See No Evil
By Kyokukou
Sight is so important to us that we even base our very thoughts on it . You
'visualize' goals , dreams , hopes and fears . To have that taken away is
something most will not let themselves fathom .
Prologue
He cursed his own weakness as he struggled against the bonds that held him
to the stone pillar . Steel chains he could snap , rope cords he could sever ,
but these mystic ribbons seemed to draw their strength from him , the harder he
struggled the stronger they became .
" Why Ranma ?!" He demanded of his bored guard . " Why couldn't you take me !?"
" His eyes ." The guard absently levitated a small stone above his palm .
" I have eyes damn it !" He snarled . " He's only eight !"
" But you need glasses ." The man almost yawned . " The runes called for perfect
sight ."
" What ?" He forced his rage to calm , he needed to think and act clearly if he
was to get anything out of this sorcerer .
" This happens to be the ruins to a temple ." The man added another stone to his
levitating collection . " The patron god was the god of oracles , future ,
visions , and the like . So of course the place is filled with traps and
guardian spirits and so on ." The man sighed and changed the orbits of the
stones to resemble the solar system . " The boss says that to spring the last
big trap we need someone with perfect sight , I mean lots better than twenty-
twenty vision . Your kid happens to have that kind of perfect sight ."
" What's going to happen to him ?" He kept his voice level and calm .
" I dunno ." The man shrugged . " You know how these things go , probably some
demon will kill him or a big rock with crush him or something ."
" How can you doom a eight year old boy to die just to spring a trap ." He
accused , his voice beginning to shake with anger .
" For the greater good ." The man shrugged . " We're not robbers or anything ,
we just need an artifact from the temple . This is a war , people die ."
" My son is no solder for some war I've never heard of ." He was sure the other
man could hear his teeth grind .
" No he's not ." The man sighed . " We don't enjoy this , and we don't care what
you think . It has to be done and that's that ."
His bitter response was cut off by the sound of his son's scream echoing out
from the temple . The anguished sound rose in pitch until it no longer sounded
human , only a primal screech of pain .
The stones fell the to the ground .
" That kid reminded me of my nephew ." The guard hung his head .
He could only blink back tears as he stared at the silent temple .
See No Evil
She had been working out in the Dojo as usual when her father had thrust
open the door and exclaimed for her to meet the rest of the family in the living
room for a big announcement .
After a quick change of clothing she had met them . Nabiki was suddenly in a
formal kimono for some reason , Kasumi looked a bit worried , her father was
crying for joy . This did not bode well .
When she found out what the commotion was about her instincts were proven
true .
" Oh come on now , Akane ." Nabiki nudged her . " This Ranma guy might be cute
after all ."
" I hate boys ." She reminded her sister curtly. " I get enough of their
stupidity every morning at school ."
" I do hope he's older than me ." Kasumi mumbled . " Younger men are so ...well
, young ."
" So tell us Daddy ." Nabiki began . " What kind of guy is this Ranma ?"
" I have no idea , Nabiki-chan ," Soun admitted . " I've never met him ."
" Waitasecond !" She began .
However , a rather loud commotion coming down the hallway cut off the rest
of her comment . Both Nabiki and her father rushed into the hall .
Before she could rise to join them the pair rushed back into the room , a
flustered look on her father's face accompanied by a fearful expression on
Nabiki's .
A rather large panda with a person over one shoulder followed them into the
room .
' I'm Saotome Genma .' The panda waved a sign . ' I have come .'
" S-Saotome-kun ?!" Soun gawked at the panda . " What happened to you ?!"
' A simple curse , if you would be so kind as to get me some warm water I would
be glad to explain .' The panda responded with another sign .
As Kasumi rushed to the kitchen to heat some water the panda took a seat at
the table and sat the unconscious form down next to him .
It was a small red head girl , actually smaller than herself . The petite
girl breathed in and out steadily and appeared simply asleep . Though , she
thought the mirror sunglasses still over her eyes odd to wear on a rainy day .
A minute later her eldest sister rushed back into the room with a kettle in
hand .
Thanking her with a nod , the panda took the offered kettle and promptly
poured the water over himself . Before she could blink the animal had shrunk and
resolved into the form of a robust man in a white gi .
" Thank you Kasumi-san ." The man smiled . " Now , Tendo-kun , let me explain ."
Over the next few minuets the man launched into a tale about how he and his
son , Ranma , had traveled through China , training , finally to come to a
cursed springs . All they had intended was balance training , but due to his
mistranslation of the brochure , which had been in Chinese , they had been
unaware of the curses .
" I see , this happens to be a great tragedy ." Soun nodded , tears brimming in
his eyes . " But what of Ranma and the engagement ?"
" That can be addressed tomorrow ." Genma sighed . " Ranma had been opposed to
coming and I'm afraid he tired me out trying to keep him from going back to
China ."
Near the end of Genma's retelling the young girl had awoken . After bringing
herself to a sitting position she had merely sat there , doing and saying
nothing .
The last sentence giving unofficial dismissal each stood and began to
disperse . Kasumi to the kitchen , Nabiki to her room , Soun and Genma to the
porch . She stood and made ready to return to her own room when she realized
that the red head was still sitting .
" Are you alright ?" She asked , tentatively .
The red head looked at her and nodded quickly .
" What's wrong ?" She asked . " I know this is a real mess right now , but I'm
sure everything will be cleared up soon ."
The red head looked decidedly doubtful about that statement .
" You study the same art as me don't you ?"
The red head nodded .
" You wanna spar ?" She asked . " I promise I won't hurt you ."
With a eager smile the red head hopped to her feet .
She led the way to the Dojo . Wondering why the odd girl still didn't remove
her sunglasses . The mirrored wraparounds looked great on her but still were out
of place indoors .
After a quick change she rushed back to the Dojo to find the other girl
already warming up . Feeling that her previously interrupted work out had left
her fit for further exertion without another warm up , she took her place near
the center of the Dojo .
Eagerly the red head took hers . They bowed , took similar fighting stances
and began .
She started off with a charge and kick that any beginner could see coming a
kilometer away .
The other girl ducked it lazily .
* Fine , a little faster .* She thought .
She launched a combination at the waiting red head . Her fists flew out in
rapid succession , followed by a spinning roundhouse . The smaller girl only
sidestepped and let the volley slide past .
Now a bit impressed , she decided to attack her opponent at half her full
ability .
The results were maddening . The red head showed no effort in dodging every
and all attacks bodily , not even raising her hands from her sides to block .
* Alright , this time for REAL !* She thought , readying a full out attack .
After a short moment of maneuvering about she cornered her opponent against
the Dojo wall . Her first struck out with her full fury .
Only to plunge through the Dojo wall . Her target suddenly was not there .
Confused , she barely felt the tap on her shoulder . Turning , she found the red
head standing there , shyly retracting her arm .
" Wow ." She found herself saying after a moment . " You're good ."
The red head smiled back , suddenly shy and blushing .
" You don't talk much do you ?" She blinked .
The other girl shook her head .
" You can talk can't you ?" She asked , suddenly concerned .
" Yup ." The smaller confirmed . " I'm just not in the habit of talking to
anyone but Oyaji . I don't meet new people all that often ."
" Oh ." She mumbled . After a short awkward silence she spoke up again .
