Here's a new one.
It's only part one... should have part two up by the end of the
weekend. Any and all C&C appreciated... including suggestions for a
title!
-Mike Noakes
***
This Will Be the Title
"Mama now I'm coming home
I'm not all you wished of me;
A mother's love for her son
Unspoken, hear me be;
Well I took your love for granted
And all the things you said to me;
I need you arms to welcome me...
But cold stone is all I see."
- Mama Said, by Metallica
Ranma stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow, the
<<punching post>> still quivering from his last flurry of punches.
The bright afternoon sun glinted off his bare chest as he took
deep, calming breaths, winding down from his workout. He cooled
off quickly, the air crisp and fresh, carrying both a sharp edge
hinting at the coming winter, and the rich, cloying scent of fallen
leaves and cherry blossoms.
Behind him, Kasumi was laying out the laundry to dry, the
shirts and pants and sheets billowing in the wind. Some little
ditty she was cheerfully humming to herself drifted to his ears; he
couldn't make out the words, but it still brought a small smile to
his lips. The fathers were playing shogi, enjoying tall glasses of
iced tea and the weekend sun, as Nabiki read a book, stretched out
luxuriously on a lawnchair, listening to a new CD on her discman.
Turning away from his exercise, he let out a contented sigh.
Ranma wandered over to the dojo steps while slipping on his shirt,
gingerly stepping around the shattered remains of cinder blocks.
He smirked slightly - trust Akane to spend such a beautiful day
smashing bricks. Oddly, though, he hadn't found her loud kiais
annoying, or out of place; instead, they'd sounded, felt, just
right. Glancing around for her, he caught a glimpse of Akane
heading into the house. Ranma caught himself smiling at her
retreating back, made a half-hearted effort to stop, and kept on
smiling.
Sitting down on the stairs, he languidly stretched out his
legs. Everything just feels great today, he thought. What a
beautiful day. Behind him, a figure detached itself from the
shadows and skilfully crept toward Ranma, its eyes gleaming evilly.
Akane straightened her gi, tightened her belt, and closed the
broom closet with one foot. She leaned back against the door with
a small grin, feeling happy and relaxed - a mood she'd been in all
too infrequently since Ranma and his father had arrived. But the
last week had been wonderful: Ranma had managed to remain at least
civil at the worst of times, polite and friendly at his best. And
then there'd been the firework display two nights ago... their
hands had brushed and they'd held hands, watching incandescent showers
bloom in the evening sky. She smiled at the memory.
And today... today had been perfect. No arguments, no snide
comments, just a wonderfully relaxed day of leisure. A soft
grunting reminded her that even P-Chan had found his way back,
discovered this morning by Kasumi. Her pet pig wandered out of the
kitchen and towards the stairs, looking confused. She scooped him
up from behind and held him in a tight embrace.
"Does P-Chan want to help Akane sweep up her mess?" she asked.
The piglet nodded with a snuffle as she started to walk back
outside. She'd sweep up the remains of the cinder blocks, and then
maybe go for a walk in the park. Seeing Ranma waiting for her by
the dojo, she wondered if maybe he'd like to come as well.
"It's such a nice day, isn't it, P-Chan?" she said, looking
to her pet. "I don't think anything..."
There was a sudden surprised yelp, quickly sliding upwards an
octave or two. With a sigh Akane glanced outside. Ranma - now
female - was jumping around, screaming, something firmly attached
to her rear. When she reached over to grab it, it slid to the
front, fondling the red-head's breasts. Happosai. Well, he was
bound to show up eventually, thought Akane. It was probably
Ranma's fault, anyway. As she watched, Ranma tried pummelling the
old man in the head, only to stumble backwards into the pond,
losing her shirt in the process. Well, maybe it _wasn't_ Ranma's
fault. Maybe she should help her out.
Akane took a step towards the door when the phone rang. She
glanced around, but everyone was busy: Nabiki turning up the volume
of her music, Kasumi protecting the laundry, her father splitting
his attention between the shogi game and Ranma's struggles with the
pervert.
