Alternatives -- Chapter 7
Ranma 1/2 and all of its' characters are the property of Rumiko
Takahashi and all of the companies who have licensed it. I don't own any
of it. I do not have permission to use her characters or ideas. I am
writing solely for pleasure. Don't sue.
All comments, flames, MST's or other responses are welcome. Let me
know what you think.
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Taking a big breath, Ranma yelled, "Banzai!" and jumped into the
Spring of Drowned twins. As he entered the water, his yell changed from
a shout of triumph into a scream of agony.
As his body sliced into the spring, Ranma sensed the water
surrounding him begin agitatedly boiling. Instead of feeling cool
against his skin, the water felt like liquid fire. He couldn't think,
for the pain of being boiled alive. For a second, he saw through two
sets of eyes and then with a lurch to the left, he saw onna-Ranma's face
separate from himself. Dimly, he heard a scream, it sounded like his
own voice, but its pitch began rising until it was a woman's shriek.
When the burning was so intense that he couldn't imagine it getting any
worse, it intensified. Slowly, oh so slowly, he saw a new body form
around the face. Its neck came first, then its torso and arms with its
legs last. As each part of the new body formed, the fire reached into
him and burned away a part of his soul. Having never experienced pain
at such an excruciating level before, Ranma was aware of every nerve in
his body signaling, each one telling him that he was ablaze and being
consumed. His entire existence became the inferno around him. Then,
without warning, it stopped. Thanking the gods that he was still male,
he stood up in a daze and noticed Nodoka moving toward him with a robe.
He made it out of the pool and into his mother's arms before shock
overcame him.
Had he been asked, Ranma would have sworn that he was immersed in a
block of ice. Feeling as if he was being sculpted, his body bounced
painfully as it percolated in the pool. His mind tried to force his
body to move, to get away, but nothing happened. Ranma had always been
told that being frozen was painless; it was a lie. He was in more pain
than he had ever felt before and it was only exacerbated by the
helplessness of immobility. When he thought that he would crack in half
from being frozen, the pain and paralysis mercifully ended. He, no, she
stood and saw Kasumi coming toward her with a robe to wrap her nakedness
in. She met the eldest Tendo daughter at the edge of the spring,
allowing it to be placed upon her. With the conflicting emotions of
self-pity, self-loathing and jealousy raging in her newly minted soul,
she stood shivering from remembered cold as she watched her brother
collapse into Nodoka's arms. Nodoka, seeing her daughter's look,
motioned for her to come and be held alongside her brother. She
struggled as she walked to her mother. Fighting a losing battle to stay
awake, blessed darkness swept over her as she fell into her mother's
waiting arms.
Standing next to Nodoka when Ranma jumped, Genma staggered as the
screams of pure agony were ripped from his son. The primal sounds
triggered his memories of Ranma's Nekoken training. Afterwards, he had
sworn that he would never willingly put Ranma into such a situation
again. Yet, once again due to his greed and actions, Ranma was once
again going through a torturous experience. Feelings of shame, remorse
and dishonor washed over him and he turned his back on the pool and the
horrors being inflicted upon his child. Until Nodoka had left to help
her children, he had lain his left hand upon his wife's shoulder and
cried.
Stoically watching Ranma, Nodoka's proud demeanor cracked when she
saw the water seething around her baby. Her thoughts raced in
indecision, part of her fought to protect her child while another part
recoiled in shock and fear at what was going on in front of her. She
beheld her son undergoing a transformation as hideous as it was
obviously painful. He was literally split apart cell by cell. Her
first instinct was to pull him out, to do anything she could to save him
from what he was undergoing. As much as she wanted to help him, she
found couldn't. If she did, the justifications for allowing Genma to
take Ranma from her in the first place would be shown true. Her pride
and honor would not allow her that seeming weakness. When Genma placed
his hand on her shoulder, she looked into his eyes expecting to see a
father's pride reflected in them. Instead, the shame and remorse she
found within them kindled the anger that a mother feels when her child
has been intentionally harmed. She shrugged his hand off and walked
towards the pool. She might not be able to stop this process, but she
would be there to love and support her children. As she passed the pile
of clothes ready for Ranma, she picked up two robes to wrap them in when
they came out of the spring.