" Why don't you go ahead and take a bath , I'll be along after I finish a few
katas , alright ?"
The other girl nodded hesitantly .
" Oh sorry ," She apologized . " the bath is right down the hall , it has a sign
on it ."
The girl nodded her thanks and headed out the door , but for some reason the
apprehension remained .
Shrugging , she walked back to the center of the Dojo and began her kata .
Wearing a kimono was nice , it made her feel refined and like a mature woman
instead of a teen . But the damn things took so long to get in and out of , not
to mention the restriction of movement . So she didn't regret changing into
something less formal .
She had some suspicions about the strange red head . She guessed the girl
was Ranma , but some doubt remained . Genma had said something about Ranma
fighting him to return to China , but he never said that he had kept Ranma . Not
to mention she had yet to either see the girl change or hear her answer to the
name Ranma . Then there was those shades . While she had been changing she had
come to a few conclusions . But those were thrown out the window when she had
peeked in on the red head sparring her younger sister .
Another thing that bothered her was the fact that the red head hadn't said
one word the whole time . Perhaps she couldn't talk ?
Finally she decided to throw all conjectures and hypotheses out until she
could question the girl herself .
She had been on the way to the Dojo to do just that when she heard a voice
mutter from down the hall . It was dulcet but strong , a voice she wished she
could have . However , what it was saying made no sense .
" Damn , it's varnished . They're all varnished ." The voice muttered with a
touch of irritation .
" Hello ?" She called out before quickly turning the corner .
Just in time to see the red head lower her hand from the sign on the
bathroom door .
" Why do you have signs on all your doors ?" The red head asked abruptly .
" Kasumi went through a arts and crafts phase a few years ago ." She shrugged
with a smile . " Our rooms upstairs have duck signs on them with our names in
English . Anyway , what's the problem with the lacquer on the bathroom sign ?"
" Nothing ." The small girl shook her head . " I just thought it was kinda odd
to label the rooms of your own house ."
" If you're going to be staying here you'd better get used to odd ." She
chuckled . " About to take a bath ?"
The small girl nodded .
" Good , mind if I join you ?" She asked , perfect opportunity to pump some info
out of her . " I'll just run up to my room and get some things ."
She left before the red head could object politely .
After waiting in her room until she was sure the girl was already in the
bathroom she made her way back downstairs .
In the changing room she deposited her clothing in a basket beside the one
the red head had used . She noted , after a peek , that he shades had been left
behind along with her clothes .
Walking inside she found the small girl in the middle of lathering up the
shampoo in her hair . Now untied from it's pigtail , the red locks were spilling
everywhere , obscuring the girl's features above her chin .
She took a seat opposite the newcomer and began to lather herself up .
" So , have you been on the road long ?" She began .
The girl nodded , sending bubbles into the air .
" You got a wonderful voice ." She began a few moments later . " Do you sing ?"
The girl shook her head slightly . More bubbles .
" You know , you're kinda small for a marital artist ." She commented , probing
for a more emotional reaction this time .
Disappointing her the girl only nodded .
" You sure are a real conversationalist ." She snorted .
The red head easily lifted a full bucket of cold water over her head as if
it were empty . With a flick of her wrist she dumped the contents over herself .
Not bothering to wipe the water and dangling hair from her face and eyes the
girl stood .
" At least try not to be so obvious when you want to interrogate someone ." The
red head snorted curtly .
Her retort was cut off by the abrupt entrance of Akane .
" Oh , I didn't know you wanted to join us , Nabiki ." Akane began , taking the
stool that the red head had just vacated .
With only a nod to Akane , the red head walked over to the shower instead of
the furo . With deft movements she turned on the water . Though the angle was
odd she thought the younger girl had put on the cold water instead of hot .
The detail was irrelevant , but it lead to another thought .
" If Saotome-san turns into a panda , do you too ?" She asked before dumping a
bucket of cold water over herself .
" Nabiki , she didn't fall into a pool , Saotome-san did ." Akane chided her .
" No , I fell into the spring of drowned girl ." The girl replied evenly .
" WHAT !?" An incensed Akane leapt to her feet .
" What's wrong ?" The cursed girl continued , not bothering to turn around .
" Just because you got the body of a girl doesn't give you the right to come in
here and peep on us PERVERT !" Akane announced in one breath , heaving her stool
in preparation to beat the young red head into a smudge .
" It doesn't matter ." She snorted at her baby sister. " Ever heard of communal
baths ? You going western on me , Akane ?"
" This doesn't count !" Her little sister protested . " He's being a pervert !
He's peeping on us !"
" Impossible ." The red head corrected bitterly .
" Huh ?" Akane blinked at the emotion in the cursed girl's tone .
" You heard me ." The girl turned the shower off . " That happens to be
physically impossible for me ."
Something clicked in her mind . The shades , feeling the sign , not
bothering to wipe anything from her eyes . It was obvious really .
" You're blind ." She stated .
" Excuse me ?" Akane snorted . " I just got my undefeated title stripped by
her-um-him . Not to mention he gets around fine , do you see a cane in his
hands ?"
" No , I really am blind ." The cursed girl corrected .
" Bull ." Akane snorted . " Then how come you're not running into walls ?"
" Akane ..." The girl began before shagging her shoulders in a defeated way .
Slowly , without threat , the cursed girl walked right up to Akane . Until
she was nearly nose to nose with the taller girl . Then , without further word ,
she reached up and brushed the unruly hair from obscuring her eyes .
At her first inspection she felt they looked to be very normal , if
unusually beautiful , blue eyes . Then one fact slammed into place a second
after Akane shrieked and lunged backwards in horror . Those beautiful sapphire
eyes lacked any sort of pupil , not even a pinpoint .
Her own reaction was much more controlled than her little sister's , she
merely gasped and recoiled .
Only after both of their reactions did the small girl herself react . She
tensed and seemed to withdraw into herself , seeking to hide her horrible
disfigurement . After a moment she knelt and righted a overturned stood and sat
down .
" It happened when I was eight ." She began in a dead tone . " Before then I
happened to have sight roughly about twenty-ten . That means I could see twice
as clear and far as a normal person could .
" My Oyaji has to wear glasses to see far away . After an accident he
cracked his last pair . So we went to get another . Because of a special family
discount they were having he got me checked out too . While we didn't know it ,
some guys were there looking for people with my kind of vision . The staff was
so impressed with my sight that they overheard about me .
" We left after they finished the order for Oyaji's new lenses and spare
sets . They hit Oyaji with some sort of sleep spell , then me . To keep a long
story short . I was used to spring a trap for them in an ancient temple . They
needed someone with perfect sight , so they used me . I sprung the trap .
" They thought it was one of those instant death things . Nope , I just got
to see the thing they were after . Then the trap got me . The docs can't figure
it out because it's mostly magical , and no magic we've found can even get a
real idea how to sort the whole thing out .
" Oyaji wanted to pack up and send me home after six months of looking . But
I was the one to refuse . I forced him to teach me to fight by sound at first .
Then I discovered how limited that was . By now I've mastered or learned every
technique I've heard of for blind fighting . I've even invented nine new ways ."
" wow ." Was apparently the only thing that Akane could think of to say .
