Starting Over: Do You Want to be Friends?
Chapter 4: Transfers
Written by Senshi of Valis
Ranma ½ created by Rumiko Takahashi
Card Captor Sakura created by Clamp
t was Monday morning and for once Ranko, Nabiki and Akane was all walking to school together way ahead of when they usually left. And another first was Ranko walking between the two girls in guy form with a strange expression on his face. He wasn't being cocky, egotistical or chauvinistic which again was another first Nabiki realized.
Though she knew about the curses and everything now, and the alleged true gender of the pigtailed martial artist, Nabiki still wasn't to sure whether to believe her or not. It was possible she supposed after everything that she had seen the last few months so she wasn't going to dismiss the possibility as if it was nothing.
Even though she didn't know to believe if this was the kidnapped Ranko Saotome though was another debate running through her mind. The cursed martial artist had no poker face at all, that Nabiki was one hundred percent sure of and that meant that she, or her, believed everything that was talked last night. The pain that showed in those eyes spoke volumes to Nabiki and actually caused her to cry herself to sleep the previous night.
Despite what she promised though, there was probably no way in hell she was keeping this a secret. Genma Saotome was guilty of so much abuse and Nabiki had vowed to make the stupid panda pay for it one way or another. Unfortunately her first idea did bomb out since one Nodoka Saotome was no longer living in the same place the kidnapping had taken place in. Nabiki had all of the records from where she worked hard to pull up some past on a Ranma and Genma Saotome. She pulled up three files for three different Genma Saotomes and for some reason couldn't get any pictures for any of them.
The reason why she remembered the one about Ranko was because the story seemed so sad to Nabiki. One report on the incident was that a Genma Saotome kidnapped Ranko not long after she was born after beating Nodoka unconscious. There was an in depth investigation since Nodoka was known as one of the best weapon masters around specializing in the sword. Apparently though her statement was proven true that Genma had surprised her by hitting her in the back of the head with something heavy and almost beat her to death. A friend of Nodoka's who came to check on them found Nodoka unconscious in what looked like a battle zone.
Nodoka spent a lot of time searching for her missing daughter but when they declared them dead she had apparently left the home heartbroken. Any info after that was sketchy but from what Nabiki could gather was that there was a new head of her family's clan who brought her back in after being thrown out by the former head for marrying Genma. The only problem was Nabiki couldn't find out who it was which meant she had no idea where Nodoka was. If Ranko was telling the truth and was Ranko, then Nabiki vowed to reunite mother and daughter.
She sighed as she wished she didn't stop investigating though when she found the third file on a Genma Saotome. Nabiki was sure that this was the right one because he was married to a Kisa Saotmoe and had a son which died a few years after he was born. The reason why Nabiki was sure this was the right Genma was because of all the marriage arrangements where Genma managed to steal the doweries and left the poor woman there to take care of all of them herself. That fit this Genma perfectly thinking about Ukyo.
"Are you okay?" Ranko asked, a look of concern crossing his features.
"Yeah, just thinking." Nabiki replied, "And don't, I promise that I won't sale anything that you told me about last night to anyone."
"Thanks Nabiki." Ranko replied with a half hearted smile.
"Are you okay, Ranko?" Nabiki asked.
"Yeah, thanks Nabiki…" Ranko replied, "But please don't call me Ranko out in the open or in public…I…don't want my father to…"
"I understand Ranma," Nabiki said, patting his back.
"What the?" Akane asked in shock as they finally made it to the school ground and saw Kuno face down in the dirt sporting multiple bruises.
"You should of seen it!" Yuki laughed as she ran up to the small group, "It was unbelievable…well maybe not since I've seen Ranma there do it but this new kid beat the crap out of Kuno after bokken for brains was talking about vanquishing the foul sorcerer Saotome."
Nabiki noticed the shocked and worried look on Ranko's face and was sure that he knew something about it.
"Wh-what did he look like?" Ranko asked.
"He was really great looking!" Sayuri chirped up as she joined the group, "Really wild brown hair and the deepest brown eyes I ever saw."
"I think his name was Showron…yeah, Li Showron." Yuki said.
"Oh crap…" gasped Ranko.
"You know him, Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Kinda…" Ranko replied looking down at the ground avoiding eye contact.
"What did you do, Saotome, steal his pudding when you was in elementary?" Yuki giggled.
"Naw…I bet his father engaged Ranma's girl side to him, huh?" Sayuri said.
"Cut it out guys." Akane said.
