Broken Hearts, Mended Souls
By
Nuclear Twinkie
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Disclaimer: In all seriousness, all rights to Ranma1/2 and its characters go to Rumiko Takahashi. In all silliness... Kasumi, would you go ahead and tell the people what the disclaimer is for. "Well, um, are you sure I'm the right person for this?" Go on, Kasumi. You'll do fine. "OK. This disclaimer is to give credit to Rumiko Takahashi for all the wonderful characters she has created. Oh my, I'm one of those characters, aren't I? Anyway, it's also to notify readers that this fanfic author is not taking credit for creating them. That would be wrong, wouldn't it? No one would actually do that, would they?"
{} = Character Thoughts
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"Shampoo, what the hell are you doing in my restaurant?"
{Somehow, I knew this wasn't going to be easy.} Shampoo is standing inside the entrance to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki. She is looking at an incredibly annoyed Ukyo Kuonji, who is just finishing up from the dinner rush. Konatsu is wiping clean one of the tables in the dining room. "Spatula girl, this not time for argument. Tendo girls and airen need help."
"What kind of crap are you trying to pull now Shampoo? You had better not be lying to me."
{Damn spatula girl. We don't have time for this. My airen needs help, and she argues with me.} "Shampoo not lying. Bad men attack Akane and Nabiki Tendo. They hurt Nabiki. We need help to hunt bad men who do this, unless you want I tell Ranma you no care."
"Don't you dare! If Ranma-honey needs help, I'll be the one to help him. Why don't you just go back to that second-rate ramen shop of yours while I go see if Ranma-honey really needs help?"
{Those Tendo girls really need all the help I can get, but if she insults the Nekohanten one more time, I'll make it so she's the one that needs help. I'll get her follow me, one way or another.} Shampoo starts yelling, "Stupid spatula girl! You listen to Shampoo! Bad men hurt Nabiki Tendo! We go hunt down bad men! If you want help, come to Tendo dojo. If not want help, stay here. Then you could keep cooking tasteless cardboard you call food. Shampoo leave now." Shampoo smiles slightly, then turns and quickly leaves Ucchan's.
"What did you say about my okonomiyaki, and in my own restaurant? Why you... Konatsu! Finish closing the restaurant! I'm gonna show that Amazon hussy a thing or two!" Ukyo yanks out her battle spatula and sprints out the door. "Shampoo, get back here!"
Ukyo is sprinting down the street after Shampoo. {What the heck is that Amazon hussy up to? She said that Akane and Nabiki were attacked, and that Nabiki is hurt. I don't know why she would care, especially since she's probably happy Akane got hurt, but I'd better keep following her anyway. If she's lying, I'll hurt her a lot, otherwise I'll just hurt her for that crack about my okonomiyaki.} "Shampoo, get back here!"
Farther up the road, a guy with long black hair and thick-lenses glasses hears the screaming. {That must mean my beautiful Shampoo is coming! Wait, I think I see her running down the street towards me.} Mousse prepares to 'allow' Shampoo to jump into his arms. He feels something move quickly past him, and then jumps into the road, arms apart. "Shampoo, my love! I'm so happy to see you!" Mousse feels a woman fly into his arms, so he suddenly closes them in a loving embrace. {She actually ran into my arms! I'm so happy!} "Shampoo, together, we can..."
"Who do you think you're hugging, you jackass!" Ukyo breaks the bear hug and slams her spatula down onto Mousse's head. Mousse falls to the pavement stunned.
"Sh-sh-shampoo?" Mousse looks up and squints thru his glasses. "Ukyo Kuonji? You are not my Shampoo."
Ukyo looks down at him. Her hands are tightly squeezing her battle spatula. "Really? What was your first guess?"
Shampoo walks up behind Mouse and smacks him on the back of his head. "Stupid, blind duck-boy. Stop staring at spatula girl and follow me. Airen and others need help. We go." Shampoo turns around and starts to sprint towards the Tendo dojo.
"Ukyo Kuonji, do you know what is going on?"
