The Legacy
A Ranma � fanfic
by Joseph "Ashira" Kohle
All characters are the products of the imagination of the esteemable
Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video and several Japanese companies.
They are used without her permission. Hey I would ask if I knew her
e-mail address.
Part VIII
The Solution to A Riddle
Ranma slowly regained consciousness, his mind slightly foggy.
There had been something that was important. Something that had
happened. He heard crying and felt terror in the back of his mind. "Ranko!"
he shouted pushing the sheets away.
"Wait!" Akane's shout surprised him, but not as much as when she
suddenly grabbed him and dragged him back down on the bed, "Listen for
a minute, Ranma. You can't go running off. You'll kill yourself."
Ranma was still a little shocked. Akane was holding him tightly,
pinning him to the bed, her body pressed tightly against his. He shook his
head, trying to clear it. The last thing he remembered was walking towards
the door, and know he was in bed with Akane. This was confusing, had it
all been a dream?
Ranko screamed briefly in his head. That cinched it, Ranma
untangled himself from, Akane's arms. Wincing slightly as his broken ribs
shifted under the sudden movement, Ranma stood up.
"I don't care if I die, Akane," Ranma said, grabbing his clothes from the
floor, "I just want Ranko back safe and sound. You would do the same
thing if she was your daughter."
Watching him dress, Akane knew that Ranma was right. She
wanted to go after Ranko also, if for nothing else than to make Ranma's
pain and guilt disappear, but she had also come to love Ranko as if she
were her own daughter over the past few days. It grieved her to have this
happen, it infuriated her. <Why would Ryoga do this? I just don't
understand.>
Ranma was walking towards the door, when Akane spoke again,
"Wait. I want to help you." It was a little bit of fear that made her say it.
She did not want Ranma to disappear again. The chances of him not
coming back, especially in his condition were pretty good. She had to be
with him, no matter what.
Examining her for a minute, Ranma nodded his head, realizing it
would be easier to take her along and place her someplace out of harm's
way rather than let her follow him and maybe get hurt herself. He did not
need anything else on his conscience. Hurting Ranko and now having her
kidnaped by Ryoga, who he should have realized was going to do
something like this, had shredded his confidence, had made him question
his own right to be a father.
"I'll wait outside while you get dressed," he said finally before
slipping out in the hall and closing the door behind him. Akane sighed as he
consented. She did not want to trail him, trying to keep him out of trouble.
This way they could help each other. Satisfied, Akane slipped out of the
bed and began to dress herself, blushing slightly as she thought how
naturally Ranma had accepted her being in his bed. She had not planned it
that way. It had just happened. She had not wanted to be alone, and she
had not wanted Ranma to leave without her knowing, so she had slipped
into bed next to him, holding him while they slept.
Shaking her head, Akane conti continued to dress, not wanting to get
distracted by daydreams. She was ready in a few minutes and was out the
door. Ranma was waiting patiently across the hall, apparently not willing to
break his promise yet.
"C'mon," Ranma said impatiently, grabbing her hand and leading
her towards the stairs, "I want to be out of here before anyone notices
we're gone. I don't want to explain any of this."
"Actually I would like an explanation," Dr. Tofu said from a chair
in the living area. The rest of the family, sitting at the table, finishing off
breakfast, mumbled their agreement. Two plates of food had been set aside
for Ranma and Akane. Startled, Ranma quickly revised his time sense, he
had thought it was night, not mid-morning. <I must've been out longer
than I thought.>
<What do I do now?> he thought gloomily.
<Answer their questions. You need to move as fast as possible, and
they can help.>
<Why do I need to move fast?>
<I'll explain latter.>
<This doesn't really help me that much, I still have only a small idea
of what is going on.> But the voice had already gone.
Bowing his head in defeat, began walking down the stairs, his spirit
suffering, as Ranko cried in pain and loneliness in his head. His daughter
needed him and they wanted an explanation. Nothing ever seemed easy for
him. Nothing ever had. Feeling Akane slip her hand in his, Ranma clutched
it in his, holding onto something that he could control at the moment. "I'm
here for you," Akane whispered in his ear.