Nabiki smiled a little bit when she saw Ranko's cheeks light up and the look in the eyes with the bit about being engaged to him. Just more proof that Ranko was really a girl, a girl who was crushing on the new boy. The question was where did Ranko meet Li, she had to of met the new boy before if she was already crushing on him.
"Oh yeah, did you here?" Sayuri asked, "Our math teacher finally broke down from all the stress!"
"Yeah, we have a new one starting today named Ms. Mackenzie." Yuki said.
As the warning bell rang everyone started filing inside for once leaving Kuno on the ground, to much on her mind to worry about dragging the idiot to the nurse's office. She had plans to make and so many things to figure out. She was beginning to believe Ranko completely and with that she was also starting to have feelings for the girl, thinking of her as a little sister and no one screws with her family like that bastard panda has.
Ranko wanted to bang his head on the dest as the same jerk from last night walked in. He was wearing the school uniform though he didn't blend in with the other male students there. Ranko could still tell it was him, his cute wild hair, those gorgeous eyes, that nice butt…whack whack whack
"Mr. Saotome, please stop banging your head on the desk," Ms. Hinako said, "It's disrupting the class."
"Sorry." Ranko said weakly.
"Are you okay, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked from behind Ranma.
"Just damn peachy." Ranko snapped.
"What's wrong, Ranma?" Akane asked softly from his right.
"Please take the seat next to Mr. Saotome," Ms. Hinako said motioning towards Ranko, "He's the delienquint who was disturbing class a moment ago."
"Of…course…" Li said as he tore his confused gaze off of the child like teacher.
"Now that that's settled let's start class shall we?" Ms. Hinako said.
Ranko tried to avoid Li's gaze but he kept trying to get his attention. Finally Ranma turned towards Li hoping to get it over quickly and avoid being drained.
"Are you any relation to Ranko?" Li asked.
Ranko sighed and drove his head into the table again causing Hinako to pull out her coin with the hole in it and drain of his energy. The last thing that ran through his mind was "Jerk!" after realizing Li was staring at the now adult Hinako who's dress seemed to rip apart at the seems any second.
It was lunch time when Ranko finally regained all of her strength and was sitting under a tree in girl form after being splashed by bucket water with Akane, Nabiki, Ukyo, Sayuri and Yuki. Ranko wasn't really paying attention to the converstation as she was shoveling food into her mouth. She did notice though when the group stopped talking. Looking up Ranko ended up staring into the eyes that kept showing up in her mind, the eyes of Li Showron.
"Umm…can I talk to you for a few minutes, Ranko?" Li asked, getting confused looks by most of the group. "Alone."
"S-Sure…" Ranko swallowed nervously, "Lead the way."
Ranko followed Li away from the group though she still heard several questions of "Ranko?" as they left the group. The two walked over to a deserted place on the field and Li turned around to look at Ranko, an apologetic look in his eyes.
"About last night, Ranko…" Li said, "I'm really sorry about the way I acted. I wasn't expecting to come across a card so I really didn't bring very many scrolls with me except for a few Lightning…they're…kinda my favorite."
"N-No problem, Li…" Ranko said, "But I'm still not giving up the cards."
"It's cool." Li said, "We can each work on catching them and at the judging, they will decide who is worthy of the book. It's just last night…all my life I've been groomed to be the one who would reclaim the book…bring the cards back into our family."
"It's okay, really." Ranko said, "I understand I guess." She didn't want to admit that but she did, a small part of her believed that she didn't deserve something as precious as the Clow but she refused to give it up without a fight. She refused to give up her best friend without a fight. However if she was judged unworthy and Li was found worthy then she would know that the little guy would be taken care of. She loved the little guy so much, even if he did look like a stuffed toy.
"Thanks, Ranko." Li said as he turned to walk off but was stopped by Kuno.
"You again?" Li asked.
"You uncouth villain, how dare you mock the great blue thunder?" Kuno growled, "And how DARE you speak to the fiery goddess you minion of Ranma Saotome!"
Turning around to face Ranko Kuno opened his arms wide, "Come my love, let us be gone from this filths sight so you can confess your undying love for one such as great as I, Kuno Tatewaki!"
"I don't love you, you JERK!" Ranko screamed and punted the idiot into the sky. Breathing heavily she gasped at why she did that, it wasn't because he was annoying her, no that only usually earned a mild beating. He did the unthinkable…he insulted HER Li.
And that is what scared her, she couldn't be thinking about a boy. There was no way, even if she was interested in any there was no way she could let herself like one. There was no telling what her father would do to the boy, much less her if the panda ever found out and that scared her. But even if she could get away from the panda she didn't really deserve to ever have a boy like her did she? After everything that he had done to her…
"Are you okay?" Li asked.
