Chapter Six: Enter Ryoga!
Akane
"'Kane?
Akane narrowed her eyes as she doubled the speed of her attacks. Two punches, a dodge to the right before a roundhouse kick to send the punching bag swinging around in circles. "What do you want Ranma?"
"Well, I guess I wanna apologize."
Panting, she turned around to look at Ranma. He was wearing one of the original shirts they had picked out for him today, and he leaned awkwardly against the dojo door with his arms crossed. "Why? It's not like anything changes when you do. There was no reason for you to ignore me in gym class and blow us off at lunch like that. I mean, what was that even supposed to accomplish?"
"I- I don't know." Pushing off of the wall, he walked into the dojo and settled down on the mat. "I guess… I was just thinking back to how everything's happened since I woke up, and it just feels really weird, even for me."
"What do you mean?" she asked. Yes, yes he has been acting really weird, but… why?
Right on cue, Ranma started to echo her thoughts. "Ya know, it's like… All my life Pops told me I had to be a man among men, so I was. But ever since I got here, it almost feels like I... don't wanna do that anymore. Is that weird? Like, I should hate it, dressing all girly like this, and some days I do, but- sometimes-"
Akane fidgeted with the hem of her dress as "Like yesterday when you got all mad at Genma for ripping your shirt the day before?"
"Yeah, it's just..." Ranma sighed as he looked up at the wooden bears arcing across the dojo ceiling. "Somedays, the curse doesn't really feel like a curse at all," he murmured. "Today it does, but yesterday, I almost wanted to go to school like that. I don't get it. I've wanted nothing to be a man among men all my life, but now… Is this just part of the curse? Is being okay with it a part of the curse?"
Akane scooted toward him and hugged him tentatively. He just looked so distant, almost like a lost puppy. "Ranma, you know that it's okay if you're not super masculine. Nobody's going to blame you. I mean, you're my friend, even if it's a bit rough sometimes, and Kasumi is really sweet, and Nabiki… well, she had our best hopes at heart, I think."
"It's not very manly to get hugs," Ranma mumbled as he hugged her back.
"That's just a lie."
"Well, it's embarrassing!"
"That doesn't mean it's not manly!"
"Ranma, Akane, time for dinner!" Kasumi called.
"Coming!" they chorused back.
Ranma got to his feet, then pulled her up. "Thank you," he said, looking around to avoid her eyes. "It's nice, having a friend to talk to about stuff."
"I'm glad you're my friend," she responded.
"Oi, lovebirds, stop holding hands and eat your damn dinner!" Nabiki yelled as she poked her head out from behind the lit screen.
Akane and Ranma jumped and let go of the other's hands, blushing in embarrassment. There was a moment where all that could be heard was Genma and Soun's loud argument before Ranma finally said, "Come on, let's go in. We can talk later."
"Yeah," Akane whispered as she watched him stick his hands in his pockets and walk back into the house. "Later."
Ranma
"Okay, so after Kaiba confessed to Yui, she told Akari that she actually likes Kauro instead. So then, after..."
"Do you think Sayuri is listening to a word she's saying?" Ranma asked Akane as they watched the two brunettes chattering away.
Akane rolled her eyes as Sayuri intently nodded. "Honestly, I think Sayuri knows more gossip than Yuka does, Yuka just likes talking about it more than she does."
"Huh. That makes a lot of sense, actually," Ranma said as he yawned and stretched. "So, um, what happens at a shopping mall?"
Akane gawked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, Pops and I weren't in the city much, so we never really went, I guess. Besides," he said as a hint of resentment crept into his tone, "He always called shopping a girly activity, so I've never really done it."
"Oh, well Yuka loves going shopping, so we come here all the time," she grumbled, shuddering slightly at the thought. "Honestly, you've never even done it and you already like it better than I do."
He bumped into her with a soft smile. "Hey, it can't be that bad."
"We're here~!" Yuka sang happily as they finally reached the mall.
Ranma's jaw dropped as he stared up at the three-story modern building made mostly of glass. The morning sun sparkled on the reflective panes, and people walked on the glass bridges between the two walls of shops. "It's so pretty..."
"Come on, I'll show you all of the shops!" Yuka exclaimed, dragging him ahead as Sayuri and Akane followed behind. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"
Ranma saw more clothing than ever before in his life in the next fifteen minutes. They went on a whirlwind tour of all of the outfitters and retail outlets, before rejoining Sayuri and Akane who had gotten ice cream and were busy eating in the food court.
Akane perked up as they came back. "Oh, are you done? That's great, so we can lea-"
"Nope, we just finished the tour!" Yuka exclaimed, ignoring her devastated expression. "C'mon, help us pick Ranma's shirts out! You do know his style the best, after all."