Something had changed in her since yesterday. Ranma could feel a
new strength and confidence in her. It was reassuring to him, since he was
fast losing his own confidence in himself, as both a parent and martial
artist. Squeezing her hand, Ranma thanked her quietly.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ranma moved into the
living room where Dr. Tofu was sitting, patiently waiting for him and
Ranma's answer. Carefully, Ranma took a seat, the steel ribs in the
protective corset, making it a little difficult to find a comfortable position.
<At least my ribs are not hurting too much.> he thought, as Akane joined
him.
After a moment the family started joining the couple and Dr. Tofu,
their mood somber and quiet. Even Soun's weeping was subdued, as he
silently moaned over the loss of Ranko. Nodoka and Genma silently
touched their son's shoulder, love and compassion in their eyes. Nabiki
gave him a sad smile and squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him as the
others had done, but it was just not working.
Ranma was becoming increasingly impatient. He wanted to get
going. He had to get Ranko back, and that meant getting to Jusenkyo
before Ryoga, which he hoped would not be too hard with his sense of
direction, but Kaidu was in this, and Ranma did not know him. <This is so
frustrating!>
About to leap to his feet and storm out of the house, he was
stopped as Kasumi gently shook his shoulder, careful not to jar his ribs.
Ranma glanced at her. She was holding a tray of food balanced on her free
hand, with plates for himself and Akane on it.
He was not very hungry, but it was impossible to refuse the gentle
kindness Kasumi was showing, "Okagesame de," he said quietly, more to
say something than out of gratitude. Taking the tray from her, he handed it
to Akane.
Kasumi sadly smiled back at him, her eyes filled compassion for
him, sorrow for his predicament. "I'm sorry, Ran-chan. We all are so
sorry," she said her voice full of emotion.
Something just broke inside of Ranma at that point. He had been
through so much. At first the horror and guilt of hurting Ranko had simply
incapacitated him when he had witnessed her kidnaping and ben unable to
do anything about it. He had simply retreated into himself, unable to
believe
what was happening. His mind had shut down and refused to work. By the
time he had gotten to the home, he was simply seething in rage, determined
to get his daughter back, Storming through the house, he had simply boiled
and raged at everything, wanting to go after Ranko.
He had not yet grieved though, and watching Kasumi, hearing the
sorrow in her voice, the apologies she had given, things clicked in his mind.
Ranko was gone, and he might never see her again. He might lose his
Ranko forever. Grief suddenly welled up, within him, a surging wave that
crashed over his body and soul, carrying him away with it. It was too
much. He broke down, his head collapsing into his hands as the tears came,
sobs wracking his body.
Kneeling in front of him, Kasumi drew him to her, holding him
against her, comforting him as he poured out his grief. Slowly the emotions
died down, his sobs lessened and finally stopped . Spent, Ranma took a
shuddering breath and gazed into Kasumi's eyes, his tear streaked face still
a mask of pain and suffering, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over
me," Ranma stammered, pulling away from her.
"Don't be sorry, Ranma. We are here to help you," Kasumi said
softly, "We loved Ranko too. Don't shut us out, use our strength to help."
Ranma shook his head, "I appreciate your concern and desire to
help, but I don't need and can't let you be hurt because of me and Ranko.
Akane has already insisted on coming with me. I don't need anyone else.
You just don't know what's involved here."
"You could tell us, Ranma," Akane chastised from next to him,
"You are in no shape, emotionally or physically to do this on your own.
You need help. Trust us, we will help."
"Akane is right, my son," Nodoka said reaching across to touch his
knee, "We can help you. We want to help you. As a family we are honor
bound to help you. Do not shut us out."
"It's just that I need to get to Jusenkyo," Ranma complained,
although he knew he had already lost, "I need to get moving."
"Why are you so sure, Ryoga went to Jusenkyo?" Nabiki asked,
"Personally I would expect him to walk down the street in front of our
home with his sense of direction."
"It's not just Ryoga we are dealing with. Actually I don't even
think Ryoga was truly responsible for kidnaping Ranko," Ranma stated,
looking at Nabiki.
