Oyu no Ranma
A Ranma ½ fanfic by Zorknot
Chapter 2: Oyu no Genma
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma1/2. This fic is based on
the comics by Rumiko Takahashi (published by Viz
Comics) and on the TV anime series produced by Hidenori
Taga and directed by Tomomitsu
Mochizuki with music by Eiji Mori and character
design by Atsuko Nakajima. The director of photography for the series was Mitsunobu Yoshida, and it was produced by Fuji TV and Kitty
Film. The executive producer for the Viz Video
release of the series was Seiji Horibuchi, the
production coordinators were Toshifume Yoshida who
translated and Trish Ledoux, who also wrote the
English screenplay and lyrics. These people shall heretofore be referred to as “The
army of the undead”
WHAT HAS COME
BEFORE: Ranma heard Akane before she opened the door on him in the bath and
drank a potion that locked him in girl form. They took a bath together, Nabiki
took some pictures, one thing led to another and now Genma is supposed to train
the Tendo daughters in Anything Goes, Ranma is supposed to teach Akane how to
cook among other things, and Akane is supposed to teach Ranma to be more of a
girl. Later, Soun will dive fourteen stories into a tiny glass of water...
~~~~~[BEGIN]~~~~~
The men at the public bathhouse are silent as
they watch a panda walk alongside a man with shoulder length black hair and an
impressive mustache. The few who continue to talk join the others in
astonishment as they see the panda, after stepping into the bath, turn almost
instantly into a bald man of stout stature and serious demeanor.
“I really wish you would stop practicing that
MAGIC TRICK, Saotome,” the mustachioed man admonishes his companion loudly
while handing him some low-tech sports glasses. “It never fails to attract
UNWANTED attention.”
The stout, bald, man takes the glasses and
shoves his ears through the wire loops of the earpieces. He remains silent as
he takes the extra towel that his friend is carrying and wraps it around his
waist. Then he takes a bandana and ties it on his head. Finally, sitting down
in the hot water, he speaks through a sigh as his friend joins him. “I know,
Tendo, but I just can’t help myself.”
The other men at the bath hold various
expressions of confusion, amazement, and mirth and then start talking again,
returning the gurgling of background conversation back to its previous levels.
The two men are, of course, Tendo Soun and
Saotome Genma. They are here because the hot water at the Tendo home is out,
and Kasumi is using the range to cook supper. Rather than build another fire
out in the backyard, they both opted to enjoy themselves in this modest, yet
well run establishment. The reason why they, and in particular, Genma are
seeking hot water is that Ranma, tired of Genma’s lecturing, doused Genma with
a bucket of water, turning him into a panda. Since nothing in the evolutionary
history of pandas equipped the animals for giving passionate lectures on the
finer points of the Art, Genma had to end his talk a little early. And he still
has one or two things to say to his son turned daughter.
Genma tries to think. Where exactly did he go
wrong? Was it leaving Nodoka? Was it the training...the Nekoken? Or does
Ranma’s rebelliousness stem from Jusenkyo? Could it be...that the boy really is
turning into a girl? What if that blasted potion made the curse permanent?
Genma shakes his head free of these fears. I must focus, he cautions himself, a martial artist must deal only in the now, not in the to be
or has been...
“You know,” Soun speaks, interrupting Genma’s
chain of thought, “I’m really a terrible father.”
Genma turns his head in surprise: “Don’t be
ridiculous, Tendo! Your daughters are fine young women!”
“I know, Saotome. It amazes me everyday. I
swear that every bit of good that they have in them must have come from...”
Soun trails off as his eyes mist over, “but she was...in their lives such a
short time. So short...” Soun starts weeping freely.
Genma places a firm calloused hand on his
friend’s shoulder. “Tendo, I was there last night. You handled that situation
admirably. I don’t know what I would have done... If any of us is a bad
father...it’s me.”
Soun wipes the tears from his eyes with the
back of his hand. “Saotome, you’ve gone through a lot. It can’t have been easy
to be a father while dealing with a strange curse.” Soun splashes his face with
the bath water and sighs. “I suppose it’s pointless
worrying about whether we’re good fathers or not...it would be great if it were
like the Art, where you can practice...and learn...and become better, and be
good or bad, but parenthood... It’s a tough lesson for me, but I’m
learning...it’s not at all the same thing.”
Genma releases Soun’s shoulder and rubs his
forehead and temples slowly, “I know what you mean, Tendo. I tried to raise
Ranma differently from how the Master raised us...” Genma lifts his hand from
his head and gazes at the lines in his palm, “but I ended up just doing the
same things. I tried to train Ranma to be the best. I wanted the big prize. I
wanted to win the parent game.” Genma’s hand becomes a fist, “Tendo, my friend,
I can’t help feeling that I failed.” The hand drops into the water with a
splash and Genma looks away.
“Mm hm. Mm hm,” Soun nods sagely, “I felt exactly the same way when
Kasumi was Ranma’s age.”
“But, Tendo! Kasumi
is a marvelous young woman!”
“Yes, yes, but then, so is Ranma.” Genma
winces painfully, Soun continues, “We don’t see the good things do we, Saotome?
We only see the things that need improvement- the weaknesses that must become
strengths...meanwhile our children have lives of their own, problems that we
never had to deal with.” Soun locks eyes with Genma “Kasumi was going to be the
heir to the school.”
Genma sinks deeper into the water. “I see.”
Soun nods, “For seven years after... For
seven years I barely practiced the Art at all. I would do some basic katas, meditate...but not much else. On Kasumi’s sixteenth
birthday I realized that if I wanted the school to continue, I had to train my
daughters. But it was too late.” Soun is silent for a moment as he looks at the
men’s locker room forlornly. Then he turns back around and settles against the
wall of the public bath. “I need a cigarette.”
“Nasty habit,” Genma says idly, a little
shocked. It is in truth one of the worst habits for a martial artist to get
into, air being so essential to the Art. The Master found a way around it, but
then he found a way around everything. He’ll probably find a way around the
three-meter thick wall of rock that Genma and Soun imprisoned him in. The
thought makes Genma shiver, even in the steaming water.
Soun gives Genma a sad smile. “I know. It was
either smoking or razor blades. I figured smoking would be easier on the kids.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so morbid. It’s not that bad
now. Now it mostly just helps me forget... You know what she said to me? My eldest daughter?”
Genma shakes his head though he has a pretty
good idea.
“She told me that the Art was too violent,
and that it was useless and that she wanted no part in it. My life! And she
dismisses it as some cruel boyish game. I was devastated! Then Nabiki, at
fourteen, asks me why she couldn’t just carry a loaded gun instead! Only Akane
was interested in training again, and I think she only wanted to please me. Now
she has this ‘I hate boys’ thing stuck in her head. Saotome, old friend, I
don’t think a single one of them understands. That’s all I’m asking you to do.
Make them understand.”
Genma shakes his head again “Tendo, I have
been trying to get Ranma to do that for ten years. The boy still sees it mostly
as a way to show off.”
One of Soun’s black eyebrows arches up. “The boy...Saotome, what really happened to Ranma? Why
doesn’t she...he change like you?”
Genma sighs, “He drank some damn fool potion
in the furo right after we got here. He says it might even be permanent. I
think being a girl for awhile might be good for him. Knock his cockiness down a
bit anyway. But I don’t think I could handle Ranma being my... daughter
forever. I wish we could go home, but Nodoka...she let us leave only under
some...severe... conditions. She was out of her mind when I left her, and I’m
not sure how much better she is now.”
“Yes,” Soun nodded. “I think in her own way
she loved her as much as I did.”
~~~~~*~~~~~
Genma remembers the night Nodoka went insane.
She had gotten a letter...or maybe it was something in the newspaper or a
magazine...whatever it was, it pushed her over the edge. She started screaming
that Ranma was a man... that “they” couldn’t take Ranma away. That “they” had no right. When Genma asked who “they” were
Nodoka yelled “Help. HELP!” Genma embraced her and
said he was trying to help, but she was hysterical and adrenaline pumping
through her, she threw Genma to the ground and screamed “You don’t understand!”
Then she ran to the dojo and got out the sword. She was going to kill Ranma
rather than allow him to be taken. Luckily Genma stopped her in time.
After Genma wrenched the sword from her grasp,
she ran screaming into the boy’s room. She started packing things into a back
pack. “Why are you doing this?” Genma remembers asking.
