Completed: 2002-07-26
Standard disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fan fiction except
for the idea behind it and even that is mostly blatantly stolen from a
multitude of sources. And if you don't like that, then SUE ME! Uhm, why
are you all staring at me like that? No, it was a joke! Really! No,
don't take my computer, no, not my videogames, no, not my cat!!!
NOOOOOOOO!!!! *Sounds of a man being stripped of everything he own can
be heard. * (Does anyone know that sound effect BTW?)
Timelines: Everything in the canon Ranma 1/2 has happened in this fan
fiction with the exception of the Saffron incident. Only the Ranma 1/2
reference in this fan fiction will use a modified timeline. Any other
references will really just use the characters without any complex plots
and/or situations.
Age rating: If you can understand all the crap I'm spouting then you are
definitely old enough to read this fan fiction.
"Japanese"
*Thoughts*
Mind meld
Kenneth Lönnberg aka Macross_VF1 proudly presents:
Balance of Chaos
Chapter 3: Nothing and Everything
Part 2
*** - - - - ***
The next morning, Ranma stepped out of a portal just in front of the UN
ETSPP bureau building. He yawned and stretched, having not gotten much
sleep that night since he double-checked and archived all the data he
collected the previous day. As he walked closer he could see some
people, probably agents by their black clothes, waiting for him.
"Morning." He greeted them somewhat drowsily and handed a disc over to
one of the agents. "All processed and ready. Load to the scanner and
you'll have full info of most of Europe and Asia. " The agent just
nodded and scurried of into the building.
"Agent Wildman, we had a security breach yesterday." One of the
remaining agents said.
"So? Just deal with it according to procedures." Ranma replied.
"Already done. However there are several complications with this
particular breach."
"Like what?"
"First of all, it concerns information on you."
"Nothing strange with that." Ranma yawned.
"Maybe, not but the higher ups were shaken by it, especially since the
breach was made by a high school computer student."
Ranma perked up a little. "So he or she is a genius when it comes to
computers. Great. Hire him or her, ASAP." Ranma said dismissively. The
agents did not move. "Was there something else?" He inquired somewhat
irritably.
The agents fidgeted before answering. "Well, we did apprehend the
ringleader of this..."
"And?"
"Well, she is a high school student of 17 years of age. According the
background check we made on her, she is not connected to any type of
organisation. In fact, as far as we've been able to ascertain her
purpose was only to find you. The guys upstairs don't like arresting an
under-aged girl.
The agent had Ranma's full attention. "Now that sounds interesting. Just
doing it to find me? I wonder if she's a fan of mine." He said
sarcastically. "I'll think I'll have to meet her personally."
***
Nabiki was more than miserable. She wanted food, she wanted water, she
wanted a shower, but mostly she just wanted a proper bed! The simple
wooden board attached to the wall worked great sitting on, but not
sleeping. Nabiki just wanted to get home. Suddenly the door opened and
her eyes had to adjust against the bright light. "Here she is." She
could hear a male voice saying from beyond the opening. Someone stepped
through the doorway and blocked out the light.
"So this is my admirer..." The new person said.
Nabiki's heart skipped a couple of beats. Could it have been? She
squinted against the light, trying to make out the features of the
person. Sure enough, it was Ranma, standing with his arms crossed and
his usual infuriating smirk adorning his face. Something was very
different though; he had a much harder posture and expression than the
almost childish innocence she was accustomed to.
"Ranma?" She hesitantly asked.
"Yup, that's me. Now..." He checked a list. "...Nabiki Tendo, just what
were you thinking, stealing classified information from a UN
installation?" He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.
Nabiki blinked. Wasn't he here to get her out? "Ranma? Why are you
asking me that? Now get me out of here or you'll never hear the end of
it!"
Ranma only slightly tilted his head and looked at her appraisingly, from
toe to top. Nabiki felt like she was being stripped naked under his
scrutinizing gaze. "Listen here girl, I ask the questions here, and I
expect to get answers." He demanded forcefully.
"What are you trying to do Saotome? Don't pretend that you don't
remember me."
Ranma flinched. "Tell me why I should remember you." He said in a softer
tone.
Nabiki stared dumbstruck at him. She had suggested it earlier but could
she have been so right with a mere guess. "Don't you remember me? Or
Kasumi, Cologne, Happousai, Ryoga, Ukyo and Shampoo? Not even Akane or
your father and mother?"
Ranma flinched at every name she mentioned, though he either ignored
them or he didn't notice. "No, I can positively say that I do not.
However, I must admit that you have gotten me interested. You claim to
know me and know who my father and mother are..." He tilted his head in
the other direction. "Say, you live in Nerima, right?" Nabiki nodded.
"Well, I was just on my way there, so I'll give you a ride." He said
with a smile.
"But sir!" A voice came from outside the door. "You cannot do that.
Before the investigation is finished we can't release her."
Ranma turned and gave the owner of the voice a hard glare. "And that's
exactly what I'm doing. Finishing the investigation so we can release
this girl. However I can't do that without bringing her with me. Do you
got a problem with that?" The offending person did not speak up.
Ranma turned back to Nabiki. "Have you ever teleported?" He asked with a
grin.
***
Nabiki stepped out of a portal somewhere in Nerima. As soon as she
touched solid ground, she almost knelt down and kissed the ground. The
teleportation was _not_ pleasant, and if Ranma's grin was any
indication, he did it on purpose. She quickly composed herself and they
both headed in the direction of the dojo. They walked in silence for a
few minutes until they reached the entrance to the dojo.
Nabiki took a deep breath and decided to break the silence. "Listen...
If you truly have lost your memory, then I warn you... this might seem a
bit chaotic to you."
Ranma let out a short laugh. "Chaotic? Listen girl; come back to me when
you have spent more than half your life on a battlefield. Then we can
start talking about chaos."