"Not yet, but I'm gonna find out as soon as I get to Ranma-honey." Ukyo side steps around Mousse and runs down the street following Shampoo's path.
{I guess the only way to find out what's happening is to follow. If Saotome has done anything to my Shampoo, he'll pay.} Mousse gets up and follows the other two martial artists to the Tendo dojo.
Meanwhile, at the Tendo dojo...
"There is absolutely no way you're going!"
"I'm a martial artist too! I've already defeated four of these guys, and I can defeat more. You need all the help you can get, which means I'm going!"
"How in the world could an uncute, unskilled tomboy like you possibly help us? You should just stay here and..." --SMASH-- Ranma Saotome's world goes black his head becomes embedded in Tendo backyard. Akane lifts her mallet off Ranma's head and continues to yell at him.
"If this 'uncute, unskilled tomboy' can take you out like that, then we have nothing to worry about if I go." Akane turns around and starts to walk back into the house. Suddenly, Akane's mallet is knocked out of her hand and she is lying on her back with a fist less than an inch from her face. Above, she sees Ranma kneeling over her with a look of determination on his face. His eyes however, almost convey a sense of pain.
"Akane, I'm not gonna let you get hurt because you overestimate your own skills. This guy was the best student your dad ever taught." Ranma moves his fist away and unconsciously moves his face closer to Akane's. "Stay here. Please?" Ranma and Akane spend the next several seconds staring at each other until a very jealous Chinese Amazon interrupts them.
"Aiyaa! What you doing with airen?"
Almost faster than the eye can follow, Ranma and Akane move and are now sitting several feet apart and sputtering hasty excuses.
"What do ya' mean? We ain't doin' nothin'!" "I would never do anything with that jerk!"
Ranma and Akane look over to see Shampoo and Ukyo standing there with weapons drawn. Neither of them looks very happy. Mousse walks up to the two angry looking girls, followed Soun and Genma. If Genma's look can be described as troubled, Soun's is barely controlled rage.
"What do you think you're doing staring at my daughter with your weapons drawn." Soun's voice was quiet, yet portrayed the rage he was feeling. Shampoo and Ukyo turn around to stare at the Tendo patriarch, their fear clear on their faces. Genma puts a hand on his friend's shoulder in attempt to ease his tension.
"Come now, Tendo. They probably were just attempting a little sparring match to warm up for what's to come." Genma looks at the two girls intently. "Isn't that right, girls?"
"Of course it is. That's enough of a workout for me." "Shampoo just sparring, but all done now."
Both girls quickly put their weapons away, turning their gaze from the burning stare Soun was giving them. Genma slowly turns Soun around and leads him back into the house. "Come on Tendo. Let's go visit Nabiki some more."
As the kids in the backyard look at the two fathers walk into the house, Soun appears to lose all energy and his shoulders slump as he starts muttering, "I'll never be able to protect them. Never."
Mousse looks over at Ranma. "Saotome, what was that? I have never seen him that angry before. That actually felt like battle aura coming off him."
{Oh man, how am I gonna explain all this without saying stuff I'm not supposed to.} Ranma turns to look at Akane, almost asking for help with his gaze. "Well, you see, uh..."
"Ranma, it's OK. Just don't tell them everything." Akane stands up and starts to walk into the house.
"Akane, where are you going?"
Akane stops to turn and look at Ranma. "I'm going to go see how daddy is doing. Besides, I don't think I can hear that story one more time." Akane sighs as she turns back to the house and walks inside.
{Great, tell them, just not everything. What does she mean by that? Oh well, the less I say, the less I can screw up.} Ranma, still sitting, turns to face the others. "Sit down guys, this might take a while."
Akane walks upstairs and down the hallway to Nabiki's room as she hears Dr. Tofu saying, "Yes, that would be best. I can take the girls over to my place, especially since our enemy knows where the dojo is."
{If they think I'm gonna just go over to Tofu's and hide, they've got another thing coming!} Akane slams open the door and screams, "I am staying here! They will not attack my home! I will be here to defend it!"
