This story is based heavily on events and situations
from the preceeding ones, which are available on my
Web Site:
http://www.oocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9295
As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.
All Good Things
----------------------------------------------------------------
A lone female figure stood quietly before the elaborate
shrine erected to her parents, hands covering her face as she
wept softly. All of the other guests had long since gone
back to their lives after the ceremony, leaving Miyabi Saotome
alone with her grief. She had just flown in from America, where
she headed an extensive chain of Japanese Fighting Schools, to
take care of the arrangements for her departed father.
He had died several decades after her mother, who lost
her life in a car accident while on vacation in Canada. Miyabi
herself was only six at the time. In a sense, she lost them both
that day, as he dropped out of sight after suffering a memory loss
from his injuries. He was 'missing' for many years, but
eventually, he found his way back to Nerima, having survived his
second wife by a few years as well. Since his re-emergence,
they had renewed their lost relations, Miyabi finally having
accepted the true reasons for his disappearance. Sadly though, he
never did recover his memories of their life together, a fact which
still upset her.
Now, in the final chapter, her parents were finally back
together again, never to be separated.
That thought brought a weak smile to Miyabi's face, despite
the tears. She dearly missed her Okaasan and her Papa, and
wondered how life would ever be the same again.
She continued to roam memory lane for quite a while,
finally praying for her parents good fortune in the life beyond.
When it was finally time to leave, she found it extremely difficult
to turn her back on the two people she loved most in the world.
Back the Dojo, she oversaw the packing of her family
possessions, already having decided that they would be shipped
back to the States with her. The city had already taken over the
property, and Miyabi didn't trust them to take proper care of her
legacy.
This would normally have been a job for her brother, but
she had long ago lost touch with him, and had given up on ever
finding him again. When he was a teenager, he left on a training
exercise, and was never heard from again. Aunt Kasumi, Aunt
Nabiki, and her grand parents had all passed away, leaving her as
the only known direct surviving relative. It saddened her even
more to think that both family lines would likely end with her.
As she realized this, she found herself wishing that so
many things about her life and her family would have been
different.
After the workers had left, she stood alone in the now
barren and empty training room, and looked around sadly at the
holes in the walls, most of which her mother had created, either
during training or with her Papa's head.
Memories began to flood her mind of the times she had
enjoyed while growing up, and of how much fun she had training in
this very room with her parents during the short time they were
all together. As she entertained these thoughts, she began to
feel strongly compelled to return to the graveside, as if there
was some unfinished business to attend to.
Sighing deeply, she glanced at her watch, noting that she
had just enough time to go back once more before catching her
flight out.
After driving out to the family plots, she again
approached the cold stone monument to the two most vibrant people
she would ever know. Bowing deeply, she placed yet another
bouquet before the shrine, and knelt to offer her respects.
Suddenly, she could feel a cool, gentle touch on her
shoulder. Her breath froze in her throat as she tried to figure
out who could have come up on her so easily.
Just then, a voice as sweet as music spoke gently.
"Fear not, Saotome Miyabi. I mean you no harm."
Miyabi turned to face the voice, and nearly fainted when
she saw it's owner. Before her stunned face floated a ghostly
image; a red-haired Chinese girl, dressed in 18th century finery.
"P - Papa?" she sputtered, almost unable to form the word.
"No, child," the Spirit replied, softly. "I am Mu Lin; the
Spirit that shared your father's body. His departure from the
plane of mortals has freed me to at last be on my own."
"Mu... Lin? You mean you were the red-haired girl that
drowned..." she began, only to lose her breath.
"I am. Your father freed my sprit when he returned to The
Pools to try to become a whole man. I am no longer bound to the
pool, and now that he has gone on, so too can I."
"I don't understand," Miyabi stammered, too stunned to
even think.
The Spirit smiled. "Those who drown in the Pools of Sorrow
are destined to return there when their hosts pass from this world,
such as with the Spirit that shared your mother's body. I am freed
of this tie, and can now control my destin."
Miyabi could only stare at her, at first unable to respond.
After several long seconds, she found her voice again.
"What... Do you want?" she finally asked, hesitantly.
The Sprit floated back, then rose slightly before speaking.