"I'll get it!" she hollered, then muttered "not that any of
you probably heard it in the first place!" She reached the phone
by the fourth ring. Releasing P-Chan, she picked up the receiver.
"Hello? Tendo Residence." she said. A brief pause as she
listened. "The Saotomes? One second, please!"
She placed the phone down and headed back to the door.
"GIMME BACK MY SHIRT!" yelled Ranma, chasing after the old
man. With a leap she disappeared over the wall. Ok, guess _he_
wasn't available for the phone, thought Akane. Maybe Mr.Saotome...
Or maybe not. Judging by the Panda bear playing shogi and
sipping iced tea, Mr.Saotome had been splashed during the brief
struggle. Akane shrugged and returned to the phone.
"I'm sorry, sir, but the Saotomes aren't, ah, available right
now. Can I take a message?"
She listened intently as the voice over the phone spoke. Her
hand started to tremble, ever so slightly. After a minute, she
spoke in a wavering voice. "I... yes. Tha... thank you." She
carefully returned the receiver to it's cradle and took a deep
breath. "Oh no... " she whispered.
She stood still for several moments, P-Chan looking up at her
in concern. Finally, she headed outside, her pet pig and broom
forgotten.
She told Mr.Saotome what the man on the phone had said.
Moments later, the tortured howl of a panda bear echoed eerily
throughout the neighbourhood.
***
Ranma wearily hopped over the wall of the Tendo household.
What a day. From peace and calm and relaxation to... well, what
could only be called a six-hour martial arts marathon through the
street of Nerima. He'd finally caught the little creep, though,
and made him pay. Since, by then, he'd already missed supper, a
small stop by Ucchan's had been in order. Probably better off that
way, anyway - Akane had been threatening to cook supper again.
Although, he admitted as he reached the door, she _had_ been
getting better at it... and her rice curry really wasn't all _that_
bad. He shrugged. I'm sure she'll understand, he thought, then
smirked. No, not likely.
He slid the door open, stepped into the family room... and
froze. The entire family was there, waiting... waiting for _him_
No. Not everyone. Akane was missing. And the tension in the
air... something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong.
He took them all in with a glance: Nabiki's face a mask,
unreadable, neutral, and carefully controlled; Mr. Tendo with tears
running down his cheeks (though that wasn't anything special in
itself); Genma, sitting next to him, a contorted image of grief,
back bent, body trembling, eyes puffy and red from heavy crying,
the tears obviously barely held back. And Kasumi... even Kasumi
appeared drawn and pale, hands wringing nervously in the folds of
her apron. Kasumi, worried - that scared him most of all. A sick
feeling formed in the pit of his stomach.
"Hey! What... what's going on here?" he asked, closing the
door behind him, trying to hide the slight tremor that had crept
into his voice.
There was a subtle shifting, as Nabiki and Kasumi looked
towards the two fathers. Mr.Tendo let out a small sob, while Genma
started to shake.
"Hey! What... " Ranma glanced around the table. "Wait!
Wh... where's Akane?" A sudden fear gripped his heart. Akane!
Where was she? Was she ok? What happened! "Is she... "
"Akane's fine." said Nabiki, her voice a chilling monotone.
Ranma relaxed slightly, the terrible sensation seeping from his
chest.
"Oh." He tried to force a smile. "Hey, c'mon, her supper
couldn't have been _that_ bad!" he said.
His words sounded obnoxious even to him in the resounding
silence that followed them. There was a loud crack as a pencil
snapped in Nabiki's grip.
"What, did someone die or somethin'?" he joked. A terrible
wracking sob tore itself from Genma throat and he pitched forward,
his head hitting the table with a loud thud. An acrid taste rose
in Ranma's throat. The hollowness returned to his belly. He
suddenly realised he was starting to tremble.
"WILL SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!" he yelled. His
father glanced up, eyes rimmed red and filled with tears.
