Mina-san, Ohayou!
Well, despite lack of time and lack of creativity, I decided to
post this part. As I said last time, the following parts right up
until the end of Volume 3 will all be part of one big story arc,
concerning Ranko's mother. This one is the setup and things take
off from here. It's not really funny, so I though I'd warn you
right away. :)
Careful, rough stretch ahead. This is not spell-checked, nor
edited very much.
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Ranko 1/2 (_____)
Part 32:
"It's not fair"
It is early afternoon, and the sky is blue. Only a few clouds,
scattered on the endless azure canvas. Below, in Nerima, Tokyo,
school has just ended and the students stream throught the
streets, towards their homes.
Ranma is running along on the fence, animatedly talking to Akane,
who is walking on the sidewalk, keeping even to him.
Ranma: And I say to him, 'Of course Kimiko likes you, ya dope.
She would ask *you* out, if you gave her half a chance.'
So he asked me, how did I know?
Akane: A-heh. And you told him the truth, did you? [grins]
Ranma: Well... *A* truth, anyway. I told him that I know because
Kimiko told Ranko.
Akane: I guess that's [Ranma joins in, together:] Close Enough.
They laugh.
Ranma: Say, Akane, it sure is a nice day - are you up to a little
sparring, when we get home? I could use a little workout,
after school.
Akane looks ready to agree, when suddenly she catches herself and
frowns.
Akane: Err, no. Sorry, Ranma, today is... is just not good for
me.
With that she falls silent, but subconsciously runs a little
faster. Ranma notices the change in her mood and falls a few feet
behind, studying her back.
Ranma: [thinks] That sounded strange. I wonder what she's
thinking, right now.
~*~
Ranko is standing in the garden between the Tendou home and the
practice hall, going through her Kata. She always moves so as to
keep the koi pond in one corner of her eye - it has an annoying
tendency to suddenly appear under her at the most inopportune
moments. From her vantage point she can see into the house
through the open sliding door, where something catches her eye.
Akane, wearing a quite beautiful dress, is getting ready to go
out. Ranko continues her Kata, while watching her.
Ranko: [thinks] Hmmm. That's why she didn't have time to spar;
She's going out. But where is she going? Surely not
shopping in that lovely dress...
Ranko shakes off her distracting thoughts, just in time to avoid
falling into the pond. She catches herself and heads over to the
house. She arrives at the door in time to hear Kasumi's voice from
the hall. Apparently she is speaking to Akane.
Kasumi: It's good you remembered, Akane. Here, I prepared the
basket for you.
Stepping nearer, Ranko sees the two. Kasumi is handing Akane a
little handbasket, that Akane opens, inspecting the contents.
Neither of the Tendou Sisters has noticed Ranko, standing in the
doorway.
Akane: Of course I didn't forget, Kasumi-oneechan. I'm getting
ready right now. Thanks for preparing everything for me.
Akane turns, when someone clears their throat. It is Nabiki,
holding a small but very beautiful bouquet.
Nabiki: Here, take this with you. I bought it on the way home
today.
Ranko is a little puzzled by this. Nabiki spending money?
Obviously she must spend money *sometimes*, otherwise earning it
would make no sense - but flowers had never figured largely in
what Ranko imagined Nabiki used her money for. Before she can get
a good look at the older girl, she has hurried up the stairs.
Ranko watches Akane put on her jacket and steps out of the
shadows.
Ranko: Where're you going, Akane?
Akane: Oh, hi Ranko. Um. [hesitates, looks over into the living
room] Perhaps it's best if you just come with me.
She heads out, and Ranko shoots a glance into the living room, to
see what she looked at. But there are only their two fathers,
playing Shogi. She shrugs and follows Akane.
~*~
The graveyard lies peacefully under the blue Nerima sky, filled
with markers in all shapes and sizes. Most are simple rectangular
slabs on their pedestals, but there are also some rugged, natural
stones here and there. Each stone bears a family name.
Ranko: [thinks] So... She's paying respect to her ancestors?
