A stranger approached the outskirts of the city. The sky was dark with clouds as she scanned the sign posted on the wall of the nearest building. Welcome to Nerima. She took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "Now it begins," she thought.
The girl walked down one of the streets of the city, glancing casually at the storefronts as she passed. The rain was petering to a stop, and once it finally ceased, she pulled a small notebook from a pocket of her large backpack. "Excuse me," she asked, "can you direct me to Furinkan High School?"
"Class, we have a new student with us today." Akane slowly looked up from her book. The study hall had been dragging on forever, and any distraction would be a blessing. She looked up to see a girl standing at the front of the room, dressed in a green silk shirt and black pants, much like the ones Shampoo chose to wear when she was chasing her arien. She could feel the temperature in the room rise as all the boys' noses began to bleed. " Her name is... what is your name again dear?" "Kio. Hirako Kioku." Akane was trying to look more closely at this new distraction when "Tendo Akane!"
"Hai, sensei?" she replied, startled.
"Will you please accompany Kio to the office? I believe she has some business to attend to there."
The two girls walked together down the hall.
"Tendo-san, right?"
"Hmm?"
"Your name is Tendo Akane."
"Oh...Yes." Akane replied with a smile. She had been staring at the girl's backpack and hadn't heard the question, but now she brought herself back to reality. "Where do you come from, Hirako-san?"
"My family comes from near here, but I have been in China for the last year."
"China!" Akane exclaimed, "Were you training? Do you do marshal arts?" The girl smiled again, although this time, Akane noticed, the smile was less strong.
"Yes, I was training, but I hadn't finished when I returned." Akane was ready to ask more about the girls' martial arts school, but just then they reached the office and the final bell rang.
Akane was sitting around the table eating dinner, seething. Ranma had disappeared from school this afternoon *not that that is unusual* she thought, and she had found out that he had left to go help Ukyo with the restaurant. So now she was angry. Ranma was sitting across the table from her, still with a red mark on his forehead from where the mallet had landed, but seemed to be completely unaware of it as he shoveled in his food. She was sitting, stewing, when she noticed that everyone was leaving the table, and going off to their respective tasks. Nabiki went off to organize her books, Ranma went to do... whatever he does, and her father and Mr. Saotome, who had been turned into a panda at some point during the meal, went to their game of shogi.
She was helping Kasumi clear the table when there was a knock at the front door. Akane continued to clean up as she heard voices out in the hall. "Is this the Tendo dojo?" a very familiar voice asked. After a few more comments from both sides, the door slid open and Kasumi called in, "Father, you have a visitor". Kasumi stepped aside and behind her walked a girl in green Chinese clothing. "What is Kio doing here?" Akane wondered, but before she could say anything, the girl bowed and said, "Tendo-san, my name is Kioku Hirako. I have come to ask you to complete my training."
A dead silence pervaded the room. Suddenly her father leapt up and gathered the girl into his arms. "Hirako! I know that name well! How good to see a child of my old friend..." He continued to hug her until she finally gasped, "Would you mind putting me down?" He released her and she alighted on the floor, catching her breath. Kasumi bustled past, offering tea and buns, and eventually they all were situated around the table, Akane included. After a few surprised words exchanged between the two girls, Kio took a deep breath and began to explain herself.
"You see, Tendo-san, I have spent the past years studying with my father in China. He was determined that I learn all I could from him, and be able to pass on the knowledge of our family to my children. However, about a...a month ago, he... died."
A sudden burst of weeping from the other side of the table caused Kio to start. Soun was, of course, crying into his tea. Once Kasumi calmed him down, Kio continued.
"I thank you for your sympathy sir. Anyway, before he died, my father told me that I should take every measure necessary to complete my training. He told me to come here, to Nerima, and ask you to help me. So now, here I am."
Another silence ensued. Suddenly, Soun stood up. "Yes!" He exclaimed. "As a favor to my dearly departed friend, I will agree to complete your training. And since the Tendo and Saotome Schools are soon to be combined..." Akane glared at her father, but he failed to notice "Both myself and Genma will train you!" He swept his arm dramatically at the panda that sat across the room, sipping tea.
"Poor Kio." Akane thought, seeing the puzzled look on the girl's face. "To walk into this madhouse." Just then Ranma and Nabiki came into the room, curious to see what all the fuss was about. "Hey, what's goin'..." Ranma stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Kio, and her eyes were about as wide as his. Kio leapt across the room with a happy cry of "RANMA!" and was holding him in a tight embrace.
Kio noticed that everyone was staring at her, and not a few with malice in their eyes. "Umm... I guess I did the wrong thing, huh?" She looked up at Ranma, who was staring over her shoulder. She followed his stare, to end up looking into the face of a very angry Akane.
"What is going on, Ranma?" Akane asked icily.
"Umm, ah, you see..."
"BAKA!" She screamed, and raised her mallet over her head ready to strike, until Kio stepped in front of it.
"Stop!" She yelled, "don't hit him - it's not his fault!" Akane paused, and Kio began to explain, as fast as she could, before Akane could continue with her assault. "I met Ranma while I was training, and I was in a fight and he saved me. I never thought I would see him again, so I guess I got a little carried away. Sorry, Akane-san" Kio looked up tentatively, expecting the mallet to come crashing down, only to see that it had disappeared, and now all that she was facing was the equally deadly glare on Akane's face.
