How could Akari say that? She didn't know the pain that Shampoo caused Akane, the way she bullied her, teased her, and even try to kill her.
She's coming back tonight. Shampoo and her great grandmother are coming back to pick you up, and they're going to take you back to China. Ryoga please, I know how hard this is for you, and don't think for a moment that I won't miss you too, and I don't like it that we may never see each other again, but I don't want to impose on you.
Impose. How could she ever say she was imposing on him? She was the one girl other than Akane that had ever been nice to him, the only one who ever was a hint of light in this dark world, and she thought that she was imposing on him.
Goodbye, Ryoga. It was wonderful for me.
She said that, in tears as she hid herself behind the door. She left, only telling him that it was wonderful for her. What about him? Did she not think it was wonderful for him, too? If it she liked it so much, why did she have to go and throw it away?
The answer was simple. Ranma did one of the stupidest things he possibly could when he went to China, he challenged and defeated Shampoo who had become his worst nightmare, more than Ryoga himself could ever hope to be. Now, he foolishly did the same thing as well, and ultimately lost everything that he could hope for. Just that morning he was thinking of whether or not he would go back to school while staying with her, and now he was told that he would probably never see her again. He had nothing to do now besides possibly get revenge. He made an inward vow since Jusendo that even if it didn't work out with Akari, he would gladly allow her to marry Ranma if that was what she wanted.
But what could he do? He knew it was unlikely for him to go to Nerinma before they left for China, at least with his family "hand me down" it was. Even if he did, what was he wanting to do? Beat Shampoo up for what she did? No way, he already felt the guilt of beating up a girl under his belt, and he did not want it to happen again.
Lost in his thought, Ryoga was completely oblivious to the loud thump that sounded as a ten-foot tall beast fell hard from the sky. He simply stared dumbly at the trees in front of him, unaware of the furious Montour figure growling viciously at him while pushing itself up from lying on the ground. Unable to be gain the other's attention through its animalistic snarls, the creature walked closer to him, extending its snake like tentacles from behind its back. Close enough to do so finally, the monster slapped the source of his anger, who found himself tossed to a tree.
Taken aback from suddenly being pushed harshly, Ryoga looked behind him as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees, an unsettling look of apathy on his face. He turned over to the fearsome form in front of him while a humorless; ice-cold smile smirked across his face. "Let me guess, you've probably had a bad day. And I guess you came around here to get Happosai to change your name, and I guess when you saw me down here you decided to take it out on me, right?" Fluorescent red flares began to flicker from Ryoga's body as the coldly stared up to the monster. "Fine then. If you want to fight me, go ahead. But I must tell you though, you kill me and you only do so to someone who has nothing more to loose."
The comment only made Taro increasingly more infuriated by the other's comment. This fool just carelessly shot him down, and had the nerve to act that way. Very well, he thought to himself as what could be called evil grin appeared on the beast's face. Nothing more to loose? Then maybe it wouldn't be really hurting anyone if he finished him off.
Still, I was expecting the little piggy to put up more of a fight…Grabbing the stoic, unresisting individual by the head, Taro looked down to the still hopeless and submissive look on the other's face, not taking notice of the flames beginning to creep around his body. His only warning was the sudden change in Ryoga's expression, the uninhibited and rage filled glare. "Keep in mind, Pantyhose Taro," the Lost Boy whispered, making sure to say the last name as bitterly as possible, "that yes, whether I die or not, I don't care." And soon, his face hardened even more, showing anger that even Taro himself didn't think that he would have been able to muster as his voice progressively became louder. "I just want to warn you though, that it might not be as easy as you think to do so. Not with all of THESE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS!!"
And with that, the last thing Pantyhose Taro was able to remember was being surrounded by a blinding red light, only for it to fade just as quickly to black.
"It was completely uncalled for."
Happosai sat next to his apprentice who was currently lamenting over the events of the day. They decided to take a small walk in the park, telling Kasumi beforehand that they may take some time to get back.
"Now, now, Qin," Happosai sighed as he exhaled the smoke from his pipe. "I will agree, Ukyo Kuonji's behavior was quite out of line, but the point is not so much to punish her but simply to make sure that she is not a threat to Akane."
"If you say so," Qin scoffed as he sipped the drink Happosai bought for him. "Nevertheless, if that was the case don't you find it rather extreme to cripple her? That is a punishment given to tribesman whose crimes are so abominable that death itself is considered too good for them."
"Well, truth be told that I wouldn't have gone quite that far had Mrs. Saotome not request me to," Happosai stated in a "matter of fact" manner after he cleared his throat.
"She did?" Qin asked, as his eyebrows were risen in interest. "She seemed like a gentle enough person to me. I don't understand why she would have resorted to such a cruel form of punishment."
"Qin, m'boy, you live in an entirely different culture. To many people strength isn't everything." The increasingly serious face on the master was not needed to get his student's attention, as his face as already turned towards his from the frontward view from the bench. "You see, Mrs. Saotome actually did not want me to do this as a punishment, but in order to help her."
"I don't see how taking someone's strength is supposed to…"
"Like I said, you live in an entirely different culture where the well being of one who is unable to fight is worth less than dirt. While you went home with the Tendo's Mrs. Saotome had a very important talk with both me and Ukyo Kuonji."
As the rest of the crowd left, Nodoka sat alone with the two people she had over. Oddly, despite the previous actions the younger female had done, the look she received by the older one was not one of anger, but what looked more like motherly concern.
"Little girl," Happosai nagged the teenager in the way one would to their own child, not entirely harsh but still upset. "I am very disappointed in your behavior today. You should know by now that Akane is not trying to force anything on Ranma. The feelings are mutual."
"Like you know all about mutual relations," Ukyo snapped angrily. "Don't tell me you think it's mutual when you go around stealing women's underwear or grabbing their chests!"
"But… Ukyo. I'm trying to help you. Don't you believe me?"
