Ranma ½
Chapter 12
Perception
Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
First off, I am sorry this chapter took so long; I was constantly adjusting it, trying to bring in more detail and believability in Nabiki's desires to make Ranma's life better.
I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave.
I find that if I let things sit for a while in my head; I can play them out farther. Plus by trying and keeping my chapters between 2500 and 3000 words, it helps keep me from making the story slide out of control, turning a diamond to a pile of shit.
I also plan to start sending these out to have someone else proofread them before I post them. Volunteers are welcome. I have found a website (www wot-club org.uk/RanmaFAQ/arts/special.html#ranma1) where the moves have been listed. Just replace the spaceswith /. If I spell them incorrectly, then I apologize, as this is my guide.
If you need help, have questions about why my plot is turning out a certain way, or would like some help to bust through your own writer's block or write a new story on your own, tell me either through e-mail or reviews. I'm glad to help when I can.
BTW: To those who think Nabiki is OOC, remember, this Nabiki is older. She was in her thirties before she was sent back in time. She spent four years at college, at least six years married to her gay husband, followed by five years since her divorce and a little more than that since her night with Ranma. This means that Ranma and Akane were married for a little over five years before Ranma caught Akane with Ryoga. It also gives her plenty of time training with Cologne, as well as after her divorce, until the depression at her life curtailed those activities.
If you believe Ranma is OOC, remember those dreams he had been having before he met Nabiki as well as when he was in the hospital watching her. They are a clue as to what has happened to his future self, but will be discussed in more detail later on. After all, how would you react to having dreams of yourself dying before your very eyes, over and over again?
If you think Akane is also to OOC, remember she didn't have to deal with Ranma, so she has seen no positive male influences, other than him taking on Kuno (which she originally told him was none of his business, and never could come to terms with the fact that Kuno never used his full strength against her), as well as was shown in the series to desire quick power boosts and skills without the necessary work (Super Soba as an example). Despite the fact that she was obviously outclassed by the NWC and her instant temper, she always thought of herself as the best martial artist out there, blaming it on cheaters and nobody fighting her seriously as to her losses and lack of skills, rather than she rarely trains and doesn't bother to learn anything new. Even computer fighters adapt so as to provide a challenge. She in my opinion, never even tried to adapt. When she witnessed Ranma training, did she ever try and copy it, did she ever ask to be part of it. No, she merely sat back and watched. After all, why should Ranma want to train her, so she can hit him harder!?
It may sound like I hate the Akane character, and in a way I suppose I do. She was a violent girl who was abusive, something I have seen in my life and hate. Her few good points never outweighed her bad points in my opinion, which is why I tend to drift towards other pairings. I never really saw Akane grow as a character, she never learned from her mistakes, kept repeating them, and expected the world to confirm to her will. I think the only time I have witnessed her treat anyone with kindness for no reason was Shinnosuke after he and his grandfather got sick from eating her cooking in Ryugenzawa. Perhaps if she had grown more in the series, I would have a softer spot for her, but even I tired of seeing how little respect and trust she showed Ranma. She was even too uncomfortable with herself, even when she was alone thinking of Ranma.
Now, on with the show.
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From the mental notes of Nabiki Tendo…
It is never easy to see our own faults. We often prefer to blame others for our own shortcomings. If we do poorly at work, it is the boss's fault for being a hard ass and insisting on such unreasonable standards. If we fail a class, it is because a teacher is incapable of teaching it correctly; an excuse that is only true 10 of the time.
Then we run across those who have nothing but anger in their lives. These are people who are never at fault, who never see the world for what it truly is, who constantly delude themselves into believing that they are perfect. If they lose, it is only because their opponent cheated. If they missed a duel, it is because the opponent chickened out after waiting for them to arrive. If the opponents are better at anything or if the person fails at something, then it is the other person's fault because obviously they cheated because that is the only way they could have beaten them.
Ryoga and Akane are two such people.