“Take, him, Genma Leave! Go! Don’t let them
get him! You must make him a man! More than a man....a man’s man, a man among
men! Maybe they won’t find him then. Maybe he’ll be safe. But you have to
promise me! In writing! You got to promise...”
She went on like that until finally,
exasperated, Genma wrote up the contract, and signed it. Ranma, of course,
didn’t know that the hand prints he patted on the paper would resign him to ten
years on the road. At five, he still thought his Dad knew everything and that
Mom knew more.
That night was the last Genma saw of Nodoka.
It was only a few days after the death of
Kimiko, the woman who was Soun’s wife and Nodoka’s best friend.
~~~~~*~~~~~
“So many terrible things happened that year,”
Genma says above the echo of Nodoka’s screams “what is the English expression?
‘When it rains, it pours?’”
“Mmm
hmm. Tragedies never happen when you want them to...She was so perfect,
Saotome. She was a lot of things for a lot of people...but she was everything
to me.”
Genma looked down through the steaming water
to the tiled floor of the bath. “I wish I knew her better before...”
“She was amazing, Saotome. She could do
anything...and she did! And she did it with a smile and a carefree attitude.
It’s odd, but Ranma reminds me of her a little bit...”
Genma finds himself imagining Ranma grown up
and a woman. He doesn’t like it. Still even as he pushes the picture away
disgustedly, he can almost see now why Soun and Nodoka were so affected when Kimiko
passed. There’s something about Ranma...some spark of life that persisted even
through Genma’s many mistakes, and Genma made quite a few... “You know I still
have a weakness for food, Tendo. I never got over it. I know a lot of it was
the master’s fault, but still, it’s no excuse for what I did.”
“What did you do, my friend?” Soun asks,
relieved for the change in subject but still grim.
“I...” Genma falters. He realizes that Soun
won’t take the information he is about to reveal well. However, seeing as the
engagement is thrown into doubt now anyway, he decides to continue. “I sold
Ranma. Countless times. For food.
For FOOD! I engaged him to so many girls...and even one or two boys...”
Soun’s expression darkens for a bit, but then
his features relax into weary sadness. “It’s okay, my
friend...I know how you get when you’re hungry. You had to do it or someone
might have died...”
Genma remembers the master’s training...
~~~~~*~~~~~
“In order to progress in the Art,” the old,
lecherous midget had said blowing smoke rings from his pipe into the air, “you
must find your weakness. You must come to terms with the thing that could bring
you down unequivocally. You must find this, and make it your strength. Do you
know your weakness, Genma my boy?”
“Food?” Genma,
Ranma’s age at the time, had answered.
“Yes. Do you know how we’re going to make it
you’re strength?”
“No...”
Happosai cackled evilly, “You’re going on a
diet, pudge boy!”
For four long years the demonic old man made
Genma train and fast. He dangled a roasted chicken just out of Genma’s reach,
making Genma fight him for it, only he would never let Genma near it and would
later eat it himself with exaggerated gusto. Whenever Genma passed out, and he
did often, Happosai would toss him over a cliff into the icy waters of the
Pacific. Soun would have to fish him out then usually, something he hated to
do, because there were whales in the ocean...
After the first month, Genma began stealing
food. He developed the Umisenken almost accidentally from trying to sneak past
Happosai. The first time he had managed it, Genma was so surprised he made it
past the unearthly munchkin he almost blew it. Once he realized he had found a
technique he developed it and the Yamasenken in secret, over a period of three
years. Genma was sure that Happosai would figure out the technique if he
performed it too many times; so he only saved it for a last resort. It was
therefore not enough to keep the training from affecting him.
One night Genma had managed to sneak past
Happosai and into a small town. He broke into a modest marketplace and was
picking out what he was going to eat when the owner, an Asagiri
Genji, confronted him. With a
shotgun. Something clicked just then...something other than the
re-chambering of the shotgun, though it was just as ominous.
Genma still doesn’t remember what happened.
He woke up in a jail cell covered in dried blood. It was not his own. He was
aware of a familiar metallic taste on his tongue...
It wasn’t the first time Genma had had a
blackout. He was so malnourished after the first year that there’d be many times
his memory completely failed him and he had no idea what he had been doing.
Often this happened during training, or when he was running or basically doing
anything he didn’t have the energy for. He never wound up in quite this
situation though.
Happosai came with Soun shortly after Genma
woke up. The midget had a wide smile on his face. Soun’s face, by contrast, was
ashen, and he seemed almost scared of his long time friend. “You did it, boy!”
Happosai exclaimed, “You learned a new technique! Now I can stop watching your
sorry ass all the time!”
Genma stiffened. He thought Happosai had
found out about the Umisenken and Yamasenken. “Wh- what do you mean?” Genma was still a little
groggy and, he was just realizing, his stomach was upset. A wicked gurgling
illustrated this last fact further. His stomach wasn’t just upset, it was
furious.
“You’re a fool if you don’t know what I’m
talking about,” the master declared. The white metal bars rolled to the side
and Genma shuffled out holding his stomach. There were some forms that had to
be signed that Genma was dimly aware of, some questions which he answered
without much thought, and then he was outside, the noonday sun blinding after
the fluorescent pallor of the jail.
Happosai bounced off ahead of Genma and Soun.
Soun picked his pace up making Genma walk faster to keep up with him, something
his stomach didn’t like one bit. Finally he couldn’t take it. He grabbed Soun’s
shoulder. He could feel Soun stiffen. When he turned around his eyes were wide.
“What happened, Tendo?” Genma asked.
“You... that man...” Soun was eighteen then,
almost a year younger than Genma. He didn’t have a mustache, just a thin layer
of stubble. His hair was in a simple ponytail instead of falling to his
shoulders regally the way it does now. His muscles and gracefulness barely
saved him from looking like an awkward, gangly teen. When he spoke to Genma
then, he looked even younger. He was at that moment a small boy, on the verge
of tears, who had just seen something truly terrible.
He had seen the writhing, twisted body of Asagiri Genji. Three ribs were
fractured, one of them poking through the man’s lung. The left forearm was
broken in a greenstick fracture, one of the bones protruding out of the skin. The
left leg didn’t have a foot so much as a battered mush. The right leg was bent
the wrong way, the kneecap shattered. As for the right arm it was obscenely
dislocated and...a huge chunk was bitten out of it.
It was sitting in Genma’s stomach.
When Soun saw Genji,
the paramedics were trying to figure out how to remove the shotgun wrapped
around the man’s neck.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Back in the public bath, Genma shakes his
head. “You know it never happened again. In all this
time...not once.”
“Saotome... would you really want to risk it?
Especially with your child with you?”
“No...and I’d like
to think that was why I sold Ranma. To get him away from me while I found
something to eat, but when I get hungry...Tendo I just don’t think about anyone
but myself.”
Soun nods. After an uncomfortable silence Soun straightens up and
takes a breath. “So...how’s the training going?”
Genma smiled slightly, “I forgot just how
much fun being a sensei could be...”
~~~~~*~~~~~
That morning after breakfast, Genma prepared
Ranma’s book bag for school, which is to say he put paper and pencils in it
along with a book of martial arts techniques. When he approached Ranma with the
school bag, she...as of course Ranma was female and would be for awhile... took
it with solemnity but no fuss. “You’re okay with this, son?”
Ranma sighed, “Yeah, I guess so. I mean even
you can be right once in awhile. I was real stupid. Now I just gotta make up for it...”
“But you hate school.”
“Yeah, I do, but I’ve done it before.”
“Not as a girl.”
Ranma turned toward Genma “Pops, do you want me to kick your ass? ‘Cuz I will you know.”
Just then Nabiki passed them both in her
school uniform. She smiled as she passed Ranma “You’ll be going to the same
school as Akane and me. See ya there!”
“Nabiki!” Akane
called from inside “Wait! We’ll go with you!”
Nabiki stopped on the porch and turned to say
“What are you talking about? I wouldn’t want to come between you and Ranma. After
all she’s your fiancée.”
Genma felt a rush of heat come out of the door
followed shortly by Akane wielding the dining room table as a weapon with
startling effectiveness “NABIKI NO BAKA!”
“Just what are you planning to do, little
sister? Hit me? Hmm...that doesn’t sound like
something Daddy would approve of...”
