Ok, the actual chapter translation is finished. Now I just have to addd
the section on what Bento is and what it means as well as a few Bento
recipies. If anyone has any questions on the series, now would be a good
time to send them to me to be included in the notes.
***
A Son's Duty.
A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2.
Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Tendo Ranko, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga,
P-chan, Shampoo, Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Kurenai Tsubasa,
Tofu Sensei and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 1995 by Takahashi
Rumiko.
Publishing rights:
Japan: Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong: Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America: Viz Inc.
Chapter Seven:
The Deities knew how long this particular question had been coming,
especially given all the small coincidences and comments that had been
made over the last few months. Still, no one could actually prepare for
it, nor could one prepare for the reactions and consequences that would
occur because of it. For the three young people to whom the question had
a direct meaning, it could well mean a tragic ending.
Turning around, Ukyou, Akane, and Ranko looked at Saotome Nodoka, nervous
about what might happen. In all of their efforts to keep the truth from
people, they had never guessed this would happen, at least not so soon.
If they couldn't deflect Nodoka's inquiries, then Ranko would have to
commit Sepuku.
Nodoka for her part was now quite aware of how nervous the three of them
were about her question. It hadn't made sense that the youth who was out
cold on the ground was calling Ranko by her sons name, and she had
intended the question to ask how well the boy was. The reactions of
Akane, Ranko, and her suitor, Ukyou said that there was more here than met
the eye. Walking up to the three of them, she held out the Bento boxes.
"Here Ranko-chan, you forgot these this morning."
Ranko looked flustered and mechanically took the Bento, her nervous and
slightly scared eyes never leaving Nodoka's face. There was so much that
she wanted to tell her mother, so much that she wished she had the nerve
to do, but she couldn't stand the thought of breaking her mothers heart.
It wasn't the shadow of Sepuku that kept Ranko from telling her mother who
she really was, it was the fear of the pain that confession would cause
that kept her silent. "Th-Thank you, Auntie Saotome. I-I should have
looked for them before I left the house."
Nodoka looked at the young girl who she considered her daughter. For the
first time in her life, she started recalling the comments people had
made, from Nabiki at the dinner table, to sales people when she had taken
the girl shopping. Except for the hair, Ranko really did look a lot like
she had at the girls age. She began to wonder if it was natural or
something that the young girl had deliberately done. "Ranko-chan, would
you like to talk about what is bothering you?"
Akane noticed that Ranko was unable to say a word, and knowing her
tendency to stick her foot in her mouth or say the wrong thing when
flustered, she decided that it was time to let Nodoka in on a few things
while defusing the situation at the same time. It would have to be done
carefully, one word out of place and Ranma would die. Despite everything
she admitted to in public, she really did like Ranma as a friend, if not
as a fiancee. "Ukyou-kun, I think you'd better take Ranko to class. You
know what will happen if she's late again."
Ukyou looked at Akane, and quickly got the idea. Lightly resting his hand
on Ranma's elbow, he led the shocked young woman towards the school. It
was not going to be easy to break her out of this, especially since her
eyes showed a lot of fear. Of what he couldn't be certain and his fiancee
had never been afraid before. Ranko being afraid of anything was so far
outside of her normal behavior that it had become unimaginable.
For the first time in his life, he would have to be the one who was brave
for Ranma, not the other way around.
As the two of them walked away, Nodoka looked at the young girl she
considered her daughter, her heart actually beating a little bit faster
than normal. For such a long time, Nodoka had assumed that Ranko's
actions were only because she missed her mother, and that in some way, she
filled that role for the young girl. There were so many things that had
happened, the number of times that Ranko had come to her just to be with
her. She turned towards Akane, noticing that she was looking at the two
departing youngsters with undisguised concern and worry, "What is wrong
with her Akane-chan? Has something happened to my daughter?"
Akane started at that, "Y-your daughter. Auntie Saotome?"
Nodoka smiled, "My apologies Akane-chan, but I consider your cousin to be
as my daughter. I had not meant to offend you or make you uncomfortable."
Akane relaxed a bit, "I'm the one who is sorry Auntie. It's just that
Ranko hasn't had a mother since she was five, and she might as well not
have had a father, considering all that he did to her and the pain it's
caused. I just don't want to see her being hurt anymore."
Nodoka nodded slightly, "I think I understand, but what is wrong with her,
and why was she so startled when I ask why that boy had mistaken her for
my son?"
Akane sighed, "I guess we should take a little walk, Auntie. It's not an
easy story to tell, and you'll need some time to understand it."
Walking alongside the young girl, Nodoka pondered that statement. From
the sounds of it, there was more wrong than was apparent at the surface.