For Akane, if Ranma couldn't eat her food, he was making fun of her, even though she would flat out refuse to taste it or even eat it herself, a fact that often made me wonder if she really was trying to kill him (this food has been known in fact to wonder over to Juuban and attack on occasions, luckily I don't believe it ever killed one of the Sailor Senshi, but for years afterwards when I watched the news, I often wondered if that monster they defeated had been dinner days before at the Tendo Dojo). If Ranma easily won a fight she would have had a tough time winning, well then he did it by cheating, because after all, Akane Tendo is really the best martial artist in the world, not Ranma Saotome. If she never got any better, it wasn't because she was only breaking bricks and practicing the same moves for the last decade instead of demanding her father teach her, it was because Ranma would never take her seriously. If Ranma was nice to other girls, it wasn't her fault for constantly hitting him, treating him like a freak, as well as calling him that, it was because Ranma must be a pervert and trying to have his way with these girls, despite the fact they were throwing themselves at him, and Akane Tendo must protect the world from the pervert Ranma Saotome
For Ryoga, it wasn't his fault that Ranma was a better martial artist and that was why he got the last loaf of bread, though it was first come first serve; it was because Ranma was a loud-mouthed bully who always took what he wanted. It wasn't Ryoga's fault he was late for a duel and missed Ranma, it was Ranma's fault for not waiting there for four days for Ryoga to get to a lot behind his own house, despite the fact that Ryoga knew of his bad sense of direction and still left his house only a moment before the duel was supposed to start. If Akane is sad, it isn't her fault she did something stupid, it is Ranma's fault for not knowing whatever dark thought crosses Akane's mind, and bowing immediately to worship her. It isn't Ryoga's fault for getting cursed, for falling into Jusenkyo; it was Ranma's fault, even though it was a panda that knocked him off the cliff and a red-haired girl who tried to push him back towards it. It isn't even Ryoga's fault that he calls Ranma honorless because he doesn't choose Akane and tell the others when Ryoga himself endangers anyone nearby who is hurt during one of his fights, or when he uses his curse to sleep in Akane's bed.
No, it is never their fault.
It is always Ranma's fault. It is Ranma's fault if the food tastes bad, if Shampoo or Ukyo offer him food or touch him or talk to him. It is Ranma's fault that Akane never treats him nice, that Ryoga is always fighting him, that P-chan hates him, that Ryoga was never man enough to confess his feelings to Akane.
To those two, it will always be Ranma's fault, even if he was nowhere near it or had no direct or indirect involvement with it.
It is no better with Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome. These are two people who claim the merits of honor, demanding that Ranma must marry a Tendo, but carefully neglecting the fact that Genma engaged him to nearly fifty women, and after careful research, three men after Jusenkyo. These men spout honor and dedication to the art. It is in my opinion a laugh, as they have shown no such dedication unless it got them something. Soun Tendo preaches it, but it didn't stop him from ignoring his daughters for ten years, forcing them to grow up without him, while the older two sold their dreams and futures to save their family. Genma speaks of honor, but runs away from it unless it is a better deal for him. One only needs to look at Ukyo and Kaori to find out such truths.
Those two would lock Ranma permanently as a girl and serve him to Happosai wearing a see-thru negligee if their horny little master would ask them to, saying it was a sacrifice for the art and he/she should be proud to do so.
It often makes me wonder if they would do the same to me or any of my sisters.
If it wasn't for my sister Kasumi, I would have grabbed Ranma the first night he came here, ran away, and never looked back, let those four forever deal with their own actions, their own consequences they seem to desire to thrust upon us, claiming we should do so because of honor.
Neither one of them know a damn thing about honor.
Did honor prevent my sister from constantly beating on Ranma, after promising her eldest sister she wouldn't hurt him anymore?
Did honor prevent Ryoga from attacking Ranma at any opportunity, no matter who got hurt or was in the way, or even from sleeping in my sister's bed, even when she was married?
Did honor prevent Genma from making tons of proposals and selling Ranma like a commodity, simply to feed his belly with food and saké while Ranma starved and shivered?
Did honor prevent my father from selling his girls out for the art; from letting a perverted master reside in the dojo, from allowing him to steal my underwear and grope me at any opportunity?
No. These people claim high principles and practice none in the real world. They make me sick. If I could, I would have Kasumi married to Tofu tomorrow, as I know their marriage worked out for the best. I would take Ranma away and leave these poor excuses for humans to wallow in their own affairs. I would gladly spend the rest of my life on the road with this man, if it meant he would be happy.
I know I would.
But even I can't do that yet. I am the only one who knows what potential fates await them.
So I wait, I try to enlighten these souls, to get them to wake up and accept the truth.
May the Kamis have mercy upon their souls if they don't accept it!
Because the Kamis know I certainly won't.