"Saotome Miyabi, I have come to you to tell you of your
father's great sorrow. You were still but a young child when his
life changed forever, and he could never tell you of it."
"What do you mean? My Papa never had any great secret in
his life."
"Oh, but he did. His anger, guilt and shame kept him from
telling you of your sister, Saotome Miyuki, and how her young life
was extinguished before it began. Come. I shall show you," the
Spirit replied, then floated around behind her parents shrine.
"Here, child; look upon the final resting place of your
unborn sister."
Miyabi followed, then stood and stared at the tiny, yet
elaborate stone and shrine indicated by the Spirit's outstretched
arm. In the ethereal glow, she could plainly see the family name
inscribed on it.
"My god; it's true. Mu Lin -- why?" she asked, as she sank
to her knees in shock.
"She died as your father fought to protect the life of
your mother. Your father had taken my form, and was with child.
My Chi had only just begun to awaken and grow with the child, when
a misguided warrior attacked your mother. Your mother was wounded,
and your father selflessly lunged into battle, saving your
mother's endangered life. During the battle, your sister was
mortally injured, and did not survive to be born."
"I... I never knew. A sister," Miyabi echoed, her voice
trailing off. Turning from the stone, she looked angrily at the
hovering Spirit.
"Why tell me this now? Do you want to torture me for
his misdeeds?" she sobbed, starting to cry.
"No, child; I am in fact here to offer you a special gift.
Your father spent most of his later life in an unreal world
created in part by his mourning your sister, and because of this,
never followed the true course of his life. Had your sister
entered the plane of mortals, I would have been reborn in her,
freeing me, and freeing your father from that which he felt was his
second greatest shame."
Miyabi gasped. "You mean -- if the baby had been born, it
would have been you?"
"In a way, child, yes. And it is because of this that I
can offer you the life of your sister, so that your father's
troubled soul may rest peacefully, and that I may finally have
that which I was denied 15 centuries ago."
"What? How is this possible? She... She wasn't even
born."
"That is of no consequence. Now, I must have your answer;
do you accept that which I can offer you, or do you choose to
leave all as it is? You must make the choice, child; I cannot
effect this unless you desire it."
Her answer came quickly. "Yes; I want my Papa to rest
peacefully. His life was difficult enough. Bring her back,
Mu Lin."
"Thank you, child. You have done the Spirit World a
great service this day, and your place in it is now assured. Live
a strong life, Saotome Miyabi," Mu Lin smiled, then faded into a
ball of brilliant white light. Miyabi had to shield her eyes from
the intensity, but could still see the ball thin out into a beam of
energy, and then pour itself into her sister's grave.
Once it had entered completely, the light disappeared,
leaving only a heavy silence in its wake.
Shaken, Miyabi was about to get up when a solid shaft of
energy suddenly rose from the grave, forming a column at least five
feet high. Within it, swirls of light and dark danced around each
other, gradually coalescing into a faintly human form.
Abruptly, it vanished with a loud booming sound, and in
its place stood a pretty woman slightly younger than herself. The
girl bore a great resemblance to her father, and even sported the
familiar flame-red hair. The only thing missing was the tightly
bound pig-tail.
The girl then turned and saw Miyabi, and her face lit up.
"Hiya, sis! Glad we could finally meet!" she announced cheerfully,
bowing as she spoke.
"M-Miyuki? Is it really you? My... Sister?" Miyabi
stammered, incredulously.
"You bet! Mu Lin gave me her life energy, and even gave
me Dad's memories. It's just like I'd been here all along. So,
you going to get up off your knees and hug your baby sister?"
she expounded, extending a hand.
Accepting the proffered assist, Miyabi stood before her
sister and studied her for a moment. She looked deep into
the girl's bright, bottomless eyes, and it was then that she was
finally convinced.
"Sis! It really is you!" she exclaimed, and threw a joyful
hug around her long-lost sibling.
In their moment of happiness, neither of the women
noticed the faint aura developing around the stone of their parents
shrine. It gradually grew in intensity, and began to take the
shape of two people standing close, holding each other in a tender
embrace. Miyuki saw it first, and tapped Miyabi on the shoulder,
pointing it out to her. Miyabi immediately recognized the images
as those of her parents, both looking about 25 years old. As she
watched in awe, the two faint images looked at both women and
smiled approvingly -- then as quickly as they had appeared, were
gone.
