Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Bound to Stay ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

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“Blah, blah, blah” - indicates Japanese speech unless specified differently.

# Nerima, Tokyo, Earth # - indicates locations

/Hmmm…/ - indicates thoughts

Author's Note: Huge thanks to Ranger5 for pre-reading this story and correcting my mistakes and of course, may every reviewer be thrice blessed and made a saint! Thank you for support!

:D

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Bound to Stay by Kalissa

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Some Japanese words that I used in this chapter

Hentai - `Pervert'

Baka yarou - `Foolish bastard'

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Chapter 7

# Tendo Dojo, the following morning #

As the two families settled down for breakfast, one person was conspicuous by his absence, the lecherous Grandmaster Happosai. This unexplained event caused different reactions from the gathered. They all heard screams coming from the dojo last night but only Nabiki knew that Happosai came very close to dieing during his encounter with Ranma, close that is if he was lucky. She didn't want to think of the alternate possibility though, no matter how much she despised the old hentai she didn't wish a death on him. On the other hand, Ranma made his intentions painfully clear to her yesterday and Nabiki didn't doubt for a second that the tortures the black haired man had in store for the old cockroach were far worse then death, no matter how brutal that death might be. Given her distaste for the old Grandmaster she was left with somewhat mixed feelings.

Kasumi had her cheerful smile on as usual but inside she was a bit scared and strangely enough exited. The thought of Ranma being powerful enough to make Happosai beg fueled some of pseudo-housewife's more `naughty' fantasies. Strangely enough Kasumi found herself getting aroused by the mere memory of the forcefulness he showed yesterday as well as the control he had of the situation at hand.

Nodoka was in a la-la land, thoughts of how manly her son was were the only things that mattered tothe honor-obsessed woman. She could already imagine dozens of grateful women draped all over her oh-so-manly son, offering to show him their gratitude for ridding them of the panty thief and as a consequence giving her swarms of grandchildren to raise and spoil.

The Tendo and Saotome patriarchs were hard pressed to restrain themselves from dancing in joy and screaming in glee. They had long dreamed of this moment, and their dreams seemed to be coming true at last. Their master's shrieks of pain and desperate pleas for mercy created memories they would long cherish, probably for the rest of their lives, however long those might last.

Akane was grumbling about not getting enough sleep last night and as usual blamed Ranma for this. The stray thought that she wanted old freak beaten to a bloody pulp and that she should probably thank Ranma for finally doing so was swatted aside in favor of finding a reason to use her mallet-sama on the `baka' sitting next to her.

Ranma acted as if he didn't have a care in the world. He was in a wonderful mood practically beaming and radiated a sense of satisfaction. The devilish smile he had on his lips and a maniacal glint in his eyes went unnoticed by all except two older sisters who were rather disturbed (and excited) by the sight.

Finally, Kasumi worked up enough courage to ask the question that was on everyone's mind whetherthey acknowledged it or not. With a cheerful smile and a bit of curiosity in her voice she asked

“Won't Happosai-san be coming down to eat?”

Ranma turned to look at the girl while his smile widened even more

“I'm afraid Happi won't be showing up any time soon.” His voice was anything but regretful “After our little `chat' last night he decided to take a…vacation to think things through.”

“Oh my, and he didn't even stay long enough to say good bye.” Kasumi couldn't help but think of how similar this situation was to what happened a week ago. She wasn't stupid enough to think it was a coincidence, Ranma's behavior told her as much.

Nabiki felt almost sorry for the old freak, the key word being `almost'. Something pushed her to press the matter though, cursing her curiosity with the impassive demander that the Ice Queen was famous for, slyly she addressed Ranma.

“So he just up and left in the middle of a night?”

“It just so happens that during my `training trip' I heard of a wonderful health resort and when I told Happi about it yesterday he got `very enthusiastic' about visiting it.”

By now, even the most clueless person present had noticed the conversation and was intently following the exchange. Everyone knew the reason behind Happosai's `enthusiasm', his terror filled screams still fresh in their memory.

“What's the catch?” Nabiki knew there had to be something wrong with that resort if Ranma sent Happosai there.

“Now why does there need to be a catch?” Ranma adopted an innocent expression completewith a pout and large inquiring eyes. “Can't an old man enjoy some time relaxing in the hot springs?” /filled with boiling lava while being subjected to his worst nightmares and inhuman tortures…Oh yes lets not forget that he will be there for the rest of his miserable life./

Nobody questioned his answer, it was a common knowledge that Ranma couldn't lie even if his life depended on it. A fact that while HAD been true at some stage was not any longer and one that if told to his other-dimentional friends would drive them into hysterical fits, they would be laughing so hard.

