Most of the characters within the story are from the Anime Series,
Ranma 1/2 and are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else may
own the rights. I write this without permission and do so with no
attempt to profit off of the marvelous works, rather I do so for
everyone's benefit. Please enjoy and tell me what you think.
Time passed and eventually everyone grew up, even Ranma Saotome with
two years of constant strife centering on his relationship with Akane
Tendo. Engaged against their will, they eventually grew to love each
other. Unfortunately, not everyone of their would-be suitor's agreed
with their choice. This is the story of one such person, going
through great lengths to keep them separate.
*********************************************
*A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction: Shade of Redemption*
*********************************************
Chapter One of In Search of the South Star
by Ryan Erik
Prelude: Mid-morning Rain
The rain poured endlessly over the near-flooding streets of
Nerima on that Monday morning. Merchants along Nerima's streets
closed shop early due to the storm and the people's unwillingness to
leave the safety of indoors. Hitoshi Yoshida was one such merchant,
owning a flower shop which did oddly well in all seasons.
Hitoshi gazed outside through his glass door watching the
rain wash the street clean of anything and anyone who stupidly
attempted to brave it. He didn't care much for the very odd weather
patterns that Nerima had picked up in the last couple of years, but
business, certainly, had never been better. Strangely enough, his
best customer hadn't been seen for days. "I wonder what happened to
that fool Kuno?" he muttered to himself.
He didn't think that he would see anyone else today, so he
went to flip the 'Closed' sign, but before he had the chance, the
door gave way to allow a young man enter. Hitoshi looked at this
customer closely not recognizing him to be one of his regulars. 'Only
Kuno would be foolish enough to actually buy flowers on a day like
this... but maybe not.' He smiled and moved out of the way allowing
his customer to enter. The young man closed his red umbrella very
warily and attached it to his backpack, giving Hitoshi a good view of
the stranger.
Standing quite tall, the man loomed over the short merchant
by a good foot or more. His black hair was pretty short, but somewhat
shaggy hiding a yellow and black spotted bandanna, only visible on
the back of his head. He wore a look of confusion on his face that
suggested he was lost. He looked like a boy who lost his way from
home, but this was no child. The young man looked Hitoshi's way
giving him a good view of his face even though it was somewhat dark
in the shop. His young, but roughened features, looked as if he had
been through much weathering. Many girls would find him quite
attractive, or so Hitoshi thought. His eyes were what made the man
seem unordinary seeming to carry a great burden and hopelessness that
were probably fueled by some inner self-loathing. Hitoshi considered
himself a good judge of people who he had just met, and this young
man seemed very troubled.
"Can I help you, young man?" Hitoshi asked a few moments
after the young man had entered his shop and settled himself. "Are
you looking for something or just trying to get out of the rain?" The
man looked at him with a definite internal struggle going on within.
The youth seemed very unsure of himself at that moment.
"Umm... well, I'm looking for Nerima. You wouldn't happen to
know where that is?" He looked at the merchant, who smiled warmly at
him.
"You do not have to look far, young one. You are standing in my
flower shop that is within the center of Nerima." The shock on the
youth's face turned to ecstasy after a few moments. Hitoshi thought
he heard the youth mumble something about thanking fate. "Well, you
might as well make yourself comfortable. No one with any common sense
would walk out in that downpour." The youth smiled at him revealing
his fang-like teeth.
"Now why don't you tell me why you are so troubled while we
wait for this storm to pass us by?" The youth took a seat and set his
large pack on the floor. "Oh, I forgot my manners. I am Hitoshi
Yoshida, owner of this fine establishment, the Flower Emporium." He
stood up briefly and bowed to the youth before returning to his seat.
The young man stood up bowed and said, "I'm Ryouga Hibiki."
He sat down once more and appeared to be thinking deeply. The
merchant relaxed in his chair and gave Ryouga his time to answer his
first question. The youth looked eager to pour out his woes just as
the heavens poured rain upon them this very day.
"I'd rather not," Ryouga confessed, trying not to think of his
troubles himself. Lately, he found himself becoming more and more
unable to control the raging depression that lurked within him. At
times, it felt as if something was residing within him making him do
things that he would not normally do under most circumstances.
Controlling his depression was less of a problem than
controlling the rage that followed. Quite a bit of property damage
had begin to accumulate to his name where usually he could get away
without the consequences. Weeks before he had lost himself for the
thousandth time, he had been helping some folk in a town outside of
Hokkaido repair the damages that he had caused with his pent up chi
energy in the form of a Lion's Roar Bullet. While he repaired more
damage than he had actually caused, he still felt very bad about
endangering so many lives.