They all resettled themselves around the table, although a little more carefully than before. Then Soun slapped a hand on his knee. "I have a wonderful idea. Since Ranma will be taking over the dojo, he should be the one to train Kio!"
"WHAT!!!" The exclamation resounded throughout the room, coming mostly from Ranma, Akane and Kio.
"Tendo-san, I mean no disrespect, but I came here to be trained by a master of martial arts, not a student. I would really prefer..."
Soun interrupted her protests. "No, Ranma is a much better choice. I believe we should begin immediately! To the dojo!" He stood up and walked off, with Kasumi, Nabiki and the panda close behind, leaving the three confused teenagers in their wake.
Moments later, they all stood in the dojo. Ranma stood at one end, and Kio at the other.
"Begin this session by sparring. That way, Ranma can know your weaknesses"
"Tendo-san, really, I..."
"Nonsense! Begin."
Kio sighed and adopted a fighting stance. Ranma, still confused, faced her, but half - heartedly. Suddenly she was next to him, but without a sound. It took him by surprise, and he almost was struck full in the chest by her fist. Instead, it passed by him and he stuck his foot out for an easy trip. "Maybe if I end this now, I can figure out what is going on" He thought. However, instead of traveling forward, she spun on her planted foot, kicking him solidly in the backside, and sending him somersaulting to the other end of the room. He recovered, surprised. He had only known Kio for a short time, and certainly had never fought her. "Wow, for a girl, she's pretty good," he thought. He forced his concentration back to center, "Well, I guess I am going to have to do this for real!"
Throughout this scene, Akane remained on the sidelines with her father, remaining uncharacteristically quiet. As the fight raged before her, her thoughts were elsewhere. "Grr, that Ranma! How could he let her kiss him! Once I get my hands on him..." Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by someone putting their fist through the wall next to her. She jumped up and away to avoid being hit by the spray of splinters.
"Wait a minute," she thought, "Could Ranma be...losing?!?"
Ranma turned, and his hands flashed out, quicker than the eye towards Kio. She blocked most of his punches, and then propelled herself off the floor with a leap and kicked him solidly in the back of the head. Ranma went down and rolled, colliding with the wall of the dojo. Soun stood up again. "This fight is over" He pronounced "it is late, and we will discuss your training further in the morning, Kio" and he walked out of the room. Akane looked over towards Ranma, who sat looking bewildered on the floor and then back to an equally confused Kio.
As Akane approached Kio, who was still standing in a ready position, she saw the girl shake her head as if to clear it, and force herself to relax, bowing towards the shrine at the end of the dojo. As Akane watched, a drop of water fell onto the dojo floor, followed by a sigh from Kio.
"She's crying...I wonder if she's hurt?" Akane stood next to Kio until she rose again and asked "Kio, are you ok? Do you need any help?"
Kio looked up at her, warily expecting another outburst. "Umm, no, I'm alright. Listen, Akane, I'm really sorry about before - I sort of gathered that you and Ranma are..."
Akane blushed, and was about to answer when a groan came from the other side of the dojo. She had forgotten Ranma was even there. Evidently, so had Kio.
"Ranma!" she exclaimed, as she rushed to his side "Ranma, are you ok? I'm sorry I hit you so hard, it was an accident. I haven't just sparred in so long...."
Ranma rubbed the back of his head, feeling a lump forming. "Nice to see you again too, Kio"
Kio smiled, and her whole face lit up. Then she looked outside at the dark clouds gathering overhead. "Oh dear" she said, "I better get going if I'm going to find a place to stay for tonight"
"You mean your not living with someone here?" Akane asked.
"Nope," Kio responded, "I'm on my own. Is there an inn or something near here where I could get a room?"
"Nonsense!" came another voice from the doorway. All three started and turned to see Kasumi come in, holding an umbrella and a broom. "You can't go out at this hour, Kio. You can spend the night here."
"That is very generous of you, Kasumi-san, but I would hate to impose..."
"No, I insist. There is an extra futon; we can put it in Akane's room. Now come inside, dinner will be out in a moment."
Akane got to her feet and extended her hand to Kio. Looking up, Kio accepted her help, although not without a slight pause first. Akane looked over to where Ranma had been, only to see him dart towards the door.
"Humph. I guess the allure of Kasumi's cooking was too much for him to wait, even though it's..." Her eyes went wide for a moment as she finished her thought aloud "RAINING! Ranma, wait!"
But it was too late. As soon as Ranma stepped out of the doorframe, he was immediately pelted with the cold shower. Kio stood, frozen as she saw the sudden transformation from a tall, extremely handsome man into a shorter, very well endowed redhead. Ranma was also frozen in place, turning slowly to see her reaction. Kio, shaking slightly, simply walked towards him, er, her, looked her up and down, and proceeded to walk into the house, leaving a sopping wet Ranma-chan and staring Akane behind.