Genma wasn’t sure if it was just his child’s
presence that was causing this or if it happened all the time, but his friend
had entrusted both Nabiki’s and Akane’s training to him, and he for one could
not stand this any longer. “STOP!” He bellowed.
He was always rather proud of his deep,
resonating, voice. He always thought that was his best feature, which was one
of the reasons he incorporated it into the Yamasenken. Genma fought down the
sudden urge to steal something and spoke as calmly and evenly as he could. “My
friend, your father, has given both you girls over to me as students. As your
sensei, I expressly forbid any more of this nonsense. Akane, you will not,
under any circumstances attack Nabiki outside of training. She, as I understand
it, is not as skilled as you, and you should never attack the weak...”
Akane grew defensive. “I KNOW that, Uncle,
but...”
“I am your SENSEI!”
“No you’re not! Ran...” Akane nodded her head
at Ranma, who was waving her hands and shaking her head, her face wide eyed and
mouthing the word “no.”
Akane relaxed, carrying the table with the
top of her head now rather than her arms, “Yes, sensei.” With that, she sullenly returned the table to
its previous place in the dining room, and came back outside.
Genma grunted in approval and turned toward
Nabiki. “And Nabiki, I want to make this perfectly clear. There...” Genma had
to fight to say the next words “is no engagement. We are here because I am
friends with your father and we intend to pay our way. Your comments about your
sister show a lack of honor unbecoming of a Tendo. I don’t know what you’ve
been able to get away with in the past, but as long as you’re in my sight...”
Genma stepped up to Nabiki letting his girth and height become more apparent to
the girl. He looked down at her head. She wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were
on the koi pond. Genma took the collar of her blouse and shook. Now Nabiki’s
eyes were wide. Now she was paying attention. “As long as you’re in my sight
you are MINE!” Genma released Nabiki. “I answer to your father and no one else
on this matter. If you have a problem, discuss it with him.”
“Jeez, Pops, you’re laying it on a little
thick ain’t ya?” Ranma
spoke out of the corner of her mouth, “I mean, she was only teasing, right?”
Genma came within a breath of striking his
own son in anger. It was true that Genma often struck his son in anger, but as
much as it would make him feel better, and even though he wouldn’t hit near
full force, it would eventually lead to Ranma kicking him into the pond and
Genma being a panda, which really wouldn’t gain him any respect as a sensei.
Genma took that breath. He decided to exploit the teacher/student situation a
little further. “Are you challenging me, Ranma?”
Ranma’s eyes went wide again. “No, Pops!
Just... makin a comment is all.”
Genma nodded. He wondered why he hadn’t tried
that earlier...in
“Hey, yeah! Where do
you get off bein so high and mighty?” Ranma added.
“High and mighty?
Me? I would never dream of acting
that way. I was simply allowing you and my little sister some privacy.” Nabiki
rebuked with a smirk.
“A martial artist must learn humility,” Genma
continued, “For sometimes he must look at an opponent’s feet, before he...or
she...can know where they stand.”
Akane smiled and bowed nervously, “Uncle...I
mean, Sensei, I don’t mean to be rude but it’s Ranma’s
first day and we really ought to be early...”
“Fine. You may
leave.”
They all prepared to make a run for it.
“But you leave together.” They froze
comically just before their first step. “Holding hands.”
“Aw man! I don’t wanna
hold anyone’s hand!” Ranma pouted.
“Um...Unc-
Sensei? That’s going to slow us down quite a bit...”Akane noted.
“I can’t believe this!” Nabiki exclaimed.
Genma smiled, and tilted his head, causing
the sun to glare off his glasses. “Consider it training.”
~~~~~*~~~~~
After Genma recounts this much to his friend,
Soun laughs. “I must say, Saotome; that was genius.” Soun slaps Genma on the
back.
“Yes, well I shouldn’t have blown up at
Nabiki like that...”
“No, my friend, I think that’s exactly what
you should have done.” Soun takes the small towelette off his head and soaks it
in the furo water. “I have been too lenient on them all I think. I can’t stand
hurting them, you understand. Before...she would always be the disciplinarian,
when she... left...I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t in me.” Soun folds the
towel back and puts it on his head, “Saotome, to be able to raise your child
the way you did, to be her sensei as well as her father- I think it takes a
special kind of love, a love mixed with courage... and faith.”
Genma’s eyes mist over as he remembers his
son, tied up and covered with fishcakes. He remembers how he felt then. He was
going to do it! He was going to make his son a man among men! Ranma would learn
this technique and become the best martial artist in the world. Then they could
go home... back to Nodoka. Ranma was progressing so quickly, he was so good
already, Genma just wanted to yell out how proud of him he was, how much he
loved him, but he kept it inside. He had to make Ranma strong. After he learned
this technique...maybe he could be a father for a little while. He would get
Ranma a nice big sundae; maybe take him to a movie...
Keeping his excitement to himself, Genma
pushed Ranma into the pit...
~~~~~*~~~~~
“It’s a stupid kind of love, Tendo,” Genma
says solemnly wiping at the tears behind his glasses, “I should have stayed,
got help for Nodoka...at least then Ranma would have had a home...”
“Saotome, you did what you thought was right.
Besides,” Soun crosses his arms resolutely, “she has a home now.”
“Yes,” Genma says looking at his friend with
new respect. The worried, naïve teenager is still in there, but now only within
a strong, solid, and mature, if maybe a little sad outer casing. The past ten
years have changed Soun. And they have changed Genma as well. “Thank you, Tendo.
Maybe Ranma does have a home now...he and Nabiki are even getting along a
little better.”
“Oh? That’s right. You
hadn’t finished telling me how today went... What did you find out at school?”
Soun’s face was serious.
“You knew I snuck out after them?” Genma
asks, surprised.
“Yes. I watched you after the girls left for
school... I only saw you do what you did one time before...when we defeated the
master.”
Genma slapped a hand on his forehead “You saw
me start the technique.”
“You told me you were never going to use the
Umisenken again. That it was sealed as tightly as the old master.”
“Yes, well...a couple times on the road I came pretty close to
starving, and today...I just wanted to make sure the boy didn’t do anything
stupid.”
“Saotome, if the technique is not sealed, then you must teach it
to me. If the schools are to be joined their must be no secrets between them.”
“Tendo, some things should not be taught. The ‘Sea of a Thousand
Fists’ is one of them.”
“I’m not suggesting you give away your secrets to anyone who gives
you shelter...”
Genma grimaces. He doesn’t know what he was thinking when he gave
that scroll to Kumon...
“You did give the Umisenken away, didn’t you,” Soun crossed his
arms.
“No...”
Soun’s head turns purple and grows enormous. Steam shoots out of
Soun’s ears and his tongue flickers snake like out of his mouth. “DON’T LIE TO
ME, SAOTOME!!!!”
Genma stammers for a moment unable to speak, he forgot about his
friend’s demon head. Genma can see where Akane must have got her temper.
“I...I...assure I am not lying, my friend. I did not give away the
Umisenken...”
Soun’s head retracts to normal size.
“I gave away the Yamasenken.”
“You have ANOTHER secret technique?...And
you gave it away???”
“I was hungry...”
“Yes, of course you were.” Soun sighs. “Forgive me, Saotome...your
secrets are your own to keep or give away as you please. It’s just
frustrating...you were always the master’s favorite...”
“Be glad of that, my friend. I would not wish his attentions on
the wickedest of oni...”
“True...So why did you ran around town
using a secret invisibility technique if I may ask?”
“Ranma hasn’t been in school for almost two years. And now he’s
going as a girl...”
“You were worried.”
“Yes, I was worried. I still am.”
“So...what happened?””
Genma smiles, remembering.
“Yes, well, as you know I love eavesdropping on people. Especially when they’re
talking about me...”
~~~~~*~~~~~
Genma walked, unseen, by the three girls
holding hands. He was closest to Nabiki, and as she said some rather un-nice
things about him he couldn’t help but make the occasional face at her. She seemed to get angrier as time wore on
though. Genma was worried he might have to step in...
“You don’t understand, Nabiki.” Ranma
explained, her left hand tightly holding Nabiki’s right as the middle Tendo
daughter tried to jerk her arm free. “Pops’ll know if
ya stop holdin my hand.
Believe me. Ore don’t know how he does it, it’s almost like he’s got a
technique that turns him invisible or somethin, but
just when ya think you’re free of him, he runs up ta ya out of nowhere ta give ya a lecture about somethin ya just did that was
wrong. Most the time, its just annoyin...but you get
him mad and he’s the sensei from Hell.”
