Blood that Binds

Chapter 1: Singular Revelations

Disclaimer: Refer to prolog

Author's notes: Dang, NEVER expected the response I got for this. in less than a day I had 22 positive reviews on fanfiction.net. Surprised me as my other story (insert self here: Ranma years) had a total of 3 after months of being on.

As far as questions about the curse and Ami, I'm not going to give everything away so quickly, but in due time. Although I will warn ya, I will only be answering the questions that come up in the normal storyline. If something doesn’t come up, like the fiances, then it won't be answered, I'm not going to write them into the story just to get rid of them or make mention of them.

As far as the "Rapiddofaia Mouko Takabisha" goes, It means Rapid fire Moukou Takabisha. It's amazing how many people actually sat and bitched about that name when I was expecting to get hell for what technically, from everything I've read about the Hiryuu Shoten Ha, shouldn't have been a valid technique (the HSH feeding off battle auras, and Ranma in one way or another generating enough of one to fire off a MT technically should've made him a victim of the HSH himself. I DO have an explanation for that, but apparently no-one really cares so I'll keep it to myself.). For those complaining about me using a Japanised American word (or however you want to term it) get over it. It's an attack name, which for the most part in the Ranma universe are all either a Chinese dialect or Japanese. I don't have a way to translate words into Chinese, but I do have a nifty online Jap to English Dictionary that I found. I'm going to use it, I'm going to use whatever words I feel best fit what I need. If you don't like it I'm sorry, but it is my story.

Beyond all that I do apologize for spelling and grammar mistakes, I run my story through a spell checker, but it sometimes doesn’t get everything. As far as my grammar, well, I try but I'm far from an English major, though I do try to read through what I write once or twice to catch really bad errors.

Well, On with the story.

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Sailor Moon looked over at the mans face with a bit of confusion, "Sister?"

Ranma nodded a bit sheepishly as he watched Saturn heal Ami, "Yeah it's a bit of a long story although I'm guessing you Girls want to hear it."

Everyone nodded their heads, even Pluto to the surmise of the other senshi so Ranma Picked up Ami's still unconscious form in his arms gently, "Well as I don't feel like sitting out here in the rain for the tale, and I'm guessin you girls won't be willing to suggest somewhere to go I'll have to invite you back to my apartment. I normally wouldn't suggest it, but considering my sis is one of ya, and trusts ya so can I. I would suggest you loose the cheerleading outfits, but I'm gussin you don't trust me enough for that."

Eight pairs of eyes turned toward Sailor Moon as she thought for a moment, sighed and shrugged. Gasps followed as her Senshi Garb disappeared, replaced by the skirt and blouse she was wearing earlier, "You already know Ami's identity, it wouldn't take a genius to follow her around and find out a couple more of our identities if not all. My name is Tsukino Usagi, I trust you can keep a secret?"

A surprised look passed over Ranma's features for a second before his trademarked smile appeared on his lips, "I've had some experience in keeping secrets. Tsukino-San you honor me with yours, and on my honor I will not reveal your identities."

Usagi smiled at him while the rest of the senshi detransformed and introduced themselves. She noticed a look of recognition cross his face as he heard Rei's name, but figured some questions could be saved for later times. She turned toward the man cradling Ami against his chest and asked him to lead on.

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After a 10 minute walk everyone arrived at Ranma's modest apartment in Jubann and were drying off with some towels that Ranma had provided. Everyone then sat on the floor in the modest apartment while Ami, still unconscious, was laid out next to a fire Ranma had started in his fireplace. He then brought out a tray of snacks from the kitchen which was promptly raided by everyone.

Smirking a bit Ranma sat down near his sister, watching her face for signs of waking up, "Hm, so how should I start.... Well I guess like it actually did, from the beginning. I was born on January 20th 18 years ago to Saotome Genma and Nodoka. One Year, eight months and twenty one days later, Saotome Ami was born to the same parents. I've been told by my mother that even back then, I fussed over my sister whenever she was upset."

Shifting a bit Ranma let a grin come to his face as he continued, "Now I don't remember too much about my early childhood, although memories do tend to pop up more often lately. Most of those memories center around Ami and the happy times we spent together playing in the yard or in the house. A few are of me helpin my sis when she'd gotten hurt. One in particular is of a local bully trying to pick on her, and the fight that resulted when I found out. I was only 6 at the time, and it was before the training trip that came later, but I made sure that bully didn't bother her anymore. Was rather hard for him to do after I had 'Accidentally' dislocated his shoulder. I couldn't help it if he couldn't keep his shoes tied... No-one Picks on my little Sis."

Ranma's smile slowly turned into a frown as he continued, "Now about a third of the way through my sixth year of life, Pop's decided to take me and sis on a bit of a training trip to teach us martial arts. The full story tends to get a bit complicated, but I'll just keep to the relevant parts. We had been traveling for about 4 months when we came back to Tokyo and set up camp in one of the outer districts. Pops had found this supposedly great instruction manual for the Neko-Ken and decided that he was going to teach it to me and if it worked to Ami."

Seeing Setsuna's face go a bit white and her grimace he gave a low chuckle,. "So I take it you've heard of it then? Well then you'll know that the next part of the story isn't going to be pretty"

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We see the large grumbling form of a man tossing another hissing and spitting form down a covered pit in the middle of a deserted field while in the background two children cried in fright by a campfire One was crying for a sibling who was covered in half healed scratches and dried blood, the other cried for fear of a pit full of clawing and yowling demons.

Stalking back over to the campfire the large figure is revealed to be one Saotome Genma carrying what looked to be some sort of sausage and rope, "Quit whining boy, you've already mastered the berserk state of the Neko-Ken, now it's time to fix that fear of cats!"

Shaking like a leaf the form covered in scratches scooted further away from the big man holding onto his sister, "No Papa PLEASE! I don't wanna go back into the pit of c...c...CATS!"

Glaring at the cowering form Genma snorted, "What don't you want to be the greatest Martial Artist? Do you want to be afraid of furrballs for the rest of your life? What are you some weak Little GIRL?"

Ranma shook his head a bit forcefully but looked back at the pit that continued to hiss and spit and his shaking returned just as bad as before, "Please papa NO!"

Disgusted Genma made as if to grab His son's arm, but at the last minute grabbed his daughter out of Ranma's grasp, "FINE if your too much of a Girl to learn it, I'll just teach it to your sister. Who knows, maybe Ami can learn what you can't, even if she is a woman!"

Ranma could do nothing but shake in fear as he watched his Father truss up his little crying sister with sausage and stalk over to the pit. Opening the lid, Genma tossed the bound Ami to the bottom and shut it, turning to find Ranma had gotten a bit closer to, but still couldn't shake his fear.

With an almost sadistic grin Genma looked at his son, "There, maybe I can succeed with her where I screwed up with you. At least one of my children has to have the stuff to be a world class Martial Artist."

Just then, the hissing and spitting stopped coming from the pit and screams of pain started. If anything Ranma's shaking worsened as he hear his little sister cry out in pain from the starving cats until he heard an almost desperate cry of, "ONIII-CHAN!!!!" come from the pit.

Genma stood still as he witnessed a change come over his son. This was unlike the previous night when his son had fallen into the berserker state of the neko ken, Ranma's eyes were glowing a vivid blazing blue. Small streams of energy leaked out of the corners of Ranma's eyes, curling skyward as ten long curving blades of energy extended from his fingers, each half the size of his forearm.

Genma wet himself as he saw his son leap at him with a growl that froze his spine only to be knocked aside a good twenty feet as one of Ranma's clawed hands casually slapped him out of the way. Genma felt a burning pain in his chest as his gi was shredded and five jagged red lines were drawn across it. He was happy when unconsciousness quickly followed, the pain being a bit more than he wanted to bear at that moment.

