Another Rainy Day in Nerima
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any related characters in any way, shape or form.
Author's Notes: you know, it's really surprising- not just how popular this serial as a whole has been, but also that nobody has complained at all about my usage of characters unique to the anime, even though I originally had a few people saying I should work with the manga instead. I'm truly amazed at how overwhelmingly positive the response was to my last chapter.
The-Jaron: Dunsparce is apparently based on a Japanese cryptid, a snake-creature called a "Tsuchinoko".
Musichowler: you're correct, Happosai was meant to complain that Ling-Ling & Lung-Lung were flat-chested, but that error somehow slipped through.
I've had a few people ask this, so I'll repeat it here. "A Different Route Taken" was deleted due to the fact I had problems with it. A revised version of the initial oneshot format, with reasons for deletion of the serial, can be found in my anthology "Random Tales". I may or may not resurrect the idea as a serial; it depends on things like how popular the other two Ranma/Shampoo serial possibilities turn out to be.
Chapter 18: Mutual Benefits
"You know, it seems like every time a girl gets an edge in this little war they've got going on, she invariably comes out on top a short while later. Are there any timelines where it gives her an opening to exploit, but doesn't guarantee victory?" Ranma asked.
The Eye chimed confidently, images beginning to appear in its glass, of Ranma and Shampoo leaping from the backs of alligators and from tiny islands, standing unusually close together as they did so. It took Ranma a moment to remember this, and then he realized that he was seeing the Zekkyo hot springs obstacle course. At the time, he had only considered the disaster of it to be a perfect waste of a cure- after all, what was the point in giving a ticket to Ryoga, who'd never use it? But, now that he looked back on it, he and Shampoo were working together quite well, neither getting in each other's way, fighting with each other, putting each other off balance, or otherwise hindering themselves in their attempt to reach the finish line. If it hadn't been for Shampoo choosing to fight Ukyo after she and Ryoga caught up and provoked a fight with Mousse, Ranma would never have thought of switching to a different girl in his impatience. He watched as the Eye brought him to that fateful moment as Mousse's dagger zipped between his counterpart and Shampoo's heads. From this position, he was able to see the urge to continue on in order to impress Ranma war with Shampoo's rage at being attacked and desire to prove her superiority over her main rival (in her eyes). Fate wavered on the proverbial coin toss…
Shampoo wanted to hurt that insolent Ukyo, and that stupid Mousse as well, but after a second that felt like an eternity, she managed to push that aside and concentrate on the reality of the situation. She had Ranma, willingly fighting at her side, working with her in a synchronicity that proved (she felt) that they were meant to be, but if she stopped to delay… Ranma could be so impatient when his cure was involved, so the possibility that he would abandon her for the delay rang out in her mind like a bell. No, it would be far better to carry on ahead, to win this, and then rub her victory in the faces of her enemies. With that she and Ranma continued leaping on ahead, bounding effortlessly from alligator to alligator while the sounds of fighting erupted from behind them- Ryoga and Mousse battering and swearing at each other, while Ukyo and Akane shouted at them and tried to stop the fighting.
"Man, glad we didn't get caught up in that mess." Ranma said.
"Ranma say it. This way, we win for sure." Shampoo said, beaming with happiness at the growing conviction that she'd made the right decision.
With their skills, the angry alligator pond quickly fell behind them and the two found themselves passing through a tunnel through some hills, the next obstacle doubtlessly on the other side. Inside, they paused for a second to examine a curious discovery; a basket full of clothes.
"Guess these must be for people who had their gear damaged with those crocs." Ranma put forth.
"Most likely… but something not right about these things…" Shampoo muttered. Curious, she reached out and touched one, then her eyes narrowed and she began picking each item up. "Iron geta? Lead obi? Yukata woven with chains?" She said in disbelief. "What these doing here? Shampoo see similar used in China for strength training… but that no explain why they here in hot springs."
"Probably some kind of trap- I got the feeling these games are rigged. Come on." Ranma said, causing Shampoo to drop the metal clothing back in the basket and turn with him. The tunnel led to daylight, a large patch of sand surrounded by rocky outcroppings and with a wooden platform on the other side. Ranma stopped and squinted, raising a palm to shade his eyes for a better view. "I think this might be the last obstacle; we cross this, and we're home free!"