"Well, yeah," Ukyo smirked as she whacked her spatula on the old man sitting next to her. "Considering the fact that you don't like helping anyone unless you get something out of it, and last night I stopped another one of your nasty little panty raids so I sort of doubt that you're really trying to help me."
"I'm so disappointed in you," Happosai cried as he leaped onto Ukyo's lap in order to give her the closest thing he could to a bear hug, making sure to lunge his face into her breasts. "I can't believe how no one ever trusts that I'm doing what I do with good intentions. It's all because of my no good students, spreading rumors about what a horrible master I am."
Screaming in rage, Ukyo frantically tried to slap the old man off of her, eventually resorting to picking at him with two of her mini spatulas. "Get off of me you sick freak!"
"Ukyo, that's enough," the voice of Mrs. Saotome softly reprimanded the girl. "Please, dear Ukyo. You need to learn to be less of a tomboy. If you don't mind, I need to have a talk with Happosai alone. You don't mind, do you?"
Ukyo knew that she had no choice but to politely do so, well aware of the power that her beloved's mother had over her. Sighing in defeat, she stood up. "Sure." Walking away, she heard the other's voice call for her.
"If you don't mind, please sit on the other side in front of those trees," Nodoka asked of the girl as she pointed to the wooded area on the other side of the forest behind Happosai. "You don't mind, do you? I just feel that that's the best place for you to be so that I can talk with Grandfather Happosai alone and still make sure you don't run away."
"I won't run away," Ukyo claimed, meekly looking down as she walked away. Nodoka couldn't help but to notice the sad look of guilt the girl had on her face as she walked towards the designated spot.
The two adults watched the girl walk away, making sure not to talk until she was too far away to hear them. Despite the confusion as to why the Saotome matriarch wanted to speak to him alone, Happosai did his best to stay pleasant with her.
"That poor girl has become such a tomboy," she murmured, barely loud enough for Happosai to hear her. From the tone of her voice and the forlorn expression on her face, it was obvious that she was feeling nothing but guilt and pity. "It was only a few days ago that I truly heard about what happened to her, but it's only until now that I see the damage that our family has done to her."
"Well," Happosai shrugged, for once being as serious as he could. "I myself don't know the entire story, but I am aware that Genma has supposedly caused a lot of trouble for Miss Kuonji. Then again, given who we're talking about I can't say that I'm entirely surprised." Noticing that Nodoka was not responding, Happosai realized how inappropriate such a comment was. "Sorry."
"I need to ask you a favor, Grandfather Happosai, but I know that it may be something that you don't want on your conscience."
"Yes?" Happosai shook his head. "Go on."
"Is it true that you were able to use a pressure point to take away my son's strength?"
Happosai lowered his bottom lip halfway to his neck, trying to contemplate what he should say. He understood exactly what she was telling him to do. Finally, he narrowed his eyes as he responded. "You are correct in assuming that it is not something I was wanting to do. That technique is only to be used on someone who proves to be a major threat to many innocent people. I hope that you wouldn't see Ukyo here as that much of a danger to Akane."
"It's not because of the danger she is to others, but the danger she is to herself." Nodoka tried to smile at the far away sight of the person she was talking about, but it was hardly enough to hide the despair she was feeling. "It's because of our mistakes that she has become like this, that she has such a low opinion of her feminine traits. Because of the dishonor we've brought upon her she has thrown away everything that makes her a woman."
Happosai nodded as he understood what he was being told. "I see. And by taking away her strength…"
"…And ability to cause violence, I am doing the first step to making her a woman among women. I have heard from the principal of my son's high school that his son has interest in her, and has unfortunately had difficulties in wooing her. I feel that should she be put in a situation where she is forced to be under this Kuno boy's care, and lacks the ability to cause violence, she will slowly learn to appreciate the love that I am sure he wants to give to her."
"To use the Ultimate Strength Zapping Moxibustion to help a person…" Happosai grimly murmured. "I never thought such a thing is possible."
"I don't want to make you feel pressured into doing something that is against your code of honor," Nodoka reassured the old man. "If you insist against doing this, I will not force it."
"But she said you did not have to do it, correct?" Qin asked in confusion. "If that is the case, you don't have the excuse that you didn't want to do it."
"I'm not saying that I was forced into it, so much as I agreed that it was the right thing." Clearing his throat, Happosai continued to attempt to explain the situation to the culturally perturbed youngling. "I have lived near the tribes of the Qinghai region for many years, and I have lived in the area of Tokyo perhaps even for more. In the years that I have lived in both places I have become all too aware that both are entirely different worlds."
Qin nodded his head, his attention completely given to his master. "Go on."
"Martial artists of considerable skill are almost unheard of here. So much, in fact, that the mere fact that this town has any considerably skilled fighters in itself has led it to become the source of many less than pleasant rumors." Unsure that he made his point clear, Happosai thought of another point. "Ranma Saotome is considered the strongest of the martial artists here, but believe it or not this has actually done far more to hurt his reputation than to help it."
"I find that most unbelievable." Rolling his eyes with a defiant smirk, Qin clearly was unable to understand the message his master was trying to bring across. "If he's so much stronger and they treat him so poorly all he has to do is revolt, and put them under his control."
"You just don't get it, do you?" Happosai sighed in defeat. "Can we just accept the fact that I have done that in order to help Ukyo and leave it at that?"
"Very well," Qin darkly sighed. "Despite the fact that I have absolutely no idea how it is supposed to help her, or why you would have wanted to help her despite her completely inappropriate behavior towards both you and Akane Tendo, I shall accept the fact that completely destroying her ability to defend herself using what is among the most cruel methods of punishments in my village is helping her."
Nodding his head with much enthusiasm, Happosai took pride in his student's revelation, completely ignoring the harsh sarcasm of the words. "I'm happy you understand. Oh, and one last thing." Putting a hand in his pockets, the master pulled out a familiar silky piece. "Seeing as to how you are my new student, I have decided that it is time I gave you a celebratory gift."
