Starting Over: Do You Want to be Friends?
Chapter 11
Written by Senshi of Valis
Ranma ½ created by Rumiko Takahashi
Card Captor Sakura created by Clamp
I don't own any of these series or the character in each.
Ranko woke up as the sun filtered through her curtains and across her face causing her to wince momentarily from the brightness of it. Slowly she sat up and crawled out of the bed and to look around at the mess of bags and packages scattered on her floor and noticed that they were now mostly empty. A quick look around the room showed Kero and her mother working on putting everything away in the closet and dresser which made her curse at herself for not getting it done and bothering them to do it.
"Good morning, sweetie." Nodoka said with a bright smile.
"Morning kiddo." Kero said.
"Good morning guys." Ranko said, "I'm so sorry for not getting this done sooner…I didn't mean to cause you trouble."
"Oh honey," Nodoka said hugging Ranko, "It's no trouble, I loved doing it and Kero was such a big help. We even talked a lot while we did it and got to know each other, I hope we didn't wake you up."
"You didn't mom," Ranko said, "Thank you."
"Your welcome, sweetie." Nodoka said, "I love you so much and it makes me so happy that you're back."
"Thanks mom," Ranko said, "I love you to."
"Everyone already ate lunch so let's go down stairs and I'll make you something." Nodoka said.
"That's okay mom, I'm not really hungry." Ranko said as her stomach growled.
"That's not what your stomach says, kid." Kero said as he worked on gathering all the discarded bags and waste into a pile.
"Come on, I'm going to make you something to eat and by then the others should be back with the stuff for Akane's pet." Nodoka said.
"Okay mom." Ranko said.
"Good girl," Nodoka said, "Go take a bath and by the time you finish I'll have you something to eat.
Ranko pulled out a plain blue shirt and black skirt and underwear and headed for the bathroom with Kero following as her mother walked down the stairs. Sighing, Ranko went to the bathroom and decided to take a quick, cold shower wishing it could have been a nice hot bath since she felt so dirty.
"Ranko…I'm worried about you." Kero said as he sat on the sink of the western styled bathroom.
"What about, Kero?" Ranko asked as she let the water run down her face, mixing with the tears she was trying to hide. She hated this but she hated her boy form even more, she just wanted to be a normal girl again. Granted, she didn't want to stop being magical as far as the cards went but she wanted to be rid of the curse, just another reminder of her father. The man who beat her as long as she could remember, the man who…raped her twice now…Ranko fell to her knees in the shower and hugged herself tightly sobbing.
She was worthless, she knew that and no amount of pretending was going to change it. She had everything taken away from her, she didn't even have any honor and certainly didn't deserve Kero or her mother. She hated herself and what she was forced into becoming even though she tried to fight it, tried to be strong.
"Ranko?" Kero asked, worry in his voice.
"Ranko, are you done yet, sweetie?" Nodoka called from the door. Before Ranko knew what was happening the water was off and Nodoka was gathering her into a loving embrace.
"Don't touch me!" Ranko cried, "Please, don't touch me…I'm filthy…please…"
"Ranko, you are not." Nodoka said sternly but with love.
"Yes I am!" Ranko sobbed, "I'm worthless…tainted…cursed…I can't…"
"You aren't tainted or cursed Ranko." Nodoka said sadly.
"YES I AM!" Ranko half screamed, half sobbed as she pulled away and pushed Nodoka away as she turned on the hot water. The steaming water ran across her body changing it to her male form. "I-Im a freak and a wh-whore…I'm worthless…nothing."
Ranko bowed his head not even caring that the water was starting to hurt, she deserved the pain, she wanted to just die so much at that moment. The water stopped though and Ranko once again felt himself being pulled into his mother's arms.
"No you aren't, Ranko." Nodoka cried, rocking a sobbing male Ranko in her arms. "Please…I love you baby, you mean so much to me. You aren't any of that, baby, I promise."
"Listen to her, kiddo, you aren't any of that." Kero said as he landed on Ranko's shoulder and hugged him.
Ranko had no idea how long he cried in his mother's arms, he hated feeling this way and in a way wanted to die. He felt so worthless and dirty, as if he really was a perverted freak who truly didn't deserve to live or have a mother like this or even friends like Kero.
"Sweetie?" Nodoka asked as Ranko settled down a little, "Are you feeling a little better?"
"Yeah mom, I'm sorry." Ranko lied as he pulled away from his mother.
"Your foods starting to get cold, sweetie." Nodoka said standing up and helping Ranko up and out of the shower but he got back in and turned the cold water on long enough to return to her true gender.
