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DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters. They belong to
the goddess known as Rumiko Takahashi. I am but a simple worshipper at
her feet. (I hope my annual tithe gets to her before the due date or
else...hold on, there's a knock at the door!) Hello? NO! I sent it! I
did! Let me go! No, I don't want to be locked in with Azuza!
HEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP! Sweet girl's voice: Oh! Raphiel! I love you my
sweet Raphiel!
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds of Change
Chapter 5
Strangely, Tuesday passed without incident. Kenji shook his
head. He thought it strange that nothing unusual would happen since he
was finally coming to grips with the odd events of the past few days,
even his odd arrival. Akane was helping him get caught up in his classes
and Ranma continued to spar with him. His days were full and he was
exhausted at the end of each one.
The Tendos finally accepted that Kenji was telling the truth
when it was confirmed by Dr. Tofu and later, Cologne. Kenji, slowly
growing accustomed to some of the strangeness that had recently entered
his life, was only a little surprised to find an old woman (Chinese
Amazon!) bouncing along on a wooden stick. She had stopped by the dojo
four days after his arrival and confirmed that his memories were blocked
by some sort of magic and that she's need a few days to look up the
ritual/spell/antidote/whatever that would bring his memories back.
Off to the side, she told him that if she could, she would only
do it in exchange for a favor, though. Kenji decided there would be no
harm in it, as long as she didn't ask him to kill anybody. The old woman
agreed and left.
Ranma still didn't rule out the idea that maybe Kenji's
memories were sealed for a reason and that they shouldn't be so eager to
get them back. He was quickly overruled by Akane when she informed him
of how hard he worked to get Akane's memories back when Shampoo erased
them. Maybe it would have been better if she didn't remember him?
Ranma quickly conceeded the point.
A few days later, and after dinner, saw Kenji sitting on the
steps of the dojo and looking up at the stars. Akane wandered by and sat
down next to him. Unbeknownst to both of them, Ranma was watching them
from the roof of the house.
"You okay?" she asked as she sat down.
"Just been doing a lot of thinking." He tossed a small pebble
into the pond in the yard. He watched the water ripple outward from the
small splash.
"About your memories?"
Kenji nodded, but didn't say anything.
Akane frowned. The amnesiac youth didn't seem willing to
discuss anything with her, but she had come out here to see if there was
anything more she could learn about him. "You want to talk about it?"
she prodded.
Kenji glanced back at her. "Why? There's nothing you can do
about it." His gaze suddenly turned suspicious. "Unless you had some
part in what happened to me."
"No!" Akane blurted. "I just meant that it helps sometimes to
talk about your problems. I just want to help if I can."
Kenji turned away from her again and shrugged. "Whatever. I
don't know why my memories were sealed, and while I do want to know why
that was, another part of me doesn't want to find out."
Akane was taken aback. "Why not?"
Kenji sighed. "I... keep having these dreams, and I guess I'm
just worried they're true. They aren't that pleasent and..." He growled
in frustration. "Something happened to me! The doc said I suffered some
sort of trauma, but if that's the case, maybe I'm better off not
remembering."
"You can't mean that!"
He shook his head. "No, not really. I do want my memories back,
and I'll deal with whatever happens after that." His fist clenched. "I
just want whoever did this to me! I'll make him pay for making hash out
of my life!"
They were silent for a few minutes. "What are some of the other
reasons?"
Kenji opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it.
"Naw, forget it." To Akane, it was clear he didn't want to pursue the
matter, so she dropped it. But there was something else she could ask
him.
"Now, what about Ukyo?"
Kenji's voice was carefully neutral. "What about her?"
"She likes you!" Akane blurted out. "And I think you like her,
too. I've seen the way you two looked and talked to each other over the
past week. Now what are you going to do about it?"
Kenji shrugged. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Akane looked confused. "But, why?"
"Because there is nothing to do," he replied. "I'm going to get
my memories back and then I'm leaving, there's nothing else to it. I'm
not going to get involved in anything that will keep me here." He stood
up and turned away. "As soon as I find some clues about where I came
from, I'm gone."
Akane's eyes widened in realization, and she thought about how
to phrase her response. "You don't have to be afraid about building a
new life here. After all, you may have to face the fact you may never
get your memories back."
Kenji turned around and snarled at her. "What do YOU know! You
have a perfect life here!" He jerked a thumb at his chest. "My life AND
my identity were torn from me without my consent! I am GOING to reclaim
it, and nobody is going to stop me. Until then, I won't let minor
distractions hold me back!"
Akane stood up and faced him down. "Ukyo is NOT a minor
distraction, and she hasn't had an easy life either! If you'd get to
know her, you'd find that out!" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"And another thing, when Ukyo falls for someone, she falls hard. She
chased Ranma for a year because he said she was cute. Several weeks
before you arrived, she was practically rejected by the one she loved.
She spent the next couple of weeks in a major depression over that!"
Akane ran out of steam and huffed, awaiting Kenji's reaction.
Ranma had told her a little about what he had said to Ukyo that
night and, from what Akane understood, Ranma had basically told Ukyo he
wouldn't marry her. Unspoken however, was who Ranma was going to marry,
though Akane had her suspicions.
A surprised expression was written across his face, and it took
a minute for him to respond. "I-I didn't know. Ranma, right?" Akane
nodded. "Look, I can't make any promises. I meant what I said, though.
As soon as I know anything, I'm leaving." He looked down. "I don't want
to hurt her, but I guess... it can't hurt to talk to her."
Akane nodded. "That would be a good idea."
Kenji snorted. "Just leave me alone."
She sighed. "Sure." She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze,
then headed back into the house.
On the rooftop, Ranma frowned. He couldn't hear anything, but
he saw Akane's hand go to Kenji's shoulder before she left. Ranma was
about to get up and go after her when he noticed something blue flash on
the other side of the wall. Kenji must have noticed it too, since he got
up and headed to that part of the wall. He leapt to the top of the wall,
took a look, then disappeared down the other side. What's going on with
him? Ranma thought.
Then his danger sense kicked in, informing him something was
very, very wrong.
Kenji landed on the other side of the wall and looked around.
There! A small, glowing blue ball floated down at the end of the street.
He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to go after it. It was almost
as if it was calling him. The amnesiac ran after it as it moved around a
corner and disappeared. Kenji turned the corner just in time to see it
move down another street and disappear again.
This pattern repeated itself for several minutes. After
following it for awhile, he entertained the thought of just giving up
and going back. However, after stepping into an empty lot, the blue ball
appeared right in front of him and ceased it's movement. Kenji just
stood there for a few seconds, studying it.
"Who or what are you?" he asked tentatively.