"The proof is pretty irrefutable, Ranma," Nabiki retorted.
Ranma sighed, he was going to have to explain everything. "No it
isn't," Ranma started, "You are just working off the physical stuff. You
don't know what is really happening."
"This is not a conflict between Ryoga and me. Well it I, but only
because what is happening needs a stimulant. Do you remember the story
behind my curse and how it connects with the nannichuan?"
Everyone nodded, Ranma noticed Dr. Tofu had paled slightly at
this question, he ignored it though, continuing on with his explanation
"I never told you this, I just couldn't, but ever since I woke up from
that incident at the hot springs, there ha been a presence in my mind, just
sort of sitting there and watching," Everyone looked strangely at him but
made no comment, "It's not there all the time, but I know when it is there.
This really didn't bother me, since I was used to having Ranko in my head
all the time. A few days ago though, it started talking to me. Just a few
suggestions at first, telling me what to do. But the previous night, when I
was soaking in the bath, Ranko came in crying. She had had a bad dream
and she told me about meeting Hui-cheng, and a dark man walking with a
man I can only assume was Ryoga."
"After she told me this, I noticed the presence was there in my
head, a sneaky suspicion began to form, I called out to Hui-cheng and she
answered me. I tried to get an explanation from her. She sort of told me a
few things, that I really did not understand. She said that my curse was not
done with me and Ranko yet, we still had things to do. She said something
about Ranko being only one cure for my curse, but it was not finished
because I had asked how t cure the curse of Jusenkyo, not my particular
curse."
"For some reason Ranko and myself are at the center of some age
old rivalry between Kaidu and Hui-cheng. Ranko is a reincarnation of
Hui-cheng, her soul is supposed to fulfill Hui-cheng's original destiny,
which
was left unfinished by Kaidu khan." Everyone was listening breathlessly.
Dr. Tofu was looking increasingly nervous.
"I don't know to much more about that, Hui-cheng told me it was
for me to discover in my own time. The only problem is that it seems time
is running out fast. Kaidu already has Ranko."
"I thought Ryoga took her?" Akane asked confused, this tale was
sounding rather implausible. A voice talking to Ranma, Ranko the
reincarnation of some dead Chinese woman, it was all unbelievable.
"He does, but Ryoga and Kaidu are the same now."
"Huh?" Everyone said stunned.
"Akane-chan, did you hear Ryoga ranting, when he fought me?"
Akane nodded her head. "When I asked him why he tried to kill Ranko, he
shouted "Because he told me to. He told me to." over and over again. Like
someone was whispering in his ear, making him do horrible things. This
and Ranko charging Ryoga yelling at him not to kill me, made me realize
that somehow, Kaidu had entered Ryoga. Maybe he jumped in nannichuan
to cure himself."
"Ryoga was cursed?" Akane asked surprised.
Ranma cursed his loose tongue, and quickly recovered, "He was,
but he did not like it. He hid it from everyone. The only reason I know is
that I accidentally knocked him into the pool."
"What did he turn into?" Akane asked curiously.
"I can't tell you Akane. Ryoga made me promise not to tell anyone
a long time ago, and even though I am going to kill him the next time we
meet, I won't break my promise to him. That wouldn't be honourable."
Akane sighed, "I understand, maybe someday though?"
Ranma squeezed her hand, "Some day, maybe then I could, but not
now."
"So you are saying that Kaidu made Ryoga take Ranko?" Nodoka
asked.
"Approximately, I would probably say convinced would be a better
word. Ryoga was rather unstable last time. He did try and kill Ranko,"
Ranma shuddered at the memory, the guilt rising again. Shaking his head to
clear his mind he continued speaking, "But I don't know why Kaidu wants
Ranko. But I know he is going to Jusenkyo, and so that is where I am
going."
Dr. Tofu looked like he was about to speak, but Nabiki interrupted,
"Why are you so convinced that he will be at Jusenkyo?"
"That note that was left by Ryoga told me to meet him at the
beginning, and it was signed in Kaidu's name. Hui-cheng told Ranko that
Jusenkyo was the beginning and the ending in her dream. It is just too
much
of a relationship to be a coincidence. I have to go to Jusenkyo. Whatever
Kaidu wants Ranko for, I wanted it stopped."
