Ranma 1/2, Gargoyles
Ranma, the Time of Changes
By Brendan O'Donnell
Chapter One
"Akane Tendo I love..." Kuno shouted a second before Akane utilized her patented human catapult kick to knock him out of the city, trailing the petals of his bouquet of roses.
"Jerk," She said as she and Ranma walked out the gates to the school. They turned and begin to walk down the street together. Then, Akane turned right and started down to meet her two friends.
Ranma looked after her a few moments, then sighed and continued on alone. He knew that Akane and her friends were going to see a new romantic movie, and it really wasn't the sort of thing he wanted to watch. However a few images of himself and Akane siting together in a movie theater drifted through his mind. He shook his head to clear it, and started back to the dojo at his usual pace.
Ranma had just left the canal behind him when he heard the incredibly familiar cry, "Ranma Prepare to Die!"
Casually twisting his body to avoid Ryouga's flying kick, Ranma responded with his own greeting, "Yo Ryouga! What's up?"
"Ranma, today I will finally rid the world of you once and for all!"
"Aw come on, what have I done lately?" Ranma replied. Ryouga seldom took the time to talk, but there was always a chance.
"Shut up and fight!" Ryouga responded. A very slim chance.
Ranma continued dodging Ryouga's flurry of attacks. "Come on, I haven't seen you in almost two weeks, and nothing unusual happened then." Ranma continued.
He knew Ryouga wouldn't stop his attacks, but his apparent lack of concern always infuriated Ryouga. Ranma knew that a major aspect of his ability to almost always outfight Ryouga came from the fact that it only took a few words to infuriate him to a level where he started fighting like a total idiot. Ranma knew that Ryouga had almost reached that threshold. He dodged another kick, and lashed out with one of his own which knocked Ryouga back about seven feet.
"Why you!" Ryouga started glowing as he focused his depression at loosing to Ranma so often, augmenting the power with his memory of how Akane had whispered Ranma's name in her sleep the last time he had sneaked into her bed as P-chan.
Ranma saw the building power, he was familiar with this and knew that he could dodge the blast. Then he heard something behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a woman with a baby in her arms walking into the intersection a few feet behind him. "RYOUGA STOP!!" he screamed, but he realized that it wouldn't work.
"SHISHI-"
Ranma set his feet and gathered as much confidence as fast as he could. He knew it wouldn't be enough.
"HOKODAN!!!" Ryouga completed his attack and released his depression and anguish into the air. The energy surged straight at Ranma. Rather than avoiding the blast, Ranma set his stance and raised both hands in front of him, releasing all the energy he had gathered just as Ryouga's attack hit him and exploded in a burst of light.
As the light dissipated it revealed Ranma standing in the street at the end of two long furrows gouged in the pavement by his feet as he had been pushed back by Ryouga's blast. His clothes were torn and scorched, there were dozens of severe bruises on the parts of his body that were visible, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Glancing over his shoulder, Ranma looked at the woman who was siting on the ground holding her baby away from the fight. "Get out of here!" he called back through clenched teeth as he turned his attention back to the charging form of Ryouga Hibiki. Ryouga was running straight at him, his umbrella swinging in a wide arc. Once again all of Ranma's instincts yelled DODGE.
Ranma visualized what would happen to the woman and her child if he did so, and overrode his instincts. Jumping forward, he lashed out with a strong offensive block at the arm holding Ryouga's umbrella, managing to knock the weapon out of Ryouga's hands. It arced to the side and rolled to a halt.
Ryouga was surprised at this tactic from Ranma but he felt only delight at his opponent's decision to take him on in a contest of strength. He lashed out with a low kick and connected with Ranma's right leg. He heard a crack.
Ranma felt the pain in his leg and knew that he had broken a bone. Distancing himself from the pain through long practice, he used his other leg to hop to the side, simultaneously gaining distance from Ryouga while moving the woman out of the line of attack. He noticed she had gone but couldn't focus any more attention. Keeping all his weight on his least damaged leg, Ranma raised his hands in readiness for Ryouga's attack.
Ryouga was ecstatic. He was winning. He'd just managed to rob Ranma of the use of one of his legs, and while Ranma was good enough to fight on like this his speed would be seriously reduced. Both fighters knew that Ranma's greatest advantage was his speed. He glanced at his umbrella lying on the ground. He didn't need any weapons to finish this fight now. He jumped forward, lashing out with a light kick.