"It has to do with a girl, ne?" The merchant caused Ryouga to
sigh going into a deep fantasy of the girl who possessed his heart.
"Oh, Ryouga!" she would say to him.
"Akane, my love! I will never let Ranma hurt you with his words
again!" A smile bloomed on his face.
"What would I ever do without you?" She fiercely grabbed him
into an embrace and they became one. His lips closed in on hers;
everything was right in the universe.
Akane tried to speak only coming out with muffled words causing
him to pull away.
"What is it, my love?"
"Ryouga-san, are you well?"
Ryouga's eyes focused in on the speaker shattering his fantasy.
"Hai." His mind still on Akane, he couldn't answer any better.
"I was right; it is a girl," Yoshida-san said with a grin. "Why
don't you tell me about her?" Ryouga considered the merchant's
request. What could it hurt?
"She is like no other," Ryouga began, trying to concentrate.
"Her kindness goes is only rivaled by her beauty." He closed his
eyes, Akane firmly pictured in his mind. "Before I met her, life made
no sense. I was alone. I had been alone for the majority of my life."
Unshed tears formed in his eyes threatening to copy the sky outside
in its downpour. "Now, just a thought of her brightens my day and the
sight of her addles my brain." He focused on the picture of Akane
looking at her intently. Glittering, her beautiful brown eyes blinked
in response. He looked into them so deeply. "Her eyes suck my very
soul from my body! Oh God! How unfair life is!"
The merchant placed a hand on his shoulder comforting the
younger man. "You know you love her. Does she return yours at all?"
"I don't know," was all Ryouga could say. "She..." He paused
for a moment collecting himself. "She has a fiancee." His shoulders
slumped and his head fell low. He forced himself not to block out the
rage of depression that began to generate within him. "I know she
doesn't love him though! He is a horrible person and can only insult
her."
The merchant looked at him confused and Ryouga explained
further, "It was an arranged marriage." Yoshida nodded in solemn
empathy having been in that situation himself when he was a youth. He
fell in love with the daughter of a wealthy businessman at an early
age, only to have his love shattered by her father arranging her
marriage to another. She didn't have the courage to go against her
father's will and they were forced to part ways. No matter how far in
the past it lay, the thought of it still hurt as if it were
yesterday.
"You should tell her of your love, and let her make of it what
she will. That is the only way you'll ever know if she loves you, or
could love you back." Ryouga looked like he was on the verge of
tears. "You are having problems working up the nerve, ne?" Ryouga
nodded and Hitoshi spoke again. "Well, you have to tell her now, or
never." Before it's too late...
* * *
The rain stopped and Ryouga Hibiki bid the very generous flower
shop owner farewell. He looked at the beautiful bouquet of roses that
he held in his hands, which Hitoshi had generously offered to him
half-price. He would win Akane's heart tonight.
He neared the Tendo dojo at dawn the next day and was exhausted
from lack of sleep. He daydreamed as he walked in the doors...
"Oh Ryouga-kun!" Akane fell into his arms and embraced him.
His fantasy was short-lived though, for he failed to watch
where he was going and walked straight into the koi pond.
"Bwee!!" A small black piglet, wearing a familiar black-spotted
yellow bandanna with black spots, emerged from the pool instead of
the young man. The small pig squealed, swimming to the edge until he
was lifted up by his bandanna.
"So Ryouga, you decided to show up after all." The black pig
glared at the young redhead, who held him, trying to bite her. "Hey
now! No need to be rude, sheesh." She dropped him on the ground
squarely on his behind, causing pain to spread throughout his entire
being.
The young woman collected Ryouga's gear from the koi pond
managing to grab the flowers before they were ruined. "Are these for
me, Ryouga?" she teased. "You shouldn't have."
Anger flooded the mind of the small black pig. The flowers that
he got for Akane would now be stolen by Ranma, the bastard. 'You are
so dead!' the small black pig thought.
The girl, named Ranma, managed to pick Ryouga up by the bandanna
and carry him into the dojo. "You stay right here. I'll get us some
hot water." She left him alone on the blue floor mats. He thought of
all the horrible things he wanted to do to Ranma.
A handsome young man returned in her place, his hair soaking
wet. "So, did you get our invitation? We knew we'd have to send one
out to you earlier then everyone else's so you'd arrive on time." As
the young man poured hot water over Ryouga, changing him back into a
human, the lost boy could only stare at him in confusion.
