Broken Hearts, Mended Souls
By
Nuclear Twinkie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: In all seriousness, all rights to Ranma1/2 and its characters go to Rumiko Takahashi. In all silliness... What the hell? "You said you wanted peace and quiet. Well, here you go." "Washu, we're on the moon." Washu, take us back. "You have to admit the view is kind of nice." Tenchi, we are on the moon. Here, how about this. Can you pretty please take us back to the earth, Washu-chan? "Since you did ask so nicely." BzzZAP!! "Oh look, penguins." Tenchi, remind next time to be a bit more specific with my requests to Washu. ARGH! When will it end?
{} = Character Thoughts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"OK, let me go over everything before I do this." Ryoga is staring at Shinnosuke's grandfather. They are standing on the edge of a lake. Ryoga is wearing a bathrobe, some slippers, and apparently little else. It is mid-afternoon on a clear day in the Ryugenzawa forest.
"Since I swim fairly well as a pig, I'm going down there and will attempt to cut off the whisker using the scissors. By the way, are you sure those things will work?"
Shinnosuke's grandfather holds up a strange pair of small scissors. The normal handles have been removed and replaced with small, strikingly bite shaped handles. A spring mechanism has been added to them as well to hold them open until the handles are pressed together. "Of course, my boy. Just stick these in your mouth, go down there, get one good chomp on a whisker, then drag the whisker back up."
Ryoga takes the scissor-like device and examines it carefully. "You are sure it won't wake the orochi up. I'm an awfully small pig and that orochi is bound to be awfully hungry."
"Don't worry. If the orochi wakes up we'll have Shin-boy here blow his whistle and send it back to sleep. No problem."
Ryoga looks warily at the lake. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?"
"Don't worry boy. What could possibly go..." The old man is unable to finish his sentence because Ryoga's hand is over his mouth.
"Are you crazy? Don't say that! My life has been bad enough lately as it is!" Ryoga slowly removes his hand, and looks over at some bushes near the lake. "Shinnosuke, is that water ready?"
Shinnosuke stands up and walks over to join the others. "Yeah Ryoga, the hot water is ready in case anything goes wrong." Shinnosuke then points at his grandfather. "By the way, do you know who this old man is?"
The old man closes his eyes and raises his fist before striking Shinnosuke. "Megaton Punch! I'm your grandpa!" The old man huffs in anger and turns to Ryoga. "So, are you ready?"
"Why the heck am I the one swimming down there again?"
The old man claps his hand on Ryoga's back. "Shin-boy doesn't swim very well and I'm just a old man. You said so yourself, you swim fairly well as a pig."
{Just an old man? Yeah, right. He's probably some super martial artist just hiding his power. How did I get talked into this again? Oh well, I hope this is worth it.} "All right old man, let's do this." Ryoga walks far enough into the water to activate his curse and then crawls back out. The old man kneels down and sticks the scissors into P-chan's mouth.
"A perfect fit. Good luck, boy."
P-chan turns and starts to walk back to the lake. {This had better work. At least if I get eaten, no one will care.} Ryoga takes a deep breath and jumps into the water. He swims straight down for nearly half a minute. {I hope I can hold my breath as a pig long enough to make it. There it is!} He approaches the orochi and sees several long whiskers. {OK, I just need one} P-chan swims up and positions the scissors. He then swims forward and bites down. The whisker neatly gets sliced off without disturbing the orochi at all. {Woohoo! This may actually work!} P-chan drops the scissors and grabs the whisker in his mouth.
As P-chan starts swimming to the surface, he hears a low rumble thru the water. {What is that? Uh-oh, where did the scissors go?} P-chan looks back and spots a rather displeased orochi with a pair of scissors embedded in its nose. {D'oh! That's bad! Swim faster! Must swim faster!}
Back on the beach, Shinnosuke and his grandfather patiently wait for Ryoga. They look at the water to see P-chan shoot out the water like a rocket, immediately followed by huge wave caused by the emergence of the orochi. The large wave hits Shinnosuke and the old man sending them flying away from the lake. The old man Stumbles out of the bushes. "Shin-boy! Blow the whistle!"
