Disclaimer: Ranma and Company are property of Rumiko
Takahashi. Original characters are property of me, but I don’t
expect they’re all that original.
< >‘s mean thoughts
“The Return of Pantyhose Tarou”
Prologue.
The old man looked down into the valley, still lit by the
last traces of sunset. The pools shimmered in the fading light,
broken only by the bamboo poles rising from their depths, and it
seemed as if the magic they contained was for once, obvious rather
than hidden. However, it was not the valley of cursed springs the
old man looked to, but rather the dark speck flying above them. As
it drew closer, its shape became apparent.
Imagine a 15 foot high minotaur only, instead of a human
body, below its head is a body similar to that of a great ape, but
somehow more exotic and terminating in hoofed feet. Next, add
the tail of an eel and the wings of a crane sprouting from its back,
somehow keeping it aloft. Finally, look to the sides and see eight
octopus tentacles also coming from its back, hanging limply as it
propels itself through the air. Perhaps strangest of all, around its
neck is wrapped a pair of pantyhose, like some obscene sash. Such
was the sight that greeted the old man, as it settled to the ground
beside him.
The old man displayed no fear, nor for that matter any
other emotion. He merely turned and walked to pick up a pail of
water lying by the embers of a dying campfire a short distance
away. Remaining where it had landed, the monster took the
opportunity to study him in turn.
His skin was pure white, devoid of any pigmentation
whatsoever. The irises of his eyes, however, were so dark they
blended undetectably into his pupils, making him look slightly
inhuman to any who might chance to meet his gaze. His hair was
as white as his skin, cascading both from his head as a tremendous
mane and from his face as a thick, full beard that obscured most of
his facial features. For clothing he wore a white robe, covering his
entire body, save for face and hands. Under the robe, his body
appeared bulky and muscular, suggesting great strength.
Retrieving the water, the albino returned and extended the
pail toward the monster, which snatched it with a tentacle and
promptly splashed itself. The creature underwent a transformation
familiar to any who have had dealings with Jusenkyo. Standing
there now was a young man of indeterminate age, clothed in a
dragonscale vest and bracers, as well as pants, all of which had
appeared from.... somewhere. His hair was dark, forming ringlike
curls by his ears, and his face seemed almost feminine. His body
looked athletic, though not particularly muscular, and when he
adjusted the pantyhose sash across his chest, his movements were
incredibly quick and graceful.
The old man spoke for the first time. “You’re late, Tarou.
I summoned you weeks ago.”
“I’m no one’s servant.” Tarou spat out harshly. He then
softened his tone, speaking without the arrogance that usually
permeated his voice. “I came as quickly as I could. I was delayed
by a demon goddess and a dojo of fools..... but forget it, it’s
nothing you’d care about.” He paused to rub what might have been
a burn on his arm. “You’ve called me to repay the debt I owe you,
correct?.”
“Perhaps I just wanted to invite you for tea.” The old man
chuckled evily, in a manner that would have been familiar to anyone
who had extended dealings with Tarou. “I saw you managed to
follow my instructions correctly, unlike many a fool. Magic is after
all, a dangerous business. Still, those tentacles must serve you well
in combat, and I’m sure you picked up a few other tricks from the
spring of drowned octopus.” He paused for a moment and shook
his head. “I have told you before, Tarou, there are other ways of
gaining power, ways less dangerous than meddling with curses.”
“Quit peddling your chi tricks, Shiro. I’ve told you
before, I defeat enemies with skill, speed, and strength, not flashy
pyrokinetics! A real martial artist doesn’t rely on light shows, and
only an idiot thinks throwing energy bolts makes him invulnerable.”
Tarou trailed off from his rant and recalling recent adventures in
Nerima, smiled nastily to himself. The memories evoked a soft
laugh.
“Call me Kuramato-san, not Shiro! I’m your elder and
with all I’ve taught you, you owe me respect!”
“Owe? I’ve repaid you for everything you’ve ever taught
me, you’ve always made sure of that. But enough of this.....