"I'm sorry, momma." Ranko said as her mother helped her get dressed and led both Kero and herself down the stairs.
"Its okay honey, I'll help you get through this." Nodoka said as she led them into the living room picking up the phone and started to take them to the dinning room. "I want to call a friend of mine and see if she'll see you too, she's a therapist…"
"NO!" Ranko cried as she started backing up, shaking her head until she backed into the couch and fell back into it. She didn't want to see a therapist, a complete stranger and tell them the things he did to her. She couldn't stand the thought of someone telling her all of her worst fears were true, that she was worthless and didn't deserve her mother or anyone else.
Nodoka hurried to her daughter and sat next to Ranko pulling the younger girl into her lap and embrace as the younger red head sobbed.
"I can't believe P-Chan finally came back home again!" Akane said happily as she carried her beloved pet pig as Nabiki and Ryoga walked with her through the gates of the house, Soun and Alita behind them carrying the pet food and supplies since Kasumi decided to stay behind so she could go see Doctor Tofu.
"I'm glad he did." Ryoga said just as happily as he walked next to Akane without even having to be turned around at once. He was surprised when Tatewaki walked up to join them wearing a plain polo shirt and dark dress pants and no bokken in sight but the bouquet of roses was normal enough him.
"Fair day is it not?" Tatewaki asked.
"I'm not interested, Kuno!" Akane growled.
"Alas, dear Akane Tendo, I have not come to woe you at the present time." Tatewaki said as he walked with them to the door. "I've come to check on my dear cousin and inquire if she and my Aunt would care to join me this evening to dine."
"Yeah, right you pervert." Akane growled as Tatewaki opened the door for them, "If you hurt Ranko I'll mallet you to the moon!"
The bickering between the two stopped though as they entered the home, the sounds of crying coming from the living room drawing them there. On the couch was Nodoka cradling a crying redhead, rocking the girl back and forth gently.
"What happened?" Soun asked in worry.
"She…She broke down in the shower. I thought I finally had her calmed down so I had her come down to get something to eat and she…she started crying again when I talked about going to see a therapist." Nodoka sniffed, "I want that bastard dead for this!"
"She won't go see a therapist?" Tatewaki asks, "Why not?"
"I…I don't want to have to…" Ranko sniffed.
"Are you scared?" Tatewaki asks as he sits down by the Nodoka and Ranko and squeezes Ranko's shoulder.
"I-I guess." Ranko said.
"I know it's scary, Ranko…" Tatewaki said, "Auntie here has been trying for a long time to get me to see one."
"You need one." Ranko sniffed but giggled a little, "Bokken for brains."
"And so do you dear cousin…" Tatewaki said, "What…What if we go see one together, we can make our appointments follow each other then I'll be just outside if you need me and I'm sure your mother will to."
"Why?" Ranko asked as she pulled away from Nodoka a little and looked at Tatewaki through red eyes.
"Because, Ranko, you're my cousin…and I want to make up for the way I treated you." Tatewaki said, "I…I know I need to see one to, this way we both will have each other for support. I love you and your aunt, Ranko. She's been more of a parent to me than my own deranged father and I truly love her like a mother and that makes you…my sister."
"I won't promise I'll tell her anything but I'll at least go and try." Ranko said as she rubbed her eyes, "But only if you both come."
"I will, I promise…little sister." Tatewaki said ruffling Ranko's hair.
"And I'll be there to honey." Nodoka said. "I'll be there for you all the way, I promise. You mean more to me than life."
"You mean a lot to all of us, dear." Soun said.
"We will all be here for you Ranko." Alita said.
"Yeah, you're our sister to." Akane said.
"Th-thanks everyone." Ranko said as she rubbed her eyes.
Nabiki couldn't believe how normally Tatewaki was acting, it couldn't be real. It seemed he got over Ranko quick enough and accepted the girl as his cousin, or it sounded like, his sister. Her heart went out to the young red head though and made Nabiki feel really guilty. In a way Nabiki was responsible for some of Ranko's pain. The girl only wanted a friend and Nabiki just kept manipulating everyone to be against her in order to make money.
Was money really worth it? No, it wasn't and Nabiki was starting to realize it now. She should of found some other way to support her family but in truth, what could she of done? Who would have hired her to do anything since she was still in school. The nutcase of a principal wouldn't have let her work even if she did find a job, he wouldn't sign a work release for any students.
