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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
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Coutuva.
Yue – Part Fourteen
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Yue felt herself thrust back to cognizance, gasping at the jarring
sensation. Her eyes flew open, and even before she’d marked her bearings,
her searching gaze fell upon the face of her dear friend.
“Lin…”
She raised her hand to rest it upon her friend’s smiling face,
and the feel of skin moved her to smile – it was proof she truly was back
amoung the living.
“Yue -- thank the Gods you’re all right,” Lin smiled back, amid
leaning down to hug her gently.
Despite the pain the act brought, she had to sigh gratefully.
“Yes… I am well enough it seems… Though I feared I had breathed my last.”
“You and me both. You’ve been unconscious since we dug you out,”
Lin responded, as she rose.
She returned an appreciative gaze, only to gasp again as a
fearsome thought struck her. “The girl -- did she survive?”
To her great relief, Lin nodded. “She did. She’s back with her
family, and all of them are grateful to you for saving their lives.”
“I am pleased, but assure them in my stead that it was not just
I. Many worked together...”
She smiled. “They know that, Yue. But they’re still grateful
to you – as are a lot more families. And they’ve all been waiting
to tell you that.”
“No! I did nothing that others did not – I do not…” She was
unable to finish, as Lin's finger landed on her lips.
“You don’t have any say in it. They want to say thanks, and
nothing will stop them.”
She looked up with intent to continue her protest, but saw in her
friend’s eyes that she was not of the mind to listen. In fact, she seemed
to have something that preoccupied her.
“Lin…? Does something trouble you?” she asked, then panicked as
a possibilty struck. "No… Am I disfigured?”
“No, you’re in perfect shape, other than a few bruises, cuts and
scrapes,” Lin assured, her smile returning. “It’s actually pretty amazing.”
She puffed a sigh of relief. “I am glad – for a moment, I had
feared that I bore horrific wounds – as I still feel that I do.”
“Well, you took a pretty good beating, and were unconscious for
a long time. You’ll probably just be really sore, but you’ll be fine,”
Lin assured again, her hand coming to rest on Yue’s own. Yue smiled up
at her, only to have it fade as she noted her friend's disquiet continued.
“I am relieved by your assurances, Lin, but I still see that
something troubles you. Please – tell me of it.”
A fearful look flashed through her eyes, but instead, she smiled.
“It’s nothing you need to worry about right now. You just concentrate
on getting better, so you can get out of here. Anything else can wait.”
“As you wish -- but I will know of what concerns you. In all
things, we are sisters… Your troubles are already mine.”
Lin briefly averted her eyes, then sighed into a frown. “Not yet.
Until you’re up and around, I don’t want you thinking about anything else.
I have to speak to the healers, and tell them you’re awake. Do you want
me to get you anything?”
“No. I desire nothing – except that you not be such the mother
hen.”
“Too late,” she grinned, then adjusted the blankets and rose.
“You relax now. I‘ll be right back.”
As Lin left the room, however, she was moved to frown. Her friend
had seemed stricken by her mention of sharing her troubles, which in turn,
gave her cause to feel she was protecting her, and from something indeed
grave.
That concerned her deeply. Lin was her best friend, and she
could not abide the notion that she was bearing some great burden on her
behalf – and that it was causing her so much pain. She would much rather
bear it for herself.
Her teeth grit, she lifted aside her coverings and slid her legs
from the bed, then forced herself to rise. The movement shot pain through
her chest and hip, but she fought it down.
She had endured far worse and survived.
Once upright, she cast a gaze about the room, and on a chair
adjacent noted a folded garment. She smiled as she saw that on the chair’s
back, her sword and belt hung neatly.
Another great grimace and stifled groan later, she rose to unsteady
legs and moved to the chair. Upon pausing a moment to mop her dampened
brow, she removed her wrap and began to dress.
She was glad Lin seemed quite detained – she would not have wished
either her or Tsu to see her so frail. That thought in turn gave her
pause to wonder why she had not seen her betrothed as yet. She became
concerned, but quickly dismissed it, knowing her friend would have
mentioned anything of import.