"Your mother..." croaked Genma, then was overcome by another
sob.
"WHAT ABOUT MOM?" yelled Ranma. He was at his father's side
now, grabbing the man by the collar of his gi. He hauled Genma off
the ground. "What happened? What's going on? ANSWER ME, OLD
MAN!" he shrieked, violently shaking him. Genma responded with
another sob.
"Your mother..." started a voice behind Ranma, hesitantly.
Ranma spun and saw Akane, eyes and nose crimson, P-Chan cradled in
her arms.
Ranma dumped his father to the ground and looked at Akane
beseechingly. "What... what's happening, Akane?" he pleaded.
"Your mother... is dying, Ranma. She's in the hospital.
We've been waiting all night for you to get back, to visit her.
"They say she probably... she probably won't live out the
week."
***
"Please understand... you won't be able to stay for very long.
She's very weak, and it's very late." whispered the nurse. "I'm
sorry." The nurse backed out of the room, softly closing the door.
The figure lay upon the bed, the hospital bedsheets a sheath
encasing her to the neck, arms lying limply at her side. Nodoka.
Her face was pale, drawn and tired looking even in sleep. Akane
felt a slight trembling in her lower lip, but resolved not to cry;
she had to be strong, if not for herself, then for Ranma.
Nodoka stirred slightly at the sound of the door clicking
shut. Opening her eyes, she looked at her visitors, and smiled;
suddenly, the Nodoka that Akane knew was back, the caring eyes and
pleasant face replacing the frail woman who'd been there a moment
before. "Mr. Tendo! Kasumi, Nabiki! And Akane! I'm glad you
came." she said, her voice still strong and cheerful. There was a
pause, and then she added. "Oh... Ranko couldn't make it.
That's... too bad." She sounded disappointed, or hurt.
There was a brief silence amplified by the tension in the
room. It was Soun who broke it. "Ms. Saotome, " he started, his
voice carefully controlled. "We didn't come alone. We brought...
visitors." Akane stepped aside with her sisters, as did their
father. Behind them, huddled together nervously, were Ranma and
Genma. Ranma was staring at the ground, but his father's eyes were
locked upon Nodoka's.
"Husband!" she whispered. "You came! At last..." Her voice
rose with expectation and hope. "And... and Ranma?"
Upon hearing his name Ranma's head snapped up. His face wore
the same mask he'd slipped into since they'd first left the house:
a carefully neutral expression that revealed little of what he
felt. [And yet, when Akane saw his eyes, she could tell, she
_knew_, what he was feeling: intense grief, burning shame, seething
anger. Since when have I understood what going on in _his_ head?,
thought Akane, as both father and son stepped forward, kneeling
next to the bed.]
"Mother... " whispered Ranma, enfolding Nodoka's hand in his.
"I... " His head drooped forward, forehead touching lightly against
their coupled hands. "I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Nodoka slowly reached over with the other arm, her hand
falling upon the back of Ranma's head like a benediction. "For
what?" she asked softly.
"For... not being here. Being with you. Being your son....
For leaving you behind." he whispered. "I... "
"Shhh..." she hushed. Her hand slid down his face, caressing
his cheek, lifting his head by the chin. "There is nothing to be
sorry for. You were with me. Where and when it most mattered."
She smiled at her son, who tentatively returned it. Nodoka looked
pleased, but to Akane the smile seemed terribly forced, a facade
meant only to keep his mother happy.
Nodoka drew her son into an embrace, arms weakly draped around
Ranma's neck, their foreheads meeting. "I'm so glad to finally
meet you, Ranma. Son. _My_ son."
Akane jumped slightly as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder.
"I think we should leave now." whispered Kasumi in her ear. "This
is their time together." Akane nodded numbly as her older sister
steered her out of the room, bringing Nabiki and her father as
well.
"I'm so proud of you, my son." said Nodoka. "And of you,
husband, for raising him to be such a fine man.. such a... " Her
words were cut off as Kasumi firmly closed the door behind them.