Ranma's leap carried him to the covered pit and without even bothering to try and lift the lid his claws tore through the steel without any effort allowing him space enough to drop down into the hauntingly silent pit. Finding his bound sister at the bottom of a now formerly living pile of cats he picked her up gently and leapt out of the pit. Using his claws he snapped the rope and after a quick glance at her wounds, including a large gash across her shoulder blade that would surely leave a scar, took off at an unhuman speed for a local hospital.

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Ranma looked up at everyone with tears in his eyes, "I knew she was hurt badly, and it was because I wouldn't go through with the trainin that pops threw her in the pit. Once I got to the hospital I quickly took the necklace I bought her out of my pocket, and put it around her neck. I was going to give it to her for her birthday the next week, but I knew that if I brought her back after the doc's got done with her, the bastard would likely either try the training again, or she'd be the leverage pops would use on me to get me to do anything he wanted. While I could deal with any training he would put me through I would never again let her punished for my fear or inability to do what he wanted. I had come down from the neko-kens effects by then and was able to think straight and decided I had only one real course of action. I found one of the ambulances outside and took one of the stretcher out of the back and placed her on it. Wheeling it to the entrance I gave it a firm but gentle push toward the receptionist, and once I saw her look at Ami I ran back to the camp as fast as I could."

Tears making silent tracks down Usagi's face she turned to Ranma and asked, "Why did you go back? Why didn't you stay with Ami and keep away from that sadistic bastard? The police would've taken one look at your wounds and made sure you two were kept from him!"

A sad smile crossed his features as Ranma looked into Usagi's eyes, "Simple. I had to keep that bastard from finding out where she was. I knew if we both were to disappear he would come looking for us and despite police or any other enforcement, he would get us back. So I went back to camp, covered my tracks and waited for him to wake back up. Suffice to say he was far from happy and tried to search for her, but I did everything I could to keep him from heading in the right directions. I told him that she had apparently fallen into the neko-ken's influence. I told him that unlike myself, when she came out of the pit she didn't find her sibling and calm down like I had found her, but bounded off into the surrounding lands. He didn't want to accept this but eventually did and we moved on to continue my 'training'."

Unbeknownst to everyone Ami had woken back up just as Ranma had started his tale and as it came to the end slowly sat up. She tentatively reached out a hand touching his shoulder and asked, "The necklace you spoke of... What did it look like?"

Ranma Smiled at his sister as he said without hesitation, "It was a fairly simple thing really a fine steel chain, but it had a small sapphire set within a pointed oval of onyx. It resembled an eye."

Ami's only response was to take her hand away from her chest revealing the necklace and with a quietly whispered, "Ramie-Chan?" threw her arms around the brother she had almost forgotten.

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AN: Well I figured that would be a good place to stop. A question answered, possibly many generated by this chapter. I'm going to do my best to bring these chapters up to 9 pages or so when I post them from now on, although if the mood strikes me to try and get something out sooner I might post with less.

I'm not totally sure how badly I'm screwin with time lines here, but If I remember correctly both series take place over at least 2 years so by the end both Ami and Ranma would be 16 and 18 respectively. I don't recall Ranma's actual birth date, nor could I find it on a netsearch, so I made that up, and it allows for a little bit less of an age gap.

I apologize if any of the characters are acting out of character, but I'm trying to work from memory as far as mannerisms, and figure that there is a bit of leeway with actions for everyone. Usagi being a bit more together is because everything been pretty much said and done in the SM series and she's growing up (plus she seems to be a bit more together when actually paying attention to things In my opinion.). Ranma's less "idiot jock" mannerisms (or so I hope I've given him) DO have a reason, although I'll reveal that when it is appropriate.

Beyond that, I can't really think of anything else that needs to be said. Well beyond don't expect updates to come this quickly normally. I'm kinda at a point of "What next?" so I'm going to do my best to get something out soon, but no guarantee.

I will continue posting chapters on the sites you have found this story on (Ranchan & Co, as well as Ladycosmos' Fanfic library) but I also have the Chapters on Fanfiction.net which is generally an instant post.

Later

-Granderwishes (@yahoo.com) (website: www.oocities.org/granderwishes)