Nabiki didn't like his condescending tone, but she became more and more
convinced that he really did not remember her or anyone else in Nerima
for that matter. Still, 'half your life on a battlefield'? He didn't
look any older than before his disappearance. She shrugged and ignored
it for the moment. After all, she had to brace for the inevitable chaos
that was so common for Nerima. She swung the doors to the dojo opened
and entered, cautiously looking around. She breathed a sigh of relief as
no one was apparently home. She motioned for Ranma to follow her and
they both entered the house. Well inside, she told Ranma to sit down
while she went to gather some evidence of her claim to know Ranma.
In hindsight, she wished she never left him.
As she was rummaging through her drawers, looking for conclusive
evidence, she heard the doors to the house open. She dropped everything
she was holding and rushed down the stairs, mentally praying that she by
some miracle would arrive first to the living room. The miracle never
came.
"Ranma?" She could hear Nodoka exclaim.
"Foolish boy." Genma added. "Leaving your fiancée like this. Didn't I
teach you better?"
Soun predictably cried. "Oh, the schools can finally be joined!"
Kasumi didn't utter more than her almost patented: "Oh my!"
"Where have you been, you jerk?" Akane screamed in her usual furious
tone.
Ranma didn't say anything; he just stood in the middle of the room, with
his arms crossed, observing the people in front of him.
"Answer me!" Akane screamed further.
Ranma finally spoke up. "I do not know any of you people, and I do not
want to be a part of whatever you are planning." He turned to Nabiki.
"You better have some good evidence." He said with a glare.
Nabiki winced, as she knew the reaction Ranma's behaviour would elicit
from Akane. Sure enough, she turned red with fury, whipped out her
mallet and charged with deadly intent. Ranma calmly turned, not reacting
in any way. Just as Akane was about to connect, he somehow caught the
mallet without moving. Well that was just how it looked. Suddenly he
just stood there, blocking the mallet's trajectory with his left hand,
mere centimetres from his skull.
"I do _not_ take kindly to unprovoked assaults." He growled and squeezed
the mallet. With a crack the entire weapon turned into wooden splinters,
save for the handle. Akane looked dumbly at it for a moment before
dismissing it and throwing a punch aimed at Ranma's face. Yet again it
seemed like Ranma didn't move despite catching Akane's hand. In a fluid
motion, he threw her backwards, landing straight on top of the living
room table. It predictably broke but Akane seemed oblivious to this as
she struggled to regain balance.
"My baby!" Soun exclaimed and cried some more.
"Stop this!" Nabiki yelled, managing to get everyone's attention. "Look
at you! Acting like some barbarians just because Ranma is back. Besides,
he doesn't remember us."
"Amnesia?" Genma perked up. "That's easily cured." He said before
charging straight at Ranma. It should not be needed to note that Genma
is really, really stupid.
Ranma easily sidestepped the attack, adding a punch to Genma's back as
he went by. With a splash, Genma landed in the koi pond. "Anyone else?!"
Ranma challenged with glowing red eyes, taking up a threatening stance.
No one moved or said anything, not even Akane.
"Good!" He said, his eyes returning to their normal green hue. A
dripping noise alerted him to a threat behind him though, and he
instantly whirled on the spot. "Didn't get eno..." He started but
promptly cut himself off. Before him a big, sopping wet, panda stood.
Suddenly, he knelt and clutched his head, his entire body spasming
violently. After a minute, it stopped and he looked up. *The mallet, the
angel, the katana, the crying man, the panda. * He thought. Everything
was fitting together. He swallowed despite his dry throat. "Home." He
whispered.
***
Setsuna stood in the kitchen of Michiru and Haruka's house, trying to
find something worthwhile to eat as she had spent the last three days
trying to follow Ranma's movements. She sighed at the futility of it.
Ranma had proven to be almost impossible to track. The mind-meld
technique he applied on her enabled her to feel him, but only when he
was close and she was in normal reality, not at the time gate. Right
now, she could feel him somewhere in Nerima and she was bothered by the
disturbing images she got. According to his explanation, the mind-meld
was only supposed to work by conscious activation and yet right now she
received more than before. She took a sip from a glass filled with
juice, reflecting on the actions she actually had tracked. Sure those
vanishing acts he performed with some kind of portal were strange but
nothing else he had done was really suspicious and even she had to admit
that the UN ETSPP bureau was a good idea.
Suddenly she felt an intense pain through the mind-link. She staggered
and tried to regain her balance, dropping the glass in the process. Her
thoughts were horribly disorganised, and she struggled to clear a path
through her turbulent mind. A second later, everything cleared up and
she could think straight again. *What, was that? * She wondered with a
wide-eyed expression. Half a minute later, the telephone rang. Setsuna
hesitated, Haruka and Michiru normally answered the phone, but she had a
feeling that this phone call was for her. She decided to follow her
instincts and quickly picked up the phone.
"Moshi, Moshi?" She answered.
"Sorry about this, Sailor Pluto." She heard a voice say. Not that it was
any doubt of the owner of the voice. Ranma... "But could you contact
Sailor Mercury and get to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima? Something serious
came up."
Setsuna frowned. That something serious had happened was obvious but why
did he request for her and Ami to get to a dojo in Nerima? "Exactly what
are you trying to do?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well..." He hesitated nervously. "You will not like this. This appears
to be my home dimension..."
***
Ranma refused to tell anything after the strange phone call he made. He
just told to wait for two associates of his and then he would explain
where he had been. Nabiki predictably saw this as chance to make some
money and in slightly less than an hour, Ukyo, the Kunos, the amazons
and Happousai had gathered at the dojo. The only response from Ranma for
this action was a disappointed glare, and that somehow made Nabiki feel
guilty.
Nabiki, along with the others sat in the dojo waiting for Ranma. She
cleared her throat. "Listen up." She said getting everyone's attention
and she gave everyone a harsh glare. "As you all know, Ranma is here
_but_ as I stated earlier over the phone, you will not do anything
before he has explained himself. Is that clear?"
"Thanks Nabiki, but somehow I don't think they will abide to that for
more than five minutes." Ranma's voice came from behind her. She saw the
other's gasp and she quickly turned around. Her jaw hit the floor.