The following silence in the darkened hospital hallway felt
chilling to Akane. She sat down heavily on a wooden near Nodoka's
room, lost in thought. What were they saying? What was Ranma
thinking? How was he taking this? Then her thoughts turned darker
as unpleasant memories intruded.
"Hey, you ok, sis?" Nabiki's voice interrupted her brooding.
"Huh?"
"I was asking if you were alright." Akane turned to face her
sister, who had seated herself next to her. Her face seemed as
impassive as ever, yet Akane thought she could detect a trace of
concern in it.
"Ye... Yes. Yes. I'm... ok. I was just thinking of Ranma."
said Akane.
"No you weren't."
"What?" Akane's eyebrows shot up at Nabiki's remark. Her
sister's face hadn't changed, and her voice was as steady as ever.
"You say you were thinking of Ranma, because that's the right
thing to say. But you weren't. You were thinking of Mom, right?"
"I... yes. A little." Akane took in the entire hospital with
a sweep of her arm. "This hospital, that room, Ms. Saotome in that
bed... it all made me think of her. Kinda. I was so young back
then..." She hesitated. "Is... is that wrong, Nabiki?"
Nabiki shrugged. "I dunno. Ask Kasumi - that's her
department. I'm not good with that stuff. All I know is that this
is gonna cost us a lot." She stood up, brushing her clothes off
with quick, sharp movements.
Akane felt appalled at Nabiki's statement, but bit back an
angry retort. Nabiki began walking away. "I need to get a breath
of fresh air. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." she said over
her shoulder.
"Nabiki..." said Akane. Her sister paused. "How... how did
you know that I was thinking? About mom?"
"Because... " Nabiki answered, a slight wavering in her voice.
"Because I was thinking the same thing." And she walked away,
quickly disappearing around a corner.
***
Wood shattered. Rock splintered and earth scattered as Ranma
vented his fury upon the dojo, its equipment and surrounding
terrain. With a final yell he sank to his knees, pounding his
fists into the ground with a dull thud.
The Tendos watched from the safety of the house, unsure of how
to approach the enraged boy, apprehensive of his unrestrained
anger. "Wow. Ranma's really lost it!" muttered Nabiki.
"His mother, Nabiki. His mother." said Kasumi softly, placing
one hand on Nabiki's shoulder. "He's lost his mother."
Nabiki shrugged. "Well, somebody oughta go talk to him. He's
tearing the place apart."
They watched as Ranma staggered to his feet and into the dojo.
Moments later their was a loud smashing noise. Kasumi winced, her
grip tightening slightly on Nabiki's shoulder. "At least... " she
started, then hesitated.
Nabiki glanced at her elder sister questioningly. "What?"
"Pardon?"
"You said: 'At least...', then stopped. At least what?"
Kasumi winced slightly as a hole was torn in one of the dojo's
walls. "At least he's letting it out..." she said.
Nabiki snorted. "Oh yeah, lucky us. You have any idea how
much this is costing us? Where's that mighty martial artists'
famed discipline I keep hearing about?"
Kasumi shot her a slightly disapproving look. "I'm sure you
will think of a way to cover the costs, Nabiki. But for right
now..." she said, returning her attention to the dojo, "He needs to
vent his anger. It will be better in the long run. I remember
when mother died. I found a way to deal with the pain; so did
Akane." She paused for a moment. "Actually, Akane dealt with the
pain in much the same way that Ranma is now. Father understood as
well that she had to let it out. Pain like that... pain like that
can't be, shouldn't be held in." The hand on Nabiki's shoulder
squeezed once. "I can't imagine what it feels like, carrying that
kind of pain inside every day."
Nabiki was silent as Kasumi pulled away. Outside, two figures
silently crossed the distance from the house to dojo.