In all of his experiences with the Master, Soun had never seen
anything remotely like what he had witnessed. Shocked out of his tears,
all he could do was stare in terrorized awe. His stomach had given out
as Ranma's body split down its torso. After emptying his stomach on
the green grass, he turned away, unable to bear the scene playing out in
front of him.
After years of being a mother to Nabiki and Akane, Kasumi had
automatically begun moving toward the pool as screams of torture pierced
the morning's stillness. She could no more ignore the screams of pain
than a doctor could. She didn't have the time or the luxury to feel
anything; one she loved as a brother needed her help. She might not be
a martial artist, but when it came to emotional and physical support,
Kasumi knew that her skill was on a par with Happosai's or Cologne's
skill at fighting. She caught up with Nodoka and with gentle hands took
one of the robes from the older woman. Standing beside the cursed
spring, she stood ready to tend whatever help would be required of her.
Initially, Nabiki stood affecting an uncaring, semi-detached
demeanor. However, once the screams began, her true feelings for Ranma
broke through as her face twisted into fearful concern.
Uncharacteristically unable to think of what she should do, Nabiki
mutely stood, as her hands slowly moved to cover her mouth, watching the
nightmarish transformation occur. After living with the Saotomes for a
year, she had gotten marginally comfortable with Jusenkyo magic and the
effects it could have. Each time she had seen a curse activate, its
effects had been instantaneous and painless, but this time she could
feel the anguish in Ranma's screams. Stunned to her core, her only
thought was that Jusenkyo curses weren't supposed to hurt. As both a
male and female Ranma struggled out of the waters, she turned to Cologne
and asked, "Cologne, what's wrong?"
Cologne never took her eyes off of the two Saotome children.
"Child, this is both the most blessed and most cursed spring of all at
Jusenkyo. Just like a mother's womb, this spring creates new life.
We've just been given the great privilege of witnessing the birth of a
new person. As any mother knows, no life is brought into this world
without pain and struggle. The difference today is that Ranma just
experienced the pain of their own births as fully matured adults." She
had known that the experience was supposed to be painful, but never had
dreamed that it would have been be this harrowing. Feeling a mixture of
pity and respect for Ranma, she shook her head. Feeling that no one
should be forced through this, she silently apologized to the two.
Kuno and Kodachi were both overwhelmed by the immensity of the
event taking place. They had only just started believing in Jusenkyo's
magic and now it was tearing Ranma apart. Kodachi felt her stomach tie
up in a knot as she wondered if she was really worth what Ranma was
doing for her. Kuno became frightened as he continued watching and
realized how powerful the magic of this land truly was. He turned his
back on Ranma so that he could control the fear coursing through him.
It was not seemly to be so afraid.
With every agonized scream, Akane stomach twisted in its own agony.
She was feeling the pain of watching a loved one suffer for her. Unable
to stand, she sank to her knees and cried. Feeling nothing but
emptiness inside her because she had let her love, her fiance, her best
friend go willingly into that torture, she was unsure if she could ever
forgive herself.
Watching at first in horror and then growing anger, Ukyo knew that
she couldn't let Ranma go through that again just so that she could have
a mate. Before anyone even knew, Ukyo had turned and begun running
toward the Jusenkyo Guide's hut. <You jackass,> she thought. <You
think that you can solve everyone's problem by sacrificing yourself for
us. Well, I love you and I will not let you go through this again just
for me. I know another way. I will make this sacrifice for you,
whether you like it or not.>
<I must be strong for my husband,> Shampoo thought. For an Amazon
warrior, showing any kind of emotion for what Ranma was going through
would be seen as a sign of weakness. It was of paramount importance to
Shampoo to be seen as a strong warrior, otherwise Ranma might think her
weak and leave her. She kept repeating this to herself so that she
wouldn't embarrass Ranma by crying in front of her great-grandmother.