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The four of them sat at the dining room table. Ryoga, now once again a human, sat in his clothes, casting death glares at Ranma, having just finished explaining the bread feud, the duel behind his house, and how he came about the curse. Akane sat on the other side across from him, wondering why they had all come back here, as she didn't want her home destroyed. Ranma and Nabiki were at the other side of the table between the two. Kasumi was in the kitchen preparing lunch, while the fathers were out buying saké.
"So man, what the hell were you doing at Jusenkyo?" Ranma, in his current tactless nature, asked the question only Nabiki knew the answer to, but was holding it.
"I was tracking down your worthless ass after you didn't show up for our duel." Ryoga had the same smug look of self righteousness that Nabiki hated, one she knew too well from her days as the Ice Queen.
"Correct me if I am wrong Mr. Hibiki," asked Nabiki, deciding she was tired of people like that, tired of the self delusion he kept placing before himself and others, trying to appear the victim, never the attacker, as well as quickly losing patience that this Ryoga was worth saving, "but you knew your curse of direction, why didn't you get someone to take you to the duel to make certain you made it on time?"
"I offered, but he told me he didn't need my damn help to find his own backyard." Ranma interjected the fact, surprising Nabiki, who never knew Ranma had offered to take him to the duel.
"I didn't need his damn help!" cried Ryoga.
"I'd say being four days late for your own duel contradicts that." Nabiki's patience for the Lost Boy was quickly fading, dreams of using the locking ladle on him and dropping him off to get 'fixed' were starting to fill her head, maybe selling Genma to a zoo would also ease the stresses in Ranma's and her lives. "That means in no uncertain terms you forfeited, even if Ranma's father hadn't knocked him out and dragged him to China. So once again, why were you in China chasing Ranma?"
Ryoga was getting pissed. First this girl stops his fight with Ranma letting her, and tells him to drop his weapons. Now, she was saying he had no reason to be in China chasing Ranma. "It was a duel between men; you wouldn't know anything about it."
Everyone was then surprised when Nabiki grabbed three of his bandanas off the table and flicked them into the wall, using his belt to cut the rest. "A duel between men as you put it, means taking pains to ensure that only the participants are injured, not those who have no direct participation in it. These weapons of your clearly can do such things if they miss the target. You better not have been planning to use these during your fight with my fiancée today! Do you have any idea what these could have done to an innocent student?"
Ryoga simply shrugged his shoulders. "They shouldn't have been there. If they got hurt, it would have been their own fault for being too close to our duel."
Akane, who had stayed silent at this time, noticed that Nabiki was producing a red battle aura, and from what she remembered from her father's teachings, as well as what Nabiki had filled her in on, this meant she was extremely pissed. "Fine then, if that's the way you feel, then you have no reason to blame Ranma for your curse, as your story says that you got between a fight between a red-haired girl and a panda, and it appears the red-head actually tried to shove you back towards the cliff the panda knocked you off from, so your curse in reality is the panda's fault; not Ranma's or that of the red-headed girl. So that makes one forfeited duel your fault, as well as your being cursed your fault by your own warped rules of combat. So you really have no reason to be upset with Ranma."
"NO! Ranma; you honorless coward, why are you hiding behind a girl?!" Ryoga felt justification only for a fraction of a second.
That was the time it took for Nabiki to deliver a vicious right jab to his face, knocking him on his ass. "You are the only one who has been acting dishonorably. You attacked Ranma at school without a challenge letter, you were willing to use weapons that could kill innocent bystanders in a crowded situation, and now you insult his honor by saying that simply because I am pointing out your own mistakes, that he is hiding behind me! Now you will apologize before I call your family and inform them of how much of an honor-less ronin their son wants to be!"
That alone seemed to snap Ryoga out of his anger. Is she right; is none of this Ranma's fault? Ryoga kept thinking about this as Kasumi brought in lunch and tea, asking about why three bandanas were hanging out of the wall, before she went back into the kitchen.
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A few hours later, Ranma and Nabiki had gone to the dojo to spar and train, Akane had gone into her room to study, while Ryoga was in the kitchen now talking to Kasumi as she prepared dinner for the group.
"Nabiki, I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I could've beaten Ryoga without your help, even with his weapons."
