Broken Bokken
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	Ranma Saotome was having one pisser of a week.
	Putting things in perspective he realized that it wasn�t all that
unexpected. Even if it was just Kuno�s usual antics, it still got on him
like nothing else.
	What was wrong with that boy anyway? If he wasn�t glomping his girl half
or proposing to Akane he was constantly challenging Ranma�s boy side to
futile duels.
	Ranma had finally decided that something had to be done. Kuno wouldn�t
like it, but it would be finished.
	The letter of challenge was sent. Akane and Nabiki had helped him phrase
it perfectly. It said that all of Kuno�s claims would be resolved, one way
or another, then signed by both Ranma�s halves and Akane.
	�Are you sure you want to do this?� Akane�s concern was evident in her voice.
	Ranma felt for her, but there was no turning back. So much in his life was
unresolved that even dealing with this one problem would barely dent the
surface. Still, it was a larger step than he had been willing to take before.
	�No. I don�t want it. It has to happen anyway.�
	Inevitability� It was nothing Ranma had not been faced with before. It was
even worse because it was his own actions that set him on this path.
	Kuno had come, right on time, with half of the kendo team as witnesses.
Ranma was waiting in girl form, his father and the Tendo family behind him.
The first of the two crucial moments of this day was about to occur.
	�Pigtailed one!� Kuno beamed, �It gladdens my heart to gaze upon your
lovely visage. But whither the sorcerer Saotome? I would smite him and free
you from his evil hold!�
	�Kuno,� Ranma-chan began, �He�s standing right in front of you.�
	Kuno was, understandably, nonplussed.
	�What I�ve been trying to tell you, but you don�t seem to want to
believe,� Nabiki upended a thermos of hot water over Ranma, he didn�t miss
a syllable, �is that I and your pigtailed girl are the same person.�
	�Sorcery! You seek to confound the Blue Thunder with your illusions!�
Kuno�s attitude was now one of rage.
	�He�s telling the truth Kuno.� Akane stepped forward, �He was cursed to
change into that girl�s body when splashed with cold water. Hot water
changes him back.� To emphasize the point Akane threw a glass of cold water
at Ranma.
	�That�s not the only reason we�ve asked you here, Kuno.� This came from
Nabiki, �The other reason is in regards to Akane.�
	Everything was going as planned, right down to Kuno�s reactions. �What has
the sorcerer done to my beauteous Akane?�
	�Nothing.� Soun was speaking now, �In fact, quite the contrary. My
daughter has been plagued by your unwanted affections for more than a year
now. She is not �your� anything, young man. As her father I ask you to
cease your torment of my family and friends.�
	�Lies! Saotome has ensorcelled your minds!� Kuno�s anger was still there,
but now a note of desperation crept into his haughty tone.
	�Kuno,� Ranma began again, �This ends today. If you won�t accept the truth
when it�s right in your face, so help me I�m going to beat some sense into
you.�
	�Kuno Tatewaki cannot be defeated by you!� Kuno insisted.