Donning her garments took a greater time than she would have
preferred, but as she stood before a small mirror, she felt at the least
pleased to be clothed. She had been bathed, she assumed by the healers, but
still looked a fright. Her only regret was that she had not the facility
to remedy the state.
With a resigned sigh, she turned and walked for one of the doors,
again forcing down her pain. She planned a conference with Lin, compelled
to have her air her consternation.
As she approached the door, however, she was given pause by an
odd sensation that swept her body -- one akin to the occurrence of losing
one’s center. On the assumption it was only her body resisting her effort
to move, she began toward the door again. As she reached to the pull, she
stopped short at the sound of voices from without. Amoung them she heard
the Elder, a slightly familiar woman, and a man she did not recognize.
She frowned at how the exchange was quiet, rapidly-spoken, and
seemed to be mainly Japanese. The combination made it impossible to
decipher.
For several moments, she strained at the sounds, able to discern
so little that at length, she huffed and moved toward the other door. It
was at that same moment that she heard more conversation, this time beyond
the room’s open window – and in Mandarin.
She was flattered to hear that it was discussion of her state of
health, and how the speakers were concerned for her. But, just as she
considered responding, one voice asked the identity of the strange man.
The answer incensed her beyond reason.
“You don’t know? He’s Shan Lin’s husband!”
Her pain forgotten, she turned and slammed through the first
door with weapon drawn, and in a blur had cleaved his pillow in twain.
“”
He flattened to the wall and shouted a protest, as did others --
but she paid them no heed. He had caused her dearest friend incalculable
pain, and for that, he would pay.
With a lunge, she went for his gut, only to rend a hole in his
garment as he dove aside. She leapt after with a two-handed slash, and
forced him to a corner. He attempted a leap over her head – which proved
a fatal mistake.
As he arced up over her and into a tuck, he was for a moment wide
open – and with speed born of retribution, she struck.
He crashed to the floor, unable to move. She stepped up to him
and spun her sword to strike. “”
“” the black-haired girl screamed, diving between them.
Before Yue could tell her to move away, however, another entreaty
penetrated her rage.
“”
The source shocked her. “”
The Elder nodded, her visage calm yet serious. “”
She glared back at the Elder for a moment, then huffed and
scabbarded her sword. “” She then turned her glare to
his shocked face, and drew her sword once more. “Elder say I must spare
-- you too lucky. But still I watch,” shee stated, then with the sword,
jabbed at the base of his neck. “Up you now get.”
As she slid her sword away, the black-haired girl moved to help
him rise. His expression remained unchanged, which she found surprising.
She had expected him to snarl at her, as would any other in his place.
“”
She nodded over her shoulder, still watching the strange man.
“”
“”
“”
The Elder’s face darkened. “” With that, she turned and hopped from the room.
Taken aback, she watched the Elder depart, then sighed. The
act told her that something major was indeed afoot, and that she would
likely not find it at all pleasant.
She did not have chance to dwell upon it however, as the
tempering of her rage had allowed her body to remind her of its state.
Unwilling to let that fact be known, she kept a hard face as she moved
to an adjacent seat, and settled to it as gracefully as she could
manage. Even so, she had to fight to prevent her features from
twisting into a grimace.
After she found a pose that resembled tolerable, her gaze
returned to the man she had fought. He was an exceptional example, well
cut and handsome. She felt it a shame that such a promising form had
been wasted on one of his ilk.
By the time her gaze again found his eyes, he had apparently
gathered his thoughts. His face now bore the look she had been
expecting.
He saw that she was looking at him and pushed himself to a
sit, then returned a hard gaze of his own.
“So why’d you attack me?”
She spared him a frown. “You dishonour friend and sister.
It my duty.”
His face fell. “Kuso -- not you, too. Man, I’m getting so
tired of this.”
“What you talking?”
He sighed. “They told you I’m Shampoo’s husband, right?”
“You are. You challenge and defeat – she your wife. Is
Amazon law.”
“I didn’t challenge her! Hell, it wasn’t even a real fight!
I broke one of her bonbori and it flipped up, hit her on the head and
knocked her out! Ever since then she’s been calling me her husband,
and making my life miserable! And besides -- I already got a fiancee!
I don’t want another one!”
