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 has decided that his life could use some changes; but some things remain the same.
Part One
------
He was standing next to his father, enjoying the morning breeze. The wind carried a scent of fish.
"What am I learning today, Pop?" he asked, looking up to the older, taller man.
The man reached into his gi and pulled out a thin book, "The most powerful technique I have ever found, Ranma, and among the easiest to learn."
They started walking to a below-ground storeroom, the entrance shut with a sturdy wooden door.
"What do I do to learn it?"
"Just do what comes naturally, and the technique will come to you."
He didn't understand that, but was willing to give it a try. He had already learned a lot about martial arts, so how tough could it be to learn another technique? He also didn't understand why fish were tied to his body, but figured it would make sense later.
They came to the storeroom entrance. A faint scratching could be heard behind the door.
"What's that?"
He was lifted up by one of his father's hands while the other grasped the door handle, "One of your teachers."
He was quickly thrown into the storeroom. The door was slammed shut, plunging the room into almost complete darkness. Is it a night-fighting technique?
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
A low growl was his only answer, but was quickly echoed by more.
His eyes were adjusting to the darkness; but he still couldn't see anyone. All he could see with him in the room were cats: a lot of cats. Their gleaming eyes were watching him in the near-darkness.
Worried, he entered a defensive stance. He felt a quick tug on his arm as one of the bound fish was pulled. The low growling became more frantic, hungry. The tug on his arm was followed by more against his legs, his stomach, his back.
I'm afraid.
Small, sharp teeth flashed in the darkness. The tugging became stinging, became hurting. The pain came from all sides: all over his body.
Ouch!
He struck out at the shapes hidden in the darkness. He hit many of them, but others took their place. The fish was gone, but the hunger wasn't. They smelled blood, and knew it to be food.
Make it stop! Make it stop!
He struck out again, faster this time. The blows fueled by panic. He could hear small bones snapping in the gloom, and shrill cries of pain; but his own pain still came, faster than he could drive it away. The cats were slashing at him with razor-sharp claws. Biting him with needle-sharp teeth. His arms. His legs. His back. One suddenly flew at his face, jaws agape. Distracted by the pain to his face, he dropped his guard a moment and the rest of the cats attacked in earnest.
Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopit!
He couldn't even try to defend himself now. He curled into a ball, trying to protect his face at least. He screamed at his tormentors to stop, but the sharp pains only came faster.
STOPITSTOPITSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!
The screaming became less coherent, more terrified.
NONONONONOOONOOOONOOOOOO!!!!
The screaming became shrieking.
The feral cry that came next wasn't human; but at the moment neither was he, lost and alone in the darkness. He lashed out at the little brothers, angry at the pain they caused him, the betrayal of one of their own.
Claws that had once been fingers raked through the little brothers. Many dodged, but others fell. The little brothers backed away from the larger one in the room. They knew something had changed. Their large prey was now a hunter. And it was angry.
A scratched and blood-slick hand flashed into the little brothers, pinning one. He grasped a thin neck in his teeth, feeling the crunch as his jaws closed. Blood flowed, warm and with a metallic tang, past his teeth and down his throat.
------
Ranma gasped as he awoke.
Been a while since I had THAT nightmare.
Ranma looked over to where his father usually slept. He looked just in time to take a bucket's worth of ice water right in the face.
SPLASH
"POP!! That's gettin' real old!"
"Stop complaining like a girl, Ranma!"
"You asked for it, Pop!"
POW! WHACK! JAB!
CRASH
"Ranmaaaa!"
SPLASH
"Growf!" [Ungrateful child. To do that to your own father!]
"You don't like it? Start using an ALARM CLOCK to wake me up!!"
------
The last day of the school term is a half-day, mostly used for collecting grades, before the start of summer break. Summer break in Japan isn't much, if you're used to one in America; but a month off is still welcome.
Ranma had almost been made late to class by the need for a hot-water stop at Dr. Tofu's; but managed to beat the bell with a vault through the classroom window. Akane had gone ahead and was waiting in her seat with the rest of the class. She looked over long enough to stick out her tongue at him with a smirk before facing forward.
Oh well, she needs to win the race to school once in a while. Probably serves me right for saying she was so slow that she needed the head start.
Ranma sat and looked to the front of the class. Hinako-sensei was flipping a coin around her child fingers, looking at Ranma as if unsure whether or not his window vault counted as 'delinquent'.
"Saotome-kun, proper students use the doors."
Ah, geez, I sure don't need my ki drained today. Or any day for that matter! Good thing I stopped by Dr. Tofu's this morning. He reached into his book bag.
Hinako-sensei had come to a decision and sighted Ranma through the hole in her coin. She had just started her 'Happo-50-yen' attack when she saw a colorful flash in front of Ranma's face. She looked closer.
Lollipop? Orange! Yum!