The blue ball turned red and slowly formed into a black-cloaked
middle-aged man who was surrounded by a glowing red outline. He was
clean shaven and bald, and his eyes were incredibly dark. It gave the
younger man the shivers just to look at him.
He spoke. "I've come for you, Kenji."
Kenji blinked. "Me? How, why do you know my name?"
The figure smiled. "I know many things about you, including the
fact that you couldn't live with yourself if you knew you had done
something wrong."
Kenji cocked his head in confusion. "I did something...?" The
figure nodded. "Wait, you know who I am! Tell me who I am and where I
come from! I don't know anything about myself!"
The figure frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do
that."
"Why not?" Kenji's hopes died, as the one person who might tell
him who he is, refused to do so.
"Because I've only come here to take you back so you can be
punished for your actions!" The figure brought out a few small, what
looked like... balloons?
Kenji started to get angry. "Well then, what did I supposedly
do? You can at least tell me that!"
The figure nodded and waved his hand. An image began to form
next to him and Kenji gasped as it slowly came into to focus.
It was a house on fire, just like his dreams.
The figure pointed accusingly. "Three people died in this fire,
and it was your fault!"
The young man began to shake in fear. He was, a murderer? An
arsonist? "Why don't I remember any of this!? Can you tell me that?"
The figure shrugged. "Perhaps you made yourself forget to avoid
your punishment. I am simply here to carry it out!"
With that, he began to toss the balloons at Kenji who reacted
instantly. He easily began to weave around the projectiles, when he
noticed the balloons hit the ground and break open. Kenji slowed down.
Water? Slowing down turned out to be a big mistake as a balloon hit
him and spilled it's contents over his chest, soaking him thoroughly.
Kenji looked down at his now wet self. "Water is my punishment?
What's the meaning of this?"
The figure grinned evilly. "Just wait for it." Then a
thoughtful look crossed his face. "Hmmm, I wonder which one that was?"
Kenji was starting to get even angrier at what was happening.
He strode up to the stranger to get some serious answers when he started
feeling very strange. The world seemed to be growing larger and it lost
it's color, becoming shades of black and white. When he got to the
stranger, he suddenly felt rather small and had to look up to see the
man. He tried to speak, but what came out was not what he wanted to say.
"Woof! Woof!" What the.... Kenji looked at his hands and
could hardly believe what he saw. He now had gray paws instead of hands.
Looking up revealed the unknown figure grinning at him.
"Hmmm... spring of drowned wolf, I see. What were the odds? I only had
one of those!" Then he laughed. "Well, I had several cat and frog water
balloons, as well as had a couple of doses from the spring of drowned
bunny, too."
He crouched down to gaze at the transformed animal at eye
level. "Anyway, I was just having a little harmless fun with you. Had to
eliminate the danger before I took you back for your execution. Well,
that and the ritual requires you to be cursed."
The anger had all but left the young-boy-turned-wolf now, and
fear was replacing it in spades.Wh-what's happening to me? I-I killed
people and now I'm going to d-die because of it? Every time he tried to
speak, it always came out as a bark instead.
"This is so easy, I almost regret it, but," he shrugged. "I
can't afford to have you running around." He held out his hand and it
began to glow red. He then reached out to touch the small furry animal
in front of him.
As the hand came down, all Kenji could do was sit there, frozen
in both shock and fear. Fear of dying, and shock of what had happened to
him. He closed his eyes and awaited what would happen next.
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"
Kenji's eyes snapped open to see a blue sphere smash into the
figure and send him tumbling sideways across the lot. Kenji's eyes
tracked the path of where the ball had come from, and beheld Ranma
standing on a rooftop with his arms outstretched, his wrists together,
his palms open. He promptly leapt from the roof to the ground and ran
over to the dazed wolf.
"Hey man, you all right?" he asked, then mentally slapped
himself when he realized Kenji couldn't respond. "Nevermind. I'll take
care of him."
Ranma then turned his attention to the mysterious figure who
was just getting up. The man just gave Ranma a scathing stare.
"I don't know who you are," Ranma snarled, "but back off or
you're gonna get hurt."
The man laughed. "Or what? You'll hit me with that pathetic
attack again? Go ahead, try it!" Without warning, the man burst into
flames. After the initial burst cleared away, he just floated a few
feet off the ground as flames burned all around his body.
"You asked for it!" Ranma brought his hands together where a
small blue sphere formed. It grew in size, then Ranma tossed it at his
opponent. "Moko Takabisha!"
This time however, it had different results.
The ki blast exploded against it's target but, when the dust
cleared, he was laughing and seemingly unscathed.
"You want a fireball? Then try this!" He held his hands up and
two fireballs formed at his fingertips. He promptly launched them at
Ranma.
Kuso, Ranma thought as he jumped out of the way. The area he
just vacated exploded in a shower of sparks and dirt. Long range
attacks won't work, I'll have to get close.
That turned out to be easier said than done. Ranma had to jump
back and forth, zig and zag, to avoid being hit by the almost continuous
stream of fireballs. And since he's burning, I'll have to be careful
about how I touch him. Fortunately, I've got just the move!
A few more zags, a few more fireballs dodged, and then he was
inside. The man suddenly realized how close Ranma had come and was going
to try and back it away, but it was too late.
"Kashu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma yelled as his hands and arms
became a blur. The pyromaniac obviously couldn't block or dodge them
all. Ranma's fists zipped and delivered a precision strike, then pulled
away before they could be burned.
Ranma grinned. Like pulling chestnuts from a fire!
A full 10 seconds and a several hundred strikes later, the man
was sent reeling across the yard. Ranma stopped and pulled back into a
ready position with moderately increased breathing. "Had enough?" he
challenged.
Ranma stared incredulously as the pyromaniac slowly rose to his
feet. He could see that his opponent was beat up pretty well; having a
black eye, bleeding from the lip, nose, and his left arm was hanging
loosely.
The man wiped his lip while looking at his adversary with
newfound respect, and contempt. "This isn't over!" he yelled back. "I'll
be back to take that boy over there, and if you or anyone else tries to
stop me, they will die. None can stand against the Fire Lord!" He raised
his right hand and exploded again. All that was left was a fireball that
promptly sped away into the night.
"Just try it," Ranma muttered. He then turned his attention to
Kenji who, while still a small wolf, had ended up getting smacked
against a wooden fence by an errant fireball. He walked over to the
helpless animal and shook him a few times.
"Hey Kenji, wake up! Come on, man!" The small wolf slowly
stirred and sat up. It looked at Ranma and he could see the confusion
and fear in Kenji's eyes. "Aw man. You're gonna be all right." Ranma
tried to comfort him. "It's time I showed you something. Follow me."
