Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is mine! (Gets attacked by a monster made up of legal documents, bills, and one lawyer.) Ouch! Stop It! Ok, I don't own it, Rumiko Takahashi does. Back you vial beast! Also thanks to Sean D'Anna. Who's fanfic, the 'Spirit Within', gave me inspiration for my story.
Key: "normal speech"
[panda signs]
my thoughts at the moment
(unsaid but understated concepts)
Author Note: I have noticed from previous reviews that my readers were getting confused by my thoughts in punctuation. To clarify the matter, text in punctuation display my thoughts at the moment and do not reflect my plans for the fanfic. These thoughts are only to reflect what I am thinking about, in the story, at that moment, during the moment.
???: (from the shadows with sarcasm) Logically . . . that was an excellent interpretation of your rational thought processes.
Psycho king: who or what are you?
???: Don't you remember? 'I am the Angel of Death. I have come for your soul.'
PK: Death?!? When did you escape from my sub-conscious?
Death: On one lonely night when your mind was fretting over those horrid papers for your government class, it was then that I made my flight, along with a few associates . . .
PK: UGHHH . . . how many of you guys got out?
Death: I am unsure of the account of our number, but I believe our party's decampment was complete.
PK: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Death: Do not trouble yourself. We will remain silent for the most part, but some may choose to comment on your writings like I am at this moment.
Ignis Finard: When are you going to make a fanfic about me? After all, I am you 'Ranma ½' character!
PK: Be quiet Ignis! I never intended to make a fic for you. Now, silence, all of you. I need to start this story.
Death: Once again, for the depths of the psyche of our Ou no Seishinbyo (king of the psychotic) . . .
Will They Ever Learn?
Chapter 3
Momma's Little . . . Girl?
The walk to my home had mostly gone by without a word between me and Akane. I better try to get some answers. Ok but use tact, and avoid that temper. Here we go . . . "So Akane . . . why did you accept the engagement?"
"Why are you asking? Am I not good enough to be your fiancée?" Akane retorted. Warning, warning, rage alert. She has disengaged the safety and taken aim, warning.
"NO! NO! NO!" I stuttered while putting my hands up defensively, "I'm just asking because you don't seem like the type to be forced inta anything without a fight." She stopped walking for a moment and let out a sigh that seemed to last for an eternity. patience, let her speak when she is ready
After looking up to my face, Akane started walking again and finally said, "I probably would have, but when I heard about all the stuff your father put you through . . . I realized that (like me) you don't like to be pushed into things. If I hadn't agreed we would have been forced together, and all that would have accomplished would have been us hating each other." Wow, she is much more insightful than I realized! "When you and your dad came, you took away some of my control of my life. I regained it when I took the choice away from you."
"So," I said with a grin, "That would mean that it is my turn to take control now."
"Baka, just my luck that you have to make jokes about our future." Akane said while rolling her eyes.
I was about to respond when, out of nowhere, came a dreaded . . . "Splash" followed by a "Sorry Miss, didn't see you down there." BAKA!
"Hay, Akane wait up!" I said while I ran up to her side. As she turned around to face me, she said, "What is it now Ran . . . HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?" While recoiling from her sudden outburst, I let out a sigh and responded. "That is one part of the curse I forgot to mention. I have become a water magnet."
"What do you mean?" Akane ask as we continued walking.
"What I mean is that I could be in the middle of a crowd of thirty people, a car going by could hit a puddle, and I would still get splashed enough to change." I then grabbed her wrist and said, "Come on, I want to meet my mom 'as a guy' and 'then' show her the curse."
After a quick stop at a ramen cart to get some warm water, me and Akane finally made it to my home. Well, I better get this over with
I was nervous wreck, Will she be like my 'other' mom? Will I be able to love her like I loved my 'original' mother? Will she be the maniac like some fans thought she was or will she be reasonable? I don't want to have to commit seppuku! and wondering if I should knock on the door or announce myself before entering. That is when she came around the side of the house, dressed in worn jeans and a yellow long-sleeved shirt and carrying a basket of garden tools at her side. Mommy!
"Oh," she said while putting the basket down. "I was not expecting guest today. Hello, I am Nodoka Saotome. How may I help you?"
"Momma!"
"Ranma?" she said as I ran into her arms and gave her a hug of pure joy. It was such a happy reunion between mother and son that I only partially noticed that I had stepped on the spray nozzle for the water hose causing both of us to be soaked.
"Ranma! My little boy! My little boy has come home! Oh my little . . ." she paused. I think she just realized that we're both wet . . . Wet! It was then that she held me out at arms-length and got a good look at her 'son'. Oh, #&$*$^^$! ". . . girl?" It was then that she did the only thing that her mind would let her do at that moment. Faint.
"Well that could have gone better." I said with a dry sense of humor.
"Come on baka," Akane said after seeing the whole encounter. She then proceeded to lift my mom up by her shoulders. "Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to help me carry you mom inside?"