The store that sold Chinese silk shirts was smaller than most of the others, so the four of them took up most of the space. A wide array of colors hung on the wall, and Yuka and Sayuri were busily shuffling through them and offering commentary to the other. Ranma and Akane hung back by the entrance, watching them and talking.
"Ranma, what color shirt do you want?" she asked.
"Well..."
It took Akane a second to figure out why he was hesitating. "Is this about what we were talking about last night?" He nodded, and she grabbed his hand. "Ranma, it's okay if you're not masculine. Just go and get what you want so I don't have to stand here anymore!"
He turned to look at her, smiling gratefully and squeezing her hand before letting go. "Thank you."
The other two girls jumped out of the way as Ranma walked up to the display and pulled a light pink shirt with purple trim off of the wall. He held it up to his chest and struck a pose for Akane. She rolled her eyes at him. "It'll look fine both ways, idiot. Just buy the damn thing already."
"It's a nice shirt," Sayuri offered as he set it down on the counter.
"10,000 yen," the shopkeeper said as he fiddled with his phone.
Ranma paused. He didn't have that kind of money at all, let alone on him! He was about to take the shirt and put it back when Yuka pushed him out of the way and offered her credit card to the shopkeeper. "Here you go."
"Yuka, you don't have-"
She pushed him lightly as she took her card back. "Learn to accept a gift, okay? Besides, if I didn't buy everything I would never be able to get Akane to come with me. Come on, let's try it on!"
About an hour later, at which point Akane, Sayuri, and quite honestly Ranma were all worn out by shopping, they left the shopping mall several bags of clothing heavier. Ranma was having a hard time wiping a stupid grin off of his face – he had never owned this much clothing in his entire life! I have to come up with some way to thank Yuka for all of this… He had opted to wear Akane's old shirt back to the dojo, so he would have a chance to go through it all properly and put some of it away.
That was a decision he was incredibly grateful for after they left the other two girls and headed back in the direction of the dojo.
"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"
They spun around to see a boy in a yellow bandanna holding an umbrella over his shoulder. Akane clenched her fists as she growled, "Look, I don't know who you are but I just was dragged on a two-hour shopping trip and I am not in a good mood."
"Ryoga?"
He squinted at the boy, looking him up and down as he responded, "Um, yeah? Didn't you hear me? I said prepare to die… Um, what?"
Ranma had run forwards and hugged Ryoga before slinging his arm around his shoulder. "Hey, I haven't seen you since junior high! How are you? Are you in Nerima for school too?"
Akane looked at the two of them skeptically, Ryoga's murderous expression not lost on her. "Um, Ranma, who is this?"
He grinned at her, playfully rubbing the other boy's cheek with his fist. "Remember, I was telling you about my best friend from middle school, Ryoga Hibiki? This is him!"
"Best friend? Didn't you listen to me?" Ryoga pushed him away and crossed his arms, letting his umbrella droop to the ground. "Ranma, you've put me through hell! Prepare to die!" He waited expectantly for a moment, then glared at him. "This is when you're supposed to start fighting, dammit! I've been planning this for-"
Ranma made a face and shook his head. "Nah, I don't really feel like fighting right now."
"Wha- huh?"
Ryoga wilted at Akane's murderous expression and her shaking fist as she thrust a shopping bag into his hands. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I am not in a good mood, so if we don't keep walking towards home now I will punch you for Ranma."
He gulped and took the bag as Ranma shot Akane a grateful expression. "Yes, ma'am."
"So, um, why exactly do you want to kill me, Ryoga?" Ranma asked as they walked along the river. "I don't get it, I haven't seen you since we left Nerima for China."
"You really don't know?"
"No. Sorry, I guess?"
Ryoga sighed slightly dejectedly as he reclipped his umbrella to his pack and walked along with his hands behind his head. "Man, this isn't how I thought this would go at all. You're supposed to fight me, not, well..." The shopping back hanging over his back dangled as he walked. "You never showed up to our duel, remember?"
Ranma stared at him for a moment. "I waited in the lot for three days! You never showed up! What are you talking about?"
"You waited for a duel for three days?" Akane exclaimed.
"Oh." Now Ryoga just looked downright depressed, and Ranma felt kind of bad for him before realizing what had probably happened.
"Wait a second, did you get lost on the way?" he asked, and Ryoga nodded.
Akane looked between them as they stopped in front of the dojo. "What do you mean, lost?"
"I have a curse where I can't tell direction, so I get lost all the time," he grumbled as Ranma pushed the gate open.
"Hey, Ryoga, wanna stay for dinner? I'm sure Kasumi won't mind cooking for one more person."
A spark of gratitude was quickly buried under anger as Ryoga turned away. "Okay, I guess so."
