"Tendo. Bringing Ranma from China. Genma." Soun whispered as he read the post card with a panda on it. Tears started to form in his eyes as he put it down. It had been so long since he heard from his friend, and now he contacted him to ensure their dreams would come true. To ensure the two schools of Anything Goes would be united through the marriage of their children.
Soun Tendo looked up from the table and called out for his three daughters. He wanted to give them the good news. "Kasumi. Nabiki. Akane."
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People on the street stopped what they were doing to look in amazement at the incredible sight. A huge panda walked down the street carrying a huge backpack. Following close behind walked a young man with black hair tied back in a pigtail. He held a slow pace, nearly dragging his feet as he went looking to the ground as if the rest of the world didn't exist. It was a wonder he kept following the panda, since his gaze didn't leave the ground even for a second. The backpack he wore was even bigger than the one of the panda, having some kind of cross on top and reaching almost to the ground. It looked incredibly heavy, and that made the bystanders distance themselves from the pair's path. Strange things happened in Nerima, but this was too weird even for them. They decided to flee when the panda got a sign out of nowhere that read. "Don't mind us."
They weren't lucky, though. The panda and boy came to Nerima to stay for an undetermined amount of time. The panda sighed, if pandas can do that, and turned to the boy that followed it. It wondered how to engage the boy to one of the girls. Knowing the futility of convincing the boy, it could only feel ashamed of its flesh and blood. Turning around a corner, it noticed their destination was a few meters away. Both panda and boy entered a property with a sign that read 'TENDO DOJO.'
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The three girls were shocked to say the least. Here was their father telling them an old friend of his was bringing his son to marry one of them. Even worse was the fact that he didn't know this young man. He only knew he had been trained intensively in martial arts for ten years, and had recently gone on a trip to China.
A few hours after the announcement, the entire family sat at the dining table. Soun was calmly making plans for the wedding, excited as he hadn't been for years.
Kasumi sat on her place with her usual pleasing smile. She was happy to see her father so excited and hoped this young man wasn't younger than she was.
Nabiki was dressed in a formal kimono waiting anxiously for the boy to arrive. She didn't get many dates with her reputation, and here was her chance to meet a guy who wasn't afraid of her. Not yet, at least.
Akane wore her gi as she angrily scowled at her father. How dare he engage one of them to a BOY! She would have to show the pervert his place as soon as he came.
They all reacted differently to the knock on the door. "It must be Ranma." Nabiki enthusiastically said as she got up and went to answer the door. Soun was close behind. Akane frowned dangerously while Kasumi simply blinked and got up to follow her father and sister. Startled screams caught their attention as Nabiki rushed back into the room and Soun followed covering her back. The Tendo patriarch fell back on his bottom as the panda entered the room. "Is that your friend daddy?" Asked Nabiki sarcastically, trying to recover from the shock. Soun shook his head hard while his eyes never left the panda.
"Oh my!" Kasumi said as she noticed the panda waving a sign and a young man behind the animal. She didn't really notice Akane getting a bokken ready to attack the endangered animal.
Looking closer, she noticed the sign read. "Wait, let me explain." The panda looked very subdued to be a threat, so she allowed herself to calm down. Nabiki quickly followed, noticing that the boy behind the panda was tall and very handsome. She really hoped he was Ranma. She blinked at the thought. Since when did she become that desperate for a date?
Soun couldn't take the situation anymore and decided that fainting was appropriate. Since his daughters didn't seem to be in any real danger he let his brain take a rest. As he collapsed, Kasumi quickly started to try and revive him. Akane stood protectively over her father, bokken at the ready.
Nabiki stepped forth carefully, ready to back away if the panda tried anything funny. Noticing with a little more confidence that the panda didn't make a move for her, she rounded it and made her way to the young man. "We need to talk, mister." She said in her business voice. Even if she liked what she saw of the boy in front of her, he had still brought a panda and scared the living daylights out of them. She noticed a faint red light coming from behind and decided to take it to the dojo before Akane killed the guy. She took him by the collar and pulled him after her.