Finally Dr. Tofu opened his mouth, and said the words that chilled
everyone's heart, "He wants to kill her, so he can have his revenge on
Hui-cheng." Ranma's heart stopped, his mind going blank. Kill, Ranko? He
shook his head, his mouth forming the word no over and over.
It took him a while to get himself under control. It felt like someone
had just crushed his life out in an instant and forgot to tell him he was dead.
Eventually he found his voice, "H-how do you know that?"
"After you left me, I started looking through some old Chinese
manuscripts I had. You had made me curious and I thought I recognized
one of the things you had mentioned. It took me a few hours to find the
manuscript I needed, and even longer to find the right part. Finally I did
though, and it terrified me when I read it. I strongly hoped that it had
nothing to do with you and Ranko, but I now realize that it does."
"What did it say?" Ranma demanded, almost standing up.
"The book was of some ancient Chinese stories of magic and
curses. This one was know as the Rejection of the Khan. It basically told
the story you told me, how the khan loved Hui-cheng and she did not love
him back because she loved a simple craftsman. It of course made the Khan
the hero of the story. I think it was meant to be a tragedy, but I was not
sure."
"The story basically stayed the same until the death scenes. In this
the khan attacked Sung Pao, in an honorable duel for the hand of
Hui-cheng. Sung Pao was a coward and did not fight back, so the khan
killed
him. Turning to accept his bride, he was spurned as she ran to her fallen
love. Thinking it was just grief, he tried to console her, but she rejected him
and insulted him, telling him he knew nothing of love. Then after
pronouncing that she would never love him and would return one day to
earth to have her life back. With this she drowned herself in the pool."
"The khan, grieving, remained by the pool for three days, deciding
what to do. Slowly his grief turned to rage as he realized the insult she had
given him. He became so enraged that he shouted that he would destroy
whatever chance Hui-cheng could ever have for happiness and love. He
would return when she did and either possess her soul or destroy it."
"With that said he dove into the pool across from hers and
drowned. Neither of their bodies were ever found. As the khan died, the
tale says that the heavens themselves groaned in despair and changed the
valley of Jusenkyo and its pools to their current state."
"The story goes on to say that when Hui-cheng returns to the
world, Kaidu will return with her. He will attempt to possess her body and
soul, and make her his bride. If not he will destroy her soul completely. The
curse goes on to say that this will happen because the khan was the
righteous man, and Hui-cheng the evil temptress."
"Listening to you Ranma, I don't think he cares to have her as his
bride. He just wants his vengeance. Your daughter will die, if you do not
stop him."
Ranma sat on the chair, stunned, uncomprehending. <He will kill
Ranko. No I can't allow that. I must stop him. If I have to destroy Ryoga
completely to do it, than so help me God I will!>
Ranma pushed himself to his feet, "I have something I must do."
His voice was cold as ice, his eyes hard as diamonds.
"Ranma, you can't do this by yourself," Akane stated grabbing his
arm before he could walk off, "I am going with you whether you like it or
not. I will not lose you again!"
"Neither will I let you go alone in your condition," Nodoka said
standing up and walking up to take Ranma's hand, "Your father and I are
going with you. You'll need our strength." Genma eyes bulged a bit, but he
sighed and nodded his head.
"I brought the curse on you, son. The least I can do is help you
now." He stood up and took his place at his wife's side.
"I cannot let my children go into danger alone," Soun cried, "I must
go also."
Dr. Tofu looked around nervously, "I don't think I can or should go.
I have responsibilities here, and I would be in the way, although I suspect
you will need my healing abilities. Kasumi could join you, if you wanted?
She knows a good deal about medicine."
Ranma shook his head, "I think this is enough. We had better get
going."
"Haven't you forgot something?" Nabiki asked.
"Sorry," Ranma apologized looking at her, "You may come if you
want."
"No way Ran-chan," Nabiki said, "I, like Tofu-sensei have too
much to do her. What I meant was, how are you going to get to China?"