Ryouga quickly dressed himself and picked up the flowers. "I
don't know what you're talking about Ranma, but I won't fall for any
of your tricks today!" He passed Ranma, brushing by him angrily.
Ryouga turned to look at him and glared. "Invitations for what?" His
face wrought with confusion and anger.
"Well, the wedding of course! So, you didn't get it?"
"Who's getting married? Did Dr. Tofu finally ask Kasumi to
marry him?" Ryouga asked, causing the pig-tailed boy to laugh out
loud. 'He will pay for mocking me.' Ryouga attacked him with a fierce
punch to the face, which Ranma dodged with ease.
"Cool down, man!" Ranma tripped Ryouga and sent him sprawling
onto the floor. "Akane and my wedding, you dolt!"
Anything Ryouga could or would have said stopped short. He
started to pull himself off of the floor but his legs were unwilling.
His whole world seemed to be crashing down on top of him at that
moment, and he hoped it would crush him. There was nothing left.
Nothing. He felt nauseated and fell back to the floor unconscious.
* * *
Ryouga opened his eyes and stared into the eyes of his goddess.
He gazed into those brown orbs and drowned himself in them. Moaning
softly, his head flooded with the pain of memory. "Oh, I think he's
awake!" came a voice, the soft voice that he loved so much. It was
the owner of the voice that cared for him so many times when he was
down or injured. "Are you okay, Ryouga?"
Ryouga came to and looked around. He was in the Tendo's living
room, and leaning over him was his one and only love, Akane. "Yeah,"
he muttered faintly. He sat up watching Akane smile at him. 'Can this
be a dream? I'm with her and I'm not a pig! She seems happy to see
me!' He then noticed Ranma a few feet back and realized the gravity
of the situation. "Is it true Akane? You're getting married?"
Akane's eyes dazzled and she beamed at him. "Yes! We're getting
married in the spring!" That was like a dagger in the heart to poor
Ryouga who fell back on the sofa. Ranma had won. Ranma had won a
battle so final that there was no second chance. His mouth ran dry
and his thoughts simply vanished. She was marrying his most hated
enemy.
Ranma came over and smiled at him but Ryouga's icy return
caused him to back off. "I'm going to head out. I'll be back soon,
Akane." Ranma's departure enabled Ryouga to breathe once more. How
could this be happening?
A few moments passed and Akane stood up. "Can I get you some
tea or water, Ryouga? You've been out for most of the day." He knew
what he had to do. "Ryouga?" Akane pressed her hand against his
forehead trying to feel for a temperature. "You don't have a fever."
He stood up next to her and grabbed her hands gently.
"Akane... I... I... I'm sorry. I have to go for good this
time." She looked at him with a compassion that only she could show
to him, the lost boy. He released her hands, and she tried to stop
him as he turned and fled.
"Ryouga, wait! Please don't go!" Her pleas turned his heart to
mush as he ran from the accursed house. "Ryouga! Please stop..." He
ran as fast as he could, putting as much distance as he could between
Akane and himself. Tears flooded his eyes and he had no idea where he
was going, but he didn't care anymore. His heart of glass shattered,
and he had only himself to blame. He never had the nerve to tell
Akane his true feelings, and Ranma beat him to the punch. Ranma. The
name was the only thing in his head right now. The name that brought
him so much pain in the past was the name of the person who delivered
the fatal blow. 'How could Akane love such a worthless piece of
shit??!!'
Wandering sounded pretty good at the present time.
* * *
Ranma Saotome left the dojo in low spirits. He didn't want to
be on bad terms with any of his old friends, especially not so near
to his wedding. Ryouga showed up on cue and he expected the pig-boy
to listen to reason and just live on. 'I expected that? from Ryouga?'
He laughed inwardly, but he found little humor in it. He set his mind
up for what he was doing next.
Ukyou Kuonji, his best friend, was leaving town today and he
was going to her restaurant to wish her farewell. Another friend was
leaving his life today. She had refused his invitation to the wedding
stating that it would be too painful, and that she needed to move on
into the next chapter of her life. Life without her wouldn't be as
pleasant, but life always goes on.
He neared Ucchan's, the restaurant she had named after his pet
name for her. There were no customers today, for she was packing up
and moving out. He walked in receiving a cheerful greeting, "You
came, Ranchan." She seemed to say that to reassure herself more then
anything. She smiled and greeted him with a hug.
"Of course I did, Ucchan! What are best friends for?" His last
words seemed to make the mood a little more dim, but she brightened
up quickly. "I'm sad that you have to leave Nerima... I'll miss ya."