Around the room Tofu, Kasumi (who is on the opposite side of the room from Tofu), Nabiki, Genma and Soun look at Akane in amazement. Kasumi says, "Akane, it would be best if you came over to Dr. Tofu's with us. I really think..."
"NO! I am a martial artist! I am honor bound to protect this dojo! I have done it before and I will do it again! I will not run like a coward into the night! I WILL NOT RUN FROM THE MAN WHO MURDERED MY MOTHER!" Akane turns around to run down the hallway and to her room. She slams the door shut. {I will not run! I am a martial artist! I will defend my home! I will defend it! Mother would want me to stay I know it! I just know... she would...} Akane collapses to the floor in the middle of her room. She brings her knees to her chest, wraps her arms around her legs, and begins to cry.
"Well, that's about it. We need to be able to defend the dojo and still have enough people left to find this guy." Ranma looks around at the other three martial artists. "If only Ryoga were here, this wouldn't be..."
"Where the hell am I now?!?" Ranma turns around to see Ryoga facing the corner of the wall surrounding the Tendo home.
{If I didn't know better, I'd swear he does that on purpose.} "Hey, Mr. P. Over here!"
Ryoga stomps over to Ranma, grabs the front of his shirt, and lifts him off the ground. "Ranma, I've told you not to call me that! You'd better take it back or else!"
"Fine, I take it back."
Ryoga face becomes one of absolute confusion as he drops Ranma. "You do?"
"Yes, Ryoga I do. We have more important things to worry about right now. Akane and her sisters are in trouble and need our help. Ryoga, we..."
Everyone turns towards the house as they hear Akane scream, "I will not run from the man who murdered my mother!" Everyone just stares at the house. No one says anything. Ryoga looks at the others and see their saddened expressions. {Murdered? I knew Akane's mother died, but I thought it was from some illness. Akane sounded so sad, so hurt, so...pained.} "Ranma, what happened? Why..."
"There will be enough time for that later." They all turn to see Genma walking into the backyard. "Ryoga, sit down. I need to talk to all of you. Ranma, go upstairs. Kasumi needs you for something."
Ryoga sits down as Genma does and listens intently to the conversation as Ranma walks into the house. Ranma meets Kasumi at the top of the stairs. "What can I do for ya, Kasumi?"
"Ranma, it's not me you need to do something for. It's Akane." Kasumi looks like she is about to cry as her eyes fill with tears. "She's very hurt right now and needs a source of strength. I don't know if I can provide that for her right now. I know you can. Please, Ranma. I'm not pushing you together. I'm asking you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm not..." Kasumi feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to see Dr. Tofu there. "Oh, Tofu!" Kasumi turns and buries her head into Tofu's shoulder as she starts crying.
Tofu is shaking, but remains in control as he puts his arms around Kasumi. "Go Ranma. Akane does need you."
Ranma nods his head in agreement and walks down the hallway to Akane's room. {I hope I'm up for this. If Kasumi has lost it, then I don't even know what to expect from Akane. The only thing I do know is that no one will hurt her. She will be OK, because I will protect her. No matter what, and that even includes this.} Taking a deep breath, Ranma lightly knocks on the door. "Akane, can I come in?" Hearing no answer, he opens the door and peeks inside. He sees Akane still curled up in the middle of her room.
Ranma quickly rushes over and kneels beside Akane. He puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Akane are you okay?"
Akane looks up at Ranma. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying for so long and she has tears running down her cheeks. "Oh, Ranma!" Akane grabs Ranma shirt, as if she is clinging to it just to stay up. She lays her head on Ranma's shoulder and starts to cry.
{What? Hey wait! I shouldn't... I should protect her, and that includes this.} Ranma slowly takes his arms and wraps them around Akane. "Everything will be okay. I promise Akane. I promise."
