Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½, Rumiko Takahashi, Kitty, and Viz Media do.
Ranma ½ : Sundered Souls
Of Obstacles and Opponents
Ranma steeled himself and, with a practiced tone began, "We need to talk, Ku Lon." The old woman's smile widened and her eyes narrowed, from the smile or independently, Ranma couldn't tell. "Such an authoritative tone. Come, son-in-law, what do you have to say?" Cologne purred, taking a seat at one of the back tables and motioning for the black-haired boy to do the same.
Ranma followed the old woman's lead and sat down across from her, slinging his pack off of one shoulder to rest against one of the legs of the table. He looked across at her, slate grey eyes meeting weathered emerald, "I have come to discuss the matter of my engagement with Xian Pu." With a wry smirk, Ku Lon responded, "Why Ranma, I believe this is the first time I've heard you pronounce her name correctly. Have you finally decided to cease your other dalliances and come to be with your true wife?"
A purple blur zoomed in from the entryway, delivery bike haphazardly abandoned blocking the entrance as Xian Pu rushed with preternatural speed towards the table. "Is true, Ranma? Ranma make Shampoo too too happy, wo da ai-" Shampoo was cut off halfway through her glomp as Ranma gently, but forcefully planted his hand at the top of her chest, holding her off at arms length. "Shampoo, I'd 'ppreciate it if you would not attempt ta touch me." He stated with a level gaze. The purple haired girl, shocked by the severity of his reaction, quietly backed off. "Thanks," said the black-haired boy, offering a polite smile before turning back to the weathered woman sitting across from him, a dark look beginning to cover her features. "As I was saying," Ranma continued, "I've come to discuss the matter of my engagement with your great-granddaughter. First, I acknowledge that, under your laws, Xian Pu and myself are wed, though the marriage has not been," Ranma gulped, "Consummated. Mu Tsu and I have talked about the rights of men in your tribe, under your laws, and I am invoking one of those rights." The young man stood up, pointing at the aged woman, "Ku Lon of the Joketsuzoku, in light of your higher status and greater skill, I challenge you for the right to your hand in place of Xian Pu!"
~~~.~~~.~~~
Ranma-chan's nose crinkled at the overwhelming smell of cabbage and okra wafting in from the truck's rear window. She glared at Ryoga, who had been the one to open the window, complaining that the cramped condition of the truck's carriage made the interior as muggy as a swamp. Ryoga, in turn, rolled his eyes and shifted to turn away from the small red-haired ball of irritation and gazed out of the window, watching the landscape pass by.
The portly old man driving the truck chuckled, having seen the exchange out of the corner of his eyes. "We ought to be making it to the town proper soon, Ryoga-kun." He said in a jovial rumble, "We'll be staying with my cousin Kimiko and her family."
"Thank you very much for your hospitality, again, Hiro-san. We are indebted to you again for your generosity. Please take care of us."
Ranma-chan snorted at Ryoga's use of formal language. Ryoga sure could be unnecessarily flowery from time to time. Sure, the portly farmer deserved their thanks for picking them up and securing them travel and lodging, but the degree to which her rival was taking his gratitude was bordering on obsequious in her opinion.
The ride continued in relative silence until the produce truck reached the end of a dirt road with a house that glowed with warm light. There were a number of other cars and trucks parked on the side of the road and the sounds of hustle and bustle came from within the house. As the three of them got out of the truck, Hiro motioned for the two young adults to follow him into the house.
Upon entering the genkan, a jubilant cry came up from the living room and a small horde of people stampeded out to greet them.
"Hiro-chan! Why were you so late?"
"Ooh who is this young couple?"
"Ryoga-nii!" Shouted an excited young girl.
"Oh why if it isn't Ryoga-kun, have you finally brought us your girlfriend?"
Ranma-chan looked on with shock and a tinge of anger as she whipped around to Ryoga to ask for an explanation. Had he known these people the whole time? Who was this 'girlfriend' Ryoga claimed to have had? Ranma was surprised to find that not only Ryoga was surprised, but so was the old man Hiro. After a brief explanation, it was revealed that, over the course of his travels, the Ryoga had stayed with the Nakamura family a number of times after he helped them sort out a problem with a wild rampaging boar. The family took rather well to their frequent visitor and had considered him part of the family. Hiro had never met the young man, having in the past been living in a town a few hours north, having recently moved south to be closer to his family to take care of his mother.
The Nakamura family fawned over Ranma-chan, who, despite constant polite attempts, could not shake the notion that she and Ryoga were in a relationship. The older women swarmed around Ranma, giving her life advice and singing the young man's praises. Ranma-chan was at first annoyed, but found that, when she dutifully ignored the advice about her love life, the older women actually had rather useful insights. When she gave in and told them of her desire to continue her family's style martial arts, she didn't get the oft-given condemnation of a woman practicing the Art, they spoke to her about land and rent and prices, strategies for building relationships with her students and keeping a small business afloat. It turned out that most of the woman in the Nakamura clan had a history of holding small, but successful enterprises.
By the end of the night, Ranma's thoughts were awhirl with the logistics of her future and she stopped and realized that, it was something she really hadn't ever had time to think about. There was always a new enemy to defeat, a new technique to learn, and the constant chaos that surrounded her life. Here, tonight, even with the two new challenges that she was currently tackling, she felt strangely detached. In the warmth of the Nakamura home surrounded by friendly faces, her problems weren't gone, but they were somehow suspended. It was a strange feeling, but nice. She thought how Ryoga must feel at home here.