She helps Akane, putting Nabiki's bouqet on display before the
stone that bears the Tendou name, while Akane pours the water,
lights the incense and lays out a mat. Ranko steps back, when
Akane kneels, and watches.
Akane: [closed eyes] Hello, Mother...
Hearing Ranko's gasp, she opens her eyes again and turns to her.
Akane: Ranko?
Ranko: I- I'm sorry Akane. I didn't know it was your Mother's
Meinichi.
Akane: [soothingly] Don't be! It's not your fault - We don't
really talk about it at home. It's... [hesitates, but
then continues] It's father. You know how he is when he
gets upset.
Ranko: Yeah, he seems a little, um, excitable sometimes.
Akane: [nods] That's the problem. You see... I was very little
when Mother died - just six years old - and it was a very
hard time for me. But father took it even worse. He
wouldn't *stop* crying for days on end; He was no help
for us children at all.
Ranko: [sympathetic] That must have been pretty bad for you,
being the youngest child and all.
Akane: [thoughtfully] Actually, I wasn't that sad. That came
later. At the time I was more angry than anything else.
Angry at all the world, for such a thing to happen, angry
at my mother for dying like that, and I think most of all
angry at myself for some reason. [shakes her head] Now,
Nabiki, she took it *really* hard. She was almost as bad
as father for a time.
Ranko's eyes widen in surprise at this revelation. The picture of
Nabiki crying - actually showing *any* emotion beyond her subtle
amusement with other people - seems unreal. She crouches down
next to Akane who is still kneeling on the mat, letting her gaze
wander over the memorial stone.
Akane: [lost in thought] She always had problems showing her
emotions and relied on Mother as, well, her sounding
board, I guess. When Mother died, Nabiki just closed in
on herself and didn't let any of us near her. It took a
long, long time for her to come out of her shell.
Thinking of something else, she smiles a little wistfully.
Akane: Kasumi, on the other hand took it all in stride, like she
always does. It is as if she was born with the knowledge
that the world is a crazy and sometimes unjust place, and
nothing that happens can throw her off balance. From the
day mother was dead, she knew what took me years to
realize... that, no matter what, Mother is still there for
me, watching me. I can visit her here, but most
importantly, she is still in my heart and my memories, so
that I can turn to her there.
Akane sniffles a little, but her face is happy. She shakes off
her reminiscense and continues.
Akane: Anyway. Father took it badly, and it didn't get better
over the years; It grew worse. At the slightest reminder
he would lapse back into his hysteric state. It was quite
embarrassing.
Flashback to some years before.
Akane, a child of perhaps eight or nine years, and her father are
at the graveyard. Souun clutches the memorial stone in both arms,
bawling madly, two streams of tears running away from the
memorial. Akane is frantically tugging at his robe.
Akane: Father, please! Everyone is looking at you.
She steps back, embarrassed, trying to avoid the glances of the
passing people.
Flashback ends.
Akane: And having a marker, right across the Otonashi's didn't
help either. So we decided that perhaps it's better for
the ancestors and everyone else if *some* of the living
remember - and some forget. We didn't put a photograph of
mother on the family altar and tried our best not to
remind father of her. We even removed all photos of her
that we had.
Ranko: Oh. What did you do with them?
Akane: Nabiki has them. On the day of mother's Meinichi, we are
especially careful not to say anything. I go to visit
mother, Kasumi stays home to soothe father, in case he
remembers, and Nabiki... [sighs] She locks herself in her
room with the photographs.
Akane takes a deep breath and brightens up.
Akane: I like to come here. It's peaceful - [glances over at the
memorial across the path] at least most of the time. That
helps me to remember mother and keep her alive in my
heart.
She smiles and turns back to the stone, closing her eyes and
beginning her prayer. Ranko stands up again and watches her,
thoughts whirling in her head.
~*~
In the garden of the Tendou household a peaceful atmosphere lies
above everything. The afternoon sun warms the rocks; The koi
pond ripples and paints circles of light on the nearby walls and
trees; The wind softly blows, making the trees whisper among
themselves and letting the glass chime sing.
