Ranma 1/2
Balancing of the Heart
by Anonymous
Characters based on the originals by Takahashi Rumiko
PART 1
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"That's it boy. Breathe in, and breathe out. Free your
mind. Feel the force flowing through you."
"Who are you? Darth Vader?"
"Keep quiet boy, and relax."
"If you say so, Pop."
Ranma Saotome sighed inwardly, his interest in his father's
martial arts relaxation techniques quickly dwindling. Genma
had insisted on it wholeheartedly after browsing through an
old book he found in the local market. It was supposed to
have amazing effects on one's ki, which resulted in more energy
for fiercer attacks. The result: Bored Ranma, who was beginning
to get a neck cramp.
But, with summer vacation came more responsibility. The
training was even more intense now, with sparring sessions
starting at dawn. After this, a routine set of exercises
that kept Ranma busy for about an hour (while Genma ate
breakfast, of course).
Thus, the day was ended with a serious reflection on the
activities that had occurred so far. Similar to that old
adage, "You'll sit there and think about what you've done!"
These sessions didn't last long, as something would more than
likely turn up, like a fiancee trying to get his attention (or
poison him; choose one: Kodachi or Shampoo). There was also
the occasional fight or challenge coming from one of his rivals,
of which there are too numerous an amount to mention. Every
couple of days, Ryouga or Mousse would show up, blaming all their
troubles on him. Major property damage would ensue what with
all the 'Depression Blasts' and 'Hidden Weapon Techniques' blowing
around. Ranma's opponent usually ended up walking away, bitter,
humiliated, and vowing revenge for what Ranma had done to them.
Most of these fights or "encounters" somehow involved his
"violent, tomboy, uncute fiancee, Akane. Either they were willing
to challenge Ranma for a chance at her, try to kidnap her, or it
was a rival fiancee trying to get her out of the way.
On top of that, Akane got extremely "jealous", at things he said or did.
She never admitted it, but it was there, visible to everyone but her and
Ranma.
"Why do *I* always end up getting blamed for this stuff?" Ranma
fumed internally. His forehead veins throbbed rapidly at the
disturbing memories of his past encounters at the Tendou household;
the pain inflicted him many times over started to make him sweat.
He continued his thought processes:
"And these fiancees! What right do Shampoo and Kodachi to claim
me like—like some kind of—OBJECT!?"
He snorted.
"Because they *claim* to love me? Feh. The only ones that seem to
truly show me any respect at all are—"
He paused.
"...a-are...Akane and Ucchan."
Ranma opened his closed eyes and relaxed from the position his father had taught
him. He lay his two palms out in front of him, at equal heights, at a set amount
away from each other.
"Now...on the one hand, Akane beats me like an old rug half the time." He lowered
his left hand.
"On the other hand," he murmured to himself, thinking intently, "she's..."
He froze, a sweatdrop forming on his forehead. He then suddenly rushed on,
setting his hands at equilibrium once again.
"Uhh, on the one hand, Ucchan's an old friend. A GOOD old friend." He subsequently
raised his right hand, noticing it was starting to shake visibly.
All of sudden, his mouth started spouting out things like it was the Hoover Dam, ruptured
with a huge payload of C4.
"She's nice, she's *cute*, she cooks, she cleans, she rarely hits me. Only when I REALLY piss
her off. She doesn't expect the impossible from me. She's great with business, and she's got a calm
head—" he winced at that last thought, recalling how unstable Ukyou could be at times
when driven to it. Case in point: how she had insanely tried to kill him when her thoughts were that he
had abandoned her at an early age. He settled his eyes on his left hand, which had by this time lowered
to the ground in such a way that any more compliments would have certainly buried it deep within the
earth.
"B-but..." he stuttered to himself, face full of confusion. His brow furrowed as he jumped to his feet.
"DAMMIT!" Ranma kicked a rock across the yard, hitting a cat on a nearby fence. As the feline ran off,
he watched the afternoon sun glimmer off the surface of the pool, revealing each ripple, each secret within
the depths.
"Surface...what's...underneath the surface?" He quickly shoved his feet into his shoes, and hurdled over
the fence, quickly hurrying toward a destination that only he held...and a possible future.
"ZzzzZzz...Ranma..pass the sashimi...<SNORT!>," grumbled Genma, his head slumping to the side.
----------------
The griddle sizzled in unbridled passion with the addition of the batter, shifting back between hither and
thither, unleashing its essence, and soaked in the juices of the ingredients added. The little meat there was
sopped up the last remnants of the clean untouched bread. A smooth, metallic throne scooped it up
from underneath, hefting it a lifetime's journey to the smooth, ceramic plateau. The gods descended
on it quickly, hurling into its body with wooden stakes, and then partaking of its body. They
breathed in its pleasant fragrance. It died slowly, this batter, but according to the gods, it was...
"Delicious!" remarked one of Ukyou's un-regulars calmly with the small of his voice. He set
down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin accordingly.
"Glad you liked it, Ryouga," Ukyou replied quickly, while tossing another okonomiyaki onto
a nearby customer's plate. She seemed to be moving near the speed of light, switching between
cooking okonomiyaki and cleaning dishes. A cartoon-like blur manifested itself in her position,
her duties becoming painfully obvious. Ryouga sat patiently, waiting for her to finish her 'feeding
frenzy'.