Before her Ranma stood in the armour he summoned when he made his grand
appearance, only this time the breastplates were bulkier, as well as
more ornate. The right plate had an intricate and flowing design almost
like some kind of glyph or rune, while the other had two beautiful
gemstones imbedded in it. He almost looked like some kind of futuristic
knight, yet he was very intimidating. Nabiki quickly collected herself
and sat down in her chair.
Ranma crossed his arms, making him look even more intimidating. "I
gather you have many questions, but be patient and everything will
become clear. First I want to introduce you to Sailor Pluto and Sailor
Mercury of the famous Sailor Senshi from Juuban." He ignored the gasps
as both Pluto and Mercury came into the dojo. However he could not
ignore a certain person.
"Hotcha!" Happousai cried out and launched himself at Mercury. He didn't
arrive though as he was snagged in the air by Ranma.
"Touch them and you'll wish I would have killed you instead." Ranma said
in a disturbingly calm tone, despite making a death threat.
Happousai struggled and managed to get free of Ranma's grip. "Is that
any way to talk to your master boy?" He said with an annoyed expression.
His annoyance changed into an evil grin. "But why bother with them when
I have the grand price before me?" He grabbed a bucket of water from
somewhere and splashed Ranma.
Only Ranma didn't change. He just stood there with a wide grin, albeit
dripping with water. The assembled people gasped. The Senshi could only
look on in confusion though. Genma spoke up. "Son, have you found a
cure?"
"No, I have not, I have something much better instead." Ranma said still
grinning, as his entire body shimmered. In a second his armour reformed,
his hair changed to red and his chest become much bigger. He became a
she. Another round of gasps followed, this time including the Senshi and
Happousai's eyes almost bugged out in amazement. Ranma quickly changed
back into his male form, grinning like a madman. "In fact, until now I
didn't even know it was a curse."
"Until now? What are you talking about son-in-law?" Cologne inquired.
"Let's take things in the proper order." Ranma said while kicking
Happousai to the back of the dojo. "Now, as I was saying, this is Sailor
Mercury and Sailor Pluto. They are here to witness and record what
happens here tonight. This is because I'm currently an ally with them
and this will fill them in on some of my background." He sighed and took
a deep breath before continuing. "Now to the million dollar question.
Where have I been? The answer to that is not an easy one, I assure you.
However, I will try to make a long story short, by telling you that I
have been travelling."
"That must have been some trip." Ukyo noted with some sarcasm.
"You don't know how right you are." Ranma replied looking a bit
depressed. "I will start at the beginning. For some reason, which I have
yet to discover, I was transported to another dimension. Other
dimensions should come as no surprise to some of you, if you remember
the Nanban Mirror."
Kuno did not know what the Nanban mirror was. "Are you suggesting that
there are more worlds than this? Surely you must be jesting."
Ranma shook his head. "No Kuno, I am serious. In fact, most scientists
are certain that there are unlimited dimensions. Questioning that would
be like questioning the genius of Shakespeare himself."
Kuno settled down and seemed to be in deep thought. The others could
just look on with stunned expressions. Had Ranma just managed to reach
Kuno? It seemed impossible, yet the proof was right there in front of
them.
"My travels did not stop there however." Ranma continued. "For two
thousand years, I have travelled, against my will, through hundreds of
dimensions. Until now, I never knew my background, except that I knew my
name was Ranma. That I have regained my memory suggests that this is my
home dimension..."
Soun decided to share his 'hard earned wisdom'. "Well, then. I'm happy
that you are back and have regained your memory. Now when shall we hold
the wedding?"
"Yes, this is the perfect time to join the schools." Genma agreed.
Ranma's eyes turned red. "How about never?" He said in a deadly tone.
Soun got enraged. "You will marry my daughter!" He yelled, deploying his
demon head technique.
"I WILL NOT COMPLY" Ranma replied in a disturbingly monotone voice. Soun
'eeped' and cowered in his seat. Ranma looked at the other girls in the
room, giving each of them a harsh glare. "In fact, I will not marry
anyone in this room."
"What?!" Ukyo exclaimed. "But... why not?" She said on the verge of
tears.
"Please, Ranma darling. Don't do this to me." Kodachi continued.
"Who is other girl? Will kill obstacle." Shampoo said.
Nodoka was fingering her katana. "Son, it is a matter of honour that you
marr..."
Ranma cut her off. " Honour? HONOUR? You dare speak about honour, you
who sent your only son to be raised by that pathetic excuse of a mon-
keigh?" He said, pointing at Genma. "You don't even know the first thing
about honour." He said shaking his head. "No, I will not betray my wife
by thinking of marriage."
"Wife?" Genma exclaimed. "Have you been cheating on your fiancée, boy?"
Ranma only glared at Genma. "Have I?" He said with a snort. "First, I
didn't even know I had a fiancée. Secondly, even if I had, did you
really expect me to keep myself in celibacy for thousands of years?
Besides, my wife has been dead for a long time now." He said with a dark
expression. "Just think about it. I have lived for almost two millennia,
and only recently discovered who I previously was. Which set of memories
do you think takes precedence? Ranma Wildman, 2000 years old or Ranma
Saotome, 17 years old?"
Nodoka gasped. "You can't be serious."
"Oh I'm deadly serious." Ranma retorted and pointed at his head "In
fact, I'm currently connected to every record concerning my existence.
With a thought I could erase them all, without anyone ever noticing.
It's all up to you. All I ask is that you nullify any and all
agreements, made by Genma, concerning me. "
"But I can't do that..." Nodoka hesitated, glancing at Genma.
"Don't worry about _him_." Ranma almost spat at Genma. "I've just made
you the sole head of the Saotome clan so the decision is in your
entirely in your hands."
Genma gasped. "You can't do that!"
"I just did." Ranma said with a glare. He turned back to Nodoka,
ignoring Genma's protests. "So, what will it be?"
Nodoka looked desperate. "Please, don't make me do this." She pleaded.
Ranma only glared. "I can't..." she whispered, tears streaming down her
cheeks.
"So be it." Ranma said, getting a blank look for a second, before
continuing. "It is done. Ranma Saotome has never existed."
Cologne spoke up. "Don't think you're off the hook yet, son-in-law.