"Is probably sinking sand." Shampoo replied. "That explain metal clothing back there- make it impossible to get through… hmm… Ranma ever try wall-running?"
Ranma looked confused by the change in subject for a split second, then turned his eyes back to the walls surrounding the sand pit and a cocky grin lit up his face. "Let's do it!"
A moment to bend and flex the necessary muscles, a few deep breaths, and then the two started running as hard and as fast as they could, racing to the wall and transferring their feet from floor to wall in mid stride, depending on sheer speed, momentum and their skills at clinging to the cracks and indentations in the stone to keep them from falling, the world whipping by at an angle most humans would never see as they ran for all their worth.
"We not gonna make it!" Shampoo shouted, feeling her footing beginning to slacken; she wouldn't be able to keep herself running horizontally for much longer, and they were only halfway along the wall.
"Yes, we will!" Ranma enthused, nothing but confidence in his voice. "Jump!" He thundered, and the two sprang forward with all of their strength, just managing to cover enough of the remaining distance that they fell heavily upon the wooden platform, knocking the wind out of themselves. For a few moments they laid there, panting to catch their breath, then they shared almost identical grins.
"What a rush…" Shampoo breathed, the grin never leaving her face.
"Yeah… hey, I think that's the finish line! We're almost there!"
Fresh vigor poured into their veins and they thrust themselves upright, racing towards the promise of a cure even as, behind them, Akane and Ukyo emerged from the tunnel and began racing across the sand trap… only to start sinking.
"This is all well and good…" Ranma-prime began. "But there's no way they're going to win, now is there? Ryoga's got enough dumb luck for two people- I mean, yeah, it does tend to be dumb bad luck, but he also gets dumb good luck. He's going to have a fit of that, get lost, and them stumble out right through the goal from the other side. Right? …What do you mean I'm wrong?!" He asked incredulously.
The Eye promptly showed him the end results of Mousse and Ryoga's battle, which kept going even after the girls gave up on them and teamed up to win the race for themselves. They only stopped fighting when they accidentally fell into the water- it was a good thing for them that this marsh was made from hot water, or they would have doubtlessly met a rather swift and gruesome end. As it was, in the confusion as they battled the alligators, both of them got separated and, in Ryoga's case, swiftly got lost.
"I don't believe it!" Ranma snarled loud enough for Shampoo to hear as they saw the finish line, and then saw it begin to draw further and further away, as if it was retreating from them as two men came into view, "The bastards are trying to tire us out and stop us winning!"
Shampoo grimaced before she saw something on the path that made her smirk evilly, "Not if Shampoo have something to say."
Shampoo kicked up a rock and, with barely a moment of calculation, sent the hard projectile spinning through the air towards the goal. Like a bowler throwing a perfect 7-10 Split, she succeeded in ricocheting the rock off the heads of both men, sending them to the ground and leaving the goal line fluttering enticingly on the wind. With only a glance back at the chaos in the background, the pair nodded to each other and dashed for their lives before the people carrying the goal recovered, though Shampoo kicked another rock seemingly at random while glancing to the side as they were halfway there, smirking in satisfaction at the pained yelp that met her effort before the pair crossed the line and slowed to a stop. Ranma took a deep breath before looking back with a bit of awe in his voice, "Damn...we actually won."
The Zekkyo officials regained consciousness with pained groans, both physical and emotional. As bad as the lumps on their heads were, the fact that they had lost the race and now their entire budget was forfeit was even worse. They shivered as they felt a chill race down their spines, unwillingly turning their heads to see the two winners, no longer tied together, standing over them and looking very menacing indeed.
"Hey there, fellas..." Ranma began, cracking his knuckles.
"We is wanting talk with you..." Shampoo finished.
Ranma-Prime chose that moment to pull out, deciding to skip past whatever legal dealings (and beatings) were required and head right to the spot where his counterpart got ready to board a plane to China.
"Son, I hope you know what you're getting into here."
Ranma shrugged as he packed for the trip to the airport, the first step on his trip to and through China.
