Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ and I never pretended that I did.
Author's Notes: This is the beginning of a strange project. It came to mind one day literally by accident and I decided to run with it. The story will be a little dark just to warn you. Without any further ado, let's get this show on the road!
Strange Occurences
Epilogue
The day began as it usually did with my foot in mouth disease kicking in at breakfast. Akane's cooking was actually edible today, but months of conditioning to expect bad food caused me to react before the actual taste even hit.
"Good lord! Ya tryin' to poison me?" I had shouted at the top of my lungs, then the taste hit. It actually was bad, but only bad. Not the kind of food that should be sealed in a biohazard container. I knew what was coming and I was secretly glad I deserved it this time. Instead of the usual mallet through the ceiling or a table to the cranium, she cried. It was so strange to see and instead of the reaction, I had tried to go for, which was soothing and understanding, I exploded in a shower of words.
"Aw c'mon 'kane I'm so so sorry! Please please forgive me 'k? I didn't mean ta make ya cry!" it was pathetic, really. I knew it was the wrong tactic, but this isn't a fight and my people skills suck. She stared at me with stricken eyes and it hurt worse then a thousand mallets. I wasn't really registering what anyone else was saying, they simply weren't important right now. Finally, a soft hand on my shoulder got my attention and I was face to face with Kasumi. Even she looked like she was about to cry, but more from anger. Anger on Kasumi's face is somehow even more frightening then Herb and Saffron combined.
"Ranma-kun. She has been up since three o'clock this morning to get it just right and you dare tear her down? I am truly sorry, but you are not welcome at my table anymore. I haven't the authority to send you out, but I can tell you that I won't cook for you anymore." And with that, she turned around and stormed off, shredding her favorite apron in her surprisingly strong hands. This day could get worse, I'm not as naïve as to believe that was the worst the Kami had to offer. Nabiki was glaring daggers at me and for once, I knew I deserved every one of those sharp stares. She would never yell at me or even lose her cool, but retribution would be swift. They actually think they can hurt me, but I'm already hurting. I have slain a god for the girl who holds my heart, but it never seemed to matter. She had spurned me so often that I began feeling like a kicked dog and today she makes me breakfast. She actually tried and I did something wrong. I looked back to Akane and blinked in surprise. Her tears were still flowing, but she seemed to be smirking behind her hand. Somehow, even that didn't surprise me.
"If this is what your son is truly like, then the engagement is off Saotome." Tendo-san said to Pops. The fat bastard looked really shocked and it actually made me happy to see that. Waterworks canceling the engagement was a big shock, but it did make me feel better. How was I supposed to marry someone who never believed me? It was strange, but none of it was bothering me. None of this even felt real, but I could tell it was. The food tasted bad, I could hear everyone's voices with the inflections that identified them. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but this couldn't be an illusion or even a potion. Pops was glaring at me, but what else is new?
"Boy! For this disgrace you can sleep outside until you come to your senses!" he had roared. Well, that was fine by me. They expected me to be cowed, to beg and plead for mercy, but they all forgot something. My name means Wild Horse and the "Wild" part is in there for a reason. No one tries to chain me down and it was time they realized that.
"Hey cool. If ya need me ya know where to find me." I fired back at them as I went to get my belongings before grinning. "Well, maybe ya know and maybe ya don't." I didn't even turn around to see what my effect on them was, but judging by the way their auras read, I think I shocked them. My stuff was always ready to go. The boxes full of things I got while I was here was just that, things. My important possessions were in my backpack. I should thank Mousse for the Hidden Weapons technique I sort of pilfered off of him. As a result of my creative learning, my pack held many times the stuff it used to hold. Without even turning around I knew someone was behind me. I would know her even with my eyes closed. She was the source of so much pain and so little pleasure, Akane.
"I knew you'd run away, like a coward." she said. Coward? I wasn't the one standing with one foot in the door and about ready to bolt, but I kept my peace.
"How'd ya do it?" I asked as I arranged things in my bag.