Still as cocky as my memories say he was. "Ranma, Ryoga wouldn't have cared who he hurt in that fight: you, me, Akane, or any one of those students watching the fight. As long as you got hurt, it wouldn't have mattered, and if someone other than you did, he would have played it off saying it was your fault for not standing still and taking the hit like a target; I said target, not like a man, or because they were stupid enough to be there. I mean, a public school, how the hell did he expect no one to be there! And I'm not fighting your battles for you Ranma, I am simply helping you by using my most powerful weapon; my mind. Sometimes the best way to win a fight is not to let it get physical."
"Huh?" To say Ranma was confused now was an understatement. "But you clocked him?!"
"Ranma, you have to remember that just as well as your body is your weapon of choice, you must train your mind as well. I made Ryoga first defeat himself. When he saw that everything was really his fault, even by his own warped definitions, he became angry and tried to force you into a fight, so he could safely continue to blame you. He will in all likelihood, always try and do that, blame them and try and trick them into a fight, unless he is broken of that habit, which is why I hit him, to make him realize how utterly stupid he was acting. If you had hit him, he would have seen it as validating his beliefs that you were always in the wrong. When I did it, he was forced to realize that he was the problem.
"It is like when you taunt your opponents, try and get them angry so they make mistakes, it is the same with him." Nabiki stopped sparring with him and backed up. "Ranma, you will always be able to train your body stronger. But if your mind fails to keep up than little tricks, like what Ryoga did by insulting your manhood by saying you were hiding behind me, will always get you. If you can ignore such comments, and continue to find ways that make them look like the complete idiots that they are, it will make them fight much sloppier than if you just jumped in and fought them."
Ranma was still confused, but beginning to understand. His father had taught him that his body was the greatest weapon at his disposal, which made all other weapons useless. But Nabiki was saying that the mind could be just as strong. Judging by how she had turned Ryoga's anger unto himself, she could have a point. She had driven Ryoga to anger, not with insults, but by simply showing him his own flaws, without teasing him about it.
It was an impressive sight, one he wished to know how to do.
Nabiki decided she needed to press her advantage; she needed Ranma to grow so that he might avoid certain mistakes in the future. "Ranma, that is also why I have asked you to be more comfortable with your curse. What happens if one of your opponents tries and taunt you, call you fem-boy, claim you are barely half a man; you would begin to lose your cool and fight with anger clouding your mind. When your father calls you a weak girl, he is trying to make you fight sloppy so he can have a chance to beat you. Will you allow an obvious flaw he taught you; that girls and thus your girl half are weak, go unchanged; leaving you susceptible to taunts by those who would seek to make you feel weak because of the curse, or will you accept the possibility that you may never be cured of the curse, and thus grow from it?"
Teasing your opponent, making them angry enough to make mistakes in their attacks, angry enough to lose sight of the true purpose of the fight, was one of the major points of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. But now Nabiki had shown him a way to make your opponent angry without the insults, without trying to make them mad, as well as how vulnerable he was to such tactics. If you simply pointed out their own flawed reasons, their own flawed assumptions of the universe, about what they considered the truth, then they become far more likely to anger, more likely to lose focus, as you were essentially challenging what they had based everything on. If he didn't become comfortable with the fact that he might never find a cure, that simply because he changed into a female didn't make him weak, that no matter what body he was in, he was still the same person, than he would just as easily be defeated by someone using those tactics, that he would always be defenseless against an opponent that used his own insecurities against him. "So you're saying because you pointed out how Ryoga's flip-flopped views of what really happened, as well as his lax sense of honor, made everything his fault, was better than simply calling him pig-boy, bacon-breath, and making jokes about how he could get lost in a closed coffin? As long as I keep myself from being uncomfortable with myself and my own flaws, I can become a better person, and a better martial artist, as well as avoid being like that?"
Nabiki forced herself to try and not laugh or smile, as the first comment had caught her off guard. I truly wonder if the Eternally Lost Boy could get lost in a closed casket. I might have to save that experiment for later, if he doesn't learn his lesson. "If you insult Ryoga outside of battle, he will use it as proof to himself of how much a vile enemy you are. Yes Ranma, words have more power sometimes than even your fists, and can easily lead to one's own defeat. But you must forge the mind to be sharper than any blade, which is one of the reasons you attend school. Though the facts they teach may be, in your opinion, worthless, they in fact are like katas, designed to make the mind sharper. It is also why you must be comfortable being cursed as you are, because an enemy can use that flaw, your utter hatred of it because you believe it makes you weak, to break your spirit, and defeat you by your own self-hatred. As you have seen, my mind is very sharp, and in the past, it earned me the name of the Ice Queen of Furinkan High, as I was able to see the ways to manipulate people, a skill I have tried to avoid using on you, as I know how you hate to be manipulated in any way."
