Ok, after a little editing, here's Chapter 3. C&C as usual, appreciated. Any
flames, dont even bother.
*Insert Standard Disclaimer here. I don't have any money and arent trying to
make any so dont waste time suing me*
"" = speech
<> = thought
** = action
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Ranma 1/2 - Jusenkyo's Curse
a fanfic by Kyo Kusanagi
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Chapter 3: Two Sides to the Coin
Akane lightly tapped Ranma from behind. "Ranma…"
"Yes Akane?" Ranma turned around to look at Akane. Everyone continued onward
toward the Tendo Dojo, leaving the two to talk. Akane held Ranma’s gaze for
a moment, not saying anything.
"Ranma…What you said back there…" Akane half-expected Ranma to change the
subject with something like ‘Oh look up at the stars Akane, aren't they
beautiful?’
"Oh, look up at the stars Akane, aren't they beautiful?" Akane sighed. Ranma
noticed Akane’s disappointed look and snickered. To her surprise he put an
arm around her, drawing her to him. Akane looked startled for a moment.
"…I'm only kidding Akane…Of course I meant it…" Akane looked up at Ranma’s
smiling face and she could tell that he was serious.
"You jerk! You had me going there for a moment!" Ranma smirked.
"I know…That’s what’s funny" Akane shook her head slightly, some things
never change.
"Ranma…did I tell you your Mom’s visiting?" Ranma immediately paled.
"What?! Oh no! Just great, how am I going to get out of it this time when
Ran-ko and I walk in together?!?" Akane’s eyes widened when he said that.
She hadn’t thought of that possibility either. They walked arm-in-arm for a
while down the streets of Nerima, neither one saying anything. The stars
twinkled at them from high above, as if they too knew the moment was meant
to be. A small gust of wind blew from the south, causing Akane to shiver
slightly. Ranma hugged her closer. Akane looked up at him for a moment then
rested her head on his shoulder.
"Ranma…I think it’s time you told your Mom the truth…"
"What!? You can’t be serious! I do that and I'm dead, like really dead this
time!" Ranma looked into Akane’s eyes and was slightly startled when he saw
that she wasn’t kidding around this time. He slowly nodded, he’d kept the
secret for too long now. Time after time he’d cheated his own mother out of
a chance of seeing him like he really was and, time after time he’d seen the
hurt look on her face every time she was told they weren’t home. He could
only guess at what she was feeling inside as he thought back to last time
when the hurt look on his mother’s face nearly made him confess the truth
had Panda not dragged him away in time.
"…Yeah…You’re right Akane…I should. It’s been so long…I…I can't remember the
last time I called her ‘Mom’ instead of ‘Auntie Saotome’…" Akane nodded and
looked up at Ranma, she could see that he too was serious this time. After
hesitating a moment, she reached up and, drawing his face in, gave him a
soft kiss on the mouth. Ranma’s eyes widened at this unexpected
encouragement from Akane. She broke the kiss and whispered softly to him.
"You’re doing the right thing Ranma…You know she’ll be so happy to see you
in your real form for once…As Ranma Saotome, not Ran-ko Tendo." Ranma nodded.
<Yeah…it’s been so long…I wonder how Pop is going to get out of it this
time…> Ranma thought, a silly grin on his face as he pictured Genma, in
panda form, sweating all over the floor, imploring him not to say anything.
Akane saw the grin on his face and, shaking her head, promptly drove him
into a nearby wall. So much for romance.
"Hey you two, hurry up!" Nabiki called from up ahead. "We’re already late
for dinner, Kasumi’s waiting for us!" The mere mention of food triggered a
change in Ranma. He extracted himself from the wall and made it back to the
dojo in record time, leaving Akane and the others behind. Akane slowly shook
her head. Some things never change.
**************
"Kasumi, we’re home!" Soun yelled as he, Panda, Nabiki, Ran-ko and Akane
walked into the dining room, Ran-ko sitting in Ranma’s place as Akane
indicated to her. "Dinner ready yet?"
"Just about Father. Did you manage to find Ranma?" Nodoka, who was chopping
up some carrots nearby, perked up at Kasumi’s mention of Ranma.
