Chapter 7
- Chinese
The Closings
It had been a hectic few months for him. The experience had changed him. He was still dedicated to martial arts and improved until even he could fight with or without it, but he started to have outside interests also. The first thing was that he wanted to know what happened to him. As he went step by step of what happened during the time with the Neko Ken, he realized that Cologne was right, the Neko Ken was him. The child part of him who became the cat persona. It made perfect sense to him. The playfulness, the curiosity, the interest in other things were those attributes of a child or a cat.
Cologne was also right when he realized why he felt better. That cat part of him merged with him, completing what had started with him all those years ago and bringing him the knowledge and the memories of the Neko Ken when he was under. He now could remember the old woman who helped him before he woke up and hundreds of other bits. In returning to him, he gained the lost part of himself. His physical abilities increased as well as his ki and he used a modified technique that was now use a bigger nastier version of the Neko Ken's chi claws. The best part was he was no longer afraid of cats, in fact, he rather liked them as they sought him out.
True to his word, he still sought to improve himself. Fortunately, the hospital had an excellent library. He began to read all over again, especially about the human body. There were techniques here that he never knew even existed.
Ami Mizuno, Mrs. Mizuno's daugher was a great help study partner to him. He was grateful to Dr. Tofu for helping him out.
He was kind of surprised that the attack didn't phase her at all. To him it was like being in the never ending cycle of fights that made up his life until the incident.
Ami was about eighteen years old intern with short blue/black hair. She vaguely looked liked Akane, but when she opened her mouth the likeness ended. She was well spoken and didn't jump to conclusions. She was lithe like she swan, but he appreciated the fact that she was just as intelligent as Nabiki and NOT after his money.
For some odd reason, even thought he never met her before, he felt queasy towards her. He did liked her a lot. She reminded him of someone he liked very much, like what he had with Ukyou but not like her. Something deeper. Best of all, she seemed to take his curse in stride. But at other times, he felt wary of her at times, which, for the first time in his life, made him want to be close to her and keep a quiet distance from her at the same time.
The feeling was similar to the ones he had on a classmate years ago he was in school. She rejected him because she was from an upperclass family and because she though he was just a dirty little boy. It seemed silly now, but it hurt all the same then. It became funny to the both when he was suddenly splashed more times in that one week studying with her than in all the time he spent in the hospital with the others.
Slowly over the month, he started trying to socialize with her since he was new at it. He sensed more than saw that she seemed extremely introspective for some reason. So he started to tease her and make obvious and deliberate mistakes to just get her to really smile and... it worked, despite herself. That in itself taught him some very fine nuances about what to say and not to say.
By the end of the month, he tasted less of his foot and seen more of her smile. He really started to like her when she would actually give her opinions out loud instead of mumbling it. Debating and redefining their positions in school matters and of life in general.
He surprised her when she found he spoke fluently in more languages than she did even. Although he didn't write them very well, he was improving at an astonishing rate. Even more surprising to her was his knowledge and dedication about martial arts and medicine. Sure the hospital library was extensive, but she thought it would be better if he could use the Internet. She was surprised that he used the Internet so effectively when she introduced it to him. For him, it was another challenge to be the best. He took to computers like a fish to water. He changed from being just a user to a mover in computers as he restarted the Anything Goes Style with the first Anything Goes Programming, the Anything Goes Computer Hacking and so on. For someone so young, he was extremely focused for someone of his age.
More to the point, she liked him. In the beginning, she felt that he was a jerk, but as the month wore on, he seemed to mature each day. It wasn't until she realized that as he was gaining maturity in dealing with life so was she and that maturity gave way to great interest in him.
Flashback
Some time ago, Ami was sitting at her desk at home with a page she looked for at least 30 minutes without actually studying. Her thoughts swirling around a certain pig tailed martial artist.
"Why is he so familiar? Why is he affecting me this way? I had just known him for a couple of months." Ami thought.
Now, it all seemed clear as she remembered him from her previous life in the Moon Kingdom. He was the laughingstock of the Court of the Moon Kingdom as her fianc e was not just called a dandy, but The Fop of the Court, the butt of the jokes and a plain embarrassment to anyone who knew him. At that point she would have done anything to put him out of her misery. She had so much wanted to be with his older brother, Taro, as dashing as he was.