“Ranma, you used ‘
“Um...
Akane had been trying to make Ranma speak
more like a girl with little success. Genma was rather disturbed by the
situation, but he could see the practicality of it.
“Well, you see, Saotome,” Nabiki said,
ignoring Ranma and Akane’s repartee, “that’s where the threat falls apart. Watashi
am not that man’s student. Watashi do not take orders from a panda.” With that
she tugged again, trying to pull her hand free and failing.
Genma was worried. How could he deal with
this? If Nabiki truly didn’t want to learn from him there was no way to make
her...
“Hey wait a minute, Akane. Nabiki uses
‘Watashi’ Why can’t
Akane was thoughtful for a moment. “You
could.... But you’re so unfeminine really you need to use ‘Atashi’ to make up
for it.”
“Hello? You’re hurting my hand, Saotome! Let
go.” Nabiki said, trying a different tactic.
“Hmm? But
Akane lightly kicked the back of Ranma’s calf. “Ranma you used ‘
“Oops.”
“Look just because you two get a big kick out
of holding each other’s hands, doesn’t mean I have to participate. Let.
“Sorry, Nabiki, if ya
wanna get free, you’re gonna
have to fight me,” Ranma smiled. There was silence for awhile as the girls and
Genma walked. Finally Ranma spoke again. “You know, Nabiki, ever since Ore got
here...er ever since Atashi got here you’ve molested
me, insulted me, insulted Akane, Kasumi, even your own dad. You’ve taken
pictures of me’n Akane naked, and now you wanna break your promise to your father by not doin what Pops asked. What’s your beef exactly? Is it me? Why
do
“Honestly, Nabiki,” Akane added with a frown,
“Ranma’s right. You’ve been acting terrible ever since she got here. Is this
still about Ranma not being a boy? Did you want to get engaged that badly?”
Nabiki looked stunned for a moment...and then
chuckled sardonically. “You think this is about that? Do you have any idea,
little sister, what I have to go through just to make sure we still have a roof
over our heads the next day?”
“Nabiki,” Akane responded, “I know you do a
lot but-“
“You don’t know the half of it, Akane-chan.”
Nabiki interrupted. She held out her free hand as if holding a ball. “There is
so much information, Akane. Information that I...that we ALL need
in order to survive. All sorts of threads tangled up in this mass that
only I seem to be able to comprehend. I have to pull them Akane, I have to pull
these threads, make the ball tighter, compact. And I have to be careful because
one wrong pull, one thread out of place...and the whole thing can unravel.” She
dropped her hand to her side, dramatically letting the ball fall apart. “If I
had more money though...”
“Look,
“Do you care at all about what I said,
Saotome, or were you just counting up all the ‘Watashi’s?”
“Um...yeah sure.
That was a medal for something, right?”
“’Metaphor’, Ranma,” Akane supplied, “and if
you want to be a perverted, vengeful girl who scares everyone that knows her,
by all means use ‘Watashi’” Akane’s free hand was clenched in a fist and she
seemed to stomp more than walk. Apparently Akane still had some issues with her
older sister.
“Good point,” Ranma conceded. She seemed
taken aback, and Genma didn’t blame her. She was coming very close to having
two women mad at her.
“And Nabiki,” Akane added, “if you just wanted a fiancé for money why didn’t you go
after Kuno?”
“Who’s Kuno?” Ranma asked.
“Oh he’s a rich idiot upperclassman from
school,” Akane answered with a wave of her free hand, “Carries a stick and
harasses me. Addresses himself as ‘Boku’”
“Oh.” Ranma frowned for a moment. “So
“I did go out with Kuno.” Nabiki stated
coldly before Akane could respond. “Once. You probably
don’t remember. It was near the end of last school year. You were outside
practicing and Kuno drove up in a limousine.” Nabiki stepped in front of Ranma
so she could address Akane more directly. “A limo, Akane!” Nabiki looked away towards a small pothole in
the road as she fell back in line. “That was the night he first confessed his
undying love for you.”
An awkward pause, then Akane spoke. “You had
something to do with the boys at school didn’t you
Nabiki.” It was not a question.
“The boys at school?”
Ranma asked.
“You know that weight set you got for your
birthday, little sister?” Nabiki ignored Ranma, “90,000 yen at least. How do
you think it was paid for? Each of those boys paid me to fight you. They bet
against you and lost. You should be happy about that. You should thank me.
Instead you call me a pervert.”
A red aura coalesced around Akane. “You’re
the most PERVERTED person I KNOW!”
“Hey, Akane, calm down will you? Getting
angry just makes ya stupid.”
“I am not stupid, Ranma!” Akane yelled at the redhead.
Genma winced. It must be a family curse, he reckoned. Genma didn’t
remember ever teaching the boy how to mess up so badly with women, but Ranma
learned it from him anyway. Of course it wasn’t just with women. Genma couldn’t
count the number of times he had MEANT to say “I’ll work if you feed me,” but
INSTEAD said something along the lines of “I’ll give you my first born for a
pickle” or “Hey look! A ten yen coin!” Most people
didn’t understand these kinds of flub ups, but everyone could understand a
little nervousness around the ladies. Unfortunately for Ranma, she WAS a lady
right now. How could Ranma be so stupid? Taking that vial...why would Ranma
even accept such a thing?
Ranma cringed at Akane comment as well. “Woah, Ore didn’t say ya were
stupid.... Ore just said...Ore just said that gettin
angry made ya ACT that way!”
Akane’s
anger eased and she smiled. “‘Atashi,’ Ranma. Honestly, will you ever learn?”
Genma blinked. That would have never worked
if Ranma were still a boy...
Nabiki smiled, “You’ll have to excuse my
little sister, Saotome. She has a short fuse about some things.”
Ranma turned to Nabiki and beamed. “That’s
okay, Nabiki, at least she ain’t a perverted, backstabbin bitch.”
“Touché” Nabiki conceded.
“What?” Ranma asked confused.
“Touché...its French...never
mind.” Nabiki waved it off with her free left hand. Suddenly she stopped
walking. “Wait.”
Water splashed in the space just in front of
the three girls. It came from the ladle of an elderly lady standing in the
entrance of her house’s garden.
“GOOD MORNING, GRANDMOTHER SHIRATORI!” Nabiki
called out.
Mrs. Shiratori turned around three times
counter-clockwise, put her bucket and ladle down and squinted at Nabiki, Akane,
and Ranma for a few moments before recognition registered on her face. “Oh, why good morning, Nabiki-chan! It’s been a while since
you’ve been by. Washi thought you had a ride with your friend, what’s-her-name.”
“Hey,” Ranma whispered to Akane, “She’s a
woman and she uses ‘Washi,’ just like Pops. Why can’t Ore use that?”
“You’re not old enough. Don’t you know
ANYTHING?” Akane whispered back, “And you used ‘Ore’ again.”
Nabiki grimaced, “May I introduce Saotome
Ranma?” Nabiki motioned to Ranma with her free left hand in a wide, sweeping
motion.
“Hi there,” Ranma bowed her head in greeting,
a somewhat confused look on her face.
“She and her father are staying at our home
for...” Nabiki turned her head to Ranma, “How long was it you were planning on
staying?”
“What the hell you askin me for?” Ranma responded.
“At any rate,” Nabiki smiled turning back to Shiratori-san,
“Akane and I thought we’d help Saotome out. You see she’s a little shy.”
“Ore ain’t shy,”
Ranma asserted.
Akane kicked her in the calf again.
“What?” Ranma asked, “Oh...sorry.”
Shiratori hobbled closer to Ranma put a
weathered and wrinkled hand up to the redhead’s brow, and closed her eyes. “I
see a boy with slate-gray eyes...I see him fading away...I see dark forces in
the distance approaching...becoming more distinct...madness...a woman in a
white kimono...death.” The old woman opened her eyes and the light of the
morning sun reflected off them like the tips of daggers. “These things will
come to pass if you continue on your present path.” She took her hand off
Ranma’s forehead.
Ranma’s jaw was slack, her eyes wide, her skin pale.
Genma was sure his own face, were it visible,
would look much the same. Who was this Shiratori
woman? Was what she said true? Was Ranma’s male side going to fade away? And
how did she know about Nodoka?