Ranma dropped his guard for a moment, not only surprised at the things Nabiki was teaching him; the things outside the power of the flesh, but of the mind, but that she was confiding in him that she knew of his hatred of being manipulated, that he hated things being forced onto him. Was that the reason why she offered the way out of the engagement, because she knew how much I would hate to be forced into it, that maybe I would insult her as well? "Is that the reason for the way out of the engagement? Were you manipulating me to believe I had a way out?"
Nabiki shook her head. "Ranma, I know far more about you than you realize, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't manipulated you in the smallest way when you arrived. But to be honest, none of us wanted to be married before we got out of Furinkan, it is a responsibility none of us, even me, were ready for." She closed her eyes, and looked down, forcing away the voice in her mind stating she would gladly be wed to him this moment if offered the chance. "I know you may hate me for it, but it wasn't exactly the best situation to tell you my plan. If I had taken you away from the dining room to tell you of my plan, the others would have listened and immediately planned a wedding, the same if they didn't listen in on us, assuming we were already desiring to spend our lives together. I don't pretend I will win your heart Ranma by trickery, by lying and scheming my way to victory, you are not a prize to be won, nor an object to be bartered for. I honestly do care what you think of me, I care how you perceive me. But you deserved some peace, some way to keep them from hounding you to marry me, to force their warped ideas of honor onto the both of us, a way they use their minds as weapons, by trying to make you see it as a matter of honor to marry me above all others. I don't want that. If we get married, if we become something more than friends, and don't kid yourself Ranma or allow others to make you think otherwise, if nothing else, we are at least friends, then it will be because we do it for love, not because of honor, not because of a promise made by two drunken men before either of us were born, but because we decide it, because we choose it, because we know beyond all certainty that it is what we want."
Ranma was no longer confused, no longer scared, but he did have some fears, concerns that needed addressing. "Nabiki, why did you accept this engagement? I know it wasn't easy, especially with me being cursed and all."
Nabiki just smiled; her eyes open and focusing on Ranma. "I accepted because when I looked at you, I recognized the same loneliness that I had, the same despair that what I wanted never mattered, as long as the family was happy. I am telling the truth Ranma when I say I have done some horrible things to keep this family together, to keep this home. I have done everything but sell my soul, and sometimes I did debate to sell my body, to keep everyone here. When I saw how lonely you were, I knew I had to do something to help you, even if I could only do that by being your friend. Your curse doesn't bother me Ranma, it shouldn't bother you, but I know it does, and maybe, always will. You never have to face this on your own, and I will do whatever I can to help you. Besides, would you rather be engaged to my sister Akane?"
A quick shudder ran through Ranma. "No way in hell I wanna be engaged to that violent uncute macho tomboy!"
"Did I do the wrong thing?"
"No, I suppose you did the right thing."
"Are you upset with me?"
"Not really, but it still feels weird, like things aren't right."
"I know Ranma, this is a lot to take in, and it probably goes against whatever your father taught you." Nabiki moved towards him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Ranma, things have to change, that is the only thing you can count on, other than me staying your friend no matter what. Are you going to be OK with this?"
Ranma just scratched behind his head. "Sure Nabiki, I always knew the old man wasn't exactly right on anything other than martial arts. If you think it'll make me better, than I guess I can try it. Doesn't mean I will enjoy trying to be comfortable being a girl, and it doesn't mean I'll give up lookin' for a cure."
"Good, I wouldn't dream of stopping you. But just remember to think first. You do realize that you can't be cured by jumping into the Spring of Drowned Man, right?"
Ranma's face paled. "What!? Why!?" He had known for a while that it was his best shot at being cured, and now Nabiki was saying it wouldn't work.
He needs to know this now. "The curses of Jusenkyo are additive. That means if you jump into the Spring of Drowned Man, you won't change into a girl, but something that is part man, part woman; a hermaphrodite. The curses will mix, so you can't use one to cure another."
Ranma slumped towards the ground, his eyes beginning to water. "So I'll be a freak for the rest of my life?"