The pair walked into the house to find the rest of the family and Kio sitting calmly around the table. As Kasumi saw them, she sighed and went into the kitchen to set another kettle on to boil, and then proceeded to serve dinner. There were the usual antics from Genma, trying to steal all of the food, but other than that, it was surprisingly quiet.
Ranma-chan just kept stealing glances at Kio. "I wonder why she doesn't say something, or at least do something. I can't stand this waiting anymore!" She scowled and continued to noisily shovel in her rice.
After dinner, Akane and Kio were up in Akane's room setting up the extra futon. Finally Akane stood up and asked "umm, Kio? About Ranma..." The girl stood and looked Akane in the face. Akane could see the uncertainty there.
"I can see things would be pretty interesting around here, but...I mean, who, what, when...." She trailed off. Akane patted a spot next to her on the bed. "I'll just give you the basics. Anything else would take all night!"
Quiet had settled in over the Tendo dojo, as can only happen once everyone is asleep. However, this night, all was not peaceful.
"Grr.... how could she have gotten that kick in? I don't remember her being that good... and she didn't even say anything when I changed!"
Ranma finally sat up and walked towards the door. He wasn't tired, and he had a prickling sensation on the back of his neck that usually preceded him getting whacked with a mallet or run over by a bicycle. He blinked and realized he was outside the house, facing the dojo. "Yea...maybe this'll let me relax a little." As he approached, he noticed one of the doors was partway open, and a faint light came from inside. He peered inside, to see the windows open and moonlight streaming in. A figure was standing in the middle of the floor, slowly moving through a kata. Ranma only needed a glance to realize that it was Kio. He watched, as her movements proceeded to go slightly faster, and become more and more gymnastic and complicated. She kicked and punched, leapt into the air and did a flip. The whole time, not a sound traveled through the still night air. As he watched, Ranma's thoughts wandered back to when he first met the girl...
Flashback 5 years
"Hey, pops, lemme alone!" A young Ranma was racing down a narrow street, followed closely by a stocky balding man. "I was hungry too, ya know!" The boy leapt up behind a vendors stall and watched as the older man continued down the street. Ranma, once ascertaining that he was safe, continued eating the bun he had found. He walked idly along the edge of a roof, and glanced down to the alleyway below. Standing there was a group of three big older guys, all facing a girl about his age, with two smaller children behind her. The big ones seemed to be angry, so Ranma dropped down onto a lower ledge to listen.
"Hey girlie," one of the big ones said, "We don't wanna hurt you, but those little brats stole food from us and they gotta be punished! So move outa the way"
"Not a chance" said the girl. "They're just kids, and you guys were just going to throw the food out anyway. So who cares if they ate it instead of the rats?"
"Now listen!" Said another big one, his face turning a hideous red "Leave now, or your gonna get the same thing they are! Now move!"
There was a pause, as the girl stared coldly at the three men "No."
"Your funeral, girlie. Grab em!" The three men lunged at the girl, and she responded but soundly punching one of them in the stomach so he stumbled backwards, and kicking the other in the.... well, he fell back too, and didn't get up. The third, however, had snuck up behind her, and as she was recovering her footing, grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides, and pulled out a wicked looking knife. She squirmed in his arms, but he had her tight, until a well-placed kick found the back of his head, and he toppled forward with a groan. Unfortunately, he fell with the girl underneath him.
Ranma hurried over and started to push the man, to roll him over. The girl struggled out from underneath and sat down on the pavement, breathing heavily. Then she looked up and ran over to where the two smaller boys were crouched. "Are you ok?" She asked them, as she looked them over for any sign of damage. They nodded their eyes wide, and with a whispered thank you, ran down the alley as fast as their legs could take them. The girl turned around, and seemed to notice for the first time Ranma standing by the body of the fallen man.
As she came closer he saw that despite the dirt and the fresh bruise welling up on her cheekbone, she was...well, pretty. She smiled and bowed. "Hi. My name's Kio. What's yours?"
"R-r-anma" He managed to stutter.
"Well, Ranma, thank you. You saved me." She walked down the alley a bit and picked up a huge backpack, and walked back to the boy. "How can I repay you?" She asked. Just as he was about to reply that she didn't need to give him anything, his stomach grumbled loudly. Hearing this, she laughed and said "Come on. I think I have an idea." They walked out of the alley, leaving the three men groaning on the ground.
Ranma was awakened from his reveries when he heard a sigh from inside the dojo. Kio had finished, and stood still, silhouetted in the moonlight. Ranma was wide eyed, staring at the curves of her figure in her silk shirt. "Baka!" he said to himself "What are you looking at her for? She..." he ended his self-tirade when he noticed she was speaking.
"I'm sorry Father.... so sorry..." Kio faced out the window, talking to herself. "I have failed you, father.... I have still not found a form for our lost art, and time is passing. I have been delayed, and now this.... now I have not only failed you, but I have still not found them, and the elders will not be pleased. Oh, father, what am I going to do? I have not been in this house a single day and already I have ruined everything. I am a failure, just as you said. I can never be the heir you wanted." Kio sighed, angrily wiped a tear off of her cheek and continued to look out at the moon.