Qin stared dumbfounded at the panties that his master had placed in front of his face, his disgust taking over his want to obey his master. "I have no use for women's underwear."
"It's Kasumi's."
Upon hearing this fact from the old man, Qin leaned his head away and held his open hand upward to receive the gift. "Only because my master told me to."
"I'm so happy I have such a wonderful disciple," Happosai laughed as he placed the undergarment in Qin's hand. "Oh, happy day!"
Ranma couldn't understand it anymore. He could deal with finding himself suddenly waking up and finding himself in the hospital. After all, that was the day-to-day life of a fighter. He could even deal with the fact that when he did so, his skin did not look all that much different than a lobster's, and for almost an hour felt pain not too different from how floating in a furnace would feel like, and he was able to just barely able to stomach the newfound fact that Mousse defeated him. It was good that he was at least slowly starting to get over Shampoo, which would hopefully result in fewer problems for many people. As he walked back home, he merrily thought over the possibility of Uchan and Mousse starting to get along better. Not that the birdbrain was the ideal man he had in mind for his good friend, but if it made her happy he wouldn't have any arguments about it.
But no, he couldn't have even that line of hope to make his day better. When he came back home, he was greeted by Kasumi who stood directly in the doorway, asking for him to sit down with her in the kitchen. He knew from the slight grimace on her face that the conversation was going to be as unpleasant as one with her could possibly be. He followed her, the long uncomfortable seconds it took to walk to her designated meeting place forcing him to guess what happened that could turn even Kasumi so crossed. As she finally reached the kitchen table, she kneeled at one side of the table.
"Ranma, please sit down," Kasumi asked of the guest she had with her. "We need to talk, and I'm worried that it may not be easy for you."
"Yeah, sure Kasumi," Ranma claimed as he lowered his legs on the other side of the table. "What is it?"
Her eyebrows and frown lowered, showing a frown that was ever rare on the peaceful matriarch of the Saotomes. Actually, Ranma thought to himself, she was looking like almost anyone else he knew when they were angry. Whatever this was, he knew it was really serious. "It's about Ukyo."
"What about Uchan? Something happen to her?" Ranma asked with confusion, but still giving a friendly smile.
"She attacked Akane after the match that you had with Mousse," Kasumi claimed in her usual gentle tone. "I don't know the facts, but I heard from Qin that Ukyo was very angry when she heard that you and Akane kissed last night, and lashed out on her."
Ranma pushed his hands onto the table, flabbergasted by the accusation. "What the… c'mon, Kasumi. You can't believe Ukyo would go and do that! Qin's lying and you know it!"
"I'm sorry Ranma, but I saw it with my own two eyes. And I also saw her beat up both your and my fathers at your mother's apartment before she tried to strangle Nabiki while both Qin and Grandfather Happosai were gone."
Ranma was unable to keep a strait face from what he was hearing, and laughed. Kasumi was clearly trying to joke with him, trying to see how bad he was hit in the fight. Ukyo? She wasn't always aware that she was nice, but he knew there was no way she would ever do any of the things Kasumi was saying she did. "Ah, geez Kasumi. You sure got me there for a second."
"I don't think it's very funny," Kasumi responded in a sterner voice than previously.
Noticing that her expression hadn't changed, Ranma slid his hands down back to the floor, his giddy smile plastered on his face. Despite the happy expression on his face, he was currently thinking over what Kasumi had just said. She wasn't lying? Then his friend really did do all those things?
Allowing the guest to think over what she just said, Kasumi began blowing on a cup of tea she had next to her. After about a minute, she continued to speak. "Ranma, I noticed lately that the other girls you're around have been acting very hostile towards Akane, sometimes in fact even threatening her life, but after the completely inexcusable way that Ukyo has behaved today I decided that I needed to draw the line."
"Kasumi, look," Ranma shrugged as he leaned back, looking down remorsefully. "If you want me to talk to her, then…"
"Actually Ranma, as I was about to tell you I want you to stay away from her. Your mother actually had a talk with Ukyo this afternoon, and she has cancelled her engagement towards you."
Perking back in surprise, Ranma looked back in Kasumi's eyes. "My mother did what?!"
"She and Ukyo's father have agreed that the engagement between you and Ukyo has caused her far too much stress, and decided it would be better for both you and her if she wasn't engaged to you anymore."
Despite staying calm, Ranma could not help but to feel great anger from how his mother went over her head like that. Still, he couldn't help but to hope that at least that gave her the freedom to do something with her life.
"Your mother and Principal Kuno have both agreed to engage her to Kuno since he seems to have feelings for her, but she was worried about Kuno's safety."
Only more shocked that his mother would consider doing all this behind his back, and slightly offended by the comment of "Kuno's safety", he asked the question that would at least be a silver lining. "So I guess she's not going to marry Kuno then?"
"She has asked Grandfather Happosai to use that Strength Zapping Technique he used on you."
"The freak did that to her?"
"But your mother told me that he didn't want to at first, so please don't be angry with him," Kasumi asked while reverting to her apologetic tone. "I hope that she'll be nice to him."
He couldn't say anything, despite the fact that the last thing he wanted to do was to silently accept what he was told was happening.
This is Kasumi. She doesn't deserve to be talked to like that.
"You're Akane's fiancée, Ranma," Kasumi stated in a harsher tone. "I want you to comfort her. Please don't make it seem like I blame you, but it just seems that these people you have brought with you have caused her a lot of trouble. And well, I just think that as her fiancée and a guest here, you really should apologize for any trouble that you caused her."
"Huh?" Ranma was perplexed by the statement made. Was Kasumi blaming him for Ukyo attacking Akane? "Sure." Once again, he told himself, it was Kasumi. If he said one nasty thing to her everyone would make sure that he'd never see the light of day again. "Sure."