" Thanks ." The young girl flashed Akane a ghost of a smile . " I'll be the
first one to admit that I'm more than a bit obsessed . I think I'm better now ,
than I would have been at this point if I'd never lost my sight ."
" So that's why you didn't like the varnish ." She snapped her fingers . " You
couldn't feel the paint on the wood that way ."
" Exactly ." The red head nodded .
* * *
After a quick breakfast the three of them headed off for school . At first
she had been nervous , wondering if she would have to lead Ranma by the hand .
Akane would never be caught dead holding a boy's hand in public . That was
thrown out the window when the boy leapt onto a nearby fence , adjusted his
ever-present mirror shades and nodded to them .
" I'll just follow you two ." He informed them .
" Alright ...but ," Akane began . " why are you on the fence ?"
" Balance practice ." Ranma shrugged .
The rest of the way up until a good block away the trio walked on in
congenial silence . That was until Ranma hopped down and pulled a odd tube out
of his pocket . She and Akane stopped at the strange actions .
" What's that ?" Akane asked .
With a flick of his wrist the tube folded out into the white probing cane of
the blind . " Crowds in tight spaces like hallways are a real strain to get
through . So I just fall back on this ." He tapped the point on the concrete
before him . " Besides , it's easier just to be a regular blind person in public
than to explain my situation to everybody ."
" I suppose so ." She conceded .
She walked on as Akane merely stood there and stared . The moment she
started moving Ranma began to shadow her , the cane tapping in a quick regular
rhythm . A few moments later Akane fell into step behind Ranma . Once more they
walked on in congenial silence .
However , that was short lived as she began to hear Akane's chant as her
younger sister psyched herself up .
"-hate boys hate boys hateboys hateboys hateboyshateboys-"
" Akane are you-?" Ranma began before Akane launched herself into a flat out
charge through the school gates .
" Um..Nabiki ?" Ranma turned to her , a questioning expression on his face .
" Don't worry this happens every morning ." She reassured him .
" But aren't there ...forty nine ..guys waiting for her ?"
Gently she took Ranma by the arm not holding his cane and lead him to a safe
vantage point by the wall .
" Yeah , it's barely a workout for her nowadays ." She glanced over to the
gathering group of her regular betting pool . " Ranma , if you're going to be
alright here for a while I have something to take care of ."
" I'll come get you if I need you ." Ranma nodded in her general direction .
She paused before starting off . That was the first time Ranma had acted as
if he wasn't sure of her exact location or his own . In fact , up until he had
taken his cane out he had acted as if he could see fine . Always 'looking' at
someone's face when speaking to them , always walking with unhesitant steps ,
and so on .
She quickly concluded her betting business and was heading back to take
Ranma inside when she noticed something . Ranma wasn't facing straight ahead
like the helpless blind person he was supposed to be acting like . The way he
faced a tree she would have described as staring if it wasn't for the obvious
fact that was impossible for Ranma . Following his 'stare' she saw Kuno hiding
behind the tree . She shook her head in amazement , Kuno had to be thirty meters
or more from Ranma .
" Who is that nut ?" Ranma asked her without 'looking' away from Kuno .
" Kuno-chan ?" She snorted . " Usually it takes actually meeting him to figure
out he's nuts ."
" That guy's mind is spastic ." Ranma commented in all seriousness . " But he's
no joke physically .."
" Yeah , he's the undefeated captain of the Kendo club ."
" He may be nuts but he's not dumb , lacking honor , but not dumb ." Ranma
commented as Kuno launched a rose at Akane .
" How's that ?" She questioned .
" Akane's physically warmed up but emotionally exasperated . She'll fight overly
aggressive , with superior reach of his wooden sword he could simply outlast her
until she made a big mistake ."
" I think you're giving Kuno-chan waaay too much credit ."
" Let me guess ," Ranma pointed momentarily at Kuno with his cane as lightning
flashed and thunder pealed after the Kendoist's introduction . " he does this
sort of speech every tournament ?"
" Well , yeah , but .."
" And every time his opponent is hell-bent on taking the arrogant pig down a peg
or two ?"
" Yeah ."
" So every time he wins by striking when his opponent makes a mistake ."
" This is getting scary ...Kuno...is crafty ?!"
" I didn't say that ." Ranma snorted in amusement . " Just because a pattern of
behavior works doesn't mean he didn't simply happen to form it from trial and
error ."
" Alright , thanks ." She patted Ranma's arm . " For a second there my mind was
about to blow trying to think of Kuno as smart ."
Ranma flashed her a smile that made her heart skip a beat .
" Well ," She began , trying to distract herself . " we'd better get to class
before we're late ." Before the young man could object she took him by the arm
and began to lead him to the door .
" Nabiki , duck ." Ranma whispered to her urgently out of the blue .
" Huh ?" She turned to look at him instead of following his advice .
" Aww man ." Ranma grunted loud enough to be heard by bystanders as he dropped
his cane . In the action of stooping to retrieve it he 'accidentally' knocked
her down .
An unconscious Kuno flew over her head , missing her by centimeters .
" Next time listen ." Ranma whispered to her as he felt along the ground for his
cane .
Never taking her eyes off of him she snatched the cane and placed it in
Ranma's hand . " Th-thanks ."
" Let's get inside now ." Ranma told her , helping her to her feet .
They were in the door not a moment too soon , a light rain began to fall
just moments after Ranma was inside .
As it turned out Ranma was to be in the same class as Akane . So she lead
him down the hall to his room and with his assurances she left for her own class
. Oddly , she felt vaguely disappointed . With a shrug she caulked it up to
gratitude for being saved .
* Who the hell is this ?* Gosunkugi wondered . * Don't people like him go
special schools or something ?*
While he kept his thoughts to himself his classmates weren't so polite . The
moment the boy had tapped his cane to find the teacher's desk the murmurs had
risen beyond the usual volume for chatter . Some morons hadn't even rubbed two
neurons together to make the connection that the new guy was blind .
Being versed in lip reading after years of spying from afar he followed the
conversation between the new student and the teacher .
" I was told you were informed about me ?" The new guy began .
" Only the basics , just back from China , your age , your name , blind , past
grades , a brief summary of your school record , and such ." Their teacher
nodded . " I have your papers in raised romanji print ."
" Thank you Sensei ."
" Good , now after a quick introduction I'll start class ."
" Alright ."
From there the teacher stood . The roar of conversation and rumors ceased so
quickly it was nearly painful .
" Alright class ," Their teacher began . " we have a new student today . His
name is Saotome Ranma . He's just come back from a long trip to China . Now as
you may know Ranma is blind so we would appreciate it if you would extend
appropriate courtesies ." The teacher waited for a moment . " Now , Ranma your
seat is by Tendo-san ." The man sat down at his desk . " Tendo-san , if you
would ?"
Akane looked up at the teacher and Ranma blankly .
" Tendo-san ?" The teacher questioned .
" Hai ?" Akane answered .
" If you would ?"
Now Akane had a deer caught in the headlights expression .
" It's alright ." Ranma smiled politely . Taking a step in Akane's direction he
made his way down the isle taping the desk legs and counting until he tapped
Akane's desk .
" Here ?" Ranma asked .
" Hai ." Akane answered , tentatively .
Feeling with his hands Ranma took his seat and settled in for class .
* * *
" Ranma noh baka !" She snarled at Ranma during their lunchbreak .