"Lollipop! Gimme!!"
Ranma expertly launched the sweet to Hinako-sensei, who easily plucked it out of the air. Mollified, the girl-teacher sat back down to enjoy her candy.
Most of the other boys in the class were a bit disappointed that they wouldn't see Hinako-sensei's adult form before summer break; but those nearest Ranma were relieved. Hinako-sensei wasn't too careful with who got caught in the path of her ki-draining attack.
Whew! Ranma thought, thank Kami for doctors' offices.
------
The other classes were pretty uneventful. Akane had done well in her courses, except for Home-Ec (the teacher hadn't even let her into the room, she just passed the grade report to Akane in the hall with a quaking hand): Akane had passed that class, barely (Ranma was sure that the teacher had falsified the grade rather than face a repeat of 'Tendo Akane's Kitchen of Pain'). Ranma hadn't done as well overall, but did manage to pass everything.
The only real excitement happened when everyone was let out at midday for summer break. Kuno was waiting outside the school, bokken in hand, with his usual haughty demeanor.
This day will the despicable Saotome be vanquished and, flush with victory, I shall be free to truly enjoy the coming respite from school with my two loves.
He espied his quarry accompanying the glorious Tendo Akane. His eye twitched as he thought of his magnificent loves, sullied by the mere presence of that cur. He did not see his marvelous Pig-Tailed Girl; but surely that was the fault of the foul Saotome as well.
"Halt, vile creature!"
Okay, that tears it. Ranma spun to face the upperclassman, a look of extreme annoyance on his face, "Well, if it isn't Kuso-senpai!" (It is important to note that most of a school year of having to put up with the pompous upperclassman had worn Ranma's patience very thin. He wasn't actually angry; but he was getting frustrated with Kuno's daily stupidity.)
"My family name is 'Kuno' and you know it! Thousand strikes!! YATATATATA--"
Ranma easily avoided the many blows, dancing between them with a small smile on his face. Now and then, his arm could be seen flashing toward the enraged kendo practitioner.
Kuno stopped for a moment when he felt something on his face. Placing his palm to his forehead, his hand came away with a reversed script of 'baka' in marker ink: permanent marker ink. Kuno snarled and pressed his attack again.
Ranma again dodged the attack as a wall behind him crumbled from the air pressure of Kuno's rapid strikes. He began to circle around the upperclassman, leaving himself room to maneuver. Most of the watching crowd backed away, but not all.
Akane. Why can't you just do the smart thing and stay out of the way?
Some of Kuno's bokken strikes came uncomfortably close to Akane, but Ranma was able to deflect them with his arm. His bracer took most of the punishment, but not all. Kuno smiled cruelly as he saw that one of the strikes had drawn a thin trickle of blood. "Your treacherous sorcery over the angelic Tendo Akane and divine Pig-Tailed Goddess shall not avail you-- eh?-- EHRKKK!!"
Kuno's daily tirade was interrupted when the bokken vanished from his hands in a blur of red and black. As for the rest… well, anyone would be surprised if a bokken suddenly found its way where no one ever expected.
A promise is a promise.
Those students who had stayed to watch the Blue Thunder's latest defeat were rooted to the ground in shock. Here and there a snicker could be heard, but otherwise the crowd was deathly silent. Even Nabiki was so surprised that she forgot, for a moment, to collect the bets.
Hiroshi and Daisuke, watching with the others, couldn't believe what they had seen.
They stared as Ranma left the schoolyard with Akane close behind.
They stared at Kuno, face down on the schoolyard: a shocked and startled expression on the older student's face.
They stared at the gate where Ranma and Akane had left the schoolyard.
They glanced, quickly, at the bokken.
They stared elsewhere.
"Never really thought I'd see that, 'Roshi."
"Never really wanted to see that, Dai."
"Let's get the nurse."
"Is she even here today?"
"She better be, for Kuno-senpai's sake."
"Do you think Kuno will just walk this off, like all the other times?"
"Not unless he wants to do it walking funny. Come on, the nurse's office is this way."
------
Akane was still trying to reel in her jaw as she followed Ranma home. Ranma was fence-walking, a scowl on his face.
"I can't believe you did that, Ranma."
"Well he's been a pain in my backside long enough."
"But to do that to him in front of everyone was mean. You know he's so… so…"
"Stuck up?" Ranma suggested, helpfully.
Akane didn't quite smile. "Proud."
"Well, so am I. I've put up with him and his stupidity for long enough. I guess I'd have let him off easy except that some of his strikes almost hit you."
"What? When did that happen?"
"Look at your bag."
Akane did look. There were several holes punched through the leather. I didn't even notice that.
Ranma continued, "As long as that jerk just comes after me, I'm okay. When someone else gets involved, that crosses the line."
"I can fight my own battles, Ranma."