Ranma stood speechless. He had never heard a person sound so...lost. He was debating whether to go in or not when the door to the dojo opened the rest of the way, showing Kio standing behind it. Ranma was startled and slipped on the still wet steps, making a slight yelp as he fell. In the blink of an eye she was standing next to him, and offering a hand to get up. He ignored it and leapt up, so he towered above her slight frame, but the leap left him standing so close he could feel her breath against his down turned face. He quickly backed away.
"Umm, couldn't sleep?" He asked.
"No," she answered, "I have a lot on my mind. Sometimes it helps if I practice. Clears the head, you know?" He nodded.
"Do you usually practice when you can't sleep?" she asked.
"Ummm, sometimes, but the rest of the time I just sort of sit over there on the roof."
"Oh." She said quietly.
"...Care to join me?" He asked on impulse, and was surprised at her smile and response.
"I'd love to."
They sat side by side on the roof, staring at the full moon, neither looking at the other, and neither daring to be the first to speak. Ranma felt his mind wandering again back to the first time they met, after the fight in the alley....
She had taken him to a small ramen shop a few blocks away, obscure enough that the guys they had beaten up wouldn't go there looking. As Ranma sat devouring his third bowl, he looked over and took notice of the girl, Kio, across from him, who was picking idly at her noodles.
"So, where do you come from?" He asked.
"From a area outside of Tokyo, Nerima."
"Hey, I know that place! Pop has a friend there, he keeps saying we'll go visit someday...are you all by yourself?"
"Well, not really. I'm training with my father, but he went off without me for awhile."
"He just left you alone?" Ranma asked incredulously. His pop was bad, but at least he was around...most of the time.
"Well, he knows I can take care of myself. So he left." They lapsed into silence again, and after Kio paid the check, they wandered together through the marketplace, staring at all the wonders that were before them. It got dark, and they found themselves in a small park.
Kio sat down on a bench, and watched the moon reflecting in a pond. "Do you have a mother, Ranma?"
Ranma had been bouncing around, and stopped still at the question. "Well, yea, of course, but I haven't seen her in a long time, since pop and I left on this training mission."
"Do you miss her?"
The question took Ranma by surprise. He never talked about his mom to anyone, especially his pop who got a haunted look in his eyes and changed the subject whenever she was mentioned. Finally he said, "Yea - maybe a little."
He waited for her to laugh, to chide him for such unmanly emotions, but she just nodded. After a few moments of silence he asked, "Do you miss your mom?"
She responded quietly. "I don't have a mother. She died a long time ago." Ranma stood still in front of her. She made no motion, no sound, just stared at the moon reflecting in the water. Slowly he sat down on the bench, and inched next to her. She sat next to him, almost touching but not quite, and they stayed like that for a long time.
Now, five years later, they were in the same place, sitting together staring at the moon. But this time, her head was turned away from him, and he saw her shoulders shudder. He reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder, and she quickly wiped at her eyes before turning to face him. "I'm sorry," She said, laughing slightly. "It seems like all I've done for the whole day is cry."
"It's...It's ok. Do you wanna talk, or something?"
Kio looked into Ranma's face. "He's really concerned. It has been so long since anyone has actually cared..." She thought to herself. "I'm sorry I kicked you in the sparring match this afternoon"
"No problem...you were, um, pretty good."
"And I'm also sorry for hugging you in front of Akane. I gathered that that was the wrong thing to do. But I talked to her and she forgave me so, I was kinda hoping you would too."
"Forgive you? Of course I do." He smiled at her and Kio could feel herself turning red. She just hoped it was too dark for him to see. They sat quietly for a while, until Ranma couldn't stand it anymore. "Kio, about my... transformation in the dojo..."
"Oh, it's ok, Akane explained the basics to me."
"She did?" He asked, incredulous.
"Yea, she filled me in on a few of the weirder aspects of the Tendo household." She smiled at him, and then it faltered. "She also told me that you two are engaged, which is partly why I am so sorry I hugged you. If I had known..."
"It's ok...really. I mean it."
She beamed at him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm so happy I found you again, Ranma. I always watched for you, wherever I went, hoping, but I never figured I would actually see you again..." They sat quietly for a moment, 'till Ranma spoke again.
"Kio?"
"Yes, Ranma?"
"So, you don't mind? About the curse I mean?"
"Mind? No, I don't mind. We're friends, and boy or girl, you are still the Ranma I love." He smiled, and then paled realizing the implications of the end of her sentence, Wait...LOVE?!? She reached up and cuffed him gently on his arm. "Don't worry, it's not like that. I won't do anything silly like try and grab you again...unless I need Akane to whack you one with that mallet of hers..." She laughed, and eventually he joined in. She shivered in the cold night air and he put an arm around her shoulders, and together they sat, two friends, together again.
Kio shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. There was something amiss, something she couldn't identify or even really detect. Ranma seemed not to notice, though, so she allowed herself to relax and sit quietly on the rooftop. She just hoped it wouldn't be the last time.
_____________________________
Here endeth chapter 1. Hope you enjoyed it!
For your information:
Kioku is a word, technically not a name, so that's why Kio goes by Kio. Kioku means "memory". All will be revealed in later chapters.
As far as Ranma remembering Kio after all that time, when he didn't remember someone like Ryoga, well, Kio is a little harder to forget, and they did spend more than that one afternoon together, so don't worry, it really does make sense.