" Huh ?" Ranma replied intelligently .
" Now everyone thinks I was being mean to you !" She growled .
" Then why didn't you get up and lead me to my desk ?"
" Because I didn't know I was supposed to , besides you didn't need me to !"
" Not my fault you've never known a blind person before ." Ranma sighed and took
a few bites of his lunch . " Remember , I'm just an ordinary blind guy here . At
school I can't go around like I usually do ."
" Why not ?" She snorted . " It'd be easier ."
" I'd have a migraine by the end of the day ." Ranma explained . " besides ,
it'd be odd for me to go around like I could see , but be blind when I'm in a
crowd or something . Just pretending I'm a regular blind guy is easier ."
" For you ." She sniffed in displeasure .
" Well I-...oh damn ." Ranma shagged his shoulders .
" What ?"
" You'll see in a second ." Ranma answered mournfully .
True enough , in the space of a second the entire class seemed to teleport
into a circle around her . Assaulting her with questions about this possible
betrothal of one of the Tendo sisters .
Through a gap in the hoard of classmates she managed to see Ranma heading
for the door . As she was about to call out for him the young martial artist
turned on his heel and hurried away from the door , his cane tapping a staccato
rhythm .
" I FORBID THIS TRAVERSTY !" Kuno bellowed before kicking in said door .
" WHO IS SAOTOME RANMA ?!" The mad kendoist continued , waving his wooden
imitation of a katana about .
" um..I am ." Ranma turned to face the kendoist uncertainly .
" I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE TENDO AKANE FROM THE BLUE THUNDER !" Kuno
bellowed before charging .
The rest of the class froze in horror , awaiting what they expected to be
the needless death of a poor blind student .
Kuno whirled in his final step to deliver an elegant horizontal slash . At
the last second she saw Ranma shift his weight into a sidestep . The wooden
blade met his side just before Ranma's speed matched it's own . As Ranma
apparently flew aside from the blow his flailing cane just happened to strike
Kuno behind the ear . Ranma sailed into the blackboard just as Kuno's
unconscious form collapsed to the floor .
With all haste she rushed over Kuno , making sure to step on him , and on to
Ranma . Gently , but with as much speed as possible she helped Ranma out of the
room and towards the infirmary .
" Did it look real ?" Ranma asked after they had gone a ways from the class .
" I thought I saw you sidestep ." She smiled , proud of herself for caching
something like that .
" I barely let the stick touch me ." Ranma smiled . " How about the cane hit ?
Look accidental enough ?"
" I'll say so . But why didn't you just pummel him ?"
" Regular blind guy remember ?"
" Oh ."
When they got to the infirmary Ranma promptly held out a letter for the head
nurse . Confused , the nurse took it and began to read . After a few moments she
left the room to make a phone call .
" What was that ?" She asked Ranma .
" A letter from my last school nurse to my next one ." Ranma smiled . " It
basically sums me up and how things usually go around me , and has a few numbers
to call for questions and verifications that this ain't a joke ."
" How things usually go around you ?"
" Yeah ." He nodded . " I kinda have the tendency to attract weird things and
stuff ."
" Like what ?"
" Um...lotsa martial artists with grudges , monsters , Oni , and stuff ."
" Well I don't exactly lead a normal life either ." She snorted , not to be
outdone .
Ranma only stifled a laugh and 'looked' the other way . She brooded a bit
over his reaction but decided not to pursue the matter .
A few minuets later a very flustered nurse walked back in . Ranma answered
her questions before she even got out the first word .
" It's true , no , yes , sometimes , not often , and no one unless they
absolutely need to know ."
Standing , he allowed her to lead him out of the infirmary . Once a good
distance from the nurses office she stopped them .
" What were the questions ?"
" Is this true ? Is there anything I can do ? Will anything happen ? Do you get
hurt or hurt others ? Does trouble find you here at school ? Who can I tell
about all of this ?"
" Are you telepathetic ...telepal..-a mind reader ?"
" Nope , I've just been through the drill enough times ."
Upon returning to class Ranma pretended to favor his hurt side . Except for
Kuno's absence and Ranma pretending to be hurt everything went as normal for the
rest of the period as she could have hoped for .
Then came school clean up . Ranma cared for cleaning the chalk boards as she
followed her friends outside to pick up litter .
" Akane-chan , you poor thing ." One of her friends patted her on the shoulder
in consolation .
" Huh ?" She replied intelligently .
" Getting married to that poor blind guy ." Another hung her head .
" Hold on a second !"
" I mean , he's absolutely gorgeous , but you'll have to do everything in the
marriage ."
She had given up protesting for the moment in favor of pleading looks .
" Actually , now that I think about it , you might not have such a bad deal ."
" You're right . She gets to lord over her husband , and not the other way
around ."
" Could all of you listen to me for just one SECOND ?!"
To her shock it actually worked . They all looked at her expectantly .
" Nothing has been decided yet , he could be marrying Nabiki or Kasumi ."
" OH the poor thing ! Hooked to Nabiki !" One girl gasped .
" He'd better get Kasumi then ."
" Yeah , she'd be the perfect wife for someone like him ."
" I give up ." She sighed and left the others to their gossip .
* * *
After the bell rang to end school she quickly took care of some pressing
business concerns before meeting her sister and Ranma by the school gate . Ranma
had been 'looking' at her before she was even out of the building . Which was
almost startling , because she had taken one of the few side exits instead of
the main entrance out front .
During morning she had strategically released the news of Ranma and his
pending engagement to one of the Tendo sisters . However , despite the success
of Ranma fending off Kuno as she had thought , as a whole things had backfired .
Right now people were blaming her for the attack on Ranma , which was basically
her fault for telling Kuno in the way she had . Then there was the recent
development that she was to be the one Ranma was betrothed to , and all the
girls who didn't mind a blind significant other were sneering at her . Which
happened to a large portion of the female student body .
Needless to say , she was rather glad to be cutting her losses and leaving
school for the day . She didn't exactly feel like supporting those rumors , but
when she reached her sister and Ranma , Akane quite gratefully relinquished the
duty of leading him off school grounds to her .
However , once well away from other students Ranma gently slipped his large
hand out of her petite hand . After folding his cane up he hopped onto the fence
, all without breaking stride .
" Thanks for breaking the news to everyone so gracefully ." Akane's voice oozed
sarcasm from every orifice . " Ranma nearly had to blow his cover ."
She glanced up at said martial artist , who seemed not to be hearing
anything .
" Well , Akane , are you sorry that Ranma got a turn to beat Kuno instead of you
this time ?" She stalled .
" What ? No ! It just shouldn't have happened !"
" No way to avoid it , it had to get out sometime ." She shrugged reasonably .
Her baby sister resigned herself to fuming . On the way home she had time to
simmer down until all was well . As well as things could usually be .
Once home Akane rushed off to the Dojo to work out her frustrations . She
decided to see what Ranma was going to do . To her disappointment the boy merely
grabbed a quick snack , which happened to be a thirty centimeter long sub
sandwich , and headed off to the living room to devour it .
Wondering what she had been expecting of him she followed his example .
Laden with a bowl of rice and a glass of cherry coke she headed up to her room
to tackle her homework .
Ranma's first day living with them was a good change form the normal grind .
But , she had to remind herself that the day was not yet over .