The panda blinked at that. The boy let himself be led by someone aside from it. Not that it bothered him, maybe that girl would be willing to marry him. Grinning as well as any panda could it made its way to the bathroom. It wanted to be human to celebrate the union.
Akane ignored the passing animal and turned to see Kasumi tending to their father.
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Nabiki entered the dojo pulling behind her an unresisting boy. She stopped in the middle of the construction and turned to study her potential fiancé. He was about a head taller than she was, with a moderate build and long black hair tied back in a pigtail. His face was emotionless as he stared down. She let go of his collar and lifted his face with her hand to take a better look at his face. Since he hadn't once complained she continued to move him at her will.
She gasped at the sight of his eyes. It was a very rare sight to find someone with eyes a blue-green color, but she put that aside. What she noticed the most was the lack of light in those orbs, as if there wasn't a soul inside the body. Hesitantly, almost afraid, she passed a hand in front of his face. Nothing. She caressed his cheek to see if there was some kind of reaction. Still nothing.
Frowning, the middle Tendo sister took a step back. "Great, just what I needed. A boy that probably can't even feed himself." She said with disdain. Turning from the boy, she stormed out of the room muttering. "Daddy, you're so dead." She was angry and hurt both because of her father's stupid idea and for daring hope it would work out.
She walked past Akane, who mistook her sister's angered face for something that BOY must have done. "YOU PERVERT!" She bellowed as she rushed into the dojo and quickly located the source of her anger. She stomped to him and demanded. "What did you do to my sister?" The lack of response from him was like a written confession in her book. She cocked her right fist back ready to punish the pervert. Still no movement from him.
Akane let loose with a full strength attack. Not that she knew any other way to fight. As the fist closed in on him, he still gave no sign of noticing the incoming attack. Akane let a smug smile come to her face when the fist impacted on his left cheek and he was sent sprawling to the ground. He laid facing up still without saying a word. "Akane!" Came the cry of surprise from the door. Said girl turned to see Kasumi standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face.
Akane didn't regret her actions, nor did she turn to see the 'boy' still on the floor. She simply started walking out of her dojo and said. "He deserved it, Kasumi. He's a pervert and was bothering Nabiki." With that explanation she left the dojo, the smug smile still on her face. *So much for daddy's heir.* She felt safe knowing he wasn't on her level. But of course, no one was.
Kasumi watched Akane enter the house, her expression showing her disapproval as much as Kasumi Tendo was capable of. She turned to see who she thought was Ranma. He was still on the floor, unmoving. She hurried to his side and knelt to check for any injuries. She was slightly surprised to find none and that his eyes were open. She studied them for a few seconds and thought that maybe he was blind. His eyes held no life within them, though his breathing was even and his skin was warm to the touch. An odd feeling washed over her but she dismissed it. "Ranma-kun?" She asked tentatively. No answer came from him, and she looked at him more carefully, looking for any signs of injury she might have missed. He was fairly handsome, a small part of her mind noticed. She placed his age at around twenty, though at first glance he could easily pass for a teenager.
Finding not a single injury she decided to get him to the living room. She stood up and tried to lift him. 'Tried' being the key word as he didn't even budge from his place. Kasumi knew she wasn't very strong, but she could still drag her father when he passed out. Taking his arm in both her hands she got ready to pull even harder when he surprised her. As she lifted his arm he simply stood up easily. Kasumi was unnerved to see he still didn't react to anything, yet he stood up when she lifted his arm. "Ranma-kun, could you follow me?" She asked, knowing no answer would come from him and seeing in disappointment she was right. She let go of his arm and was yet again surprised to see him walk around and place himself behind her. She tested this by walking in a circle around the dojo and saw him follow her only two steps behind. Kasumi left the dojo, wanting to see if her father had regained consciousness. Ranma was close behind.
---------------------------------
As she entered the room she noticed two things. First, that the rest of her family was sitting around the table. Second, that there was a man dressed in a white gi wearing glasses opposite her father. She silently joined them and noticed Ranma sitting next to her. Her expression remained calm for the entire conversation, even if her emotions towards the man in the white gi weren't.