He smiled faintly at her, and she beamed one back.
"You'll have very little time on your hands, especially with
Akane becoming your wife and the two of you running the dojo." He
nodded but it was only half sincere. "Since you're here, why don't
you help me pack?" He nodded and they the rest of the day packing her
equipment, and other items.
Day turned to night and their job was finished. "Thanks,
Ranma." She walked over to him from her seat at the grill. "I'm going
to miss you so much." Tears started to flow from her eyes and she
reached out for him.
"Don't cry, Ucchan. I'll always be there for you when you need
me." He always hated when girls cried, especially when he was to
blame. He held her tightly, and then she tilted her head and kissed
him fully on the lips. After she released him, he stumbled back a
little embarrassed.
"You have my promise that I will never interfere with yours and
Akane's lives again." He nodded sorrowfully as she walked him out of
her shop and closed the doors behind him. Tomorrow would be a day of
new beginnings for her, and he only could hope and pray that she
would recover quickly.
He headed back to the dojo, not noticing the figure who
witnessed the whole scene from across the street.
* * *
Night fell upon the lost boy, and he once again was somewhere
unfamiliar. His eyes, still red from a recent cry, scanned his
surroundings, which placed him within a city. He noticed the signs
were still in Japanese, so he couldn't have wandered too far from
Nerima, though it was his intent.
As he chose to lose himself in the vastness of the world, fate
took over and guided him to where he was meant to be at the right
moment. He hated putting his life in its hands, but the majority of
the time he had little or no choice. Why he ended up at Ucchan's, he
did not know, but he decided to approach it and maybe get a few bites
to eat. Ukyou was always a good friend to him when it came to feeding
him.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the young man in the
red Chinese shirt and baggy black pants. "Rannnnma," he growled under
his breath in an attempt to avoid drawing attention to himself. He
watched the scene before him intently. Ranma and Ukyou were talking
when suddenly they embraced and he saw them began to kiss deeply. His
thoughts burned with hatred and renewed anger for Ranma Saotome. He
would kill him right now if he were able but that would only bring
more trouble than good it could possibly do. Now anyway. 'Ranma, you
will pay for his unfaithfulness to Akane!'
He concealed himself in the shadows as Ranma exited Ucchan's
and walked down the street. He thought about following for a moment,
but it was already too late, for Ranma had disappeared out of sight.
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to visit Ukyou after all.
* * *
Four days later.
It was another one of those long days for young Ranma Saotome.
As always, his father woke him up early for a special training idea
that he concocted from his stupid panda brain. As if on cue, he fell
into the koi pond requiring hot water to reverse his curse.
Unfortunately, he never got to use it for Akane punted him far away
for commenting on her horrible cooking. He landed squarely on Kuno,
who in turn chased him around Nerima for a good half an hour before
he could get back to the dojo and change back with the hot water that
he had prepared earlier. Now, he was off to try and convince Cologne
and Shampoo, for the thousandth time, to back off and let him marry
Akane.
"Airen!" The expected cry came from the restaurant that he was
approaching and a familiar purple-haired girl came rushing at him. He
sighed an prepared for the upcoming glomp, but it never came. "You
get rid of Violent Tomboy and marry Shampoo now, yes?"
Ranma sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy task, but
it had to be done. "Shampoo, please listen to me for a minute." She
nodded in consent and he continued. 'Shampoo, I can't marry you. I
love Akane, and nothing is going to break the bond that we share.
Great, now all I have to do is say it!' "Umm... Shampoo?"
"Nani?" She smiled at him affectionately.
"I don't love you." His heart started to race and he regretted
his words right after he said them. 'Good going, slick,' he thought
to himself. She only stared at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. She
was about to say something but he cut her off. "I-I... love Akane,
and nothing anyone can do will ever make me change my mind." His
heart beat quickly as he held his breath, waiting for a reaction.
She sighed aloud and spoke, "Great-grandma prepare Shampoo for
while now. Shampoo no cry." He finally took in a breath. He hated
seeing women cry. "Come here, Ranma." She pulled him by his collar
into a vacant side alley. Deep consideration in her eyes, she looked
at before drawing him close into an embrace, kissing him for a moment
before releasing.
"Uhh... Sh-sh-shampoo?? What was that for?" he wondered how the
old Ghoul had prepared her for him and he started to panic even more.
Shampoo let him take a few steps back then she sighed.
"That how Shampoo say bie liao, Air... Ranma."