The girl walked down one of the streets of the city, glancing casually at the storefronts as she passed. The rain was petering to a stop, and once it finally ceased, she pulled a small notebook from a pocket of her large backpack. "Excuse me," she asked, "can you direct me to Furinkan High School?"
"Class, we have a new student with us today." Akane slowly looked up from her book. The study hall had been dragging on forever, and any distraction would be a blessing. She looked up to see a girl standing at the front of the room, dressed in a green silk shirt and black pants, much like the ones Shampoo chose to wear when she was chasing her arien. She could feel the temperature in the room rise as all the boys' noses began to bleed. " Her name is... what is your name again dear?" "Kio. Hirako Kioku." Akane was trying to look more closely at this new distraction when "Tendo Akane!"
"Hai, sensei?" she replied, startled.
"Will you please accompany Kio to the office? I believe she has some business to attend to there."
The two girls walked together down the hall.
"Tendo-san, right?"
"Hmm?"
"Your name is Tendo Akane."
"Oh...Yes." Akane replied with a smile. She had been staring at the girl's backpack and hadn't heard the question, but now she brought herself back to reality. "Where do you come from, Hirako-san?"
"My family comes from near here, but I have been in China for the last year."
"China!" Akane exclaimed, "Were you training? Do you do marshal arts?" The girl smiled again, although this time, Akane noticed, the smile was less strong.
"Yes, I was training, but I hadn't finished when I returned." Akane was ready to ask more about the girls' martial arts school, but just then they reached the office and the final bell rang.
Akane was sitting around the table eating dinner, seething. Ranma had disappeared from school this afternoon *not that that is unusual* she thought, and she had found out that he had left to go help Ukyo with the restaurant. So now she was angry. Ranma was sitting across the table from her, still with a red mark on his forehead from where the mallet had landed, but seemed to be completely unaware of it as he shoveled in his food. She was sitting, stewing, when she noticed that everyone was leaving the table, and going off to their respective tasks. Nabiki went off to organize her books, Ranma went to do... whatever he does, and her father and Mr. Saotome, who had been turned into a panda at some point during the meal, went to their game of shogi.
She was helping Kasumi clear the table when there was a knock at the front door. Akane continued to clean up as she heard voices out in the hall. "Is this the Tendo dojo?" a very familiar voice asked. After a few more comments from both sides, the door slid open and Kasumi called in, "Father, you have a visitor". Kasumi stepped aside and behind her walked a girl in green Chinese clothing. "What is Kio doing here?" Akane wondered, but before she could say anything, the girl bowed and said, "Tendo-san, my name is Kioku Hirako. I have come to ask you to complete my training."
A dead silence pervaded the room. Suddenly her father leapt up and gathered the girl into his arms. "Hirako! I know that name well! How good to see a child of my old friend..." He continued to hug her until she finally gasped, "Would you mind putting me down?" He released her and she alighted on the floor, catching her breath. Kasumi bustled past, offering tea and buns, and eventually they all were situated around the table, Akane included. After a few surprised words exchanged between the two girls, Kio took a deep breath and began to explain herself.
"You see, Tendo-san, I have spent the past years studying with my father in China. He was determined that I learn all I could from him, and be able to pass on the knowledge of our family to my children. However, about a...a month ago, he... died."
A sudden burst of weeping from the other side of the table caused Kio to start. Soun was, of course, crying into his tea. Once Kasumi calmed him down, Kio continued.
"I thank you for your sympathy sir. Anyway, before he died, my father told me that I should take every measure necessary to complete my training. He told me to come here, to Nerima, and ask you to help me. So now, here I am."
Another silence ensued. Suddenly, Soun stood up. "Yes!" He exclaimed. "As a favor to my dearly departed friend, I will agree to complete your training. And since the Tendo and Saotome Schools are soon to be combined..." Akane glared at her father, but he failed to notice "Both myself and Genma will train you!" He swept his arm dramatically at the panda that sat across the room, sipping tea.
"Poor Kio." Akane thought, seeing the puzzled look on the girl's face. "To walk into this madhouse." Just then Ranma and Nabiki came into the room, curious to see what all the fuss was about. "Hey, what's goin'..." Ranma stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Kio, and her eyes were about as wide as his. Kio leapt across the room with a happy cry of "RANMA!" and was holding him in a tight embrace.
Kio noticed that everyone was staring at her, and not a few with malice in their eyes. "Umm... I guess I did the wrong thing, huh?" She looked up at Ranma, who was staring over her shoulder. She followed his stare, to end up looking into the face of a very angry Akane.
"What is going on, Ranma?" Akane asked icily.
"Umm, ah, you see..."
"BAKA!" She screamed, and raised her mallet over her head ready to strike, until Kio stepped in front of it.
"Stop!" She yelled, "don't hit him - it's not his fault!" Akane paused, and Kio began to explain, as fast as she could, before Akane could continue with her assault. "I met Ranma while I was training, and I was in a fight and he saved me. I never thought I would see him again, so I guess I got a little carried away. Sorry, Akane-san" Kio looked up tentatively, expecting the mallet to come crashing down, only to see that it had disappeared, and now all that she was facing was the equally deadly glare on Akane's face.