He had waited a long time for his victory and he wanted to make this moment last.
A short distance down the street, the woman stopped running and looked back. She could see the two warriors fighting and knew that the pigtailed boy was in serious trouble.
"Fox!" Called a brown haired man running up to meet her.
She looked into his strong face, and handed him the baby. "David, hold onto Alex." She turned back to the battling pair and narrowed her eyes. "I have something to take care of." She brushed back her long red hair and started toward the warriors at a run.
David looked after her a moment, then turned to the blond, bespectacled man beside him and held out the baby with the word "Owen," the blond man looked at his companion and extended his arms to take the infant. His left arm was stone from just beyond the elbow to the eternally clenched fist.
Ranma stood on one foot readying himself for Ryouga's next attack. His right arm lay limp at his side. When Ryouga had charged him, he had focused as much of his strength as he could into an attack directing several hundred hits to Ryouga's solar plexus.
Ryouga had staggered back, but managed to grab Ranma's arm as it withdrew from its delivery of the last punch. A hard yank had dislocated his shoulder and, though he had the knowledge to slip it back into place, he couldn't spare the time or effort.
Ryouga was circling to the right, trying to keep Ranma's injuries close. Suddenly he charged in. Ranma jumped back and to the side; Ryouga instantly compensated. Ranma felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him; he focused his will to suppress it as he was suppressing his pain and exhaustion.
As Ryouga's knee slammed into his ribcage, Ranma focused his remaining strength as best he could. Lashing out simultaneously, he struck Ryouga with a ridgehand to the temple while kneeing him in the hip.
Ryouga was thrown back, and Ranma just managed to land on his left leg; for a second. Then he collapsed into a heap. Ranma felt the darkness of unconsciousness sweeping across his mind; he fought it but his body refused to listen to his mind.
Ryouga smiled as he looked down at his helpless opponent. *He put up a real fight to the end, but he's lost and I'VE WON!!* He picked up his umbrella and looked at Ranma. *Ranma. First bread, then Jusenkyo, then Akane. You've destroyed my life and now it's payback time!*
He started toward Ranma *Wait a minute, Ranma's helpless now, I can't take advantage of that.* *Hey, isn't that what was I doing by keeping up the attack after I broke his leg?* *Well, do I really want to kill him?* *Honor demands I do doesn't it...* Ryouga's train of thought ended as he leaped to one side to dodge the danger he felt behind him.
Jumping back away from the canal, he looked at his attacker, then froze as he realized that his new opponent was a breathtakingly beautiful woman. The odd tattoo around her left eye, resembling a geometric animal head, seemed oddly familiar. Ryouga was too wrapped up in trying to decide what to do about her that he didn't do anything about her next attack.
She jumped forward and grabbed him by his shirt. Falling backward, she simultaneously kicked up, throwing him back. Ryouga screamed as he realized that his flight path was dropping him into the canal.
David ran to the edge of the canal and looked over into the water. "Where'd he go?"
"He's not there?" Fox responded as she ran to his side.
"He must have either sank or swam off. The only thing I can see moving is that little pig." David replied, stroking his beard in contemplation. The pair turned back to Ranma.
Fox walked back to Ranma and knelt down, giving his injuries a very experienced once over. "He should live, but he really needs a doctor."
"If I may, there is a doctor's office three blocks in that direction," Owen said as he walked up; Alex cradled gently in his arms.
"You get him, Fox and I will keep an eye on this young man," David responded, reaching into his pocket for his cellular phone. "And I'll call for an ambulance right now."
"Of course Mr. Xanatos." Owen responded as he handed Alex back to Fox and turned to jog down the street to the clinic of Dr. Ono Tofu.
*Ah, that was a great movie,* Akane thought to herself as she walked back to the dojo. *It's been a while since I've been to a movie like that...* she frowned recalling her last time watching a romantic movie. *Of course Ranma had to...* She tensed up in anger, then sighed and relaxed, *but it turned out to be that weird mushroom Shampoo gave him.*
Akane continued walking and began envisioning herself sitting in a movie theater watching a romantic movie. Ranma was siting next to her with one arm across her shoulder. She leaned against him. She looked in his face and he looked back and said 'Man this is boring!'