Akane
"So then after you and Genma fought in Jusenkyo, I watched you get knocked into that spring so I helped pull you out and bring you back to Japan. I almost got unlucky and fell in the Spring of the Drowned Pig, but Genma caught me at the last second. After I came back to Nerima with you two, I went home – it took me three weeks but I got there eventually. I figured I would just fight you when you woke up, but that didn't really work out, obviously." He stopped talking to see the entire Tendo household staring at him expectantly, so he scowled and took another spoonful of miso soup. "That's it."
"So you followed me to China because of that dumb duel over cafeteria bread?" Ranma asked, before bursting out laughing.
"Hey, it's not funny!"
Kasumi politely covered her mouth to hide her giggles as Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Sorry, pig boy, but it really is."
Ryoga pouted at her, resting his elbow on the table. "Hey, I didn't even fall into the spring!"
Nabiki stuck her tongue out at him, and Kasumi couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.
"Hey, Ryoga?" He looked over at Ranma, who was sitting next to Akane cross-legged. "Thank you for bringing me back here, you really didn't have to."
Ryoga stared down at the food before him. "If you had drowned, how was I supposed to have fought you?" he mumbled, before picking up his bowl and busily slurping down the rest of his meal. "Well, I guess if we're not going to fight, then..."
"Hibiki, are you going to be okay wandering around alone?" Genma growled, and Ryoga looked up at him in surprise.
"Mr. Saotome… I appreciate the meal, it's been a while since I had a good one, but I need time to think about this. Thank you, I guess. See you, Ranma," he mumbled as he got to his feet and went towards the entrance.
"Wait, if you leave you're just going to get lost, right?" Soun called right as he was about to exit the dojo.
He nodded. "Yeah, probably… Dunno, Paris and Florida are supposed to be pretty nice 'round this time of year..."
"Well, if it's okay with Kasumi, you could stay the night," he offered.
"That'd be lovely, I don't mind at all," Kasumi said as she got to her feet and started clearing the table. "Ryoga, dear, we have more extra futons, so it really wouldn't be a problem at all."
Ryoga's eyes widened, and he turned back toward the kitchen. "Really? But… I just met you guys, why would you-"
"You saved my future son-in-law's life," Soun said. "We owe you a debt of gratitude. Besides, any friend of Ranma's is welcome here."
He looked to Ranma. "Is- is that okay with you?"
"Sure, you're my friend, even if you did want to kill me. Why would I say no?"
"Oh." Lost, Ryoga sat back down at the table and looked at his empty bowl. "Um… In that case, do you think I could have seconds?"
By the time everyone had finished eating, Nabiki's eye was twitching. "I'll be excusing myself now," she said before wandering off and muttering something about money.
Akane leaned back as she, Ranma, and Ryoga made idle conversation. It had never really struck her before how much she enjoyed being around other kids her age – Yuka and Sayuri were great, but they were much better friends with each other than with her. No, I really don't mind having Ranma around, all of the engagement stuff aside. If I'm being honest, I'm actually really glad that he's still here.
Kasumi came back into the kitchen frowning. "Guys, the third futon doesn't fit into the guest room. What do you want to do?"
Ryoga shrugged. "I can sleep out in the dojo, or something. I don't really mind, this is already nicer than anywhere I've slept in the last couple months."
"Nonsense, you're our guest. I would sleep outside before you will," Soun said with a hint of pride at the edge of his voice. "It's been a long time since the Tendo residence has been so busy, but we haven't forgotten how to treat visitors."
"Ranma could sleep in my room if that's okay with him." Akane was almost surprised that she had said it, but she had meant it. Turning to him, she asked, "Is it?"
Ranma grinned back at her. "I don't mind if you're okay with it."
Soun burst into tears of joy. "Wonderful, the schools will be joined! When shall we plan the wedd-"
"Daddy?"
"Yes, dear?"
Akane presented her dear father with her fist. "Shut up before I change my mind."
"Of course."
Nabiki
Am I really doing this?
The gross feeling refused to go away as Nabiki knelt by the crack in the screen to the furo. Ranma stepped out of the shower and walked over to the mirror. Her finger hesitated over the capture button – what she was doing was awful, but she would never take a nude photo of a house guest. Instead, she watched and waited for Ranma to get a towel, only he never did.
For what seemed like an eternity, she watched and waited as Ranma inspected his body in the mirror from every angle, seemingly entranced by himself. What is he doing? He seemed entranced by himself; she wanted to think he was being gross about his female form but it seemed purer than that, considering that he hadn't touched himself like that once.
I'm such a disgusting person. How could he be the perverted one when I'm watching him in the furo?