Shinnosuke reaches down to grab the whistle when he realizes it is not there. He frantically checks all his pockets before yelling, "It's gone! It must have got ripped off me when the water hit! I don't know-" Shinnosuke is suddenly cut off as he barely manages to avoid the orochi head that just tried to snap at him. "Find the whistle! I'll try and distract it!" Shinnosuke picks up his push broom and charges the orochi.
The old man rushes over to where Shinnosuke was standing. "No Shin-boy! It's too dangerous! Come back!" The old man looks up to see another orochi head diving at him. He turns his head and closes his eyes, ready for the worst.
WHAM! "Hey, old man! Don't just stand around! Find the damn whistle!" The old man looks up to see Ryoga standing on top the now unconscious orochi head. Ryoga is now clothed and holding his umbrella. There is a large bump on top of the orochi head he is on. He then jumps into the air towards another orochi head.
While the old man is desperately attempting to find the whistle, Ryoga and Shinnosuke are bouncing around between the orochi heads attempting to distract it as long as possible. Ryoga smacks one orochi head aside and looks to see Shinnosuke being blindsided by one of three heads trying to devour him. "Shinnouske!"
An orochi head violently slams into Shinnosuke, sending him tumbling to the ground like a broken rag doll. Two other orochi heads dive towards the unconscious prey lying on the ground. Ryoga kicks an orochi head and flies down towards Shinnosuke. {I'm not going to make it! I have to do something! I know...if I can get depressed enough.} Ryoga becomes surrounded in a sickly green glow. {He's going to die because of me! The orochi will eat me! I have no friends! Akane hates me! Aaarrrggghhh!} Ryoga points one hand at each orochi head about to devour Shinnosuke. "DUAL SHI SHI HOKOUDAN!" A beam of ki energy leaves each hand and strikes the orochi heads dead on. They slam into the ground on either side of Shinnosuke, followed by Ryoga who lands next to Shinnosuke.
Ryoga is breathing heavily and extremely fatigued from his attack. He reaches down and shakes Shinnosuke lightly. "Shinnosuke, wake up! You have got to get out of here!" Ryoga looks up to see four orochi heads still conscious, and all of them are staring at him. {Oh well, death can't be any worse.} Ryoga hears the orochi roar, and sees them dive towards him and Shinnosuke. Ryoga closes his eyes expecting instant death, and nothing happens. Before he can open his eyes he hears a shrill, high-pitched sound coming into his hearing range and he realizes what it is.
Shinnosuke's grandfather walks towards them blowing on the whistle. The remaining orochi heads start to close their eyes as they sink back into the water. Ryoga exhales in relief as he falls over and allows exhaustion to take him into unconsciousness.
Ryoga awakens to find himself on a path in the middle of a darkened forest. {What the heck? Where am I? What happened to Shinnosuke and his grandfather?} Ryoga starts to follow the path he is on until he comes to a fork in the road. {Great, now which way do I go?} Ryoga looks down one path and sees Akane. She has tears in her eyes and looks like she did the day she found out he was P-Chan. {Oh Akane, I'm so sorry.} Ryoga look down the other road and sees a girl obscured by mist, slowly being dragged away against her will.
"Hey, wait up! What's wrong?" Ryoga runs off into the mist after here only to come to a 4-way intersection. As the mist settles, Ryoga realizes he is in some kind of maze. {Oh man, I'll never find my way through this. Sometimes I think getting lost is worse than being a pig!} "Hey! Where are you?"
A girl's screaming voice is barely audible. "Ryoga!"
{What, I recognize that voice! That's...}
"Ryoga!"
{Huh, the voice just got deeper.}
"Ryoga! Wake up!"
{Wait a minute, that's not her.} Ryoga slowly awakens from his dream and opens his eyes to see Shinnosuke kneeling over him. "What, what happened?" Ryoga looks over and sees Shinnosuke's grandfather sleeping near a campfire.