"Best chance one of us has to get cured, pops, and I doubt the old crone's gonna have some sorta welcoming committee waiting, since she has to know the kind of fuss you guys'll put up if we don't come straight back. Besides, don't you trust me?"
Genma snorted at the innocent tone in Ranma's voice. "I trust you as far as I can throw you boy, it's the girl I'm more worried about. Watch your back."
Ranma nodded half-heartedly. "Geez, it's like you're expecting Shampoo to put a knife in my back the moment we land in China." Satisfied with his packing, Ranma hefted his pack onto his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it pops, I can take care of myself. Besides, it's only Shampoo and me with the free tickets, and Cologne and Mousse have to run the Nekohanten anyway, so it ain't like there's anyone else tagging along." The two men nodded slowly, not convinced but mollified sufficiently by the explanation as the teen walked out,
The trip to the airport was uneventful, and while Shampoo latched onto him the moment he arrived, she calmed down enough that they could get through customs without too many strange looks.
"Shampoo too-too happy to be going with Airen." Ranma suppressed a groan in his voice as the bluenette latched onto his arm again, drawing stares and many of them jealous ones to the pair.
"I glad you're happy about getting rid of your curse Shampoo, but could you let go for a minute, I need to check where we need to go to board the plane. Thank the kami I don't have to swim to China again." As he extricated his arm from the girl's grip and fished out his boarding pass, Ranma's eyes flicked to a nearby timetable and he checked the time just as the intercom chimed.
"Attention all passengers, Flight JLA Nine-Two-Seven is now boarding at Gate Twelve. Attention all passengers, Flight JLA Nine-Two-Seven is boarding at Gate Twelve."
Ranma's eyes widened, "Crap, that's our flight, we better get a move on!" With that the two teenagers dashed to catch their plane.
Ranma-Prime chose that moment to pull out. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded in decision. "Just show me the best 'bonding moments' those two shared on their trip, would you? I'm more curious about how they found the opportunity to bond on this trip then anything else." The Eye chimed happily and promptly obliged.
Shampoo bit back a sigh and wriggled unhappily in her chair. She had found being mailed to Japan a boring experience, but about the only difference between then and now was that she had a bit more room to stretch out here. Naturally she hadn't hesitated to claim a seat by her beloved and ever-so-stubborn husband, but, though she could barely bring herself to say it, even being able to cuddle up beside him and hold onto his arm in a romantic fashion -the most she could do in this sort of environment- grew kind of boring after three or four hours of doing nothing but that. She was an active girl, used to always being busy, either at work, training, or chasing after Ranma. Sitting still for so long was driving her to distraction. Then again, from the way Ranma was slouching into his free hand, his empty fingers tapping restlessly on the armrest, it looked like she wasn't alone in her boredom. Finally, she thought of something to say- the unfortunate truth of the matter was that her husband wasn't just shy about returning her affections; he was very shy about so much as talking to her. She hardly knew anything about him. She even had her suspicions that Akane Tendo didn't know all that much more then she did either. This would be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone...
"So, Ranma looking forward to get to China?" She asked.
Ranma nodded absently, "Yeah, I can finally get rid of this stupid curse and not have to worry about something screwing it up."
"That not what Shampoo mean. Shampoo know Ranma not like curse, or when come to Shampoo village, but surely Ranma have other memories of China? Good memories, no?" She clarified, trying not to blush as she recalled their disastrous first encounter ever, and then wondering if maybe she should have let herself do so, in order to prove that she was embarrassed by it as well.
Ranma blinked as he focused on Shampoo a little more, "Eh, some good ones I guess. The scenery was good, food was pretty decent as well and the locals were friendly enough until pop started stealing from them..." He shuddered slightly at the memories.
"Stupid old man ever do anything that not cause you problems? Why Ranma put up with panda-man anyway? No have other relatives could train with?" Shampoo asked.
"Dunno if I have any on pop's side, and I know that my mom is dead, or she ran off from him."
Shampoo blinked, disconcerted by the calm tone Ranma said those words with. "...That not bother you? ...And how you know it not old panda who run out on her?"