Akane blinked for a moment, then sighed. *He probably would say something like that too.* She looked up at the wispy clouds in the sky and thought. *He can be so nice sometimes, why does he have to act like a jerk and mess it up!*
Akane thought of the times she had hit him for doing something that he would have considered nice. *Am I any better than he is?* She thought to herself.
Opening the door to the Tendo home, Akane entered with a call of "I'm home!" As she took off her shoes and put on a pair of house slippers she noticed three sets of unfamiliar shoes: two men's and a woman's. Fairly expensive looking shoes. *Hmm, I guess we have visitors.*
"We can't impose on you like that." Came a man's voice from the living room.
"Please, I insist." Kasumi's voice responded.
As Akane entered a woman replied "Ok, but we insist on treating all of you to a night out once Ranma's back on his feet."
Akane entered the room. Her father was siting at the end of the table crying like he always did after getting any form of bad news. Genma was sitting next to him looking worried.
Kasumi knelt at the table, pouring a cup of tea for a dark haired man. A woman with long red hair holding a small, blond infant was sitting beside him, a cup of tea steaming before her. Nabiki was sitting at the opposite end of the table talking with a very serious looking blonde man with wire rim glasses.
"What's that about Ranma?" Akane asked with a somewhat worried voice.
Nabiki looked up from her discussion with Owen and said "Don't worry, it's nothing serious, at least not for Ranma."
"Well I wouldn't exactly say that." Said Fox from where she sat beside Kasumi. "He's got a broken leg, a dislocated arm, four cracked ribs, and a whole lot of lesser injuries."
"Oh no! What happened?" Akane responded with a worried expression on her face.
Fox responded "Well I haven't gotten Ranma's side of it yet, but I was walking down the street with Alex here," She paused to smile down at the baby sleeping in her arms.
Looking up at Akane she continued "Down the street I saw Ranma and some other kid fighting. The other guy was glowing, then this aura formed around Ranma. The other kid released this weird energy blast at Ranma. It was aimed at Ranma, but it would have hit me and Alex if Ranma hadn't stood there and blocked it with this with that energy thing he was doing." She sighed.
Fox continued "I heard Ranma tell me to get away, and then I saw him block a wild swing of one of those combat umbrellas his opponent was using. I ran back to where David was, and after I gave Alex to him, I ran back to help.
When I got there Ranma had just collapsed and the other guy was walking toward him with his umbrella. He dodged my first attack, but when he saw me, he froze long enough for me to throw him into the canal. That's when he disappeared. David called for an ambulance while Owen went to get a local doctor he had spotted. Dr. Tofu looked after Ranma till the ambulance got there, and he told us who he was and where he lived. I take it he's your his fiancée?"
Akane was too shocked by what had happened to Ranma to voice any of her usual protests. She simply nodded. Then she remembered Fox speaking of the attacker using an umbrella. "Uh, what did this person who attacked him look like?"
"He was about Ranma's height. Black hair tied with a yellow and black bandanna, a yellow shirt and black pants, and he had on a backpack."
"It can't be." She said quietly.
"You know that nut?"
"It sounds like Ryouga but it can't be. I mean, he and Ranma fight all the time but it's never like that."
"Yeah, Ranma always wins." Nabiki called from where he was sitting.
Kasumi came to her feet and walked to the kitchen. Pausing at the door she said, "Akane, will you set the table for me, The Xanatos's and Mr. Burnet will be joining us."
"Uh, right." Akane said, standing.
She looked at the three unfamiliar faces, and the woman with red hair said "Oh, sorry, I'm Fox Xanatos. This is my husband David," She indicated the dark haired well tanned man siting next to her, "and that's Owen." The blonde man looked up from his conversation with Nabiki, gave Akane a slight smile, and turned back to her sister.
Akane was preparing for bed. She had changed into her pajamas when she heard a slight scratching at the door. With a smile she opened the door to let in the small black pig. "P-chan! it's so good to see you." She sighed when she picked up and hugged the pig. "I think I need to talk about something and I know you'll listen well and keep it a secret," she said with a smile.
Ryouga was ecstatic. Although the red-haired woman's intervention had kept him from completing his ultimate victory over Ranma, his eternal rival lying broken at his feet was a memory he would treasure forever.