Kuramato-san. You called me here for a reason, want to tell me
what it is?” The Pantyhose Boy finished and glared at Shiro, more
with impatience than hostility.
“To the point then. Something has been stolen from me, a
magical artifact of great power. It’s known as the Staff of
Jusenkyo.”
“Who would dare steal from the great master Kuramato
Shiro?” Tarou asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. Actually Tarou
was rather curious. Shiro had a nasty reputation, a reputation he
had lived up to more than once. Tarou himself wouldn’t have
wanted to cross him, at least without good reason.
“I believe it to be in the hands of the Suito Bandits.” Shiro
continued, not exactly answering the question. “Unfortunately, I
don’t know which group of them has it or nor where their
guildhouse might be. I’m afraid you’ll have to do a bit of
investigation on your own. Here’s what information I’ve managed
to collect.” Reaching within his robes, Shiro pulled out a sheath of
papers, loosely bound together and handed them to Tarou. “I need
this soon. I’ve been hearing..... disturbing rumors about the bird
people of Mount Phoenix.” The albino paused to point at the
mountains encircling Jusenkyo to the south, directly across the
valley from them. Lowering his arm, he continued. “They are
making preparations for something, something of great importance.
If I don’t have the staff, I may lose my chance, er, my chance to
stop them that is.”
Tarou noticed the slip, but he didn’t know what to make
of it. In fact, a lot of it didn’t quite make sense. The Suito Bandits.
True, this staff sounded like exactly the kind of object they’d be
after. But, they weren’t exactly known for their courage. Why
would they steal from Shiro? However, there were more immediate
concerns. That stack of papers looked suspiciously thin. “Just how
soon are we talking about? Even for me, tracking bandits who
don’t want to be found will be difficult. It’ll take weeks.”
“Don’t worry, whatever they’re up to, it’s still two or
three months away from any critical point. I was worried when you
didn’t show, though. In fact, I’d already made arrangements for
others to search for the staff when I sensed your approach. Still, I
was relieved to see you, since I hold little confidence in their
efforts. I would go after it myself, but you are aware of my
situation.”
“Immortality at the cost of eternity trapped with within a
few miles of that damned valley. Not a price I would pay.”
Steeling himself, Tarou continued, “I owe you Shi... Kuramato-san,
and I pay my debts. Without your knowledge of Jusenkyo’s magic,
I could never have used the octopus water to modify my curse. But
this pays my debt in full, agreed?” Tarou looked Shiro in the eyes
as he said this, wanting to make sure they were agreed. He had
learned a great deal from the old man over the years, but still...
Being in Kuramato’s debt felt like mortgaging a piece of his soul.
“Agreed.”
After Tarou had left, Shiro again looked down upon the
valley, though there was little to be seen, except the moonlight
reflecting off the pools. He spoke for no one’s ears save his own, a
habit years of solitude had brought him to. “Bwa-haha-hahaha.
Trapped? We shall see my student. I grow sick of your arrogance,
and once I have the staff....... your usefulness may just come to an
end.”
Chapter One: The Training Trip
(Note: This story takes place soon after Tarou’s last appearance in
vol. 32 of the manga. Things diverge from there.)
Ranma was sulking. This was almost unheard of.
Ryouga, Mousse, Ukyou, even Akane got depressed on occasion.
But Ranma. Normally, nothing could ever bring him down. Even
the worst of his fights with Akane never stopped him from getting a
good night’s sleep. In fact, there was really only one thing that
could cause him to sulk. *Losing.*
To be more specific, the place and time he was
experiencing this fit of depression was atop the Tendo roof, in the
middle of the night. He’d been up here before, sometimes on those
rare occasions he wanted to think, but more often to chase the old
freak or some other martial artist. Sitting cross-legged, his elbows
rested on his knees, allowing him to prop his head up with the
palms of his hands. After a moment, he seemed to come out of
some deep meditation, and straightened his back turning his head
from side to side in order to better survey his surroundings. Right
now, the ole’ roof wasn’t in the best of shape. There were chunks
missing and barely patched holes everywhere, legacy of a fight that
had occurred only a few days ago. That fight wasn’t the one that
bothered Ranma so much. Considering that he had been up against
a demon goddess and a tentacled monster, he felt he’d done pretty
well. It was what had come after.....