"You've seen my pops, the moment responsibility comes along he dumps it on someone else and heads for the hills. Except that he took me along on the training trip instead of leaving me with my mom, and he wouldn't have done that if he just wanted to run away. Besides, pops isn't going to abandon a wife if it means he gets someone to wait on him hand and foot, he looks out for good deals like that and what better deal than a woman willing to put up with him long enough to have me?"
Ranma shrugged and turned to look out the window again, "Eh, doesn't matter anyway, I don't remember anything about her so why bother wondering if she's alive or not?"
"So... Ranma have no parents either? That so sad..." Shampoo murmured, though not softly enough that Ranma couldn't hear her.
"Huh? You don't have any parents?" Ranma shifted to glance at the bluenette, "You mind me asking what happened to them?
"Shampoo really prefer not to talk about it... but you is Shampoo's airen, and you answer Shampoo's question. Shampoo's mother was... was Healer. Very gentle, very pretty. Kasumi rather remind Shampoo of her, to be honest. Shampoo learn Warrior skills from Shampoo's father- Shampoo related to great-grandmother through him. Mother get sick when Shampoo only little girl- bad sickness come to village, and mother having new baby, so she weaker then normal." Shampoo stopped there and looked out of the window. "Sickness make baby come too-too soon. Baby die. Mother die soon after. Then, Shampoo's father find out enemy of tribe spread sickness to us on purpose, make us weak. He want revenge, leave village alone, tell nobody what he do. Come back with enemy head... but mortally wounded. He die of poisoned wounds, buried with Shampoo's mother, with Shampoo's little brother. Great-grandmother take over raising Shampoo after that." She finished.
Ranma was silent for a few seconds before, "I'm sorry to hear that, they sound like good people." With that, he returned to looking out the window.
Ranma-Prime looked thoughtful for a minute as he processed the information, then decided not to bring it up unless he had good reason to before switching his attention to seeing another moment in time for the pair.
"Okay, so all I have to do is to guess the total number of our fingers?" Shampoo nodded with a smile.
"Is good for reflexes and quick thinking. Score two points for correct guess, one for near guess and nothing if wrong. First to ten is winner."
Ranma shrugged with a smile, "Sure, lets do it." He cracked his knuckles and got ready to play as the train headed for the town of Golmud on the second leg of their journey.
To his chagrin, he lost twice before he was able to start matching Shampoo, who proved very quick on the draw as Ranma-Prime drew back in amusement.
Golmud was, by China's standards, a fairly average town, full of fairly average people. Wu and his gang, which mainly consisted of bored, thuggish, bullying youths with no real jobs and a vicious streak, considered themselves better then average people. As was their wont, they were prowling the streets they considered their territory, looking for foolish and wealthy folks to mug. Wu made his boys halt when he caught sight of two strangers waiting impatiently at the bus stop, no other potential victims in sight. One was a pretty Chinese girl with long, blue hair -probably some kind of whore, particularly with a figure like that- and the other was a foreigner... a Japanese girl with red hair. Probably some halfbreed slut. He grinned at his fellows and sauntered on over.
"Hello ladies..." He began.
The blue-haired girl looked him up and down like a piece of filth, then snorted in disdain and told him... well, saying that she'd told him to piss off would be the politest interpretation.
"Aw, come on girls, don't be like that..." He began, reaching out to grab hold of the Chinese girl's shoulder. Which was when he yelped in pain as his hand was seized in a bonecrunching grip, right before a kick landed square in his sternum and sent him flying to land on his backside with a painful thud. All thoughts of being nice fled and he yelled the order to attack, flicking out his switchblade and charging the girls. He barely had time to blink before the girls suddenly exploded into action, and the last thing he remembered was a dainty fist approaching his face at high speed...
"Sheesh, what pathetic muggers." Ranma-chan complained. "What did that guy say, anyway?"
"Just stupid pickup lines." Shampoo replied. "Uh... Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"Shampoo not mind beating snot out of punks... but why we steal everything they have? Shampoo mean, could understand taking their money, but their weapons and all their jewels?"
"Hey, it's what the old man taught me to do." The boy-turned-girl answered with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.