He walked over to a hose that was hanging from a faucet and
picked it up. Ranma turned to him. "See, I'm a guy, right?" The wolf
nodded, still confused, but trying to understand what Ranma was going to
do. He turned on the water and held the hose over his own body. Water
splashed down him and Kenji stared as Ranma's hair turned red and he
shrunk a bit. His chest also became bigger.
Kenji blinked. Breasts!? What's going on?
Ranma turned off the water and spoke to him, only now his voice
was several octaves higher. "Ya understand? I'm cursed, just like you
are. We turn into our cursed forms when splashed with cold water. Hot
water turns us back to normal."
Suddenly it all made sense to Kenji. He had seen that red-
haired girl at the school and around the dojo a few times, mostly wet,
but she always ran away when Kenji saw her. The family just said it was
someone named "Ranko" who lived nearby and dropped in on occasion and
who like to dress like Ranma. Kenji barked his understanding and Ranma
nodded.
"Ranma!" a new voice could be heard. "What's going on? Are you
all right?"
They turned to see Akane coming up to them. "Uh, hi Akane!"
Ranma greeted her. "Just takin' a stroll!"
Akane frowned. "But I heard the sounds of fighting and..."
Suddenly she saw Kenji's discarded clothes, partially burned. "RANMA!
What did you do to Kenji-san!"
Ranma backed up. "Nothing! I swear!"
"Then how come..." She stopped as a small wolf stepped in front
of her and barked several times. To her, it appeared to be just slightly
larger than Shampoo's cat form, and was colored in shades of white and
gray, with a couple of black spots thrown in
The wolf turned around and barked at Ranma a few times. He
seemed to understand and sighed. "Akane, meet the Jusenkyo cursed
Kenji." He pointed to the small wolf.
Akane was confused. "Nani? But, I've seen him come into contact
with water before and nothing happened."
"It's a long story," Ranma picked up Kenji's clothes and the
nudged the others forward. "We'll explain at home."
A half-an-hour and a kettle of hot water later, Ranma and a
depressed Kenji were back to (relative) normal. Akane watched as Ranma
held up a robe and poured the water on the wolf. Kenji quickly grew into
the robe. He then left for the dojo to change into some new clothes.
While changing, he came to a decision. Whoever that guy was, it
was obvious he was coming back for him. He didn't want to put the Tendos
in any danger, so he decided he'd better leave. Besides, if he ran,
there was a good chance that fireball guy wouldn't be able to find him.
Eventually, he could find a way to deal with it.
He hoped.
He threw his remaning clothes into a spare duffel bag, than
wrote a quick note explaining his actions and promising reparations for
the clothes and the hospitality. He then opened the window and jumped to
the ground. A quick glance around told him no one had seen him, so ran
to the gate and tried to slip out.
"I hope you'll be back soon, Kenji-san," came the sweet voice of
Kasumi. He froze. "After all, you need your rest."
He sighed and turned around to see the elder Tendo sister
sweeping the front walkway. "Actually, I'm leaving for good, Kasumi-
san. I left a note explaining why, and Ranma can tell you what else
happened tonight, but the gist of the situation is this: Apparently a
dangerous person wants me and I don't want your family getting caught up
in it."
Kasumi barely blinked. "Oh dear, that can be a problem." She
sighed. "You must do what you think is right, though. We will miss you."
Kenji nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Say thanks to your family for
me for all they've done. You especially have been really nice to me,
considering what I did." He turned back to the gate. "Goodbye."
He waved, she waved back, and he was gone. "And he was such a
nice boy. I do hope he'll be alright." She turned and walked back into
the house where she saw Akane sitting and apparently waiting for
something.
Ranma came running inside. "He's gone!"
Akane stood up. "What!?"
"I found this note when I went to see what was taking so long,"
he explained.
Akane took it from him and read it. "He's afraid of putting us
in danger and he'll make it up to us somehow?" She looked up. "Ranma,
we've got to find him! Regardless of who he is, he's someone who
obviously needs our help!"
Kasumi piped in. "If you're talking about Kenji-kun, you just
missed him. He left a few minutes ago."
"And you didn't stop him, oneechan?" Akane asked.
"He seemed to think it was the right thing to do. If you hurry,
you may catch up to him." She smiled sweetly and went into the kitchen
to finish cleaning.
The two teenagers bolted out of the house and leapt to the top
of the wall. Taking a quick glance around, they spilt up and began to
search.
Kenji was now in front of a certain restaurant, debating on
whether he should enter. There was someone inside who he knew he would
definitely miss. Oh well, it was not to be. He sighed, shook his head,
and walked off down the street.
Ranma was the one who caught up to him first. He was running
down the street when he saw his silhouette disappear from the street
lamp over a bridge. He put on some additional speed and took off after
him.
"Kenji!" he called out when he closed the distance. "Where do
you think you're goin'?"
The boy in question turned around and scowled. "I'm leaving.
I've got problems to deal with and I'm to going to deal with them
myself." That, and I don't want to put your family in danger.
"What are ya talkin' about?" the pig-tailed boy asked. "I can
help ya."
"Maybe you can, but my problems are my own." His voice turned
deathly serious. "I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me." Kenji turned and
started to walk away.
Ranma jumped in front of him and barred his path. "I can't let
ya do that. Take it from me, running from your problems don't work." He
inwardly winced at that. Maybe I should take my own advice.
"I ain't runnin'!" he yelled. "My affairs are my own. I'll deal
with them by myself!" Kenji dropped the bag and assumed a ready
position. "If you want to stop me, you'll have to fight me! Otherwise,
get out of my way!"
"I'm just tryin' to help!" Ranma yelled back. "But if you wanna
fight, so be it! You know ya can't beat me!"
"Maybe, but I can try!" With that, Kenji launched himself at
Ranma in a flurry of kicks and punches.
Ranma dodged a few and blocked most, but Kenji was fast, if not
that strong. He connected with a few blows before Ranma began to
retaliate. Suddenly, Kenji found himself on the defensive as he worked
to avoid or block the attacks Ranma was sending. He knew he couldn't
stand up to the pig-tailed martial artist for long, so he looked for an
advantage.
A strong punch slammed him into a wall, stunning him
temporarily. Gritting his teeth, he spotted a rake leaning up against
the wall next to him and he grabbed it. Somehow, he seemed really
comfortable with the weapon, though he didn't think much of it. Instead,
he attack with renewed vigor and this time it was a closer battle.
Ranma had to work to avoid the sharp business end of the rake
as Kenji wielded the impromptu staff like a pro. He managed a glancing
blow off Ranma's shoulder with the end of the weapon, ripping a bit of
the shirt and drawing a bit of blood. It wasn't a lot, but it served to
kick Ranma into high gear.