Now though, she had a promise of a real job and since summer was coming up and then after that her senior year, the principal couldn't do anything. Final year students who maintained good grades didn't have to have a work release since the school system liked them having real life experience and actually any jobs they got counted towards their graduation requirements.
She now had a way to fend for her family and owed so much to the two sitting on the couch. Even before the job offer though Nabiki had decided to help Ranko and now she still did, she was indebted to her more than she felt she could ever repay.
"R-Ranko…I'll come to if you want." Nabiki said softly, "I want to help you."
"Thanks, Nabiki." Ranko said as she snuggled in her mother's arms.
"Your welcome, sis." Nabiki said, "I'll help you any way I can."
"Thank you Nabiki." Nodoka said.
"Can we talk some, Nabiki Tendo?" Tatewaki asked, a little nervous.
"Yeah, sure." Nabiki said, as she walked out of the room and outside of the house and around back to the garden with Tatewaki walking next to her.
"I have a proposition for you, Nabiki Tendo…" Tatewaki said when they were alone in the garden.
"No more pictures, Kuno." Nabiki said, a little angry that he brought her out here for that. "No more pictures, ever."
"Nah, I don't want pictures…I want to pay you for information." Tatewaki said, "Cost is not a problem…I'll pay anything."
"What is it, Tatewaki?" Nabiki asked, suspicious, "I'm retiring from being a mercenary."
"That is good, Nabiki Tendo…" Tatewaki said, "Someone as yourself should not lower yourself to such things, even if it is for your family."
Nabiki was shocked, did he really know why she did it? He couldn't, could he?
"I did have a strong desire for your sister and my cousin, I can not explain it but I no longer feel that strongly about them." Tatewaki said, "I didn't really go home last night, I walked and thought about everything for a long time until I arrived at my uncle's home where I ended up spending the night. I never got any sleep though, I kept thinking about everything but this morning, I didn't feel so…obsessed with them…"
"Why are you telling me this, Kuno?" Nabiki snapped, "Get to the point!"
"My point is, Nabiki Tendo, I will pay any price for you to not sale any information about what happened to my cousin to anyone. When she decided to share it I want it to be her decision, not yours." Tatewaki said.
"You mean…You want me to…Kuno, I'm surprised at you. That's pretty decent of you." Nabiki said, truly shocked by it. Of course there was that inside which shocked her but this just added to that.
"I do have feelings, Nabiki, I love Auntie Nodoka and I've missed my little cousin. I knew about her but…I never got the chance to meet her, she was kidnapped before Auntie returned to the clan." Tatewaki said looking down.
"I'm sorry, Kuno…I really am." Nabiki said. "I never knew she was your cousin…Kuno, please believe me when I say you can't attack Ranma."
"What!" Tatewaki snarled, "I bet that bastard was in it along with Genma!"
"Kuno…do you believe in magic? True magic? Like curses and such?" Nabiki asked.
"Of course I do, my family has a tradition in slaying demons and the like." Tatewaki said. If Nabiki never meet Ranko and seen the curse, she would of laughed at that.
"Tatewaki…Genma did something else to Ranko…I swear this is the truth." Nabiki said, "Genma needed a son for his plans so he took Ranko to some place he heard of in China that had curses."
"Like Genma's curse to turn into a panda?" Tatewaki asked.
"Yes, but these was opposite of it." Nabiki said, again shocked at the clarity in which he was acting. It was so unlike him. "Genma tricked Ranko into getting cursed to turn into a boy and forced Ranko to act like one."
"You're serious, aren't you?" Tatewaki asked in horror.
"I'm afraid so, Ranma…Ranma is who Genma forced Ranko to act as." Nabiki said.
"I-I've been attacking my own cousin…" Tatewaki asked, shaking his head. "Please tell me it's not true."
"I'm sorry." Nabiki said as a tear fell down her face. "It's true and I believed she was Ranma…I did so many terrible things to her thinking her was a worthless freeloader and then I learned about Genma's plan and made it even worse."
"It's okay, Nabiki." Tatewaki said hugging Nabiki, "We both did and we'll both make it up to her somehow."
"Th-Thanks Kuno." Nabiki said, leaning into Tatewaki's embrace.
AN: Hi everyone, hope you are enjoying this so far. Within the next two chapters I will be introducing Tomoyo and Sakura. And soon after that Ranko will be working on catching the last few cards she has to get which means sometime within the near future Yue and judgment will also be happening. Before that happens though there will be another new face showing up as well, Mousse's cousin from China and guess what, they aren't an amazon. They will be a family that is hates the amazons and all their stupid laws.