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By Kyokukou
Sight is so important to us that we even base our very thoughts on it . You
'visualize' goals , dreams , hopes and fears . To have that taken away is
something most will not let themselves fathom .
Prologue
He cursed his own weakness as he struggled against the bonds that held him
to the stone pillar . Steel chains he could snap , rope cords he could sever ,
but these mystic ribbons seemed to draw their strength from him , the harder he
struggled the stronger they became .
" Why Ranma ?!" He demanded of his bored guard . " Why couldn't you take me !?"
" His eyes ." The guard absently levitated a small stone above his palm .
" I have eyes damn it !" He snarled . " He's only eight !"
" But you need glasses ." The man almost yawned . " The runes called for perfect
sight ."
" What ?" He forced his rage to calm , he needed to think and act clearly if he
was to get anything out of this sorcerer .
" This happens to be the ruins to a temple ." The man added another stone to his
levitating collection . " The patron god was the god of oracles , future ,
visions , and the like . So of course the place is filled with traps and
guardian spirits and so on ." The man sighed and changed the orbits of the
stones to resemble the solar system . " The boss says that to spring the last
big trap we need someone with perfect sight , I mean lots better than twenty-
twenty vision . Your kid happens to have that kind of perfect sight ."
" What's going to happen to him ?" He kept his voice level and calm .
" I dunno ." The man shrugged . " You know how these things go , probably some
demon will kill him or a big rock with crush him or something ."
" How can you doom a eight year old boy to die just to spring a trap ." He
accused , his voice beginning to shake with anger .
" For the greater good ." The man shrugged . " We're not robbers or anything ,
we just need an artifact from the temple . This is a war , people die ."
" My son is no solder for some war I've never heard of ." He was sure the other
man could hear his teeth grind .
" No he's not ." The man sighed . " We don't enjoy this , and we don't care what
you think . It has to be done and that's that ."
His bitter response was cut off by the sound of his son's scream echoing out
from the temple . The anguished sound rose in pitch until it no longer sounded
human , only a primal screech of pain .
The stones fell the to the ground .
" That kid reminded me of my nephew ." The guard hung his head .
He could only blink back tears as he stared at the silent temple .
See No Evil
She had been working out in the Dojo as usual when her father had thrust
open the door and exclaimed for her to meet the rest of the family in the living
room for a big announcement .
After a quick change of clothing she had met them . Nabiki was suddenly in a
formal kimono for some reason , Kasumi looked a bit worried , her father was
crying for joy . This did not bode well .
When she found out what the commotion was about her instincts were proven
true .
" Oh come on now , Akane ." Nabiki nudged her . " This Ranma guy might be cute
after all ."
" I hate boys ." She reminded her sister curtly. " I get enough of their
stupidity every morning at school ."
" I do hope he's older than me ." Kasumi mumbled . " Younger men are so ...well
, young ."
" So tell us Daddy ." Nabiki began . " What kind of guy is this Ranma ?"
" I have no idea , Nabiki-chan ," Soun admitted . " I've never met him ."
" Waitasecond !" She began .
However , a rather loud commotion coming down the hallway cut off the rest
of her comment . Both Nabiki and her father rushed into the hall .
Before she could rise to join them the pair rushed back into the room , a
flustered look on her father's face accompanied by a fearful expression on
Nabiki's .
A rather large panda with a person over one shoulder followed them into the
room .
' I'm Saotome Genma .' The panda waved a sign . ' I have come .'
" S-Saotome-kun ?!" Soun gawked at the panda . " What happened to you ?!"
' A simple curse , if you would be so kind as to get me some warm water I would
be glad to explain .' The panda responded with another sign .
As Kasumi rushed to the kitchen to heat some water the panda took a seat at
the table and sat the unconscious form down next to him .
It was a small red head girl , actually smaller than herself . The petite
girl breathed in and out steadily and appeared simply asleep . Though , she
thought the mirror sunglasses still over her eyes odd to wear on a rainy day .
A minute later her eldest sister rushed back into the room with a kettle in
hand .
Thanking her with a nod , the panda took the offered kettle and promptly
poured the water over himself . Before she could blink the animal had shrunk and
resolved into the form of a robust man in a white gi .
" Thank you Kasumi-san ." The man smiled . " Now , Tendo-kun , let me explain ."
Over the next few minuets the man launched into a tale about how he and his
son , Ranma , had traveled through China , training , finally to come to a
cursed springs . All they had intended was balance training , but due to his
mistranslation of the brochure , which had been in Chinese , they had been
unaware of the curses .
" I see , this happens to be a great tragedy ." Soun nodded , tears brimming in
his eyes . " But what of Ranma and the engagement ?"
" That can be addressed tomorrow ." Genma sighed . " Ranma had been opposed to
coming and I'm afraid he tired me out trying to keep him from going back to
China ."
Near the end of Genma's retelling the young girl had awoken . After bringing
herself to a sitting position she had merely sat there , doing and saying
nothing .
The last sentence giving unofficial dismissal each stood and began to
disperse . Kasumi to the kitchen , Nabiki to her room , Soun and Genma to the
porch . She stood and made ready to return to her own room when she realized
that the red head was still sitting .
" Are you alright ?" She asked , tentatively .
The red head looked at her and nodded quickly .
" What's wrong ?" She asked . " I know this is a real mess right now , but I'm
sure everything will be cleared up soon ."
The red head looked decidedly doubtful about that statement .
" You study the same art as me don't you ?"
The red head nodded .
" You wanna spar ?" She asked . " I promise I won't hurt you ."
With a eager smile the red head hopped to her feet .
She led the way to the Dojo . Wondering why the odd girl still didn't remove
her sunglasses . The mirrored wraparounds looked great on her but still were out
of place indoors .
After a quick change she rushed back to the Dojo to find the other girl
already warming up . Feeling that her previously interrupted work out had left
her fit for further exertion without another warm up , she took her place near
the center of the Dojo .
Eagerly the red head took hers . They bowed , took similar fighting stances
and began .
She started off with a charge and kick that any beginner could see coming a
kilometer away .
The other girl ducked it lazily .
* Fine , a little faster .* She thought .
She launched a combination at the waiting red head . Her fists flew out in
rapid succession , followed by a spinning roundhouse . The smaller girl only
sidestepped and let the volley slide past .
Now a bit impressed , she decided to attack her opponent at half her full
ability .
The results were maddening . The red head showed no effort in dodging every
and all attacks bodily , not even raising her hands from her sides to block .
* Alright , this time for REAL !* She thought , readying a full out attack .
After a short moment of maneuvering about she cornered her opponent against
the Dojo wall . Her first struck out with her full fury .
Only to plunge through the Dojo wall . Her target suddenly was not there .
Confused , she barely felt the tap on her shoulder . Turning , she found the red
head standing there , shyly retracting her arm .
" Wow ." She found herself saying after a moment . " You're good ."
The red head smiled back , suddenly shy and blushing .
" You don't talk much do you ?" She blinked .
The other girl shook her head .
" You can talk can't you ?" She asked , suddenly concerned .
" Yup ." The smaller confirmed . " I'm just not in the habit of talking to
anyone but Oyaji . I don't meet new people all that often ."
" Oh ." She mumbled . After a short awkward silence she spoke up again .