Taro was the figure that she wanted above all else.
That was before he changed... as magic was in his blood.
She shook her head in exasperation.
Unfortunately, she was a Sailor Senshi and with that she knew the dangers of having someone she liked a lot being used against her.
Besides, Sailor Pluto told them that there was a huge disturbance in the Time Stream and couldn't pin point its location, but that was years ago.
After the disappearance of Setsuna, she and Gary got together after they won against the Dark Kingdom, but had to break apart soon afterwards. He kept on having precognition of the end of the world as in the Great Freeze that Setsuna wanted. He couldn't handle that most of humanity had to die for Crystal Tokyo.
She had thought that such a sacrifice was necessary.
End of Flashback
Now she was not the idealistic 14 year old, but now had a more holistic view of the world. She did not like the fact that almost everyone had to die to save humanity.
As time went on, the final tests on Ranma's condition were being conducted. Even Dr. Tofu was amazed how his body healed.
Slowly, but surely, Ranma regained his strength and tentatively walked his first step. There were cheers from the staff as well as from Sammi and Ami.
Ryo was so happy that she jumped onto him, knocking him down.
There was silence until Ranma started laughing and tentatively started standing up again.
It was at the end of the month when Ranma was in the library late into the night that he heard a strange sound. It seemed like it was coming from the back of the library.
As he neared the sound, he realized that no one else was here except him and it make him weary. What came next surprised even him despite the experiences he had in his life.
What he found was that Cream was crying. She was sobbing hard as it looked like she fell asleep near her desk. He went over and gently picked her up and placed her in a more comfortable chair. He sat there thinking about the pillar of the nurses who was crying like a baby. A very old baby.
He stayed with her until he couldn't hold his eyes open. When he next opened them, he saw her looking at him from her chair.
Well, Ranma, it seems from the look on your face that you would like to know what happened yesterday night.
He shrugged, he was learning tact, If you don't want to talk about it, I can understand that...
No, no, I have kept this grief within me for too long, but not now. Later tonight here, where we can talk in private.
Ranma was surprised.
Noting his surprise, she said in a harsh voice, You know of the Chinese Amazaon and their inflexible laws.
A wiry smile came to his face, Yes I do, very well.
Only you, who know them, could fully appreciate what I will tell you. Be her at the same time in tomorrow. and she hopped out of the library on her stick.
Yawning, it was going to be a tiring day as he went to work.
Later, during the day, in the library.
He found that need to sort out his thoughts because of a big surprise came when he went upon his rounds. He received a letter. He smiled. His chinese was getting better and he could read well. It was sent to Satome Ranma from Mu Tse. Ever since the attack, he ran it over in his mind. Kuno did have a sword, but Mu Tse attacked with only blunt objects. Mu Tse had definitely not wanted to kill him.
He then opened the letter. It was on rice paper with clear concise characters. Surprisingly good caligraphy from a near blind person.
Dear Ranma Satome:
It has been a long time since the attack. I am truly sorry for the attack.
That remark raised Ranma's eyebrows.
Khun Lo order me to do it with Kuno. He was still delusional during the attack, but I couldn't see you as an enemy anymore. Too much has happpened.
"What happened?" Ranma thought.
The first is that the Kiss of Marriage that Xian Pu gave is now officially annulled. It can only be reinstated by battling Xian Pu again. I started to train myself to overcome this dratted bad eye sight. It took me many months to become good enough so that my bad eye sight isn't a liability anymore. My passion for Xian Pu didn't die down so much as I looked at my village. Compared to the rest of the world, it was primitive... Quaint in a way. It was then I looked closer at who lived in the village. The warriors were women, but the men did domestic chores. There seemed to be less of them when I arrived. There were many deaths and I now wonder how the Amazons would survive. The next two generations without any changes to the Laws doomed them. Even myself, an Amazon male has the only option of becoming a strong fighter to get a high ranking female to gain even a medicore of respect. It's hard to see realities of adulthood from dream time of childhood. Anyway, I was dismayed that she had found another one to replace you so quickly. It is difficult for me because it's my older brother, Rei Xor.
"Aww...nuts." Ranma thought.