And now, here he was in the body Ranma had cursed him to wear, about to share an intimate confidence of the woman he loved. He knew that he'd keep whatever secret she shared with him. *Maybe she's realized that I'm more worthy of her love than Ranma!* Ryouga thought to himself, shifting his already brimming with joy mind to an even happier state.
"P-chan, Ranma's in the hospital." P-chan looked at her wondering how she would react to the news. "And there were some people who said they saw how Ryouga put him there... How could Ryouga have done something like that." Ryouga's joy began to drain from his heart.
"You know, I've never thought about Ryouga attacking Ranma. I mean Ranma's usually does so much better, and I know Ryouga's a nice guy who wouldn't do anything lasting to him if he did get the upper hand. I thought I knew."
*No! I am a nice guy! I've been trying to save you from a loveless engagement to Ranma!* Ryouga thought, wishing he could speak.
"Well, I don't think it's his fault." Akane said.
*Right! Right! It's Ranma's fault! He's the one who's caused me all the misery in my life!*
"It's this stupid vendetta of his and Ranma's. I'm going to find out exactly what these two are always fighting about, and I am going to see that it gets resolved once and for all!"
*OH NO! I can't lie to her, but how can I tell her about my feelings, or that I'm really P-chan! Stay calm. Ranma hasn't told her about my curse, so he probably isn't going too. I just have to tell her I love her. But, what if she doesn't love me back?! My heart will shatter into a million pieces!! But she's always nice to me and she's always angry at Ranma. But...*
Ryouga's now despair filled thoughts were disrupted by a knock at the door. "Akane?" Came Kasumi's quiet voice from the other side.
"Come in, sis." Akane replied, putting P-chan down.
Kasumi entered, pausing only to close the door. She sat on Akane's bed next to her little sister. "Akane, do you need to talk to someone? At dinner you looked very upset."
"Well, yeah." Akane said, then lapsed into silence
"Ranma being in the hospital is a real shock, isn't it?" Kasumi commented.
"You know, there've been times I've really wanted someone to defeat Ranma so soundly it took him weeks to recover," Akane said. Then, she added, "but, knowing that it's happened, it feels so wrong. Of course that's partially because of why he lost."
"And who he lost to?"
"Kasumi how could Ryouga do something so... dishonorable. I thought he was a good person with a strong sense of honor. But he beat Ranma by endangering a woman and her child!"
*What!!* Thought Ryouga as he listened to the conversation. *When did that happen! I just fought Ranma and he made a few mistakes that I capitalized on. And if that woman hadn't interfered for no reason... Why did she interfere, and where did she come from... Those mistakes Ranma made, they could have been to protect someone behind him...*
"Ryouga's the only one who knows why he did that. Of course he has always been very focused, he might have simply not noticed anyone there."
*That's right! I didn't see anyone was there!* Ryouga thought.
"That's just an excuse! If the fight is so bad you can hurt innocent bystanders, you have to put a stop to it!" Akane retorted. "I'm going to find out why those two are always fighting and put an end to it!"
"That sounds very nice." Kasumi responded. "But tell me, how do you feel about Ryouga."
"Kasumi!"
"Well you did seem so upset talking about him. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."
"Kasumi, there's nothing to keep a secret. Ryouga's a friend. Do you know how few Martial artists there are in town who don't have some sort of romantic interest in either me or Ranma? Ryouga and Mousse are pretty much it, and Mousse is always hanging around Shampoo. It's nice to be able to talk to a martial artist who's not trying to snare Ranma or me. And he's really lonely. He needs a friend, and I'm happy to be that friend."
*She doesn't love me.* Ryouga thought as he let his pig body slump.
"And he's a really nice guy. Despite their rivalry he's helped Ranma look for the cure to Jusenkyo all those times, even though he doesn't need it himself."
The pig winced.
Akane walked to school, listening to the silence. Actually, it wasn't that quiet, but compared to her near daily walks with Ranma is was like a graveyard.
*I hope Ranma's OK. What am I thinking, this is Ranma. Injury never slows him down for long. Of course he never gets seriously beaten either...* She thought to herself. Then, she heard an incoming bicycle and turned to see Shampoo riding along the fence right toward her. The purple haired amazon made her bike jump off the fence landing three inches away from her.
"Where Ranma?" Shampoo demanded glaring at Akane.