By the time Ranma, male and female, collapsed into their mother's
arms, the scene had completely changed. Genma was staring after Nodoka,
a stunned and hurt expression on his face. Obviously ill, Soun weaved
his way to the Guide's hut. Nabiki was angrily making her way towards
where Cologne was, for a change, standing flat-footed. Kodachi and
Shampoo were both still facing in the direction of the spring, but were
both lost in their own thoughts. Akane was crying on the ground. Ukyo
had run past Soun and was entering the Guide's shack.
Nodoka and Kasumi gently lay brother and sister next to each other
on the ground. Kasumi busied herself with making sure that both would
be as comfortable as possible when they woke. She didn't want to allow
herself a chance to think about what had just happened. If she did, she
was afraid that she might not be able to help anyone for some time. So,
instead, she did what she always did. She busied herself in the
minutiae of taking care of them. She made sure that they were shaded
and lying as comfortably as she could get them.
When onna-Ranma awoke, the sun was at its zenith and she lay a few
feet from the Spring of Drowned Twins. As she started to sit up, she
noticed her brother was laying next to her, also beginning to wake up.
Finding that she didn't have the strength to sit up, she propped herself
on her arms.
"Ranma, are you okay?" Nodoka concernedly asked. Nodoka sat
between her children facing them with her new daughter on her right.
She reached up and placed the back of her hand against the girl's
forehead checking for fever.
"Yeah, I guess so." She leaned into her mother's hand, relishing
the warmth flowing from her. "I didn't expect that. Did you Mom?" Her
strength, not up to the small exertion, left her and she fell back onto
her pallet.
"No, I didn't," Nodoka paused, searching her new daughter's face
for clues. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah." She said even as she struggled to prop herself up again.
"I think I remember Ukyo running to the Guide before I passed out. She
didn't fall into a spring did she?" she asked worriedly.
With a small frown, her mother said, "No, dear, Ukyo is fine. You
just imagined it, I'm sure."
"Ugh," Ranma groaned as he woke up beside his sister. "Why am I so
weak?"
"Cologne explained it while you were asleep, dear." Nodoka turned
to her son. "To separate one person into two, the energy required is
tremendous. Most people recuperate from it no sooner than after two
weeks. With your stamina and manliness," she winced, looking at her
daughter apologetically before continuing, "er, strong chi levels, she
expects you to be able to jump in again by tomorrow."
The others, upon hearing Nodoka's words and realizing that both of
her children were awake, made an immediate rush to where the two lay.
Kasumi had set up a small tarp earlier. It was only large enough to
hold the four of them. Everyone else was forced to stand just outside
of the tarp and look in.
After answering the resulting storm of "Are you okay?" questions,
neither sibling wanted to describe what they had experienced.
"So, what is your name going to be? Ranma's not going to fit you
very well, you know," Nabiki asked onna-Ranma.
"I've been thinking about it a lot. I really want to be called
Ranma. I know I can't be called that, that's a guy's name, after all,"
onna-Ranma said with a little unintended bitterness creeping into her
voice. "I guess, I like Ranko. Not Ranko, as in 'Wild Child', but
Ranko meaning 'Little Orchid.' Oh, by the way, the first person to call
me 'Rankou' (promiscuity) instead of 'Ranko' gets a broken jaw," Ranko
was looking at Nabiki as she spoke the last sentence.
"Promiscuous? I would never think to call you that, Ranko," Nabiki
answered with a laugh.
"Ranko, that's not the way a young lady talks," Nodoka chided her.
"I ain't exactly a lady, mom. I may be a girl, but I'm not a
lady."
Nodoka was about to launch into a fully blown explanation of what a
lady is, when Cologne suddenly told everyone to be quiet. In the
ensuing stillness, they all began to hear a jingling and a rhythmic
beating sound coming closer.
Suddenly, they spotted twenty soldiers flying towards Jusenkyo.
"Jusendo warriors." Cologne whispered. Turning to the rest, she said,
"Stay here and be quiet. I'll handle this."
They landed a short way from Ranma and Ranko's shelter. As Cologne
started to go towards them, their leader flew on to meet her.