"I guess that makes it official, ne Sis?" Miyabi observed,
sighing resignedly.
"I guess it does. Feel better?"
"Actually, yes. I know they're finally together, and
at peace. Those are things they've never truly had," Miyabi
responded, her eyes shimmering gently.
"I know. You have no idea how hard it was on Dad all
these years. He took my death really hard, and then lost his
entire life. If it wasn't for Akiko, he probably would have
committed Seppuku years ago," Miyuki observed, a touch of sadness
in her voice.
"Akiko? Who was that?"
"Dad's second wife. You refused to ever meet her,
remember? She actually saved his life, since she was the reason
he chose to go on living after everything that happened to him."
Miyabi sighed again, her eyes downcast. "I don't know
anything about all the years he was lost. He didn't say much,
even after we got back together."
"And that was your fault. Dad was afraid to say anything
to you because of your anger toward him. It's really too bad;
you would have been proud of him," Miyuki stated, touching
Miyabi's shoulder gently. "Dad always wondered what he missed by
staying in Canada, and when he found out about you and your
brother, he felt especially guilty. Then, when he finally tracked
you down, the first thing you did was accuse him of abandoning you.
You couldn't have hurt him more with a katana."
"I know. But I was so mad at him for leaving me; I
never knew the real story, since nobody here did, either. It
wasn't until I was contacted by him that the truth eventually
came out," Miyabi explained, her voice quiet yet deliberate.
"Miyuki, I loved him. He was my Papa; my world. And he just
disappeared. It wasn't easy on me, either; only being six years
old and losing the two people I loved most," Miyabi protested,
sniffing back tears.
"It's okay; at least you two managed to have some time
together. That was the last real bright spot in his life;
after you two settled everything." Miyuki soothed, trying to
lighten the mood.
"Miyuki -- tell me about him. Tell me about his life.
I want to know."
"There's a lot to tell; are you sure you want to get
into this now, neechan?"
"I've already waited too long. Tell me, Miyuki.
Everything," Miyabi responded adamantly, sitting on the ground
and insistantly inviting Miyuki to sit across from her.
Miyuki sighed, then settled beside her and began her
rather involved tale. Throughout, Miyabi became quite impressed
at her Papa's history, and found herself again wishing she had
been a bigger part of it.
A few hours later, Miyabi abruptly realized that she had
long since missed her plane, and started to worry about getting
back home.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," Miyuki assured her,
with a knowing wink. "Look around," she continued, with a
brightening smile.
Miyabi looked up, and to her stunned amazement, they were
now sitting in the middle of her livingroom; all the way back
in the States.
"Incredible... " was all she could manage to say.
"I 'inherited' a few tricks from Mu Lin," Miyuki
explained, looking quite pleased. "Sort of a going away present.
So, now that we're here, do you have any food in this place? I
haven't eaten in 40 years; come to think of it, I haven't ever
eaten," she observed, grinning.
Miyabi, meanwhile, was now totally overwhelmed. She walked
slowly to her couch and promptly collapsed, her mind reeling. In
a slightly delayed response to Miyuki's question, she absently
gestured in the direction of the kitchen.
As Miyuki happily explored the fridge and cupboards, Miyabi
slowly curled up on the couch, feeling very tired and drained after
her extraordinary day. It wasn't long before her eyes feathered
closed, and she drifted off into slumber.
The next morning, Miyabi slowly awoke on the couch, a
little stiff from her fitful sleep. She looked around, and
discovered Miyuki sleeping soundly at the opposite end. She smiled
despite herself, both happy and relieved that Miyuki was actually
there. Upon sitting up, she simply watched her sister sleep,
curled up in a ball, wearing a nightgown she must have dug out of
the closet.
At that moment, Miyabi had the distinct feeling that the
Saotome legacy of unusual lives was going to continue, and that
brought a satisfied smile to her face.
================================================================
END - All Good Things A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva
Comments Welcomed, Flames extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com
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