"Do what?" she inquired with that innocent tone that set my teeth on edge.
"Nabiki can do it better then you, but what I meant to say is this. How did you get them to hate me like that? That was way outta character for Kasumi. Even Nabiki looked like she wasn't all there. Though the parents seemed okay. They act stupid most of the time anyway." I could tell I hit a nerve when her battle aura spiked. What was driving her even crazier was that I was ignoring her. Living with Nabiki has benefits. Such as stringing a person along for more information.
"Blame Shampoo for that if you want. The dumb bimbo shouldn't leave out mind-altering drugs like that." The little bitch was so smug about casually drugging her entire family! The nerve of her! It would serve her right if I pounded her face, but decided not to. The camera in my room would send the feed right to Nabiki. Suddenly it hit me and I almost laughed, but I kept my composure. Akane isn't the only actor around here.
"What? C-c-cat got your tongue?" That crack about my "fear" was despicable. If they knew that I actually mastered it several months ago they'd freak. The macho chick always accused me of being a pervert, but a real pervert accuses others of what they're thinking. All those times in the Neko-ken were kind of fun, but I'm not feeling playful.
"Meow." I said over my shoulder. Apparently that girl hadn't neglected her speed training like I thought because she was gone faster then the wind. Time waits for no man. I decided not to go disappearing into thin air and went downstairs through the gauntlet. The looks of scorn and derision I was greeted with made me seethe inwardly, not at the victims, but at the bitch responsible. She was smirking at me as she passed me my shoes. Just before walking out I had one last thing to say to her.
"I'll have my day so enjoy yours." and stepped out into the bright Nerima sunshine. Here I was with nowhere to go. At least I didn't have to worry about being late. The ladle lady actually saw me before she hit me, but hit me she did. I think I almost gave the poor woman heart failure, but I managed to smile and calm her down. I reminded her that this is Nerima. That went a long way to explaining things.
The day just seemed to be getting better and better. The water drying on my body actually felt somehow good. I saw Ucchan's coming into view and decided to get something to eat. No Akane equals no Mallet-sama to the outer reaches of Tokyo. I used to feel guilty about the free meals I would get off of her, but in the end it came down to one thing. It was her choice to feed me and I wasn't forcing her. Pops was an idiot for all the things he did, but what he did to Ucchan was one of the worst. I try to make reparation, but she won't hear of it. Maybe if I did she'd leave. That's not a good thought either because she's the only friend left from my childhood. The honorless bastard Ryoga doesn't count.
The sign on the door said "Closed", which kind of surprised me. It was Sunday, there was no school, and she wasn't open. My instincts began kicking in and I tested the door, but it was locked. I considered a number of loud ways to open it, but decided to test my lock picking skills instead. The lock was hardly great, but since a lot of the people around here use brute force, buying an expensive lock just means more money to replace it. Silently I let myself into the restaurant , my nostrils picking up a stale aroma. It smelled like sweat and depression, a scent I'm familiar with, but this was Ucchan. The girl was always cheerful and smiling, but something tells me that may have changed. The door was pushed shut without a sound as I prowled around looking for clues. Her huge battle spatula wasn't hung on the wall, but that wasn't what caught my eye. What I did notice was a rather large knife was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. I followed the blood splatter trail from the kitchen to the private use stairs, a foot print was in the blood on the bottom step and my heart caught in my throat. I decided to say screw stealth and I barreled up the stairs to find her. My panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I kept it down. Her door was wide open as I rushed into her living area, more blood saturated the carpet, but the trail led me into the bathroom. The shower was running. Now that would normally stop me, but this was not a normal time. What I found inside brought tears to my eyes. Ucchan was lying in the bathtub, slashes ran up her arms in a deliberate pattern, the white t-shirt she was wearing was soaked through and an absent guess was that she slept in it. I dropped to my knees beside the tub and stared as the water washed over her face. The smart thing would have been to call the police, but when do I things logically? I scooped her up out of the tub, triggering the reversion of my curse, and carried her into the living room, laying her on the sofa. The grief was washing over me in waves, I pressed my ear to her chest and prayed she was alive. Now whoever says the great Kami doesn't listen will get a fist down their throat from me. Beating weakly in her chest was her heart.