They battled for a few more minutes before Ranma worked his way
inside the other boy's defense and disarm him. One powerful multi-hit
combo later sent Kenji to the ground, battered and bruised. When he
recovered enough of his senses, he realized Ranma hadthe sharp end of
the rake at his throat.
That's when Akane found them. "Ranma! Don't hurt him!" She ran
up to them.
"But, Akane, he attacked me!" Ranma cried as he dropped the
rake.
Akane scowled at him, then turned and helped Kenji up. "He's
right Akane-san. I did start it."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because he wouldn't get out of my way! He wouldn't let me
leave." He picked up his duffel bag. "And now I'll be going." His visage
softened a little. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful for you
kindness, but my problems are my own."
He turned to walk away once more, but this time Akane blocked
his path. "If you try to go, you'll have to fight me as well. You say
you owe us, fine! I'll tell you how you can repay us. Come back and tell
our family everything. If they decide they want you to stay, you do so.
Besides, we've has faced worse threats in the past year. Since Ranma
came, we've fought dragons, phoenixes, princes, and all other sorts of
enemies, and you don't see me wanting to get rid of him."
Kenji blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then added a third blink for good measure.
"Dragons?" Ordinarily, he probably would've scoffed at that.
But in the past few hours, he'd been cursed to turn into a dog and some
floating weirdo had been tossing fireballs around like they were going
out of style. Maybe dragons existed as well?
Ranma laughed. "Yeah, a nasty lookin' thing called an Orochi.
Trust me when I tell ya the safest place for you is right here."
Kenji looked back and forth between the two people and sighed.
Somehow he knew that if he tried to go, they'd doubleteam him and drag
him back. "Alright, you win. I'll go with you for now."
They began to walk back as Akane said, "Don't worry, you won't
regret this." She then turned to Ranma. "And what's with you and your
habit of fighting with everyone we meet..."
Coming back to the Tendo house, Kenji told Ranma and Akane that
he'd rather be alone. They got his assurance that he wouldn't leave,
then separated from him.
Heading back into the dojo, Kenji's depression only got worse.
Though he was convinced to return, he still didn't feel that good about
the whole situation. Someone very powerful wants me dead and now I'm
cursed to turn into a freakin' mutt! He threw his bag back into the
dojo. In the occupied and depressed state his mind was in, his body
lapsed into an unfamiliar kata.
Halfway through, his wandering mind came back and wondered
where he had learned the kata. Unfortunately, that caused him to lose
his focus and the knowledge of the rest of the sequence was lost to him.
Growling in frustration, he punched the floor, cracking the wood.
"It ain't a good idea for a guest to damage the house where he
is stayin'," came a voice. Kenji looked up to see Ranma watching him.
The pigtailed boy chuckled. "'Course, I ain't exactly one ta talk."
"What do you want, Ranma?" Kenji asked with a fair amount of
disgust in his voice. "I said I'd like to be alone."
Ranma ignored that. "That was a pretty interestin' kata you
were doin' 'til ya quit. You got some natural talent."
Kenji turned his back to the other boy and walked to one of the
dojo's windows.
"Whatever." He paused. "Why?" the amnesiac boy asked silently,
but loud enough for Ranma to hear. Then, louder, "Why ME!? What did I do
to deserve this? My memory's been wiped, I'm being hunted, deaths are
blamed on me, AND I'm cursed to turn into freakin' animal when hit with
water!" He turned back to face Ranma. "WHY!?"
Ranma shook his head. "I can't tell ya that, man. All I can say
is I know what you're goin' through. I'm cursed and I've had so many
people try ta kill me or control my life. All I know is ya just haveta
deal with it."
"And we'd like to help," came Akane's voice as she came up next
to her fiance.
"This guy said he'd be back for me!" Kenji exclaimed, his
patience running thin. "And next time he may not be alone. I don't let
anyone else fight my own battles!"
Akane rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I get enough of that macho
attitude from Ranma."
"Yeah, and plus I kinda owe ya," said Ranma softly.
"What?" Kenji asked, surprised.
Ranma put his hands up to stall any other questions. "Let me
explain. I saw the blue light, too, and followed you to the lot. The guy
there seemed to know ya, so I thought I'd listen and see if you really
were bein' straight with us." His face dropped. "If I had jumped right
away, I could've stopped him before he cursed ya. It wasn't `til
afterward that I realized I was wrong."
There was silence in the room after the revelation. Kenji's
already stressed mind snapped, and it found a convient target. "It's
your fault!?" His voice got angrier. "You're the reason for this damn
curse! I... was starting to trust you people... and now I find out you
could've prevented this and you did nothing!?" Some part of Kenji's mind
informed him that Ranma was too good for him to take, but the wooden
wall behind him wasn't so lucky.
*Crack!* Kenji slowly withdrew his fist from the hole in the
wall, and stared at his hand. It was scraped and bleeding, but he didn't
feel much like doing anything about it. He spaced out for a moment but
when he came to, Akane was bandaging his hand.
He stared dumbly at her. "What is it about you people? Why do
you insist on doing stuff like this for me?"
Akane scowled back at him. "What? Can't we help someone who
obviously needs it?"
"I don't need anybody's help!" the young amnesiac reiterated.
"Sure looked like it back there," Ranma said offhand.
Kenji sighed and turned away. "Whatever. I'll be ready for him
next time."
Akane stood up and headed over to the dojo door. "Look, you
have no memory, no money, no family at the moment, and a dangerous enemy
after you. Any sane person would want at least some help. There's
nothing wrong with asking for it when you need it." She eyed Ranma.
Ranma noticed her gaze. "Whatcha lookin' at me for!?"
"Because you're just like him! You boys are all alike! Always
insistent on doing things by yourself, never asking for help." She
sighed noisily and turned around. "Goodnight!" she said as she left.
Ranma shrugged and followed her out.
With that, Kenji found himself alone once more, which is what
he originally wanted. So why do I feel so uncomfortable?
(Because you really don't want to be alone,) another voice told
him.
I don't know any of them, so I can't trust anyone! he
countered.
(You know that's only an excuse. `Poor Kenji, he's a loner, has
no memory, and the world is against him.' Isn't that image you are
trying to create?)
Shut up. He sat down and sighed. "Great, now I'm talking to
myself, and what a pleasant little conversation it is. I'm going to
bed."
Eventually Kenji found himself laying in his futon, still
thinking. Three people died in a fire. Was it my fault? Am I killer?
That might explain the nightmares I've been having. He yawned.
"This is getting me no where. I'll think about it tomorrow."
With that, he rolled over and went to sleep.