"Yes, he was at the Nekohanten and…ACK…Oh crap!" Soun remembered a moment
too late that Nodoka was around. "Err…No, no, we didn’t find him…" Soun
grinned weakly at Nodoka who ran out into the dining room with an expectant
look on her face. Panda held up a sign saying "Nope, no sign", a huge
sweatdrop running down the back of his head. Akane sighed at this.
"Auntie…" she began, Panda immediately began to sweat even more when he saw
Akane’s expression, he knew he was going to get it this time as his eyes
widened in fear. Akane looked apologetically over to Panda for a moment
then, setting her jaw in a straight line, continued. "…We did find Ranma…He
has something to tell you…" Everyone looked up as Ranma slowly walked into
the dining room, his eyes fixed on his mother. Kasumi’s eyes widened at
seeing two Ranmas.
"Oh my!…What happened to…" Kasumi stopped when she saw Akane looking at her.
"Sssshhh, I’ll tell you later…" Kasumi nodded, her hand still on her mouth.
Ranma stopped before the dinner table, gazing at his mother for a long moment.
"Mom…" Ranma said after a moment in a voice full of emotion.
Time appeared to freeze as Nodoka’s eyes widened in astonishment, the effect
of seeing her son, after more than ten long years, was beyond description.
She ran over to Ranma and hugged him, tears of joy already coming to her
face. She was at a complete loss for words, the joy and excitement of seeing
her own son again, her only son, her *manly* son, standing before her in the
flesh., was beyond words. Long had she dreamed of holding him again in her
arms, when he was only a child. Now her dream was realised, she was as happy
as any mother could be after being reunited with her son after such a long
time. Ranma hugged her back, tears flowing unashamedly from his eyes, and he
let them flow. Long had he wanted to tell his mother about the secret he
once held, a secret so terrible that he could not reveal it. Finally, after
all this time, he could greet his mother as himself, not as ‘Ran-ko’ or
anyone else, as Ranma Saotome. Nodoka hugged her son for a moment longer,
then held him out at arms length and looked him over, into his face and eyes.
"I must be dreaming!…Tell me I'm not dreaming! Tell me you’re him! Tell me
you’re really my son, Ranma Saotome!" Nodoka whispered fiercely at Ranma.
"M…Mom…it’s true…I'm Ranma…" Ranma whispered, feeling a lump of emotion in
his heart and a knot in his throat. Never in his life had he experienced
something like this. It almost seemed worthwhile keeping his mother in the
dark all those years, just for this moment. <Mom…> Ranma thought. Nodoka
broke down and wept tears of unbound joy, hopes fulfilled and dreams
realised. Ranma, too, wept. He did not understand why at the time, but he
knew that he would later. Akane wiped her own tears at the happy scene
before her, as did everyone else except Panda, who was too busy sweating to
cry. Visions of him and Ranma in traditional ritual dress holding blades to
their stomachs as Nodoka forced them to commit seppuku entered his mind. He
tried to inch toward the door but was promptly blocked by Akane.
"Akane!! What are you doing!? Let me out of here!’ Panda waved a sign about
in desperation. Akane however, simply looked down at Panda sweating on the
floor and shook her head apologetically.
"I'm sorry…Mr. Saotome, you can't keep this from Auntie Saotome any longer.
It’s already gone on for long enough…" Akane paused to look at Ranma and
Nodoka, mother asking questions and Ranma answering, this time with
confidence and poise, not with fear and hesitation like in past times when
he was ‘Ran-ko Tendo’. "Look at them…See how happy she looks? How can you
bear to hurt her any longer?" Akane glanced down at Panda again, who looked
ashamed. He held out a sign reading "You’re right…". Panda slowly got up and
returned to his seat, waiting for his time to come as he was seeing himself
and Ranma kneeling before Satan’s blood throne.