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Author's Notes: [UPDATED 08/17/02] Final Draft. Wow! I wanted this chapter to be longer, but it seemed like such a good place to stop it. Anyway, please e-mail me with opinions, criticisms, and suggestions. Please be constructive with all C&C. I don't mind being told what someone doesn't like, as long as they provide some direction to make it better. (ntwinkie@effectnet.com)
By
Nuclear Twinkie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: In all seriousness, all rights to Ranma1/2 and its characters go to Rumiko Takahashi. In all silliness... Kasumi, would you go ahead and tell the people what the disclaimer is for. "Well, um, are you sure I'm the right person for this?" Go on, Kasumi. You'll do fine. "OK. This disclaimer is to give credit to Rumiko Takahashi for all the wonderful characters she has created. Oh my, I'm one of those characters, aren't I? Anyway, it's also to notify readers that this fanfic author is not taking credit for creating them. That would be wrong, wouldn't it? No one would actually do that, would they?"
{} = Character Thoughts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Shampoo, what the hell are you doing in my restaurant?"
{Somehow, I knew this wasn't going to be easy.} Shampoo is standing inside the entrance to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki. She is looking at an incredibly annoyed Ukyo Kuonji, who is just finishing up from the dinner rush. Konatsu is wiping clean one of the tables in the dining room. "Spatula girl, this not time for argument. Tendo girls and airen need help."
"What kind of crap are you trying to pull now Shampoo? You had better not be lying to me."
{Damn spatula girl. We don't have time for this. My airen needs help, and she argues with me.} "Shampoo not lying. Bad men attack Akane and Nabiki Tendo. They hurt Nabiki. We need help to hunt bad men who do this, unless you want I tell Ranma you no care."
"Don't you dare! If Ranma-honey needs help, I'll be the one to help him. Why don't you just go back to that second-rate ramen shop of yours while I go see if Ranma-honey really needs help?"
{Those Tendo girls really need all the help I can get, but if she insults the Nekohanten one more time, I'll make it so she's the one that needs help. I'll get her follow me, one way or another.} Shampoo starts yelling, "Stupid spatula girl! You listen to Shampoo! Bad men hurt Nabiki Tendo! We go hunt down bad men! If you want help, come to Tendo dojo. If not want help, stay here. Then you could keep cooking tasteless cardboard you call food. Shampoo leave now." Shampoo smiles slightly, then turns and quickly leaves Ucchan's.
"What did you say about my okonomiyaki, and in my own restaurant? Why you... Konatsu! Finish closing the restaurant! I'm gonna show that Amazon hussy a thing or two!" Ukyo yanks out her battle spatula and sprints out the door. "Shampoo, get back here!"
Ukyo is sprinting down the street after Shampoo. {What the heck is that Amazon hussy up to? She said that Akane and Nabiki were attacked, and that Nabiki is hurt. I don't know why she would care, especially since she's probably happy Akane got hurt, but I'd better keep following her anyway. If she's lying, I'll hurt her a lot, otherwise I'll just hurt her for that crack about my okonomiyaki.} "Shampoo, get back here!"
Farther up the road, a guy with long black hair and thick-lenses glasses hears the screaming. {That must mean my beautiful Shampoo is coming! Wait, I think I see her running down the street towards me.} Mousse prepares to 'allow' Shampoo to jump into his arms. He feels something move quickly past him, and then jumps into the road, arms apart. "Shampoo, my love! I'm so happy to see you!" Mousse feels a woman fly into his arms, so he suddenly closes them in a loving embrace. {She actually ran into my arms! I'm so happy!} "Shampoo, together, we can..."
"Who do you think you're hugging, you jackass!" Ukyo breaks the bear hug and slams her spatula down onto Mousse's head. Mousse falls to the pavement stunned.
"Sh-sh-shampoo?" Mousse looks up and squints thru his glasses. "Ukyo Kuonji? You are not my Shampoo."
Ukyo looks down at him. Her hands are tightly squeezing her battle spatula. "Really? What was your first guess?"
Shampoo walks up behind Mouse and smacks him on the back of his head. "Stupid, blind duck-boy. Stop staring at spatula girl and follow me. Airen and others need help. We go." Shampoo turns around and starts to sprint towards the Tendo dojo.
"Ukyo Kuonji, do you know what is going on?"
"Not yet, but I'm gonna find out as soon as I get to Ranma-honey." Ukyo side steps around Mousse and runs down the street following Shampoo's path.
