Disclaimer: I do not, and unfortunately will never own Ranma ½. The story, and characters all belong to a wonderful woman named Rumiko Takahashi. The only thing that I own would have to be myself, and hopefully some part of the plot used for this fan fiction.
...With the amount of fan fiction floating around the Internet these days, I highly doubt it.
By the way, panda-Genma's signs will look like this: (Hey, look! An example!!)
...Are you sure that there's no possibility of me owning Ranma ½?
...No?
Well, damn.
Ranma, to be perfectly honest with himself… Was depressed. He had finally met someone that he could really talk to, who didn't care about his curse. Someone that he could rant at for an extended period of time without it ending in a huge fight, or sarcastic remark.
Someone who wasn't throwing themselves at him, obsessing over him, or secretly attempting to plot his demise.
Ashley had, to sum it up in a few words… Been more of a real friend than anyone he had ever known.
He had only known her for a few hours, and in that short amount of time… He had told her almost everything, even if it wasn't all the way down to the specific details.
He was still confused about how easily it had all come out. Just a few smiles, and he was an open book. He wasn't usually like that. Scratch that, he was NEVER like that. A martial artist should never look for help, they don't need help. They're supposed to be the help.
…He wasn't really that stressed out, was he?
Ranma mentally shoved those thoughts out of his head in a rush. 'Naw, I was just embarrassed. That's all…' He paused for a moment. '…I think.'
After they arrived, and Ashley had offered to help Kasumi in the kitchen, everything had gone so very, very well… Then someone, he couldn't remember who, had suddenly announced that Ashley was a new fiancée.
The fight was a bit of a blur, all he could really remember was her trying her best to make everyone stop. After that she had given Kasumi a hug, left and... He hadn't seen her since.
That was a little over three months ago.
Kasumi was definitely starting to worry. She was still her usual cheerful self during meal times, but he couldn't help but notice how strained her smile seemed lately. Ever since Ashley had left, she seemed to be a little more secluded that usual.
…He had even caught her staring at Akane during mealtimes. It's not that she was glaring at her, Kasumi never glared, but honestly…
She looked like a kicked puppy. A lonely one, to top it off.
Ranma tilted his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face. 'Now that I think of it, does Kasumi ever really have someone to…' He made a slightly grossed out face for a moment, '…Talk about girly stuff to?'
'Lets see… Akane has those two girls at school… Whatever their name's are. …Nabiki…Well, she has all of her lackeys, I guess… What about Kasumi?'
He may not be the smartest guy in the world, but he knew one thing concerning the female species. Something his father had told him years ago on their training journey, during a trip to a local village.
……...
Flashback
……...
Little Ranma looked up at his father in admiration. The older man had started loosing his hair, but he was still in relatively good shape.
A good role model for martial artists everywhere, at least in the little boy's eyes.
Genma was crouched down with him beside an empty stall in the shopping district, a large grin taking up the lower half of his face as he pointed to all of the people surrounding them. "Now boy, today you are going to learn about women."
At the boy's sudden blank look, he scowled and swiftly bopped the top of little Ranma's head, "Listen up boy, this will be very important for you to remember in the future."
Bringing a slightly more strained version of his earlier smile to his face, he continued his little lecture. "Most women like to travel in packs. They usually go everywhere together, washrooms, shopping... Mostly shopping." At the boy's raised eyebrow, Genma's smile turned into a smirk.
"…Now you see that small group over there? Go over and ask…"
……...
End Flasback
……...
Ranma scowled a little at the memory, before shrugging it off.
The more that he thought about it, the clearer it became. 'Does Kasumi really spend so much time looking after her family, that she doesn't even have any friends her own age?' The only people outside of the family that Ranma had ever really seen her talk to was the elderly couple down the street. …Well, that and Doctor Tofu.
Apparently, ever since they had met, the two women would go shopping together, sometimes even twice a week. He could see the small shadow slowly developing in her eyes whenever she came back from grocery shopping.
Ranma had been around Ryoga long enough to know what the beginning stages of depression looked like, and he would be damned if Kasumi ever started acting like Ryoga.
He shuddered as an image of Kasumi with a gigantic depression aura accidentally firing off an attack in his direction, looking very much like Ryoga, flew through his head.
He sighed and flopped down on the roof of the dojo, "Ashley… What the heck happened to you?"
"Hello, Ranma m'boy."
Ranma jumped at the sudden voice, quickly shifting into a defensive stance. He looked around for a second, and then looked down to see Happosai standing in front of him.
He discreetly checked himself over to make sure that the old pervert hadn't somehow shifted his forms and dressed him in lingerie. …Again. Much to his surprise, he was still himself, and his clothing was completely intact.
He glared down at the master of his school, "…Whadda ya want old man?"
"I think that I might've misheard, but… Did you just say 'Ashley'?" The little old man looked up at him with worry showing in the wrinkles of his face.
Ranma looked at the much older man warily, before crouching down to look the man in the eyes. "How do you know her, old man?"
The master's eyebrows drew together, while his small moustache outlined his rather defined frown.
"She's… Well, an acquaintance of mine." At Ranma's frown, he quickly added, "We made a deal. In exchange for her artistic services, I am to… ah, protect her."
The pigtailed martial artist raised an eyebrow, "…'Artistic services'…?"
The old man gave him a cheeky grin before pulling out a few pieces of paper that were safely kept in protective plastic sleeves. He held them out to show the boy, his smile growing bright. "They're beautiful, no?"
Ranma blinked before leaning in closer to examine the sketches. His eyes went wide, staring as a faint blush slowly rose to his cheeks. He jumped away slightly, the blush growing brighter as he stuttered. "I.. ah… S-She.."