Mother and son then sat down for a long reunion talk, questions were asked
and answered as Ranma recounted their travels to his mother who listened
with interest. After a while, Kasumi announced that dinner was ready and the
entire family sat down to eat, as one. All throughout dinner, Nodoka posed
questions that were all answered, periodically commenting on how ‘manly’
Ranma looked, causing huge sweatdrops to form on Panda’s head and drawing
general assent from the Tendos. After a while, Nodoka ran out of questions
and everyone resumed their meal. Ranma, in the meantime, was looking over at
Ran-ko. She had remained silent throughout the course of the conversation,
quietly picking at her rice. Ranma felt sorry for his ‘sister’, he hadn’t
yet told his mother about Jusenkyo, he’d cut that part out when he was
recounting his travels to his mother. Everyone else, aside from Panda,
appeared to be having a good time. Ranma sighed inwardly at the sad, lost
expression on Ran-ko’s face.
<Poor girl…she probably never really had a family of her own…Here we all are
having a good time…she must feel really left out.> Ranma thought as Ran-ko,
absent-mindedly ate her rice, without anything else. Ranma reached out and,
taking a piece of meat from the platter on the table, put it in Ran-ko’s
bowl. Ran-ko raised her head to look at him in surprise, eyes shining. Ranma
smiled warmly at her and nodded. Ran-ko slowly smiled back and began to
nibble at the meat. Everyone nodded approvingly at Ranma’s kind gesture.
Nodoka smiled happily. Not only was her son manly but he was a kind person
as well. After dinner, Ran-ko helped Kasumi clear the table while everyone
moved into the living room. Nabiki excused herself and went up into her
room, claiming she had homework. Ranma crashed in his usual place on the
couch, Akane, after a moment’s hesitation, sat next to him. Ran-ko sat next
to Ranma as well on the other side, sandwiching him in the middle. Ranma
tensed up and looked over to Akane as Ran-ko leaned her head onto Ranma’s
arm, squeezing it rather affectionately. He was expecting something
distinctly mallet-like in shape, size and weight to be applied to his head
at any moment. It never came, Akane simply smiled at the two. Ranma let out
a sigh of relief. After a while, Nodoka and Soun joined them in the living
room, Soun dragging a very-reluctant Panda behind him. Nodoka sat on the
armchair adjacent to the couch while Soun stood behind it, leaning onto the
back of the couch. They talked for a while, Nodoka doing most of the talking
this time as she filled Ranma in on what she’d been doing all the time he’d
been away. Some of it he already knew, but he never let on. It wasn't time
yet. After a while, Nodoka became conscious of the fact that her husband
hadn’t returned as he’d gone out to look for Ranma as well, didn't he?
"Ranma…do you know your father is?" Panda, playing with his tyre on the
floor, immediately sat up and began to sweat. Ranma hesitated a moment. This
was time for him to tell her about Jusenkyo and the secret that he and his
father had been keeping from her for the past ten years. He glanced at
Akane, who nodded slightly at him, then up at Soun, who also nodded slightly.
"Mom…there’s something I have to tell you…After I do, then you can do
whatever it is that you are bound to by honor…" Ranma paused. Nodoka was
beginning to look worried that what he was about to tell her was something
she’d been dreading for the past ten years. She took a long look at her
son’s face, she saw only sadness and regret etched there. Nodoka nodded for
Ranma to continue. Panda, meanwhile, looked like he was about to have a
heart attack. "…G…go on then…"
"Pop once took me to this training ground in China called Jusenkyo. It is
famous for it’s cursed springs that would change anyone who fell in into who
or whatever drowned there last…" Ranma paused again and looked over to his
mother, who was clutching her covered katana tightly with both hands. But
now that he’d started, he didn't want to stop, he wanted to tell her and
finally get it off his chest. If he had to die, then he’d die with honor.
"…Pop couldn’t read the sign nearby and had no idea what it was…Despite the
guide there yelling at us, we couldn’t understand Chinese. So we sparred on
top of the poles that were embedded into the springs. During one such bout,
I accidentally knocked Pop into the Spring of Drowned…Panda…" Nodoka’s eyes
widened and looked over to Panda, who looked like he was about to pass out.
She then looked back at Ranma with a look that said ‘Don't tell me that…"
Ranma sighed, nodded and stood up. He grabbed the kettle of hot water that
had somehow magically appeared nearby and threw the contents over Panda,
turning him back into his human form. Nodoka gasped at her husband who
stood, dripping wet before her, trying to smile.
"…Husband?…" Genma simply nodded, not saying anything. "…Why…" Nodoka then
ran at her husband and embraced him, overjoyed at seeing him again. Genma
hugged her back tentatively. After a while, they broke the hug and looked at
each other for a long time.