Soun addressed his daughters as soon as Kasumi joined them. He made an act of ignoring the young man, having been told by Genma about the situation. He was rather disappointed, not to say his dreams had just shattered into a million pieces. "Girls, this is my friend..."
"Genma Saotome." Said the man. "And that's my son, Ranma." His tone of voice dropped as he referred to him. During the next hour, Genma explained how he had taken Ranma from his mother at a young age so he could train the boy to be the greatest martial artist in the world. He detailed some of the places and methods of training used, while he left out huge holes in the story. He told them how a few months ago Ranma became as he is now without reason. "Oh the shame! To have such a weak son that he can't stand the training of a true martial artist!" He cried crocodile tears that Soun and Akane believed to be real. Soun patted his friend on the back while Akane turned to the pigtailed martial artist and saw him down her nose. He wasn't even worth her time.
Kasumi and Nabiki locked gazes. They both knew there was more to it than what Genma Saotome was saying. They remained silent as he continued telling them his 'sad' tale. "It was then that I brought my son to China with great efforts, having heard about the great healers that live there. We came across a village of Chinese Amazons that didn't take lightly to Ranma eating the prize of their annual tournament. I had to use the Saotome Final Attack to save my useless son and as we made our way out of the area we came across a cursed place called Jusenkyo. I saved my son's life at the high cost of becoming cursed for life." He told his audience how he took a hit meant for Ranma and took a dunk in the pool of drowned panda. "We miraculously escaped and made our way here thanks to my great efforts." He finished with a glorious pose. He inwardly smirked as he noticed the awed look on Akane's face and the pride in his friend's face. He had noticed the way Akane and Nabiki reacted to his son and didn't fool himself thinking he would manage to marry him to one of Soun's daughters. He instead decided to try and live off the Tendos over his glorious actions.
Soun stood and hugged his friend tightly. "My friend, you have suffered. But worry not, for you will find asylum in my house. Your son shouldn't be a burden for your shoulders alone anymore."
Nabiki frowned at that. Her father was very stubborn when he finally made his mind on something, and this seemed like one of those occasions. She turned with disgust away from the older men and her gaze softened a little, if only a little, at seeing Ranma. He sat there, oblivious to his surroundings, as the others badmouthed him openly. Akane called him a 'pervert that got what he deserved,' and Nabiki was more than surprised to see Genma agree instead of defending his only son. She felt a little remorse, something she didn't feel very frequently, at having lashed out at him for something that probably wasn't his fault.
Kasumi looked to her side, to where Ranma remained oblivious to the negative feelings directed his way. His blue-green eyes staring at nothing. She decided to lead Ranma to the room he would be using now that he was a guest. "I should show Saotome-san and his son to their room." She said standing up. She wasn't surprised when Ranma stood beside her. It seemed like the young man had been conditioned to follow after others. She frowned inwardly at that, but decided to let it for another time.
Soun nodded. "Quite so, Kasumi. Please lead my friend Genma to the guest room and his 'son' to the other room." He said the word 'son' with a demeaning undertone. In his eyes the boy didn't deserve to remain in the house, but he would stand him so that Genma could remain here. It had been a long time since he could properly train Akane, his grief over the loss of his wife always stopping him, but now that Genma was here he could properly train the heir to the Anything Goes. 'Ranma' would obviously be unsuitable for the position.
"I'll help you with that, sis." Nabiki said as she stood up. She wanted to get away from her younger sister, who was questioning Genma about his knowledge in martial arts with an eager smile on her face. The man did a remarkable job of encouraging Akane and Soun. She had to give it to him at least. It had been a long time since Soun was this animated.
Kasumi nodded to her sister and left the room, followed by Ranma and Nabiki.
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As Ranma laid down on the futon placed for him, Nabiki quietly spoke to Kasumi. "What do you think, Kasumi?" She knew no one was hearing in on their conversation, but either way was careful.
