I'm posting this with a lot of anguish, bcause I'm pretty much convinced I
can't write for beans. It's a Ranma fic based on one of the less wierd ideas
that have been running around inside my certifyably insane mind...remind me
to tell you the one about Kuno being a genius someday...
I NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK OF IT! PLEASE!
To wit, did it make sense, did you have any questions after reading it, and,
most importantly, what did it make you think of? The purpose of this fic is
to make you look at the Ranma story in a new way, and if I've failed, I want
to know it.
And so, without further ado, I give you...
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[GIRI]
"R...ranma?"
Silence. Heads turn slowly towards the door to the living room, where Nodoka
Saotome stands, eyes expectant. The faces of those assembled around the table
show surprise...and fear. This isn't supposed to happen. Mr Saotome's eyes
nervously glance around, looking for a way, any way, out of this predicament,
but even he knows it's too late, that his wife, after seeing her son, won't
be put off any longer.
Ranma looks at his mother, his eyes full of love. He stands.
"Mother" He bows deeply; in a polite, respectful way."I am glad to see you,
after all this time. Now that you are here, there are so many things to do."
Ranma advances towrds his mother. Everyone looks at him, puzzled by this
unexpected behavior. Nodoka Saotome smiles, her face lit with a joy that turns
to confusion as he walks past her, towards the door. By now the Tendos have
recovered from the shock.
"Ranma!", yells Akane, "where do you think you're going!"
"I have some things to do, I'll be back soon" says Ranma as he walks out the
house, leaving a group of confused faces in his wake.
==============================================================================
A bell rings.
Satsuke opens the door of the Kuno mansion and freezes.
"How...how can I help you, sir?" he stutters.
"I want to speak with upperclassman Kuno"
"Ce...certainly, one moment" Satsuke heads back inside the house shaking his
head in confusion.
"Who was the miscreant who dared interrupt my meditation, Satsuke?" says Kuno,
still lost in the contemplation of his dear, and very expensive, photo album.
"Ma...master Kuno...Ranma Saotome is at the door..."
"What!?"
"...and wishes to speak with you" Satsuke completes his sentence, despite the
fact that Kuno has already rushed out of the room.
"So foul sorcerer!", bellows Kuno, brandishing his weapon,"You have finally
found the courage to face me openly in battle! Hah! It will avail you to
nothing, I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shall still..."
Kuno halts, perplexed. Normally, he would already be lying on the ground
unconcious, or flying through the air. Something decidedly unusual is going
on. He decides to radically change approaches in order to confuse his
opponent.
"What do you want?"
"I want your help" answers Ranma.
==============================================================================
Akane sips her tea worriedly. In the kitchen, Mrs Saotome and Kasumi are
talking about cooking, trading recipies and expounding on the uses of various
spices. Mr Tendo and Mr Saotome are playing their customary after-dinner game
of shogi, but both are so nervous that they've lost all interest in their
game. Nabiki is reading a comic book, but she's reading the same story over
and over again, unable to concentrate.
"We must do something, Tendo! The longer my wife stays here, the higher the
chance she will discover the truth, and then..."
"Indeed Saotome, but what can we do? After seeing her son, you know she'll not
be put off any longer..."
The front door opens, and closes.
Ranma walks in, followed by Kuno. Both are carrying large bags. As Kuno enters
the room, Akane braces herself for the inevitable, but, for once Kuno doesn't
seem to be paying attention to her, he seems almost...serious?
"Ranma!", Soun exclaims, "what exactly are you doing?"
"Stupid boy!", hisses Mr Saotome, "stop wasting time! We have to find a way to
get out of here!"
"Is Ranma back already?", asks Mrs Saotome, walking in from the kitchen.
"Uhhh, yes dear", says Genma, smiling falsely, "I was just about to come and
tell you!"
"Mother," Ranma asks, "could I see your sword?"
"The sword?" Nodoka's eyes narrow a bit at the request, "well...I guess so..."
Nodoka unslings the sword she has carried on her back and hands it to her son,
a doubful look troubling her features. Ranma takes the scabbarded blade and
looks at it, in an almost regretful way. Genma looks at Soun, a expression of
triumphant hope dawning across his face.
Turning to Kuno, Ranma hands him the sword.
"Will it do?"
Kuno reverently slides the blade out of the scabbard. The evening light,
streaming in the living room from the garden, makes fire dance along the fine
blade of the sword. Kuno looks up, his eyes suddenly fearful.
"Y...yes."
"Will yo do it?"
Kuno swallows nervously.
"When?"
The answer is sharp, unhesitant.
"Now."
Kuno steels himself and nods once. A bit of his customary pose returns to him.
"A true warrior cannot refuse such a request."
"Thank you."
They walk out into the garden, and close the screen behind them, leaving the
Tendos and the Saotomes to look at each other in perplexed silence.
Nabiki scratches her head, voicing the though mirrored in everyone's face.
"Can anybody tell me what's going on here?"
Akane stands, her expression tense.
"Well I don't care what's Ranma's doing, but I'm going to get some answers
even if I have to beat them out of him!"
==============================================================================
In the garden, things have been set up. Two tatami mats lie on the ground,
facing the pond and pointing in the direction of the soon-setting sun. Beside
the mats are three trays, one white and two black, the white one containing a
paper-wrapped bundle, the first black tray holding a sake bottle and a shallow
cup, the other holding a brush, an inkstone and a single piece of white paper.