Suddenly, Ranma jumped to his feet, and began to
concentrate. As sweat beaded his brow, a glowing ball of chi
appeared in his hand. He flung it skyward, foregoing shouting the
technique’s name in the absence of an audience. It was impressive,
very impressive. A normal person’s confidence would have had to
be at a lifetime high level to duplicate it. However, Ranma knew
what he was capable of doing with the Moko Takabisha, and he
knew what he had just produced was far less powerful than his best
efforts. He just didn’t feel as confident in himself as he had a week
ago, as confident as he had been before..... before Pantyhose
Tarou.
Unable to stop himself, Ranma felt his mind drift back to
the week before. The fight had been Ranma’s doing, there was no
doubt about that. Tarou had been preparing to depart, having
finally understood that the secret of Rouge’s power was merely
ordinary backpads, and wishing nothing so much as to just forget
the whole thing. The rain had let up and he had returned to human
form, the better to purchase a few supplies for his journey
(shopkeepers seldom serviced monsters). Ranma still wasn’t sure
what had possessed him to follow Tarou. Perhaps he was simply
too pumped on adrenaline to remain in the dojo. In any case,
Ranma hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to throw a few
more insults at the departing martial artist. “Hey Pantyhose, forget
to buy some backpads? You know, the ones you were going to use
to take over the world!”
Tarou despised Ranma to begin with, and to listen to this,
this crossdresser mocking him was more than he could bear. “That
does it fem-boy. Here and now, unless of course you’re..... afraid.”
He gestured to a convenient park, located just off the street.
Ranma, being Ranma, was unable to turn down the challenge.
Once they’d faced off, Ranma suddenly opened with a
Double Moko Takabisha, attempting to catch the pantyhose boy
offguard. Tarou just dodged and let off a few mocking remarks
about Ranma “fighting like a girl.” Then he rushed Ranma, moving
in close and forcing Saotome to revert to physical attacks. Ranma
tried to overwhelm Tarou with the superspeed he had gained from
the Tenshin-Amaguiriken training, but Tarou easily dodged or
blocked all his blows. Again and again they repeated this dance
with Ranma occasionally able to get in a punch or kick, including a
knock to Tarou’s side that would leave his ribs aching for days.
However, Ranma was only able to keep up each attack for a few
seconds, and whenever the pigtailed boy would pause to rest,
Tarou took the opportunity to slip through his defenses and launch
devastating attacks. Whenever he could catch a breath, Ranma
taunted Tarou, hoping to get him to generate enough hot chi for
Ranma to unleash the Hiryuu Shoten Ha or at the very least angry
enough to make a mistake, but Tarou stubbornly kept his cool.
As the fight wore on and it became more apparent that
Tarou had the advantage, and Ranma grew desperate. He jumped
into the air and grabbed the branch of a convenient tree, whirling
around it and using it to launch a kick that, had it connected, would
have broken through Tarou’s blocks and ended the fight.
Unfortunately, he had once again underestimated his opponent and
Tarou dodged to the side, unslinging his pantyhose sash in mid-
motion. He snapped it through the air, letting the end wrap itself
around Ranma’s foot, and with a mighty heave slammed the pig-
tailed boy to the ground.
That’s when it happened. Ranma lost the fight. Worse,
Ranma had been defeated in such a way that he had to admit to
himself that he’d lost, and lost fairly. He’d stayed a man the entire
fight and so had Tarou. There were no excuses, no
transformations, no interference, and no way for Ranma to lie to
himself. The fight had been close, and the pigtailed-wonder had
gotten a few good shots in. But in the end, Tarou had managed to
put him on the ground, and before Ranma could recover his
footing, he had quite frankly, beaten Ranma to a bloody pulp.
Not that Ranma wasn’t fine again within a few hours.