“I see you got back ‘Martinique’” Nabiki said
loudly, gesturing to the ladle by the entrance of Shiratori’s
home.
The old woman’s somber features softened to a
smile, as she turned toward Nabiki again. “Yes, Asuza-chan
gave it back after some cajoling.”
“Really? That’s all
it took?” Nabiki asked in her raised voice smirking.
Shiratori cackled, “I might have said one or
two nasty things about her marriage prospects...”
“You’re an evil old woman, you know that?”
Nabiki smiled.
“And you’re a malicious, perverse, and money
hungry little girl.” Shiratori rejoindered.
“We know each other so well don’t we?” Nabiki laughed. “It’s been nice talking with you again.
I have to see these two idiots to school now.”
“I am NOT an IDIOT!” Akane protested.
Ranma lightly kicked her in the calf.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?...oh
sorry.” Akane smiled sheepishly, calming down.
“Still hot tempered as ever, eh Akane-chan?”
Shiratori jeered, “Such a tomboy. It’s no wonder you don’t ever bother to say hello
to a lonely old woman. Just like a man.”
Akane shook her free fist at the wizened
face. “MAYBE if such a lonely old woman would stop INSULTING me every chance
she got, I’d make more of an EFFORT!”
Shiratori cackled again, “And what would be
the fun in that, young one?” There was a small pause as Akane tried to
assimilate this, then Shiratori spoke again. “Go, child, before something
unpleasant flies in that gaping mouth of yours.” The girls left Shiratori to
mutter to herself, smiling. “The youth are so uncouth.
Uncouth youth. Forsooth...”
Genma stayed behind. He had to find out what
this Shiratori knew. There was however the small matter of getting out of the
Umisenken without revealing it to anyone...
“That girl, Saotome...” Shiratori spoke
loudly looking off into the distance, “Her future troubles you.”
Genma started. She had sensed him?
“Yes, I know you are here. I’m blind as a
bat, but I can see as long as wills collide. Your will is strong enough to read
by. You didn’t like what I said about the red-haired girl.”
Genma dropped all pretense of hiding and
spoke. “He’s my son.”
“I see... That explains a lot then.” The old
woman turned around three times clockwise and picked up the bucket of water and
the ladle. She began splashing the street pensively. The pace was slow and
random, yet somehow soothingly rhythmic, like waves crashing on the beach.
Genma was about to speak again when Shiratori stopped. “I have a small gift. I
can see the paths that people are on. I know a little of what lay ahead. But
people change paths all the time. They go in new directions based on the
choices they make.”
A young couple walked by arguing vehemently
about some rumor one had heard about the other. Shiratori smiled, dipped her
ladle in the bucket, and splashed the girl.
“Aw jeez,” the boyfriend responded, “I knew
we should’ve taken the other way. Hey look it’s
chilly. Why don’t you put on my over-shirt? Then you can change clothes once we
get to school.” The girl nodded and accepted the shirt with a hesitant smile.
When they left, they were holding hands.
Shiratori nodded. “You can exert a force in
this, but you must be careful which way you push.” She turned toward Genma and
held out her bucket and ladle. Her gaze was disturbingly off target. Genma
supposed he should have been used to that sort of thing from his experiences
with the Umisenken, but with Shiratori, more than with anyone before, her
intense focus on something beyond Genma made him feel as if he didn’t really
exist. “Take these, you will need them.”
Genma hesitantly accepted the proffered
bucket and ladle with a quizzical look. “What could I do with this?” Genma
asked.
In response, the old woman turned three times
widdershins and stepped backward with her left foot, bringing her right even
with it. She continued toward the entrance of her house in this manner, as if
part of some backwards wedding procession. She had made five strides along the
gravel pathway before saying, “Remember, Saotome Genma, it is often unwise to
blaze new trails. Wait for a crossroads before changing directions.”
Genma bowed his head in thought for a while,
than lifted and nodded sagely. As Shiratori evanesced into the shadows of her
domicile Genma smiled and wondered if the old biddy knew he understood exactly
what she said. He had, after all, been subjected to years full of obscure sayings
and vague prophetic warnings due to his dealings with the old master. All she
was saying was that sometimes it was better to use a fork.
Genma had to admit that was true, although he
was rather fond of chopsticks.
He couldn’t quite figure out, though, what
that had to do with Ranma. He also wondered if maybe he should find a quick
snack. The bamboo earlier that morning had been surprisingly edible, but
somehow it just wasn’t very filling...This led Genma to question how it was
that the bamboo that he ate as a panda wasn’t making him sick as a man. Could
it have been converted to something else? Fish and rice
perhaps? Mmmm....fish and rice....with mayonnaise,
some soy sauce and a raw egg to finish it off...that would be heaven right
about now...
Genma shook his head. As delicious as that
sounded, he could not head back to the dojo, he had students to watch over. He
wasn’t even hungry. Couldn’t be. He ate a whole
platter full of that bamboo. Then again how much do pandas eat? Maybe he
should...Genma sniffed. Was someone cooking chicken? His mouth watered...He
could hear the laughter of the Master in the tinkling of the canal water past
the fence. He shuddered and gripped the bucket and ladle tightly. No. Ranma and the girls first. Then chicken.
Carrying the ladle and bucket, Genma
reestablished the Umisenken and hurried to catch up with his students.
When he reached them, Nabiki was once again
trying to get Ranma to let go of her hand. “Listen, Saotome, I propose a
wager...a challenge, if you will.”
“Oh yeah? What kinda challenge?”
“I don’t think you want to be holding my hand
any more than I want to be holding yours. I propose we both let go. If your
father shows up knowing about it, I will agree to what your father AND you say
as a sensei for a week. If the panda is clueless however, you have to agree to
pose for some pictures.”
Genma smiled. He was going to get to punish
someone again! He crouched behind a bush in someone’s backyard and let the two
and a half girls walk a little ahead.
“Don’t do it, Ranma” Akane warned “She hardly
ever makes a bet unless she’s sure she’s going to win.”
“Maybe. But she don’t know my Pops.” Ranma turned to Nabiki, “You’re on.”
Ranma smirked. “On the count of three. One.”
Genma stopped using the Umisenken and crept
out from behind the bush.
“Two.”
Smirking, Genma readied the ladle and bucket.
“Three.” Ranma released Nabiki’s hand with a
flourish.
Genma gave them a good five seconds before
splashing Nabiki and Ranma with the freezing cold water.
“Well, it looks like- GAH!” Nabiki exclaimed.
The two girls and Ranma whirled around.
Strangely enough, Ranma didn’t seem to be wet at all. “Unless your father says
otherwise, I am your sensei. You must learn respect, Nabiki.”
“See,” Ranma said with a smirk, “Ore toldja, Nabiki.”
“Ranma... ‘Atashi’...”
“Oh right. Sorry ‘kane.”
“Don’t think you are exempt, Ranma. You let
go of Nabiki’s hand just as much as she let go of yours.” Genma aimed another
water balloon sized ladle blast at Ranma again. The water somehow bent away
from Ranma and splashed into Nabiki again full force.
“Aw c’mon, Pops.”
Ranma protested, apparently ignorant of the water’s acrobatics, “I’m still holdin Akane’s hand ain’t I?”
“Th-th-there’s no
way...” Nabiki shivered, soaking wet, her eyes wide.
Looking at Nabiki’s surprised expression was
enough to make Genma forget the oddness with the water. He smiled. “You have to learn your limits, girl. You
cannot know everything about your environment no matter how keen your senses.”
There was a flash of light and a rumbling. Genma ignored it. “You have to be ready
for any situation, regardless of how it looks.” Several rain drops fell from
the sky landing on Genma’s gi. “Even now there might be an assassin lurking
unseen behind a bush or maybe in that canal waiting to attack.” Genma pointed
to the canal of rushing water behind the chain link fence as a sudden gust of
wind blew more rain drops in his face. “You must keep your senses sharp watch
for things behind you above you and to your sides as well as in front. But always
be prepared because growf ga
growfer row grop...Growf!” Genma had forgotten about the curse... he hadn’t
even noticed the change.
“Hey Pops!” Ranma taunted, “Guess ya shoulda been more prepared
huh? Guess ya shoulda been payin attention to what was above ya,
huh? Like for instance the big ass rain cloud?”
“Um... Ranma?” Akane
tugged at the sleeve of her new friend’s red silk Chinese over-shirt with her
free hand.
