A Measure of Honor
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi FanFic by Anansi42
Disclaimer - This is a story based on characters owned and copyrighted by Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan Publishing, VIZ Communications and other associated parties: I'm only borrowing them for a bit. This story is written expressly for entertainment purposes.
Synopsis - Ranma makes an unsettling realization about his life. Can he do anything about it?
Prologue
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It was evening at the Tendo home.
Ranma had just returned to his room after his evening katas and a quick cool down. He'd take his bath in a bit but needed to wait for the girls to finish.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken so long practicing. Not gonna rush them out of the bath, though. No way. It hurts too much. He rubbed his cheek in remembered pain.
They are taking a while to finish. He went to the closet and pulled down a box. An old watch was inside. No, they're not. I'm just in a hurry.
He was looking at his watch, wondering why he didn't use it more often. True, a wristwatch was useless for him half the time but this was a small pocket watch, easily kept. He'd had it since just before the training trip, and it was a memory of home. Studying the watch, he was fascinated by the seconds hand as it swept a circle around the dial: a regular, recurring cycle.
A quick look at the calendar on the wall brought a troubling thought to Ranma: his days were starting to follow a regular pattern, too; like a cycle he couldn't escape. He'd worried a lot about this recently and had made a list to confirm his suspicions.
Let's see, for today…
Ice water wake-up from Pop? Check.
Beat panda-baka senseless as a 'thank you'? Check.
Great breakfast from Kasumi? Check.
Trade insults with Akane during great breakfast? Check.
Quick trip into the koi pond? Check.
Hot water save from Kasumi? Check.
Trade insults with Akane on the way to school? Check.
Morning spritzer from the ladle lady? Check.
Hot water stop at Dr. Tofu's? Check.
Kuno's morning pounding? Che-- no, today was Akane's day. It's my turn tomorrow.
Morning bucket duty? Check.
Kuno's noontime pounding? Check. I swear if I hear that 'vile sorcerer Saotome' crap ONE MORE TIME I'm gonna stick Kuno's bokken where the sun don't shine!
Bento Wars between Shampoo and Ukyo? Check.
Pounding from Akane for not tasting her new and interesting insult to lunch rather what the Bento Wars brought out? Check… He gingerly felt the back of his head. Make that double-check.
Afternoon bucket duty? Check.
Find out about another of Nabiki's money-making schemes that already involve me, photos, and a little blackmail so I won't blow the lid on it? Check. Does she hide cameras around the house or what?
Afternoon thunderstorms with a chance of embarrassing changes? Check.
Kuno's afternoon pounding for trying to grope his 'pig-tailed girl'? Check.
Trade insults with Akane during walk home? Check.
Great dinner from Kasumi? Check.
If this day is anything like the last few weeks, a fiancée should come in 5, 4, 3…
CRASH
GLOMP
"AIREN! Ranma take Shampoo on date now? Have too too good time!"
Hmm… I was actually expecting Kodachi… Oh, right. She seems to visit more during a full moon. Shampoo's early… or maybe this watch is off.
"Aw, Shampoo, I ain't datin' you. I'm still waitin' for the bath."
"Oooh! Shampoo help! Scrub back!"
(sweatdrop) Okay, proposed activity with a fiancée that sounds 'dirty' (no matter that a bath is technically 'clean'). Check.
Akane must have heard that but will need a couple of minutes to get dressed before bursting in, so Ryoga will show up first. Never mind that he won't know where he really is, Ryoga should still show up in… 5, 4…
CRASH
"Aiyah! What lost boy doing here?"
"RANMA! How dare you cheat on Akane! And in Hokkaido no less!"
It's gotta be the watch that's off. I'll get it fixed tomorrow. I wonder where a repair shop is?
"You're in Nerima, you idiot!"
"Why Airen look at little clock? Have all night to have much fun with Shampoo!"
"No he doesn't! I'm going to have my revenge RIGHT NOW!!"
CRASH
GLOMP
"Shampoo! Accept my love! Uh, Shampoo? When did you start wearing a bandanna? I kinda like it!"
WHOMP
"Get OFF me, Mousse!"
"OUCH! Sorry." The nearly-blind Chinese master of hidden weapons turned away from Ryoga to address his love, "Shampoo, don't turn to Ryoga if Ranma has spurned you! Accept my love instead!" (Actually Mousse was addressing a Lara Kroft poster, but at least that was an improvement over the time he'd professed his undying love to a floor lamp. Worse, the lamp had turned out to be a disguised Tsubasa.)
"Stupid Mousse! Shampoo not go on date with lost boy OR duck boy. Go with husband instead!"
CRASH
Enter kawaiikune fiancée with anger management issues. She's fast tonight… Oh, only bothered with a towel, that's why.
"AIYAH! It Violent Girl!"
"A-Ak-Akane!" Towel. (nosebleed) "Ooghlrl." Floor.
THUD
"Who's there? I can't see! Ryoga, get off me!"
"RANMAAA!!!"
If that ki aura's any indication, she is REALLY ticked.
"DIE!!!"
And cue the really BIG mallet.
WHAM
Oh, there's a watch shop! And just four blocks from the house, too.
SPLASH
Only as far as the drainage ditch this time; that's way off from Akane's usual.
Maybe she wasn't as mad as she looked?
Nah.
She's probably getting sick or something.
Ranma pulled out the little watch again, a few springs and gears fell from her hand into the canal.
Of course it'd be NOW that I remember why I don't wear a watch. Well, maybe someone at that shop can still fix it.
"Hey, Ranchan! Did the kitchen terror knock you out of the house again? Get out of that ditch and over to my shop; we'll get you some hot water and you can tell me all about it over one of my okonomiyaki specials."
Ranma sighed. Oh, what the hell. Make the day a clean sweep. "Okay, Ucchan!" She hopped out of the canal, clearing the fence to land beside the chef.
"Hey, Ranchan, your shirt's ripped. I'd fix it for you if I knew how."
"Must've happened when I went through the house wall, but thanks for the thought, Ucchan. I'll see if Kasumi can do it."
And the day ends with me and another fiancée, which will earn me another malleting back at the house.
It's official: I'm in a rut.