Finally, he wrapped the towel around his body – why had he still not changed back? She snapped a few quick pictures, then hurried back towards her room, trying hard to ignore her disgust with herself.
As she passed by, she noticed the light was on in Soun's room. She wavered at the door to her room for a moment, then set her camera down on her dresser and knocked on his door. "Come in!" the response came from within, so she slipped inside.
The room was dominated by a big canopy bed with a floral comforter. Pictures lined the walls, and a small pot of incense burned in the corner. Soun was kneeling by a picture of her mother, decorated with flowers around the edges. Sighing, she knelt down beside him and smiled faintly at the picture. "Hi, mommy..."
"What's wrong, Nabiki? You never want to come in and talk anymore," he said quietly, his eyes closed before the shrine.
She opened her mouth, then looked at the door in shame. "It's nothing."
"Kasumi told me about the money. Nabiki, don't do this alone. If you do something bad now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"What do you know about doing it alone? You're not even doing anything to support us!"
Nabiki took a deep breath as she pulled away from Soun, collapsing back onto the bed as she stared at the lacy canopy. I'm sorry, mommy. I'm sorry I have to do all of this, but we can't lose the dojo, just like daddy can't let go of your bed.
"I've been thinking of taking on students again."
"What? Really?" Nabiki sat straight up to stare at Soun, who hadn't moved from his meditative pose.
"In fact, I've already started talking to old clients who have kids now." He smiled at the picture before him, brushing his fingers against the glass gently. "I started thinking about it when the Saotomes arrived – it wouldn't do to join the school but have no students to pass the traditions down to, after all. Seeing Akane and Ranma sparring reminds me of me and your mother, really." Setting the picture aside and closing the wooden shrine doors, he turned to her. "The interest is there, and the two of them and maybe even Ryoga could help me teach. We might be able to start again before the month is out."
Nabiki stared at him, dumbfounded. "But, mom-"
"Wouldn't have wanted the dojo to go untended for so long." Soun rose to his feet and sat down at Nabiki's side. "This engagement, if it had gone awry, might have been the last hope for our school. But it's going so well, Nabiki! Better than I ever could have hoped… Without her, I don't have the vitality to teach, but now they can bring that life back to us. All we can do is support them, show them how to teach and give them somewhere to do it."
Nabiki was silent for a moment, then hugged him as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The wave of guilt building up inside of her was far too much to ignore, and she couldn't keep the sleazy feeling down inside of herself any longer. Slowly, she said, "Daddy… To pay the bills, to keep us here, to let Kasumi live her own life… I've been selling pictures. Of Akane and Ranma. The jobs I work never pay enough, so I- I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do!"
Soun stiffened, then hugged her back. "I'm sorry. That- I have failed, as a father, to support my family. The blame is on me."
"But I've been dishonorable! And we're still in debt, and we're going to be short of the bill again this month, and Kasumi said she would pay with her college fund if I didn't come up-"
"Nabiki." She stopped mid-sentence and stared up at her father. "Do not worry about Kasumi. I will talk to her, and I can explain. We've been in debt for a long time, so one more month won't kill us. You, however, should explain to Akane and Ranma. I think they deserve that much, but… your sister and her fiance are good people. I think they will understand, in time."
"But-"
He smiled at her, the familiar weariness in his eyes abated slightly. "Go to sleep, Nabiki. Things will still be the same in the morning, and we will have time to make things right."
Nabiki wiped her eyes as she got up and went to the door. "Thank you."
"Good night."
Her own room was dark as she slipped inside. Grabbing the camera, she yanked the developed photos of Ranma out and went to her sock drawer. Pulling out a manila envelope, she slid them inside and exited her room. Grabbing the lighter from the kitchen, she walked outside to the old wood burning fireplace in the dojo. Throwing the envelope onto the bricks, she lit it on fire. As the pictures burned, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
The dojo was going to have students again. She wasn't going to have to be the sole provider for their family anymore.
Thank you, daddy. Thank you, Ranma.
Everything is changing because of you, and it's all for the better.
[A/N] Things are changing for the better in the Tendo household, all of it because of one Ranma Saotome. The thing about real world drama is that so much of it can be solved by simple communication, and since Ranma can keep a level head on his girl days, he doesn't immediately go off on Ryoga. Also, Nabiki's conscience get the better of her and Soun's plan actually works rather than the romantic mess that happened in the anime.
Thank you so much to Jambi, James Birdsong, Iffert's Flame, and HiroshiCoyote for reviewing, along with everyone who favorited and followed!
I would really appreciate any constructive criticism or other thoughts you guys had on the chapter – your feedback really helps me keep working and updating even though this fic isn't on a regular schedule. All of you are amazing, and thank you for reading!
Signing out, Allie
[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar