Author's Foreword : For everyone that keep say write longer fics, here is the longest fic since Chp 2 of Past/Future. Over 20 k.
Thanks to my pre readers: Murmur the Fallen, David Johnston, Eric McGinnis, TonyLoco, Octavian
Ranma 1/2 : Redemption Chapter One Created by Long Ngo Started June 11, 1998 Finished August 22, 1998
It was late December and the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow. From the sky, tiny flakes of frozen water gently floated downwards to ultimately meet with its peers in creating a breath-taking majestic landscape. Not many people were out this early and the snow was continuous with little or no footprints marring its surface, thus creating a serene and peaceful scene. In the distant, the chiming sound, warning pedestrians of an approaching train could be heard. Within the halls of the Tendou Training Halls, the usual screams and mayhem were non-existent.
Walking around Nerima Ward was a young man around the age of 21. He sported a backpack which somehow clashed well with the yellow bandanna and shirt he wore. He was a wanderer and a loner. His manner was not of a person who would stop to enjoy the scenery around him but was one of utter depression. The kind that could only feed itself while blocking all rays of light from penetrating its core. Trudging around without a thought of his surrounding, he disrupted the peaceful masterpiece, nature had so carefully erected.
It had been close to 13 years since his life was ruin by the cowardice of a so called martial artist. 13 years of wandering the Earth in search of revenge. Walking around with no friends, family and a place to call home, this martial artist of extreme skill and prowess held one individual to blame, "YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL, RANMA!!!!!" As Ryouga's shout echoed through the silent air, only the sound of a frightened cat and an overturned trash can answered his scream of frustration and anger.
As the falling snow covered the tracks of the wanderer, certain individuals started to awaken within the Tendou compound. Opening her eyes and yawning from a well night's rest, Kasumi started her morning routine. Without the protection of the covers and warmth from the young man next to her, the eldest of the Tendou clan was the first to shiver from the chilled winter air. Walking to the closet, Kasumi drew forth another blanket which she used to wrap around her body. Looking back at the calm face of her sleeping husband, she smiled and thanked Kami for the wonderful life she had before closing the door and headed downstairs.
Feeling the absence of his wife, the individual in question opened his eyes as well. Without even thinking, he reached out and ran the back of his hand over the spot his wife had occupied but a few moments before which still radiated a warmth that mirrored the love he had for her and the kindness in her soul. Getting up and stretching, Saotome Ranma, heir to both the Saotome and Tendou Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu, smiled. Years of training had provided Ranma with the ability to ignore any physical discomfort while still being able to appreciate the beauty of his surroundings. It was because of this that he did not shiver like his wife had before him. Looking outside, he marveled at the beautiful morning. Heading downstairs, Ranma wanted to share in the morning wonders with his wife.
Kasumi was busily preparing breakfast for the entire family. This was something she enjoyed doing . *I'll be doing this for my own family someday,* Kasumi thought. Placing her hand on her mid-section, *I wonder what it would feel like...* Her thoughts were cut off as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind.
"Morning, Kasumi-chan!" Ranma greeted his wife. It was a name he had used when he was first engaged to Kasumi. There was a bit of tension between them or more accurately within his wife. She felt that she was a bit to old to marry someone as young as he was. To erase any doubts she might have had, he started to call her, 'Kasumi-chan,' to show her that the years between them didn't really matter. It stuck ever since. "Smells great!" Ranma complimented enthusiastically.
*Can't believe how much my Ranma has changed since he first stepped foot within this house five years ago,* Kasumi wondered before hearing his next comment, "Although some things never change." Giving Ranma a smile, "Breakfast will be ready soon. Weren't you going to spar with your father?" Kasumi asked.
"Oyaji is a bit tired after last night," Ranma answered, his attention still on the food his wife was making.
Kasumi blushed at the statement for it reminded her of what they had done last night as well. Elbowing Ranma lightly, "Why don't you go wash up while I finish breakfast," Kasumi suggested.
"Okay, Kasumi-chan." Ranma said. Giving her a quick kiss, he headed upstairs.