Kasumi sighed. "I don't believe most of what Saotome-san said. As for Ranma-kun..." She turned to the young man. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. Both her and her sister blushed when they had to take off his Chinese clothes and leave him in only his boxers and tank top. He had a very powerfully built body, probably the result of Genma's training.. They sobered when they noticed Ranma was completely oblivious to it and remained standing as if nothing happened. They knew he could be naked and he wouldn't care.
Nabiki nodded, also looking at the young man. "I'm taking him to Tofu-sensei tomorrow. Maybe he can tell us something about his condition." She didn't have much hope, but wouldn't stop from trying.
They both left the room and a young man that was in a state between sleeping and complete unawareness.
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Tofu frowned as he studied the young man in front of him. When Nabiki came in and went into the clinic looking for him he tried to surprise Nabiki's companion. He successfully sneaked up on him, but there was no reaction at all. As the middle Tendo explained things, Tofu's expression turned grimmer with every word. "And you say he follows certain tasks mechanically?"
"Yes." She answered as Tofu pressed several shiatsu. "He even helped in the kitchen this morning." She said carefully omitting the part about Kasumi preparing breakfast. She didn't need a Ranma pretzel to drag out of here. That morning she found out Ranma wasn't as heavy as Kasumi described him to be, and wondered about that. She remembered the huge backpack and went to take a look at it. She couldn't lift it even half an inch off the ground. She got suspicious and checked Genma's pack. It was almost empty. Another thing added to the list of things Genma did to his son.
Tofu nodded and continued his study of Ranma. He unconsciously started to speak as he noticed things. "He has an unusually high chi. Though his chi is highly corrupted by something that overpowers his own life force." He adjusted his glasses as he continued pressing shiatsu and getting different reactions. "His system is overloaded. While physically he's perfectly healthy his body acts as if he was poisoned. It's a miracle he can walk around." And so it went for several more minutes.
Finally, when it seemed like the doctor had finished his study, Nabiki asked. "Can you do anything for him?" She sounded incredibly detached compared to how she felt.
Tofu took off his glasses and sighed. "I'm sorry, Nabiki. But there's nothing I can do. It's the first time I encounter a case like this. It goes against everything I've learned. He shouldn't even be alive right now." The doctor seemed genuinely sorry. He felt horrible each time he found someone he couldn't help. "I'll consult with some of my mentors and a few books, but I'm afraid I can't assure finding a cure."
Nabiki nodded and thanked the good doctor. She returned to the Dojo and left Ranma with Kasumi before going to school.
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Months passed in a relatively monotonous way. Akane trained with Genma and Soun, who regained his passion for the Art with the arrival of his friend and his daughter's dedication. Akane's skill in the Saotome branch of the Anything Goes was very limited due to her temper and tendency to use strength instead of speed, but she advanced pretty well on the Tendo branch. Soun and Genma sparred everyday and congratulated themselves for starting a class in the afternoons. Soun, Akane and Genma ignored Ranma's existence as best as they could.
Nabiki returned to her routine after the first two weeks. She gave up on Ranma and now simply ignored him. Not that she didn't care, but she felt it was a weakness on her part to feel for a lost cause.
Kasumi spent the entire day with Ranma close behind her. She hurt to see him like that, but was happy for the company he provided and the help he gave around the house. It would always be: "Could you hold that for me, Ranma-kun?" "Would you please help me sweep the porch, Ranma-kun?" "Arigato, Ranma-kun." Even after her father and sisters told her Ranma didn't listen to her she insisted on talking to the young man, who she liked to have around. He would accompany her grocery shopping, polish the dojo floor, dry the dishes as she washed after the meals. In general, he gave her lonely life company. She would always smile pleasantly at him, not because she felt forced to do it, but because she was genuinely grateful to him. Her life was one of loneliness since her mother died, but now she had someone that not only depended on her, but also helped with her chores. She didn't give him things to do to ease her own workload, though. She did it in the hope that he someday got out of the state he was caught in. Maybe doing these little things was helping him.