Anything-Goes style was good for that. He’d healed so quickly
that when he returned to the dojo late that night, he was able to
conceal that anything had happened to him. After all, he certainly
didn’t want anybody knowing he’d been beaten. Though for some
reason, Akane had developed this crazy suspicion that he’d spent
the time with Shampoo. Since he couldn’t tell her he’d been trying
to stand without puking his guts out, it had been hard to deny.
Still, per Akane, she’d forgotten about the whole thing in a couple
of days, and he’d been able to pass off any lingering injuries as
related to her knocking him around with one of those damned
mallets.
When you got right down to it, the only permanent
damage was to Ranma’s pride. Unfortunately, this was exactly the
kind of attack that could hurt Ranma the most. It wasn’t just that
he’d been beaten either. It was the way Tarou had spit on him and
laughed that arrogant laugh of his. It was the way Tarou had
sneered “Better luck next time, fem-boy.”, before walking away.
So Ranma had spent the last several days with his confidence
severely shaken, which was what had brought him to the sorry state
of sulking on the roof in the middle of the night.
He spent a few minutes staring up at the sky, which his
chi-ball had lit up so briefly. <This ain’t no good. I gotta do
somethin’, I just gotta!> he thought. The question was what? In
Ranma’s mind, the problem suddenly became simple. He had been
beaten. The reason he had been beaten was because he wasn’t
good enough. The solution was obvious- he needed more training,
so he could get better and pound Tarou into the ground next time
he saw him. But where could he go? <Cologne could show me
some new stuff, I bet. She always helps me and usually don’t even
want nothin’ for it.> (Shampoo was the one who usually wanted
something.) That was the problem. She helped him because she
thought he was her son-in-law. He *wasn’t* her son-in-law, and
going to the old crone would feel too much like admitting he was.
If that made any sense. <And besides, she’d wanna know why I’m
hot for some new training all of a sudden, and I’m not ready to tell
*anybody* about getting beat.>
In any case, Ranma decided he’d better look elsewhere.
<Happosai?> Ranma managed to stop laughing a couple of
minutes later. He’d at least managed to cheer himself up. <Well,
what about Pop?>, he thought. Ranma was better than his father,
but the old man still knew a few tricks he didn’t. The problem was,
he sparred with his father all the time and it obviously wasn’t
enough. Anyway, the old man had been getting lazy ever since they
arrived at the Tendos. Their regular fights in the mornings and a
few sporadic training sessions were all he’d been good for in a
while. Otherwise he just seemed to expect Ranma to train himself.
Suddenly the solution hit Ranma like one of Akane’s
mallets. <Wait a minute! How come I need anybody at all? Why
can’t I train myself?> Ryouga went off alone all the time, and he
always came back at least a little better than before. For that
matter, if he remembered Tarou’s story right *he’d* been training
alone when he ran into Rogue. Of course, he would have to leave
Nerima, go out into the wilderness. Trying to seriously train for
any real length of time by just hanging around the dojo would be
impossible. Even discounting the usual annoyances like the Kunos
or Mousse, new weirdoes were constantly showing up to distract
him and force him into all sorts of ridiculous situations. Heck, the
more he thought about it, the more attractive the idea of just taking
a vacation seemed. <I could just go off by myself for maybe I
dunno, a month or so. Just do nothing but train and practice the
Art.>.
Ranma would have never admitted it, but the constant
chaos of his life was starting to wear him down, if only a bit. It was
just one damned thing after another, and he’d found himself doing
some awfully strange things, things that had seemed like good ideas
at the time. <I can’t believe some of the stuff I’ve been pulling this
past year. Like, what about the time I got myself into a contest
with that cheerleader over Kuno? Kuno! Where the hell was my
brain anyway?! Did Kodachi slip me some of her drugs or
somethin’?>
Naturally, as soon as he’d begun to talk himself into going,
he began to think of all the reasons he should stay. A month was a
long time, longer than he wanted to spend away from the first home
he’d known since, well since he’d said good-bye to his mother all
those years ago. If he went, he’d miss everyone. Especially, (he
was willing to admit it in the privacy of his own thoughts) that
tomboy Akane. Try to ignore it as he might, whenever he thought
about going away, an image of Akane’s smiling face forced itself
into his head. However, whenever he thought about not going, an
image of Tarou’s smirking face superimposed itself, and he heard
the words “Better luck next time, fem-boy”. Dawn was just
cracking open the sky when he finally managed to come to a
decision. He watched the sky brighten and turn to crimson,
enjoying both the sunrise and the peace of mind.