Kuno stands nearby, still holding the Saotome sword. Ranma is out of sight.
Akane hears a gasp behind her.
"Impossible, they can't be!"
She turns around, and looks at her sister. Nabiki's face is pale, her eyes
wide, she looks stunned.
"What is it, Nabiki, what's going on?"
Nabiki blinks once, and answers, in a toneless voice, a single word that sends
Akane's mind reeling.
"Seppuku"
The sound of some footsteps behind her snaps Akane out of her daze. Ranma is
coming down the gravel path towards the pond. His customary chinese outfit has
been discarded in favor of a white kimono, dazzling in the fading sunlight.
His hair,no longer braided in a pig-tail, hangs in a pony tail, held by a
white ribbon. The difference is stunning, and, for a moment, Akane can do
nothing but watch.
Then she is running towards him, fear and anger propelling her.
"You idiot! What do you think you're doing? You can't possibly be serious!
What kind of a fool would...mmmphh!"
With his hand still covering her lips, Ranma tenderly gazes into Akane's eyes.
"I'm sorry Akane." Taking a deep breath, he continues "Maybe if I had had the
courage to fall in love with you, I wouldn't be here, now. Please don't blame
yourself for this, Akane, there's nothing you could have done to prevent it."
He turns away, and walks towards the tatami, leaving a shocked Akane behind.
As he takes his place in the centre of the tatami, the rest of the family
comes out of the house.
Ranma lights a stick of insence as Kuno takes his place behind him, sword
drawn. The Tendos and the Saotomes have gathered to his left, shock, or
respect, preventing them from interrupting the ritual. Ranma takes the first
of the black trays. Carefully he pours a measure of the sake in the cup,
returning the bottle to it's exact position on the tray. He brings the cup to
his lips and sips it twice, and twice again, emptying it. He returns the cup
to it's place on the tray, and puts the tray back in it's place, besides him.
Ranma then reaches to the second of the black trays and brings it in front of
him. He slowly and carefully mixes the ink, and wets the brush. He then takes
the brush and closes his eyes, composing himself. Opening his eyes, he begins
to write, in large, but clear characters. Completing the haiku, he returns the
brush to it's place and, taking a deep breath, reads the poem he has written.
"A dead cherry blossom, fallen before it's time; but what of the tree?"
After returning the tray to it's original position, Ranma looks ahead, at the
setting sun, silent. A minute passes, then two, then three. Finally Ranma
turns towards those assembled by the pond and bows deeply, his forehead
touching the mat before him. Returning to a seated position he begins speaking
in a clear voice.
"Now that my family is once more together, I can no longer put off my duty. I
am Ranma Saotome, son of Genma Saotome. 16 years ago, I was pledged in
marriage by my father to Akane Tendo, daughter of Soun Tendo, and heir to the
Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. However, I lacked the courage to fulfil
my obligation and thus brought shame and dishonor to my family's name by
willingly trying to ruin my engagement. In my cowardice, I have actively
encouraged
other women to pursue me. I also, to my great shame, must admit to having
done and
said a great many things to cause friction between my bethroted and myself.
Because
of my irresponsible actions my father's promise has been broken. It is because
of this act of cowardice that I take my life today, to wash away the stain
of my
dishonor with my blood. I thank you for being witness to this act of
repentance."
He looks at his parents and Mr Tendo.
"I can only hope that another generation of Saotomes will be able to honor
my father's
promise, and unite our families."
Ranma once again bows low. As he reaches for a white tray, he pauses, and
turns to his
mother.
"Mother, do you still have that contract father and I signed, before we left?"
Nodoka Saotome seems confused for a moment, then pulls an old folded piece of
paper from an inside pocket and, with tremblinghands, hands it to her son.
Ranma unfolds the paper, reads it, and sighs.
"It seems that I have ruined more of my father's promises."
Refolding the paper, Ranma places it on one of the black trays at his side. He
slowly unties the white kimono he wears, bearing his chest and abdomen, and
carefully tucks it's sleeves under his ankles. He then reaches besides him and
sets the white tray before him. The tray contains a single item: a knife,
wrapped in paper tied by 3 red strings.
Ranma reaches for the knife, freeing it from it's wrapping. His face is calm,
his breathing even. The knife shines in the light of the setting sun. Ranma
slowly brings the knife to his abdomen, to the left of his navel.
In a swift movement, Ranma pluges the knife to the hilt, and begins the first
cut, slowly drawing the blade across from left to right. Completing the cut,
he turns the knife, drawing it upwards, towards his heart. His face is still
calm, showing no sign of the enormous pain he is feeling. He speaks, his
voice an eerie whisper, his tone strange, like that of someone remembering
the punchline to a favorite joke...
"There is tragic legend...very tragic...of young girl who drown...in spring,
one thousand five hundred years ago..."
He seems to nod.
The expertly guided blade flashes through the air with a whistling sound.
Ranma's body, bereft of it's head, seems simply to fold upon itself in a
final bow.
Unnoticed by all, the contract, blown away by Kuno's strike, lands on the
pond, the ink slowly running, turning the paper black.
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Please flood me with C$C. Wether you're a lurker or not, or a master
wordsmith, I really want to hear from you, wether on the list or by private
E-mail.
Many thanks,
Traveller
Genki@intergate.bc.ca