The family insisted on the two guests being afforded the same room and that they both take turns in the furo (Ranma-chan imagined that, after a few weeks on the road, they both had developed quite a scent). As she prepared to wash herself off to step into the furo, she caught a glance at her body in the mirror. She marveled at how, even though it had only been a few weeks, she had gotten used to seeing this body in her reflection again. Having been stuck in it a number of times, she noticed that, after a few days of being stuck, she was no longer had the split second of confusion when she looked in the mirror. The lack of that awareness of 'difference' scared her, to be completely honest to herself. The idea that, if she were ever truly stuck that she might, at some point, just 'get used to it'. Dwelling on her current predicament, she felt that pit open up in her stomach, that aching fear that this might be the last time. That there might not be a way to change back. Before she was able to suppress her emotions, using the 'Soul of Ice' technique. She felt a well of power from her depression. An awareness of the flow of her energy that she had, until this point, had somehow been suppressed. In bemused wonder, she followed her instincts, and focused on her Ki reserves. Tears started streaming down her face as she tapped into her primal depression, feeling acutely aware of all of the things that were upsetting her. The weight of her breasts and how they ached from a lack of support, the willowy aspects of her limbs, her weakness, feeling so far away from the people she cared about, the Tendos, her mother, her father. Akane. She felt ice cold as the sickly green aura surrounded her, then she cried out in pain.
Something was wrong. Something was… off. Her body ached. Her spirit ached. Ignoring the pain, she focused on tapping into the wellspring again. She felt a strong desire for the feeling of power that she had just felt. Wielding her emotions as a weapon and tapping into her Ki reserves which, despite what she would think with her physical conditioning having taken a turn for the worse, felt more powerful than ever now. She still felt the unfamiliar sting as she focused her Ki, but the pain lessened over time and repetition and soon her Ki flowed. It pooled in new locations and felt somehow different in a way that she couldn't describe. She channeled it into her palm and, in a few moments, a small, sickly green and black orb floated in her hand, pulsing with raw power. She took the orb back into herself and looked into the mirror again. She was caked in sweat, and truly needed to wash off now, but there was something that she saw in her eyes and bearing that she would never had admitted that had been lacking from the woman she had seen in the mirror just a few moments before.
Strength and confidence. Taking a long breath, she focused on those emotions and pooled them into her hand and soon, a small golden globe was floating a few centimeters above her outstretched hand. She grinned in a familiarly rakish manner, and set about to the task of washing herself.
~~~.~~~.~~~
Ranma-kun breathed in ragged breaths over the broken form of the old crone, fist poised, ready to end the old woman's life if she made a sudden movement. Normally the young man wouldn't be so ruthless in his assault, but after Ku Lon had plucked out his left eye and threatened the life of his love, the situation had escalated. He uttered in a guttural growl that would have surprised him if he could hear himself, not a question, but a command. "Yield." The old woman slowly turned up her head to him and looked him gravely in the eyes. In them, he saw not only defiance, but a call to a bluff that he was not making. He steeled himself and triggered his muscles to end the old woman's life, hearing Xian Pu cry out in anguish, then everything shifted. He was no longer kneeling over the old woman, he was standing face to face with her. Her hands raised up in a warding gesture.
"Calm yourself, Ranma." She began, "You have won our engagement. Examine your body, notice that your wounds are gone. In truth, they were never inflicted."
Ranma took a moment to look over himself with, to his surprise, two functioning eyes. The wizened woman was right, all of the injuries he had just sustained in his duel with her were absent.
"When our engagement began, I employed a technique used to resolve disputes between two great warriors non-lethally. It takes a great amount of the initiator's Ki, but simulates in an instant, the engagement between the two combatants with no- " her gaze flicked over his left eye, "permanent consequences."
The old woman sighed, and in a tired voice, continued, "I recognize your engagement to me. And out of respect to your intelligence I will not feign ignorance of your next move which will be to dissolve our engagement due to my inability to bear a child."
The old woman smiled playfully. "A risky move, to be sure, Ranma-kun. There are methods of arranging such an event, that, if I had not been injured in a very particular manner I would be able to pursue." Ranma paled as the mirthful crone wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him.
"Be that as it may, I officially recognize an end to your ties of betrothal to the Joketsuzoku tribe. If I may though, I would offer a truce; that we not part as enemies, young warrior, but as comrades in arms. If you have need of us, we shall answer your call and provide you our strength and wisdom. And should we have similar need, you would answer us a similar fashion as you have before." Ku Lon looked at the young man with, for the first time that he could recall, a genuinely friendly smile on her face.
"I accept your terms, Ku Lon." Ranma turned from the old woman to the stunned young woman in the corner, tears brimming in her eyes. "Shampoo," he began, but really he had no words for this moment. He could not apologize for what he had done, for he fully intended for this to be the end of their engagement, and at the moment, an offer of friendship seemed somehow… hollow.
He was about to say "Take care." when Shampoo, in a surprisingly chaste and reserved manner, hugged him. In careful, slow speech, she said "Sha-... I- will go home. I will not stay and cause trouble for you. Viole- Akane had better treat you well, Ranma. You deserve it." She released the, now stunned, young man and headed into the back and up the stairs, obviously holding back tears.
After a brief pause, Ranma turned to Ku Lon, respectfully bowed and left the Nekohanten for the last time.