Wow, so close to one hundred reviews. I never dreamed I'd ever have that many, thank you all so much. I love all of them, thank you all so much.
Review Responses:
Mgsaintz: Thanks, I thought it would be a good idea to show a little bit about Ranko's and Ryoga's early friendship, to bad Genma got in the way of it though. Ranko's curse is to strong to be affected by any of Ranko's current level of magic but the next card she gets will help a lot with it. And that's a good idea, I intend to look through the cards and pick out all of the ones she has so far and list them in the next chapter.
Rubel: Since Shampoo doesn't know where her 'Airen' is at the moment they can't interfere but Ranko can't stay out of sight forever, Shampoo will find her soon but I'm still having trouble on deciding whether to make her an ally or an enemy.
Isumo 1489: Thanks, I wanted to keep P-Chan around for Akane and remove the curse at the same time and this was the best way I could come up with in doing it. As for the elements, she hasn't caught all of them yet so, I know for a fact fiery is missing so Kero can't take his true form yet. As for light and dark, I don't think she's caught those yet either.
Lerris: Thanks, I'm glad you gave this story another chance and seem to be liking it. Card Captor Sakura is a great story by Clamp and I highly recommend it. As for the story following the main Ranma story, not a chance of that happening. There are all ready way too many changes for that to happen now. From now on I won't be following the Ranma story line a whole lot since I doubt Herb or Saffron will be making an appearance but you never know, they may show up sometime.
Lerris: Well…it might be a little overkill, but I can truly see him doing this kind of stuff. It does depend on my mood whether I tolerate Genma or all out hate him, but he is far from one of my favorite characters in the Ranmaverse. As for Cologne, I'm still not sure where she will stand when she finds out.
Lerris: True, but I believe Nabiki to be extremely smart and extremely protective of her family. Thanks.
Ss4-link: It's no big, thank you for reviewing now and I hope you had fun at camp.
Ss4-link: I don't blame you and thank you for your interest in becoming a prereader.
Ss4-link: Thanks, he truly did and he will end up getting lots more.
Ss4-link: I don't mind if you do copy my fic and change where it goes. In fact, if anyone wants to feel free but please let me know if you do and where you post it since I'd love to see where you go with it, thanks.
Ss4-link: Your welcome, and as for how they will get the address, Akane might call them up or something and invite them over or like you said they could get it from Ukyo at school or something, thank you.
RubberNeck: Thanks, though this chapter is a little depressing but now both Tatewaki and Ranko will get counseling as the grow closer and Nabiki and him may also grow closer now. I do think Nabiki and Tatewaki make a great pairing though I'm not sure if it will happen.
Ss4-link: Thank you, and though Ranko is hurting now she will get better.
Ss4-link: Thanks, I might end up having Ryoga having feelings for both Akane and Ranko but I'm not sure yet about that.
Lov3the3vil: Thanks, and I think I've decided to make it Bakura if I do because I like the idea of making Genma suffer through everything he inflicted on Ranko through all of eternity in the shadow realm. Bakura would be the easiest to bring in of the two since Yugi has way too many friends and I don't want to bring in the whole Yugi group. And I'll keep this story up, I promise. And thanks for the votes to.
TheWhiteMonk: Thanks, sorry about it seeming rushed, I'm trying to not let it seem like that. Kero and Ranko has went through several different things as she caught the earlier cards to cure herself but none of it worked so she had some experience in that and there will be more card action coming up. As for a prequel, that would be a good idea and I probably will make one as soon as I'm finished with this one. Thank you so much for the idea.
Dragon Man 180: Thanks, now that Ryoga won't be getting lost so often and he did return P-Chan they might start to get close though Ryoga may also develop feelings for Ranko as well. As for Genma, that is an excellent idea and may happen, thank you very much.
S: You have a very good point, Yugi would be a little hard to separate from the others and make it look reasonable. Bakura, on the other hand, if I take him at a certain point would make it look very plausible. As for my other two fics, I plan to have at least one maybe two chapters done for them by the end of the week. Sorry it's taking longer for them but I didn't forget about them.
Talent Scout: Genma is holding back a lot and the beatings he takes in the beginning here are just for show. Ranko is scared of him from years of abuse and didn't believe she could stand up to him and when he raped her she did struggle but with so much fear in her mind she isn't thinking straight enough to fight back decently enough.
Thank you everyone for all of your great reviews, I hope your enjoying everything so far.
Until Next Time,
Ja Ne.