"Now please go and apologize to Akane," Kasumi sighed as her attention seemed to be given to the cup of tea now held in her hands. "Honestly, Ranma. You're a guest here, and I don't appreciate the way you endanger my sisters by stringing those other girls around. I know that they might be stubborn at first but you need to find a way to get them to leave you alone so they will stop attacking my Akane." As her face softened to the normal Kasumi Buddha smile she had, she looked back to the other. "I'm sorry, I'm just very worried about what they might do to my sisters. But for now if you don't mind I just want you to comfort Akane."
"That jerk."
Ever since she came back home from the ordeal before, Akane had sat in her room repeating that line, as well as any other insulting lines she could think of for her fiancée. Didn't he say he was in love with her now, and that he couldn't stand the idea of loosing her? If he cared so much for her, then why did he cause her all of the trouble today? He wasn't in the least bit suspicious of the fact that Mousse and Qin were teaming up with each other?
Of course he didn't. He was too busy lauding his super ego, once again making sure to insult Mousse and thinking about how easy he was. He even knew that he was being trained by Qin, who she found herself trusting less every day, and she certainly didn't trust him after the way he turned Ukyo against her.
And it all would have been stopped if you just thought with your brain rather than your stupid so-called pride, you jerk.
"Dummy." After muttering her next insult towards her unavailable source of frustration, Akane again attempted to take her mind off her distress using homework. "You just had to get yourself stuck in the hospital again." A few seconds after she picked up her pencil, she heard a knock on the door.
Leaping out of her desk chair reflexively, Akane turned her head back to the door. "Come in."
As the door opened, Akane's expression began to grimace into a cross between disgust and humor. "Ranma, you really are pathetic. How could you just let Mousse beat you like that?"
"Hey", Ranma complained as he turned his head away in defiance. "You know, that's not something you say to someone when they come over and apologize to you. Man, you're uncute. Sides, didn't you see that stuff that jerk Qin gave him?"
"Yes, in fact I did," Akane snorted at him. "I was aware of what he gave him before the match. I think you should have noticed too, Ranma! That way we wouldn't have been in this little predicament!"
"Really funny, Akane!" Ranma smirked as he rolled his eyes. "Qin told me all about what he was feeding duck boy."
"You did?" Akane's eyes widened in shock. "Wait a minute, Ranma. Are you telling me that you knew that Qin gave Mousse something like that?" Smacking her head in disbelief, Akane tried to calm herself. "Then why did you accept the challenge if you knew he was going to do something like that?"
"Akane, in case you weren't aware I fought against Mousse before when he was using those stupid glasses that babies use to defend themselves. Y'know why? Because Ranma Saotome does not back away from fights, that's why."
A dark chuckle came from Akane's lips, a warning that "Umm hmm… Because you don't back away from fights." She continued nodding her head up and down slowly, causing Ranma to watch as he was hypnotically induced by the movement. She just bobbed her head up and down, her black hair flowing away from her face. But soon, her expression hardened as her lips pursed out and her eyebrows shoved down as hard as they possibly could. "So what you're saying," she whispered the first two words, the last slightly louder. "What you're saying, is that I had to watch all that, while hearing you go on about getting pregnant, as a guy, a GUY, then I had to put up with Ukyo trying to kill me because Qin made her think that I seduced you…" Slamming her fist onto her desk, Akane accidentally landed it on a pencil and shattered it. "All that crap happened because you don't back away from fights!"
It was obvious to Ranma that he said something he shouldn't have. He scratched his head as he sighed, trying to think of a better way to say what he was intending. "Akane, look. I'm sorry about all this."
"Sorry? Sorry?! A little late for that, don't you think. It seems like ever since that fight everything has just gone to hell! Heck, ever since Qin came here life in general for everyone has just gotten weirder." Akane breathed as she laid her hand on her fist, trying to think of how she could talk without making a fool out of herself like always. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be like this. But I just can't take this anymore. I mean, I felt so happy after we got back from China, I really thought that everything was going to be better."
"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Ranma shrugged as he inwardly agreed with Akane. "Look, I'm sorry about everything that happened. I keep hearing about what's happened to Ukyo and Mousse, and the more I hear about that I don't like it, but one thing I will never do is turn away from a fight. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."
"You and your ego," Akane chuckled darkly, then allowing a silence to take over as they both stared at each other. They continued to do so, each catching a glimpse of the person that caused them so much trouble. "So, I guess Ukyo and Shampoo are dealt with now. And Kodachi, I don't know how but somehow she's gotten over you. So that means maybe if we have another wedding…"
She was stopped as Ranma made a snide look at her. "I wouldn't talk too much about that if I were you. Unless you want our pops coming in here and knocking us both unconscious and dressing us up for the ceremony again. Besides, no they probably would still come and do that again, cause there ain't no way Ryoga or Kuno would get me off their minds."
"You really do have an ego," Akane laughed to herself as she rolled her eyes.
Pain was all Ryoga could feel. The poisonous electric pulses flowed smoothly all around his body, spasming as his heart pumped another load of it through him. His head pounded the most, the same loud high-pitched sound repeating constantly. The only saving grace was the simple fact that at least it did so with no real pattern, which somehow made the noise only slightly less irritating.
Pain. I never have been able to avoid it. Misery is a form of it I saw on a regular basis, not that this physical version of it was unheard of to me.
He opened his eyes, only to reflexively close snap them closed from the bright light. However, he at least got enough of an image of the world outside his eyelid to figure something out. It was morning.
Odd, the last thing he remembered he was that he was preparing some dinner before sundown, and fretting over the past events of the day while opening his eyes again to find them in less pain. The day started out a lot better than many others of course, what with his sweet Akari sleeping next to him. It wasn't until that other girl and that old mummy of hers showed up that everything was ruined.
Shampoo just forced herself on him, hugging and kissing him from out of the blue, ruining the promise he made to Akari that they would never kiss anyone else until they married. All that patience he mustered up to keep that promise, and that Amazon ruined everything. Not to mention that he couldn't help but to feel guilt over the last part, he enjoyed it, and he did it right in front of Akari as she drove by.