*********
“A training trip?” Genma knew something had been
bothering his son for the past few days, but he’d never anticipated
this announcement.
The four of them: Ranma, Genma, Soun, and Akane, were
discussing matters in the Tendo dining hall. Ranma knew his father
was a sucker for any talk of honor or sacrifice, as long as he didn’t
have to do anything himself, of course. He figured he could get the
old man’s support, and with him and Mr. Tendo there, maybe he
could avoid getting Akane too mad at him. It was after dinner,
Ranma having felt everyone would be in a better mood if he talked
to them at the end of the day.
“Yeah Pop. I feel like I’ve been slacking off too much
around here. Sure I fight all the time but how often do I just spend
the day training, like when we were traveling around? I figure I
should take off by myself for about a month, get back in fighting
shape, ya know?” Ranma spoke to his father, but his attention was
focused on Akane. He wasn’t sure how she’d react.
“Son, your devotion to the Art is commendable, but I
don’t think-” Genma cut off in mid-sentence as Soun dragged him
to one side.
“Don’t be so hasty Saotome. Do you see the way he’s
looking at Akane? He misses her and he hasn’t even left yet! They
do say absence makes the heart grow fonder.” whispered Soun in
an aside to Genma.
Genma wavered. “Well, I don’t know. Letting him go off
on his own for a month, who knows what trouble he’ll get into
without someone to watch out for him?”.
“Exactly. Trouble he’ll get into and won’t bring down on
us for once.” Soun took the opportunity to gesture around the
room, indicating damage still remaining as evidence of Tarou’s
latest visit. “We actually might get a few weeks peace, and maybe
some of the troublemakers he attracts will calm down without him
around. Who knows, with Ranma out of the city, perhaps those
Amazons will decide to just give up and go home!”
Meanwhile, Akane was making her opinion known. “I’m
going with you! I’m a martial artist too, you know. Besides, you’ll
need someone to cook.”
At this last remark Ranma visibly winced and began
desperately to try to dissuade her. “Akane, I gotta go by myself,
you know? I can’t afford to let myself get distracted-”
“Are you saying that I’m a distraction? You think I’ll just
be in the way! That’s it isn’t it?”
“Come on Akane, what do you think you’re gonna do
anyway? You know you can’t train with me, you’re just not that
good!” As he completed this last statement, Akane’s face twisted
itself into an expression of anger, and Ranma paled. He hadn’t
meant to insult her. It just seemed sometimes that when he talked to
Akane, everything came out all wrong.
“Ranma No BAKA!” She began searching the room for
an object heavy enough to satisfactorily bash Ranma with.
Fortunately for him, it was at this point that their fathers finished
conversing.
“Ranma, it has been decided! You leave the day after
tomorrow!” Somehow, Genma managed to make it seem as
though it had been his idea all along.
Meanwhile, Soun was trying to calm his daughter down,
using the time-honored technique of getting down on his knees and
weeping. “Wahhhh! Akane, how will the Anything-Goes School
ever continue if you kill your fiancé?”
Akane was sufficiently embarrassed by this display to put
down the table she’d been about to slam Ranma with. Still fuming,
she shot out, “Fine, what do I care if that pervert leaves anyway?”
With that she stormed off to her room.
Ranma stared after her, his heart aching. He hated it when
she got angry, hated it when he was the one to make her so
unhappy. He wanted to follow her, to tell her he wasn’t going
anywhere, but Tarou’s mocking words still echoed in his ears.