Tatewaki Kuno, a student in Akane's and Nabiki's high school, tried to attack Ranma because he shared the roof of his fierce tigress, Akane. He was stopped by Nabiki and convinced that Ranma was actually more like a servant for the Tendos. She knew that wasn't so, but in Kuno's little fantasy world, where he was a noble samurai, that wasn't so far fetched. When he saw the way Ranma acted around the house he was convinced of the words of the 'foul mercenary.' Nabiki was still charging him extra for that comment.
Things continued like that for all of them. One of them hoped. Another had lost that hope. One was oblivious. The rest simply didn't care.
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Kasumi walked home with her pleasant smile, her arms carrying bags of groceries. She looked up to the clear, blue sky and spoke calmly. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it, Ranma-kun?" Two steps behind as usual, Ranma followed her with bags full of groceries. The eldest Tendo sister turned around a corner to take a shortcut. She wanted to have an early start on dinner to try a new recipe she read about in a magazine. It was usual for her to take this route. What was unusual was to find the way blocked by four guys that didn't look like nice people. Kasumi turned around with the intent of avoiding those men, only to find the other side of the alley blocked as well. She tried to remain calm even if the situation seemed terribly wrong.
One of the guys sneered and walked forward. "Hey, lady! Nice day, isn't it?"
"Yes." Kasumi replied as calmly as she could. Some corpses seemed more unnerved than her. "Would you be so kind as to let us pass? I need to start dinner for my family."
The guy was obviously taken aback by the calm generated by this girl. He almost agreed to her request, but noticed what all of his companions were looking at. They were all leering at Kasumi openly and obviously didn't have clean thoughts in their heads.
Kasumi didn't know what happened next or how. She saw as one of them approached Ranma from behind and hit him over the head with a pipe. The groceries Ranma had been carrying dropped to the floor next to the young pigtailed man. "Ranma-kun!" Kasumi cried in alarm at the aggression. This was Nerima. Things like these shouldn't happen around here. No sooner had she tried to rush towards her friend, yes, she considered him a friend, she felt her arms being held and she felt herself pushed against a wall. She looked to both sides to see her arms firmly held by two men she didn't recognize and would be happy never to have met. Her normally calm expression revealing something she hadn't felt for years. Fear. Her eyes caught sight of an unmoving Ranma on the floor. Her attention was brought to her own plight when she felt her cheek being caressed by a callused hand. Her eyes traced the hand to its owner, slowing only slightly to see a tattoo of a dragon on his forearm.
The first guy smirked as he noticed the fear in her eyes. This was how it should be. "Ranma-kun, huh?" He asked teasingly as he let his hand roam down her neck and to the collar of her blouse. "Don't waste your time on that wimp, girl." He took a knife out and ran the flat of the blade down her cheek, which he noticed was starting to get wet with tears.
Kasumi felt like screaming in terror, but she couldn't summon her own voice. She didn't know what to do. When she saw the knife, when she felt it slide down her face, she felt her blood turn cold and her eyes water with something she remembered as tears. *Why?* She asked herself hopelessly. *Why?* She had taken care of her family when her mother died. *Why?* She had forgotten her own dreams for her sisters and father. *Why?* She wanted to cry, but always remained strong for her loved ones. *Why?* She saw her friends of high school go to college or get boyfriends, even get married. She cursed silently for the unfairness of it all, but hid her tears and remained a housewife for her family. *Why?* Was this how she would get paid for her sacrifice? Raped and possibly killed in an alley two blocks from her home. No, not her home. It didn't feel like that since the moment her mother died. It felt like a prison, yet one she remained in of her own free will. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore everything. To remain oblivious as she always did. That way the pain wouldn't overwhelm her. She knew it would just go away. Deep inside, she also knew she was lying to herself.
The tugs smiled as the girl simply shut her eyes in fear and continued to cry softly, never letting out a scream for help. This made it all easier. He started to cut the blouse with his knife, enjoying the shivers released by his prey each time the knife touched her skin. It amazed him that he had even cut her chest by accident and she didn't cry out. It was a small cut, but either way must hurt. He finished with the blouse and opened it for all to see. They all gave out whistles at the incredible sight. Under those clothes this little girl was quite pleasant to look at. The guy prepared to cut the bra as well and reveal the girls breasts when he felt someone get a hold of his hand. He turned around to see a pair of blazing blue-green eyes. After that his vision blurred because of the pain.