Shinnosuke sighs in relief and leans back. "Whew, I thought you were never going to wake up. It's been almost two days since we fought the orochi. Grandfather tried to take us back to the house, but he couldn't make it with both of us so we camped about half way. We decided to stay here until you woke up and could make it on your own."
Ryoga suddenly sits up. "The whisker! I set it in the bushes after I changed, but then..."
"Don't worry. Grandfather found it. He said the potion should be ready by morning." Shinnosuke points to the campfire where a covered pot is hanging over the fire. "It's strange, but even after all this time, the water hasn't boiled away or anything."
{My cure. I'll finally be cured of the pig. I'll be free.}
Several hours pass as Ryoga gets something to eat and waits until morning. Shinnosuke's grandfather has dished a large quantity of the potion into a canteen. "Now Ryoga, you must drink it all."
{Well, here goes.} Ryoga puts the canteen to his lips and gulps the entire concoction down. He takes a deep breath and looks at the old man. "So, how long before this stuff takes effect?"
The old man is now standing and holding a bucket. "According to the scroll immediately." He happily hefts the cold water onto Ryoga only to lose that happiness as he watches Ryoga change. The old man quickly pours hot water onto P-chan to change him back. "I'm sorry Ryoga, we did everything the scroll said."
Ryoga quickly gets dressed and looks at the old man. "Don't worry. I should have known it wouldn't work. I'll just leave now." Ryoga looks around the campsite. "Hey, did you guys bring my pack back from the lake?" Both men shake their heads. "Figures." Ryoga turns and forlornly walks towards the lake.
About 30 minutes later, he is at the lake and finds his pack. {Great, now where do I want to, to... What the hell?} Ryoga looks at the lake and then looks back the direction he came from. {The campsite is that way.} He turns another direction. {That direction leads to Tokyo. No, I have to be dreaming, don't I?} Ryoga turns and runs back to the campsite as fast as he can. About 5 or 6 minutes later Ryoga charges into the campsite, but no one is there.
{What? I made it, but it might be luck. If it's not luck then Shinnosuke's house is that way.} Ryoga sprints into the forest. About ten minutes later, he comes to the house Shinnosuke and his grandfather live in. {This means, this means that I don't get lost anymore. WAIT!} Ryoga runs to the house and pushes the door open. Shinnosuke and grandfather are sitting at the table drinking tea. "It worked! I'm cured! Well, kind of cured, but cured anyway! You did it!"
The old man gets up and walks over to Ryoga. "What are you talking about? You still turn into a pig don't you?"
"Yes, but I don't get lost anymore! I never thought about it as a curse, but I suppose it is. Quick old man, point towards Tokyo." As the old man lifts his hand, so does Ryoga. When they stop, both the old man and Ryoga are pointing in the same direction. "You did it, I'm cured!" Ryoga grabs the old man and starts doing a little dance of joy.
"Ry-ry-o-o-ga-ga!!"
"Hey, you're going to kill my grandfather!"
Ryoga quickly puts the old man down and makes sure he's ok. "Thank you. If you ever need anything, just contact Ryoga Hibiki."
The old man puts his hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "No need to thank me Ryoga. We have to use the water of life sparaingly, now that almost all of the springs are dried up, and I couldn't think of a better way to use them."
Ryoga smiles and shakes the old man's hand. "Well, thanks anyway. Thanks to you too, Shinnosuke. Take care." Ryoga turns and walks out the door. He takes a few steps, and then stops to look towards Tokyo. He once again feels sadness overtake him. Before depression totally consumes him, he looks in another direction, only to hear a girl's cry echoing thru his mind.