Nabiki sat beside him, pulling him into an embrace. "You aren't a freak Ranma. There are cures out there, waiting for you. The curse might also just run its course, leaving you after you grow beyond it having any meaning to you. I really don't know. But never, ever, think it makes you any less in my eyes, or the eyes of those who truly care for you. It doesn't make you any less of a man, just able to see things through different eyes. Do you understand?"
Ranma merely shook his head, his hand wiping his eyes. She really doesn't care about it. I'm lucky to find her.
"Are you ready to continue your training with me?"
Ranma once again shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face.
Nabiki simply smiled and grabbed his hand, dragging him from the dojo. "Good, tonight we begin your mental training: today's homework assignments."
Ranma was beginning to wish that he did get into that fight with Ryoga. He was certain the pain would be a lot less.
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After dinner, Ryoga had headed out, certain that he would end up here again sooner or later; after all, he seemed to always end up where Ranma was. His mind was filled with more thoughts than usual. I really could have injured someone today, other than Ranma. Would I have felt sorry? What if I had ended up seriously hurting somebody, or worse…? Is that what I've become? Have I become so obsessed with Ranma, blaming him for everything wrong in my life, that all I can see is my vengeance?
You are the only one who has been acting dishonorably. You attacked Ranma at school without a challenge letter, you were willing to use weapons that could kill in a crowded situation, and now you insult his honor by saying that simply because I am pointing out your own mistakes, that he is hiding behind me!
Nabiki's words were still ringing in his head. By his own flawed rules, getting cursed had been Ryoga's fault, as much as he wanted to blame Ranma for it. That red-headed girl had tried to knock him back towards the cliff after that violent panda had first knocked him off. It wasn't her fault that the rock face crumbled under his weight, and from what the Jusenkyo Guide told him, there were other pools nearby that could have turned him into far worse. If I ever see that panda again I'll be certain to thank that girl properly, by giving her a panda-skin rug. She really seemed pissed at it for some reason. I wonder what it did. I mean, I know he tried to eat me, but why was that girl pissed at him?
Then he began to remember his talk with Kasumi, walking with her to the market to get some groceries, even the fact he had to have a rope tied around their waists so that he wouldn't get lost; his own idea. She had helped him feel better about himself, pointing out that his curse of direction had helped him learn more about the world, become a great fighter without anyone teaching him. He had learned to live and survive on his own, and had even learned how to live in his cursed form, to even get the necessary things to make the hot water he needed to change back. He even had to admit in the end that when he wasn't obsessing about Ranma in China, he had actually enjoyed the trip.
Funny, all that time trying to find Ranma in China, and I never once ran into him.
This all started with that bread feud. But it snowballed after the duel. Ranma had offered to escort him to the duel, but he refused, why? It was obvious Ranma had considered him a friend at the time despite the insults that the two had often let lose at each other, making certain he got where he needed to go, made it home and to school in a single trip, helped him get to his classes, and sparred with Ryoga, calling him a better rival than his pops. So why, why did it all go downhill? Was the duel so important to me, or was it because I felt slighted by a friend, betrayed that he never took the duel seriously? Ranma had waited for me for three days and his stupid father refused to wait any longer and used a cheap shot to make Ranma leave.
Was I slighted?
Was it all because of the occasional insults we threw at each other?
Did Ranma betray me?
If not, then what am I really doing?
Maybe Nabiki is right, maybe I have lost sight of what was really important.
Ryoga turned around, noticing that somehow, he had made it to the outskirts of the city. Goodbye Ranma, when next we meet, I will face you with my honor restored, and defeat you like I should have that day, as an honorable fighter facing another.
As he left into the woods, he did something he hadn't done in many years; he smiled as he thought of Ranma, his friend.
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Akane had become very upset, she didn't know why, but she was really, really, pissed.
Nabiki and Ranma were becoming too close, of that at least, she was certain. Her sister first challenged this guy to fight Ranma fairly, without his 'weapons'. As if bandanas and a belt can be a weapon! Besides, Ranma was supposed to be protecting her, and he just sat back while she fought his fight. But then she remembered how Nabiki had effortlessly flicked them into the wall like daggers and had even used that Ryoga's belt to turn the rest into confetti.
How did she do that? I never did get a chance to ask her, and Ryoga was grabbed up by Kasumi before I could. Maybe if I ask Nabiki, she will teach me. I wonder if I can do that, but I don't wear a belt, or bandanas, but maybe I can adapt it to something else.
Images of using extra ribbons attached to her hair and outfit were thrown out, as she didn't want to look too girly.