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He opened his eyes slowly, like so many times before. It felt as if he was like a passenger, like if he was seeing someone else's life though his eyes. He could only listen and see, though it was all blurred. But this time something was different. This time what he saw made him react instead of just see. He could feel his body for the first time in what felt like ages. He could feel the burning, the pain. He remembered why his own mind had shut his senses out. His senses delivered nothing but suffering to his body. *Damn that...* He couldn't finish the thought as a powerful headache cut it.
No one in the alley noticed the pigtailed man get to his knees and clutch his head as if it was about to explode.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A brown haired woman with blue-gray eyes. He felt secure and loved.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A man with a white bandana and glasses. He felt loved and treasured.
FLASH
He saw a face. A laughing face. A young boy with brown long hair. He felt friendship.
FLASH
He saw many faces. Ferocious faces. Many glowing eyes; teeth and claws tear at him. He felt fear and hopelessness.
FLASH
He saw a face. A frowning face. A man with a white bandana and glasses. He felt disapproval and betrayal.
FLASH
He saw a face. A laughing face. A man with glasses and long black hair. He felt suffering like never before.
FLASH
He saw darkness. Mocking darkness. Nothing to stop the pain. He felt abandoned.
FLASH
He saw a face. A concerned face. A blonde man with spiky hair. He felt relief.
FLASH
He saw a face. A concerned face. A woman with long brown hair. He felt relief.
FLASH
He saw faces. Smiling faces. A blonde man with spiky hair and a woman with long brown hair. He felt loved and accepted.
FLASH
He saw a face. A laughing face. A young girl with long brown hair. He felt happy.
FLASH
He saw a light. A blinding light. A light so bright his eyes could barely take it. He felt his body explode in pain once again.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A man with a white bandana and glasses. He felt welcome.
FLASH
He saw a face. A frowning face. A man with a white bandana and glasses. He felt rejected.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A young woman with brown hair. He felt accepted.
FLASH
He saw a face. A frowning face. A young woman with brown hair. He felt acceptance turn into rejection.
FLASH
He saw a face. A scowling face. A teenage girl with black hair. He felt hated.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A young woman with long brown hair. He felt peace.
FLASH
He saw a face. A frowning face. A man with long black hair and a moustache. He felt rejected.
FLASH
He saw a face. A concerned face. A young woman with brown hair. He felt care.
FLASH
He saw a face. A serious face. A man with glasses and long brown hair. He felt care.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A young woman with long brown hair. He felt her beauty of spirit.
FLASH
He saw a face. A smiling face. A young woman with long brown hair. He felt happy.
FLASH
He saw a face. A crying face. A young woman with long brown hair. He felt anger.
FLASH
He saw a face. A crying face. A young woman with long brown hair, her blood drawn. He felt pain.
FLASH
FLASH
FLASH
FLASH
FLASH
FLASH
Ranma opened his eyes, really opened them, for the first time in months. He opened them to see himself in an alley, on his knees. He opened his eyes to see the young woman that has been so nice to him since she met him in the brink of being raped by a bunch of bastards. *TO HELL WITH THE PAIN!!!*
Ranma jumped to his feet and in an instant was by the side of the idiot that held the knife. He held the hand with his own and stared deep into the startled eyes of the attacker. Wordlessly he crushed the fingers around the knife. Even before the guy could scream he delivered a punch to his face. The blow was strong enough to break his jaw in little pieces and send the tug ten feet away. He obviously didn't get up.
"Get him!" Came the cry from someone. Ranma didn't care who it was. He took the arms of the guys holding Kasumi and just as easily as before crushed the bones by closing his hands. Twin screams of pain were heard in the alley.