"Shampoo just never need to go that far before."
"Eh, it's not like I like doing it. Besides, scum like that deserve everything they get."
The bus finally pulled into the stop, bringing the conversation to an end as both of the martial artists boarded, unconcerned with the battered, unconscious muggers they left strewn like human garbage in their wake.
Ranma-Prime chuckled at the sight before moving to another point forward in time, showing the pair setting up camp likely quite a fair way into their journey. Ranma-Prime watched as his counterpart happily helped set everything up, but as soon as it got to the task of cooking their next meal, he refused, much to the confusion of Shampoo. She looked clearly puzzled for a moment before smiling, and Ranma-Prime decided to look closer on the situation.
"Ah, Shampoo get it, Ranma no can cook. Is nothing to be ashamed of; Shampoo teach you how." Shampoo said brightly, happy to have figured out a reason why Ranma was acting this way.
Ranma twitched angrily. "I can cook just fine." He snapped. "It's just… I mean, I just… it's the curse, alright!? I… I'm afraid of it." He finally admitted.
"What you mean?" Shampoo asked hesitantly. She was truly dumbfounded by this revelation, but she had to press on- that Ranma would be willing to share such a secret with her was a definite sign that he was starting to trust her. More importantly then that, she was concerned for him.
Ranma was silent for a long moment, his final words seeming to hang in the air. Then, slowly, he began to speak. "I… I know it doesn't really make sense, specially with me turning on the sweet 'n' innocent act to scam Ryoga or Kuno or Happosai when I need to, but I'm scared that if I start acting more of a girl, I'll start becoming more of a girl. Up here, I mean." He added, tapping his head. "Specially since that incident over a month ago…"
"What incident?" Shampoo insisted, in the dark here, but steadily getting more unnerved. Outside of the whole cat thing, she'd never met anyone as brave as Ranma, and she knew that he tended to just brush off things that most people would find traumatic. The fact he hadn't tried to kill Genma yet for all the crap the stupid panda put him through was proof of that.
Ranma clammed up, apparently not having intended to say that. He and Shampoo stared at each other for several minutes, neither budging, until finally Ranma sighed and shook his head. "Alright, alright, if you really want to know..."
"Shampoo do." The bluenette stated.
Ranma ignored her, and began to speak, a far-away look in his eyes.
"Me an' pops were training one morning, and we got carried away and I sort of pushed Akane face-first into her homemade slop. She didn't like that, and came out swinging a frying pan- I dodged, but I tripped on the edge of the koi pond and fell in, smacking my head pretty badly on a rock as I did. I don't personally remember a thing about what happened directly after that, but according to Akane, my head got all scrambled- I remembered who everyone was and all that, but I started thinking of myself as a real girl. Perfect little homemaker, she said." Ranma spat, equal parts anger, disgust and self-loathing dripping from the first three words of that sentence.
"I apparently found nothing better then cooking and cleaning and talking about 'girly' stuff, like flower arranging- I was also some sort of sissy, so much that I fainted when Akane cut her finger in the kitchen and told the old man that I wanted to quit being a martial artist."
Shampoo gasped in equal parts shock and horror. Ranma, her Ranma, giving up martial arts? Such a mockery could not be!
Apparently not registering Shampoo's reaction, Ranma continued on. "Oh, you should have heard Nabiki gloating about how she could hear the 'other me' howling from the next floor down, whining about never being able to become a bride after they poured hot water over me to try and snap me out of it."
Shampoo choked at that nightmarish image.
"And I still see Happosai wailing over how he was so close to getting everything he ever wanted from my girl side, as she was such a wimp that she was ready to give him anything he wanted if he'd stop crying, in my darkest nightmares." Ranma looked queasy for a moment at the mere memory, only to be drawn out of his own musings when Shampoo's aura suddenly exploded into visibility, brighter and stronger then he'd ever seen from her.
"Why?!" She thundered. "Why no one come for our help? You know we know Xi Fa Xiang Gao, it obvious we can help unbend minds, so why ignore us when you need us?!" She took several deep breaths, evidently aiming to calm down, finally managing to dull her aura to a simmering shimmer. "So how you get cured?"