Though the mental image of three people burning to death,
continued to haunt him long into the night.
oddball22@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters. They belong to
the goddess known as Rumiko Takahashi. I am but a simple worshipper at
her feet. (I hope my annual tithe gets to her before the due date or
else...hold on, there's a knock at the door!) Hello? NO! I sent it! I
did! Let me go! No, I don't want to be locked in with Azuza!
HEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP! Sweet girl's voice: Oh! Raphiel! I love you my
sweet Raphiel!
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds of Change
Chapter 5
Strangely, Tuesday passed without incident. Kenji shook his
head. He thought it strange that nothing unusual would happen since he
was finally coming to grips with the odd events of the past few days,
even his odd arrival. Akane was helping him get caught up in his classes
and Ranma continued to spar with him. His days were full and he was
exhausted at the end of each one.
The Tendos finally accepted that Kenji was telling the truth
when it was confirmed by Dr. Tofu and later, Cologne. Kenji, slowly
growing accustomed to some of the strangeness that had recently entered
his life, was only a little surprised to find an old woman (Chinese
Amazon!) bouncing along on a wooden stick. She had stopped by the dojo
four days after his arrival and confirmed that his memories were blocked
by some sort of magic and that she's need a few days to look up the
ritual/spell/antidote/whatever that would bring his memories back.
Off to the side, she told him that if she could, she would only
do it in exchange for a favor, though. Kenji decided there would be no
harm in it, as long as she didn't ask him to kill anybody. The old woman
agreed and left.
Ranma still didn't rule out the idea that maybe Kenji's
memories were sealed for a reason and that they shouldn't be so eager to
get them back. He was quickly overruled by Akane when she informed him
of how hard he worked to get Akane's memories back when Shampoo erased
them. Maybe it would have been better if she didn't remember him?
Ranma quickly conceeded the point.
A few days later, and after dinner, saw Kenji sitting on the
steps of the dojo and looking up at the stars. Akane wandered by and sat
down next to him. Unbeknownst to both of them, Ranma was watching them
from the roof of the house.
"You okay?" she asked as she sat down.
"Just been doing a lot of thinking." He tossed a small pebble
into the pond in the yard. He watched the water ripple outward from the
small splash.
"About your memories?"
Kenji nodded, but didn't say anything.
Akane frowned. The amnesiac youth didn't seem willing to
discuss anything with her, but she had come out here to see if there was
anything more she could learn about him. "You want to talk about it?"
she prodded.
Kenji glanced back at her. "Why? There's nothing you can do
about it." His gaze suddenly turned suspicious. "Unless you had some
part in what happened to me."
"No!" Akane blurted. "I just meant that it helps sometimes to
talk about your problems. I just want to help if I can."
Kenji turned away from her again and shrugged. "Whatever. I
don't know why my memories were sealed, and while I do want to know why
that was, another part of me doesn't want to find out."
Akane was taken aback. "Why not?"
Kenji sighed. "I... keep having these dreams, and I guess I'm
just worried they're true. They aren't that pleasent and..." He growled
in frustration. "Something happened to me! The doc said I suffered some
sort of trauma, but if that's the case, maybe I'm better off not
remembering."
"You can't mean that!"
He shook his head. "No, not really. I do want my memories back,
and I'll deal with whatever happens after that." His fist clenched. "I
just want whoever did this to me! I'll make him pay for making hash out
of my life!"
They were silent for a few minutes. "What are some of the other
reasons?"
Kenji opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it.
"Naw, forget it." To Akane, it was clear he didn't want to pursue the
matter, so she dropped it. But there was something else she could ask
him.
"Now, what about Ukyo?"
Kenji's voice was carefully neutral. "What about her?"
"She likes you!" Akane blurted out. "And I think you like her,
too. I've seen the way you two looked and talked to each other over the
past week. Now what are you going to do about it?"
Kenji shrugged. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Akane looked confused. "But, why?"
"Because there is nothing to do," he replied. "I'm going to get
my memories back and then I'm leaving, there's nothing else to it. I'm
not going to get involved in anything that will keep me here." He stood
up and turned away. "As soon as I find some clues about where I came
from, I'm gone."
Akane's eyes widened in realization, and she thought about how
to phrase her response. "You don't have to be afraid about building a
new life here. After all, you may have to face the fact you may never
get your memories back."
Kenji turned around and snarled at her. "What do YOU know! You
have a perfect life here!" He jerked a thumb at his chest. "My life AND
my identity were torn from me without my consent! I am GOING to reclaim
it, and nobody is going to stop me. Until then, I won't let minor
distractions hold me back!"
Akane stood up and faced him down. "Ukyo is NOT a minor
distraction, and she hasn't had an easy life either! If you'd get to
know her, you'd find that out!" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"And another thing, when Ukyo falls for someone, she falls hard. She
chased Ranma for a year because he said she was cute. Several weeks
before you arrived, she was practically rejected by the one she loved.
She spent the next couple of weeks in a major depression over that!"
Akane ran out of steam and huffed, awaiting Kenji's reaction.
Ranma had told her a little about what he had said to Ukyo that
night and, from what Akane understood, Ranma had basically told Ukyo he
wouldn't marry her. Unspoken however, was who Ranma was going to marry,
though Akane had her suspicions.
A surprised expression was written across his face, and it took
a minute for him to respond. "I-I didn't know. Ranma, right?" Akane
nodded. "Look, I can't make any promises. I meant what I said, though.
As soon as I know anything, I'm leaving." He looked down. "I don't want
to hurt her, but I guess... it can't hurt to talk to her."
Akane nodded. "That would be a good idea."
Kenji snorted. "Just leave me alone."
She sighed. "Sure." She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze,
then headed back into the house.
On the rooftop, Ranma frowned. He couldn't hear anything, but
he saw Akane's hand go to Kenji's shoulder before she left. Ranma was
about to get up and go after her when he noticed something blue flash on
the other side of the wall. Kenji must have noticed it too, since he got
up and headed to that part of the wall. He leapt to the top of the wall,
took a look, then disappeared down the other side. What's going on with
him? Ranma thought.
Then his danger sense kicked in, informing him something was
very, very wrong.
Kenji landed on the other side of the wall and looked around.
There! A small, glowing blue ball floated down at the end of the street.
He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to go after it. It was almost
as if it was calling him. The amnesiac ran after it as it moved around a
corner and disappeared. Kenji turned the corner just in time to see it
move down another street and disappear again.
This pattern repeated itself for several minutes. After
following it for awhile, he entertained the thought of just giving up
and going back. However, after stepping into an empty lot, the blue ball
appeared right in front of him and ceased it's movement. Kenji just
stood there for a few seconds, studying it.
"Who or what are you?" he asked tentatively.