	Ranma�s voice held no bravado, none of his usual cocky assuredness, it
was just a simple statement of fact. �I am Ranma Saotome. Akane is my
fianc�e. Neither of us wants you, Kuno.�
	Kuno�s anger finally became too much for him to bear. He attacked almost
blindly, slashing at Ranma-chan�s head.
	It had been decided earlier that Ranma was not to use any special
techniques. If he were to punch Kuno hundreds of times in a second, or send
him flying in a whirlwind, or blast him with chi energy it would be too
easy for Kuno to cry �sorcery� and continue as if nothing had happened. He
was also to avoid any flashy jumps or blows from behind for the same
reason. Ranma was to beat Kuno in such a way that there was no delusion
that could contradict his loss.
	So Ranma didn�t fly into the air, or boot Kuno in the head. Instead he
simply caught the sword in mid-swing and delivered a sharp punch into
Kuno�s gut.
	�I�m not a sorcerer. I don�t have any magic. I�m cursed to change into a
girl, that�s all.� Ranma�s voice was a monotone as he willed Kuno to
understand just once.
	Kuno stabbed at mid-level and Ranma dodged on the outside, shouldering
Kuno�s ribcage on his way past.
	The tactic was as simple as it was brutal. He would cause Kuno to feel
enough pain that reality couldn�t help but intrude.
	And Ranma hated every second of it. It seemed a perversion of the Art to
use his skills in this fashion. If it weren�t for Kuno�s insanity this
whole episode wouldn�t have been necessary. Ranma hated him just a little
for that.
	�I was born male. In my mind I�m male.�
	Kuno launched into his �Pattern Strike� attack, stabbing out at Ranma at
speeds comparable to the �Amagure-Ken�.
	Genma had discussed this with his son at length. Without using any flashy
moves Kuno�s best technique would be hard to defeat. They had tossed ideas
around before arriving at one that seemed likely to work.
	Ranma backpedaled until Kuno�s seemingly random strikes went wide to
Ranma�s right. Stepping inside Kuno�s attack range Ranma uppercutted just
below his opponent�s sword arm, effectively cutting his striking power in
half.
	�Akane doesn�t love you. God damn it Kuno, why can�t you ever admit the
truth?� Ranma�s exasperation with the dense kendoist was reaching its peak.
He had to school his temper to keep from simply knocking Kuno out.
	Kuno had nothing left, and he knew it. His whole world was falling apart
and the only thing to blame it on was one of the objects of his desire. The
only thing left was to fight. He held his sword in his off hand, a
contingency any good swordsman had trained against, and pressed on.
	Tenacity beyond reason. Nabiki now understood what that term meant
perfectly. She felt a great deal of pity for Kuno. He wasn�t a bad guy,
just delusional. She knew about his family, his childhood, and her heart
went out to the boy whose life seemed destined to misery.
	Ranma barely dodged the next blow; the pointed tip of the bokken scored a
thin cut on his cheek. Kuno was definitely playing for keeps. He
reciprocated, grabbing Kuno�s wrist and wrenching the wooden sword from his
hand.
	A stomp to the shin, and Kuno was on his knees.

	�Tell me who I am.� Ranma demanded.
	�Osage-no-onna...� Kuno pleaded.
	�No!� Ranma brought the bokken around, breaking it against the back of
Kuno�s legs. �Who am I?�
	The swordsman fell, only to be caught in a full nelson, �Sorcerer...
Saotome...�
	Ranma tightened his grip, feeling Kuno�s wiry muscles strain against him.
�Who am I?�
	�Ahrr... Ran... Ranma...� Kuno had nearly reached his threshold.
	That wasn�t all, though. �And is your �Pigtailed Goddess� someone else?�
	A long pause, then, �No...�
	�And do I or Akane love you?� This was the moment of truth. Ranma could
feel Kuno�s bones about to become dislocated.
	�Agg... guh...� Kuno was almost beyond words.
	Ranma knew that any more would force Kuno unconscious. He didn�t know what
to do.
	�Answer me!� Ranma felt the joint begin to slide...
	�Stop it!�
	Nabiki ran over to the prone martial artists.
	�You�ve won, Ranma! He won�t bother you anymore!� The mercenary girl
shoved Ranma off, �Let him go.�
	With the pressure gone, Kuno finally lost consciousness. Nabiki held him
upright, and cried for one of her oldest friends. Whatever the final
outcome, it was over.
	Ranma walked over to Akane, who poured another thermos of hot water over
his head.
	�Ranma,� Akane asked, �Are you okay?�
	Whatever dam had been held in place by Ranma�s anger finally broke; the
great fighter broke down and cried. Akane held him, not quite understanding
but sympathetic nonetheless.
	And only Kasumi noted how much alike the two pairs looked just then.

End

	Well, this is my first Ranma 1/2 fic. I�m not sure exactly how this one
would be qualified. It�s not �dark� as such, but it�s definitely not happy.
Maybe it�s a pain fic? Whatever it is, there you have it.
	The whole idea came up when I kept on seeing fics where Kuno just suddenly
realizes, without much persuasion, that Ranma-chan and Ranma-kun are the
same person. I don�t think that 38 volumes could have gone by without that
being tried already. The sad fact is, Kuno would have to learn it the hard
way.
	I don�t like Kuno. He�s an aristocratic, effete, delusional, obsessive
snob. Someone should shave his bikini-zone with a blowtorch. �Nuff said.
('sides, it'd help him control the hormones...)
	Another little thing I don�t get is that Kodachi keeps on making more
trouble in fics than Kuno. Odd thing, I don�t recall anyone trying to sit
down and explain to her the way they do to Tatewaki. I mean, she�s
obviously more intelligent than her brother is, if a little more
imbalanced, but she�d probably get the hint a little quicker than Tatewaki.
(Just my opinion. It�s probably biased die to the fact that I just /love/ a
girl in black� ;-) Hence, a severe beating for Kuno-sempai.

	All characters are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi. They
ain�t mine. Characters used without permission.