{I guess the only way to find out what's happening is to follow. If Saotome has done anything to my Shampoo, he'll pay.} Mousse gets up and follows the other two martial artists to the Tendo dojo.
Meanwhile, at the Tendo dojo...
"There is absolutely no way you're going!"
"I'm a martial artist too! I've already defeated four of these guys, and I can defeat more. You need all the help you can get, which means I'm going!"
"How in the world could an uncute, unskilled tomboy like you possibly help us? You should just stay here and..." --SMASH-- Ranma Saotome's world goes black his head becomes embedded in Tendo backyard. Akane lifts her mallet off Ranma's head and continues to yell at him.
"If this 'uncute, unskilled tomboy' can take you out like that, then we have nothing to worry about if I go." Akane turns around and starts to walk back into the house. Suddenly, Akane's mallet is knocked out of her hand and she is lying on her back with a fist less than an inch from her face. Above, she sees Ranma kneeling over her with a look of determination on his face. His eyes however, almost convey a sense of pain.
"Akane, I'm not gonna let you get hurt because you overestimate your own skills. This guy was the best student your dad ever taught." Ranma moves his fist away and unconsciously moves his face closer to Akane's. "Stay here. Please?" Ranma and Akane spend the next several seconds staring at each other until a very jealous Chinese Amazon interrupts them.
"Aiyaa! What you doing with airen?"
Almost faster than the eye can follow, Ranma and Akane move and are now sitting several feet apart and sputtering hasty excuses.
"What do ya' mean? We ain't doin' nothin'!" "I would never do anything with that jerk!"
Ranma and Akane look over to see Shampoo and Ukyo standing there with weapons drawn. Neither of them looks very happy. Mousse walks up to the two angry looking girls, followed Soun and Genma. If Genma's look can be described as troubled, Soun's is barely controlled rage.
"What do you think you're doing staring at my daughter with your weapons drawn." Soun's voice was quiet, yet portrayed the rage he was feeling. Shampoo and Ukyo turn around to stare at the Tendo patriarch, their fear clear on their faces. Genma puts a hand on his friend's shoulder in attempt to ease his tension.
"Come now, Tendo. They probably were just attempting a little sparring match to warm up for what's to come." Genma looks at the two girls intently. "Isn't that right, girls?"
"Of course it is. That's enough of a workout for me." "Shampoo just sparring, but all done now."
Both girls quickly put their weapons away, turning their gaze from the burning stare Soun was giving them. Genma slowly turns Soun around and leads him back into the house. "Come on Tendo. Let's go visit Nabiki some more."
As the kids in the backyard look at the two fathers walk into the house, Soun appears to lose all energy and his shoulders slump as he starts muttering, "I'll never be able to protect them. Never."
Mousse looks over at Ranma. "Saotome, what was that? I have never seen him that angry before. That actually felt like battle aura coming off him."
{Oh man, how am I gonna explain all this without saying stuff I'm not supposed to.} Ranma turns to look at Akane, almost asking for help with his gaze. "Well, you see, uh..."
"Ranma, it's OK. Just don't tell them everything." Akane stands up and starts to walk into the house.
"Akane, where are you going?"
Akane stops to turn and look at Ranma. "I'm going to go see how daddy is doing. Besides, I don't think I can hear that story one more time." Akane sighs as she turns back to the house and walks inside.
{Great, tell them, just not everything. What does she mean by that? Oh well, the less I say, the less I can screw up.} Ranma, still sitting, turns to face the others. "Sit down guys, this might take a while."
Akane walks upstairs and down the hallway to Nabiki's room as she hears Dr. Tofu saying, "Yes, that would be best. I can take the girls over to my place, especially since our enemy knows where the dojo is."
{If they think I'm gonna just go over to Tofu's and hide, they've got another thing coming!} Akane slams open the door and screams, "I am staying here! They will not attack my home! I will be here to defend it!"