But not all is tranquil here. A voice is coming from the open
doorway of the practice hall, and in time with the words there are
the sounds of dull impacts.
Inside the hall, Ranko is punching a weathered training dummy.
Her eyes are big and watery; If one didn't know her, one could
be led to think she had cried.
Ranko: It's not *fair*!
<Thunk!>
Her fist smashes into the cloth and straw bag that is wrapped
around the wooden plank of the training dummy.
Ranko: It's *just* - <Thunk!> - *not* - <Thunk!> - *fair*! -
<Thunk!> Akane's mother is *dead* - <Thunk!> - but even
she can *visit* her. <Thunk!> At least she has some
memories of her to *remember* her by. <Thunk!> My mom is
alive - by all rights I should be *with* her. <Thunk!>
Ranko stands still for a moment. Then she whirls around faster
than the eye can follow and delivers a straight-legged kick to the
midriff of the dummy.
Ranko: *THAT STUPID CURSE*!
<SKRACK CRASH!>
Ranko's last, anger-driven kick proved to be too much for the
effigy to bear. Its wooden "spine" snapped, it falls to the
ground at the other end of the hall. Ranko is startled.
Ranko: Oh no! [thinks] Now I broke Akane's training dummy.
She hurries over to the fallen straw puppet and crouches down next
to it. It is lying "face" down and for the first time Ranko
notices the little straw pigtail affixed to it. She can't help
but laugh at the sight.
Ranko: Heh. I guess I'm teasing Akane more than I realize.
[tugs the pigtail of the puppet] You 'n' me, pal.
She picks up the doll under the shoulders, like one would support
a wounded human.
Ranko: C'mon, let's get you fixed. That way at least one of us
will be in order again.
Suddenly a voice comes from behind.
Akane: I wasn't using it anyway.
Ranko turns, surprised. Akane is leaning in the doorway, watching
her. She walks over and plays with the dummy's pigtail, blushing
slightly.
Akane: The last time I used this, was when you were under
Shampoo's memory spell.
Ranko winces as she remembers how bitchy and mean she had been to
Akane during that time, but Akane just smiles.
Akane: I guess we could still fix it - for the next time.
Ranko: Ho! There'll be no next time. No Chinese amazons for me
anymore. In future I'll know to avoid their village.
Akane: [wondering] In future? Do you plan on returning to
China?
Ranko: Well... I don't exactly *plan* it. But I've got this
feeling that someday I *will* return there. I got cursed
there, and somehow I know that the cure will be in China,
too.
Akane: [laughs] You could jump into the Spring of the Drowned
Girl.
Ranko begins to laugh with her, but suddenly she stops. A groan
that speaks of a thousand pains rings from he throat. She turns
and slams her head into the wall. And again. And again. Akane
stops her before she can do it a fourth time. She spins Ranko to
face her.
Akane: What the hell are you doing?!
Ranko: [groans] Let me be! Somebody kill me!
Akane: What's come over you, all of a sudden?
Ranko: Don't you see? I *could* have jumped into the
Nyanniichuan! It exists, I'm sure!
She tries to bash her head again, but Akane won't let go of her.
Akane: Stop that! Anyway, who says that it would have cured you?
Ranko: Nobody says. It might not have cured me, but I could at
least have *tried*. How could I have been so *stupid* not
to think of it.
Akane: [grins wryly] Well, you *were* a boy at the time.
Anyway, you might be lucky that you didn't try. Magic is
a treacherous thing - the curses might have mixed up and
then you'd change into a hermaphrodite.
Ranko: At least as a hermaphrodite I could still wear dresses and
wouldn't have to fear that suddenly I'm a boy in girls'
clothes.
Akane: [laughs] But you would have to wear boys' shorts beneath
them, just in case.
Ranko: [grins sadly] A small price to pay. [sighs] This stupid
curse must be the worst there is. I mean, if you change
into an animal or something, at least people don't expect
you to carry on as if nothing happened.
A mental picture of Ryouga as P-chan in Akane's arms forms in her
mind.
Ranko: And I guess there are other... perks. But with a sex
change, people act as though you are lucky to have gotten
away so lightly. "Just wear sexless clothes and
everything is okay." But it's not!