Happosai seemed pleased with the effect that the pictures had on his student, "She's wonderful, simply wonderful." With that said, he carefully put the sketches away.
'So THAT's why the old letch hasn't been on as many panty raids lately…' Ranma shook his head and took a deep breath before slowly releasing it.
He stopped suddenly, "Wait… What exactly were you protecting her from…?" He couldn't help but feel a small sense of dread in the very pit of his stomach.
"Hmm? Oh, you know… Mugging, rape, the usual…" The old man's eyes suddenly widened. "Umm… Ranma, my boy… When was the last time you saw her?"
Ranma stared blankly, "…About three months ago…?"
As Happosai practically turned white as a sheet, Ranma picked him up by the front of his shirt. "Where does she live, old man?"
Happosai squirmed out of the deathgrip, landing on the ground and dusting himself off. "To be honest, I don't really know… But I can show you where I usually meet her…"
"So, aren't you worried about her?" Ranma glared.
The older man glared back, "Aren't you? Of course I'm worried, without her I'll have no one to draw my beauties!!"
"…How could it take us this long to remember about her?" Ranma blinked as the words tumbled out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that out loud…
Happosai actually looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess… Time in Nermia just… Flies. Everything goes by so quickly here… I guess we really never have the chance to notice it."
Ranma just shrugged, having nothing to say.
The master just sighed and leapt to the nearest rooftop, "Come on, boy. I'll show you the spot."
About half an hour later, the two martial artists landed perfectly in front of a seemingly random bench in the downtown park. It was almost completely dark, the dim lighting from the shoddy lampposts nearby only served to make the surroundings look dreary.
Ranma made a face, "You wanted her to meet you here?"
The old pervert snorted, "I didn't want to meet her here, in fact… She's the one who suggested the spot."
He rolled his eyes, "Riiiight…" He frowned before examining the bench a little closer. "Hey…"
The older man raised an eyebrow, "What is it, my boy?"
"I think…" Ranma bent down to the ground and fished under the bench for a moment. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a small box of useless waterlogged band-aids. "...This is the bench that I woke up on…"
"You woke up on a bench?"
Ignoring the older man, Ranma glanced towards the bushes behind the bench.
'I remember Ashley looking back here a few times before she finally agreed to leave with me… Maybe…' Letting the thought trail off, Ranma lightly hopped over the bench and started to make his way through the bushes.
Happosai stared after him for a moment, blinking. 'Aw, what the heck.' He then bounced his way after the pigtailed boy.
A few moments later, they came across a tent. Well… What was left of a tent. It looked like a large branch had been struck by lightning and pierced the tent. The plastic covering was completely ripped open, exposing a few… feminine articles of clothing, and a waterlogged sleeping bag.
The two martial artists looked at each other in disbelief, 'She was living alone in a TENT?!'
Happosai cautiously walked over and lifted the tent flap to look inside, "Well, it doesn't look like she's here…"
Ranma crept up behind him, "Maybe… It's not hers?"
The older man shook his head sadly, holding up one of Ashley's bras. "If you know of anyone else with this size, feel free to tell me."
The pigtailed boy quickly yanked it out of his hands, "Don't touch her stuff, you pervert!"
Happosai narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to retaliate. "Why do you get to-…" The words died in his mouth.
Ranma blinked, staring at his seemingly frozen elder. "Eh? Old Letch, what's-…" He looked over his shoulder and nearly jumped in surprise.
A swirling black vortex had appeared behind him, and it was slowly growing larger.
Two hands suddenly seemed to leap out and grab tightly onto the edges of the portal, sharp nails desperately clawing for something to hold onto. After getting as secure of a hold as they could, the hands tensed and a feminine grunt could be faintly heard as someone tried to struggle out of the seemingly endless vortex they were caught in.
A familiar blond head popped into existence, a slight grimace on her face as she pulled her upper body completely out of the black abyss. She straightened and turned her body slightly, carefully easing one of her legs out of the portal.
Before she could completely free her other leg however, the portal disappeared with an audible popping noise. She shrieked and fell the rest of the way to the earth, landing rather painfully on her rump.
She slowly got up and brushed herself off, carefully checking to make sure that she still had all of her limbs attached. She then patted herself down to make sure that everything was in proportion, before finally sighing in relief. "Holy FUCK, I'm never doing that again!"
She fixed her hair a little and adjusted her black shoulder bag before noticing the two stunned males standing in front of her. "Oh shi-… Umm, Hi guys?"
They both stood there, their mouths gaping open and closed like fish. Ranma was the first to regain the use of his vocal cords. "A-Ashley?"
The blond smiled brightly, "The one and only. Now, Ranma… I'm sure that you both have some questions that you want answered." At their slow nod, she continued, "But… Umm… May I ask one first?"
He nodded slowly, "Uh… Sure?"
She coughed lightly, a small smile decorating her face.
"… Why are you holding my bra?"
YES! I'M ALIVE! ALIVE I SAY, ALIIIIIIVVVVEEEE!!!
Holy crap, I can't believe that it's been THREE FREAKING MONTHS since I updated! THREE MONTHS! GAAAAAAAHHHH!!! (shoots self)
I'm so, so very sorry for not updating for so long…
Hopefully someone out there will still read it? O.o
And… I have over 2,000 views?! And 37 reviews!! When the heck did that happen?!
Thank you all so much for enjoying the story, hopefully everyone will enjoy this chapter and review. (Even though I think that I may have gotten a little rusty...)
...Because I like reviews. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
What did you think of it, anyway?
Good?
Bad?
Holy-shit-learn-how-to-freaking-type?
Review and tell me!
Luv,
Shifta Shi-Chan(aka Ashley)
xoxoxo