It was no wonder why Akari left him that night. Even if she did so in the most kind-hearted way she possibly could, which he expected her to, he could tell how angry she was at him for breaking that promise. He kept trying to tell her over and over again that the kiss Shampoo gave her meant nothing, that she forced him, but no matter what Akari would have none of that. She was sure that she was no longer the girl for him.
Akari, do you really hate me that much? I knew you were going to since then, and I knew it would hurt this much, but I just kept trying to deny all that until you told me.
He also knew he could not blame Shampoo. She was only following her customs; he defeated her so she had to marry him. He only had himself to blame, and maybe Ranma for leaving it to someone else to teach her a lesson about hurting Akane. He should have known that this would have happened.
And now he was living as he always had before, laying in the middle of a leaf covered hill. Ryoga turned his face back and forth, looking at the land around him. For the first few seconds, it looked like any forest, and figuring out that that chirping noise was actually harmless birds flying by. His tired face transformed into one of confusion as he looked at the numerous trees that were burnt or simply shattered. It became quite obvious to him that something unusual must have happened last night, and he was most likely right in the middle of it.
Then he saw another reason why. As he pushed himself up and looked behind him as he sat up, he gaped in horror as he noticed the unconscious body of a mammoth sized and familiar looking furry creature. He could only stare at the figure in shock as he accepted the fact that he must have met a guest. He just dumbly turned his body around just so he could stare at it without turning his head, then observing it like a tourist looking at a picture in a museum.
"Well," Ryoga muttered to himself unenthusiastically. "I haven't seen you in a while." Standing up and approaching the unconscious beast, he began to notice multiple burns and cuts around its body. Coming uncomfortably close to the creature, Ryoga grimaced in horror as he saw the wounds from the belly.
Even if he didn't particularly like Pantyhose Taro, he felt it would have been the right thing to do to heal him rather than leave him there to die. "But how do I do that?" Ryoga thought out loud as he slapped his head in frustration. "I can't do it for something this big, he needs to be human to do it! I have to boil some water if I'm going to do this!"
After frantically searching around, Ryoga found his backpack hanging on top of a tree limb. In a frantic fury, he punched the trunk and caught the bag as it fell down, then tossed everything out as he searched for his canteen and burner. He finally found the burner, then clicked it open. "Damn! I could have sworn I just got gas for this the other day! Whatever happened last night it must have been broken!" Ryoga hissed as he kept trying to work on it. "What am I supposed to do now?!" he sighed in frustration as he dug through the bag again for his canteen. Finally, he found the aluminum canister after his frantic search as it dropped to the ground. "Well now I can't even turn him back to a human even if I have the water if it's… OW!" Ryoga reflexively brought his hand back just as it touched the canister, which had just scalded the said body part as he tried to do so. The second time he tried to grab it, he had a slightly better time and easily grabbed the object. After all, he thought to himself, he could somehow handle being kicked head strait into a mountain or having a multi-ton ice boulder tossed into his face without a scratch. What was a boiling hot can compared to that?
Tolerating the pain the scalding object caused to his hands, Ryoga twisted the cap on it off to see bubbles of the hot water explode out much like he had just opened a soda. Steam began to flow out from the opened canteen, showing exactly how hot it was. Figuring it was best to wonder exactly caused all this later, and simply happy that he had some hot water conveniently ready for him, Ryoga poured it on the monstrosity, which immediately shrunk into an ever-familiar human form.
But this human was no less difficult to deal with, what with being woken up from scalding hot water. He pushed himself up, screaming furiously from the awakening. As he found himself conscious again, Taro bellowed a painful scream as he pushed his belly off the ground. After rising up in a matter of seconds, Taro snarled as he violently tossed his head back and forth as if to find the person responsible for what happened.
"Oh, sorry about that," Ryoga shyly and laughed as he approached the injured person. "I didn't mean to do that. It's just that… I didn't have any other way to get warm water, and that was all I found, and…" The Lost Boy stopped talking as he noticed Taro's head facing directly towards him, no happier than he was before.
"Big talk from you, little piggy," Taro hissed bitterly. "Considering the fact that you were the one who knocked me out from the air." He landed his fists onto the ground, trying to use them to lift himself. He began to try to stand up, struggling due to the multiple open cuts. "All I was doing was just taking a little trip to the pervert to get my name changed, and all of a sudden I get shot at with some kind of laser beam.
Ryoga's temperament was altered from the annoying nickname he gave him. "Why you… I offer to heal you and this is how you…" However, he calmed down as he realized something. "Wait a minute, what do you mean shot at?"
"You're the one who did it, weren't you?" Taro scowled as he slowly stood up, his legs shaking from his current lack of strength. "Don't you remember anything? Like when you just shot your stupid chi blast in the air!" He tried to raise his voice to a shout, but found it to be nothing but a mere exhaling. As much as he hated to admit it, Taro was in no physical shape to be using intimidation against this person. But it was still a good idea to try, right? "People make me angry when they just shoot crap at me for no good reason. Now give me one good reason not to wipe the living tar out of you… piggy."
"Stop calling me that!" Ryoga growled as the other was testing his temper. "And don't tell me you plan on doing that while you're all beat up!" However, Ryoga stopped in his tracks as he thought over something Taro just told him.
I don't remember a thing about last night. Last thing I know I decided to camp out here in the evening, and then I was so depressed thinking about what happened with Shampoo and Akari…
That was right. I must have gotten so depressed that I just used a Lion Roar Shot, but I don't remember doing that.
"Look," Ryoga sighed in humble embarrassment. "I really don't remember what happened last night, but I won't argue that I didn't do it. I know, it sounds weird, but everything about last night is just a complete blur to me. I probably had no control over what I did at that time. I know none of it probably makes sense, but you have to believe me! I'm really sorry about this. Just please let me heal you."