Japanese honour may recognize you as dead, but the amazons do not care
about a name."
"Ah yes, the 'young' ghoul." He said sarcastically. "I agree with you on
that point. However, I'm offering you an alternative."
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Really? And what are you proposing?"
"That you release me from the law concerning the supposed marriage to
Xian Pu. In return I will become an ally to the amazon tribe, helping in
the defence of any and all threats to it."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then your pitiful tribe will be reduced to its composing atoms." Ranma
answered calmly. He pressed a button his wrist and the big shoulder gun
he had previously used in his initial confrontation appeared. He tapped
it with a finger. "This is a MAC gun, and it's of my own design. I
highly doubt that you have missed what it can do unless of course you
have escaped the 'wonders' of television. What you do not know is that I
can possibly destroy this entire planet with it, let alone a small
backwards village in the wilderness of China."
"You're bluffing." Cologne said confidently, yet internally she feared
the power that the gun could release.
Mercury interjected. "No, he's not. In fact, if using a powerful enough
power source, he could even destroy this entire solar system. I have to
admit that I didn't truly believe it at first, but I made some
calculations and his claim is quite true." She said with a shudder.
Cologne considered that for a minute. She was cornered and she didn't
like it one bit. She had seen what the gun could do and it was certainly
powerful, but could it truly be as powerful as Ranma and the girl
claimed? Of course, the girl could be working with Ranma, but she seemed
sincere enough, and just thinking of what would happen if Ranma's claim
was true, made her shiver. She turned to Ranma and looked darkly at him.
"I... will think about it."
"Good enough for me." Ranma said, dismissing the gun. "Now, just to make
sure there are no misunderstandings, I am Ranma Wildman and I have no
connections to any of you, with the exception of Cologne." His eyes
shifted back from red to green. He looked in concern at Kasumi. "Kasumi,
Ranma Saotome thought of you as a mother and I feel the same way. I
strongly urge you to leave this place of madness." He turned to Nabiki.
"Ranma Saotome never understood you Nabiki, but I do. I give you the
same advice as Kasumi; leave, and never look back."
Akane looked like she was about to explode. "Stop talking like that to
my sisters!"
"Oh? Am I not allowed to say good bye?" He said in mock surprise. His
gaze softened considerably as he looked at Akane. "I'm sorry for this
Akane, but I cannot in good conscience think about any type of marriage.
I'm too dangerous." He said gravely. "I can tell you one thing though,
Ranma Saotome, would gladly have married you..." He said and turned to
leave.
Akane was stunned by this revelation but before she could answer another
voice cut in. "Ranma, you coward! Prepare to die!" Ryoga yelled as he
charged. Ranma calmly turned, not even bothering to dodge. Seemingly
without moving, Ranma suddenly had his hand around Ryoga's throat and he
proceeded to lift the lost boy up in the air.
"Ah, the eternally lost pig. How are you these days? Claiming to be
miserable, as usual?" Ranma said with a Kasumi like smile. "Then try
harder. You say that you have seen hell because of me, though somehow I
doubt it. I on the other hand has seen lots of hells and let me tell you
something, hell is more inviting than being around you." He finished
darkly.
"Shut... up..." Ryoga growled despite having trouble breathing. He
suddenly stabbed Ranma in the left chest plate and with a cry of
"Bakusai Tenketsu!" the plate shattered. The gemstones imbedded in it
was freed and dropped to the floor.
Ranma staggered back, loosing his hold on Ryoga's throat, but he didn't
appear to be hurt. He looked down at the shattered plate, then the
gemstones, then Ryoga and finally back to the gemstones. "Normally I
would be impressed by such a show of skill." He calmly stated. He looked
up, staring straight at Ryoga. "However, that was my wife and daughter's
spirit stones." He said with an almost insane grin. His eyes turned
impossibly dark and an aura black enough to blot out the sun formed
around him.
Ryoga had only a second to realise that this would hurt.
Ranma seemed to almost vanish but if Ryoga was any indication, Ranma was
most definitely still there. The lost boy seemingly hovered one foot
above the floor held aloft by hundreds and hundreds of blows. The sound
was almost deafening, and it seemed like the punishment would never end.
However, almost as abruptly as it had started, it stopped, dropping
Ryoga to the floor. The lost boy was a mess, almost every joint was
aimed in the wrong direction, massive bruises could be seen forming all
over his body and his face was nothing more than a bloody pulp. Ranma
carefully stepped over the limp body and tenderly gathered up the
gemstones.
"I have other matters to attend to. Good day to you all." He said,
turning to leave. However Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi stopped him.
"Please Ranma." Ukyo cried. "Why are you doing this?" Kodachi and
Shampoo could only agree.
"Yes, tell us why." Sailor Pluto interjected. "Somehow I feel that you
are not telling us everything." She said with a smirk.
Ranma shot her a dark glare before turning back to the girls. "As I have
told you, I had a wife once and together with her I had a wonderful
daughter." His expression turned even darker. "I killed them myself." He
finished before leaving the dojo.
*** - - - - ***
More secrets are revealed and even more questions are raised. Ranma's
curse is almost cured? Does anyone think the Nerima Wrecking Crew will
give up on Ranma? And most importantly, what did happen to his wife and
daughter?
Some questions will be answered in the coming chapter but rest assured
that most answers will only be revealed at the very end (If you find the
clues that is (Ph34r m3. I'm Evul! ^___^)). Stay tuned for the next
chapter of Balance of Chaos: Neither bad nor good (Yeah I know. I sound
like an announcer in a bad show from the seventies).
Just another thing, please don't believe that this chapter was all
bashing. The reason for Ranma's cold behaviour will be apparent later
on... (Actually it should already be apparent but only if you've seen
all the clues ^___^)
If you wish to contact me then do so at:
kenneth@gon.nu or kenneth.lonnberg@bodenonline.com
My works will be available at:
My own page - http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/macvf1fanfic
And when they get around to update/accept my fics, these sites will also
feature my fics:
Lady Cosmo's Fanfic Library - http://ladycosmos.anifics.com/
Ranchan & co. Crossing bridges - http://tannim.anifics.com/
Standard disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fan fiction except
for the idea behind it and even that is mostly blatantly stolen from a
multitude of sources. And if you don't like that, then SUE ME! Uhm, why
are you all staring at me like that? No, it was a joke! Really! No,
don't take my computer, no, not my videogames, no, not my cat!!!