Akane glanced at Genma as they approached the dojo. His eyes
were dark and slightly bloodshot, a grim resolve apparent in his
unflinching gaze; apart from that, however, Akane found it
impossible to determine what the man was feeling or thinking. His
quick, solid stride forced Akane to hurry alongside him, almost
stumbling in the darkness.
All too soon they arrived at their destination. Only then did
Genma hesitate, briefly, as a scream and crash escaped from the
building. His hand dropped from the door handle to his side,
quivering, fist clenched - and a moment later, gripped the door
frame and hurled it open.
Akane gasped at her first clear sight of Ranma. His hair was
wild, his clothes dishevelled, face gaunt and flushed with anger.
The few lights in the dojo cast his shadow across the floor and
onto the far walls, where it danced threateningly over them all.
He spun as his father stepped into the dojo, pulling his fist from
a hole in the floor. Pulverized cinderblocks and wrecked equipment
surrounded him.
"Ranma!" stated Genma in a stern voice. "This must... "
"Shut up, old man..." growled Ranma.
"No! You WILL listen to..."
"SHUT UP!" screamed the boy, launching himself at his father.
Genma stood unflinching till the last moment, sidestepping,
grappling, and throwing his son to the ground.
"Listen to me, boy! You can't keep tearing the dojo apart!
We are _guests_ here! I understand that you're hurt..."
Ranma stared at his father as he slowly regained his feet.
"You understand? You _understand_?" His tone turned venomous.
"How could _you_ understand, old man? You have no idea what I'm
feeling; no one does!" Ranma stared down at the ground, trembling
with rage. "You were there, you heard... she called me honourable.
She called me brave and strong and manly. Manly!" He gave a
bitter laugh then shot a hateful look at his father.
"But it's a lie! All lies!" he spat the words out through
clenched teeth. "All of it! Honourable? How often have I lied to
her, how many times have I played Ranko to save my own life?
Brave? Not brave enough to tell her the truth! Strong? No,
weak... too weak to stand up against your stupid ideas! Manly?"
He slowly sank to his knees, falling back on his haunches, back
bent. "Yeah, right..."
Genma softened as his son crumbled before him. Taking a step
forward, he placed a comforting hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Son..."
he began softly.
Ranma's head snapped up, eyes blazing. "I am _not_ your son,
old man..." he snarled. Before the man could move, Ranma rose,
twisted, grabbed him by the arm and hurtled him across the dojo.
Akane watched in shock as Mr. Saotome smashed into the far wall and
tumbled to the ground in a heap. He slowly struggled to his feet.
"Ranma. Son. Don't... Listen..." he said.
"NO!" growled Ranma, running toward the dazed figure. "Don't
you _dare_ tell me what to do, old man! Don't you _ever_ dare tell
me what to do... Never. Again!" His kick caught Genma in the
stomach, doubling him over; he fell to the ground as Ranma hooked
his father's legs and tore them out from beneath him.
"This is all _your_ fault! It's your fault I'm a girl!" he
slammed his fist into Genma, screaming, with each statement. "It's
your fault I never told mom the truth! Your fault she thinks I'm
Ranko, your fault she never had a son, your fault I wasn't with
her, couldn't protect her, couldn't know her, couldn't save
her...". Never once did Ranma's father try to dodge, or block, or
break free - instead, he silently absorbed his son's rage, eyes
squeezed shut with pain.
Finally Ranma stopped and hauled Genma up by the collar.
"What kind of father are you?" he demanded in a hoarse whisper.
Genma opened his eyes. Tears spilled as he stared deep into
his son's hate-filled eyes. "I'm sorry... son."
For several moments Ranma held him, Genma limp in his grasp.
Slowly, his arm started to tremble. "Not. Good. ENOUGH!" He
screamed, releasing Genma and fiercely kicking him in the stomach.
The older man went flying backwards, crashing through the wall and
out of sight. "Not... enough..." mumbled Ranma. "Never enough..."
