[Ranma][Fic](1/?) Autumn Leaves
This has the same setting as "The way out" mini-fic and "Keeping Up
Appearances".
The timeline is somewhat indeterminate (due to excessive flashbacks ;-)
but the earliest portion is just after Kimiko's arrival.
What has gone before:
Ranma's better nature and a Chinese-Amazon artifact have combined to
return Akane's mother to life - in Ranma's body.
(1/?) Autumn Leaves
Kimiko tried to relax in the hot water - something that didn't come
easily. As cures go it was impressive - not only was she back from the
dead, she was about 13 years younger and almost supernaturally fit. The
side effects did take some getting used to, though, she thought as she
glanced down and saw something bobbing in the water that _definitely_
shouldn't have been there. Well, not unless it was part of Soun Tendo
anyway, she thought with a grin. The grin faded as she remembered - her
husband couldn't even touch her. No, being a boy part of the time was
nothing - the damage was being done inside of the hearts of those around
her.
She reflected on the casualties - first, and foremost someone she had
never met. Someone who she would be reminded of every time she looked
into a mirror. Someone who ... well perhaps the best way to understand it
was to remember the time she first began to understand what had happened.
---
Akane had hustled her away from the rest of the family, Akane's face
expressed indignation at the disturbance to the solemn moment. "Ranma!"
She said in a stage whisper, "what do you think you're doing?"
It took a mother's eyesight to see it - but Kimiko could see her
daughter (Surely she _must_ be her daughter?) was worried. "Akane? It's
me, your mother - how have you all grown so? Was that my ... I mean, how
did I get here? What's happened to me?"
Akane's eyes were visibly watering but her face showed only anger as she
balled her fists. "If this is some kind of trick ..."
"Please! You've got to believe me, the last thing I remember was ... the
hospital bed. I heard you, your sisters and your father arrive - but I
was too weak to lift my eyelids and see you." Kimiko stifled a sob and
finished, "The last thing I heard was you asking Suon when I was coming
back home."
Akane was silent a moment, perhaps reflecting on that long ago day.
"Come with me," she said decisively, "I know someone who might be able to
sort this out."
Before the door to the restaurant had finished opening a brightly
dressed buxom girl had wrapped herself around Kimiko's arm with a grip of
steel.
"Airen! Come visit Shampoo, yes? Ramen on house."
"Young lady! What on Earth do you think you're doing?" Kimiko said,
struggling to free herself.
"Stow it Shampoo - we're here to see Cologne." Akane said with a frown,
her mallet fingers twitching.
"Leave him for the moment, girl. What does my son-in-law want ... No,
I see I was mistaken." Said a small gnarled being perched on top of an
oaken staff.
"Can you help me Elder? Is this the wise woman you wanted me to see?"
Kimiko asked.
"Hmm, may I see your hand please?" Cologne asked, but didn't wait for a
response before hopping round and holding up Kimiko's left hand before her
face. "As I suspected - the dragon is broken the ring 'Heart's Choice' is
no more. And you do not have Ranma's stance. Unless I'm very much
mistaken Ranma, son-in-law has done something very careless."
"Ranma has done!" Akane exclaimed - for once aiming her anger at a
different target. "That's the ring _you_ gave to him. What have you done
to Ranma?"
"Sit down, you too Shampoo, and listen." Cologne said.
"Why should I listen to an old ..." Akane's growing battle aura suddenly
fizzled out as she slumped against her will to the floor.
"I haven't _done_ anything to Ranma, be assured that his fate was his
of his own choosing. But first, this must be very confusing for you -
perhaps you should introduce yourself." Cologne said, her rough voice
moderated with kindliness.
"My name is Kimiko Tendo," (Akane's eyes started wildly, although she
was unable to move anything else) "I don't know where I am, why I look
like this or what has happened. All I know is that I appeared before my
family in this form, in a graveyard and that ... to the best of medical
knowledge I should be dead."