Akane hugs Ranko and comforts her.
Akane: I know. I know it's not that simple.
Ranko: [into Akane's shoulder] Because of that stupid curse I
can't even go and see my m- mothuhuhurhur...
Quietly Akane holds Ranko, as she sobs on her shoulder. She pats
Ranko on the back, unsure of how to react. How is she supposed to
cope, when Ranko, who always seems so unflappable, breaks down?
Akane: Now now, Ranko, please. Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
You'll see, when tomorrow comes, everything will be
different.
Ranko: [still sobbing] No it won't! Don't you see? Tomorrow
never comes - it's always today over and over again. I'll
never be cured and never see mother again as myself,
instead of "Kunou Ranma"!
Akane looks a bit taken aback by Ranko's fierce retort. But then
she sets her jaw, grabs Ranko by the shoulders and holds her at
arms length before herself, to look her into the eyes.
Akane: Then *make* tomorrow come! I'm not going to sit around,
watching you go to pieces, *because it's hurting me, too*!
I want to see you smile again.
Ranko looks at Akane in astonishment, her tears forgotten. Akane
stares back defiantly, and Ranko's look gets more thoughtful.
Finally, Akane's heart jumps, as a smile slowly appears on Ranko's
face. It's a sad smile, but it's hopeful.
Ranko: [slowly] You're right Akane. I said that one day I'd
meet my mother again. And all this time I've been
sitting, waiting for that day to come, when all it takes
is my decision that it'll be today.
Akane: Yes! That's what I want to hear of you.
The two girls hug each other again, and softly, almost whispering
into Akane's ear, Ranko speaks.
Ranko: And thanks for kicking my ass, when I needed it.
~*~
Genma approaches the Training Hall, clad in his Gi. Lost in
thought, he is humming a little song, when he hears voices coming
from the hall.
Genma: [thinks] Ah, seems like Ranma and Akane are already
there. Perhaps we could have a little sparring round all
together.
But then he hears some words that stop him from calling out.
Instead he approaches more carefully, now, listening in on the
children.
Ranko's Voice: You think we can get this to work.
Akane's voice: We *have* to.
~*~
Ranko and Akane are kneeling in the middle of the hall, talking
animatedly.
Ranko: But what if mother...
Akane: [interrupts] Will you *stop* that? Don't play games of
"what if". Whatever happens, we have to *deal* with it.
There and then. We should be prepared, not anxious. Are
you ready to go through with it?
Ranko, inspired by Akane's assertive manner, loses her hesitance.
A look of decisiveness creeps into her eyes.
Ranko: Yes, I *will*. I will go and see my mother, no matter
what it costs me - nothing could be worse than the way
it's now. Tomorrow I'll contact her and invite her over
for next weekend. She comes over quite regularly anyway,
so she won't think it unusual, I hope. And then I can
explain everything.
Akane: [friendly] *We* can explain everything.
Ranko smiles, reassured.
~*~
Outside the Dojo, Genma presses himself against the wall. He has
heard everything and frowns intensely.
Genma: [thinks] I cannot let that happen. You don't know what
you are bringing upon yourself, Ranma - I have to save you
from making this mistake for both our sakes.
He strikes a dramatic pose, kneeling on one knee, one hand on his
heart, one fist raised to heaven.
Genma: [thinks] I swear I will avert this disaster!
Akane: Oh, hello Mr. Saotome.
Genma freezes on the spot. Akane has left the training hall and
emerged from the door, right besides him.
Akane: Is that a new Kata you're trying out?
Genma sweats nervously.
-- End of Part 32
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To be continued...
As I said, this one wasn't really a funny part. You gotta have
some of those, too, once in a while. I hope to make amends for
that in the next few parts, which will mainly be silly, whacky
runaround, with Ranko trying to contact her mother against the
resistance of her father. I haven't written any of that, yet.
What I *have* written are large parts of the climactic
confrontation at the end, so I hope I can neatly foreshadow them
during the next parts. ;)
Sebastian