Genma clapped his hand on Ranma’s shoulder. “Ah son,
don’t let it trouble you. It’s nothing. Women are like that and,
when you’re older, you’ll learn that sometimes the best thing to do
is just to ignore them.”
Ranma looked at his father dubiously. He didn’t think
much of Genma’s advice, normally. Just this once though, he
hoped Pop was right. Shaking his head, he returned to his room
and began to pack up his things.
*******************
Though none of the four were aware of it, another party
had been watching their discussion with interest. P-chan ducked
out of sight as Ranma trudged off to the room he shared with his
father. Ryouga had only just arrived a couple of hours before, and
Ranma wasn’t yet aware of his presence. Ryouga was planning to
keep it that way.
<Saotome, how dare you abandon Akane this way!>
Unable to shout as a man, Ryouga had to content himself with
letting off some muffled piggy squeals. He was tempted to go find
some hot water and give Ranma the beating he so richly deserved.
<No I can’t, not now. If I fight Ranma, I just know he’ll manage to
get me lost, and then who will be here to protect Akane?>
Ryouga hadn’t planned on staying as P-chan for long, at
least not this time. He’d wandered into the Tendo dojo, and for
once he hadn’t even been trying to find it. He had thought to just
stay the night with Akane and depart the next day. <I can’t believe
I was going to go off and search for Akari. Ranma may mistreat
Akane, but I thought I could at least rely on him to protect her!
Now I find him abandoning her. I can’t leave. Without me, Akane
will be easy prey for all the weirdoes around here. But what do I
do about Ranma? He can be insanely jealous. I’ll just have to stay
out of sight for the next couple of days, or he’ll be sure to chase me
away before he goes on this trip of his. After he leaves, I can
become a man again. I’m sure if I ask as her friend Ryouga, Akane
will let me stay here for a while. With Ranma gone, it’ll be up to
me to keep her safe!> It would mean giving up being P-chan, and
staying at the dojo, he couldn’t try to find Akari. <But Akane’s
safety comes first!>
With that last thought in mind, the house’s self-appointed
protector went off to find a quiet corner where a small black pig
could stay unnoticed and out of sight.
****************
The next day.........
“Ranchan! Come in and have a seat!” The proprietor of
Ucchan’s okonomiyaki shop flashed a brilliant smile, guaranteed to
melt the heart of anyone who viewed it. Late-afternoon sunlight
filtered through the open doorway, adding an extra bit of luster to
her brown hair and highlighting the white ribbon keeping it tied in a
ponytail. As she spoke, she used a spatula to flip an okonomiyaki
off the grill and through the air, to an empty plate in front of a
customer sitting on the other side of the room.
Ranma was in female form, wearing one of her trademark
red shirt/black pants combinations and carrying a load of packages.
She went to sit at a stool in front of the counter, dropping her
purchases by her feet. “Hi Ucchan. Thanks for the seat, I’ve been
running around ever since school let out.” She squirmed
uncomfortably on her stool for a moment, then continued. “So.....
Er, how are things going.”
Ukyou gave her a questioning look. “You just saw me
during school Ranchan. Actually, I did get something interesting in
the mail today.” She waved an envelope in the air. “It’s a letter
from Tsubasa”
“Sorry, who?”
“Tsubasa. You remember, that crossdresser who was
chasing me. You and Akane thought he was really a girl.”
“Uh.......”
“Liked to disguise himself as trash cans and vending
machines.”
“Still doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Beat you in that cuteness contest.”
Ranma flinched at the words “beat you”, but a look of
comprehension dawned on her face. “Ooooh, Tsubasa. Sorry
Ukyou, but I run into a lotta weird guys, ya know. It’s not like he
hung around all that long.” Leaning back a little, she put her hands
behind her head. “So, what’s he got to say for himself?”
“It’s a letter of apology, rather sweet actually. He says
he’s sorry for chasing me around, and feels really embarrassed
about the whole thing. Apparently he’s gotten a girlfriend and is
apprenticed to a costume designer in the movie industry.” Putting
the letter away, she focused on the redhead suspiciously and
continued, “So anyway, what are you doing in the area and what’s
with those shopping bags?”
