Disclaimer: If Ranma ½ belonged to me, I wouldn't be broke.
Decisions
Ranma awoke confused and wary. He relaxed a bit as he realized he wasn't in the guest room at the Tendo dojo, or with either of other his fiancées; the room was far to western for it to belong to either Ukyo or Shampoo. He tensed again as a memory of Kodachi Kuno flashed into his head. This couldn't be her room, could it…? Ranma shot up to a sitting position, scanning the room for the minutest hint of his stalker or her brother.
Nothing. Ranma collapsed back onto the pillow in relief. After savoring the quiet for a few minutes, he started trying to figure out just where he was. Questions filled his head. Where was he, how did he get here, and more importantly, why was he here and not at the Tendo's? Was he alone? What time was it? A glance out the window and the rumbling of his stomach told him that it was well after dawn, though not yet noon, and a survey of the room and a quick examination of surrounding Ki signatures reassured him that there was no one he knew nearby.
Two questions answered, Ranma turned his attention to the third. Why WAS he here? His brow furrowed in puzzlement, Ranma's eyes searched the small white walled western style bedroom for clues. Once again his eye fell upon his over stuffed pack. As he gazed in confusion at the only object in the room with any connection to his life, memories began to return as flashes of feeling, sound and sight.
Feelings of betrayal and great anger, accompanied by a flash of fear and the urge to throw up. The look of fear on his fathers face as he stalked towards him as he tried to force Ranma to do what he wanted, calling it a matter of honor. His own cold voice telling the damned panda that he was dead. Cruel laughter as he beat his father into a bloody pulp, crushed what marked him as male, and shoved the handle of the broom Akane had left in the dojo up his father's back passage, making him screech in agony. The face of the man his father had sold him to as he scurried for the door only to be sent screaming into the sky over Nerima when Ranma pulled one of Akane's mallets out of subspace and hit him as hard as he could in the balls. Stuffing everything he owned into his pack and fleeing to a nearby spot on a roof, where he could see the dojo, but no one would see him, writing letters and watching the circus as the ambulance and the police came to the dojo then left. Jumping into Nabiki's window, giving her things to give to the others and telling her that even though she was a mercenary bitch and a royal pain in the ass he still liked her. Retrieving the remains of the Naban Mirror along with what little cash he had, and finally, leaving Nerima, running until he found a small western style hotel well away from Tokyo. His vow to go somewhere no one he knew would ever find him again.
As the flood of memories slowed, Ranma tried to calm his queasy stomach. He couldn't believe he'd done that to Pops, sure he deserved something, but not that. He wondered what his mother would do to Pops after reading his journal and the letter he left her detailing everything Pops had done to him on that ten year training trip, if she'd evoke the seppku contract, and if she would eventually forgive him for leaving.
But really, it didn't matter all that much, he was never going back.
After a quick trip to the bathroom Ranma sat down to count his money and figure out just what resources he had to work with. The first thing he did was take an inventory of his pack. He wasn't really sure what all he had grabbed and put in it last night, so now seemed a good time to figure out what he had. Apparently he had grabbed a weeks worth of boxers and socks, four shirts, two pairs of black pants with ankle ties, and a pair of jeans. More clothes than he'd ever had traveling with Pops. Soap, shampoo, deodorant, two plastic razors, a comb, extra hair ties, his bed roll, pain killers, bandages, and disinfectant. Ranma grimaced, no needle and thread, nothing to cook and eat with, and no (shudder) tampons or pads. Great, now he had to go out and buy those. At least he could do it as a girl, he didn't think he could do it as a guy.
He stirred the almost pitifully small pile of yen he'd have left after he paid for the hotel room, and wondered why he had grabbed some of the things he had. Things like his school books and the weapons he'd collected, like the wooden sword he'd taken from Kuno. In any case, he should probably keep them, who knew where the mirror was going to send him. And besides, despite what Pops said and the amount of time he'd spent asleep in class, he'd always kinda liked learning things other than martial arts.
In the end, he packed everything back into his pack, paid for his room and left the hotel traveling away from Tokyo. As he walked he thought about trying to control where the Naban mirror would take him. He didn't want to end up somewhere where he'd be miserable, or where he couldn't find someway other than stealing to keep himself fed and housed. In the end, he decided to ask for just that, somewhere no one he knew would ever find him, but with people and where he could take care of himself and maybe be happy.
Ranma traveled for a week, looking for a spot where no one would notice him disappear or find the mirror. Then he set up camp in the cave he found, and spent one last night in the world he had been born in. In the morning he packed his bag and put it on his back after pulling out the Naban mirror. Then he used Happosai's onion trick to make his eyes water and asked the mirror to take him to a place where no one he knew could find him and where he had a chance to be happy. As tears hit its surface, the mirror flashed, his image began to spin, and his vision began to darken. He could feel himself being pulled into the mirror when an unexpected crackling came to his ears and he began to feel nauseous. Something was wrong.
His eyes so blurry he couldn't see more than colorful smears Ranma felt his head hit something hard and the word turned dark.
AN: remember, this is an Alternate Universe fic, and it's continuation will be a crossover as well. Yes, Ranma is out of character and will likely remain so. Review are always appreciated, and constructive criticism is useful. Flames will be used to blow my nose.