They all resettled themselves around the table, although a little more carefully than before. Then Soun slapped a hand on his knee. "I have a wonderful idea. Since Ranma will be taking over the dojo, he should be the one to train Kio!"
"WHAT!!!" The exclamation resounded throughout the room, coming mostly from Ranma, Akane and Kio.
"Tendo-san, I mean no disrespect, but I came here to be trained by a master of martial arts, not a student. I would really prefer..."
Soun interrupted her protests. "No, Ranma is a much better choice. I believe we should begin immediately! To the dojo!" He stood up and walked off, with Kasumi, Nabiki and the panda close behind, leaving the three confused teenagers in their wake.
Moments later, they all stood in the dojo. Ranma stood at one end, and Kio at the other.
"Begin this session by sparring. That way, Ranma can know your weaknesses"
"Tendo-san, really, I..."
"Nonsense! Begin."
Kio sighed and adopted a fighting stance. Ranma, still confused, faced her, but half - heartedly. Suddenly she was next to him, but without a sound. It took him by surprise, and he almost was struck full in the chest by her fist. Instead, it passed by him and he stuck his foot out for an easy trip. "Maybe if I end this now, I can figure out what is going on" He thought. However, instead of traveling forward, she spun on her planted foot, kicking him solidly in the backside, and sending him somersaulting to the other end of the room. He recovered, surprised. He had only known Kio for a short time, and certainly had never fought her. "Wow, for a girl, she's pretty good," he thought. He forced his concentration back to center, "Well, I guess I am going to have to do this for real!"
Throughout this scene, Akane remained on the sidelines with her father, remaining uncharacteristically quiet. As the fight raged before her, her thoughts were elsewhere. "Grr, that Ranma! How could he let her kiss him! Once I get my hands on him..." Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by someone putting their fist through the wall next to her. She jumped up and away to avoid being hit by the spray of splinters.
"Wait a minute," she thought, "Could Ranma be...losing?!?"
Ranma turned, and his hands flashed out, quicker than the eye towards Kio. She blocked most of his punches, and then propelled herself off the floor with a leap and kicked him solidly in the back of the head. Ranma went down and rolled, colliding with the wall of the dojo. Soun stood up again. "This fight is over" He pronounced "it is late, and we will discuss your training further in the morning, Kio" and he walked out of the room. Akane looked over towards Ranma, who sat looking bewildered on the floor and then back to an equally confused Kio.
As Akane approached Kio, who was still standing in a ready position, she saw the girl shake her head as if to clear it, and force herself to relax, bowing towards the shrine at the end of the dojo. As Akane watched, a drop of water fell onto the dojo floor, followed by a sigh from Kio.
"She's crying...I wonder if she's hurt?" Akane stood next to Kio until she rose again and asked "Kio, are you ok? Do you need any help?"
Kio looked up at her, warily expecting another outburst. "Umm, no, I'm alright. Listen, Akane, I'm really sorry about before - I sort of gathered that you and Ranma are..."
Akane blushed, and was about to answer when a groan came from the other side of the dojo. She had forgotten Ranma was even there. Evidently, so had Kio.
"Ranma!" she exclaimed, as she rushed to his side "Ranma, are you ok? I'm sorry I hit you so hard, it was an accident. I haven't just sparred in so long...."
Ranma rubbed the back of his head, feeling a lump forming. "Nice to see you again too, Kio"
Kio smiled, and her whole face lit up. Then she looked outside at the dark clouds gathering overhead. "Oh dear" she said, "I better get going if I'm going to find a place to stay for tonight"
"You mean your not living with someone here?" Akane asked.
"Nope," Kio responded, "I'm on my own. Is there an inn or something near here where I could get a room?"
"Nonsense!" came another voice from the doorway. All three started and turned to see Kasumi come in, holding an umbrella and a broom. "You can't go out at this hour, Kio. You can spend the night here."
"That is very generous of you, Kasumi-san, but I would hate to impose..."
"No, I insist. There is an extra futon; we can put it in Akane's room. Now come inside, dinner will be out in a moment."
Akane got to her feet and extended her hand to Kio. Looking up, Kio accepted her help, although not without a slight pause first. Akane looked over to where Ranma had been, only to see him dart towards the door.
"Humph. I guess the allure of Kasumi's cooking was too much for him to wait, even though it's..." Her eyes went wide for a moment as she finished her thought aloud "RAINING! Ranma, wait!"
But it was too late. As soon as Ranma stepped out of the doorframe, he was immediately pelted with the cold shower. Kio stood, frozen as she saw the sudden transformation from a tall, extremely handsome man into a shorter, very well endowed redhead. Ranma was also frozen in place, turning slowly to see her reaction. Kio, shaking slightly, simply walked towards him, er, her, looked her up and down, and proceeded to walk into the house, leaving a sopping wet Ranma-chan and staring Akane behind.
The pair walked into the house to find the rest of the family and Kio sitting calmly around the table. As Kasumi saw them, she sighed and went into the kitchen to set another kettle on to boil, and then proceeded to serve dinner. There were the usual antics from Genma, trying to steal all of the food, but other than that, it was surprisingly quiet.