The blue ball turned red and slowly formed into a black-cloaked
middle-aged man who was surrounded by a glowing red outline. He was
clean shaven and bald, and his eyes were incredibly dark. It gave the
younger man the shivers just to look at him.
He spoke. "I've come for you, Kenji."
Kenji blinked. "Me? How, why do you know my name?"
The figure smiled. "I know many things about you, including the
fact that you couldn't live with yourself if you knew you had done
something wrong."
Kenji cocked his head in confusion. "I did something...?" The
figure nodded. "Wait, you know who I am! Tell me who I am and where I
come from! I don't know anything about myself!"
The figure frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do
that."
"Why not?" Kenji's hopes died, as the one person who might tell
him who he is, refused to do so.
"Because I've only come here to take you back so you can be
punished for your actions!" The figure brought out a few small, what
looked like... balloons?
Kenji started to get angry. "Well then, what did I supposedly
do? You can at least tell me that!"
The figure nodded and waved his hand. An image began to form
next to him and Kenji gasped as it slowly came into to focus.
It was a house on fire, just like his dreams.
The figure pointed accusingly. "Three people died in this fire,
and it was your fault!"
The young man began to shake in fear. He was, a murderer? An
arsonist? "Why don't I remember any of this!? Can you tell me that?"
The figure shrugged. "Perhaps you made yourself forget to avoid
your punishment. I am simply here to carry it out!"
With that, he began to toss the balloons at Kenji who reacted
instantly. He easily began to weave around the projectiles, when he
noticed the balloons hit the ground and break open. Kenji slowed down.
Water? Slowing down turned out to be a big mistake as a balloon hit
him and spilled it's contents over his chest, soaking him thoroughly.
Kenji looked down at his now wet self. "Water is my punishment?
What's the meaning of this?"
The figure grinned evilly. "Just wait for it." Then a
thoughtful look crossed his face. "Hmmm, I wonder which one that was?"
Kenji was starting to get even angrier at what was happening.
He strode up to the stranger to get some serious answers when he started
feeling very strange. The world seemed to be growing larger and it lost
it's color, becoming shades of black and white. When he got to the
stranger, he suddenly felt rather small and had to look up to see the
man. He tried to speak, but what came out was not what he wanted to say.
"Woof! Woof!" What the.... Kenji looked at his hands and
could hardly believe what he saw. He now had gray paws instead of hands.
Looking up revealed the unknown figure grinning at him.
"Hmmm... spring of drowned wolf, I see. What were the odds? I only had
one of those!" Then he laughed. "Well, I had several cat and frog water
balloons, as well as had a couple of doses from the spring of drowned
bunny, too."
He crouched down to gaze at the transformed animal at eye
level. "Anyway, I was just having a little harmless fun with you. Had to
eliminate the danger before I took you back for your execution. Well,
that and the ritual requires you to be cursed."
The anger had all but left the young-boy-turned-wolf now, and
fear was replacing it in spades.Wh-what's happening to me? I-I killed
people and now I'm going to d-die because of it? Every time he tried to
speak, it always came out as a bark instead.
"This is so easy, I almost regret it, but," he shrugged. "I
can't afford to have you running around." He held out his hand and it
began to glow red. He then reached out to touch the small furry animal
in front of him.
As the hand came down, all Kenji could do was sit there, frozen
in both shock and fear. Fear of dying, and shock of what had happened to
him. He closed his eyes and awaited what would happen next.
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"
Kenji's eyes snapped open to see a blue sphere smash into the
figure and send him tumbling sideways across the lot. Kenji's eyes
tracked the path of where the ball had come from, and beheld Ranma
standing on a rooftop with his arms outstretched, his wrists together,
his palms open. He promptly leapt from the roof to the ground and ran
over to the dazed wolf.
"Hey man, you all right?" he asked, then mentally slapped
himself when he realized Kenji couldn't respond. "Nevermind. I'll take
care of him."
Ranma then turned his attention to the mysterious figure who
was just getting up. The man just gave Ranma a scathing stare.
"I don't know who you are," Ranma snarled, "but back off or
you're gonna get hurt."
The man laughed. "Or what? You'll hit me with that pathetic
attack again? Go ahead, try it!" Without warning, the man burst into
flames. After the initial burst cleared away, he just floated a few
feet off the ground as flames burned all around his body.
"You asked for it!" Ranma brought his hands together where a
small blue sphere formed. It grew in size, then Ranma tossed it at his
opponent. "Moko Takabisha!"
This time however, it had different results.
The ki blast exploded against it's target but, when the dust
cleared, he was laughing and seemingly unscathed.
"You want a fireball? Then try this!" He held his hands up and
two fireballs formed at his fingertips. He promptly launched them at
Ranma.
Kuso, Ranma thought as he jumped out of the way. The area he
just vacated exploded in a shower of sparks and dirt. Long range
attacks won't work, I'll have to get close.
That turned out to be easier said than done. Ranma had to jump
back and forth, zig and zag, to avoid being hit by the almost continuous
stream of fireballs. And since he's burning, I'll have to be careful
about how I touch him. Fortunately, I've got just the move!
A few more zags, a few more fireballs dodged, and then he was
inside. The man suddenly realized how close Ranma had come and was going
to try and back it away, but it was too late.
"Kashu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma yelled as his hands and arms
became a blur. The pyromaniac obviously couldn't block or dodge them
all. Ranma's fists zipped and delivered a precision strike, then pulled
away before they could be burned.
Ranma grinned. Like pulling chestnuts from a fire!
A full 10 seconds and a several hundred strikes later, the man
was sent reeling across the yard. Ranma stopped and pulled back into a
ready position with moderately increased breathing. "Had enough?" he
challenged.
Ranma stared incredulously as the pyromaniac slowly rose to his
feet. He could see that his opponent was beat up pretty well; having a
black eye, bleeding from the lip, nose, and his left arm was hanging
loosely.
The man wiped his lip while looking at his adversary with
newfound respect, and contempt. "This isn't over!" he yelled back. "I'll
be back to take that boy over there, and if you or anyone else tries to
stop me, they will die. None can stand against the Fire Lord!" He raised
his right hand and exploded again. All that was left was a fireball that
promptly sped away into the night.
"Just try it," Ranma muttered. He then turned his attention to
Kenji who, while still a small wolf, had ended up getting smacked
against a wooden fence by an errant fireball. He walked over to the
helpless animal and shook him a few times.
"Hey Kenji, wake up! Come on, man!" The small wolf slowly
stirred and sat up. It looked at Ranma and he could see the confusion
and fear in Kenji's eyes. "Aw man. You're gonna be all right." Ranma
tried to comfort him. "It's time I showed you something. Follow me."