" Why don't you go ahead and take a bath , I'll be along after I finish a few
katas , alright ?"
The other girl nodded hesitantly .
" Oh sorry ," She apologized . " the bath is right down the hall , it has a sign
on it ."
The girl nodded her thanks and headed out the door , but for some reason the
apprehension remained .
Shrugging , she walked back to the center of the Dojo and began her kata .
Wearing a kimono was nice , it made her feel refined and like a mature woman
instead of a teen . But the damn things took so long to get in and out of , not
to mention the restriction of movement . So she didn't regret changing into
something less formal .
She had some suspicions about the strange red head . She guessed the girl
was Ranma , but some doubt remained . Genma had said something about Ranma
fighting him to return to China , but he never said that he had kept Ranma . Not
to mention she had yet to either see the girl change or hear her answer to the
name Ranma . Then there was those shades . While she had been changing she had
come to a few conclusions . But those were thrown out the window when she had
peeked in on the red head sparring her younger sister .
Another thing that bothered her was the fact that the red head hadn't said
one word the whole time . Perhaps she couldn't talk ?
Finally she decided to throw all conjectures and hypotheses out until she
could question the girl herself .
She had been on the way to the Dojo to do just that when she heard a voice
mutter from down the hall . It was dulcet but strong , a voice she wished she
could have . However , what it was saying made no sense .
" Damn , it's varnished . They're all varnished ." The voice muttered with a
touch of irritation .
" Hello ?" She called out before quickly turning the corner .
Just in time to see the red head lower her hand from the sign on the
bathroom door .
" Why do you have signs on all your doors ?" The red head asked abruptly .
" Kasumi went through a arts and crafts phase a few years ago ." She shrugged
with a smile . " Our rooms upstairs have duck signs on them with our names in
English . Anyway , what's the problem with the lacquer on the bathroom sign ?"
" Nothing ." The small girl shook her head . " I just thought it was kinda odd
to label the rooms of your own house ."
" If you're going to be staying here you'd better get used to odd ." She
chuckled . " About to take a bath ?"
The small girl nodded .
" Good , mind if I join you ?" She asked , perfect opportunity to pump some info
out of her . " I'll just run up to my room and get some things ."
She left before the red head could object politely .
After waiting in her room until she was sure the girl was already in the
bathroom she made her way back downstairs .
In the changing room she deposited her clothing in a basket beside the one
the red head had used . She noted , after a peek , that he shades had been left
behind along with her clothes .
Walking inside she found the small girl in the middle of lathering up the
shampoo in her hair . Now untied from it's pigtail , the red locks were spilling
everywhere , obscuring the girl's features above her chin .
She took a seat opposite the newcomer and began to lather herself up .
" So , have you been on the road long ?" She began .
The girl nodded , sending bubbles into the air .
" You got a wonderful voice ." She began a few moments later . " Do you sing ?"
The girl shook her head slightly . More bubbles .
" You know , you're kinda small for a marital artist ." She commented , probing
for a more emotional reaction this time .
Disappointing her the girl only nodded .
" You sure are a real conversationalist ." She snorted .
The red head easily lifted a full bucket of cold water over her head as if
it were empty . With a flick of her wrist she dumped the contents over herself .
Not bothering to wipe the water and dangling hair from her face and eyes the
girl stood .
" At least try not to be so obvious when you want to interrogate someone ." The
red head snorted curtly .
Her retort was cut off by the abrupt entrance of Akane .
" Oh , I didn't know you wanted to join us , Nabiki ." Akane began , taking the
stool that the red head had just vacated .
With only a nod to Akane , the red head walked over to the shower instead of
the furo . With deft movements she turned on the water . Though the angle was
odd she thought the younger girl had put on the cold water instead of hot .
The detail was irrelevant , but it lead to another thought .
" If Saotome-san turns into a panda , do you too ?" She asked before dumping a
bucket of cold water over herself .
" Nabiki , she didn't fall into a pool , Saotome-san did ." Akane chided her .
" No , I fell into the spring of drowned girl ." The girl replied evenly .
" WHAT !?" An incensed Akane leapt to her feet .
" What's wrong ?" The cursed girl continued , not bothering to turn around .
" Just because you got the body of a girl doesn't give you the right to come in
here and peep on us PERVERT !" Akane announced in one breath , heaving her stool
in preparation to beat the young red head into a smudge .
" It doesn't matter ." She snorted at her baby sister. " Ever heard of communal
baths ? You going western on me , Akane ?"
" This doesn't count !" Her little sister protested . " He's being a pervert !
He's peeping on us !"
" Impossible ." The red head corrected bitterly .
" Huh ?" Akane blinked at the emotion in the cursed girl's tone .
" You heard me ." The girl turned the shower off . " That happens to be
physically impossible for me ."
Something clicked in her mind . The shades , feeling the sign , not
bothering to wipe anything from her eyes . It was obvious really .
" You're blind ." She stated .
" Excuse me ?" Akane snorted . " I just got my undefeated title stripped by
her-um-him . Not to mention he gets around fine , do you see a cane in his
hands ?"
" No , I really am blind ." The cursed girl corrected .
" Bull ." Akane snorted . " Then how come you're not running into walls ?"
" Akane ..." The girl began before shagging her shoulders in a defeated way .
Slowly , without threat , the cursed girl walked right up to Akane . Until
she was nearly nose to nose with the taller girl . Then , without further word ,
she reached up and brushed the unruly hair from obscuring her eyes .
At her first inspection she felt they looked to be very normal , if
unusually beautiful , blue eyes . Then one fact slammed into place a second
after Akane shrieked and lunged backwards in horror . Those beautiful sapphire
eyes lacked any sort of pupil , not even a pinpoint .
Her own reaction was much more controlled than her little sister's , she
merely gasped and recoiled .
Only after both of their reactions did the small girl herself react . She
tensed and seemed to withdraw into herself , seeking to hide her horrible
disfigurement . After a moment she knelt and righted a overturned stood and sat
down .
" It happened when I was eight ." She began in a dead tone . " Before then I
happened to have sight roughly about twenty-ten . That means I could see twice
as clear and far as a normal person could .
" My Oyaji has to wear glasses to see far away . After an accident he
cracked his last pair . So we went to get another . Because of a special family
discount they were having he got me checked out too . While we didn't know it ,
some guys were there looking for people with my kind of vision . The staff was
so impressed with my sight that they overheard about me .
" We left after they finished the order for Oyaji's new lenses and spare
sets . They hit Oyaji with some sort of sleep spell , then me . To keep a long
story short . I was used to spring a trap for them in an ancient temple . They
needed someone with perfect sight , so they used me . I sprung the trap .
" They thought it was one of those instant death things . Nope , I just got
to see the thing they were after . Then the trap got me . The docs can't figure
it out because it's mostly magical , and no magic we've found can even get a
real idea how to sort the whole thing out .
" Oyaji wanted to pack up and send me home after six months of looking . But
I was the one to refuse . I forced him to teach me to fight by sound at first .
Then I discovered how limited that was . By now I've mastered or learned every
technique I've heard of for blind fighting . I've even invented nine new ways ."
" wow ." Was apparently the only thing that Akane could think of to say .
" Thanks ." The young girl flashed Akane a ghost of a smile . " I'll be the
first one to admit that I'm more than a bit obsessed . I think I'm better now ,
than I would have been at this point if I'd never lost my sight ."