But why is she hanging out with that pervert, I mean, what he did to Kuno was really funny, I admit that. But he is still a pervert who saw me naked, and Nabiki is defending him!
Maybe she is trying to squeeze some money out of him. That has to be it! Why else would she bother to hang around a pervert like that!?
I mean, how can she like that sex changing pervert!? He must do so many perverted things since he can change into a girl! I bet he messes around with his girl body all the time.
Maybe that is why she is acting so nice to him, because he is blackmailing her. That has to be it; he got something on the Ice Queen! If she had something on him, he would be doing all sorts of stuff for her, or looking defeated! But she is being nice to him, showing affection to him! He must be making her do perverted things!
If that's true, then I must free her, before that PERVERT does something.
And thus Akane began to try and determine how to stop Ranma from taking advantage of her sister. After all, Akane Tendo needed to protect her family; it was the duty of the best martial artist in Nerima and her responsibility to do so. For the sake of the family, she would find a way to rid them of the Saotomes.
She ignored the voice in her head, telling her she was about to do something stupid, but her ego and imagination quickly silenced the voice of discontent.
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If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.
Any suggestions on how I should continue the story or improve it would also be accepted.
Also, if you have any suggestions for how this should go, let me know. My own imagination, while vast, always enjoys a new thought. Also, catch me if you don't think I am making the characters true to form, or a way to make them better.
By the way, if you need any help with your stories or would like a fresh idea on what to write about for Ranma or Love Hina, let me know. I would be glad to help in any way I can.
So far, the suggestions for the Ranma/Nabiki/Akane conflict are:
Right now, my best plan so far is to bring Kaori in early, having it appear Nabiki sent the letter to her, offering Ranma up.
1.) Well, that would work, but Akane is a mistress of Dwarven stealth it would seem. Something THAT subtle is clearly out of her range. I would advise something more along the lines of Akane making something up, then spreading it to Nabiki's lieutenants under The guise of the fact that Nabiki is too busy to tell them herself, with the instruction That if anyone asks, it came from Nabiki. Now, I know that seems contradictory of what I just said, but all this requires is a few childish lies and an easy cover up.
2.) Sounds like ranma: take 2 is set up, the pic. Idea works well seeing Nabiki's background. But Akane doesn't know WHY she takes the pics and Ranma does
3.) I suggest Akane listening in to Nabiki and Ranma's conversation. Akane then go to Nabiki's Lieutenants and then let the chaos ensue. Ranma blames Nabiki because of her mercenary ways and gets a bit suspicious with her since she can predict the events.
4.) As for Take 2 Maybe Akane could contact more of the "Other Fiancées and Nabiki gets the blame!
5.) On the Ranma take 2, where you ask for Akane to do something and blame it on Nabiki. What about taking pictures of Ranma… Nabiki is giving that up, but if Akane does it, then the pictures get sold at school… Ranma would be pissed. It is also something that Nabiki would do, but since Akane is not a business type then she would sell the pics for far to low a price. So if and when Nabiki found out how much they paid she would know that only someone lacking in business skill would sell them for that price. Now as to how to get Ranma to believe Nabiki, that would be a hard thing, as its not really going to help if she tells him that she would have had the since to sell the pictures for a higher price.
6.) Well, you could (if you see Akane as a closet bisexual with a cat-girl/cat-boy fetish, which is, frankly, quite plausible) have Akane take photos of both a completely nude boy Ranma and girl Ranma (specifically in accidental erotically-revealing positions or 'poses', maybe even catching Ranma masturbating in both forms), transfer the pics to a school computer for covert printing out, and coincidentally printing out the picture perfect photo copies all across campus, while somehow avoiding discovery by a faculty or staff member.
7.) And as for Ranma: take 2 I feel the best thing would be for Akane to start giving out info on Ranma to the highest bidder. Making his life a living hell sort to speak. But in the end go with what you feel best, that goes with who you think should get with Ranma as well. Because if you have doubts about what you're writing it will not be as good as it could be.
8.) Ranma: Take 2 idea. Akane sets up a duel for Ranma with some martial artist and has Nabiki's underlings bet on Ranma not to show. Telling them that it's Nabiki's orders. Ranma is far more sensitive about losing a fight then showing a little skin.
So, what idea sounds the best, as well as any new ideas? So far, I like #4. I would like the conflict to start on the next chapter, so people, let me know!