"Is silly trick! This Ranma, Airen. Not fool Shampoo." Shampoo said
with a desperate attempt to laugh.
"It's no trick, grand-daughter, the ring is broken - Ranma stayed too
long." Cologne explained wearily, "that ring is used to exchange spirits
so that a person of great heart can lend their strength to a gravely
injured friend. Someone of superior strength of soul, if you will, can
keep a body alive in circumstances where a normal human would swiftly
perish. Those precious seconds or minutes can be used to seek treatment.
Even I did not know the magic could extend across time - but if the aiding
spirit stays too long it would be trapped in the dying body ..."
"No! Is not true!"
"That baka can't get himself killed!" Akane gasped, regaining her
mobility.
"The Nekohanten is closed! Come child, we have some decisions to make."
Cologne led the weeping Shampoo out of the room, leaving Akane clenching
her fists - with no-one to strike.
---
Kimiko sighed, slipping deeper into the bath. She suspected she had not
yet seen the last of Shampoo. Ukyou ... Ukyou had taken it better, she
supposed. It had been a day later, she had taken out some money and
stormed out of the house - she didn't want to think about that, not yet.
In the city she had quickly found out just how little money was worth ...
---
"700 yen for a small boxed lunch!?" She exclaimed.
"Sorry miss, if you think you can do better elsewhere ..." the man
paused, and looked not unkindly at the pretty teenager before him.
She was obviously deeply upset about something. "I shouldn't say this -
but you might try U-chan's, I hear the owner's quite nice - not like my
boss. Cute too, not that you need to worry about that, eh?" He said with
a smile.
It hadn't taken long to find, everyone knew where U-chan's was.
"Hey, Ran-chan - one sea-food okonomiyake coming ..." Ukyou paused, "are
you alright?"
"I'm sorry miss - I think I have some bad news for you." Kimiko
said
Ukyou looked, hard, at Kimiko. "Why are you talking like that? You
haven't even changed your clothes! What sort of a disguise do you call
that?"
It was true, she hadn't had a chance to go shopping yet - all she had
was boys' clothes. Although she had borrowed some underwear from her
daughters. "Ah, perhaps we should talk in private." She said, dread
settling into place.
Ukyou looked at her expression and assumed the worst. "It's the
engagement isn't it. You've finally decided to marry Akane. Well I've
had it with you - I've forgiven you, been your friend lived on hope and
now ..."
"NO! the engagement's broken." Kimiko said, feeling distinctly nauseous
at the idea. "You've seen some strange things living here?"
"Yes ..." Ukyou replied, seeming unsure at the direction things were
heading.
"Do you know what Ranma thought was the duty of martial artists?" Kimiko
asked.
Ukyou shuddered, at the word 'THOUGHT' something was seriously wrong.
"To protect the weak. What are you trying to tell me?"
"Ranma ... Ranma protected me, at the cost of his life."
"But YOU'RE Ranma, you ..." Ukyou trailed off, perhaps she had sensed
something from the beginning. "You're not, are you? You're nothing but
some damn ghost walking in his skin!!" Ukyou reached out and brought her
combat spatula to the ready. "Just tell me why I shouldn't pound you
into the ground!"
Kimiko flinched, but said nothing - what could she say?
Ukyou swung with great force, just barely managing to divert the blow
before it's fatal impact. "Because he wouldn't want me to. Because his
loss mustn't be in vain." Ukyou answered herself in a quiet voice, bereft
of hope.
"If there's anything I can do..."
"You can leave! I never want to see you here again!" Ukyou shouted.
"No, I'll leave - I couldn't bear seeing THAT walk around town." Her eye's
red and tears streaming down her face she said one final thing to the
departing figure. "You'd just better make DAMN sure your life is worth it.
You hear me? You're living on credit!"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
I suppose some of you may wonder why this was called 'Autumn Leaves' as it
had precious little to do with leaves - and isn't even set in Autumn.
Basically the title symbolises both the coming 'Winter' and the way much
of Ranma's friends and associates fall away ...
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