Tensions had built up over the months as I improved in martial arts and coming over with some new techniques. I can fight without my glasses and I don't mistake a post for a person anymore, but it seems old beliefs die hard. People still thought me as weak and then Rei Xor challenged me. I could have refused to fight him because he was my brother and my idol when I was growing up. He lost my respect when he did this because he wanted to beat up a "weaker" person to prove how "strong" he is to Xian Pu. The last straw was that I did beat my brother in a duel over Xian Pu's honour. In that, I fear everybody lost. When he challenged me and I beat him, I lost my big brother, Rei Xor lost my respect and the village and mother lost me when they banished me. I am no longer an Amazon and under strict penalty of death if I ever return. The really worst part was that I even had to leave behind a friend and probably the only friend I had in the village. I am coming over to Japan. I might stay permanently. The village is too restrictive and most people seem to be leaving. I am beginning to understand how you felt when people were doing that to you. How did you stand it for so long without lashing out or cracking? I couldn't do that.
Ranma grimaced at the thought of his former life. He still couldn't believe it.
The ironic part is that most of the people who thought me as pathetic and it protected me from their schemes. Perhaps I was for a while, but I am leaving before they really realize how good I really am. I don't want to get caught up in their schemes. The truly sad part about it is that when they banished me, I felt like I was given a release. The village was never my home. They may have taken my past Amazon life, but Khun Lo had told me the truth about my heritage.
See you later, Ranma.
Mu Tse, formerly of the Amazons of Joketsuzoku/Nyuchezuu.
"Wow." Ranma said.
What was even more surprising was that Mousse showed up later that day.
The nurses and Ryouga thought he was here to give trouble. They didn't believe him when he said he just wanted to talk with Ranma. They were surprised when Ranma did let him throught. They talked for some time and others could see the surprise on Ranma's face. The fact that Ranma was speaking Chinese surprised Mousse. When Ranam came back, he personally gave them the ok for him to stay with him.
"Things are about to get interesting." Ranma thought later that night. He brought Mousse along because he was a part of this sorry situation.
When they talked, Mousse asked for Cream herself. Ranma suspected something that had to do with Cream crying two nights ago. Small pieces were being pulled together and they met with the common denominator of the Chinese Amazons. He told Mousse that he was going to see her soon and that it would probably be better to see her then.
Mousse agreed becasue he wasn't in a hurry. He just wanted to confirm what Cologne had told him.
When the night finally came for Cream to tell her story, Mousse came along. At first, Cream objected, but Ranma insisted because Mousse had a very large role to play and that he was no longer an Amazon.
Cream looked puzzled, but decided that they both were the closest thing to the Amazons as she will get. Mousse was mildly surprised that Ranma understood Chinese. Ranma said he just learned and that Cream could tell it better in Chinese than in Japanese.
She started her story at about two hundred years ago. It was a time of great change that would haunt the descendants of the Amazons later in life.
It was the time when the great epidemics and wars came to an end. The Amazons had finally kept the valley. Healers where as highly regarded as the warriors, but it was to soon change.
In the time of peace, the warriors became the dominant class warring with the healers for status. They were jealous of the number of people who wanted to become both healers and warriors. As time went on, a distinct shift of families aligned them in the warrior's camp and healer's camp.
It came to no one's surprise when the warrior's families secretly gathered support for themselves. They had thought themselves superior to all the other Amazons. There was also no wars that they ever lost, so the services of the healers were less appreciated. It was inevitable that people started to forget how much healers were needed. They were taken for granted as a right and only thought of them when necessary.
When the power shifted, everyone knew it. The challenges that weren't in favour of the warriors families were always bogged down in council. The big blow was that warriors slowly had more status that the healers until they became a true dominant warrior society.
To lead the charge was Tal Cum's family, yet this was their biggest mistake. In their blindness for power in the Amazon villages, they neglected to take into account that the healers were essential to keep the village healthy and that they were also formidable fighters in their own right. They only saw what they wanted to see, a weak bloodline.
The campaign made most of the healer families into warrior ones. This was worse for the Amazons because the Communist had gotten into power and started to attack them in earnest. They took a very heavy toll on Amazons from their hundreds of thousands to just about fifteen thousand.