Kasumi could almost sense when each member of the household would awaken. Looking at the clock, Kasumi realized that she was a little behind schedule. She didn't mind the interuption though for it made her realized how lucky she was. Kasumi started to hum a pleasant tune as she quickening her pace slightly.
Later that day, everyone was sitting down to a nice meal. They were having Miso Soup, rice and fish. Ranma and Kasumi were sitting on opposite ends of the table. After their marriage, they had become the head of the household. Soun did not mind and was quite happy to see the Tendou legacy continue and the joining of their two families through Ranma and Kasumi's marriage. To one side of the couple was Nodoka, Genma and Soun and to the other side was Akane and Nabiki.
"So is everything ready for the Fifth Annual Tendou/Saotome Christmas Celebration?" Nabiki asked. She was visiting her family for the holidays, getting a break from her studies to become a business major.
"Everything is set," Kasumi answered. "I've sent invitations to everyone we know."
"I hope you didn't send one to that PIG!" Akane snarled the last part out. "I still can't believe the nerve of him. He slept with me, saw me naked and heard all my secrets." Akane hung on to her anger for a few more moments before falling into a state of depression. She really wasn't angry with Ryouga anymore. What she felt was betrayal and resentment from someone she had once held as a friend.
"Come on, Akane. It's been two years already. Can't you give the guy a break?" Ranma asked.
"And you, Ranma, kept it a secret from me. Not just you, my whole family did." Akane continued to rant, her anger building again.
"It wasn't all that hard to figure out, Akane." Nabiki tried to explain. *Although it did take me over a year to figure the connection out.* "Ranma always called Ryouga, P-chan. Ryouga and P-chan always wore the same bandana. They both get lost constantly." Nabiki continued.
"All right, already!! I'm heading to my room." With that, Akane headed upstairs.
"I wish she'd get over it already," Ranma sighed, a little depressed.
Kasumi knew the real reason behind Akane's anger, resentment and Ranma's sad look. Because Akane always jumped to a conclusion, her violent behavior and her distrust of Ranma whenever there was a female involved caused the two to grow apart and later resulted in the break up of Ranma and Akane's engagement. Although, Kasumi felt sorry for Akane, a part of her was also pleased because that was how Ranma became engaged to her.
Everyone was distracted from going to comfort Akane when a huge explosion caught all of their attention.
Suddenly, the ground erupted and a substantial part of the Tendou's back wall was shattered and turned to dust. It was at this moment that Ryouga found the Tendou Training Hall and one particular martial artist. "I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU RANMA!!"
"What is it now, Ryouga?" Ranma asked in a tired voice. After Akane found out about Ryouga's curse, there was no need for Ranma to call Ryouga, P-chan any longer. *This week isn't turning out so well,* Ranma thought. "There really isn't much to fight over anymore."
"FOR DESTROYING MY LIFE!" Ryouga shouted, getting more depressed by the moment . It was at this moment that Ryouga saw Akane come downstairs. Seeing her filled his heart with love but also depressed him further. He remembered the day that Akane discovered his secret.
---------------
"You're P-chan?" Akane asked Ryouga after he had transformed back. She was still in shock.
"Y..e..s," Ryouga stammered out his answer.
"YOU'RE P-CHAN? YOU SAW ME NAKED, HEARD MY DEEPEST SECRETS AND SLEPT WITH ME!!" Akane shouted, having come out of her trance.
Ryouga was miserable and could not stand the fact that his one true love was mad at him. Looking over Akane's shoulder, he could see that Ranma was grinning. The depression he felt at the moment suddenly turned to bitter rage as he continued to focus on the Ranma's grinning face. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, RANMA!" Ryouga yelled.
"You're not going to blame me for this, Ryouga." Ranma answered back.
"Shut up, Ranma." Akane yelled over her shoulder, never taking her eyes off of Ryouga. She had never been so angry in her life. At her side, she was unconsciously clenching and unclenching her hands. She had very few friends. Most people were jealous of the attention she got. Attention she never wanted. Because of this, Akane had even fewer male friends and now one of those so called male friend of hers had betrayed her. Worse, he had taken advantage of her. Tears started to form within both of her eyes. Concentrating all of her anger into a single moment, a single spot, Akane slapped Ryouga, leaving a red hand print on his left cheek. In a low voice only Ryouga could hear, "Thank you my friend," Akane spat out the last part before turning and running into the house.