“Yeah?”
“Why aren’t we wet? It’s raining pretty
hard...”
Genma’s fur kept the cold of the chilly
spring rain off his body, but the water did make his fur rather heavy and
uncomfortable. Nabiki was much worse off. Her hair was plastered to her head
and her uniform was dark with rainwater. Ranma and Akane, by contrast, were dry
as desert flowers. The boy turned girl, showing as much need to review her
surroundings as Genma had, was only just now becoming aware of this.
“Hey yeah! Woah this is cool! Must be some sorta
weird side affect from that vial I drank...”
“What vial?” Akane asked.
Genma made a good show of burying his furry
forehead in his paw.
“Er...” Ranma
elucidated, fingering her pigtail with her free hand. “Um...” she continued.
“Well, ya see...” she expanded. Finally she brought
her stunning oration to a close with, “I’ll tell ya
later ‘kay?”
Akane nodded slowly, a furrow of confusion
clouding her brow. Her eyes widened as she looked over Nabiki’s shoulder at the
billboard with the green digital time display.
Genma followed her gaze, thankful that his curse didn’t affect his sight
that much, he read
“Well Nabiki kinda
held us back, complainin and chattin
with that weird old lady...” Ranma pointed out.
Nabiki looked like she had a few things to
say about that, but she was shivering too hard to respond. Now that Nabiki was
officially his student, Genma would have to subject her to some vigorous
environmental training. It was a good twenty degrees Celsius. Even in heavy
rain, that should be plenty warm enough for any martial artist. Still Genma
didn’t want Nabiki getting sick or anything, “Growfer
growf growf growf growfer growf
growfer growf growf,” Genma suggested.
“Thanks, Pops, I think that was the best
advice ya ever gave,” Ranma said with half-lidded
eyes.
Akane raised her head as her eyes brightened,
“Well, as long as we’re late, we might as well stop by Tofu’s. Nabiki can warm
up there and we might even get passes for school!”
Ranma nodded. “Sounds good to me... Nabiki, ya gonna get outta
the rain?” Ranma offered her hand.
Grimacing, Nabiki accepted. “You’ll b-be
s-sorry ab-bout th-this.”
“Yeah well, when I am I’ll let ya know.”
Nabiki was still wet but the rain didn’t go
through the field that Ranma seemed to generate. It just bent away from him as
if he were a reverse magnet for the water. Of course, ever since the curse,
Ranma had been a water magnet, but this was a little more literal than Genma
would have thought. As for Genma, for some reason water never sought him out as
much. Of course, half the time he was in his cursed form anyway; so it didn’t
matter, but Genma wondered why water was attracted to Ranma so much more
sometimes. Now apparently water was doing the opposite.
Shrugging Genma decided he was sick of having
his pelt pelted by rain and grabbed Nabiki’s wrist with his paw. Almost
instantly, the rain seemed to stop...only it didn’t. It gave Genma a feeling of
being a disembodied spirit. His panda countenance would betray none of it, but
the truth was, Genma found this a tad unsettling.
Nabiki looked up at Genma, startled. Then she
turned her head toward Ranma. Then she sighed and looked ahead, her eyes no
doubt burning a path through the rain ahead of them.
“So this doctor Tofu, he’s pretty good huh?”
Ranma asked.
“Oh he’s great,” Akane insured, “He’s so good
at medicine and acupuncture he’s practically a wizard.”
And with that Akane, the scare-cat, the tin
woman, and the cowardly panda went off to see this “wizard.”
~~~~~*~~~~~
Genma pauses to stretch a bit in the furo
waters. He notices a young man listening to a waterproof walkman. Genma and
Soun are sitting fairly close to one corner of the public bath and the short
haired young man sits across from them against the edge adjacent to theirs.
When Genma sees him, he looks away, as if he had been staring at Genma for a
while. He has a sort of ratty complexion with small eyes that seem to glare mischievously
while his mouth curls in a slight smile. Genma wonders if the boy is gay. This
brings him alarmingly to the subject of his own child’s sexuality. As long as
Ranma still changed with water, Genma was sure he’d just be attracted to girls
and there’d be no problem. But now... what if Ranma’s a girl forever? Genma
didn’t want a daughter of his to be a lesbian, but what could he do? What if
the boy across from Genma is a girl cursed to be in a boy’s body?
“So... Ranma is waterproof?” Soun asks,
distracting Genma from his disturbing thoughts.
“Yes, as far as I’ve been able to tell. Hot
water hits him just fine but cold water just bends around him and anyone he’s
holding hands with.”
“That’s odd. What did Dr. Tofu have to say
about that?”
“He said something about water being polar, but he wasn’t sure how a potion could manipulate it
like that.” Genma leaned back. “Tendo, how can such a young boy know so much?”
“It was his father,” Soun replied somberly,
“They were very close.”
“What happened?”
“For the longest time it was a mystery. Tofu’s
father was a doctor, a good one, but neither he nor any other professional
could figure out what was wrong with him. He just got weaker and weaker
until...” Soun swallowed, “Tofu’s father died when the boy was sixteen. He had
been sick for two years. After that, Tofu flew through school,
he was determined to make his father proud. And I’m sure he has. The boy is
already a fine doctor. Don’t call him Doctor Ono though. He jokes around, but
he’s still a little sensitive about being called the same thing his father
was.”
“Did he ever figure out what killed his
father?”
“Yes.”
“What was it?”
“A curse.”
“You mean magic?”
“Yes. It was a fairly simple curse as I
understand it. But still...it almost killed Kasumi.”
“Kasumi was cursed too?”
Soun’s eyes grew watery, “Tofu saved my baby,
Saotome. That boy’s a saint. I’d give him almost anything just for that, but he
won’t accept it. Not one yen. And he’s been our family doctor ever since then.
He’s never charged us for anything, and I tell you he’s the best doctor you
could ever hope to find.”
“Hmm...I guess I shouldn’t feel so
embarrassed about working for him then.”
“You’re working for him?”
“Yes, starting tomorrow. I was asking for
Ranma, but Tofu said that he needed an assistant that could work during school
hours.”
“Saotome...I’m glad you’re helping Tofu out,
but...aren’t you a little over qualified?”
“Tendo, I’m forty-two years old, I have no
formal education, the only thing I really know how to do well is steal things
and beat people up. What else am I going to do?”
“You could help me in the dojo...”
“Yes and I’m going to, but the only students
you have right now are your own children and two of them dropped out.”
Soun starts to stand out of the water,
“Saotome that’s low...”
“Calm down, Tendo. I’m just stating the
facts. We’ve got to face it, my friend. Unless we do something about it,
Anything Goes is going to fade away, and all that pain, all that suffering that
the demon put us through is going to be for nothing.”
Soun sits on the edge, out of the water.
Genma joins him as he finds the heat of the water a little stifling himself.
“You’re right of course,” Soun sighs, “I
really have been depending on Nabiki too much these past few years. Grandmother
Shiratori...she may be a little... eccentric but she really helped out
after...that year. She actually managed to amass a great deal of wealth in her
younger days, despite being a woman of low birth. Nabiki talked with her
everyday... she used to do things like that, you know. She always had a knack
for knowing when people needed company... When it happened...I wasn’t worth
much I’m afraid. Shiratori started paying Nabiki for doing odd jobs for her,
and somehow we always had enough to get by. Akane and Kasumi find Grandmother
Shiratori to be difficult, but Nabiki...she loves that old woman to death. Had
I known she’d be such a bad influence... but then what could I have done?
Nabiki’s been the real bread winner for our family since she was seven. I feel
like I’ve been sleeping all this time, and I’m only just now waking up.”
“You’ve done nothing all this time?”
“It’s not as bad as that really. I go to
parent teacher meetings, I do odd jobs for people...Sometimes I’ll find out
about some robbery or assault and I’ll help catch the criminal responsible.
Some people seem to think I should run for some kind of office, but I don’t
know if they’re joking or not.”
“Tendo, that would
be perfect for you! Even when you were a scraggly punk kid you always got the
girls. Even when we both got caught on a raid, you could get out of it much
quicker than I ever could.”
“What are you saying, Saotome?”
“You have charisma, Tendo! That’s something I
could never manage.”
“Maybe you’re right. It’s worth a try anyway.
I’ve been going to the town meetings more often recently and I think I might
have a few connections...”