"Maybe, if you see 'em coming. You missed Kuno today; but I guess that's not surprising for such a slow-- WHOA!"
SPLASH
"What'cha do that for?!" a shrill voice yelled from the canal.
"What's the matter, Ranma? Didn't you see that coming?" Akane called down from the railing.
"Uncute!"
Akane just stuck out her tongue at that, "Bii-da! We'll see who's slow! Catch me if you can!" Laughing, she took off for the house.
"Stupid tomboy" muttered Ranma-chan as she leapt from the canal to give chase.
------
"Son, why would you want to do something like that?"
"Because I'll have time. Because the Tendos could really use the help. Because it might get Nabiki out of my hair."
"But we're guests here."
"Yeah, we are, Pop. We've been here for months: taking their food, using their stuff, and spending their money. I want to help out."
"Then why not work here? You could teach a class at the dojo."
"You know I can't teach the Tendo Ryu, not without at least being married into the family; and neither of us can really teach the Saotome Ryu here for the same reason."
"That's easily fixed."
"Do NOT go there, Pop! If… when I marry, it'll be when I'm damn good and ready."
"But that kind of job…"
"You know of a better one?"
"But a restaurant, son. I mean if you have to work at a restaurant, why not go back to the Nekohanten?"
"No WAY am I going to be a waitress again!"
"'Food server'."
"In a dress."
"Whatever. The Nekohanten at least let you bring food home."
"This other place pays better."
"It'll take time away from your martial arts practice."
"You could always get a job, Pop. You haven't worked since Dr. Tofu decided he didn't need an assistant at the clinic."
"Hmm… When do you start?"
------
Kasumi was sitting over the remains of what was once a silk shirt, shaking her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Ranma-kun, this shirt has become too worn for me to mend. I know how much you liked it."
"Yeah. Thanks anyway, ya know?"
"I've noticed your other clothes are also looking very worn. Is there… some way I can help?"
Help? What kind of help is she talking about?
It took Ranma a moment to realize Kasumi thought he couldn't AFFORD new clothes. He was embarrassed by the assumption and felt himself getting upset, but stopped himself.
Wait a minute; this is KASUMI for Kami's sake! I can't get angry with her. NO ONE can! It'd be a sin against niceness or somethin'! Besides, she's only trying to be helpful; looking at Pop it's no wonder she thinks I don't have any money.
"Don't worry, Kasumi, I don't need help in that way. I've only put off gettin' new clothes because I really like my Chinese stuff. I'm not looking forward to replacing it."
That ain't the half of it.
Contrary to what many people thought, Ranma did have some money. Not a great deal of it but he was always working to save up for a trip to China and a chance to find a cure at Jusenkyo. He'd scrounged every yen he could from the Nekohanten job (he'd hated it, but it was the only regular employment he'd ever had), money given to him for allowance or for chores, dojo challenges, anywhere he could get it. It never seemed to help as something would always come up and take away his money like Kasumi's vacuum would whisk away dust.
This time it was clothes.
He'd been particularly frugal lately, but this caused other problems. Nabiki and Genma both had a sense about loose cash, and lately they'd started sniffing around the house. They hadn't found his stash yet, but it was only a matter of time before one of them found it and spent it (or 'invested it in consumer goods' as Nabiki might put it).
I really ought to get a bank account. That'd sure be easier than dealing with Nabiki about money.
------
Ranma debated picking up his money that night; but knew it was too great a risk to move it from safekeeping. His suspicions were confirmed when he was awakened by the sounds of searching. If he hadn't been so keyed up he could have slept through an Amazon Glomp, but the sounds of someone rustling through his book bag were like a train wreck to him tonight. Slowly, silently, Ranma eased himself up from his futon and behind the bulky would-be thief.
Pop. You should have known better than to try to steal from me. AGAIN. Food is bad enough, but at least you do that while I'm awake. THIS is just plain wrong.
Ranma crept behind his father. "Find anything yet?" he whispered softly.
"Not yet" Genma answered quietly, "I just know that there's money around here; but I haven't found it in three nights of search… oops!"
"OYAJI NO BAKA!!"
WHACK
"There ain't nothin' for you to find there, Pop!" Ranma hissed at his now prostrate father.
Genma was too busy being unconscious to argue the point.
The bedroom door slid open a bit, "Ranma? What was that noise?"
"Pop ran into his own stupidity and passed out. Sorry it woke you up, Nabiki."
"That's all right. I was up anyway."
Ranma could guess why. "I hope there's nothing wrong."
"Oh, no! I just uh… couldn't sleep."
"Well, try to get some rest if you can. I know I will. Good night, Nabiki."
"Good night, Ranma."
Several minutes later, Ranma could hear Nabiki's soft footsteps as she crept downstairs to continue her search of the house. He grinned to himself at the thought of her spending all night searching the downstairs.
Good luck, Nabiki. Heh. You'll need it.