NOOOOOOOO!!!! *Sounds of a man being stripped of everything he own can
be heard. * (Does anyone know that sound effect BTW?)
Timelines: Everything in the canon Ranma 1/2 has happened in this fan
fiction with the exception of the Saffron incident. Only the Ranma 1/2
reference in this fan fiction will use a modified timeline. Any other
references will really just use the characters without any complex plots
and/or situations.
Age rating: If you can understand all the crap I'm spouting then you are
definitely old enough to read this fan fiction.
"Japanese"
*Thoughts*
Mind meld
Kenneth Lönnberg aka Macross_VF1 proudly presents:
Balance of Chaos
Chapter 3: Nothing and Everything
Part 2
*** - - - - ***
The next morning, Ranma stepped out of a portal just in front of the UN
ETSPP bureau building. He yawned and stretched, having not gotten much
sleep that night since he double-checked and archived all the data he
collected the previous day. As he walked closer he could see some
people, probably agents by their black clothes, waiting for him.
"Morning." He greeted them somewhat drowsily and handed a disc over to
one of the agents. "All processed and ready. Load to the scanner and
you'll have full info of most of Europe and Asia. " The agent just
nodded and scurried of into the building.
"Agent Wildman, we had a security breach yesterday." One of the
remaining agents said.
"So? Just deal with it according to procedures." Ranma replied.
"Already done. However there are several complications with this
particular breach."
"Like what?"
"First of all, it concerns information on you."
"Nothing strange with that." Ranma yawned.
"Maybe, not but the higher ups were shaken by it, especially since the
breach was made by a high school computer student."
Ranma perked up a little. "So he or she is a genius when it comes to
computers. Great. Hire him or her, ASAP." Ranma said dismissively. The
agents did not move. "Was there something else?" He inquired somewhat
irritably.
The agents fidgeted before answering. "Well, we did apprehend the
ringleader of this..."
"And?"
"Well, she is a high school student of 17 years of age. According the
background check we made on her, she is not connected to any type of
organisation. In fact, as far as we've been able to ascertain her
purpose was only to find you. The guys upstairs don't like arresting an
under-aged girl.
The agent had Ranma's full attention. "Now that sounds interesting. Just
doing it to find me? I wonder if she's a fan of mine." He said
sarcastically. "I'll think I'll have to meet her personally."
***
Nabiki was more than miserable. She wanted food, she wanted water, she
wanted a shower, but mostly she just wanted a proper bed! The simple
wooden board attached to the wall worked great sitting on, but not
sleeping. Nabiki just wanted to get home. Suddenly the door opened and
her eyes had to adjust against the bright light. "Here she is." She
could hear a male voice saying from beyond the opening. Someone stepped
through the doorway and blocked out the light.
"So this is my admirer..." The new person said.
Nabiki's heart skipped a couple of beats. Could it have been? She
squinted against the light, trying to make out the features of the
person. Sure enough, it was Ranma, standing with his arms crossed and
his usual infuriating smirk adorning his face. Something was very
different though; he had a much harder posture and expression than the
almost childish innocence she was accustomed to.
"Ranma?" She hesitantly asked.
"Yup, that's me. Now..." He checked a list. "...Nabiki Tendo, just what
were you thinking, stealing classified information from a UN
installation?" He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.
Nabiki blinked. Wasn't he here to get her out? "Ranma? Why are you
asking me that? Now get me out of here or you'll never hear the end of
it!"
Ranma only slightly tilted his head and looked at her appraisingly, from
toe to top. Nabiki felt like she was being stripped naked under his
scrutinizing gaze. "Listen here girl, I ask the questions here, and I
expect to get answers." He demanded forcefully.
"What are you trying to do Saotome? Don't pretend that you don't
remember me."
Ranma flinched. "Tell me why I should remember you." He said in a softer
tone.
Nabiki stared dumbstruck at him. She had suggested it earlier but could
she have been so right with a mere guess. "Don't you remember me? Or
Kasumi, Cologne, Happousai, Ryoga, Ukyo and Shampoo? Not even Akane or
your father and mother?"
Ranma flinched at every name she mentioned, though he either ignored
them or he didn't notice. "No, I can positively say that I do not.
However, I must admit that you have gotten me interested. You claim to
know me and know who my father and mother are..." He tilted his head in
the other direction. "Say, you live in Nerima, right?" Nabiki nodded.
"Well, I was just on my way there, so I'll give you a ride." He said
with a smile.
"But sir!" A voice came from outside the door. "You cannot do that.
Before the investigation is finished we can't release her."
Ranma turned and gave the owner of the voice a hard glare. "And that's
exactly what I'm doing. Finishing the investigation so we can release
this girl. However I can't do that without bringing her with me. Do you
got a problem with that?" The offending person did not speak up.
Ranma turned back to Nabiki. "Have you ever teleported?" He asked with a
grin.
***
Nabiki stepped out of a portal somewhere in Nerima. As soon as she
touched solid ground, she almost knelt down and kissed the ground. The
teleportation was _not_ pleasant, and if Ranma's grin was any
indication, he did it on purpose. She quickly composed herself and they
both headed in the direction of the dojo. They walked in silence for a
few minutes until they reached the entrance to the dojo.
Nabiki took a deep breath and decided to break the silence. "Listen...
If you truly have lost your memory, then I warn you... this might seem a
bit chaotic to you."
Ranma let out a short laugh. "Chaotic? Listen girl; come back to me when
you have spent more than half your life on a battlefield. Then we can
start talking about chaos."