{Akari.}
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Author's Notes: Thanks to Langdz for pre-reading this. Someone mentioned I don't have a lot about the Kunos in this fic. In all honesty, I HATE the Kunos. They may get put in this fic later, but only to suffer. Then again, I have never been too fond of Ryoga's actions towards Ranma and Akane, which is why I'm making him suffer extra to resolve absolutely anything he does. 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... What the hell? "You said you wanted peace and quiet. Well, here you go." "Washu, we're on the moon." Washu, take us back. "You have to admit the view is kind of nice." Tenchi, we are on the moon. Here, how about this. Can you pretty please take us back to the earth, Washu-chan? "Since you did ask so nicely." BzzZAP!! "Oh look, penguins." Tenchi, remind next time to be a bit more specific with my requests to Washu. ARGH! When will it end?
{} = Character Thoughts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"OK, let me go over everything before I do this." Ryoga is staring at Shinnosuke's grandfather. They are standing on the edge of a lake. Ryoga is wearing a bathrobe, some slippers, and apparently little else. It is mid-afternoon on a clear day in the Ryugenzawa forest.
"Since I swim fairly well as a pig, I'm going down there and will attempt to cut off the whisker using the scissors. By the way, are you sure those things will work?"
Shinnosuke's grandfather holds up a strange pair of small scissors. The normal handles have been removed and replaced with small, strikingly bite shaped handles. A spring mechanism has been added to them as well to hold them open until the handles are pressed together. "Of course, my boy. Just stick these in your mouth, go down there, get one good chomp on a whisker, then drag the whisker back up."
Ryoga takes the scissor-like device and examines it carefully. "You are sure it won't wake the orochi up. I'm an awfully small pig and that orochi is bound to be awfully hungry."
"Don't worry. If the orochi wakes up we'll have Shin-boy here blow his whistle and send it back to sleep. No problem."
Ryoga looks warily at the lake. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?"
"Don't worry boy. What could possibly go..." The old man is unable to finish his sentence because Ryoga's hand is over his mouth.
"Are you crazy? Don't say that! My life has been bad enough lately as it is!" Ryoga slowly removes his hand, and looks over at some bushes near the lake. "Shinnosuke, is that water ready?"
Shinnosuke stands up and walks over to join the others. "Yeah Ryoga, the hot water is ready in case anything goes wrong." Shinnosuke then points at his grandfather. "By the way, do you know who this old man is?"
The old man closes his eyes and raises his fist before striking Shinnosuke. "Megaton Punch! I'm your grandpa!" The old man huffs in anger and turns to Ryoga. "So, are you ready?"
"Why the heck am I the one swimming down there again?"
The old man claps his hand on Ryoga's back. "Shin-boy doesn't swim very well and I'm just a old man. You said so yourself, you swim fairly well as a pig."
{Just an old man? Yeah, right. He's probably some super martial artist just hiding his power. How did I get talked into this again? Oh well, I hope this is worth it.} "All right old man, let's do this." Ryoga walks far enough into the water to activate his curse and then crawls back out. The old man kneels down and sticks the scissors into P-chan's mouth.
"A perfect fit. Good luck, boy."
P-chan turns and starts to walk back to the lake. {This had better work. At least if I get eaten, no one will care.} Ryoga takes a deep breath and jumps into the water. He swims straight down for nearly half a minute. {I hope I can hold my breath as a pig long enough to make it. There it is!} He approaches the orochi and sees several long whiskers. {OK, I just need one} P-chan swims up and positions the scissors. He then swims forward and bites down. The whisker neatly gets sliced off without disturbing the orochi at all. {Woohoo! This may actually work!} P-chan drops the scissors and grabs the whisker in his mouth.
As P-chan starts swimming to the surface, he hears a low rumble thru the water. {What is that? Uh-oh, where did the scissors go?} P-chan looks back and spots a rather displeased orochi with a pair of scissors embedded in its nose. {D'oh! That's bad! Swim faster! Must swim faster!}
Back on the beach, Shinnosuke and his grandfather patiently wait for Ryoga. They look at the water to see P-chan shoot out the water like a rocket, immediately followed by huge wave caused by the emergence of the orochi. The large wave hits Shinnosuke and the old man sending them flying away from the lake. The old man Stumbles out of the bushes. "Shin-boy! Blow the whistle!"