Ryouga stood there in shock. He reached up and slowly placed his hands on his left cheek where Akane had slapped him. A tear rolled down his face. To him, it felt like the hardest blow someone had ever dealt him. Ryouga was beyond depressed. Seeing Ranma smile did not help his mood any. "PREPARE TO DIE, RAN..." Ryouga yelled and was about to charge Ranma when he was interrupted by Kasumi of all person.
Getting slapped by Akane and now Kasumi shocked Ryouga
to the core. The two nicest individuals he had ever known had slapped him
and called him dishonorable. Unable to keep his emotions in check or his
anger at Ranma, Ryouga fled into the night.
---------------
"I"LL CRUSH YOU'RE HAPPINESS!" Ryouga continued. A red
haze filled Ryouga's vision as everything else became a dark void The look
of anger and repulsion on Akane's face had shattered his fragile heart and
finally sent him over the edge. Darkness started to surround the depressed
martial artist as he wrenched every ounce of anguish he could bear into his
being. The air in his close proximity turned to night as though he had sucked
in all the light around him. Every muscle in Ryouga's body started to expand
as he collected more and more energy. Excess energy started to leak from
his glowing eyes. Ryouga created a crater around him by the simply act of
clenching both hands to his side due to the immense power he now wield. Cocking
his head to the Heavens above, Ryouga shouted out his last battle cry, "PERFECT
SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN!!!" The energy that he had previously gathered had no
real point of release and so started to shoot out of every pore in his body.
Even Ryouga's body could not handle the stress as it exploded, discharging
the energy in a dome of destruction.
No one really had a chance to run for cover when they
figured out what Ryouga was doing.
When Kasumi first realized what would happen, she became
very scared. She was going to die. A sudden flash of bright light covered
her line of sight as memories of looking up at an older lady played through
her mind. She felt loved and at peace. Looking around, she could see cherry
blossom on every tree. A younger version of Akane and Nabiki were playing
in the sand box. Only then did Kasumi realized that the person that was looking
over them was her mother. Someone she had not seen in nearly 16 years. The
scene soon changed to one of the same lady lying on a hospital bed. Tears
were rolling down Kasumi's eyes as she witness her mother's last breath.
Everything blurred and was replaced with a certain rainy day where she first
met a particular red-head and her panda. Her environment changed again to
one of wedding bells and then later to her honeymoon and one particular night.
The last flashback was a picture of this morning where she had placed one
of her hands on her abdominal wondering what it would be like to have Ranma's
child. As the light receded, she could see the look of horror on Ranma's
face. Giving him a reassuring smile, Kasumi closed her eyes and waited until
the moment she would again be reunited with all of her family. Her only regret
was the fact that she never truly had a family she could call her own.
Ranma had heard many tales saying that at a certain
point you would be able see your life flash before your very eyes and that
was when you knew, you were going to die. Although there was no flash of
light, everything slowed down for Ranma. Looking over at Kasumi and the dome
of energy closing in on her, a look of horror could be seen on his face.
He could not move, just look on as the energy engulfed her and turned her
body to ashes. The last thing that Ranma witness before his wife was consumed
within the dome of energy and turned to ashes was her smile.
-----
Sitting in what used to be the dining area of the Tendou
Training Hall, was the present Master of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu and sole
practitioner, Saotome Ranma. The only reason he was alive was due, purely,
to the fact that he was a remarkable martial artist. Somehow his body had
survived the blast at ground zero which had killed so many others. Remembering
a certain fortune that he had received so long ago, 'May you live in interesting
times,' Ranma could not help but chuckle at the irony.
In his hands he held a very special mirror. His only
chance at saving those he loved. Unfortunately the legendary Nanban Mirror
was shattered. He only had one piece of the shattered mirror in his possession.