Nabiki didn't like his condescending tone, but she became more and more
convinced that he really did not remember her or anyone else in Nerima
for that matter. Still, 'half your life on a battlefield'? He didn't
look any older than before his disappearance. She shrugged and ignored
it for the moment. After all, she had to brace for the inevitable chaos
that was so common for Nerima. She swung the doors to the dojo opened
and entered, cautiously looking around. She breathed a sigh of relief as
no one was apparently home. She motioned for Ranma to follow her and
they both entered the house. Well inside, she told Ranma to sit down
while she went to gather some evidence of her claim to know Ranma.
In hindsight, she wished she never left him.
As she was rummaging through her drawers, looking for conclusive
evidence, she heard the doors to the house open. She dropped everything
she was holding and rushed down the stairs, mentally praying that she by
some miracle would arrive first to the living room. The miracle never
came.
"Ranma?" She could hear Nodoka exclaim.
"Foolish boy." Genma added. "Leaving your fiancée like this. Didn't I
teach you better?"
Soun predictably cried. "Oh, the schools can finally be joined!"
Kasumi didn't utter more than her almost patented: "Oh my!"
"Where have you been, you jerk?" Akane screamed in her usual furious
tone.
Ranma didn't say anything; he just stood in the middle of the room, with
his arms crossed, observing the people in front of him.
"Answer me!" Akane screamed further.
Ranma finally spoke up. "I do not know any of you people, and I do not
want to be a part of whatever you are planning." He turned to Nabiki.
"You better have some good evidence." He said with a glare.
Nabiki winced, as she knew the reaction Ranma's behaviour would elicit
from Akane. Sure enough, she turned red with fury, whipped out her
mallet and charged with deadly intent. Ranma calmly turned, not reacting
in any way. Just as Akane was about to connect, he somehow caught the
mallet without moving. Well that was just how it looked. Suddenly he
just stood there, blocking the mallet's trajectory with his left hand,
mere centimetres from his skull.
"I do _not_ take kindly to unprovoked assaults." He growled and squeezed
the mallet. With a crack the entire weapon turned into wooden splinters,
save for the handle. Akane looked dumbly at it for a moment before
dismissing it and throwing a punch aimed at Ranma's face. Yet again it
seemed like Ranma didn't move despite catching Akane's hand. In a fluid
motion, he threw her backwards, landing straight on top of the living
room table. It predictably broke but Akane seemed oblivious to this as
she struggled to regain balance.
"My baby!" Soun exclaimed and cried some more.
"Stop this!" Nabiki yelled, managing to get everyone's attention. "Look
at you! Acting like some barbarians just because Ranma is back. Besides,
he doesn't remember us."
"Amnesia?" Genma perked up. "That's easily cured." He said before
charging straight at Ranma. It should not be needed to note that Genma
is really, really stupid.
Ranma easily sidestepped the attack, adding a punch to Genma's back as
he went by. With a splash, Genma landed in the koi pond. "Anyone else?!"
Ranma challenged with glowing red eyes, taking up a threatening stance.
No one moved or said anything, not even Akane.
"Good!" He said, his eyes returning to their normal green hue. A
dripping noise alerted him to a threat behind him though, and he
instantly whirled on the spot. "Didn't get eno..." He started but
promptly cut himself off. Before him a big, sopping wet, panda stood.
Suddenly, he knelt and clutched his head, his entire body spasming
violently. After a minute, it stopped and he looked up. *The mallet, the
angel, the katana, the crying man, the panda. * He thought. Everything
was fitting together. He swallowed despite his dry throat. "Home." He
whispered.
***
Setsuna stood in the kitchen of Michiru and Haruka's house, trying to
find something worthwhile to eat as she had spent the last three days
trying to follow Ranma's movements. She sighed at the futility of it.
Ranma had proven to be almost impossible to track. The mind-meld
technique he applied on her enabled her to feel him, but only when he
was close and she was in normal reality, not at the time gate. Right
now, she could feel him somewhere in Nerima and she was bothered by the
disturbing images she got. According to his explanation, the mind-meld
was only supposed to work by conscious activation and yet right now she
received more than before. She took a sip from a glass filled with
juice, reflecting on the actions she actually had tracked. Sure those
vanishing acts he performed with some kind of portal were strange but
nothing else he had done was really suspicious and even she had to admit
that the UN ETSPP bureau was a good idea.
Suddenly she felt an intense pain through the mind-link. She staggered
and tried to regain her balance, dropping the glass in the process. Her
thoughts were horribly disorganised, and she struggled to clear a path
through her turbulent mind. A second later, everything cleared up and
she could think straight again. *What, was that? * She wondered with a
wide-eyed expression. Half a minute later, the telephone rang. Setsuna
hesitated, Haruka and Michiru normally answered the phone, but she had a
feeling that this phone call was for her. She decided to follow her
instincts and quickly picked up the phone.
"Moshi, Moshi?" She answered.
"Sorry about this, Sailor Pluto." She heard a voice say. Not that it was
any doubt of the owner of the voice. Ranma... "But could you contact
Sailor Mercury and get to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima? Something serious
came up."
Setsuna frowned. That something serious had happened was obvious but why
did he request for her and Ami to get to a dojo in Nerima? "Exactly what
are you trying to do?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well..." He hesitated nervously. "You will not like this. This appears
to be my home dimension..."
***
Ranma refused to tell anything after the strange phone call he made. He
just told to wait for two associates of his and then he would explain
where he had been. Nabiki predictably saw this as chance to make some
money and in slightly less than an hour, Ukyo, the Kunos, the amazons
and Happousai had gathered at the dojo. The only response from Ranma for
this action was a disappointed glare, and that somehow made Nabiki feel
guilty.
Nabiki, along with the others sat in the dojo waiting for Ranma. She
cleared her throat. "Listen up." She said getting everyone's attention
and she gave everyone a harsh glare. "As you all know, Ranma is here
_but_ as I stated earlier over the phone, you will not do anything
before he has explained himself. Is that clear?"
"Thanks Nabiki, but somehow I don't think they will abide to that for
more than five minutes." Ranma's voice came from behind her. She saw the
other's gasp and she quickly turned around. Her jaw hit the floor.