"…Not too sure, to be honest. Like I said, I don't personally remember a thing that happened when I was mind-bent, but my memories kick back in with me sopping wet, in the koi pond, the back of my head killing me and Akane glowering down at me. I figure she must have finally lost control and hit me back into the pond, smacking the wits back into me." Ranma admitted at last. "But, you can see why…"
"Oh, yes, Shampoo can see all too well." The Chinese Amazon said, her aura flickering out. "Shampoo know it probably not help, but just so Ranma know, Ranma not only one who have that fear. Shampoo also have nightmares where curse takes over, where Shampoo is gone and is only cat left behind, that Shampoo can only watch as body hunts mice and ruts with tomcats. Shampoo understand Ranma's fear too-too well."
There was silence between the two teenagers after their confessions before Ranma came over and gently hugged Shampoo, who immediately hugged back as the pair sat in silence and took solace from the other, knowing that they shared the same fears and didn't condemn them for it as the mists came in around the touching moment as Ranma-Prime drew back.
Ranma-Prime pulled away, exhaling heavily under the weight of his emotions. Private as he was by nature, he had learned to keep things to himself even more intensely since coming to Nerima, as it often just led to worse problems. Look at how Akane had mocked him for learning that Mikado had stolen his first kiss, for example. But had that blinded him to the fact that there were some things he could share, with the right person? He spent several long minutes mulling over that thought, then decided to look at one last moment from their journey, the last night they needed to spend camping before they reached Jusenkyo on the morrow...
"You know, all things considered, this has been a fun trip." Ranma was staring up at the stars as they compared constellations in the night sky on the final leg of their trip to Jusenkyo. In fact, they were on a cliff face that displayed a stunning vista with the cursed springs as the center point of it all in the distance. Stretching out on top of his sleeping bag, he turned his head to Shampoo nearby, "So what are we going to do before we head back to Beijing? I mean, is there anything you want to see before we head back?"
Shampoo's gaze flickered over to her reluctant fiancé, though her face remained angled to point at the sky. "Shampoo not really know. Would like to go back home, see all Shampoo cousins... but Shampoo not allowed to without great-grandmother's permission. Shampoo technically banished, after all. What about you? Ranma want see more of Shampoo's homeland before go home?"
Ranma nodded, "Sure, pops and I never got to see much of the country, what with him stealing from people, tossing me literally to the wolves and that one time he stole something from a PLA base that had us getting chased by soldiers for a few days." He shuddered at the memory, "Say what you will about soldiers, but you do not want to piss them off. The commander himself kept on our tail for a month before he finally gave up and by that time we were near Jusenkyo."
"...What on earth could stupid panda possibly want from military base? Shampoo thought not even he like military rations..." The Chinese girl asked, unable to resist despite the fact that, knowing as much as she did about Genma, she knew it was better not to ask.
"Well...there was this visiting General see? And pops saw that the guy's decorations were real gold and well...lets just say we were lucky to be out of range of the artillery by the time they organized themselves." Ranma scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, he had warned Genma that stealing the gold decorations off the uniform of the General wearing them would only get them in trouble.
Shampoo stared for the longest moment, then shook her head slowly. "Shampoo not sure which Shampoo feel more; appalled he could be so stupid, or impressed he could pull it off."
Ranma nodded as he returned to watching the stars, "Join the club."
As the pair settled into silence, Ranma-Prime pulled away with an expression indicative of a person who had been given something very important to consider before Honest Abe showed up, "Hey, just got word over the radio, they say the storm's beginning to lighten up, looks like you'll be out of here soon."
Ranma nodded, more focused on the mirror than the announcement that he could soon leave without drowning.
Well, we've made this far, and there's only two chapters left to go. So, that means it's time to start considering the next project. The basic details for the possibilities can be found in chapter 19 (when using the drop-down box), but I'll relist the names here. Vote for the one(s) you want us to write next.
Chasing The Rainbow
Ranma's Rewind
Legends of Aeron
The Journey
Dark Whispers
Remember, the choice with the most votes is the one we'll concentrate on writing once Another Rainy Day in Nerima is complete.