"Oh please. So basically I'm supposed to believe that you just shot at me and I'm supposed to forgive, forget and just let you heal me. First off, these wounds aren't so bad, and second, even if they were I don't need your help," Taro was clearly lying about the first statement. It seemed like he was shivering as he talked, despite the fact that they were in warm, summer-like weather. "I'd just want to beat the living snot out of the person responsible for giving them to me."
Not that Ryoga blamed Taro for being this way he was, after all he probably would have reacted exactly the same way if someone did that to him, but it didn't make him any less angry. "Listen to me," he scolded the other while still trying to stay calm. "I could have just left you here like that, but that isn't the type of person I am. So whether you like it or not, I'm going to heal you."
"Oh really," Taro taunted the Lost Boy with an intimidating sneer. "Whether I like it or not. If I'm right, that's a threat. Don't you think you're going a little ahead of yourself there? That kind of sounds like you're challenging me. Sure you want to put yourself in harm's way like that?"
"What do you mean by that?" Ryoga pouted, beginning to loose his cool from the cocky remark. He should have known better than to help the Pantyhose jerk. It was obvious he wasn't going to be grateful. "Oh, so let me guess, you think you can beat me despite the fact that you just lost so much blood that you're probably dying, is that it?! Is that what you're saying?!"
"And what exactly makes you think otherwise? In case you didn't know I have beat the living snot out of that cross dresser on a regular basis, quite easily I might add." Pantyhose couldn't help but to notice the slight grimace on the other's face despite him obviously trying to hide it. "So I guess that other conversation I overheard with you and the femboy is true."
"What conversation?" Ryoga huffed, still somehow managing to keep his patience, was nevertheless beginning to truly regret his act of chivalry, and he could tell that the man receiving his good will would make sure he did.
"Back when we were staying at their house? Right before you all screwed me over using that insane suggestion incense on the old man?" Taro's cocky smirk grew as he went on. "I heard you go on and on about how you could never beat him, am I right? About how one day you would beat him and tell that Akane girl how you really feel. It really wasn't anything I wanted to be listening to frankly, and after a while I just ran off 'cause I was sick of hearing it, but I guess it tells me something important about you. You never could take the cross dresser down, which means, hell, I could argue that I could take you on while I'm like this."
"That's none of your business!" Ryoga growled as he clenched his fists, a dog like growl forming in his mouth. "You had no business listening to that!"
"Like I said, after a while of having to hear all that I just upped and left. I'm just saying that if you're really that much of a pushover for the trans-gendered bitch like I heard before, really sure you want to take me on, even if I'm sick?" Taro pointed to his head, menacingly leaning towards Ryoga. "C'mon, little piggy. Come over here so I can knock you out."
"Why you…" Huffing as he lost his cool for good, Ryoga raised his fist as he stared down to his fist, embarrassment and anger flowing through him. "I offer to heal you, I say I'm sorry, and this is how you repay me? By embarrassing me? By making fun of me?!"
Don't hit him. I know you really want to right now and he probably deserves it, but please don't hit him. You don't want a repeat of last time!
"Oh, I'm really scared," Taro chuckled in response. "Why don't you show me what you got rather than standing around and screaming, or are you…" Unfortunately his taunting ended as he suddenly froze in place, then his legs collapsed under him, causing his body to ultimately drop to the ground.
Ryoga sighed as he dropped his fist down, shrugging his shoulders. "So I guess I need to heal him." He looked all around behind him, trying to remember where he put the bandages he had with him. His head continued to circle around the area, hoping the bandages or his bag would come in sight.
Upon finally seeing a zipped white bag with the words "first aid" written on it, Ryoga walked towards it and picked it up.
Aiya! Shampoo expect challenge! All she get is stupid crybaby Lost Boy who never beat Airen!
You never could take the cross dresser down, which means, hell, I could argue that I could take you on while I'm like this.
He didn't know why he was so hurt when he heard those words, Ryoga thought to himself as he walked back to the unconscious Taro while taking the bandages out of the bag. He always told himself that the rivalry he had with Ranma was over, and that he couldn't care less if he never did beat him. But still, it was obvious it didn't hurt any less when someone told it to him. As long as he did his best to take care of Akane, which for the most part he supposed he did, he could outclass him all his life for all he cared.
So why did it hurt so much when people mention it, he asked himself. Why were they able to, just by telling the plain and simple truth, cause him to feel so hurt and sad?
"I always told myself those days were over, that I had gotten over all that," Ryoga murmured to himself while picking up Taro's arm to wrap the bandage around it. "I guess that wasn't the case. Maybe things really are they way that they always were."
It was a good two hours since Ranma left Akane's room, allowing her to continue working on her Literature paper. She had noticed it had become progressively more difficult to keep up with her studies ever since the whole ordeal at the Pheonix Mountain. Ranma somehow never seemed to be all that affected by it, probably partly due to the fact that he was used to it and really didn't care too much about his grades anyways.
It became increasingly difficult to concentrate on her studies as she continued to think over what had happened today. She thought over all of the things that happened during the fight with Mousse and everything that happened with Ukyo. She didn't like what she did, but that didn't mean that she wanted her to suffer the way she did. She was in a way sad for her that she was just flat out told that her engagement with Ranma was off, even it meant she would be out of their hair now. But she was horrified to find out that she lost all her strength and then left defenseless with the likes of Kuno. And Mrs. Saotome just expected her son to just let one of his best friends be taken advantage of.
She was told to just let things go the way they are, that since Kuno was Ukyo's fiancée it would not have been honorable to bother them as they got to know each other better. But Ukyo never chose that. She never chose to be engaged to Furinkan's biggest pervert, the same person who put all of the most sex-starved boys on Akane herself. She never would have chosen to do that to herself. And everyone was just supposed to leave them alone so he could do whatever he wanted with her?
Despite the fact that she couldn't help but to think over all this for the last hour, Akane couldn't help but to keep focused on her work. She couldn't let this event cause her to fail, after all. However, in retaliation this thought kept going through her head over and over, battling a war with the part of her mind that concentrated entirely on the homework. By now, it was killing off the last soldier of the concentration army, and Akane couldn't help but to push herself out of her desk for a break.