He walked over to a hose that was hanging from a faucet and
picked it up. Ranma turned to him. "See, I'm a guy, right?" The wolf
nodded, still confused, but trying to understand what Ranma was going to
do. He turned on the water and held the hose over his own body. Water
splashed down him and Kenji stared as Ranma's hair turned red and he
shrunk a bit. His chest also became bigger.
Kenji blinked. Breasts!? What's going on?
Ranma turned off the water and spoke to him, only now his voice
was several octaves higher. "Ya understand? I'm cursed, just like you
are. We turn into our cursed forms when splashed with cold water. Hot
water turns us back to normal."
Suddenly it all made sense to Kenji. He had seen that red-
haired girl at the school and around the dojo a few times, mostly wet,
but she always ran away when Kenji saw her. The family just said it was
someone named "Ranko" who lived nearby and dropped in on occasion and
who like to dress like Ranma. Kenji barked his understanding and Ranma
nodded.
"Ranma!" a new voice could be heard. "What's going on? Are you
all right?"
They turned to see Akane coming up to them. "Uh, hi Akane!"
Ranma greeted her. "Just takin' a stroll!"
Akane frowned. "But I heard the sounds of fighting and..."
Suddenly she saw Kenji's discarded clothes, partially burned. "RANMA!
What did you do to Kenji-san!"
Ranma backed up. "Nothing! I swear!"
"Then how come..." She stopped as a small wolf stepped in front
of her and barked several times. To her, it appeared to be just slightly
larger than Shampoo's cat form, and was colored in shades of white and
gray, with a couple of black spots thrown in
The wolf turned around and barked at Ranma a few times. He
seemed to understand and sighed. "Akane, meet the Jusenkyo cursed
Kenji." He pointed to the small wolf.
Akane was confused. "Nani? But, I've seen him come into contact
with water before and nothing happened."
"It's a long story," Ranma picked up Kenji's clothes and the
nudged the others forward. "We'll explain at home."
A half-an-hour and a kettle of hot water later, Ranma and a
depressed Kenji were back to (relative) normal. Akane watched as Ranma
held up a robe and poured the water on the wolf. Kenji quickly grew into
the robe. He then left for the dojo to change into some new clothes.
While changing, he came to a decision. Whoever that guy was, it
was obvious he was coming back for him. He didn't want to put the Tendos
in any danger, so he decided he'd better leave. Besides, if he ran,
there was a good chance that fireball guy wouldn't be able to find him.
Eventually, he could find a way to deal with it.
He hoped.
He threw his remaning clothes into a spare duffel bag, than
wrote a quick note explaining his actions and promising reparations for
the clothes and the hospitality. He then opened the window and jumped to
the ground. A quick glance around told him no one had seen him, so ran
to the gate and tried to slip out.
"I hope you'll be back soon, Kenji-san," came the sweet voice of
Kasumi. He froze. "After all, you need your rest."
He sighed and turned around to see the elder Tendo sister
sweeping the front walkway. "Actually, I'm leaving for good, Kasumi-
san. I left a note explaining why, and Ranma can tell you what else
happened tonight, but the gist of the situation is this: Apparently a
dangerous person wants me and I don't want your family getting caught up
in it."
Kasumi barely blinked. "Oh dear, that can be a problem." She
sighed. "You must do what you think is right, though. We will miss you."
Kenji nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Say thanks to your family for
me for all they've done. You especially have been really nice to me,
considering what I did." He turned back to the gate. "Goodbye."
He waved, she waved back, and he was gone. "And he was such a
nice boy. I do hope he'll be alright." She turned and walked back into
the house where she saw Akane sitting and apparently waiting for
something.
Ranma came running inside. "He's gone!"
Akane stood up. "What!?"
"I found this note when I went to see what was taking so long,"
he explained.
Akane took it from him and read it. "He's afraid of putting us
in danger and he'll make it up to us somehow?" She looked up. "Ranma,
we've got to find him! Regardless of who he is, he's someone who
obviously needs our help!"
Kasumi piped in. "If you're talking about Kenji-kun, you just
missed him. He left a few minutes ago."
"And you didn't stop him, oneechan?" Akane asked.
"He seemed to think it was the right thing to do. If you hurry,
you may catch up to him." She smiled sweetly and went into the kitchen
to finish cleaning.
The two teenagers bolted out of the house and leapt to the top
of the wall. Taking a quick glance around, they spilt up and began to
search.
Kenji was now in front of a certain restaurant, debating on
whether he should enter. There was someone inside who he knew he would
definitely miss. Oh well, it was not to be. He sighed, shook his head,
and walked off down the street.
Ranma was the one who caught up to him first. He was running
down the street when he saw his silhouette disappear from the street
lamp over a bridge. He put on some additional speed and took off after
him.
"Kenji!" he called out when he closed the distance. "Where do
you think you're goin'?"
The boy in question turned around and scowled. "I'm leaving.
I've got problems to deal with and I'm to going to deal with them
myself." That, and I don't want to put your family in danger.
"What are ya talkin' about?" the pig-tailed boy asked. "I can
help ya."
"Maybe you can, but my problems are my own." His voice turned
deathly serious. "I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me." Kenji turned and
started to walk away.
Ranma jumped in front of him and barred his path. "I can't let
ya do that. Take it from me, running from your problems don't work." He
inwardly winced at that. Maybe I should take my own advice.
"I ain't runnin'!" he yelled. "My affairs are my own. I'll deal
with them by myself!" Kenji dropped the bag and assumed a ready
position. "If you want to stop me, you'll have to fight me! Otherwise,
get out of my way!"
"I'm just tryin' to help!" Ranma yelled back. "But if you wanna
fight, so be it! You know ya can't beat me!"
"Maybe, but I can try!" With that, Kenji launched himself at
Ranma in a flurry of kicks and punches.
Ranma dodged a few and blocked most, but Kenji was fast, if not
that strong. He connected with a few blows before Ranma began to
retaliate. Suddenly, Kenji found himself on the defensive as he worked
to avoid or block the attacks Ranma was sending. He knew he couldn't
stand up to the pig-tailed martial artist for long, so he looked for an
advantage.
A strong punch slammed him into a wall, stunning him
temporarily. Gritting his teeth, he spotted a rake leaning up against
the wall next to him and he grabbed it. Somehow, he seemed really
comfortable with the weapon, though he didn't think much of it. Instead,
he attack with renewed vigor and this time it was a closer battle.
Ranma had to work to avoid the sharp business end of the rake
as Kenji wielded the impromptu staff like a pro. He managed a glancing
blow off Ranma's shoulder with the end of the weapon, ripping a bit of
the shirt and drawing a bit of blood. It wasn't a lot, but it served to
kick Ranma into high gear.