"He's in the hospital," Said Akane, in an annoyed tone.
"Ayah! Tomboy put husband in hospital with poison food!" She pulled out her bonbori (Don't ask me where from), and dropped into a fighting stance.
"What's that about Ran-chan?" Came a voice from behind Akane. Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, she would have recognized Ukyou's pet name for Ranma.
"Hi Ukyou. Ranma had a little trouble in a fight yesterday and he's in the hospital."
"Tomboy lie! Husband not loose fight!"
"Look! Apparently Ryouga let himself get so caught up in this vendetta of his that he didn't notice a woman who managed to walk onto the battlefield. And Ranma managed to get his leg broken keeping Ryouga from accidentally hurting her!"
"Ayah! Shampoo go see husband, show him Shampoo love him best!" Shampoo shouted as she took off on her Bicycle.
"Oh no you don't!" Yelled Ukyou as she leaped after her, pulling her throwing spatulas from the bandoleer across her chest as she went.
Akane glared at them, then smiled to herself as she started toward school. "Visiting hours start at four. I'll see you then."
David Xanatos was standing on the hospital's roof, talking to Owen who was standing about half a foot behind him. "We've already sent all the empirical data and medical records by e-mail, make sure Sevarius gets the tissue samples a.s.a.p."
"Is it wise to trust Sevarius like this?" Owen responded.
"Owen, Ranma was injured yesterday, and this morning the doctors say that most of his injuries have already healed with no signs of scaring, and his bones are healing about seven times faster than normal. If Gen-U-Tech could reproduce that kind of thing on a regular basis, the potential profits would be staggering. Don't worry, Sevarius knows I wouldn't support investigating anything but that. Besides, the boy's getting a pretty good fee isn't he?"
"It is indeed generous. But what if Sevarius finds the tissue samples insufficient?"
David Xanatos thought for a moment. Several plans for kidnapping Ranma for study went across his mind, and he pushed them back. *A few months ago I'd have already snuck him off to Sevarius's lab. Why does that seem so wrong now?*
Instantly he thought of Alex, then of how he had come so close to loosing him forever to Oberon. *If I treated Ranma's life so casually...* He turned to Owen and replied "I'm not going to support any kind of black bag work, if that's what your asking. Hopefully, Ranma will cooperate. It is going to be a real struggle for him to keep the dojo in the black."
"True, plus his future sister in law would probably be very persuasive for the right fee."
"You mean Nabiki, of course?" Commented Xanatos. Thinking about the three sisters he smiled slightly remembering how Kasumi had quietly fawned over Alex during and after dinner last night. Actually, all three sisters had seemed taken with his son, Xanatos recalled with a sense of pride.
"Of course, sir."
"Well, I that's about what I figured. That reminds me, what do you think of her?"
"Nabiki Tendo is very interested in money. She's demonstrated a certain ruthlessness in obtaining it, being willing to use and manipulate family and friends with little hesitation.
However, she has never done anything that will seriously harm them, and has even taken a loss to protect them from such an occurrence. I think that we should give her a full scholarship and a series of internships on the condition of her working for Xanatos Corp. after graduating. She's definitely worth the investment."
"I'll trust your judgment. Ok, visiting hours are about to begin. I think I can wait long enough to see if some of the other things Miss Tendo mentioned are true as well." David added with a grin.
*I hope the doctors don't object to me bringing Ranchan a little something to eat.* Ukyou thought as she considered the basket of okonomiyaki she was holding, as she made her way to the hospital where Ranma was.
*I hope husband hungry.* Shampoo thought as she considered the container of ramen she was carrying, as she rode her bike to the hospital.
"Oh, my Ranma-Sama!" Kodachi said as she jumped across the rooftops to the hospital. "Soon I shall be at your side again," she added as she adjusted her grip on the bag of cookies she had baked.
*Hmm, maybe I should have baked him something.* Akane thought to herself as she walked to the hospital looking at the tin of cookies Kasumi had asked her to bring to Ranma. *Of course that jerk wouldn't have eaten it anyway!* She thought angrily. Her thoughts then recalled how the food she had prepared in the past tasted when she tried it; she sighed as her anger turned to sadness.
Then it turned into determination, *OK! Tonight I'm going bake cookies until I've made something that Ranma will eat and enjoy!* On this note, she picked up the pace of her stride a little more.
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