"I'm fine." Rank mumbles as she turned to walk back into the school moments before the bell, rubbing her eyes. She never hated her father or herself as much as she did at that moment.
The afternoon was going pretty quickly until math class finally came. The new teacher was nothing like Ms. Hinako, and in fact the woman seemed pretty normal by the looks of her. There was something else to the woman though, Ranko was sure of it. That alone was enough to bother her but the confused looks she was getting from Li since she was still a girl is what was bothering her. He didn't say anything but the somewhat angry looks he was giving her pretty much convinced her that he had learned of the curse and thought that she was really a boy like most everyone else.
The bell rang startling Ranko from her thoughts as most everyone grabbed there things and headed for the door and escape.
"Ranma, would you please stay behind for a few minutes please?" Ms. Mackenzie asked.
"Sure." Ranko sighed, a perfect ending to a perfect day she silently grumbled. She was sure the new teacher was going to start blaming her for something or other.
"I noticed you seem pretty distracted today during class." Ms. Mackenzie said, looking Ranko in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, teach, it won't happen again." Ranko sighed.
"I'm not worried about that, dear." Ms. Mackenzie said, "I'm worried about you, you seemed so depressed today. Is something wrong?"
"No, just a lot on my mind…" Ranko said.
"Would you like to talk about it, it might help?" Ms. Mackenzie said, rubbing Ranko's shoulder.
"I'm fine," Ranko said as she pulled away, "Can I please go now?"
"Okay Ranko, but please remember that I'm here if you need to talk, okay?" Ms. Mackenzie said.
"I guess…" Ranko said as she walked to the door, stopping long enough to say, "Thanks, it really means a lot to me." Before she hurried out of the room to find Akane and go home.
AN: Ai Yah, Chapter 4 all ready and so many wonderful reviews so far. Thank you all so much for your kind words everybody!
Stupid title for this chapter which I am really sorry for but I couldn't think of a good one for it. If anyone has any suggestions for a better one, please send them.
It won't be long now before everything comes to a head for the first arc of the story but theres will still be plenty more left as I plan to make several arcs. It also won't be long until Genma finds out about it, the only questions are how does he find out, how does he react, and how is he dealt with?
Well, time to respond to some reviews:
Rubel: Thank you, I hope you found this chapter as interesting as the last.
RubberNeck: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter to. It might get a little darker though before it gets better, I'm still not to sure on how Genma finds out or how he reacts.
Calamite: I never even thought of that but it's a very good idea, thank you. I might either have Madison going to Furinkan or either maybe start Nabiki designing costumes and filming the captures when she learns everything. After all, there's still all that missing money left from Ranko's waitressing at the Cat Cafe and her bets on fights.
Dragon Man 180: Sorry, I don't really know what pairings are going to happen yet but Ranko is kind of attracted to Li but after the way he acts, especially after finding out about the curse, may or may not ruin anything that might of happened between them. As for the panda, he will be punished and more than once.
Xeno: Li will definitely be attending Furinkan so he will be closer to Ranko and the cards.
Rubel: Nabiki doesn't really have to frame Genma, he has done so many things to send himself up the river for four or five lifetimes. And though it will look like the first punishment he gets will be the last from the wrecking crew, it won't be. Several different ones will be getting chances to play hurt the panada before it's completely over.
SS4-link: I already have where the the Tendo's find out the truth but thank you so much because you gave me a great way to bring Ryouga into it and for him to learn the truth.
TheWhiteMonk: How Nabiki found out about Genma's plans…well…that's a secret. (Always wanted to say that.) Well, it's not really a secret and soon someone else will be in on what's happening and Nabiki will explain how she found out. Sorry about the confusion about the clow card but to daye Ranko doesn't have all of the cards yet and this is set a little farther ahead for the Card Captor Sakura group which means that they will be older. Thanks so much for your support though. .
goku: Why Ranma was born a girl in this fic? Well, obviously this is an alternate universe since Ranma never became the card captor in the cannon series so why not have Ranma really a girl? It was necessary for a couple of the pairings that I'm thinking about (Li and Ranko or Ryoga and Ranko). And since she is still cursed to become male that leaves more traditional pairings open. (Akane, Kasumi, Nabiki, Shampoo, or Ukyo…Kodachi…not a chance.)
Thanks for reading and reviewing everybody,
Until Next Time,
Ja Ne.