Shinnosuke reaches down to grab the whistle when he realizes it is not there. He frantically checks all his pockets before yelling, "It's gone! It must have got ripped off me when the water hit! I don't know-" Shinnosuke is suddenly cut off as he barely manages to avoid the orochi head that just tried to snap at him. "Find the whistle! I'll try and distract it!" Shinnosuke picks up his push broom and charges the orochi.
The old man rushes over to where Shinnosuke was standing. "No Shin-boy! It's too dangerous! Come back!" The old man looks up to see another orochi head diving at him. He turns his head and closes his eyes, ready for the worst.
WHAM! "Hey, old man! Don't just stand around! Find the damn whistle!" The old man looks up to see Ryoga standing on top the now unconscious orochi head. Ryoga is now clothed and holding his umbrella. There is a large bump on top of the orochi head he is on. He then jumps into the air towards another orochi head.
While the old man is desperately attempting to find the whistle, Ryoga and Shinnosuke are bouncing around between the orochi heads attempting to distract it as long as possible. Ryoga smacks one orochi head aside and looks to see Shinnosuke being blindsided by one of three heads trying to devour him. "Shinnouske!"
An orochi head violently slams into Shinnosuke, sending him tumbling to the ground like a broken rag doll. Two other orochi heads dive towards the unconscious prey lying on the ground. Ryoga kicks an orochi head and flies down towards Shinnosuke. {I'm not going to make it! I have to do something! I know...if I can get depressed enough.} Ryoga becomes surrounded in a sickly green glow. {He's going to die because of me! The orochi will eat me! I have no friends! Akane hates me! Aaarrrggghhh!} Ryoga points one hand at each orochi head about to devour Shinnosuke. "DUAL SHI SHI HOKOUDAN!" A beam of ki energy leaves each hand and strikes the orochi heads dead on. They slam into the ground on either side of Shinnosuke, followed by Ryoga who lands next to Shinnosuke.
Ryoga is breathing heavily and extremely fatigued from his attack. He reaches down and shakes Shinnosuke lightly. "Shinnosuke, wake up! You have got to get out of here!" Ryoga looks up to see four orochi heads still conscious, and all of them are staring at him. {Oh well, death can't be any worse.} Ryoga hears the orochi roar, and sees them dive towards him and Shinnosuke. Ryoga closes his eyes expecting instant death, and nothing happens. Before he can open his eyes he hears a shrill, high-pitched sound coming into his hearing range and he realizes what it is.
Shinnosuke's grandfather walks towards them blowing on the whistle. The remaining orochi heads start to close their eyes as they sink back into the water. Ryoga exhales in relief as he falls over and allows exhaustion to take him into unconsciousness.
Ryoga awakens to find himself on a path in the middle of a darkened forest. {What the heck? Where am I? What happened to Shinnosuke and his grandfather?} Ryoga starts to follow the path he is on until he comes to a fork in the road. {Great, now which way do I go?} Ryoga looks down one path and sees Akane. She has tears in her eyes and looks like she did the day she found out he was P-Chan. {Oh Akane, I'm so sorry.} Ryoga look down the other road and sees a girl obscured by mist, slowly being dragged away against her will.
"Hey, wait up! What's wrong?" Ryoga runs off into the mist after here only to come to a 4-way intersection. As the mist settles, Ryoga realizes he is in some kind of maze. {Oh man, I'll never find my way through this. Sometimes I think getting lost is worse than being a pig!} "Hey! Where are you?"
A girl's screaming voice is barely audible. "Ryoga!"
{What, I recognize that voice! That's...}
"Ryoga!"
{Huh, the voice just got deeper.}
"Ryoga! Wake up!"
{Wait a minute, that's not her.} Ryoga slowly awakens from his dream and opens his eyes to see Shinnosuke kneeling over him. "What, what happened?" Ryoga looks over and sees Shinnosuke's grandfather sleeping near a campfire.
