Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, and Real Bout High School belongs to Reiji Saiga and Sora Inque.
A/N: Here we are, with games sucking my life away, and causing me to fall behind on my writing. Games like Disgaea + Writing Bad habit.
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CHAPTER FOUR Confession
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Ryoko awoke once again, feeling like complete and utter crap. Her entire body was nothing but pain, and considering her higher pain tolerance as a girl, this meant something. A man would probably have been screaming in pain from waking with such wounds. But she was beyond that. She merely whimpered like a kicked dog.
It all hurt, from her face to her legs. Including some rather strange sensations of pain coming from her chest. She felt like junk, and felt worse when she realized she'd lost against her ex-father, a psychopath, and a worthless man. She knew she could take Genma and Soun just fine, but Ryouga had to butt in.
It just proved she had been the only one, in the Tendo crew, who'd had any semblance of honor. Ryouga had none, Genma was a hypocrite, Soun was just a baby, and Akane... Akane was the worst of them all. She was the biggest hypocrite in that house...
But then, a thought struck her. What about Nabiki and Kasumi? Why hadn't they been there? Nabiki wasn't so bad, she did what she had to to support her family, and Kasumi took care of everyone.
There was a rapping on her door.
Trying her best to sit up and making herself look presentable, despite she found she was wearing only her underwear with a large shirt that hung a bit off her shoulders, but somehow stayed on her. Sure, the moving hurt like hell, but she wouldn't be seen so wounded by anyone. The day she couldn't move due to pain, was the day she was dying.
And she was nowhere close to dead today.
"Come in." She replied to a second knock.
And speak of the devil, Kasumi and Nabiki were on the other side of the door, little to Ryoko's surprise.
"Hello... Ran... Ryoko Mitsurugi?"
"That is me. Can I help you?"
"Is it true an Akane Tendo attacked you?"
"Yes, she did. She worked me over pretty good too."
The two sisters were completely shocked at this revelation. Usually, she just hit someone once, then ran off to find them again after having levelled the person, then hospitalized them, with Mallet-sama. To have actually kept them in place to put the hurting on the real Ranma, spoke she was either getting smarter or more sadistic. Maybe both.
"Akane didn't mean..."
"Kasumi, knock it off. You, Nabiki, and I all know Akane is a violent brat."
The sisters were taken aback by this. Was that a slip of the tongue, or did Ranma knowingly let them know who she was?
"Yes, I realize I've revealed myself, but I have no choice... I cannot hide anymore..." Ryoko said, hanging her head. Nabiki could have sworn she saw some tears fall. She was sure she did.
"Ranma..."
"Please, my name's Ryoko now. Please, don't call me Ranma..."
"Why not?"
"Too many bad memories..."
Kasumi was taken aback yet again. Was Ranma's life with them so terrible, that not only did she run away, was the girl before her miserable? And no one had seen it? Least of all her?
"I'm sorry..."
"Kasumi, why are you apologizing?"
"I wasn't there for you when you were with us... I'm so sorry..."
Ryoko felt terrible. She couldn't see the tears, but she was sure Kasumi was crying. She felt it, the emotional roller coaster in the air. The air was thick with Kasumi's emotions, and Ryoko, being far more empathic than before, started to tear up. It wasn't long before her past hit her and sent her willpower tumbling, bringing her down.
She herself started to cry, and Nabiki started feeling horrible. Being so cold as she had, she had caused Ranma no end of trouble. She even broke up his own wedding for the amusement factor alone! Now, she was feeling bad. Not enough to bring her to tears in front of the other girls, but how terrible she felt showed on her face.
Soon, Kasumi and Ryoko began to calm. It took a little while before they sighed. "Nothing like a good cry..." Ryoko stated, with Kasumi nodding in agreement. Ryoko looked over at Nabiki for just a moment, caught the look, and smiled just a little. If even the Ice Queen was feeling bad...
"Ahem. It's not any of you that drove me off, you know..."
"Huh?"
"It was Akane and Ryouga. They beat me unconscious and dumped me outside Daimon. I was taken in by a kind man, who wouldn't allow anything like dishonor or family lineage stop him from helping me. He adopted me into his family."
"But Ryoko..."
"No buts. I have regrets, and they hurt a lot, but what I did was for the best."
"What you did?" Inquired Nabiki.