"…Why…why didn’t you tell me? Why?!?" Nodoka was on the verge of tears.
Genma looked at the ground, ashamed. Ranma stepped up to his father and put
a hand on his shoulder. Genma may have put absolutely zilch effort into
bringing Ranma up properly like a father should but he was still his father.
"Mom…don’t be mad at Pop, he didn’t know at the time…" Everyone watching did
a double-take when they heard Ranma stick up for Genma.
"I guess there really is a first time for everything…" Akane said in
disbelief. Soun nodded, dumbstruck. Genma also blinked at Ranma’s words.
"May I continue?" Nodoka looked sadly at Genma for a moment then nodded at
Ranma. "…After I knocked Pop into the spring, I thought he was going to
drown so I dropped my guard…Immediately after that a large panda burst out
of the pool and crashed into me…I…I had no time to do anything, he knocked
me into the Spring of Drowned…Girl…" Ranma sighed, he’d finally said it.
Nodoka’s face was a mask of shock.
"W…What?! Spring of Drowned…Girl?!" Ranma nodded. Nodoka’s face paled and
she looked like she was going to faint. Ranma and Genma reacted immediately,
running to support her. "Oh…no…How can this be?!? My son…My only son…Is half
a girl?!?…" Nodoka sobbed. "…So…so dear little Ran-ko was…was…" Ranma nodded
sadly.
"…I…I'm sorry, Mom…I…we should have told you earlier…But Pop was so afraid
of that promise that he made to you that he thought it was in our best
interests to keep it from you…Mom…I…We’re sorry…" Ranma helped his mother
back into her chair. "…I couldn’t bear hurting you, but every time I wanted
to tell you Pop would remind me of his promise and…I…I couldn't…I just
couldn't…" Streams of tears were flowing down Nodoka’s face now, both father
and son felt extremely ashamed. Akane wiped a few tears of her own as Soun
broke down and sobbed at the sad scene before him. Ran-ko clung onto Ranma’s
arm and sobbed quietly. Ranma hugged her, whispering soothing words into her
ear.
"…My son…my only son…How can I bear to carry out my part of the pact?…God
help me…I can’t do it…" Nodoka managed to get out between sobs as she
mumbled to no one in particular. She wiped the tears from her eyes and
looked up at everyone. She saw Ranma hugging Ran-ko and blinked. <If my son
is Ran-ko…then how?…> Ranma saw his mother’s confused look and, stroking the
back of Ran-ko’s head a few times, sat back down and continued.
"However, a few days ago…Ryoga, my rival and I had a match…Due to, err,
certain circumstances the fight got out of hand and we were both hurt
badly…" Ranma paused and sighed. It was the first time that he and Ryoga had
really had a serious match and it was probably the first time that real
damage was done. "…After the fight I was confused due to
certain…problems…and felt I had to leave…" Ranma took Akane’s hand into his
lap and squeezed it gently. Akane cried quietly into his shoulder. "…A storm
was brewing and when it broke, I had to seek shelter…The nearest place was
the Nekohanten…" Ranma then went on to tell his mother of what had
transpired the past day, leaving out the part when he’d made love to
Shampoo. He could just imagine Akane’s reaction, along with everyone else’s.
All this while, Nodoka listened with intense interest, looking at Ran-ko who
was still in Ranma’s gentle embrace. Ran-ko felt Nodoka’s gaze on her and
she blushed slightly.
"…So, I picked the name ‘Ran-ko’…What other name could I have given her?"
Ranma smiled gently down at Ran-ko, who looked uneasy with Nodoka’s gaze on
her. "…But with the nature of the ‘cure’…Ran-ko is…in more ways than one…my
sister now." Nodoka’s eyes widened at this. In her wildest imaginations
she’d never thought that she’d gain a daughter out of all this. She looked
over at Ran-ko and thought about what happened at dinner. She had glanced at
Ran-ko a few times and she had looked…lost. Nodoka slowly nodded, she, of
all people, knew what it was like to be lonely. She looked over to Genma who
slowly nodded, arms folded.