Before her Ranma stood in the armour he summoned when he made his grand
appearance, only this time the breastplates were bulkier, as well as
more ornate. The right plate had an intricate and flowing design almost
like some kind of glyph or rune, while the other had two beautiful
gemstones imbedded in it. He almost looked like some kind of futuristic
knight, yet he was very intimidating. Nabiki quickly collected herself
and sat down in her chair.
Ranma crossed his arms, making him look even more intimidating. "I
gather you have many questions, but be patient and everything will
become clear. First I want to introduce you to Sailor Pluto and Sailor
Mercury of the famous Sailor Senshi from Juuban." He ignored the gasps
as both Pluto and Mercury came into the dojo. However he could not
ignore a certain person.
"Hotcha!" Happousai cried out and launched himself at Mercury. He didn't
arrive though as he was snagged in the air by Ranma.
"Touch them and you'll wish I would have killed you instead." Ranma said
in a disturbingly calm tone, despite making a death threat.
Happousai struggled and managed to get free of Ranma's grip. "Is that
any way to talk to your master boy?" He said with an annoyed expression.
His annoyance changed into an evil grin. "But why bother with them when
I have the grand price before me?" He grabbed a bucket of water from
somewhere and splashed Ranma.
Only Ranma didn't change. He just stood there with a wide grin, albeit
dripping with water. The assembled people gasped. The Senshi could only
look on in confusion though. Genma spoke up. "Son, have you found a
cure?"
"No, I have not, I have something much better instead." Ranma said still
grinning, as his entire body shimmered. In a second his armour reformed,
his hair changed to red and his chest become much bigger. He became a
she. Another round of gasps followed, this time including the Senshi and
Happousai's eyes almost bugged out in amazement. Ranma quickly changed
back into his male form, grinning like a madman. "In fact, until now I
didn't even know it was a curse."
"Until now? What are you talking about son-in-law?" Cologne inquired.
"Let's take things in the proper order." Ranma said while kicking
Happousai to the back of the dojo. "Now, as I was saying, this is Sailor
Mercury and Sailor Pluto. They are here to witness and record what
happens here tonight. This is because I'm currently an ally with them
and this will fill them in on some of my background." He sighed and took
a deep breath before continuing. "Now to the million dollar question.
Where have I been? The answer to that is not an easy one, I assure you.
However, I will try to make a long story short, by telling you that I
have been travelling."
"That must have been some trip." Ukyo noted with some sarcasm.
"You don't know how right you are." Ranma replied looking a bit
depressed. "I will start at the beginning. For some reason, which I have
yet to discover, I was transported to another dimension. Other
dimensions should come as no surprise to some of you, if you remember
the Nanban Mirror."
Kuno did not know what the Nanban mirror was. "Are you suggesting that
there are more worlds than this? Surely you must be jesting."
Ranma shook his head. "No Kuno, I am serious. In fact, most scientists
are certain that there are unlimited dimensions. Questioning that would
be like questioning the genius of Shakespeare himself."
Kuno settled down and seemed to be in deep thought. The others could
just look on with stunned expressions. Had Ranma just managed to reach
Kuno? It seemed impossible, yet the proof was right there in front of
them.
"My travels did not stop there however." Ranma continued. "For two
thousand years, I have travelled, against my will, through hundreds of
dimensions. Until now, I never knew my background, except that I knew my
name was Ranma. That I have regained my memory suggests that this is my
home dimension..."
Soun decided to share his 'hard earned wisdom'. "Well, then. I'm happy
that you are back and have regained your memory. Now when shall we hold
the wedding?"
"Yes, this is the perfect time to join the schools." Genma agreed.
Ranma's eyes turned red. "How about never?" He said in a deadly tone.
Soun got enraged. "You will marry my daughter!" He yelled, deploying his
demon head technique.
"I WILL NOT COMPLY" Ranma replied in a disturbingly monotone voice. Soun
'eeped' and cowered in his seat. Ranma looked at the other girls in the
room, giving each of them a harsh glare. "In fact, I will not marry
anyone in this room."
"What?!" Ukyo exclaimed. "But... why not?" She said on the verge of
tears.
"Please, Ranma darling. Don't do this to me." Kodachi continued.
"Who is other girl? Will kill obstacle." Shampoo said.
Nodoka was fingering her katana. "Son, it is a matter of honour that you
marr..."
Ranma cut her off. " Honour? HONOUR? You dare speak about honour, you
who sent your only son to be raised by that pathetic excuse of a mon-
keigh?" He said, pointing at Genma. "You don't even know the first thing
about honour." He said shaking his head. "No, I will not betray my wife
by thinking of marriage."
"Wife?" Genma exclaimed. "Have you been cheating on your fiancée, boy?"
Ranma only glared at Genma. "Have I?" He said with a snort. "First, I
didn't even know I had a fiancée. Secondly, even if I had, did you
really expect me to keep myself in celibacy for thousands of years?
Besides, my wife has been dead for a long time now." He said with a dark
expression. "Just think about it. I have lived for almost two millennia,
and only recently discovered who I previously was. Which set of memories
do you think takes precedence? Ranma Wildman, 2000 years old or Ranma
Saotome, 17 years old?"
Nodoka gasped. "You can't be serious."
"Oh I'm deadly serious." Ranma retorted and pointed at his head "In
fact, I'm currently connected to every record concerning my existence.
With a thought I could erase them all, without anyone ever noticing.
It's all up to you. All I ask is that you nullify any and all
agreements, made by Genma, concerning me. "
"But I can't do that..." Nodoka hesitated, glancing at Genma.
"Don't worry about _him_." Ranma almost spat at Genma. "I've just made
you the sole head of the Saotome clan so the decision is in your
entirely in your hands."
Genma gasped. "You can't do that!"
"I just did." Ranma said with a glare. He turned back to Nodoka,
ignoring Genma's protests. "So, what will it be?"
Nodoka looked desperate. "Please, don't make me do this." She pleaded.
Ranma only glared. "I can't..." she whispered, tears streaming down her
cheeks.
"So be it." Ranma said, getting a blank look for a second, before
continuing. "It is done. Ranma Saotome has never existed."
Cologne spoke up. "Don't think you're off the hook yet, son-in-law.