She gasped. “You… Have already fiancee? Before fight?”
He appeared perplexed. “Yeah -- my pop and Akane’s arranged
it years ago. Why?”
She sank back into her chair. “Then… Law not count. If man
engaged or married, can no challenge. Law not for to steal men.”
The Akane girl gasped. “You mean… She’s been making all
that up?”
”I… Not know…” she breathed, unable to determine what to
think – especially as she recalled the deep and very real pain she
had seen in Lin’s eyes.
However, before she could expand upon the thought, Lin
dashed in the room, followed close at heel by Tsu. The Elder was
just behind, accompanied by the Matriarch.
“”
The worry in Lin’s voice took her attention from wondering
over the Matriarch's arrival. “”
Lin frowned, then reached out took her hands. “”
She sighed. “”
she began, but Lin shook her head.
“”
“” Tsu seconded,
nodding.
She sighed and lowered her gaze. “”
The smile he returned gave her flutters. “”
She felt her cheeks heat and turned away, only to happen a
glimpse at the man she’d been speaking to – and see his drop-jawed
stupefaction.
“” the
Elder abruptly indicated, then hopped to the center of the room. Lin
and Tsu took places to either side of the chair, Lin still holding
fast to her hand. Tsu, meantime, rested his hand on her shoulder.
The Matriarch then quietly moved behind the Elder, and
stood in what seemed a supporting location. The act gave her
even more cause to be concerned.
The Elder then raised her hand to quiet the room. “I am
going to speak Japanese so that everyone can understand. Liang Yue,
if I am going too fast, let me know.”
“Hai, Elder-sama.”
“Good. Liang Yue, this tale by necessity begins with you.
What I am about to say will no doubt come as a huge shock, but it
must be told,” the Elder began, then drew a breath.
She braced herself.
“When you fell in that spring – back in your own age -- you
were drowned, Liang Yue. You did in fact die, but your Chi
remained -- trapped by some unknown magic in the waters of the
spring.”
The words hit as if shot from a cannon.
“”
The Elder hopped close and touched her shoulder. “I am
sorry, Liang Yue, but there was no way to soften the blow.”
“” she attempted,
but could not make herself say the words.
“I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry. You’re not
a demon – or a Spirit. In fact, you are very much human.”
Her eyes had to ask the question her lips could not form.
The Elder noticed, and forced a weak smile. “I will try to
explain,” she stated, then hopped again to the room’s center. “Just
under a year ago, this man, name of Saotome Ranma, and his insipid
father were in China on a training journey. They went to a place now
called Jusenkyo, which has long been noted as a very difficult and
dangerous training ground. It is attempted only by those skilled
enough – or foolish enough. The ground itself is made up of many
small, deep pools, in each of which is a balance pole. The test is
to battle while clinging to the poles -- the penalty is ending up in
one of the pools. The danger -- is that the pools are cursed. In
each is the Chi of whatever creature first drowned in it -- and when
someone else falls into the pool, that Chi moves into them. They are
then forced to carry that Chi with them for life -- as both Shan Lin
and Mu Tsu do… And as this man once did.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. “”
The Elder responded with a sad nod. “I do. He fell into the
pool that held your Chi, Liang Yue, and until you awoke in that
alley, you were a part of him. You were his ‘cursed form’.”
Her heart fell to the pit of her gut.
“There is more. Ranma was attacked – and very nearly died.
The weapon used was like a tiny cannon. It is held in the hand, and
fires a small lead ball. That ball struck him in the chest, mortally
wounding him. But when he fell to the ground, he had the fortune to
land in water. That is when we think your two Chi switched places.
When they did, however, the switch locked the body in female
form – your form – likely because your Chi had control.”
She paused to draw a breath, at which Yue felt her heart
sink lower yet.
““
The Elder sighed. “Yes, but only until you were caught in
the collapse. Then, for some reason that I can’t explain, you and
Ranma separated, becoming two complete people. I have tried to read
your Chi to find some answer to that mystery, but both yours and
Ranma’s seem to be blocked. I know you each have it, which means
you both live -- but that’s all I can determine. In light of certain
things that have happened, however, I have a theory about why that
is – you two now seem to share a common Chi.”