She had to get to the bottom of this, Akane thought to herself. She couldn't just let things keep going down this downward spiral, watching as everyone's lives seemed to be getting worse lately. She had to get involved and see what was going on with Qin and Happosai. As she walked out of her room, she walked into the hallway and tried to hear what was going on, and who was there. From what she could tell, her father and Mr. Saotome were still gone, maybe out celebrating one of those "nasty girls" being out of the way, she thought to herself. Kasumi was still here, she could hear boiling water and the calm humming. The area downstairs she knew the dojo was at was emitting loud screams of sparring, so she knew where Ranma was.
Figuring they weren't there right now, Akane walked over to the room she knew was Happosai's. She pushed the door aside, walking past it. The room was actually almost pitch black as she closed the door, causing her to frantically feel the wall as she searched for the light switch. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly she thought considering who's room she was invading, every time she grasped for it on the wall all she could grab onto was silky to the touch, and clearly not a light switch.
No one will see you. That's the whole reason I came in here to do this, right?
Akane opened the door to the room, reveling for a few seconds in the newly acquired albeit dim light. She turned back to her work, making sure not to stand in the way of her light while doing so. As she walked further in the room, she decided to kneel down some as she discovered that every step she made was directly into some hanging undergarments. As she looked into the deeper parts of the room, she noticed that the window was completely blocked by the window. Now wonder why there was no light in here before, Akane thought to herself. Continuing to look in the room, she finally saw an area of the floor that wasn't covered in the "silky darlings", instead some blankets and a backpack beside it.
That was Qin's, Akane thought to herself as she kneeled down to it. She looked over her back to the doorway, unable to see anyone. Nervously, she turned back then unzipped the bag, hoping every second that no one, especially not Qin or Happosai, would see her. Peeking inside of it, she noticed a wide assortment of textbooks. Obviously, Akane thought to herself. Qin always came across as fairly book smart. She picked up one of the books, which was entirely written in Chinese.
She wasn't going to find anything interesting in that part of the bag, Akane decided. She zipped that part closed, but as she did she heard a glass like jiggle in the front. They were most likely those pills that he gave to Mousse today. She opened the front compartment just to see a peek, and then noticed that her assumptions were correct. The marble-like red and green balls that she saw Mousse using today were just stuffed in the bag, no cover or bags to organize them, just red and green marbles filling the bag. Akane dropped her hand into the bag, and then picked up one of the smaller green ones. She lifted it up to her face, noticing the way it reflected the light from the hallway. For some reason, the glow probably part of it, the marble-like sphere allured her like some sort of expensive jewelry.
Mousse was always good. I know I'll never beat him. But without this pill he never stood a chance against Ranma, then when he took it all of a sudden he completely turned the tables. I wonder how I could do with these.
She let out a light giggle as she put it in her pocket then dug her hand in to grab a handful, deciding that later on she just had to try them, just to see the look on Ranma's face once he had to fight. However, that thought was discontinued as her hand felt a curved piece of cold metal under the pills. Releasing the orbs and lifting up the metal ring, Akane stared down in horror as she picked up an ever-familiar bracelet with three blue shaded orbs. Her face contorted into anger as a terrible realization came across to her.
Qin had love pills, just like Happosai had the other day at the beach! "What the hell is he doing with these?!" Akane hissed in a bitter whisper. "I swear I'll kill him if he ever tries to use them on anyone."
Completely forgetting about getting more of the power-up pills, Akane took the bracelet and shoved it inside her pocket as well. What else was he up to, Akane thought to herself. Zipping the front part of the bag closed, Akane opened the other compartment. She noticed a velvet-covered folder inside, some of the covering worn off.
Looking inside the folder, Akane noticed a three-ring binder with papers attached to it. The first page she looked at had what looked like her to be some sort of math, but was clearly a lot higher level than she had ever seen in school. She looked over the pages of material, searching for anything that remotely revealed why Qin really was here. She saw plenty of things that probably would have interested her more if she had any idea of what they were. She saw everything from advanced calculations to what she remembered from biology were some kind of genetic diagrams, but nothing that in any way that told her what he was really there for.
That was until she noticed a folded paper tucked into a side pocket. She picked it up and, relieved that it seemed to be just regular words. Noticing some type of symbol on the side of it, she figured that it possibly could have been some type of letter. However, just as she was about to take it out, she noticed something about it.
It was all in Chinese. She couldn't read a word of it. It was no better than all of the weird stuff in the folder. Akane closed the book then put it back in the bag.
I have to figure out what Qin's up to. After what him and Happosai did today, there was no way I can ever trust him. Just exactly is he doing here?
Of course, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she never heard the footsteps from the hallway, but suddenly noticed some of the light from the hallway being dimmed and a familiar male voice.
"Find anything interesting, Akane?" Akane jolted back to see the gray forms of a teenage male and a two-foot bald man standing in front of the doorway.
When did they get home, Akane thought in her head. She pulled away from the backpack and gave both of the men a shy, embarrassed laugh. "Oh, hi guys."
What kind of weirdo are you?
The voice of a cold, menacing preteen voice called out in the darkness. It had the exact tone to grate onto someone's nerves, a combination of childish poutiness and truly spiteful malice.
I never thought someone could look so ugly just by touching cold water! I want to throw up whenever I see that disgusting thing.
A female voice, equally as immature and cruel in tone, came to
You're that pantyhose pervert, aren't you? You must really like peeping at girls with a name like that! I'm going to tell the elders you peeped on us because I know you're going to.
Ryoga had sat patiently for hours watching the unconscious body on which he had just used all of the bandages and gauze pads he had. He had spent his time since then using any way of forgetting his own grief, reading the spare comic books and eating spare snacks he found in his bag. It was odd, somehow for some reason this morning he actually had a fairly easy time forgetting his grief from yesterday's events. It wasn't like he was completely over it, but for some reason he could actually think of other things. It didn't absolutely overrule him or his thinking. He remembered he tried to read comics and eat snacks last night, but it just didn't do anything to help his mood.
"It's not my fault."
Ryoga looked away from his comic to look over to the sad, almost submissive voice coming from the unconscious individual in his care. He noticed the sad and helpless expression on his face, as well as a single tear falling from his tear.
"The old man… he's the one who did it. Why does everyone hate me for what he did to me?"
Ryoga exhaled as he could feel the pain of the other boy. As much as he always disliked Pantyhose Taro's attitude, it didn't mean that he didn't in some way pity him. He saw firsthand just how much pain he went through because of the old freak, especially when Happosai made sure to rub it in his face, like some vindictive little child.
"It's not my fault. Why is everyone so mad at me?"
That's right, Ryoga though to himself grimly. That was probably why he seemed to take it so lightly when people hated him. Him and Ranma sometimes before joked on their better days together about what a hideous freak Taro's cursed form was, and what a psycho he had to be to actually enjoy having it. But he was essentially born with it, and the name. To be born with both of those, completely against your decision. He was sure the other hated it when he was a child, it was just that he probably got used to it.
Ryoga's attention was brought back to the sleeping body in front of him as he noticed Taro's eyes opening to a slit.
"Hey," Ryoga called out in a friendly tone to catch Taro's attention. "How are you?"
Taro noticed the familiar feeling of gauze pads and tape-like stickiness on his skin, easily figuring out what happened. "I really wasn't expecting you to care for me," he murmured in a hoarse voice. "Why did you…"
"I wasn't going to just leave you here to die or get infected if that's what you were wanting me to do," Ryoga claimed sternly, still slightly angry from the statements Taro made before. "I would never do that to anyone."
"Is that so?" Taro pushed himself up to a sitting position, having an entirely different look on his face that Ryoga thought he never would have seen on this person. It was a melancholy and humble expression, and tired. Of course, it wasn't nearly as surprising as the statement coming from him as he looked back up to the Lost Boy. "Thank you."
Shocked was the only word that could really describe the way Ryoga felt. Was Pantyhose Taro, the same person who kidnapped Akane then almost smashed into her in a cliff to get leverage against Ranma, and refused to apologize for the mess he caused, using the words "thank you"? "You're welcome," Ryoga responded, not knowing any other way to respond. "Hey, want something to eat? I think my burner's dead, so I won't be able to cook any ramen. I have some snacks."
"I suppose," Taro softly responded. "Now that you mention it I am kind of hungry. I think there's a town nearby with a restaurant. I could have flied there but…"
"You're in no shape to move, walking or flying," Ryoga informed the Chinese boy. "If I could have trusted my sense of direction I could have carried you and had you point it out, but I'm…"
"You're not carrying me," Taro abruptly responded, the usual haughtiness of his reappearing. "Just give me some snack. I can go fly and get some real food somewhere later when I'm better."
Ryoga meekly nodded his head as he picked up a candy bar from beside him and tossed it to the other. "Here you go, Taro."
Taro caught the snack tossed to him, then tore off the wrapper. As he ate it, while his stomach did have the most uncomfortable feeling of acid, it did at least fill him somewhat. "What's your name?" he asked the other boy.
"Huh."
"If you have the decency to not call me… that name… then give me your real name so I don't have to keep calling you Piggy," Taro informed the other as a smile began to creep some on his face. "Or do you like being called that?"
"Of course I don't!" Ryoga sneered as the last comment got under his skin, but then calmed back down quickly as he figured out that Taro was probably just joking. "It's Ryoga Hibiki," he sighed as he cooled down.
"Fine then," Taro concluded while his mouth was currently full. "I guess I'll call you Ryoga from now on, since I guess piggy's getting old."
"Yes it is," Ryoga scolded Taro. "So stop rubbing it in my face!"
This was how he acted when he was being nice?! Talking to him is worse than talking to Ranma!
"Whoa, getting a little feisty are we?" Taro giggled from Ryoga's reaction.
"Not to be mean," Ryoga commented as he calmed down, "but you really need to learn how to talk to people without making them mad."
"I wasn't trying to make you mad," Taro informed the other, slightly angered by that comment. "If you want me to do it I can. And I get too high and mighty for healing me, considering the fact that you were the one shooting those Lion Roar Shots at me. I don't know what you were so depressed about but it is your fault all this happened to me."
"I'm sorry," Ryoga sighed. "I really don't remember anything from last night, just that I remember being really mad because I had such a bad day. It's so weird. I don't remember anything."
"Of course you didn't," Taro responded in what almost sounded like concern. "Don't tell me you never learned about what emotion based chi blasts do to your body if you have a strong enough emotion. Your brain is overloaded from the feelings so it shuts down your memory and logic, and turning you into some sort of zombie. That's a lot of why the tribe I came from tended to refrain from using chi blasts for combat. But for you to have gotten to the point that it actually did it, you must have had a pretty harsh day, I'm assuming, right?"
"Well, yeah," Ryoga admitted. "I've seen better days."
"But even if you did cause it, I guess I can't be too mad at you, since you did take care of me," Taro shrugged. "Tell you what, once I get better, I'm planning on going back to your hometown to deal with the freak. I'll give you a ride there if you're interested."
So for the people who have questions on exactly what Qin's intentions are, that's most likely going to be a big part of the next chapter. Plus, to anyone who was worried for Shampoo from the end of chapter 5, no she doesn't die. You'll see later what happens with her.
On a side topic to the people who feel that I've made Ranma too much like he was in the beginning. Sorry, but while I do like him I am tired of seeing practically every fanfiction making him out to be this poor, abused saint. Yes, he is overall a good guy, especially if you compare him to a lot of other characters, but like everyone else he has flaws.
And no, this story isn't so much about Ranma as much as a lot of the other side characters who even by the end seem to have quite a bit more of a ways to go to putting their life in shape.