Ranma starred at her blankly. He had no really thought that far
ahead. He had just been planning to do his usual and stow away on a ship
headed for Hong Kong or Korea, but with this many people, he could not
do that. This was a major problem.
"Actually, Nabiki, I have no clue."
"Then I'll help by getting you to China," she said smiling, "Give me
a few hours."
Ranma nodded, and Nabiki disappeared. He looked around at the
others. "I guess we wait." With that he turned on his heel and walked
outside. Akane quickly followed him, worry in her eyes.
Akane found Ranma sitting next to the pond, throwing small rocks
into the pond. She sat down next to him. Leaning into him she asked him
quietly, "How are you feeling?"
Ranma continued to throw rocks in a steady rhythm. He did this for
awhile until there were no more stones within his reach. Then he stopped
and his head dropped to his chest, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs.
"How did you deal with my death? How did you continue to live?"
"I didn't," Akane answered, a little surprised by his question, "The
only reason I went on was because I did not want to hurt anyone anymore.
I didn't deal with your death. I closed in on myself, stopped caring about
everything. I backed away from anything that reminded me of you. I tried
not to think about you, but you were always there. An emptiness just filled
me where you had always been. It reminded me constantly of you. How
you
had always been there for me, always cared for me. Without you there, I
could not do anything by myself.. I did not want to do anything. Then I
started believing that you would come back to me. Sometimes that made it
worse, sometimes better. All I know now is that you are back here with
me. Just remember there is always hope."
Ranma sat quietly after Akane had finished, his mind blank, his soul
empty. "I couldn't have done that," he finally said, "Just the thought of
losing Ranko, just the thought makes me feel so empty. It doesn't even
hurt, it is just like I am not there. There is nothing without here. No reason
to live. I feel like just curling up and dying. There would be no point to
living without her in my life." Suddenly he stopped and looked at Akane,
seeing the hurt in her eyes, the grief.
"I am sorry Akane-chan," he said suddenly, taking hold of her
shoulders, "It's just that Ranko has become so precious to me, so central to
my life that life without her is just so inconceivable that I don't want it. I
do love you Akane, and want to be with you forever, but would you want
an empty husk by your side?"
"Ranma, I will be here for you forever. It does not matter what
happens to you, I will always love you. I will help you through everything.
Stop worrying about Ranko dying. You will save her. You always saved
me."
"I don't know this time, Akane. I just don't know," he said. <The
cure is sometimes more of a curse.> "Akane don't come with me. I don't
want to lose you too. I couldn't handle that, not both of you." He was
crying again, but he did not care. "Why is this happening Akane? Why does
Ranko have to suffer because of me? It's not fair."
Akane pulled him into her embrace, rocking him gently, "It's not
your fault. You are doing everything you can."
"You don't understand. I gave birth to her to cure the curse. The
curse is trying to complete itself now. I should have never gone on that
journey."
"Would you be willing to give up ever having Ranko?" Akane
asked, running her hands through his hair, "Would you give up all those
memories of you and her? I don't think you could Ranma. She is part of
you. You two were meant to be together. Don't give up hope yet. You still
have time to make everything right."
Ranma did not answer. He was thinking about what she had said.
He knew she was right. But the pain and emptiness filling him hurt too
much. He closed his eyes and just prayed. In the back of his mind he could
feel Ranko sleeping. At least she was not in any pain, but she was not
peaceful. How could she be? She was not with her father, she was scarred.
<I am going to kill you Ryoga. I will destroy you Kaidu. I will have Ranko
back no matter if I must go through Hell itself. You have chosen the wrong
person to anger. You have chosen the wrong way to do it. You all will
suffer for what you have done.>
Ranko awoke for a second, her loneliness and terror hitting him like
a brick. He started crying again in sympathy and grief. He could do nothing
to help her, not now, but he would. <I love you, himechan.> he thought to
her . He felt her become happy for a second, and felt her love for him. He
smiled softly and hugged Akane to him.
"She can hear me." he whispered to her, tears in his voice.
"What?" Akane asked, but Ranma was far away with his daughter.