Around the room Tofu, Kasumi (who is on the opposite side of the room from Tofu), Nabiki, Genma and Soun look at Akane in amazement. Kasumi says, "Akane, it would be best if you came over to Dr. Tofu's with us. I really think..."
"NO! I am a martial artist! I am honor bound to protect this dojo! I have done it before and I will do it again! I will not run like a coward into the night! I WILL NOT RUN FROM THE MAN WHO MURDERED MY MOTHER!" Akane turns around to run down the hallway and to her room. She slams the door shut. {I will not run! I am a martial artist! I will defend my home! I will defend it! Mother would want me to stay I know it! I just know... she would...} Akane collapses to the floor in the middle of her room. She brings her knees to her chest, wraps her arms around her legs, and begins to cry.
"Well, that's about it. We need to be able to defend the dojo and still have enough people left to find this guy." Ranma looks around at the other three martial artists. "If only Ryoga were here, this wouldn't be..."
"Where the hell am I now?!?" Ranma turns around to see Ryoga facing the corner of the wall surrounding the Tendo home.
{If I didn't know better, I'd swear he does that on purpose.} "Hey, Mr. P. Over here!"
Ryoga stomps over to Ranma, grabs the front of his shirt, and lifts him off the ground. "Ranma, I've told you not to call me that! You'd better take it back or else!"
"Fine, I take it back."
Ryoga face becomes one of absolute confusion as he drops Ranma. "You do?"
"Yes, Ryoga I do. We have more important things to worry about right now. Akane and her sisters are in trouble and need our help. Ryoga, we..."
Everyone turns towards the house as they hear Akane scream, "I will not run from the man who murdered my mother!" Everyone just stares at the house. No one says anything. Ryoga looks at the others and see their saddened expressions. {Murdered? I knew Akane's mother died, but I thought it was from some illness. Akane sounded so sad, so hurt, so...pained.} "Ranma, what happened? Why..."
"There will be enough time for that later." They all turn to see Genma walking into the backyard. "Ryoga, sit down. I need to talk to all of you. Ranma, go upstairs. Kasumi needs you for something."
Ryoga sits down as Genma does and listens intently to the conversation as Ranma walks into the house. Ranma meets Kasumi at the top of the stairs. "What can I do for ya, Kasumi?"
"Ranma, it's not me you need to do something for. It's Akane." Kasumi looks like she is about to cry as her eyes fill with tears. "She's very hurt right now and needs a source of strength. I don't know if I can provide that for her right now. I know you can. Please, Ranma. I'm not pushing you together. I'm asking you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm not..." Kasumi feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to see Dr. Tofu there. "Oh, Tofu!" Kasumi turns and buries her head into Tofu's shoulder as she starts crying.
Tofu is shaking, but remains in control as he puts his arms around Kasumi. "Go Ranma. Akane does need you."
Ranma nods his head in agreement and walks down the hallway to Akane's room. {I hope I'm up for this. If Kasumi has lost it, then I don't even know what to expect from Akane. The only thing I do know is that no one will hurt her. She will be OK, because I will protect her. No matter what, and that even includes this.} Taking a deep breath, Ranma lightly knocks on the door. "Akane, can I come in?" Hearing no answer, he opens the door and peeks inside. He sees Akane still curled up in the middle of her room.
Ranma quickly rushes over and kneels beside Akane. He puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Akane are you okay?"
Akane looks up at Ranma. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying for so long and she has tears running down her cheeks. "Oh, Ranma!" Akane grabs Ranma shirt, as if she is clinging to it just to stay up. She lays her head on Ranma's shoulder and starts to cry.
{What? Hey wait! I shouldn't... I should protect her, and that includes this.} Ranma slowly takes his arms and wraps them around Akane. "Everything will be okay. I promise Akane. I promise."
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Author's Notes: [UPDATED 08/17/02] Final Draft. Wow! I wanted this chapter to be longer, but it seemed like such a good place to stop it. Anyway, please e-mail me with opinions, criticisms, and suggestions. Please be constructive with all C&C. I don't mind being told what someone doesn't like, as long as they provide some direction to make it better. (ntwinkie@effectnet.com)