Genma thinks of something. “Tendo...Is
Shiratori really psychic?”
Soun eases himself back into the water.
“That’s not an easy question to answer, my friend. Some of the things she
says... Something you ought to know though is she likes to mess with people.
Sometimes she’ll say things just to get a reaction. It’s no use trying to
understand that woman. She’s said things to me I wouldn’t dare repeat even
under threat of death they were so vulgar.”
“Come now, no one could be as crass as the
master.”
Soun looks up at Genma and it seems coals are
burning in his eyes. “The master never knew my wife.”
Genma can say nothing to that. He lowers
himself back into the water. He notices the boy with the walkman is staring at
him again. Genma tries to imagine that the boy is a beautiful woman, but
shortly comes to the decision that even if it were a woman staring at him it
would be disturbing. In fact the effort in trying to imagine that the rat-faced
boy could be a girl is disturbing in itself. Genma is about to ask the boy to
find something else to occupy his attention when Soun speaks.
“What happened when they got to school?”
Genma is rather glad for the distraction. “I
allowed them to stop holding hands but they still arrived at school more or
less together. I stayed a little longer at Tofu’s discussing employment, so I’m
not sure of how it happened, but when I caught up to them at school, this Kuno
character was keeping them from entering the school...”
“Yes, yes...Kuno. Tell me, what’s the boy
really like? I get such a negative impression from Akane.”
“Well, I’ll say this...the boy is determined.
And he has some measure of skill. And he IS somewhat chivalrous in a backwards
sort of way but...”
“But?”
“He’s a buffoon.”
~~~~~*~~~~~
Kuno barred Akane’s way with his outstretched
bokken. Strangely enough Akane giggled. “Kuno...honestly... you’re late to
class. I have got a pass so I don’t care how long you keep me out here, but
you’re going to have to stand in the hall.”
“Such a meager sacrifice I would gladly pay
to banter with one of such fierce beauty.” A breeze blew past, which might have
been properly dramatic except Kuno was rather soaked from the earlier downpour
and the breeze just caused him to shiver.
“I don’t have time for this,” Nabiki declared
and walked past the tableau, further breaking the tension.
“Go then, wench. I have no need of your presence,”
Kuno retorted. “But hark! Who is this maiden that doth
accompany Diana on the hunt?”
Akane nudged Ranma in the ribs. “He’s talking
about you.”
“Huh?”
“Fair maid of the fiery hair,” Kuno got on
one knee and grabbed Ranma’s hand, “Tell me how I may address you!”
“Um...well I’m...”
“Wait! Is it not customary to give one’s own
name first?”
“Um...”
Kuno stood up, clasping Ranma’s hand to his
heart. “Very well! Mine I shall give! Know that it is
the rising star of
Ranma jerked her hand out of Kuno’s grasp and got in a fighting stance. “Watch it buddy,
Ore ain’t real interested in gettin
ta know you better. In fact, why doncha
just shut yer pie hole and get out of my face before
Ore rearrange yours?”
“Ranma...”Akane muttered out of the corner of
her mouth.
“Diana’s companion has zest as well! Very
well, I will engage you in combat, pigtailed one, but I would have the name of
my opponent.”
“Name’s Saotome Ranma of the Saotome school
of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and Ore am gonna...”
“Ranma!” Akane
yelled.
“Sorry...Atashi am gonna
kick yer ass!”
Genma watched unseen from a bush, coming out
of the Umisenken so he could concentrate fully on the fight. Ranma almost
lunged at Kuno, but then stopped herself. Genma nodded, whispering the words he
told the boy many times. Don’t make the first move hastily. Watch your
opponent, note his strengths and weaknesses. If he attacks, respond, but
otherwise be calm and reveal nothing.
“Your move, Kuno, I’m ready when you are,”
Ranma growled. Akane yelled again but Ranma didn’t seem to care.
Kuno went from holding his weapon two handed
in front of him to standing sideways with the bokken over his head. This marked
Kuno as being largely restricted to his own style. In sword fighting, a win
came often after a few, well placed hits, so the beginning stance was much more
important. This was only true, however, in refereed matches and with bladed
weapons. Kuno was using a wooden bokken and his opponent was completely
unarmed. These exaggerated stances were completely useless and dangerously
limiting unless... Genma looked closer. The stances weren’t just good. They
were perfect. The feet were at the exact optimum angle, the “blade” of the
bokken at just the right cant. Even though Kendo was not Genma’s focus in the
Art, he was impressed. To enter even a simple stance so flawlessly required
great discipline, and Kuno did it so naturally it would have seemed second
nature, were he not so obviously using the stances to show off.
“Nay, I must insist beauty come before
brawn,” Kuno said over his shoulder before moving his bokken to his side, its
point as still as a rock in cement oriented in Ranma’s direction.
Genma knew this comment was winding Ranma up
to no end. He could see her face twitch in the effort to stay focused. He also
knew that Ranma hardly ever trained in his girl body, despite his agreeing that
it was a good idea. The fight would be harder than Ranma might think. Looking
between the two of them, he could feel the tension mount. Everything slowed to
a crawl. Noises melted into the background until it seemed that all that
existed were Kuno, Ranma, Akane, and himself.
Finally, taking her cue from somewhere within
herself, or perhaps a higher power, Ranma charged.
Genma grimaced. So much for Ranma’s training.
Ranma jumped into a flying sidekick that
would have impacted Kuno’s face quite painfully,
except the move was so obvious that Kuno would have had to be brain dead to
miss it. Stepping to the side in a flourish, he lightly whacked Ranma on the
back with the bokken. “I have smote thee, fair maiden. As my prize...”
“You ain’t smote
shit, stick boy!” And Ranma swung her leg around in a high hook kick that
caught Kuno at the base of the skull.
Kuno staggered forward and his eyes widened a
moment before he turned around his bokken straight in front of him again. “A hit! Albeit fowl. Mayhap I needs must demonstrate my
prowess further.”
“I don’t want nothin
ta do with your ‘prowess’!”
Ranma exclaimed but kept herself from lashing out again.
Kuno swung lazily at Ranma with the bokken.
Ranma dodged easily. Kuno smiled and swung again, this time making a side swipe
across Ranma’s middle. Ranma jumped over the swing and somersaulted in the air
before landing behind Kuno and executing a powerful roundhouse to the kendoist’s temple.
Kuno staggered to the side and then righted
himself, shaking his head to help clear his vision. “Certes, thou art a nimble
nymph. I have dallied long enough. It is time this battle cease.” With that
Kuno became a whirlwind of motion, his blade a wooden blur in space as he
attacked Ranma.
Ranma dodged every blow with ease, her body
jerking one way then the other. Every other swing Ranma punched Kuno in a new
location until finally she nailed him in the solar plexus causing the boy to
gasp for breath. Ranma followed up with a snap kick to the chin a hook kick to
the eardrum, an axe kick to the collarbone and finally a throw to the ground.
Ranma straddled Kuno and put her hand around the boy’s throat, fire dancing in
her eyes. “Don’t ya EVER touch me again.
Ya got that? I don’t even wanna
catch ya LOOKIN at me! Cuz
if ya do, we’re gonna
finish this and ya ain’t gonna like the endin.”
“Very well,” wheezed Kuno. “I shall allow you
to date...me.” And with that he fell unconscious.
“Huh?” Ranma asked no one in particular.
“I tried to warn you,” Akane sighed, putting
a hand on Ranma’s shoulder, “Kuno has this...thing for girls who fight. Ask
Nabiki to tell you about Linda sometime.”
“Linda?”
“American exchange student.
Female boxer. She was only here a week before she
transferred back. Best thing she could have done really...the mental hospitals
are better in America.”
“Akane?”
“Yes, Ranma?”
“Do ya think if we
go inside right now he’ll forget what I look like?”
“Doubt it, but I guess It’s
worth a shot,” Akane shrugged. And with that the two ran into the school”
~~~~~*~~~~~
“The boy has an interesting pick up line,”
Soun remarks with a smile as he sits in the bath.
“A buffoon, I believe I said,” Genma nods.
“Yes, I recall...still I wouldn’t say he’s completely
moronic...”
“He was holding back. I imagine even if Ranma
hadn’t dodged those whirlwind swings they wouldn’t have even caused a bruise.
The boy WANTED Ranma to beat him up. I consider that sufficiently moronic.”