----------------
"So, where were you headed this time, Ryouga?" Ukyou asked, wiping down a dish with a towel.
"I was going to train in the mountains," he replied, rubbing out a glass with a washcloth, "...again," he
added, "when I found myself in a bar, where strangely enough, everyone knew my name, and the
people are all the same. It was strange, even for a gaijin bar.. There was this philosophical postal
worker, an overweight, unemployed, beer-swilling accountant, a skirt-chasing bartender, and-"
"All right, I get the point, dummy. What I mean is, what are you doing in Nerima?"
Ryouga blushed and set the glass aside, trading it for another.
"I-I was coming to visit Akane."
Ukyou nodded, still attuned to her work, but grinning slightly, "As *you*, or as the pig?"
He glared at her, a tooth showing out from under his disapproving frown.
"I'm just kidding, Ryouga, geez." She set down the plate, and sat down, yawning.
"Long day?" Ryouga asked, not watching her in particular, but paying careful
attention to the dishes.
"I suppose. For a Sunday, at least." She leaned back, and rested her eyes on the ornamental
shelf located behind the counter. Trinkets, figurines, and traditional Japanese fixtures adorned
the shelf, reminding her of a little village of close friends. Her eyes rested on a photo in a black
frame, with gold highlights surrounding the edges. It was taken a year or so before, with some
of her usual "friends": Shampoo, Mousse, Kunou, Gosunkugi, Akane, and...
"Ranma."
The customer bells of the door opening rang their sweet, short melody. An anxiety-ridden
Ranma walked slowly through the door, peering back and forth in anticipation of some unknown
event about to take place.
"Ranchan!" Ukyou jumped up, and glomped onto his chest, hugging him with such pressure
as to crush steel. She smiled hugely, and stared into his eyes. They were blank. And he was
blue. And he was gasping for air.
She quickly let him go, with Ranma's response a huge rush of air. "Oh, heh heh. Sorry, Ranchan."
She sweatbeaded, smiling nervously. He smiled even more so right back.
"Is she too tough for you, Ranma? Surely a GREAT martial artist like you can handle a MERE female."
Ranma's eyes closed to a slit, his neck hairs rising at the sound of "P-chan's" voice. Ukyou bapped
Ryouga on the head with her large, economy-sized spatula.
"MERE female, am I?" she spat, conking him once more for good measure. He fell over,
kissing the wooden floor.
"So, Ryouga...found your way out of the bathroom, did you?" Ranma replied, nonplused, his elbow
resting on the counter. Ryouga's eyebrows furrowed considerably, but he remained in his place,
refusing to take the bait laid out for him so much like a worm to fish.
"Would you like an okonomiyaki, Ranchan?" Ukyou asked, running to her usual place behind the counter,
making ready her utensils.
Ranma grabbed her hand, clenching it roughly enough to get her attention, but lightly enough as to
indicate harmlessness.
"Actually-no. C...can we talk?" His eyes glimmered with the old sparkle she remembered in her
old, close friend, but there was a touch of sincerity in them now.
Ukyou's surprise was apparent in her face. <Ranma Saotome, the great martial artist, TALK?
What goes on here?>
"S-sure, Ranchan." She turned to face Ryouga, hoping to ask him to leave, but he lay spread out
on the floor, unconscious, and gurgling bubbles all over the place.
She sat down in the stool next to him, staring at her hands. <What could he possibly talk to ME about?>
Ranma looked out the window for a few moments, chewing on the end of his thumb, in deep thought.
His black eyes glimmered in the little light there was remaining in the day, and revealing a spark of
intelligence.
"U-ukyou?" He spoke up, eyes still fixed on the outside.
"Yes, Ranc...Ranma?" She corrected herself, noticing that he hadn't used her nickname. This in itself
instantly set up warning flags.
He cleared his throat, "W-why do you love me?"
She tensed up at the question, but relaxed slightly after thinking about it for a minute. Why DID she love him?
The question had been raised in her mind several times before, but had never had it been asked of her before.
"B-because I do, Ranma." Her eyes moistened, but the reply from her lips had been heartfelt. She never
really had any reason besides that. And she had never felt she needed any other. But, coming out from
her mouth now, it sounded childish. The wishes of a young girl, with romantic ideals and dreams.
"I see." He merely replied, sounding somewhat disappointed with the brief answer.
"R-ranma," she trembled, "it's not so easy as it sounds, but that's the best answer I can give. I don't know why,
I just do."
If Ranma had not looked uncomfortable before, he did so now. He blushed slightly, but regained his emotional footing.
"Ukyou...I love you too..."
Ukyou's heart skipped a beat.
"But...just not that way. Not now. I'm still trying to figure out..."
She gripped his hand, holding it in her's.
"I understand, Ranchan. Somehow, I've always known. But..." she sniffed, her tears becoming apparent,
"if that tomboy ever lets you go, you always have some place t-to come back to."
She cried longer and harder than she had ever before, but at least this time, it was in his arms.
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The "Ucchan", now in his past, yet still part of his future, loomed behind him, watching over every step he
placed. The talk had been hard, and still hadn't accomplished much. He left Ukyou in Ryouga's care,
however lost he might be.
Although he was still pretty sure he loved that uncute fiancee, Akane, did she feel the same way? Did he
love Ukyou more? Was he lying when he said he DIDN'T love her that way?
Even though the scales now seemed heavier, at least now he had a better idea about the contents.