When you get injured as much as I do, ya learn a thing or two about first-aid. Since I lived with Kasumi and visited Doctor Tofu, combine that with an eidetic memory, I can do a job to make an ER proud. Her wounded arms were bandaged carefully and I had dried her off. I nearly had a coronary when she stirred in her sleep. Here's hoping that she doesn't realize she's wearing a different shirt, but it had to be done. While she slept, I decided to find answers to what happened. This was freaking me out. What could make a normally cheerful girl try to commit suicide? Did her dad disown her? The more the ideas wound through my head the more I wanted to smash a few skulls, but restrained myself. I found my first piece of evidence on the counter downstairs. It looked like one of Kasumi's Tupperware dishes with some food still left inside. The food smelled a little bad, but looked fresh. This wasn't enough of a clue. The eldest Tendo daughter loved feeding people so this didn't help until I realized what it was. It was the same crap from breakfast! Why would Ucchan eat something Akane made? The answer was partially hidden under the dish. It was a note in Kasumi's handwriting.
"Dear Ukyou-chan,
I know my sister, Akane, has somewhat of a problem cooking, but she would appreciate genuine help with it. She worked very hard on this dish and I hope you enjoy it. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.
Kasumi"
Kasumi may be quiet around the house, but when she writes a letter ya better expect to be there a few hours reading it. Even a note turns into an essay. This was a strange case. What did Akane do to the food to cause such bizarre results? She mentioned Amazon ingredients, but this must have been done with Cologne knowing. No, scratch that. If Cologne had known about this she would have put her foot down. I personally suspect that the "Obstacles are for killing" clause has never really been used. Hold on a minute. The paper feels a little oily and the smell is off. Dammit! I can't reach the kitchen fast enough to throw the note away. Doctors wash their hands for fifteen minutes and scrub thoroughly, but I put them to shame. My arms were red and sore from using a scouring pad. I sealed the bag and placed it safely under the kitchen counter with a sigh of relief. Forget what I said about not being smart. This blue-eyed boy is starting to believe he's getting smarter by the minute. A low moan comes from upstairs and I practically fly up the stairs to see her. My "cute fiancée" was waking up as I walked in the room. She seemed to be pretty confused about the bandages.
"Ranchan? What are ya doing here, sugar?" she asked blearily.
"Want the truth or ya want me to make something up?" I asked her. She really didn't want to hear the truth.
"The truth please. Why am I in my nightshirt with bandages on my arms? I gotta open the shop." She almost pleaded, but I could hear the weakness in her voice.
"It's already after one o'clock. It was before noon when I saw your shop wasn't open and got worried. I picked the lock and decided to investigate." This was where I faltered "I saw ya in the shower with your wrists slashed. Y-you were so still. You looked dead and I took ya out of the shower. I found out you were alive and bandaged your arms." The girl was staring at her arms in surprise but I could see she was slowly remembering. I was sure she would burst into tears first, but I guess I surprised us both when I started sobbing. Okay, it's not in my character to do that, but I found myself sitting beside her and hugging her as tightly as I dared. She seemed to stiffen up and I thought I was gonna get hit, but she shocked me by holding me, rocking me back and forth.
"S'ok Ranchan, it's ok. I'm alive and ya did a great job patching me up. Whatever else can wait, so just relax." She was stroking my hair so soothingly that before I knew it I fell asleep almost in her lap. What was running through my mind as I went to sleep was that I was dead set on finding out what was happening in Nerima.
End
Author's Notes: Yes this story is dark. I know this isn't the kind of story I usually write, but as I said before, it's been in my head for a while now. I'm debating about keeping the first person feel, but it feels right for this kind of story. Please read and review, k? Ja ne!