"Uh, sure," I said as I lifted my mom up and carried her over my shoulder into the house. I hope she will listen to reason before she remembers where her katana is.
We laid my mom down on a futon, which we had found in the closet, in the middle of the living room. After a few moments of silence, she finally awoke to see me (in my female form) and Akane sitting next to her.
"Ranma?" she said with slight confusion in her voice. "Is that really you? What happened to you?"
"Uh . . . well . . ." I mumbled. "You remember how Pop had been sending you letters during our training trip?" She nodded. "And how he stopped a few weeks ago?" Another nod. "This is why." I said while point and my chest.
"But, how did it happen?" Mom continued with anxiety in her voice. "One moment I was holding my long lost son. Next moment you changed into a girl."
Well, at least she is listening "It is a curse. An ancient Chinese curse from a place called Jusenkyo." I paused to make sure she understood me. After I saw comprehension in her eyes I continued. "Shortly after his last letter to you, Pop took me there because a brochure he found called it a 'Legendary Training Ground' and he didn't know enough Chinese to read the rest of it."
She let out a sigh. "That sound like Genma . . . Jumping at anything new and exciting with only a slight understanding of the consequences."
I nodded as I continued. "Well, as we found out later, it is called 'the pool of sorrow' for a good reason. There are over a thousand pools there and each one has a tragic story . . ."
"A very tragic story." Akane interjected with mirth in her voice while heading for the kitchen. Great now she decides to make the wise cracks
". . . of something or someone drowning there. Now whenever a person falls into one of the springs they will take the form of whatever drowned in that pool. Pops fell into the 'Spring of drown Panda', I fell into the 'Spring of drown Girl'."
Nodoka just looked at me for a few seconds. Don't go for the katana . . . don't go for the katana . . . Then she started giggling while saying, "Your joking about your father's curse, right. He actually turns into a panda?"
"No lie mom." I said with my own little grin. I may survive this after all "The next time you see him, just splash him with cold water and be prepared to smell wet fur."
"I think I will," she said while still giggling. "Just to see the look on his furry face." She then became more serious. Down to the final stretch "I take it that you have found a way to change back?"
"Of course," I said as Akane walked back into the room with a teakettle. "Akane, the kettle if you please." My fiancée held it over my head, "Cold water activates the curse," she pores the steaming water on my head, "and hot water changes me back." I concluded while becoming male again. Crunch time
"I thank you son for being honest with me. I assume that your father has informed you of the promise he had made to me before you departed?" she stated formally. "Yes mother." Better not let her know that I had to beat it out of him, for Pops sake She continued, "Then by my right as the bearer of the seppuku oath sighed by you, Ranma Saotome, and your father, Genma Saotome. I release you from your promise." That's a load off of my mind "But, I am still going to have a talk with your father about what are 'safe and reasonable' training methods." You're on your own there Pops
My mom turned toward Akane and, in a more relaxed and calm tone, said, "I don't believe we have been properly introduced yet." She gave a partial bow, "I am Nodoka Saotome. And you are?"
Akane bowed in response, "I am Akane Tendo, of the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Also, due to the promise between our fathers and our consent, I am Ranma's fiancée." Does she know about the arrangement?
"Ah, yes. I was wondering when Genma would take you to meet Soun."
"And, ummm . . . they . . . ummm . . ." Akane mumbled.
"Let me guess," Mom interrupted with a wave of her hand. "They want to have you marry as soon as possible."
"You got that right mom." What is she, psychic
"Well, then I do believe I'll need to have my discussion with Genma sooner than I thought." Panda sausage . . . that might be tasty . . .
It was then that we decided to head back to the Tendo dojo so that mom could meet the rest of Akane's family (and so that we would get there before Pops tried to make a break for it). I'm looking forward to a panda-meat cookout
More Author Notes:: Psycho king: well I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Next up will be the first day of school at Furinken High School.
Death: We shall appreciate all observations, recommendations, and valuable critiques. Also . . .
Ignis: Also, flames will only be touched by skilled pyrotechnics (and sometimes pyromaniacs) such as myself and Lunix95. Psycho king's only true 'fire masters'.
Sarul Talah: What of me? There is a reason why I am know as the Dragon Bear.
GSO-Techu6: (to Talah) You merely breath fire, you don't control it after you create it.
PK: (to Ignis) I knew there was a reason why didn't try to subdue you when you showed yourself . . .
Ignis: . . . other than the fact that you couldn't if you tried?
PK: Then, with extreme satisfaction, I will assign you the position of 'flame control management'.
Ignis: (snaps his fingers, which creates a few embers) It's a dirty job, . . .but why do I have to do it?
PK: Because you said that I couldn't stop you 'if I tried'. That job is only a portion of my ability to control you.
Lunix95: You got burned, Ignis. As do all who cross the author.
PK: You got that right Lunix. Wait, when did you show up?
Death: (interrupts) I accordance with due respect . . . our appreciation goes out to Miyaka, who was formally known as Tribble girl.