The darkness of depression started to surround Ranma
again. Everywhere he went, the images of the dead haunted him. Nerima, which
had become his home was now, in all sense, a ghost town. No one wanted to
move here. The once joyous and exciting Ward of Tokyo was now almost completely
abandoned. The credit for this feat lies with his once best friend Hibiki
Ryouga, now deceased along with everyone else he cared for. Ranma's sorrow
had long since drowned out the anger he had for Ryouga.
He slowly cried as his vision passed across various
pictures of friends and family members. He remembered all the adventures
and good times he was able to spend with those he loved. His gaze lingered
the longest on his departed wife, Saotome Kasumi. She was always there for
him. As a mother, a sister and finally a lover and a wife. Losing her was
the hardest. He lost everything he had acquired in his 21 years on Earth
because a certain ex-friend could not handle reality. It may just have been
fate or just the desperate will of a man half dead, but a single tear drop
landed upon the cracked object in his hand and he was suddenly engulfed in
a blinding flash.
-----
"I'm heading back to China, Oyaji!" Ranma heard himself
shout before a veil of darkness descended upon him. *Am I dead?* he thought.
Opening his eyes and giving them time to adjust to their new environment,
Ranma found himself being carried by a huge panda over its shoulder. *Am
I dreaming?* Ranma thought to himself. *Only one way to find out.* Lifting
his right hand, Ranma pinched himself. Feeling a lingering pain, *I'm not
dreaming,* he shouted within. Ranma finally noticed that it was raining and
he was currently in his cursed form. A distant memory started to surface,
*This can't be!* "Hey Oyaji! Where are you taking me?" Ranma shouted.
"Did I hit you too hard, boy? I'm taking you to see
an old friend of mine. I engaged you to one of his daughters, remember?"
the panda held up a sign. Waiting for an outburst or at least a struggle
from his son and finding neither, *I think I hit him too hard* Setting Ranma
down, Genma looked at his son and discovered a small smile on his face.
*Somehow the Nanban Mirror worked. I'm in the past.
I've got a second chance to save everyone.* "What are you waiting for, lets
go Tousan." Following Ranma, Genma never saw the determination in his son's
eyes. *I will not lose you again, Kasumi!*
Shocked was not the word Genma would have used to describe
his reaction. *The boy addressed me with respect,* was the only thought that
went through his mind. Had Ranma looked behind him, he would see a very scared
panda. *Is the curse getting to him? If so, what about me? I DON'T WANT TO
BE A PANDA!* Genma was worried. *Have to keep a close watch on the boy,*
he swore to himself. Increasing his speed, he was surprised when Ranma stopped
in front of the gates to the Tendou Training Hall. *How did he know where
to go? Have to ask him later.*
-----
"That must be them now," Nabiki said, getting up and
heading towards the door. Moments later, Soun, Kasumi and Akane saw her running
towards them was a look of fright on her face. Following her was a panda
and a stranger with red hair in a pigtail. Looking at Soun, "Are these friends
of yours, Tousan?" Nabiki asked. Seeing him shake his head left and right
frantically, "It just happens that a panda comes walking into our home."
At this moment, the stranger walked forward, "I'm Saotome
Ranma, sorry about this."
Later that day, everyone was sitting down at the dinner
table listening to Genma's explanation.
"You're problem is not so bad, Ranma. Here are my three
daughters: Kasumi, she is 19; Nabiki is 17; Akane is 16. Pick one and she'll
be your fiancée." Soun spoke.
To be continued
Author's notes
One of the scene below was inspired by Anand Rao's Love and Marriage, more
specifically, the part where Ranma called Kasumi, Kasumi-chan.
Well after some of the flames and encouragement I recieve from readers after
I had posted my short bashing Ryouga fic, I decided to write a better one.
I was going to name this fic BASHING RYOUGA Chapter two but that would be
giving it away. If you ask me why I would say that one day I woke up and
felt a need to kill Ryouga. As you can see, Akane did not get Ranma again,
HAHAHAHAHA. Comments from a college student who will be starting school again
in less than 24 hours. Expect no more fics from me for about 2 months. Want
to get a good grade this time around.