“Well, I’m sorta buying supplies for a trip. That’s why
I’m in girl form. I figured I could get a little more help from the
clerks this way, maybe even some discounts.” This was mostly
true, but she’d also been walking around to take a last look at the
area before leaving on her trip.
“Trip? What kind of trip, Ranchan?”
Leaning forward again, Ranma rested one arm on the
counter and used the other to play with her pigtail nervously. “It’s
a..... a training trip. I’m going by myself, nobody else, and I should
be back in about a month.”
“Uh-huh. What about school?”
“Aw, I missed classes all the time when I was traveling
with Pop.” It was Ukyou’s turn to wince when Ranma mentioned
Genma. “Besides, what I’ll be learning on this trip is more
important than a bunch of school stuff.”
It didn’t take Ukyou long to make her decision. “I’m
coming with you Ranchan.”
This was exactly what Ranma had been dreading since the
moment she’d decided to stop in and tell her friend about the trip.
“Come on, Ucchan. I told you I was going by myself. I can’t
afford any distractions.”
“How do you plan to improve if you don’t have anyone to
spar with? Anyway, this would help me too. I’ve been meaning to
try and improve my skills for some time now. <Can’t let that hussy
Shampoo pull ahead.> I know you, Ranchan. You’ll be lonely all
by yourself. C’mon, I’m sure you can use the company.” Ukyou
said all this in one breath, and had to stop and puff a bit.
Despite herself, Ranma was swayed by her friend’s
arguments. Ucchan was right, Ranma would be lonely. He’d
really come to enjoy having friends (and even enemies) constantly
around this past year. Even if Ukyou wasn’t up to Ranma’s level,
she was still good enough to provide an effective workout. Be nice
to have someone around to do the cooking, as well. It wasn’t like
it would be with Akane. If he took Akane along, he be thinking
about her or talking to her the whole time. It might actually do
wonders for their relationship, but it wouldn’t help him fight any
more effectively. In fact, there was really only one big problem
with bringing Ukyou.......
“Ucchan, if I bring you along,” Ukyou grinned at him
hopefully. “you have to promise me somethin’. I got to use this
trip to improve my skills, it’s important. That means I can’t afford
any distractions. If you want to come along as my sparring partner,
as my friend, that’ll be great. You have to swear though, you
won’t bring up any of that fiancee stuff. If I have to deal with you
that way, I’ll never be able to concentrate. So you gotta promise to
come just as my friend and nothing about us being engaged!”
Ranma had shouted that last bit just a little too loudly, and
the restaurant’s sole customer stared at the two girls with curiosity.
Ukyou gave him a hard look and he hurriedly returned his attention
to his okonomiyaki.
<If that’s the way Ranchan wants it, I guess I understand.
I wonder why he’s so obsessed with improving his skills. He
usually beats everyone around here pretty easily. Well, at least I’ll
still have the chance to get close to him. I wouldn’t want to act like
that cat Shampoo anyway. The way she’s always throwing herself
all over him, no wonder he just wants a girl who’ll be his friend.>
“Ranchan, if that’s the way you want it, I swear by my okonomiyaki
that I’ll come along just as your friend.”
The redhead relaxed, releasing a breath she hadn’t been
aware she was holding. “Thanks Ucchan, that means a lot to me.”
“May I suggest though, that you don’t tell Shampoo about
this trip. She’d probably just try to follow us and ruin things.”
Ranma’s face stiffened. “Why would I? She’d never leave
me alone. Probably think it’s the perfect chance to seduce me or
something.”
<Hah!> “You might not want to tell Akane about my
coming along either. Sometimes she isn’t too...... understanding
about these things.”