"Greetings, Warrior," Cologne began.
"I am Flight Leader Unima. We heard that the Spring of Drowned
Twins had been used and were dispatched to investigate. Did the Guide
approve and were you aware of what was going to happen, Amazon?"
"I am Cologne, an Elder of the Joketsuzoku. Wait for a little
while, the soldiers of the Musk Dynasty will soon be here. I prefer to
answer all of your questions just once." Cologne said dismissing the
bird-man. She turned and went back to Ranma and the rest.
"What are those people?" Nodoka was the first to ask.
"Those are Jusendo warriors. In a few minutes, a task force of
Musk warriors will also arrive. Use of the Spring of Drowned Twins is
proscribed by treaty. Only with permission of the Jusenkyo Guide and
either the Amazon, Musk or Jusendo people, can one use it. However,
there are always guards watching and its misuse will bring swift
retribution. Being able to fly, the representatives of the Jusendo
tribe made it here first."
Seeing the questioning looks being given her by her Japanese
guests, Cologne explained, "The treaty is one of the oldest ones made by
the Amazon tribe. Its roots go back to a war fought two thousand four
hundred years ago. The then Musk Emperor, Thyme, was the one who was
responsible for having the Spring of Drowned Twins created. Wanting to
create an army large enough to conquer all of China, he ordered his twin
sons drowned in the spring creating it. We Amazons were almost too late
in finding out what he had done. By the time we did, his army had been
created and was ready to march. The Amazon and Jusendo tribes banded
together in order to defeat him and his newly created army. The tale of
that war is a long and involved one, which I will tell when I have time.
Suffice it to say, when the war was over, the three tribes created what
are now the Jusenkyo Guides as watchers of the springs. In the event
anyone uses this one spring, all tribes are alerted. In addition, it is
unlawful for any except the Guide to have a map of the Springs. The
acts of the Jusendo people in kidnapping him to get the map would have
been cause for war, had it not been for Ranma's actions."
"Why weren't we told about this?" Nodoka asked with alarm.
"It was of no concern to you. Ranma has the permission of the
Guides and of the Amazons." Cologne shrugged, scanning the woods for
the emergence of the Musk.
"Permission? You mean that you have to have permission to get
cursed?" Nabiki asked in astonishment.
"For the Spring of Drowned Twins, yes, one must have permission, or
there are consequences," Cologne said coldly. Turning to look at Nabiki
in the eyes, Cologne smiled and waved her arm towards the rest of the
pond-marked valley. "You may try any of the other springs, Nabiki,
absolutely free of charge and with no permission needed. Might I
suggest a few you might like?"
Eyes opening slightly in fear at the thought, Nabiki took a step
back away from the training ground before rallying herself and answered,
"Thank you, no. I didn't bring my bathing suit."
"What happens to someone who hasn't received permission?" Akane
then asked to shift Cologne's attention away from her confrontation with
Nabiki.
"They, and all with them, are captured. Sometimes, the punishment
is a clean death. Sometimes, it is worse, a truly cursed life," as she
spoke, her eyes wandered to rest upon the direction she knew the Musk
soldiers would arrive from. "Oh, it can be much worse, child," she
whispered, her eyes partly closing in hatred.
"I'm glad that we have permission then. I can't even sit up
without help," Ranma said.
"Ranma, Ranko, one of the effects of the spring is to disable most
users from anywhere from two weeks to a month. As I told your mother, I
expect you to be up again by tomorrow. But right now, you wouldn't be
able to fight, much less stand, even if your life depended on it."
"Is there anything else that you know, that we need to know?"
Nabiki sarcastically asked. Hands on her hips, she stood challenging
the elder woman.
"There is much that I know, child, that you will need to know at
some point in your life. However, I do not have the time to teach you
today," Cologne tersely ended the discussion by again turning and
watching the woods.
Within a half-hour, the representative of the Musk tribe showed up
with thirty warriors. Seeing the Jusendo warriors and Cologne, the
leader walked towards the hut of the Jusenkyo Guide. As if signaled,
Cologne and Unima also began going there. The guide, himself, soon
walked nervously out of his hut to meet the three.