Ranma-chan just kept stealing glances at Kio. "I wonder why she doesn't say something, or at least do something. I can't stand this waiting anymore!" She scowled and continued to noisily shovel in her rice.
After dinner, Akane and Kio were up in Akane's room setting up the extra futon. Finally Akane stood up and asked "umm, Kio? About Ranma..." The girl stood and looked Akane in the face. Akane could see the uncertainty there.
"I can see things would be pretty interesting around here, but...I mean, who, what, when...." She trailed off. Akane patted a spot next to her on the bed. "I'll just give you the basics. Anything else would take all night!"
Quiet had settled in over the Tendo dojo, as can only happen once everyone is asleep. However, this night, all was not peaceful.
"Grr.... how could she have gotten that kick in? I don't remember her being that good... and she didn't even say anything when I changed!"
Ranma finally sat up and walked towards the door. He wasn't tired, and he had a prickling sensation on the back of his neck that usually preceded him getting whacked with a mallet or run over by a bicycle. He blinked and realized he was outside the house, facing the dojo. "Yea...maybe this'll let me relax a little." As he approached, he noticed one of the doors was partway open, and a faint light came from inside. He peered inside, to see the windows open and moonlight streaming in. A figure was standing in the middle of the floor, slowly moving through a kata. Ranma only needed a glance to realize that it was Kio. He watched, as her movements proceeded to go slightly faster, and become more and more gymnastic and complicated. She kicked and punched, leapt into the air and did a flip. The whole time, not a sound traveled through the still night air. As he watched, Ranma's thoughts wandered back to when he first met the girl...
Flashback 5 years
"Hey, pops, lemme alone!" A young Ranma was racing down a narrow street, followed closely by a stocky balding man. "I was hungry too, ya know!" The boy leapt up behind a vendors stall and watched as the older man continued down the street. Ranma, once ascertaining that he was safe, continued eating the bun he had found. He walked idly along the edge of a roof, and glanced down to the alleyway below. Standing there was a group of three big older guys, all facing a girl about his age, with two smaller children behind her. The big ones seemed to be angry, so Ranma dropped down onto a lower ledge to listen.
"Hey girlie," one of the big ones said, "We don't wanna hurt you, but those little brats stole food from us and they gotta be punished! So move outa the way"
"Not a chance" said the girl. "They're just kids, and you guys were just going to throw the food out anyway. So who cares if they ate it instead of the rats?"
"Now listen!" Said another big one, his face turning a hideous red "Leave now, or your gonna get the same thing they are! Now move!"
There was a pause, as the girl stared coldly at the three men "No."
"Your funeral, girlie. Grab em!" The three men lunged at the girl, and she responded but soundly punching one of them in the stomach so he stumbled backwards, and kicking the other in the.... well, he fell back too, and didn't get up. The third, however, had snuck up behind her, and as she was recovering her footing, grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides, and pulled out a wicked looking knife. She squirmed in his arms, but he had her tight, until a well-placed kick found the back of his head, and he toppled forward with a groan. Unfortunately, he fell with the girl underneath him.
Ranma hurried over and started to push the man, to roll him over. The girl struggled out from underneath and sat down on the pavement, breathing heavily. Then she looked up and ran over to where the two smaller boys were crouched. "Are you ok?" She asked them, as she looked them over for any sign of damage. They nodded their eyes wide, and with a whispered thank you, ran down the alley as fast as their legs could take them. The girl turned around, and seemed to notice for the first time Ranma standing by the body of the fallen man.
As she came closer he saw that despite the dirt and the fresh bruise welling up on her cheekbone, she was...well, pretty. She smiled and bowed. "Hi. My name's Kio. What's yours?"
"R-r-anma" He managed to stutter.
"Well, Ranma, thank you. You saved me." She walked down the alley a bit and picked up a huge backpack, and walked back to the boy. "How can I repay you?" She asked. Just as he was about to reply that she didn't need to give him anything, his stomach grumbled loudly. Hearing this, she laughed and said "Come on. I think I have an idea." They walked out of the alley, leaving the three men groaning on the ground.
Ranma was awakened from his reveries when he heard a sigh from inside the dojo. Kio had finished, and stood still, silhouetted in the moonlight. Ranma was wide eyed, staring at the curves of her figure in her silk shirt. "Baka!" he said to himself "What are you looking at her for? She..." he ended his self-tirade when he noticed she was speaking.
"I'm sorry Father.... so sorry..." Kio faced out the window, talking to herself. "I have failed you, father.... I have still not found a form for our lost art, and time is passing. I have been delayed, and now this.... now I have not only failed you, but I have still not found them, and the elders will not be pleased. Oh, father, what am I going to do? I have not been in this house a single day and already I have ruined everything. I am a failure, just as you said. I can never be the heir you wanted." Kio sighed, angrily wiped a tear off of her cheek and continued to look out at the moon.