Ranma froze. <Akane! She’d explode if she knew I was
taking Ukyou along. Maybe I can.... No, it’s too late. I’ve already
invited Ucchan, I can’t back out now. It’s not like I’m cheating on
Akane or anything. Ukyou promised to come along as just my
friend. Maybe, maybe what Akane doesn’t know won’t hurt her.>
“You’re right, she wouldn’t like it. I guess I better just keep this
our little secret, huh Ucchan.” She attempted a weak laugh. <I’m
dead, I just know it.>
The pair spent a few minutes discussing travel
arrangements, and then Ranma left to return to the Tendo dojo
while Ukyou closed the restaurant to pack.
**************
Next day......
“Wahhh! My daughter’s fiancé is leaving us for the whole
month! Will their romance be able to survive.”
“And what romance would that be, Daddy?” Nabiki
arched her eyebrow and stared questioningly at her father.
Soun, Akane, and Nabiki had come to the train station to
see Ranma off. (Genma had declined to come, merely waving his
paw in his son’s general direction and hefting a sign saying {Have a
nice time boy.}) Ranma was hefting an enormous pack like the one
Ryouga usually carried, and preparing to board the train. He was
rather awkwardly attempting to say his good-byes to Akane.
“So, I guess I won’t be seein’ you for a while. I hope
everything’s, you know, OK while I’m gone. I’ve gotten sort of
used to having you around, and I’ll probably sort of think of you
once in a while.”
“I can take care of myself, Ranma! But.... I’ve gotten sort
of used to having you around too. Try not to get in any accidents
or anything.”
He blushed slightly, then cleared his throat. “Well, I better
get going.” Ranma slowly climbed the steps to board the train. As
he passed through the train door, the others shouted at him.
“Uphold the honor of the Anything-Goes School!”
“Remember, your debts are still accumulating interest even
when you aren’t here!”
“Ranma! I’ll, I’ll....” In a whisper. “I’ll miss you.”
***
Walking down the length of the car, Ranma stopped by a
seat and forcibly stuffed his pack in the overhead compartment,
next to a giant spatula.
“There you are, Ranchan! I was beginning to think you
weren’t going to make it. You know, you could have checked that
pack in with the baggage handlers.”
<Whoops!> “Um, I guess I just didn’t want to let it out of
my sight.” Ranma smiled sheepishly and dropped into his seat.
“Yeah, I know. I feel the same way about my spatula. I
have to tell you Ranchan, I’m feeling good about this trip. I think
we’re going to have a great time!”
“I dunno Ucchan, I just have this terrible feeling something
bad is going to happen.”
Ukyou playfully smacked him on the head. “You’re
beginning to sound like Ryouga. It’s a simple training trip. What
could possibly go wrong?”
End of Chapter 1
Author’s Notes: Well, this is my first fic. Like it or hate it, please
just drop me a line to let me know you read it. I want to thank
Blade and Hunter Kid whose discussion on rec.arts.anime.fandom
inspired me to write a fic with Tarou as a major character. Also,
I’d like to thank Robert Morrison who helped me come up with
some names, and who as much as promised to C&C this first
chapter . : ) I know a lot of times authors will say “characters may
be OOC but accept it for the sake of the story”, but that’s not what
I’m trying to do here. I want to keep them all as IC as possible, so
if I’m messing up, tell me.
I wanted to write an Ranma/Ukyou story, but by the end
of vol. 32 he is too clearly in love with Akane. Then I realized that
it is possible to write a Ranma and Ukyou story without writing a
Ranma/Ukyou story. Hints on where the story is going. Lots of
times Ukyou gets shuffled off as Ranma’s “best friend”. The thing
is, she gets treated like a normal person’s best friend. I want to
make her more like a warrior best friend. Ranma may forget her
birthday, but when fighting the forces of evil he will trust no one
else to guard his back. Think “blood brothers, er sisters”. Gee, do
you think Akane will be jealous?
One final question. This fic will probably end when U&R
return to Nerima. Should I have the occasional interlude showing
how the others are dealing with the events of the manga in their
absence, or should that wait for the sequel (of which there may or
may not be one, depending on response)?
Next time: More Tarou. More and detailed fight scenes,
and a mission!