“I don’t know...that’s more or less how I
met...” Soun choked up.
“That was different. You weren’t TRYING to
get beat up, you just were...Why can’t you say her name?”
“Saotome, please...you didn’t know her like I
did. She was precious, beautiful...a goddess. I am not worthy of uttering those
three syllables... not yet. Maybe...once Anything Goes is secure...” Tendo
trailed off looking wistfully at some point in space.
“Tendo, I’m sure she loves you now as she did
in life. She would not think you unworthy...”
“Her love is something I do not yet deserve,
Saotome. Regardless of how you may see it, that’s how I feel, and it’s going to
take more than mere words to change that.”
“Fine, but try to remember, you’re a good
man, Tendo Soun. Maybe you don’t know it, and maybe no one else does either,
but I do. I’ve fought beside you in too many battles not to.”
Soun is silent for a moment, “Saotome...thank
you. You’re a good man too.”
Genma half smiles, half
grimaces at that. He has done terrible things, torn apart families,
upset whole cultures, abandoned his wife and tortured his child. He came to Nerima, not to help out his friend,
but because he was tired of it all, because he had all but given up on teaching
Ranma anything worthwhile, because he wanted to shirk his responsibility onto
someone else and live the rest of his life in shame. Instead his
responsibilities increased tenfold since he has come here, and truth be told,
he’s been looking for the slightest opportunity to run away. Maybe he was a
good man once... but not anymore. Still, hearing his friend say it, Genma
wonders... Maybe if he stays, maybe if he can somehow do the impossible and
teach Anything Goes to the Tendo daughters, maybe if he can save his friend
from his self doubt and depression, he can be a good man again. “I hope so,
Tendo,” Genma says, “I hope so.”
“Saotome, I know you have your reasons but I
feel I must bring this up...Nodoka is not
dead. You need to at least talk with her. It’s been ten years...”
“No, Tendo. I’m not ready to see her. And I
don’t want Ranma thinking his mother is anything other than the loving,
nurturing woman she was before that night.
I don’t think I can trust her again...”
“You have to give her a chance...”
“No, Tendo, it’s more than that. When it
comes down to it, I signed a contract. I was to make Ranma a man among men.
Regardless of how good Ranma is, the fact of the matter is that I failed. If
Nodoka finds out about Ranma...It’s true I’ve broken many contracts but there
are two I aim to keep. Someday the Tendo and Saotome lines will be joined, and
someday Ranma will be a man among men. Until one is secure, I cannot risk
failing the other. That would be the end of the last shred of honor I have
left.”
“I
understand.” Soun takes in a breath, “Still, I can’t let you waste any more
time away from your wife...I just can’t. In the fall, we visit the family
gravesite...I’ll give you till then. Then I send Nodoka a letter telling her
you’re here.”
Genma sighs, “Fair enough. Maybe by then this
business with Ranma being stuck will be over.” Genma looks at his hands. “Well,
my friend, I suppose it’s time to leave, my hands are wrinklier
than the old master!”
“Nothing’s that wrinkled,” Soun smiles, “I
guess you can finish telling me about today on the way back.”
“Not much to tell really. As far as I saw,
Ranma was okay at school. After he and Akane left, they went shopping... there
were too many people for me to use the Umisenken so I couldn’t get close to
them...I’d rather not tell what I saw...it was too embarrassing. After they
left they went job hunting, and as you know they were lucky and they both got
jobs working in a restaurant.”
“A miracle is more like it.”
Genma gets out of the bath and speaks
dismissively. “Well yes. I didn’t see the interview because I was a
little...distracted.” He always felt the expression “all you can eat” was
something of a challenge... “At any rate most of the rest you know as well as I
do.”
Genma notices the rat-faced possibly gay boy
is getting up too, turning off a switch on his walkman and carrying it with him
out of the bath blithely by the antenna. Genma pauses, a confused look on his
face.
“What’s wrong, Saotome?”
“Tendo...Have
you ever seen a walkman with an antenna before?”
“No...”Soun answers, “can’t say that I have.
Why?”
There is one odd scene Genma recalls from his
surveillance of Furinkan earlier today. During lunch, Genma saw Nabiki leave
the building with a boy. The boy had seemed nervous at first, then excited
after Nabiki said something to him. After the boy left Nabiki looked up... and
Genma could have sworn she looked straight at him. He wasn’t in the Umisenken,
but still he was so quiet no one should have noticed him. It made him think
maybe Nabiki had more talent than she had let on.
Perched in a tree so that he was level with
the third floor and could see Ranma in his classroom, Genma wasn’t at the best
angle to see the boy, but still the hairstyle, the body structure... both were similar
to that of the boy currently holding a walkman with a conspicuous antenna.
Quickly, Genma grabs the boy’s ear, almost
forgetting to be careful not to rip it off the skull.
“YEEEEOOOWTCH!” the boy
protests.
“Where is she?” Genma asks.
“ARGH! Stop it man, that hurts! Look, I owed her money okay? Listening to
two old men talk isn’t my idea of a good...AAAAAH! Look man, Ranma’s secret’s
safe with me okay? I’m not telling anybody!”
Genma hadn’t thought about what he said about
Ranma...if Nabiki was listening... “Where is Nabiki?” Genma repeats with a pull
of the ear.
“YEOW! She’s in the
girls’ side of the baths okay? Jeez!”
Genma releases the ear and runs to the sinks.
Someone just finished filling a bucket with cold water. Genma takes it and
pours it over his head.
“What are you doing, Saotome?” Soun asks
surprised.
“Growf.”
Genma says by way of response.
“Hey!” the boy calls out to him as he bounds
past, “If Ranma does go girl, could I date her?”
Genma stops, turns around, raises his paws,
and towers over the boy. “GRAWR!”
“Sorry, man, I just had to ask. She’s just so
hot...”
Ignoring the arguably not gay boy’s apology,
Genma runs to the girls’ side of the bath. It takes only a few moments before
he finds what he is looking for.
Nabiki stands, smirking, in a two piece
bathing suit, towel in one hand, waterproof radio in the other. “Why hello there, Saotome-sensei! I believe I have something
I want to learn from you after all. Thanks to my good friend Daisuke, I know
all sorts of things about you and yours...really it’s enough to fill a book!
One thing in particular...I’m quite fascinated by this ‘Sea of a Thousand
Fists’ technique. Maybe you could tell me more about that?”
“Growf.”
Genma protests.
“Isn’t that what you wanted? Didn’t you want
me to be your student? Didn’t you want me to ‘understand’? Well here’s your
chance. You teach me the Umisenken...and I’ll be sure Ranma doesn’t hear about
his poor, mentally unsound mother.”
“Grrrrow,” Genma
seethes.
“Please, Saotome-sensei, you’re making a
scene!” Nabiki smiles widely looking from side to side with her eyes to call
attention to the other girls in the public bath who are busy pointing and
wondering if now would be a good time to scream. “Do we have a deal or not?”
Genma is silent and still for a few moments
as he considers his options. He decides he really doesn’t have any. He turns
around and starts to walk away.
“Was that a yes, sensei? Or should I give
Ranma a call?”
In a flash, Genma whips around and backhands
Nabiki in the temple with his paw... just enough to knock her out. Maybe before
Jusenkyo, before the Amazons, even before he found out about this subterfuge,
he would have felt sorry about doing that to a girl, but his experiences have
made him a firm believer in equal rights.
Ignoring the screams and protestations around
him, Genma slings Nabiki on one shoulder and walks out of the public bath. He
pays no mind to Soun’s look of worry and confusion. It’s a long walk to the
Tendo home, but Genma doesn’t feel discouraged, in fact quite the contrary. As
he thinks about it, he realizes Nabiki knowing Ranma’s true sex will scarcely
be a problem, and she would have found out sometime anyway. Furthermore, there
is no way Nabiki can learn the Umisenken at her level. Even Ranma would find it
difficult. As the initial fear of his secrets being revealed to Ranma fades,
Genma realizes that Nabiki was right. What she was asking for is EXACTLY what
he wants. He finds himself wishing his panda form could whistle...
~~~~~[END]~~~~~
Thanks to
everyone who gave a review, and I’m sorry I took so
long getting this out. Apologies as well to anyone who was hoping to see more
of Ranma. I just thought showing Genma’s perspective on things would be neat.
My prereaders for this chapter were NemesisZero
and Lufio.
C&C very
much appreciated.