Ryoga watched from the doorway as Akane stood behind Ranma,
her hand falling gently on the pig-tailed boy's shoulder. His
rival started slightly at her touch, but reached back with one hand
and clasped hers. Ranma's eyes never left the floor, Akane never
spoke a word, the two perfectly still in a pool of flickering pale
light. For once Ryoga realised that he didn't feel any jealousy or
animosity towards his enemy.
I've often wished Ranma dead, thought Ryoga. I've wanted him
hurt, tortured, punished for all the pain and misery he's inflicted
on my life. But this... _this_ I would have never wished upon him.
Even if he brought this pain upon himself... even if he blames his
father for everything... he doesn't deserve this. Ryoga watched
as Akane kneeled before her fiance, taking both his hands into
hers. She said something, words of comfort and reassurance, spoken
so softly that Ryoga couldn't make them out. He looked away.
"I'll have my revenge on you someday, Saotome." he whispered
under his breath. "Just... not today." Ryoga turned away from the
dojo.
"... it's ok for you to cry, you know." said Akane softly.
"There's no shame in it."
Ranma shook his head in denial, eyes still downcast. Akane
sighed. "Listen, Ranma..."
"NO! You listen!" interrupted Ranma, sounding upset. "You
weren't there, Akane. You didn't hear what she said, how happy she
was to see me, how happy she was that I was a _man_. A manly man.
"And that... that's why I can't cry. Not for her, not for my
mom. I'm a man. Even with this curse, I'm a man. And if there's
one thing men don't do... it's cry. For as long as she lives, I
won't betray the image she has of her son. I can't betray that
image, that idea... it's all I've even given her, all I _can_ give
her, to make up for all those lost year. So don't ask me to cry,
don't tell me it's ok... 'cus it's not." Ranma raised his head,
looked at Akane, his eyes seeming to beg for understanding, for
support.
Akane sadly shook her head from side to side. How could he
think that, how could he honestly believe such a thing? Seeing
Ranma's eyes narrow in anger, she sighed. "I knew you wouldn't
understand..." he muttered.
Akane stood up, knees popping slightly as she did so. Ranma's
features were mostly cast into obscurity in the darkened dojo, her
shadow overwhelming his crouched figure and melding with his on the
far wall. She walked over to the doorway, looking up at the night
sky. The district lights obscured most of the stars, but a few
strong ones shone threw. "You were wrong about one thing, Ranma"
she said, speaking softly but clearly. "Some people _do_
understand what you're going through."
She heard a bitter laugh from behind her as Ranma stood up.
"Yeah, right." he said. "Like who?"
"I do."
There was a deep silence. She heard Ranma walk up behind her,
till she could almost feel his body pressing against her back. She
heard him take a deep, ragged breath, sniff slightly. And then, a
moment later, he spoke, his voice cold. "No. You don't."
Akane felt a familiar, savage pain in her chest, unpleasant
thoughts rearing in her mind. "Yes! I do!" she spun to face
Ranma. "I do understand! I've lost... I... When I was..." Her
voice trailed off as Ranma's eyes drilled into hers.
"No. You don't. You couldn't." Akane's eyes widened in
shock and hurt. She felt tears form and tried blinking them away.
Why... why is he acting like this?, she thought to herself. Why?
He knows how I feel about... about mother. Her vision blurred as
more tears came. He took a step forward and she fell a step back,
stepping out of the dojo. "How could an obnoxious girl like you
possibly understand what I'm going through?"
Akane gasped, fell back, stumbled down the dojo steps. Ranma
loomed over her, cast into silhouette by the light beaming from the
open doorway. "Ranma... why...?" she pleaded, looking up at him.
She could feel his gaze staring down at her, though his face was
hidden. After a few moments he turned away without a word.
"Ranma... you jerk..." sobbed Akane. She ran back to the
house without another word.
Ranma staggered to the centre of the dojo. "Akane..." he
whispered, hanging his head. It snapped up, though, as an unwanted
voice spoke up behind him.