She felt her brain fall numb.
The man called Ranma had a more vocal response.
“You gotta be kidding!”
“No, Ranma, I am not kidding. I had tried to get Akane to take
you home before Liang Yue awoke, but as soon as you left the village,
she started to get weak. And as you moved further away, her condition
deteriorated so much we thought we’d lose her. We brought you back,
and both of you recovered immediately. I think that makes it obvious.”
The man uttered no response – not that she would have heard it.
She had already heard more than enough.
"" she asked, silencing the room. When no response came,
she lowered her eyes and rose slowly, barely able to control the hand
that twitched at her sword hilt.
"Yue..." Lin attempted, raising a hand toward her.
"" she snapped, slapping it aside. As
she did, their eyes met in an eternal moment, and what she saw in Lin's
not only sent a shiver through her, but suddenly incensed her. A flash
later, she stepped out of her strike, sword moving again to the ready.
Lin gasped as a heavy lock of her hair unrolled down her right
shoulder, then shuddered, eyes glazing.
Her eyes found Lin's, but the instant they met, she felt hers
begin to burn, and her chest crush. With no further thought, she drove
her sword into the floorboards, then removed her scabbard and belt. She
Raised them up before Lin's horrified eyes -- and then dropped them to
the floor.
Turning, she started away, only to stop as she heard Mu Tsu
raise an arm. Turning back, she speared him with an incinerating glare,
brought her hands together -- and yanked off her ring.
"" she spat,
flinging the band into his stunned face. With a final huff of indignance,
she strode directly to the door, opened it and stepped through -- only to
be met by what seemed the entire population of the village.
And the moment they saw her, they hushed -- then parted
before her like wheat in the wind.
Instantly, wrenching anguish pummelled her already fragile
composure, wresting a sob from her chest and the long-abated tears from
her eyes. Too shattered to heed propriety, she broke to a headlong bolt
for the road, deafened to the gasps of the crowd.
She wanted only to be as far away as her legs could take her,
even though she knew she couldn't outrun the truth.
From the moment she had awoken and realized she was indeed
alive, she had suspected herself a victim of some terrible, vengeful
sorcery. Given that, hearing she had been somewhat correct had not
been a great shock.
It had been more stunning to learn she had in fact died, and
been reincarnated. In exactly her same form, and at exactly her same
age. As a child, she had been told such things just did not occur. One
was never reincarnated as the person they had already been.
But even that discovery paled before how she had been treated
since -- and by whom.
She had been betrayed. And not only betrayed, but conspired
against – and by those she'd have thought incapable of such acts.
Amazons.
And worse, her best friend and husband even more so. They had
conspired from the outset to keep her unaware of her true circumstance,
and in the doing, afforded no regard to those who truly bore the cost. The
innocent family that had lost their son, the woman who had lost her
rightful fiancee, and most of all, the man who would have lost his life.
As the awful realization burrowed into her heart, she recalled
how her mother had spoken long and often of the Amazon race. Their
prowess at war, their fierce loyalty to their own and their allies,
and their renown as a proud, noble people were all the stuff of legend.
Even her father, the Emperor, had spoken of them with reverence.
He had actively courted both their trade and their goodwill throughout
his reign, in the hope of calling them allies. He would travel
personally to the village to seek counsel from the Elders, so strong
was his belief in their wisdom.
It was that reverence and respect that had inspired her as a
girl, and led to her own respect for the race. And in turn, that had
led her to afford the same respect to the Amazons of her ‘new age’...
Respect that it now appeared was horribly ill-placed.
Her heartsickness, shock and disbelief only grew as each moment
passed, very nearly blinding her to her intended destination – her
ancestral home.
Suddenly, it was her only comfort.
Face grim, she stepped into the dark, silent house, pausing
only to remove her footwear. She then strode through to the main room,
there to stop, settle to her knees, and lower her forehead to the floor.
“Ancestors, I b-beseech you hear my prayer…” she began, her
voice hampered by the dryness of her throat. “Father… Mother… H-help
me; please…” she whispered brokenly, then drew her arms in across her
chest – and wept.
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END – Yue – Part Fourteen A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva
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