The leader of the Musk delegation's name was Myrrh. While not a
very tall man, he was extremely strong and looked amazingly bovine in
the face. His ancestral mother had been a bull before a dip in the
Nyannichuan. He was not happy at being forced to meet with either
Jusendo monsters or Amazon witches.
"What is going on?" He stood broad-legged, fists on his hips,
expecting absolute and utter obedience. "Amazon, is this your doing?"
Cologne smiled and answered, "I have given permission to Ranma
Saotome to jump into the spring, yes. He has already received
permission from the Guides. His mother possesses a letter written by
this guide explaining the use of the spring."
"Is this true?" Unima sourly looked at the Guide.
"Yes, Honored One." He bobbed a nervous bow to Myrrh and the other
two tribal representatives. He wrung his hands as he next spoke, "She
wrote asking how to rid one of a curse. Knowing who she was the mother
of, we decided that he was worthy of the blessing of the spring."
"How many times will he jump?" Myrrh asked. This time the force
of his presence focused upon the Amazon.
Ignoring the weight his gaze brought to bear upon her, Cologne
smiled and spoke to Unima. Turning her back on Myrrh, she answered,
"I'm not sure, two, maybe three more times. He only has enough
passports for seven people."
"We will be watching, witch. Do not overstep what you are
allowed," Myrrh threatened Cologne. He reached out with his right hand
to grasp her shoulder and force her to acknowledge him.
Swatting his hand away with her walking stick, as one would an
irritating little gnat, she glared at him. "It would be well for you to
remember that when a bull threatens a person, it is most often the bull
who ends up regretting it," Cologne said dangerously.
"There has been no infraction of the pact. My men and I will be
going home," Unima said as he turned to go. "Farewell, Elder."
"Safe skies, Unima."
"Hmph, Trust an Amazon? I'd rather trust a tiger to not eat a
slaughtered goat," Myrrh said. "My men will be here until the Saotome
brat is finished. Besides," he said with a smile, "my men need women
and we'll spend the time hunting."
Cologne couldn't imagine a fate worse than being owned by a man of
the Musk tribe. In her youth, she would have died before submitting to
one of the beast-men. Suppressing a shiver, she turned and went back to
the group waiting for her.
"We can stay here or go back to the village and be more
comfortable. I, myself, will be going back to the village," Cologne
told the others when she returned from the discussion. She was tired.
She looked forward to being able to settle back into life as an Elder of
the tribe.
"Ranma, Ranko, will you need help to get back?" Kasumi was the
first to ask.
"Nah, I can handle it. I'll be able to make it back on my own,"
Ranma said gamely as he quickly stood up. His face quickly grew ashen
as the blood fled from it, his knees buckled, and he landed unceremoniou
sly on his face, out cold.
"It looks like Ranma needs some help after all," Nabiki drolly
remarked.
Nodoka, forestalling a rush of fiancees wanting to help, quickly
told Genma to help Ranma back to the village. She was interrupted by
Kuno before she could ask Soun to carry Ranko back.
"Oh, Thy beauty is unparalleled.
Seen by all, it begs to be beheld.
Fragile today, your beast of burden I will be,
Strong elsetimes, I pray thy radiance to see.
Let me, please, o beauteous Ranko,
be thy carriage wherever you go."
As he finished, Kuno knelt down in front of Ranko offering his back
for her to climb upon. "If you please, my lady true, let my back be
your saddle and my arms your stirrups."
Normally, Ranko would have either punted Kuno away or knocked him
out before he got to the third line of his poem, however she was only
just able to sit up without aid. Embarrassed and not knowing what to
say, she looked to her mother for help.
Nodoka saw Ranko's look and completely misinterpreted it. She
thought Ranko was asking if it was okay for a young lady to take a ride
from a young, unattached gentleman. In reality, Ranko asked her mother
to find a way to get Kuno away from her.