As the pigtailed man attacked the two holding down the girl, one of the tugs delivered a hard blow with a pipe to the back of his head. Their eyes widened when he shrugged the blow off and turned on them with an angry glare, his body between them and the sobbing girl that was now on her knees covering herself. The decision was an easy one for them. They could see their leader down for the count, two others with their arms broken, and the cries would obviously bring the attention of the cops. They made a run for it.
Ranma watched attentively the direction the guys took. He had more important things to take care of right now, but they wouldn't get away with what they had done. Turning around to see Kasumi crying in a fetal position made his blood boil. Her hair and face were a mess, her blouse now had a huge red stain from a cut that, though not dangerous, needed attention. And emotionally she had received quite a strong blow. The pigtailed man gathered her in his arms and muttered a word, his voice hoarse by the lack of use. A faint green glow could be seen around them.
Without wasting any more time Ranma left the alley with a sleeping Kasumi in his arms.
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Nabiki was reading a magazine and nibbling on a cookie when she heard the front door. Assuming it was Kasumi and Ranma as they returned from grocery shopping she called out. "Kasumi. Saotome-san, Akane and daddy went out about an hour ago. They said they would be back for dinner." She frowned when there was no response. So she was ill prepared to see Ranma carrying an unconscious Kasumi upstairs. It took her a full five seconds to react and rush upstairs. "What happened?" She demanded as she entered Kasumi's room. She entered just as Ranma was gently placing Kasumi down on her bed. She rushed to her sister's side, and nearly lost it when she saw the blood on her ripped blouse. She rushed forward and opened the blouse looking for the injury, which was a small cut in the valley between her breasts. "What happened?" She asked once again looking up. Ranma was there, seriously looking at the wound.
He studied the cut carefully and noticed it would probably need a couple of stitches. *I can't have that.* He thought moving his hand forward and placing it over the wound. He murmured something as a soft green glow emanated from him.
Nabiki was about to take his hand away and call him a pervert just as Akane always did when he started to glow. She had been angry at being ignored, but knew Ranma probably was out of it as usual. When he placed his hand on her sister's chest and started glowing she was taken completely by surprise. A few seconds later Ranma removed his hand and, to her complete disbelief, the wound was gone without a trace. She turned back to Ranma once again, but really studied him this time. The first thing she noticed was that his blue-green eyes had a focus. It was such a change that she couldn't help but notice instantly. His gaze never once wavered from Kasumi's sleeping form.
She gulped and tried once again. "Ranma-kun?" She asked tentatively.
"Yes, Tendo-san?" Came the answer from the young man, his eyes still locked on the eldest Tendo sister.
"Just Nabiki, Ranma-kun." She said without knowing why.
"Very well, Nabiki-san."
Sighing but knowing she had taken a step in the right direction she asked very slowly. "What happened to my sister?" She was a little unnerved to see him clench his right fist tightly. She didn't know why, but she knew he held great strength.
Ranma reigned over his anger and answered in a calm tone of voice. "We were on our way back from grocery shopping..." And so he told her what he remembered of the event, leaving out his flashes of memory. Instead he simply said. "I couldn't take what they were doing to Kasumi-san and snapped. The next thing I did was bring her here."
"Snapped?" She asked, but Ranma remained silent.
Neither of them knew for how long the silence remained. Each caught in his or her own thoughts. They were taken out of them as Kasumi started to give signs of regaining consciousness. Her breathing sped up and her face began to twitch. She opened her eyes and focused on the people looking at her. Most importantly on Ranma. "Ranma-kun?" She asked as she sat up.
Ranma smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes, Kasumi-san." His tone of voice was soft and soothing.
Nabiki placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You OK, Kasumi?"
Kasumi's expression twitched a little, but the mask she had been wearing for years remained. She turned to her sister and smiled. "Why yes, Nabiki." She said with a cheerfulness she wasn't feeling.
Nabiki sighed inwardly, wondering if she should be happy or worried for her older sister.
They were both taken away from the moment when Ranma stood up and took a couple of steps towards the door. "Ranma-kun?" Kasumi's voice was shaky. Ranma stopped and turned over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"
Ranma's eyes flashed with anger. "To kill the bastards that attacked you." His voice was incredibly cold. It sent shivers even through Nabiki's veins.