They battled for a few more minutes before Ranma worked his way
inside the other boy's defense and disarm him. One powerful multi-hit
combo later sent Kenji to the ground, battered and bruised. When he
recovered enough of his senses, he realized Ranma hadthe sharp end of
the rake at his throat.
That's when Akane found them. "Ranma! Don't hurt him!" She ran
up to them.
"But, Akane, he attacked me!" Ranma cried as he dropped the
rake.
Akane scowled at him, then turned and helped Kenji up. "He's
right Akane-san. I did start it."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because he wouldn't get out of my way! He wouldn't let me
leave." He picked up his duffel bag. "And now I'll be going." His visage
softened a little. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful for you
kindness, but my problems are my own."
He turned to walk away once more, but this time Akane blocked
his path. "If you try to go, you'll have to fight me as well. You say
you owe us, fine! I'll tell you how you can repay us. Come back and tell
our family everything. If they decide they want you to stay, you do so.
Besides, we've has faced worse threats in the past year. Since Ranma
came, we've fought dragons, phoenixes, princes, and all other sorts of
enemies, and you don't see me wanting to get rid of him."
Kenji blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then added a third blink for good measure.
"Dragons?" Ordinarily, he probably would've scoffed at that.
But in the past few hours, he'd been cursed to turn into a dog and some
floating weirdo had been tossing fireballs around like they were going
out of style. Maybe dragons existed as well?
Ranma laughed. "Yeah, a nasty lookin' thing called an Orochi.
Trust me when I tell ya the safest place for you is right here."
Kenji looked back and forth between the two people and sighed.
Somehow he knew that if he tried to go, they'd doubleteam him and drag
him back. "Alright, you win. I'll go with you for now."
They began to walk back as Akane said, "Don't worry, you won't
regret this." She then turned to Ranma. "And what's with you and your
habit of fighting with everyone we meet..."
Coming back to the Tendo house, Kenji told Ranma and Akane that
he'd rather be alone. They got his assurance that he wouldn't leave,
then separated from him.
Heading back into the dojo, Kenji's depression only got worse.
Though he was convinced to return, he still didn't feel that good about
the whole situation. Someone very powerful wants me dead and now I'm
cursed to turn into a freakin' mutt! He threw his bag back into the
dojo. In the occupied and depressed state his mind was in, his body
lapsed into an unfamiliar kata.
Halfway through, his wandering mind came back and wondered
where he had learned the kata. Unfortunately, that caused him to lose
his focus and the knowledge of the rest of the sequence was lost to him.
Growling in frustration, he punched the floor, cracking the wood.
"It ain't a good idea for a guest to damage the house where he
is stayin'," came a voice. Kenji looked up to see Ranma watching him.
The pigtailed boy chuckled. "'Course, I ain't exactly one ta talk."
"What do you want, Ranma?" Kenji asked with a fair amount of
disgust in his voice. "I said I'd like to be alone."
Ranma ignored that. "That was a pretty interestin' kata you
were doin' 'til ya quit. You got some natural talent."
Kenji turned his back to the other boy and walked to one of the
dojo's windows.
"Whatever." He paused. "Why?" the amnesiac boy asked silently,
but loud enough for Ranma to hear. Then, louder, "Why ME!? What did I do
to deserve this? My memory's been wiped, I'm being hunted, deaths are
blamed on me, AND I'm cursed to turn into freakin' animal when hit with
water!" He turned back to face Ranma. "WHY!?"
Ranma shook his head. "I can't tell ya that, man. All I can say
is I know what you're goin' through. I'm cursed and I've had so many
people try ta kill me or control my life. All I know is ya just haveta
deal with it."
"And we'd like to help," came Akane's voice as she came up next
to her fiance.
"This guy said he'd be back for me!" Kenji exclaimed, his
patience running thin. "And next time he may not be alone. I don't let
anyone else fight my own battles!"
Akane rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I get enough of that macho
attitude from Ranma."
"Yeah, and plus I kinda owe ya," said Ranma softly.
"What?" Kenji asked, surprised.
Ranma put his hands up to stall any other questions. "Let me
explain. I saw the blue light, too, and followed you to the lot. The guy
there seemed to know ya, so I thought I'd listen and see if you really
were bein' straight with us." His face dropped. "If I had jumped right
away, I could've stopped him before he cursed ya. It wasn't `til
afterward that I realized I was wrong."
There was silence in the room after the revelation. Kenji's
already stressed mind snapped, and it found a convient target. "It's
your fault!?" His voice got angrier. "You're the reason for this damn
curse! I... was starting to trust you people... and now I find out you
could've prevented this and you did nothing!?" Some part of Kenji's mind
informed him that Ranma was too good for him to take, but the wooden
wall behind him wasn't so lucky.
*Crack!* Kenji slowly withdrew his fist from the hole in the
wall, and stared at his hand. It was scraped and bleeding, but he didn't
feel much like doing anything about it. He spaced out for a moment but
when he came to, Akane was bandaging his hand.
He stared dumbly at her. "What is it about you people? Why do
you insist on doing stuff like this for me?"
Akane scowled back at him. "What? Can't we help someone who
obviously needs it?"
"I don't need anybody's help!" the young amnesiac reiterated.
"Sure looked like it back there," Ranma said offhand.
Kenji sighed and turned away. "Whatever. I'll be ready for him
next time."
Akane stood up and headed over to the dojo door. "Look, you
have no memory, no money, no family at the moment, and a dangerous enemy
after you. Any sane person would want at least some help. There's
nothing wrong with asking for it when you need it." She eyed Ranma.
Ranma noticed her gaze. "Whatcha lookin' at me for!?"
"Because you're just like him! You boys are all alike! Always
insistent on doing things by yourself, never asking for help." She
sighed noisily and turned around. "Goodnight!" she said as she left.
Ranma shrugged and followed her out.
With that, Kenji found himself alone once more, which is what
he originally wanted. So why do I feel so uncomfortable?
(Because you really don't want to be alone,) another voice told
him.
I don't know any of them, so I can't trust anyone! he
countered.
(You know that's only an excuse. `Poor Kenji, he's a loner, has
no memory, and the world is against him.' Isn't that image you are
trying to create?)
Shut up. He sat down and sighed. "Great, now I'm talking to
myself, and what a pleasant little conversation it is. I'm going to
bed."
Eventually Kenji found himself laying in his futon, still
thinking. Three people died in a fire. Was it my fault? Am I killer?
That might explain the nightmares I've been having. He yawned.
"This is getting me no where. I'll think about it tomorrow."
With that, he rolled over and went to sleep.
Though the mental image of three people burning to death,
continued to haunt him long into the night.