A Man Among Men, a ranma fanfic

A MAN AMONG MEN

A story based on RANMA 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi

Written by ZETAGÉ

Author's Note:
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by.

This story touches on heavy themes, particularly how a family deals with a serious illness and the effects it can have on its members. I've based this on my personal experiences, so I've tried to approach these topics with as much respect as possible, while tying them closely to the universe of Ranma . If you find these themes difficult to read about, I encourage you to proceed with caution.

I also want to mention that for many of my projects, I add illustrations on platforms that allow it. The links are on my profile (though at the time you're reading this, there might not be anything published yet. Still, consider this a heads-up for the future).

PART 1

End of Summer

Act I ~ Just Another Day

A sudden, chilly breeze jolted Ranma awake, almost knocking him off balance. He had been asleep for so long that the cold seeped into his bones, and the abrupt movement nearly made him slip off the roof. Only then did he fully realize he'd dozed off up there. He started jogging in place, rubbing his forearms to warm himself.

"The season's changing," he muttered through chattering teeth, cursing his decision to wear a sleeveless shirt that day. Summer was still hanging on, but the icy wind signaled that the heat was beginning to fade.

Still a bit disoriented, he glanced around to get his bearings. The streets of the neighborhood were empty, and the sun had already moved higher in the sky, making him realize he'd been lying there for hours, waiting for someone who hadn't bothered to show up.

"That's odd," he mumbled, blowing on his hands to warm them. "It's been over a week. I thought he'd show up today."

He pulled a letter from his pants pocket and unfolded it, the paper already crumpled from being read so many times. There was no mistaking it: Ryoga had challenged him to a duel in early September, and now the month was nearing its tenth day.

"Guess his sense of direction got even worse," Ranma said with a wry grin before shaking his head. "No way. That's impossible."

Leaping down from the roof, he landed decisively, tired of waiting.
"Well, that means I win by default."

But as soon as he touched the ground, a commotion inside the house caught his attention. He immediately recognized Akane's voice and the grating squeals of P-Chan.

"Look, Ranma!" Akane ran toward him, holding the tiny black pig in her arms, grinning from ear to ear. "P-Chan's back!"

"Yeah, I can see that," Ranma growled, narrowing his eyes at the piglet. "Two weeks late, huh? Almost broke your own record, Ryoga."

"Don't tease him!" Akane protested, clutching P-Chan to her chest as if shielding him from a predator. "And I don't know why you're even bringing up Ryoga when he's not here!"

Ranma didn't catch the last part. The cold vanished in an instant, replaced by the fiery heat of indignation as he noticed the smug grin on the piglet's face. Safe in Akane's embrace, P-Chan looked like he was savoring his victory.

"You little…"

That was the last straw. Ranma snatched P-Chan from Akane's arms and held him in a throwing position.
"Do you think you can flirt with Akane after making me wait so long for our fight?! You're gonna pay for this!"

But P-Chan was no easy target. Seizing an opening, the pig kicked Ranma square in the face, launching a chaotic chase through the house. The usual Tendo family chaos was back: Akane running after Ranma, who was chasing the pig, all the while shouting threats as Akane yelled at him to stop.

As they raced past the dining room, Akane noticed something that made her freeze in her tracks: her father and her "uncles" Genma and Nodoka were sitting around the table with unusually serious expressions. But she didn't have time to dwell on it—shrieks from the bathroom snapped her back to reality: Ranma had caught her beloved pet. She resumed her pursuit, albeit with a growing sense of unease.

Ranma, meanwhile, held the black pig by the ribbon around its neck and hurled him into the bathtub, fully confident that the water would be hot. He was right.

"Idiot! Are you crazy?!" Ryoga's human voice rang out as he emerged from the steaming water. "What are you going to do if Akane sees me like this?!"

Ranma's only response was to shove Ryoga's head back under the water with his foot.

"Then hide, P-Chan," Ranma mocked, hands on his hips, enjoying the way Ryoga thrashed to free himself. "Besides, what are you worried about? That girl's so clueless she probably wouldn't even notice."

"Don't hurt P-Chan!" Akane shouted from the doorway.

Several things happened at once: a loud thud from something blunt pushed Ranma forward, making him fall into the tub with a yell; Ryoga, freed from Ranma's foot, shot out of the water to catch his breath; and Akane began pelting them with anything within reach, babbling incomprehensibly while trying to cover her eyes upon realizing Ryoga was naked.

The uproar quickly spiraled out of control. Akane's shrieks and the sounds of objects crashing against walls shook the bathroom. It was then that the sliding door creaked open after some soft knocks no one heard, and Kasumi poked her head in timidly. Ryoga, ever resourceful, leaped into a bucket of cold water, reverting to his piglet form before anyone noticed.

"Ranma," Kasumi said softly, but her tone was enough to freeze the chaos in its tracks. Only then did Ranma and Akane notice her unusually tense expression, as though she was struggling to contain her emotions. "Your mother sent me to find you. She wants to talk to you for a moment."

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Ranma felt a heavy weight settle in the air—hard to define but impossible to ignore. Without a word, he nodded awkwardly, removing a plastic bowl he'd been using as a makeshift helmet.

As he moved to leave, Kasumi handed him a kettle of hot water, offering a faint smile. Her strained expression was so evident that even Ranma, not the sharpest at reading others' feelings, felt a knot form in his stomach.

"I think your mother would prefer to speak to you as a young man," she added.

Only then did Ranma realize he'd transformed into a girl at some point during the scuffle.

"Yeah. Thanks," he murmured, letting Kasumi pour the hot water over his head.

As his body returned to normal, he glanced at her again, noting the nervous tension in her posture. Without another word, he nodded and left the bathroom.

Akane cradled P-Chan as he leapt back into her arms. As the house settled into an uneasy quiet, she pieced together the tension in Kasumi's face with the serious scene she'd glimpsed in the dining room.

"Did something happen, Kasumi?" she asked cautiously.

Kasumi tried to smile, but before she could answer, a hand rested on Akane's shoulder. She turned to find her father standing behind her, his expression grave and somber, tears running silently down his cheeks.

"Kasumi, call Nabiki," he said in a low, hoarse voice. Then, turning to Akane with the same seriousness, he added, "We need to have a family meeting. Now."

With those words, Akane let her father guide her out of the bathroom. Kasumi followed behind, while P-Chan stayed unusually still in Akane's arms, as though sensing the tension in the air. Akane tried to remain calm, but a growing fear gnawed at her.

The last time her father had called for a family meeting with that tone of voice, she had been very young. It was when her mother fell ill, and their lives were changed forever.