They had great fighters, but they were hurt and only really had the skills to heal in the old way. The advanced ki techniques were lost as the Amazons dwindled until only Cream's family was the one with the special techniques. Lead poisonings and other dangers of the "modern world" weren't unknown because of bullets and land mines, but they change from healer to warrior status meant that the higher healing arts weren't being taught and many were lost.
Unfortunately, the ways of the Amazons changes very slowly and they were still subjected to the "mistakes" of the Amazons that had gotten most of her family killed until only her and her daughter survived...
It was then that Cream cried and cried until she got a hold of herself. Ranma and Mousse didn'thing because of who she was. They gave her the acknowledgement that she was strong enough to do this.
As she contined, she told them of the rape of her granddaughter, Lo Shun by Tal Cum's brother, Pon Ge, before he died in a Musk raid. The subsequent squabble that it was Lotion's fault. By then, Talcum had a huge influence on the council and could sway the vote any way she wanted.
It was just seven months later when Khun Lo, an ancient ally of Ka Heem's family, had come to her door and told her of the news. Lo Shun was dead in a training 'accident' with Tal Cum and that her child she was carrying for seven months was gone in a mysterious accident.
It made her numb, but suddenly most of the council were set to get her kicked off the council because she had no more family. It was argued and then a disagreement over one hundred and fifty years ago that Ka Heem had stolen the man before Tal Cum could get him came up. Even though it seemed ludicrous, the council voted to then kick her out of the Amazons. To Cream's and Khun Lo's amazement, it succeeded even though Khun Lo was the chairperson.
In their arrogance and their short sighted political gain, they wanted to give her the Xia Fang Ga (memory erasing), but it was Khun Lo told them that she would administered it. She erased the fighting techniques that Ka Heem had, but not the healing techniques. Ka Heem was the sole practitioner of them and no longer an Amazon, so her techniques were her own. More importantly, they weren't fighting techniques that the law specifically forbade in teaching to non Amazons. Ka Heem's family knew all of the Amazon's advanced 'healing' techniques where, in fact, came from her family and the other Amazon families that died. While it was true that it could become a fighting technique, its present form wasn't.
That is when Ka Heem left the village and disappeared into the world, never seen from until she saw Khun Lo. She travelled until she reached Japan and became the Head Nurse in this hospital.
Silence.
"Wow." both Ranma and Mousse thought.
I guess it is my turn. I will fill in some of the holes that you missed. Mousse said to a surprised Cream. It turned out that Tal Cum went with Lo Shun to meet Pun Ge. A small girl named Al Lo followed them because the girl admired Tal Cum. She was an adventurous girl and thought she was too close when all came back to the clearing in the forest. It was then that she suddenly saw her hit Lo Shun with a pressure point and gestured Pun Ge to do the deed. He looked sick and refused but was bullied by her and then threatened to kill Lo Shun painfully if he didn't do it. He did it as gently and quickly as he could. What she heard was even more devastating that turned the carefree child into a withdrawn child. Al Lo waited until they all left when she went back. She knew no one would believe her until she remembered Khun Lo. She told her and Khun Lo was sceptical, but she said she would keep an eye on Tal Cum. Cream's eyes were wide in the realization that Tal Kum planned this all along. The pieces started to fall into place. It was the murder of Lo Shun by Tal Cum and the taking of her baby before she died.
Flashback
The last words that Tal Kum uttered chilled Lo Shun as she died and Al Lo, Look at this boy, he will be under my care and a warrior, even a pitiful one, and not an even more pitiful healer. Your family is no more. Ever since your grand mother took the man I wanted, I had never forgiven her for that...
Lo Shun gasped, But you never wanted him and thought he was weak.. before she died
It doesn't matter if I didn't want him, you healers should have kept in your place to heal people and not interfere in the running of the Council, especially your grandmother, Ka Heem. she snarled to a corpse.
End of Flashback
Mousse continued, Al Lo reported back to Khun Lo and even the Matriarch was surprised by the viciousness of the act for a perceived slight. She tried all she could and did all she could to help Cream, but the Tal Kum was too powerful. Also, she worked in the shadows.
Seven months later, she was gathering herbs with Al Lo when Tal Cum came and ordered Lipstick to get something. Al Lo started to protest (she was given the job of watching and reporting back to Khun Lo), but was sent away. It seemed that Tal Cum forced Lo Shun to go with her to "discuss" things with her. Little did they know that Al Lo followed them and what followed would scar the little girl for the rest of her life and make her withdraw from the very village that she was to protect.
Mousse was crying at that point as he continued, My life wasn't my own. Tal Cum took the Hidden Weapons technique from me, but taught me nothing. She laughed at me and dolted on her real son, Rei Xor, my "brother". He was ...loved. he paused to catch his breath and continued, I was laughed at because of my eye sight and my obsession with Shampoo, but It came to a shock to me to find out from Khun Lo that she suspected my eye sight was damaged because of me going only to seven months than the full term. Tal Cum treated me lower than the lowest man in the village. I was to be laughed at, but she was still a warrior and taught me well in the only technique she allowed me to have.
It wasn't until I came to Nerima that I found what I have been missing. Real friends. When I returned to the village after your injury, I trained with, ironically, Al Lo who knew the secret and despite everything became a sparring partner. Then again after the attack that Kuno, Ryouga and I did to you, she became, I think, a friend. he sighed as he continued, Through all that time, my thoughts turned more and more away from Xian Pu and the village to just getting better. Without the Law of Marriage between you and Xian Pu, the things I had done to you and others in Nerima had come back to me. What was frightening was that Akane maimed you. It was supposed to be a head shot. then he grimaced, I may not see much, but that day I could almost see Akane and that...thing. It wasn't a mallet. If anything, it was a Super Hammer. By all accounts, you should have died.
He sighed and continued, As time went on, the obsession to Xian Pu dulled and that my 'brother' was seeing her also. I had always held him in high regard. At first, I couldn't believe it, but I didn't know what to do. Over time, as my obsession ebbed away, I found that Khun Lo actually helped me out a bit and that, instead of trying to marry Xian Pu, I actually wanted her to myself to be my friend...maybe that was the reason I was so obsessed with her. She was really the first person who stuck up for me.
As he looked out of a window into the darkness, he started again, Xian Pu and Rei Xor were an item, but I believe that it was his insecurity that goaded him into challenging me to "prove" himself to her and everyone else. I beat him, but with that win, I lost. People said I cheated by trickery and it finally dawned on my that I was never a part of the Amazons, but a joke to them. To be laughed at and be superior to, but a threat until I became a real warrior. After I wrote Ranma the letter, I told Khun Lo that I was leaving the Amazons. That was when she told me of what she knew and know I am here, great grand mother.
With that, they both hugged each other in tears. Ranma prudently wheeled away, not looking back, to not spoil the moment.
Ranma still sat there in silence. The dawn light had just come through the window as he went over what he had just heard. The petty squabbles about honour to those who didn't know the meaning of the word.
Ranma was surprised that Cologne resisted. She was like the staunchest of the "by the book" person. Despite his misgivings about her, he had to agree that she was the one you could count on when the chips were down. That brings him back to his current problem and also Cream's offer.
Cream and Mousse actually searched for him. They talked it over and Mousse would legally change his name.
It was then that Mousse started to tell Ranma about the plots against him. He didn't want to get into details since he wasn't an Amazon anymore, but Ranma had to know.
Even though he hated Ranma at the time, he still had respect for him and his duty to honour, begrudgingly. He may have been obsessive, but he wasn't stupid and there were limits to even where he would go. In ice cream shops and at Ranma mother's mansion, Mousse had spied on Shampoo and that was how he stumbled onto their plots. He told of how Nodoka had gotten them all together on many occasions and had formed a kind of group that slowly changed from trying to 'Marry Ranma' to 'Get Ranma Out Of The Way' club. Kasumi was the most vehement of all of them as she seemed to be taking all that Nodoka said as the truth, even though he couldn't believe it. Akane didn't change much because she almost believed him to be pervert already. The major change was her higher temper and disgust. Ukyou, hearing that her family was superior to the Satomes, was now looking down on him, which mirrored the expression on Kodatchi. Strangely, the only hold out was Nabiki until Nodoka moved her with money, but even then she was the least enthusiastic about it.
Shampoo was the one that surprised him the most. She didn't want Ranma. This was when it changed his perspective because he thought she was in love with him. She did it for honour only and it did affect how he viewed Ranma, although he didn't know it at that time. Honour was paramount to her as it was to all Amazons and the 'honour' changed him more than he knew. As much as he admired the Amazon warrior Shampoo had become, a grain of doubt was planted as he didn't see the 'mountain girl' that saved him from the bullies when he was young. Despite his obsession, he started to feel that this Shampoo wasn't the same as this one he fell in love with.
It was then that he heard from Shampoo herself that despite the Kiss of Marriage, she wouldn't have gone through with it as Nodoka said she knew how to solve all of their problems. The 'business ventures', the additional attacks by Ranma's rivals, the increasing violence against Ranma and finally the plan to kill Ranma and keep the money that had come from him from Nodoka and Kasumi, with the full endorsement of the others. That was when his hate for Ranma lessened as it seemed to him that Shampoo would never have married him. When he went over what he knew, it shocked him to find out that his love and his fiancees including Ranma's mother had always been behind a lot of his problems.
As Mousse finished, Cream interjected that honour was for those who could afford it. Despite what everyone else did, they all had their honour now. This left him to muddle over what had happened. He knows that he and Akane are quits and, despite his recent surge in marks, he wasn't all that certain he would make it to university. His future was in doubt. The worst part is that now he had time to think of all of the people in his life, especially his mother.
He did feel that he was giving up if he did change his name, but with resolve he looked closely at his so called life. A martial artist followed the Code. Loyalty, benevolence, bravery, self control and honour above life. The first four he understood, but the fifth made him pause.
What is honour? By all rights, the Matriarch Tal Cum conducted herself honourably while doing horrible things to Cream's family. Almost all the other Matriarchs did nothing to prevent it to keep their power base. They turned a blind eye to her intentions and it was still considered honourable if they didn't acknowledge it or were too weak to oppose it.
As he mulled over these thoughts, he thought about his life and realized that his life was really crappy. Since his near death injuries, he had lost three fiancees, gained many real friends and a motherly head nurse. It suddenly hit him that honour was defined by what culture they lived in, but most importantly who controlled it. As Genma had said, rumours could have destroyed honour, if his friends hadn't come and discredited it, and he alone couldn't have stopped it. His enemies were very strong and really the people who believed it weren't the people he would ever want to know.
The main question was who defined what honour was? It was said that we only borrow our ancestor's names and we must leave it untarnished or redeem it. She was from a very predominant family, but at the same time she went against their wishes when she married Genma. He never did find out if they forgave her, but if they didn't then where was her honour? At the same time, it occurred to him that the Satome honour was an illusion. By the actions of Genma, he had tarnished it beyond belief and it spilled over to him. By society, he was given the task to clean it up and if not him then by his children. The scary part was what if someone deliberately did it to make him clean it up? It was his mother.
He realized that honour was what other though of you. Despite what he would say, his former mother would have more honour because of her position and age. She had manipulated those around her (not that they needed really any persuasion) to set traps and pitfalls that would lead him to destroy his honour without ties back to them preserve theirs. This led him to his other dilemma. His real concern was if he still wanted to be a Satome. Before this incident, he did, but now he wasn't so sure. To abandon one's name was a monumental decision. He would be a ronin, a person without a family. He would be dishonoured because he turned his back on his 'responsibilities' even though many were put there deliberately to try to destroy him.
The additional problem was that, fortunately or unfortunately depending on the circumstances, he had gained a deeper appreciation and feelings for Urd. Ami was a mystery to him because he even as he liked her, there seemed a barrier like when he was friends with Ukyou, a barrier to not get hurt. He may have been clueless, but he still could feel the tension.
The biggest surprise was the looks given by Sammi. He liked her, but she seemed way to young for him. She seemed to appreciate him more than just a friend. They were helping him through his predicament and seem to take his well being as being very important, unlike a certain tomboy, Amazon and okonomiyaki chef and the rest who just added to his problems.
"Ahhh! This can't be happening again!" thought a weary Ranma.
Now, he could also clearly see the crush Sammi had already on him and it didn't bother him. Wow. Before he wouldn't have noticed it or would have panicked. Urd and Ami were different. He felt some bond to them as if a half memory resurfaced. It was so much better if he was still so clueless then he wouldn't have to deal with his raging hormones, but he did and would have to deal with the consequences.
Hee sighed and thought, "Responsibility. So concerned was everybody with honour that they forgot the responsibility that accompanied it. His parents failed him. With Genma, Ranma had to fend for himself and against his stupid promises except for martial arts. His mother wasn't much better. He was never invited to the Satome house, she accepted him only grudgingly admitting that he was the best martial artist she had seen and she never said she loved him or, come to think of it, like him."
He liked Cream. Feisty old bird with a soft heart. She had endured a lot more hardships than anyone else he knows. She had even offered to adopt and get away from that dratted Satome name that has plagued his life for the last two years.
He is grateful. No one had done this before. He will give it some thought.
He had the real respect of the hospital and the patients, a lot more than in his old life. They saw him for who he is and not what people wanted him to turn into. That started him thinking about his life and if someone looked into his mind they would have seen a person more complex than they realized. His mind would categorize them as if he were to do battle with them. This was the way he was taught by Genma, to expect the unexpected. He had assessed them already, but never really thought about it because of the constant attacks and mallots he got before the new person who kidnapped Akane again.
Akane. The name itself had given him more than one day of grief. He never really considered her an enemy, but an egotistical brat that he had started to fall in love with.
With the attack that had changed his life, it had come to him finally that she isn't his fianc e or even a friend anymore, but a stranger. He had hoped in his heart of hearts that things could have worked out, but he was never given a chance. He now understood why. The constant arguing and violence would have only gotten worse if she was his wife when she would have then thought that she was too good for him.
To be fair, she was a pretty girl. Also if what Ryouga had found out about her was true then she was better than the third dan of Tendo Anything Goes Style with a high strength level that only showed. She has a high loyalty to her family and has shown bravery.
On the other hand, she has a code of a martial artist, but... it only extends to anyone who she considered worthy of her attention, mostly female. To them, she is a usually nice and kind person. She does yell at Ukyou and Shampoo, but never uses violence on them. She was always give benefit of doubt to them, but not him.
As an example of what she did to him, she was fully capable of hurting someone permanently. To anyone male that she deems unfit, she was indiscriminately violent. He saves her and her family from Toma, Herb and Saffron then she mallets him after. Even when he threw away cure to save her, she still mallet him later. She was assigning blame to him when he was clearly not at fault.
He would call her the biggest hypocrite of his life, even bigger than his father. She always accused him of being a perverted by having Shampoo or Ukyou glomping him, but then turned around and really found someone else as if that was her right.
The others weren't much better with Kasumi and his mother being the worst of the bunch.
Little did he know that he would make his decision sooner than he thought.
In the hospital, the nurses on duty saw Ranma zooming by and sighed. He had changed so much from that jerk they thought he was to a very handsome young man. Many of them started dreaming about what could be...
On the roof of the hospital sat a dejected goddess.
As she sat on the roof dangling her legs, she began to think about that certain pig tailed martial artist. Despite her sexual overtures, he resisted. She was well aware that he knew what she was doing, but was trying to let her down slowly. She felt somewhat annoyed, but, surprisingly, it intrigued her. With that said, she didn't understand why it annoyed her or why she was attracted so much to him. Something stirred at the very edge of her memory and was just out of her reach, its tantalizing message was maddened her to no end.
Suddenly she felt a surge, it was from the Yggdrasil system. She was the system administrator after all. As ran down stairs to a room with a television, she teleported up to find out the problem.
His mother had just come into the hospital.
Author's notes:
Time for crisis.
I was planning to place Cream leaving in the Cultural Revolution where she and all of her family would be exiled into the hands of the Chinese Army. They would be defenceless because of the memory erasing formula used to take anything Amazon from then including fighting techniques. The men would be tortured and the women raped until they died. Cream would watch until she snapped and overcame the memory erasing technique. She would have killed all the murders and rapists. About a battalion.
She would kill more of solders until a General came and calmed her down. Her family were healers and did heal the Chinese soldiers. He was one of the soldiers they healed. He and his army were ashamed and dishonoured by what those men had done to her family. The General would let her pass with escort to Japan and still be in her debt.