"Why what a nice, gentlemanly way of offering assistance! I'm sure
that Ranko will enjoy letting you carry her back to the village," Nodoka
smiled approvingly at Tatewaki's gracious offer.
"Uh, yeah, sure, thanks Kuno." Ranko said in a flat tone. Looking
at her mother like she was someone she'd never met before, she felt
anger at her mother thinking that she would be interested in Kuno, of
all people.
"It is beyond my wildest pleasure, to be allowed to serve you,
Ranko!"
"Right," Ranko muttered as she weakly clambered upon Kuno's back.
Once Ranma was upon Genma's back and Ranko was settled upon Kuno's
back, they all journeyed back to the Amazon village. Once in the
village, it was decided that Ranma and Ranko should both stay in
Cologne's home. This was so that if any problems arose, Cologne would
be there to help them out.
The room that the two were placed was spartan in its furnishings.
It was approximately ten feet by twelve feet, with two single person
mats upon which each sibling lay. There was one window facing east and
a door in the north of the room. There was no closet in the room, but a
large wardrobe took up a large portion of the western wall. The
southern wall held a tapestry showing a battle between the Amazons and
some ancient enemy. The walls were painted white and the floors were a
polished wood.
Alone together, Ranko hesitantly asked, "So, what should I call
you? Calling anyone else Ranma, kinda sucks, you know?"
"How about niisan (older brother)? I was first, after all you were
just born today."
"Okay, niisan it is," Ranko said with some remorse. Looking at him
with a fierce expression, she smiled and said, "You may be stronger than
me, but I'm way faster. I can't wait to beat your butt when we spar."
"Give me a break! I don't lose, never have and never will." Ranma
boasted.
"Niisan, I know better than that. Let's just wait and see who wins
our sparring sessions. Heck, I'll even promise to go easy on you,"
Ranko smiled at Ranma.
"Yeah, sure, I hear ya talking," Ranma paused and in a more serious
tone, he continued. "I really don't want to jump in the Spring again.
You know what I mean? I thought I was going to be burned to death."
"Burned to death? I couldn't move and felt like I was a rock being
touched at a Breaking Point. It was the worst thing I've ever been
through," Ranko stopped and thought for a moment.
"You know, you've gotta do it again," she continued with regret.
"If you want, I'll jump in with ya tomorrow. That way you'll have
company. Of course, it's not like I like the idea of making another
girl us, I just don't want you to face that alone."
"You don't have to do that. Just be there for me when I go in and
come out, okay?" Ranma was surprised that she offered to jump in with
him. Thinking on it, though, he realized that in her place, he would've
made the same offer.
"Yes, I will. Thanks for letting me off the hook. I know that you
would do the same for me. Believe me, I know. I am you, just a lot
cuter, faster, and all around better than you, but I am you," she
finished sticking her tongue out at him and laughing.
"Hey!" Ranma replied in mock anger, "Don't forget shorter and
weaker!"
Their bantering stopped as they both heard a gentle rapping upon
the door to the room. As one, they both turned to face the door and
opened their mouths to speak. They both paused, glancing at the other.
After receiving a slight nod from Ranko, Ranma spoke up, "Yeah, who
is it?"
"It's your mother. I came to check up on you two and make sure
that you're both all right." Nodoka politely paused for a second or two
before asking, "May I come in?"
"Sure mom, come on in." Ranma happily greeted her. With just a
little bit of teasing humor in his voice, he told her, "Me and my imouto
(little sister) have been having fun talking with each other."
As she entered the room, Nodoka asked, "What have you two been
talking about?"
"Oh, mainly agreeing that I'm the better martial artist," Ranma
said with a smirk.
"Says you!"
"I'm glad to see that you both are getting enough energy to argue
with each other." She smiled at them with motherly amusement. Sitting
between them, Nodoka allowed herself a moment to simply look at them
before getting to the point of her visit. "I want to let you know, that
when you both are ready, everyone would like to come up and visit with
you." Looking at Ranko and smiling with pleasure and approval, she said
with a twinkle in her eye, "Ranko, that nice boy, Tatewaki, would like
to see you when you're up for it. He's very concerned for you. In
fact, he's guarding the house from visitors. He said that it was the
sacred duty of a samurai to defend his lady against any and all
villains. I think that's very manly of him. Don't you, Ranko?" She
looked at her daughter expectantly.