"I dumped Nyannichuan on myself, locking my curse for good."
Kasumi and Nabiki were a bit surprised at this. The Ranma they knew would never had done such a thing unless forced. They were about to inquire on these thoughts when Ryoko continued.
"No, he didn't force me. He even told me he could adopt me as I was. But I figured, I HAD to form a new life for myself. Sacrifices had to be made. So... I gave my old life up by locking myself for good."
"Isn't that a bit extreme?"
Ryoko allowed a saddened smile to show, before looking up at Nabiki. "You know... It was at first. But the more I just flowed with the ocean, rather than fought against the tide, the more I realized how utterly RIGHT being a girl felt..." Ryoko said, bringing a hand up to the crevice between her breasts. "I changed, not only physically, but mentally, spiritually... and in my heart..."
"In your heart?"
"I had a bit of a fling with a girl named Hitomi at first, but it was never really serious. It was more a date, only it was terrible. Some girls just don't like a girl in love with another girl. I was teased quite a bit at first... But, I started to back off, absorbed myself into some Samurai fantasies, and..."
"And?"
"Before I realized it... I fell in love."
"That's wonderful, Ryoko!" Was Kasumi's enthusiastic response.
"I fell in love with a man."
There was no answer. Of course, Ryoko had been expecting that, since that would mean she was essentially, and would be seen, as a homosexual to those that knew her secret. And if you hadn't been paying attention before, there was a big stink on homosexuality in Japan.
"That was after my change, a long time after, though. Heh, you know, people warned me about this once. If I stayed a girl too long, my brain chemistry would change and I would start acting like a girl. I once asked a guy I thought I liked 'Am I cute?' It... it was like I was... turning into Akane!" Ryoko got out, before hiccuping. She covered her face with her hands, not wanting them to see the tears. Oh god, how she missed everyone... She'd finally been able to settle down, make friends, then the Tendos came into the picture.
Akane, Ryouga, Genma, and Soun... Even Nodoka. None of them could understand the pain they'd been putting her through. All they wanted as their scapegoat back. Their honor and their meal ticket... After all, after having killed a god, Ranma's honor had skyrocketed.
But they failed to understand that Ryoko wanted nothing to do with them.
"Ryoko... Would you like us to leave?"
That got a reaction, as Ryoko shook her head. "No, I... I like having you both here... You two always were the closest I had to friends in Nerima... I guess I just... Never realized it..."
Nabiki smiled a little before sitting on the bed next to Ryoko, the other girl looking at her before Nabiki said the best thing ever. "Kasumi, get over here. This calls for a group hug."
Ryoko was a bit confused. She'd never seen this side of Nabiki before. She was being comforting, yet she was normally stern and careful. Now that she thought about it, Nabiki was a very independent woman. Through thick and thin, she'd always been there.
Ryoko smiled as she hugged both girls.
Though soon, the pleasantries had to end, and Nabiki left, quoting something about seeing to the rest of the family.
"I know what you're thinking, Ryoko-chan."
"Huh?"
"Nabiki has changed. When you left, many things changed. She knew that no matter how much she extorted, she could not fund the search for you. I thought she was giving up, so I asked her something.
'What do you want to do when you get older?' I asked her. Her answer surprised me."
"What did she say?"
"She said, above all else, she wanted to be a mother. To be there for her children, like Mother was for us while she was alive."
"She would make a wonderful mother someday."
"That she would. Funny, since I always thought she wanted to do something in accounting."
"Same here. She'd be a natural."
"Then I ask the same of you, Ryoko. What are you going to be?"
Ryoko was about to naturally say a martial arts sensei, but then she stopped. Being a sensei was something she wanted, but how much? To the exclusion of all else? No, she would not be Genma. She... she wanted...
The same as Nabiki. "I... I want to be a mother too..."
Kasumi merely smiled, before placing a hand on Ryoko's tummy. "Well, be sure to catch that man you like, then." Ryoko's only response was to blush, before looking over towards the door.
Kasumi smiled, she really smiled, then left. Leaving a whisper on the wind, "Keep in touch."
And once again Ryoko was left, left to her thoughts.
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To be continued...
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A/N: Wow, if anyone is keeping track, I just released the rewrite the Lei-Lei, My Life My Love today, and now the next chapter of My Secret. Wow, I'm on a roll today! Anyways, enjoy!