"It’s the only honorable thing to do…" he said, his voice now serious. Ranma
nodded at his father.
"Besides…I’ve always wanted a kid sister…" He grinned weakly, trying to make
light of the situation. Ran-ko hugs his arm maybe a little too tightly,
causing him to wince a little. Nodoka looked at Ran-ko for what seemed an
eternity. Eventually, her face broke into a smile and she held her arms out
to Ran-ko, who looked at her uncertainly before looking up at Ranma.
"…Go on…She’s your mother…now…" Ranma reassured her with a warm smile.
Ran-ko hesitated for a moment before walking timidly over to Nodoka who
embraced her warmly.
"…O…Okasan?…" Nodoka smiled down at her daughter, gently pushing her hair
out of her eyes like Ranma did.
"Yes…Ran-ko dear…" Ran-ko began to cry. These however, were tears of joy.
Nodoka gently wiped them away, cradling Ran-ko’s head in her arms. "Ssshhh,
little one, don’t cry…" Nodoka gently rocked her back and forth, comforting
her. Eventually she stopped, only sniffling occasionally. Ranma smiled at
seeing his sister so happy, wiping a few tears of his own. Akane hugged his
arm tighter. Nodoka eventually let go of Ran-ko when she’d calmed down
enough and turned her to face Genma.
"Go greet your father…" Ran-ko looked at Genma, who smiled weakly. He was
clearly uncomfortable but Nodoka’s piercing gaze told him that to do
anything other than be nice was a definite no way. After a little prompting
from Nodoka, Ran-ko walked timidly over to Genma, clutching her hands to her
chest. Genma patted her on the head affectionately.
"O…Otosan…" Genma smiled at her and nodded. Ranma however, was thinking of
what fate would befall his sister once his father got his usual ideas into
his head.
<Jeez Ran-ko, of all the people in the world to pick as a father you had to
pick this lame excuse for one!> Ranma wrinkled up his nose and snorted
derisively. Nodoka caught her son’s disdainful look at his father and chuckled.
"Now Ranma…It isn’t nice to think of your father that way…" Ranma perked up
and blushed, embarrassed at being caught. Genma simply snorted.
"…Ingrate!" he muttered. At that moment Kasumi walked into the living room.
"Am I interrupting anything?" She asked. Everyone shook their heads.
"Kasumi…I’d like you to meet Ran-ko…the newest member of the Saotome
family." Soun piped up. "Ran-ko, this is Kasumi, my oldest daughter…" Kasumi
smiled innocently at Ran-ko.
"H…hello…" Ran-ko stammered after a moment.
"Hello, nice to meet you…" Kasumi then turned to her father. "Father…where
is she going to sleep? All the guest rooms are taken up."
"That’s right! I never thought of that!…" Soun paced the floor for a few
minutes, scratching his head and mumbling something intelligible.
"She can bunk with me…" Ranma suggested. Akane’s eyes widened and she shot
Ranma a ‘don’t make me kill you’ look. Ranma flinched. "…Come on Akane,
she’s my sister for crying out loud…" Akane considered this for a moment,
never taking her eyes off Ranma who was trying to smile, a large sweatdrop
trickling down the back of his head.
"That would be ok…" Genma said before Akane could impose something onto
Ranma. "…What does Ran-ko think?" He turned to look at Ran-ko.
"It’s ok…I’ll stay with oniichan." Ran-ko said, smiling at Akane. After a
moment, Akane gave in and nodded her consent. Kasumi left the room and
returned with an armful of bedding for Ran-ko.
"I’ll just put this into Ranma’s room then, ok?" Soun nodded at Kasumi who
left and walked up the stairs. Akane stood up, dragging Ranma with her.
"H…hey! Akane! What’s the big…" Akane shushed him with a finger on his lips.
"Ranma…I’ll meet you in the dojo, ok? There’s something I want to talk to
you about…" Akane turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving
Ranma behind to contemplate what she had planned for him.
"Oh great…Now I'm really gonna get it!" He muttered, sighing as he excused
himself and walked after Akane. Ran-ko gazed at her brother as he left the
room, hesitated a moment, then ran after him.
**************
K u s a n a g i K y o
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"Kusanagi Flames, Yagami Tears, Orochi Blood"