"Is it really that bad or hurtful for her Akane?"
The black haired girl nodded, "Unfortunately. You see, when Ranko arrived
here, she was sort of wild, not having lived in a very civilized setting
thanks to her father. In many ways, she had been raised as a boy, even to
the point of thinking that she was a boy. Being female was not the most
pleasant thing for her, and not having a mother was even harder. The only
companion that she had was Mr. Panda."
Nodoka sighed, "I figured that much out. That Panda is rather cute, and
very well trained, but it couldn't have gotten that way without someone
spending a lot of time with it. Given how much Ranko plays with it, I
figured that she was the one who thought it how to read and write."
Akane stifled a giggle at that comment. Apparently Uncle Saotome's signs
were something that Auntie considered an amusing trick that Ranko had
thought him. If anything, Ranma would like to stuff those magic signs
that he got from Tofu-Sensei down his throat. "Well, it's more than that
with that Panda, but getting back to the point, Ranma arrived not too long
after that, and Ranko immediately noticed how similar their names were, as
well as how much they looked alike."
Gesturing to a park bench, she continued, "To make a long story short,
Ranko started to imitate Ranma's style of talking, dress, and actions,
taking to the martial arts as if there was no tomorrow. It's rare to see
her in a dress or anything except for outfits that make her almost a twin
or Ranma. To make it simple, the school allowed her to register under the
same name."
Nodoka looked startled, "Do you mean that she likes my son that much? Is
that why the two of you fight so often? Is it because she wants to marry
Ranma?"
Akane giggled out loud at that. "No, she doesn't want to marry Ranma.
She admires him, acts like him, and in a way want to be him. Sometimes
they're almost indistinguishable from one another, which in a way is why
it's so hard on her when you visit. She knows how much Ranma would like
to see and know you, but is always being pulled away by Uncle Saotome on
training trips, and she also knows how hard it is on you. It's one of the
reasons that she tries to act so nice when you're around, so you don't get
hurt."
Nodoka frowned, "That isn't very healthy for her. She should act like
herself, not as though she's someone else, weather it be faking how she is
for me, or acting as though she's my son. Ranko should be her own
person."
Akane shrugged, "True, but as far as she is concerned, she is just another
version of Ranma. Maybe I should tell you of all the things that she has
done while using Ranma's name so that you can get a better idea of her
personality."
Nodoka smiled at Akane. She knew that this girl dearly loved her cousin,
but didn't want to let it show. All the Tendo girls, except for Kasumi,
had grown up without the proper influence of an older female it seemed,
and they had as much trouble expressing their true feelings as most men.
She instinctively knew that this was a way for Akane to show her love for
both Ranko and Ranma, and in a way that was only an explanation of a
problem for Nodoka's sake. "I would be pleased if you would do so. I
have not seen my son in ten years, and I would like to get to know my
daughter until I do meet him."
***
Ukyou looked over at Ranko as he led her into the building. They were
getting some strange looks from a few of the students, but not that many.
Given how many things happened around the small group of martial artist in
the school, it wasn't that unusual for something to happen. Especially to
Ranma.
"Come on Ranko, it isn't that bad. I'm sure that Akane will explain it to
Saotome-san." Ukyou said quietly, trying to raise the red headed girls
spirits, "After all, what is the worst that can happen?"
Ranko's voice started to come up in small spurts... "Sepuku...Father...
I...Mother...Don't want..."
Ukyou sighed and started to rub at one of his temples as he led Ranma to
their class room. Was it really worth going through all of this to make
sure that he wasn't engaged against his will? Wincing a bit, he suddenly
thought about how Ranma felt when it came to his multiple engagements,
none of which he had asked for. Ever since that letter arrived, he had
been thinking about who he really was, and which half of him was the
facade.
*Damn it! Now I'm starting to understand what he...she goes through. I'm
faking an engagement to a girl, who really happens to be the guy I'm
engaged to because in society I happen to be a guy. To top it off, now I
have two fiancees, one of whom I want, and had promised to me years ago,
and another one made without my knowledge.* He started grumbling to
himself, his mouth forming into a thin, straight line as he realized that
somehow he had been placed in an uncomfortably familiar position. At
least nothing else could go wrong today.
Of course, some of the girls noticed what Ranma was wearing and what she
was carrying when she came into class. Still rather stunned over what
happened that morning she began answering questions, and soon the entire
class was buzzing with the gossip. When Ukyou found out about the Bento
that Ranma had made to feed him at lunch, and figured out that there would
be a huge crowd of observers somewhere around them, he put both hands to
his head and started to rub it.
It was definitely going to be one of those particularly nasty days where
nothing seemed to go right.
***
Hitomi
Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."