Tears were coming out of his eyes.
Soun lowered his sword, and sheathed it. He turned toward Ranma. "I'm sorry you had to see that." The armor faded from his body like a mist. "Your father is a good man. Sometimes he just wants too much from the world. "
Ranma nodded slowly. It wasn't that great an argument, but she understood.
Soun squinted at the sun just peeking out from the buildings "Looks like you're going to be late for school," he said.
Considering she had to rendezvous with Akane and Nabiki and try to find Ryoga before she could go to class, that was a major understatement.
"I'll just get notes from somebody. It's okay." Ranma waved Soun off.
Soun nodded twice. "I'm glad you've decided to stay. I'll try to help your father understand."
"But I…" She had said she'd get notes from somebody. In her heart she had never really considered leaving. "Thanks, Uncle," she said.
"I'll be in my room." Soun entered the house.
Ranma glanced at her father, still crumpled on the ground. She closed her eyes and went inside the house herself. If she tried to help Genma up, he'd just feel worse. He would be okay. Besides, she was still angry at him for the things he said. She was angry at him too, for not being able to control himself. For getting defeated by a cooked piece of meat. If this was what all of her father's training led him to, maybe Kasumi was right.
Ranma stopped. Was she right? She shook her head. She couldn't articulate the feeling, but she knew that the Art had to have some merit. There were too many moments of beauty she experienced pursuing it. Still…
Ranma resumed walking into her room to fetch her book bag. Kasumi was just a hypocrite control freak. That was it. She should stop trying to find ways for her to be a good person.
Even if Kasumi did get knocked out from blood loss trying to protect her.
"Dang it! Why does everyone have to be so complicated?" Ranma asked her empty room.
"Life is complicated, dear," Kirika's voice told her.
She had actually managed to forget she had the spirit of Kasumi's mother stuck inside her head while she was thinking about the ersatz pacifist's philosophical world view. "You can say that again."
Ranma found her book bag and grabbed it. She was halfway out of the door before she paused. She turned around. Her room was still empty.
No sign of Kumon Ryu, unconscious or otherwise.
"I guess he's okay at least," she grumbled. She couldn't shake an irritating ominous feeling though. Life was going to get more complicated.
~~~~~Ryoga~~~~~
Ryoga stood on a sandy beach. He didn't know where he was, but he knew that if he walked along the beach, he'd eventually come to a ship, and people on ships usually knew where they were going.
Kasumi had come to ten or fifteen minutes ago, and although she was still a little woozy, she was managing to follow Ryoga fairly well as long as he didn't move too quickly. "It's a nice day, isn't it?" she noted, shielding her eyes from the sun.
Ryoga hadn't really noticed, but actually was quite pleasant on the beach. It was still early enough that the sun wasn't too overbearing. Just a gentle heat broken up every now and then by the shadow of a cloud. "We have to get back," Ryoga said, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.
"Hibiki-kun, we will be far too late to do anything, and I don't think we'd be much help anyway. Let's just enjoy ourselves."
"Aren't you worried about your family?"
Kasumi thinned her lips. "Someone told me recently that I should try expressing my anger more often so it doesn't boil up. You are an idiot."
"Excuse me?"
"You're an idiot. A moron. A dolt. Of course I'm worried about my family! But watching you, it seems the more worried you get, the less reasonable you become. So please, even though we both know that I'm anxious to get back to Nerima, let's just pretend that we want to be here."
Ryoga frowned. He'd never been insulted by a girl before. He wasn't sure what the protocol was. "But…how are we going to get back, if we don't try to find the way?"
"Use your imagination. If we're on vacation, what would be the most pleasant way to get back?"
"We could take a ship…"
Kasumi winced "How are you this stupid?"
Ryoga frowned again. "Look. You're a girl, but that doesn't mean you can just call me names."
Kasumi's eyes got wider as she spoke through grit teeth. "I am trying not to skewer you with my fingernail." She took a breath and let it out slowly. "We're still on Honshu. We want to travel inland."
"Isn't there a train or something?"
"Yes! Good!" She smiled. "So let's just walk down the beach, take in the sea air, and see if we can find a train station, okay?"
The idea seemed totally wrong, but if Kasumi was suggesting it, maybe it was okay. After all she had more reason to get back than he had. "So we're just going to enjoy the beach?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that kind of like a…date?"
Kasumi furrowed her brow, though her brow didn't furrow all that much. "If you like, yes."
Ryoga smiled. He still liked Megumi, but Kasumi was just as pretty in a more mature way. Also, the girl could grow sword blades out of her arms, which was pretty awesome. He had to get back for his challenge to Ranma, but he could indulge himself for a moment or two.
"Do you go to the beach often, HIbiki-kun?" Kasumi asked. Her voice was pleasant and she had a nice expression on her face, but the abrupt change in attitude clued Ryoga in that she was pretending. It seemed it was something she was fond of doing.
"Yes," he answered hesitantly, deciding to simply take the question at face value. "I kind of like beaches. I'm more sure of where I am in places like this."
Kasumi nodded vaguely, her expression relaxing into melancholy. "You know, that might be why I like them as well."
"Do you get lost often?"
"No. I've only gotten lost once," Kasumi said, staring straight ahead as they walked, "It's just that I'm still trying to find my way back."
"Well," Ryoga spoke into the awkward silence. "Nice weather for it!"
Kasumi smiled, "Yes it is, isn't it?"
Ryoga wondered if Kasumi would let him hold her hand…
~~~~~End of Ch. 13~~~~~
Author notes:
This chapter took some unexpected turns. I love it when that happens. Usually.
Anyway I was originally planning on covering both the Kumon battle and the Ryoga battle this chapter, but then things went a bit awry when I was considering how Genma would feel about the situation.
I hope to have some sections in his pov next chapter, but just in case anyone is overly confused, Genma hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so he was literally hungry AND he had been under a great deal of emotional stress so he was figuratively hungry too, and that's basically what triggered his reaction.
The idea for the roast chicken bit actually was inspired from the anime. At one point Kasumi whips a dish of bamboo for Genma seemingly out of thin air. Of course this is just a comedic effect really, and probably shouldn't be paid attention to. Still it got me thinking about how if I were a in a position where I needed to make food quickly, and I had a way of summoning things…Also I get a kick out of juxtaposing the quotidian and the numinous. I'm silly like that.
Thanks for all your reviews. Hopefully this chapter satisfied those of you who like a little more martial arts in your martial arts stories. I've always been a fan of anime where the protagonist engages with his or her enemies in an orgy of violence and then waxes philosophical as the blood falls like rain. Maybe there could be more raining and less waxing, but I don't know. I kind of like the smooth feeling.