" So that's why you didn't like the varnish ." She snapped her fingers . " You
couldn't feel the paint on the wood that way ."
" Exactly ." The red head nodded .
* * *
After a quick breakfast the three of them headed off for school . At first
she had been nervous , wondering if she would have to lead Ranma by the hand .
Akane would never be caught dead holding a boy's hand in public . That was
thrown out the window when the boy leapt onto a nearby fence , adjusted his
ever-present mirror shades and nodded to them .
" I'll just follow you two ." He informed them .
" Alright ...but ," Akane began . " why are you on the fence ?"
" Balance practice ." Ranma shrugged .
The rest of the way up until a good block away the trio walked on in
congenial silence . That was until Ranma hopped down and pulled a odd tube out
of his pocket . She and Akane stopped at the strange actions .
" What's that ?" Akane asked .
With a flick of his wrist the tube folded out into the white probing cane of
the blind . " Crowds in tight spaces like hallways are a real strain to get
through . So I just fall back on this ." He tapped the point on the concrete
before him . " Besides , it's easier just to be a regular blind person in public
than to explain my situation to everybody ."
" I suppose so ." She conceded .
She walked on as Akane merely stood there and stared . The moment she
started moving Ranma began to shadow her , the cane tapping in a quick regular
rhythm . A few moments later Akane fell into step behind Ranma . Once more they
walked on in congenial silence .
However , that was short lived as she began to hear Akane's chant as her
younger sister psyched herself up .
"-hate boys hate boys hateboys hateboys hateboyshateboys-"
" Akane are you-?" Ranma began before Akane launched herself into a flat out
charge through the school gates .
" Um..Nabiki ?" Ranma turned to her , a questioning expression on his face .
" Don't worry this happens every morning ." She reassured him .
" But aren't there ...forty nine ..guys waiting for her ?"
Gently she took Ranma by the arm not holding his cane and lead him to a safe
vantage point by the wall .
" Yeah , it's barely a workout for her nowadays ." She glanced over to the
gathering group of her regular betting pool . " Ranma , if you're going to be
alright here for a while I have something to take care of ."
" I'll come get you if I need you ." Ranma nodded in her general direction .
She paused before starting off . That was the first time Ranma had acted as
if he wasn't sure of her exact location or his own . In fact , up until he had
taken his cane out he had acted as if he could see fine . Always 'looking' at
someone's face when speaking to them , always walking with unhesitant steps ,
and so on .
She quickly concluded her betting business and was heading back to take
Ranma inside when she noticed something . Ranma wasn't facing straight ahead
like the helpless blind person he was supposed to be acting like . The way he
faced a tree she would have described as staring if it wasn't for the obvious
fact that was impossible for Ranma . Following his 'stare' she saw Kuno hiding
behind the tree . She shook her head in amazement , Kuno had to be thirty meters
or more from Ranma .
" Who is that nut ?" Ranma asked her without 'looking' away from Kuno .
" Kuno-chan ?" She snorted . " Usually it takes actually meeting him to figure
out he's nuts ."
" That guy's mind is spastic ." Ranma commented in all seriousness . " But he's
no joke physically .."
" Yeah , he's the undefeated captain of the Kendo club ."
" He may be nuts but he's not dumb , lacking honor , but not dumb ." Ranma
commented as Kuno launched a rose at Akane .
" How's that ?" She questioned .
" Akane's physically warmed up but emotionally exasperated . She'll fight overly
aggressive , with superior reach of his wooden sword he could simply outlast her
until she made a big mistake ."
" I think you're giving Kuno-chan waaay too much credit ."
" Let me guess ," Ranma pointed momentarily at Kuno with his cane as lightning
flashed and thunder pealed after the Kendoist's introduction . " he does this
sort of speech every tournament ?"
" Well , yeah , but .."
" And every time his opponent is hell-bent on taking the arrogant pig down a peg
or two ?"
" Yeah ."
" So every time he wins by striking when his opponent makes a mistake ."
" This is getting scary ...Kuno...is crafty ?!"
" I didn't say that ." Ranma snorted in amusement . " Just because a pattern of
behavior works doesn't mean he didn't simply happen to form it from trial and
error ."
" Alright , thanks ." She patted Ranma's arm . " For a second there my mind was
about to blow trying to think of Kuno as smart ."
Ranma flashed her a smile that made her heart skip a beat .
" Well ," She began , trying to distract herself . " we'd better get to class
before we're late ." Before the young man could object she took him by the arm
and began to lead him to the door .
" Nabiki , duck ." Ranma whispered to her urgently out of the blue .
" Huh ?" She turned to look at him instead of following his advice .
" Aww man ." Ranma grunted loud enough to be heard by bystanders as he dropped
his cane . In the action of stooping to retrieve it he 'accidentally' knocked
her down .
An unconscious Kuno flew over her head , missing her by centimeters .
" Next time listen ." Ranma whispered to her as he felt along the ground for his
cane .
Never taking her eyes off of him she snatched the cane and placed it in
Ranma's hand . " Th-thanks ."
" Let's get inside now ." Ranma told her , helping her to her feet .
They were in the door not a moment too soon , a light rain began to fall
just moments after Ranma was inside .
As it turned out Ranma was to be in the same class as Akane . So she lead
him down the hall to his room and with his assurances she left for her own class
. Oddly , she felt vaguely disappointed . With a shrug she caulked it up to
gratitude for being saved .
* Who the hell is this ?* Gosunkugi wondered . * Don't people like him go
special schools or something ?*
While he kept his thoughts to himself his classmates weren't so polite . The
moment the boy had tapped his cane to find the teacher's desk the murmurs had
risen beyond the usual volume for chatter . Some morons hadn't even rubbed two
neurons together to make the connection that the new guy was blind .
Being versed in lip reading after years of spying from afar he followed the
conversation between the new student and the teacher .
" I was told you were informed about me ?" The new guy began .
" Only the basics , just back from China , your age , your name , blind , past
grades , a brief summary of your school record , and such ." Their teacher
nodded . " I have your papers in raised romanji print ."
" Thank you Sensei ."
" Good , now after a quick introduction I'll start class ."
" Alright ."
From there the teacher stood . The roar of conversation and rumors ceased so
quickly it was nearly painful .
" Alright class ," Their teacher began . " we have a new student today . His
name is Saotome Ranma . He's just come back from a long trip to China . Now as
you may know Ranma is blind so we would appreciate it if you would extend
appropriate courtesies ." The teacher waited for a moment . " Now , Ranma your
seat is by Tendo-san ." The man sat down at his desk . " Tendo-san , if you
would ?"
Akane looked up at the teacher and Ranma blankly .
" Tendo-san ?" The teacher questioned .
" Hai ?" Akane answered .
" If you would ?"
Now Akane had a deer caught in the headlights expression .
" It's alright ." Ranma smiled politely . Taking a step in Akane's direction he
made his way down the isle taping the desk legs and counting until he tapped
Akane's desk .
" Here ?" Ranma asked .
" Hai ." Akane answered , tentatively .
Feeling with his hands Ranma took his seat and settled in for class .
* * *
" Ranma noh baka !" She snarled at Ranma during their lunchbreak .