"You know, Ranma, sometimes you surprise even me." said Ryoga,
stepping through the hole in the wall left by Genma's exit. "To do
that to Akane, to hurt her like that... that's real low, even for
you." He leaned back against the wall, arms folded across his
chest.
"Go away, Ryoga." said Ranma without turning.
Ryoga smirked. "You know, I was going to. I had no intention
of getting involved. Then I heard what you said to Akane." He
leaned forward slightly. "There's no way I can let that go
unpunished, you know."
"Leave, now." Ranma slowly turned. He grinned - and it was
in no way friendly, or nice. "Before I hurt you, pig-boy. Before
I hurt you bad." He took a threatening step forward.
Ryoga shook his head. "Nope. Not till I've had my say."
Ranma stared at his rival. "If you don't go... I'll tell
Akane that you're P-Chan."
Ryoga gave a mean-spirited chuckle. "Oh, yeah, sure, Ranma.
Very honourable. Mother would be proud, I'm sure."
Ranma froze. He began to shake in anger, fists trembling at
his side, face contorting with rage. His mouth worked wordlessly,
incoherently, a low growl rumbling at the back of his throat.
With a slight, savage smile, Ryoga walked forward, towards the
dojo's door. He paused momentarily as he passed by his rival, who
was still quivering with rage. "It's all your own fault, you
know..." said Ryoga softly. "You blame your father, you blame your
curse, but there's no one to blame but yourself. You had the
chances, you had the time... you could've told her, faced her, let
her know who and what you are."
Ranma hand snaked out and latched onto Ryoga's throat. Ryoga
smiled. "Brave, Ranma. Really brave. Isn't that what your mom
called you?" The grip tightened. Despite himself, Ryoga reached
up and grabbed Ranma's arm - and found it solid and unmovable.
"Oh yeah," he rasped, still smiling. "Really strong... but
not strong enough to hear the truth. Like a man. If only your mom
could see you now." The grip tightened again, cutting off all
air... and then dropped away, Ranma's hand falling limply at his
side.
Ryoga continued his walk. "But of course, she can't. It's
too late, now. And it's your fault.
"It's time you face your responsibilities like a man. For
ruining my life. For ruining Akane's. For ruining your mother's.
Hell, for even ruining your own. There's no one to blame... but
yourself." Ryoga reached the door and turned to face a livid Ranma
one last time before leaving. "I was going to leave on a training
voyage, Ranma. But now... I can't. After what you said to Akane,
how you hurt her... it's my duty to go and comfort her."
"Fuck off, Ryoga." snarled Ranma.
Ryoga smirked and disappeared into the night.
Ranma watched as Ryoga stepped away. His anger drained away,
leaving only a cold emptiness and bitter pain. Ryoga's words...
hurt. Hurt... because they were true. It was his fault. His
mom... she should've know, should have been told, she didn't have
to live alone, without family, without husband and son. And all
because he had been too afraid to face her. Ryoga was right.
And now Ranma was alone. Everyone had been driven away: his
father, battered; Akane, battered as well, emotionally; and
finally Ryoga, the bastard, the pig, probably already snuggled up
with Akane in her bed. How could he?, thought Ranma. How could he
say such things?
'Because they're true', whispered back a part of his mind.
'Because you needed to hear it, instead of pining everything on
your father'.
Ranma squeezed his eyes shut.
She can't die!, he thought.
I barely even know her!
I should've been with her!
If I had been... maybe she wouldn't be sick.
I...
I won't cry. I won't.
I'm a man. Men don't cry.
And then, he suddenly realised he was standing in the corner, staring
down at a bucket of water.
Men don't cry...
Moments later, wet and shivering, Ranma slumped down in the
corner. The first sob tore itself from her chest; the tears soon
followed.
*** To be concluded ***
Ok. Hope it's ok so far.
I'm a bit worried I go OOC near the end. I didn't mean for Ryoga
to come out quite so mean - it just happened. And I'm not sure about the
swear... ah, hell, whatever. I'll wait to see what you guys have to say.
-Mike Noakes