Shinnosuke sighs in relief and leans back. "Whew, I thought you were never going to wake up. It's been almost two days since we fought the orochi. Grandfather tried to take us back to the house, but he couldn't make it with both of us so we camped about half way. We decided to stay here until you woke up and could make it on your own."
Ryoga suddenly sits up. "The whisker! I set it in the bushes after I changed, but then..."
"Don't worry. Grandfather found it. He said the potion should be ready by morning." Shinnosuke points to the campfire where a covered pot is hanging over the fire. "It's strange, but even after all this time, the water hasn't boiled away or anything."
{My cure. I'll finally be cured of the pig. I'll be free.}
Several hours pass as Ryoga gets something to eat and waits until morning. Shinnosuke's grandfather has dished a large quantity of the potion into a canteen. "Now Ryoga, you must drink it all."
{Well, here goes.} Ryoga puts the canteen to his lips and gulps the entire concoction down. He takes a deep breath and looks at the old man. "So, how long before this stuff takes effect?"
The old man is now standing and holding a bucket. "According to the scroll immediately." He happily hefts the cold water onto Ryoga only to lose that happiness as he watches Ryoga change. The old man quickly pours hot water onto P-chan to change him back. "I'm sorry Ryoga, we did everything the scroll said."
Ryoga quickly gets dressed and looks at the old man. "Don't worry. I should have known it wouldn't work. I'll just leave now." Ryoga looks around the campsite. "Hey, did you guys bring my pack back from the lake?" Both men shake their heads. "Figures." Ryoga turns and forlornly walks towards the lake.
About 30 minutes later, he is at the lake and finds his pack. {Great, now where do I want to, to... What the hell?} Ryoga looks at the lake and then looks back the direction he came from. {The campsite is that way.} He turns another direction. {That direction leads to Tokyo. No, I have to be dreaming, don't I?} Ryoga turns and runs back to the campsite as fast as he can. About 5 or 6 minutes later Ryoga charges into the campsite, but no one is there.
{What? I made it, but it might be luck. If it's not luck then Shinnosuke's house is that way.} Ryoga sprints into the forest. About ten minutes later, he comes to the house Shinnosuke and his grandfather live in. {This means, this means that I don't get lost anymore. WAIT!} Ryoga runs to the house and pushes the door open. Shinnosuke and grandfather are sitting at the table drinking tea. "It worked! I'm cured! Well, kind of cured, but cured anyway! You did it!"
The old man gets up and walks over to Ryoga. "What are you talking about? You still turn into a pig don't you?"
"Yes, but I don't get lost anymore! I never thought about it as a curse, but I suppose it is. Quick old man, point towards Tokyo." As the old man lifts his hand, so does Ryoga. When they stop, both the old man and Ryoga are pointing in the same direction. "You did it, I'm cured!" Ryoga grabs the old man and starts doing a little dance of joy.
"Ry-ry-o-o-ga-ga!!"
"Hey, you're going to kill my grandfather!"
Ryoga quickly puts the old man down and makes sure he's ok. "Thank you. If you ever need anything, just contact Ryoga Hibiki."
The old man puts his hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "No need to thank me Ryoga. We have to use the water of life sparaingly, now that almost all of the springs are dried up, and I couldn't think of a better way to use them."
Ryoga smiles and shakes the old man's hand. "Well, thanks anyway. Thanks to you too, Shinnosuke. Take care." Ryoga turns and walks out the door. He takes a few steps, and then stops to look towards Tokyo. He once again feels sadness overtake him. Before depression totally consumes him, he looks in another direction, only to hear a girl's cry echoing thru his mind.
{Akari.}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes: Thanks to Langdz for pre-reading this. Someone mentioned I don't have a lot about the Kunos in this fic. In all honesty, I HATE the Kunos. They may get put in this fic later, but only to suffer. Then again, I have never been too fond of Ryoga's actions towards Ranma and Akane, which is why I'm making him suffer extra to resolve absolutely anything he does. 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)