"Mom, I just became a girl today." She sighed, looking at her now
permanent form. "I am not interested in guys, at least, not yet.
Anyways, I'd never be attracted to a creep like him. Before I got to
Furinkan, he forced anyone who wanted to date Akane to attack her. How?
He told the entire school that they must defeat her in combat before
they could date with her. If they dated her without defeating her
first, he would challenge them and beat them up. She had to fight
almost all of the boys at school every morning."
"He did? That certainly wasn't very manly. I'll have to have a
talk with him. He needs to learn how to be manly. I must admit, he
didn't seem like that today." Her mother watched Ranko for any signs of
unconscious denial as she finished. "However, if you're not interested,
I won't force you."
"Thanks, mom." Ranko closed her eyes and lay her head back to
relax.
"..." Nodoka raised her eyebrows in disapproval at Ranko's
language.
"Thank you, mother." Ranko amended after receiving a nudge from
Ranma.
"You're very welcome, my daughter." Nodoka smiled at her to lessen
the sting of the reproach. "If you are both up to it, and I think you
are, you have some people who would like to see you."
Looking at each other, they both grinned and said, "Bring them in!"
The first visitors were the two fathers, Genma and Soun.
Genma stumbling to his knees in front of Ranma, began apologizing,
"Ranma, my boy, as I saw you today, I couldn't help but remember all of
the training I've put you through. Some of which, I must confess, was
fool-hardy at best. Will you forgive me, my son?" Realizing that he
had snubbed Ranko, he turned to her and said in an embarrassed tone,
"Er, will you forgive me also, daughter?"
"Jeez, pop. I forgive you for everything but the Cat-Fist. That
was crazy," Ranma felt in a forgiving mood. The reminder of the
Cat-fist sent shivers down his spine. He could never forgive his father
that stupidity.
Ranko, very angry over being overlooked, said, "Pop, I'll forgive
you nothing. You're the reason that I'm a girl. Do you think a few
words will make the pain go away!" As she spoke her voice had risen in
volume until she had ended in an enraged scream. Catching herself, she
stopped and glared at her father. In an extremely controlled whisper,
she told Genma, "Pop, if you want forgiveness, pray to our ancestors."
"I'm sorry, my children," Genma continued to bow in apology.
Wanting absolution, he promised himself that he would find a way to make
all of his children happy.
Never saying a word, Soun move forward and embraced both of them,
crying. After a few moments, Genma pulled Soun away and said, "Old
friend, it's time that we leave them."
After letting Ranko calm herself, Nodoka brought Akane into the
room.
Putting on a smile for Akane's sake, Ranko's voice betrayed her,
"Hi, Akane!" In some ways, it felt as if she were watching a dead
person come into the room. She loved Akane, loved her as her soul-mate.
Of all the fiancees, she had never imagined being married and having
children with anyone other than Akane Tendo. How could they have kids,
when they couldn't even make love the right way? She didn't like guys
that way and didn't like the idea of sex with another woman, so who
would ever be able to get close enough to love her? The person she was
watching would never be closer than a friend would or maybe a sister
could be. Seeing Ranma and Akane's reciprocated love light up their
faces, Ranko felt the chasm of grief in her heart widen. She couldn't
imagine loving anyone else enough to want to raise a family with them,
let alone become pregnant or make love. As Akane moved to sit between
the two, tears began to silently track down Ranko's face.
"It's so strange to see both of you at the same time," Akane said
quietly. Noticing Ranko's tears, "Ranko, what's the problem? Is there
anything I can do?"
"No, there's no problem. I just am wishing that you and niisan
will be happy together, forever." She smiled at Akane, trying to get
her to believe her words.
"Imoutosan, that's not all and you know it," Ranma looked at her
with sympathy. He, himself, had felt similar feelings when he had been
trapped by Herb in Ranko's form. Reaching out and holding her shoulder
in a gentle hand, he sighed with empathetic grief as he urged, "Tell
her."