Ranma stood speechless. He had never heard a person sound so...lost. He was debating whether to go in or not when the door to the dojo opened the rest of the way, showing Kio standing behind it. Ranma was startled and slipped on the still wet steps, making a slight yelp as he fell. In the blink of an eye she was standing next to him, and offering a hand to get up. He ignored it and leapt up, so he towered above her slight frame, but the leap left him standing so close he could feel her breath against his down turned face. He quickly backed away.
"Umm, couldn't sleep?" He asked.
"No," she answered, "I have a lot on my mind. Sometimes it helps if I practice. Clears the head, you know?" He nodded.
"Do you usually practice when you can't sleep?" she asked.
"Ummm, sometimes, but the rest of the time I just sort of sit over there on the roof."
"Oh." She said quietly.
"...Care to join me?" He asked on impulse, and was surprised at her smile and response.
"I'd love to."
They sat side by side on the roof, staring at the full moon, neither looking at the other, and neither daring to be the first to speak. Ranma felt his mind wandering again back to the first time they met, after the fight in the alley....
She had taken him to a small ramen shop a few blocks away, obscure enough that the guys they had beaten up wouldn't go there looking. As Ranma sat devouring his third bowl, he looked over and took notice of the girl, Kio, across from him, who was picking idly at her noodles.
"So, where do you come from?" He asked.
"From a area outside of Tokyo, Nerima."
"Hey, I know that place! Pop has a friend there, he keeps saying we'll go visit someday...are you all by yourself?"
"Well, not really. I'm training with my father, but he went off without me for awhile."
"He just left you alone?" Ranma asked incredulously. His pop was bad, but at least he was around...most of the time.
"Well, he knows I can take care of myself. So he left." They lapsed into silence again, and after Kio paid the check, they wandered together through the marketplace, staring at all the wonders that were before them. It got dark, and they found themselves in a small park.
Kio sat down on a bench, and watched the moon reflecting in a pond. "Do you have a mother, Ranma?"
Ranma had been bouncing around, and stopped still at the question. "Well, yea, of course, but I haven't seen her in a long time, since pop and I left on this training mission."
"Do you miss her?"
The question took Ranma by surprise. He never talked about his mom to anyone, especially his pop who got a haunted look in his eyes and changed the subject whenever she was mentioned. Finally he said, "Yea - maybe a little."
He waited for her to laugh, to chide him for such unmanly emotions, but she just nodded. After a few moments of silence he asked, "Do you miss your mom?"
She responded quietly. "I don't have a mother. She died a long time ago." Ranma stood still in front of her. She made no motion, no sound, just stared at the moon reflecting in the water. Slowly he sat down on the bench, and inched next to her. She sat next to him, almost touching but not quite, and they stayed like that for a long time.
Now, five years later, they were in the same place, sitting together staring at the moon. But this time, her head was turned away from him, and he saw her shoulders shudder. He reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder, and she quickly wiped at her eyes before turning to face him. "I'm sorry," She said, laughing slightly. "It seems like all I've done for the whole day is cry."
"It's...It's ok. Do you wanna talk, or something?"
Kio looked into Ranma's face. "He's really concerned. It has been so long since anyone has actually cared..." She thought to herself. "I'm sorry I kicked you in the sparring match this afternoon"
"No problem...you were, um, pretty good."
"And I'm also sorry for hugging you in front of Akane. I gathered that that was the wrong thing to do. But I talked to her and she forgave me so, I was kinda hoping you would too."
"Forgive you? Of course I do." He smiled at her and Kio could feel herself turning red. She just hoped it was too dark for him to see. They sat quietly for a while, until Ranma couldn't stand it anymore. "Kio, about my... transformation in the dojo..."
"Oh, it's ok, Akane explained the basics to me."
"She did?" He asked, incredulous.
"Yea, she filled me in on a few of the weirder aspects of the Tendo household." She smiled at him, and then it faltered. "She also told me that you two are engaged, which is partly why I am so sorry I hugged you. If I had known..."
"It's ok...really. I mean it."
She beamed at him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm so happy I found you again, Ranma. I always watched for you, wherever I went, hoping, but I never figured I would actually see you again..." They sat quietly for a moment, 'till Ranma spoke again.
"Kio?"
"Yes, Ranma?"
"So, you don't mind? About the curse I mean?"
"Mind? No, I don't mind. We're friends, and boy or girl, you are still the Ranma I love." He smiled, and then paled realizing the implications of the end of her sentence, Wait...LOVE?!? She reached up and cuffed him gently on his arm. "Don't worry, it's not like that. I won't do anything silly like try and grab you again...unless I need Akane to whack you one with that mallet of hers..." She laughed, and eventually he joined in. She shivered in the cold night air and he put an arm around her shoulders, and together they sat, two friends, together again.
Kio shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. There was something amiss, something she couldn't identify or even really detect. Ranma seemed not to notice, though, so she allowed herself to relax and sit quietly on the rooftop. She just hoped it wouldn't be the last time.
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Here endeth chapter 1. Hope you enjoyed it!
For your information:
Kioku is a word, technically not a name, so that's why Kio goes by Kio. Kioku means "memory". All will be revealed in later chapters.
As far as Ranma remembering Kio after all that time, when he didn't remember someone like Ryoga, well, Kio is a little harder to forget, and they did spend more than that one afternoon together, so don't worry, it really does make sense.