* * *
From across the street, once more Ryouga watched Ranma take
advantage of another girl! 'His day of death is now!'
* * *
Ranma started to make his way away from Shampoo and back to the
Tendo Dojo when he heard a familiar battle cry. "Prepare to die,
Saotome!" He rolled his eyes and took a defensive stance as Ryouga
charged him. "You'll pay for what you've done to Akane!" Ryouga
closed the ground between them quickly and Ranma prepared for
Ryouga's very anticipated attack. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" The ground
exploded, spraying pieces of concrete everywhere, but Ranma was well
aware of the range that Ryouga's over-used move gave him. "Die for
Akane!" He rushed Ranma like the fool he was and jumped into the air
bringing his foot down to crush the life from his victim.
Ranma dodge this attack, moving just far enough not to get hit
then closed in on Ryouga. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryouga managed
to block a few of the punches, but nearly one hundred slipped through
his defense.
"Gah!" Ryouga, taking the beating, then attacked Ranma with a
few swipes of his umbrella. Ranma dodged his strikes again and then
countered with several punches that struck Ryouga. Unexpectedly,
Ryouga jumped back and instead of his normal "go for the kill move,"
he unleashed a storm of bandannas. Ranma dodged the missiles and made
his way towards Ryouga cautiously.
Ryouga's battle aura was flaring now, and he jumped high into
the air in preparation for another jump kick.
'What a fool.' Ranma, as a near master of the Anything-Goes
Martial arts system, was a aerial combat expert. Ranma threw himself
up into the air and engaged the lost boy like he has done with his
father every morning of every day. Ryouga was quick to fall and Ranma
realized his mistake.
"You are going to die!!!! Bakusai Tenketsu!" The blast caught
Ranma, near full on this time, as he landed from their aerial brawl.
He had barely enough time to bring up his arms and protect his face
from the blast.
Ranma, bruised and bleeding in more than a few areas, angrily
lunged at Ryouga, kicking him in the face hard. Ryouga tumbled
backwards with the blow, but still got up. 'Man, he just won't quit!'
Ryouga, once again, charged with a barrage of punches, kicks, and
umbrella slashes. Ranma used his Chestnut fist to block every single
attack.
Angered at his failure, Ryouga jumped back.
"Come on man, let's talk about this?" Ranma offered which
Ryouga answered with a rising battle aura. 'Damn it! He's going to
use the Lion's Roar Bullet! He'll level the whole area for sure!'
Without a second thought, Ranma charged Ryouga and leveled him with a
kick that would have destroyed a brick wall.
Ryouga fell to the floor obviously unconscious and beaten.
"Stupid P-chan! Why do you gotta always go pickin' fights with me?"
He looked at Ryouga's limp form and decided he'd had enough of him
and left him on the street. He examined his favorite red shirt, which
was now blood-stained and ruined. 'I'm getting careless. He shouldn't
have hit me.' He took one last look to see a small crowd looking over
the unconscious fool. 'He'll be okay enough to attack another day...'
* * *
"Ryouga, you took some nasty concussions, but you'll be fine."
The voice seemed confident, and concerned for him. He managed to
shift one eye open, but his vision blurred and the bright light hurt
his adjusting eyes.
'How many times this week will I need to be revived?' he
wondered. He shifted his other eye open and tried to focus on what
was in front of him. White. He was staring at a white ceiling.
"You're going to be okay, Ryouga." The familiar voice said,
reassuring him. "You took some pretty nasty blows to the head, but
you should heal pretty quickly and be ready to leave tomorrow." He
returned Dr. Tofu's stare.
Ryouga tried to pull himself into a sitting position but Tofu
held him down. "Try not to strain yourself. You'll recover quicker
that way." Yes. He must recover to exact revenge on Ranma somehow.
All of a sudden he felt very drowsy. 'I... can't stay... awake.'
Ryouga's eyes shot open and he sat up immediately. He felt
strangely refreshed, and his head barely hurt at all. He remembered
the events of the day before and tried to hold back his anger. 'No
reason to get upset now... I must concentrate and get revenge on that
filthy cheating bastard.'
"I'm glad you're awake. You can go whenever you want now. I held
you back a couple more days so you could at least be in good shape
before you go out charging into a fray once again." Dr. Tofu knew
him too well. Ryouga gathered his gear, after thanking the good
doctor, and made his away towards the Tendo Dojo which, because of
fate, he would not see for a good deal of time.
Ryan Erik
ryanerik99@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/ryanerik99