"What? Tell me what?" Akane asked, afraid of the answer, but
knowing that she had to know to be able to help.
Unable to look at Akane, Ranko looked at the floor and haltingly
began to speak, "A-Akane, I love you." She looked up and stared into
the other girl's eyes. Her eyes betraying the fragile balance she was
maintaining. She needed Akane's love, but didn't know how to ask. "Just
because I have a girl's body, doesn't mean that I've stopped loving you.
I'm still Ranma Saotome, inside. It hurts seeing you and n-niisan so
much in love." Her voice dropped to a whisper as anything louder would
betray too much. "I knew going into this that you would only marry one
of us and I am happy for you. I just always assumed I'd be the one
married to you. I'm just going to have to get used to idea that I'm
not. That all I'll be is one of your girlfriends."
Finished, Ranko was unable to control her grief any longer, body
wrenching sobs soon shook her. With a look that Akane remembered seeing
in the mirror when her mother died, Ranko looked up from the floor and
reached for her. As Akane took her in her arms, Ranko laid her head on
Akane's shoulder and cried.
Listening to the heartfelt pain in Ranko's words, Akane cried,
understanding the pain the other was feeling. Imagining herself in
Ranko's position, she was overwhelmed by sympathetic grief. Knowing how
much Ranma loved her, she had never considered the emotional toll giving
up that love would cost. She realized how much her love for Ranma meant
to her and she knew what it would do to her to be forced to give it up.
Asking herself if she could go through for Ranma, what Ranma was going
through for her, she found that she couldn't give herself an honest
answer. Cursed to be a boy forever? Watching Ranma and another Akane
marry? No, she couldn't say that she would willingly do that, not for
honor, family, anything or anyone else. Making a promise to herself and
to Ranko that she would always be there for her, she comforted her as
best as she knew how.
When the sobs from the sorrow-stricken girl subsided, Akane
whispered to her, "Oh, Ranko, I'll always be your friend. Do you
remember the first time we met, when I asked you if you wanted to be
friends? Well, I'm asking again. Hi, I'm Akane Tendo, want to be my
friend?"
"Y-yes. I do Akane," Ranko looked at Akane with a tentative smile
through her glistening eyes.
Akane hugged Ranko tightly. She then looked her in the eyes and
said firmly, "Friends forever, right?"
"Right, friends. You want to spar?" Ranko said as she wiped the
last of her tears from her eyes.
Akane laughed a little and said, "Maybe after you're up and about.
I really don't think you'd enjoy getting beaten by a tomboy like me."
Ranma was rubbing at his eyes and sniffling himself. "I need to
talk to Mom. There's way too much dust in this room; it's making my
eyes water and my nose run."
Akane sat back up to look at Ranko and at Ranma, "Ranko, Ranma, I
am sorry for what you are going through. I watched you today and all I
could think of was how worthless I was for not being able to help you,
the one," she shook her head and looked at Ranko with a smile, "ones I
love. I don't want you to go there again. I'll break off our
engagement and you can marry Ukyo or Shampoo." Her voice softened with
emotion and she couldn't look either in the eyes. "Please, don't go
there again."
"Akane, I, no, we have to." Ranma raised his left hand up to her
cheek. "If we don't, our family and personal honor will be ruined. I
can't let that happen. I am not my father." Even though he had
forgiven his father, his anger at his father's actions bore through in
his voice. "Our children will grow up in a family that knows love,
kindness and honor from being shown it every day. I must do this for
our future."
Akane fell forward onto Ranma's chest and held on tight. She
didn't want to lose him and was afraid that he might die jumping a
second time into the spring. She sobbed, "Whatever you do, don't die on
me! Do you understand that, you baka!"
Ranma, uncharacteristically gently, leaned his head down and kissed
the top of her head. Slowly wrapping his arms around a sobbing Akane,
he turned his favorite insult into a confession of his love, as he
whispered into her ear, "Shh, yes, my kawaiikune tomboy, I promise."