Japanese honour may recognize you as dead, but the amazons do not care
about a name."
"Ah yes, the 'young' ghoul." He said sarcastically. "I agree with you on
that point. However, I'm offering you an alternative."
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Really? And what are you proposing?"
"That you release me from the law concerning the supposed marriage to
Xian Pu. In return I will become an ally to the amazon tribe, helping in
the defence of any and all threats to it."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then your pitiful tribe will be reduced to its composing atoms." Ranma
answered calmly. He pressed a button his wrist and the big shoulder gun
he had previously used in his initial confrontation appeared. He tapped
it with a finger. "This is a MAC gun, and it's of my own design. I
highly doubt that you have missed what it can do unless of course you
have escaped the 'wonders' of television. What you do not know is that I
can possibly destroy this entire planet with it, let alone a small
backwards village in the wilderness of China."
"You're bluffing." Cologne said confidently, yet internally she feared
the power that the gun could release.
Mercury interjected. "No, he's not. In fact, if using a powerful enough
power source, he could even destroy this entire solar system. I have to
admit that I didn't truly believe it at first, but I made some
calculations and his claim is quite true." She said with a shudder.
Cologne considered that for a minute. She was cornered and she didn't
like it one bit. She had seen what the gun could do and it was certainly
powerful, but could it truly be as powerful as Ranma and the girl
claimed? Of course, the girl could be working with Ranma, but she seemed
sincere enough, and just thinking of what would happen if Ranma's claim
was true, made her shiver. She turned to Ranma and looked darkly at him.
"I... will think about it."
"Good enough for me." Ranma said, dismissing the gun. "Now, just to make
sure there are no misunderstandings, I am Ranma Wildman and I have no
connections to any of you, with the exception of Cologne." His eyes
shifted back from red to green. He looked in concern at Kasumi. "Kasumi,
Ranma Saotome thought of you as a mother and I feel the same way. I
strongly urge you to leave this place of madness." He turned to Nabiki.
"Ranma Saotome never understood you Nabiki, but I do. I give you the
same advice as Kasumi; leave, and never look back."
Akane looked like she was about to explode. "Stop talking like that to
my sisters!"
"Oh? Am I not allowed to say good bye?" He said in mock surprise. His
gaze softened considerably as he looked at Akane. "I'm sorry for this
Akane, but I cannot in good conscience think about any type of marriage.
I'm too dangerous." He said gravely. "I can tell you one thing though,
Ranma Saotome, would gladly have married you..." He said and turned to
leave.
Akane was stunned by this revelation but before she could answer another
voice cut in. "Ranma, you coward! Prepare to die!" Ryoga yelled as he
charged. Ranma calmly turned, not even bothering to dodge. Seemingly
without moving, Ranma suddenly had his hand around Ryoga's throat and he
proceeded to lift the lost boy up in the air.
"Ah, the eternally lost pig. How are you these days? Claiming to be
miserable, as usual?" Ranma said with a Kasumi like smile. "Then try
harder. You say that you have seen hell because of me, though somehow I
doubt it. I on the other hand has seen lots of hells and let me tell you
something, hell is more inviting than being around you." He finished
darkly.
"Shut... up..." Ryoga growled despite having trouble breathing. He
suddenly stabbed Ranma in the left chest plate and with a cry of
"Bakusai Tenketsu!" the plate shattered. The gemstones imbedded in it
was freed and dropped to the floor.
Ranma staggered back, loosing his hold on Ryoga's throat, but he didn't
appear to be hurt. He looked down at the shattered plate, then the
gemstones, then Ryoga and finally back to the gemstones. "Normally I
would be impressed by such a show of skill." He calmly stated. He looked
up, staring straight at Ryoga. "However, that was my wife and daughter's
spirit stones." He said with an almost insane grin. His eyes turned
impossibly dark and an aura black enough to blot out the sun formed
around him.
Ryoga had only a second to realise that this would hurt.
Ranma seemed to almost vanish but if Ryoga was any indication, Ranma was
most definitely still there. The lost boy seemingly hovered one foot
above the floor held aloft by hundreds and hundreds of blows. The sound
was almost deafening, and it seemed like the punishment would never end.
However, almost as abruptly as it had started, it stopped, dropping
Ryoga to the floor. The lost boy was a mess, almost every joint was
aimed in the wrong direction, massive bruises could be seen forming all
over his body and his face was nothing more than a bloody pulp. Ranma
carefully stepped over the limp body and tenderly gathered up the
gemstones.
"I have other matters to attend to. Good day to you all." He said,
turning to leave. However Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi stopped him.
"Please Ranma." Ukyo cried. "Why are you doing this?" Kodachi and
Shampoo could only agree.
"Yes, tell us why." Sailor Pluto interjected. "Somehow I feel that you
are not telling us everything." She said with a smirk.
Ranma shot her a dark glare before turning back to the girls. "As I have
told you, I had a wife once and together with her I had a wonderful
daughter." His expression turned even darker. "I killed them myself." He
finished before leaving the dojo.
*** - - - - ***
More secrets are revealed and even more questions are raised. Ranma's
curse is almost cured? Does anyone think the Nerima Wrecking Crew will
give up on Ranma? And most importantly, what did happen to his wife and
daughter?
Some questions will be answered in the coming chapter but rest assured
that most answers will only be revealed at the very end (If you find the
clues that is (Ph34r m3. I'm Evul! ^___^)). Stay tuned for the next
chapter of Balance of Chaos: Neither bad nor good (Yeah I know. I sound
like an announcer in a bad show from the seventies).
Just another thing, please don't believe that this chapter was all
bashing. The reason for Ranma's cold behaviour will be apparent later
on... (Actually it should already be apparent but only if you've seen
all the clues ^___^)
If you wish to contact me then do so at:
kenneth@gon.nu or kenneth.lonnberg@bodenonline.com
My works will be available at:
My own page - http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/macvf1fanfic
And when they get around to update/accept my fics, these sites will also
feature my fics:
Lady Cosmo's Fanfic Library - http://ladycosmos.anifics.com/
Ranchan & co. Crossing bridges - http://tannim.anifics.com/