" Huh ?" Ranma replied intelligently .
" Now everyone thinks I was being mean to you !" She growled .
" Then why didn't you get up and lead me to my desk ?"
" Because I didn't know I was supposed to , besides you didn't need me to !"
" Not my fault you've never known a blind person before ." Ranma sighed and took
a few bites of his lunch . " Remember , I'm just an ordinary blind guy here . At
school I can't go around like I usually do ."
" Why not ?" She snorted . " It'd be easier ."
" I'd have a migraine by the end of the day ." Ranma explained . " besides ,
it'd be odd for me to go around like I could see , but be blind when I'm in a
crowd or something . Just pretending I'm a regular blind guy is easier ."
" For you ." She sniffed in displeasure .
" Well I-...oh damn ." Ranma shagged his shoulders .
" What ?"
" You'll see in a second ." Ranma answered mournfully .
True enough , in the space of a second the entire class seemed to teleport
into a circle around her . Assaulting her with questions about this possible
betrothal of one of the Tendo sisters .
Through a gap in the hoard of classmates she managed to see Ranma heading
for the door . As she was about to call out for him the young martial artist
turned on his heel and hurried away from the door , his cane tapping a staccato
rhythm .
" I FORBID THIS TRAVERSTY !" Kuno bellowed before kicking in said door .
" WHO IS SAOTOME RANMA ?!" The mad kendoist continued , waving his wooden
imitation of a katana about .
" um..I am ." Ranma turned to face the kendoist uncertainly .
" I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE TENDO AKANE FROM THE BLUE THUNDER !" Kuno
bellowed before charging .
The rest of the class froze in horror , awaiting what they expected to be
the needless death of a poor blind student .
Kuno whirled in his final step to deliver an elegant horizontal slash . At
the last second she saw Ranma shift his weight into a sidestep . The wooden
blade met his side just before Ranma's speed matched it's own . As Ranma
apparently flew aside from the blow his flailing cane just happened to strike
Kuno behind the ear . Ranma sailed into the blackboard just as Kuno's
unconscious form collapsed to the floor .
With all haste she rushed over Kuno , making sure to step on him , and on to
Ranma . Gently , but with as much speed as possible she helped Ranma out of the
room and towards the infirmary .
" Did it look real ?" Ranma asked after they had gone a ways from the class .
" I thought I saw you sidestep ." She smiled , proud of herself for caching
something like that .
" I barely let the stick touch me ." Ranma smiled . " How about the cane hit ?
Look accidental enough ?"
" I'll say so . But why didn't you just pummel him ?"
" Regular blind guy remember ?"
" Oh ."
When they got to the infirmary Ranma promptly held out a letter for the head
nurse . Confused , the nurse took it and began to read . After a few moments she
left the room to make a phone call .
" What was that ?" She asked Ranma .
" A letter from my last school nurse to my next one ." Ranma smiled . " It
basically sums me up and how things usually go around me , and has a few numbers
to call for questions and verifications that this ain't a joke ."
" How things usually go around you ?"
" Yeah ." He nodded . " I kinda have the tendency to attract weird things and
stuff ."
" Like what ?"
" Um...lotsa martial artists with grudges , monsters , Oni , and stuff ."
" Well I don't exactly lead a normal life either ." She snorted , not to be
outdone .
Ranma only stifled a laugh and 'looked' the other way . She brooded a bit
over his reaction but decided not to pursue the matter .
A few minuets later a very flustered nurse walked back in . Ranma answered
her questions before she even got out the first word .
" It's true , no , yes , sometimes , not often , and no one unless they
absolutely need to know ."
Standing , he allowed her to lead him out of the infirmary . Once a good
distance from the nurses office she stopped them .
" What were the questions ?"
" Is this true ? Is there anything I can do ? Will anything happen ? Do you get
hurt or hurt others ? Does trouble find you here at school ? Who can I tell
about all of this ?"
" Are you telepathetic ...telepal..-a mind reader ?"
" Nope , I've just been through the drill enough times ."
Upon returning to class Ranma pretended to favor his hurt side . Except for
Kuno's absence and Ranma pretending to be hurt everything went as normal for the
rest of the period as she could have hoped for .
Then came school clean up . Ranma cared for cleaning the chalk boards as she
followed her friends outside to pick up litter .
" Akane-chan , you poor thing ." One of her friends patted her on the shoulder
in consolation .
" Huh ?" She replied intelligently .
" Getting married to that poor blind guy ." Another hung her head .
" Hold on a second !"
" I mean , he's absolutely gorgeous , but you'll have to do everything in the
marriage ."
She had given up protesting for the moment in favor of pleading looks .
" Actually , now that I think about it , you might not have such a bad deal ."
" You're right . She gets to lord over her husband , and not the other way
around ."
" Could all of you listen to me for just one SECOND ?!"
To her shock it actually worked . They all looked at her expectantly .
" Nothing has been decided yet , he could be marrying Nabiki or Kasumi ."
" OH the poor thing ! Hooked to Nabiki !" One girl gasped .
" He'd better get Kasumi then ."
" Yeah , she'd be the perfect wife for someone like him ."
" I give up ." She sighed and left the others to their gossip .
* * *
After the bell rang to end school she quickly took care of some pressing
business concerns before meeting her sister and Ranma by the school gate . Ranma
had been 'looking' at her before she was even out of the building . Which was
almost startling , because she had taken one of the few side exits instead of
the main entrance out front .
During morning she had strategically released the news of Ranma and his
pending engagement to one of the Tendo sisters . However , despite the success
of Ranma fending off Kuno as she had thought , as a whole things had backfired .
Right now people were blaming her for the attack on Ranma , which was basically
her fault for telling Kuno in the way she had . Then there was the recent
development that she was to be the one Ranma was betrothed to , and all the
girls who didn't mind a blind significant other were sneering at her . Which
happened to a large portion of the female student body .
Needless to say , she was rather glad to be cutting her losses and leaving
school for the day . She didn't exactly feel like supporting those rumors , but
when she reached her sister and Ranma , Akane quite gratefully relinquished the
duty of leading him off school grounds to her .
However , once well away from other students Ranma gently slipped his large
hand out of her petite hand . After folding his cane up he hopped onto the fence
, all without breaking stride .
" Thanks for breaking the news to everyone so gracefully ." Akane's voice oozed
sarcasm from every orifice . " Ranma nearly had to blow his cover ."
She glanced up at said martial artist , who seemed not to be hearing
anything .
" Well , Akane , are you sorry that Ranma got a turn to beat Kuno instead of you
this time ?" She stalled .
" What ? No ! It just shouldn't have happened !"
" No way to avoid it , it had to get out sometime ." She shrugged reasonably .
Her baby sister resigned herself to fuming . On the way home she had time to
simmer down until all was well . As well as things could usually be .
Once home Akane rushed off to the Dojo to work out her frustrations . She
decided to see what Ranma was going to do . To her disappointment the boy merely
grabbed a quick snack , which happened to be a thirty centimeter long sub
sandwich , and headed off to the living room to devour it .
Wondering what she had been expecting of him she followed his example .
Laden with a bowl of rice and a glass of cherry coke she headed up to her room
to tackle her homework .
Ranma's first day living with them was a good change form the normal grind .
But , she had to remind herself that the day was not yet over .
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