Kasumi looked down to her hands, then up to meet his eyes. "Please don't do that, Ranma-kun."
"What?" Nabiki asked incredulously. "Kasumi, after what they did..." She shook in anger. "Maybe they don't deserve to die, but they sure are going to pay." She knew quite well from Ranma's description who did it. The tattoo he described was the symbol of the Black Dragons, a band that arrived in Nerima a few weeks ago. She would make sure they paid.
Ranma's gaze softened considerably. "Kasumi-san?"
Kasumi almost pleaded him. "Please let it go, Ranma-kun. Please stay here."
He was angry beyond reason. He wanted to exact his revenge on those bastards so bad. But looking at the face of the eldest Tendo sister, at the tear marks on her face, her puffy red eyes. At the feeling of fear and insecurity in her eyes if not in her features. He wanted his revenge, but he also wanted to see her smile. He wanted to see her smile more than anything in the world. Nodding he turned around and walked to her side. He sat next to her hesitantly.
Nabiki would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. Ranma seemed about ready to kill someone, yet as soon as he was near Kasumi he was so nervous she could see him shaking slightly.
Kasumi suddenly seemed to make a realization and took her hand to her face. "Oh my!" The other two looked at her in concern. "I guess I can't make dinner tonight. We dropped all the groceries."
Nabiki let out a chuckle and shook her head. *Same old Kasumi.* "Don't worry about it. I'll go downstairs and order takeout. You should probably rest, anyway." And in so saying she left the room intent on ordering before Akane returned. She didn't feel like dying of food poisoning today.
Left alone with Ranma in her room, Kasumi looked down at her hands. "Ranma-kun?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes?"
"I didn't really want to stop you from killing those men." She said a little guiltily. He lifted an eyebrow at that, and his eyes widened a little when he saw a tear drop on her hands. When she raised her face once again, he could see her expression once again was the one of despair and fear from the alley. "I...I..." And that was it. She broke down in tears. She latched onto him as if he was a lifesaver. The truth was she didn't want to be alone.
Ranma was taken aback by the sudden contact. He felt as Kasumi hugged onto him for dear life, silent tears flowing from her eyes. He reacted an instant later, hugging her back and whispering soothing words in her ear. He didn't know what really happened. His awareness for the past months didn't help him comprehend the situation, but he knew that this trauma she was facing went beyond today's attack. That was only the catalyst.
Feeling her shaking in his arms, so vulnerable and in pain, he felt his heart brake in a million pieces. His own emotions coming forth to haunt him he almost reverted back to being unaware. The only thing that stopped him was the young woman in his arms. A woman he really cared and would do anything for.
So they remained like that. Kasumi crying her eyes out and Ranma doing his best to give comfort. Both having what they had needed for a long time. Too long.
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Nabiki returned upstairs and stopped on the doorway to her sister's room. She felt jealous of the pigtailed man. It seemed like Kasumi had finally found someone to unburden herself with, and it was not a family member. It wasn't her. At the same time she felt jealous she felt grateful as well. She had known for years that Kasumi bottled everything in. She felt grateful to Ranma because he was giving Kasumi what she most needed. Someone she could rely upon.
Nabiki smirked and took out her camera. She only took one shot of the scene and closed the door, leaving her sister and the stranger alone.
Kasumi's tears flowed freely that night.
Tears of anger and fear.
Tears of loneliness.
Tears of helplessness.
But also, tears of joy and relief.
END PART 1
Author's notes: To all those that are going to say I should work on my other fics, you're right. But this project has been on my mind for quite a while now and I wanted to give you something to read before resuming work on the other fics. I guess DPNR will be divided in two different story lines, being Ranma's life in the KoF world and his new life in Nerima. TNO is getting close to the final encounter, and TWTR will be finished in the next chapter. As for LAB it is still in the early stages and I'll try to find the time to write on it.
Well, how was this for a first chapter?
I'll be seeing you around.