Nabiki just rolled her eyes at the look on Ranma's face and decided that she'll get the details about this `resort' out of Ranma later. She gracefully rose from the table picking up her schoolbag as she headed towards the door only to be stooped by Akane's voice.

“Where are you going?” confusion was written all over her face.

“To school of course.” Was Nabiki's stoic reply “I for once don't want to be late.”

“LATE?” the younger Tendo shrieked in surprise. She looked at the clock and franticly stood up, they could still make it. The girl turned to Ranma and screamed “HURRY UP YOU BAKA! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE BECAUSE OF YOU!” Akane reached out to take him by the collar and drag him off as happened countless times in the past. That was a very very big mistake.

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Ranma was having a wonderful day. Yesterday night he got back at Happosai and had loads of `fun' doing so, his long held fantasies of beating the old scum to a bloody pulp never came even close to the reality, that by itself was enough for his mood to improve drastically compared to the previous day. His little `question & answer' game with two Tendo sisters was really something he enjoyed too. Too bad his good mood didn't last too long though.

Ranma's sensitive ears were assaulted by the younger Tendo's deafening scream. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it wasn't a very pleasant experience. The fact that the loudmouthed bitch was standing right next to him only made things that much worse. In human form Ranma's senses were dull compared to his “real” one but they still were much better than that of a human. When the spoiled brat tried to grab him by the collar Ranma decided that enough was enough.

Before anyone could even blink Ranma had her wrist in iron grip one that will surely result in some colorful bruises later on. Ranma snarled the only reason the girl was still alive was because dealing with murder charges would result in a headache, he didn't have proper connections to shrug it of…yet. But that reasoning wouldn't be in effect for long if Akane continued to annoy him.

“First of all, if you ever scream like that near me again I'll rip your voicebox out.” said the pony tailed man with a deadly voice that sent shivers down everybody's backs. “Secondly, if you want to do something, do it but DO NOT assume that I will follow you like a love sick puppy. And lastly, grab me like that again and I will make sure to break every fucking bone in your hand. Am I clear?”

Akane was shaking in fear by the end of that speech while everybody else was too shocked to do more than sputter incoherently let alone say anything. Ranma was waiting for her answer but seeing she wasn't forthcoming with one any time soon he tightened his hold on girl's arm.

“Am I clear?” this timehis voice gained an agitated tone to it.

The pain brought Akane back to her senses and she vigorously nodded her had while muttering a weak “Yes” wishing for nothing more than for him to let her go. Tears gathered in her eyes caused by the pain, the youngest Tendo was sure that if Ranma held on for another minute her wrist would be crushed.

A considerably calmer Ranma let go of Akane and turned to speak to Kasumi

“Akane will be staying home today, make sure to take care of her wrist.”

A protest was ready on Akane's lips but one icy look from the man in front of her made her swallow it, meekly following her elder sister to the kitchen where a first aid kit was kept.

“Let's go.” Ranma calmly walked past Nabiki and out of the door.

Standing there for a moment longer Nabiki finally snapped out of her stupor and hurriedly ran after Ranma's retreating back. When she finally caught up with him Nabiki decided it was time they had a little talk. She grabbed his arm and twirled Ranma around not caring that she may share her sister's fate for such actions.

# Tendo Dojo #

A couple of minutes after Nabiki's hurried departure the recent events finally settled in Soun's mind and he broke down crying like an unstable child

“Whaaaaaaah! He hurt my little girl! Whaaaaaaaah! He doesn't love her anymore! Whaaaaaaah! Now the schools will newer be joined! Whaaaaaah!”

Soun's wails caused the other two to return to reality. Genma started to berate Ranma for being an `ungrateful failure of a son' while Nodoka was rambling about how un-manly it was of Ranma to hurt his fiancée.

In the kitchen Kasumi was tending to Akane's right hand and listening to her younger sister curse Ranma's very existence.

“Who does he think he is? That baka yarou will pay for doing this to me! How dare he order me around like I'm his property! He's a psycho! He should be restrained and isolated!” Akane was fuming and literally glowing a dark red color. When Kasumi was finished Akane snatched her hand from her sister's grasp and stormed upstairs to her room without so much as a thank you.

Kasumi sadly shook her head, she knew it had been only a matter of time before Ranma finally snapped. With the way he had been treated this past two years it was inevitable, she was surprised he actually lasted this long. Kasumi didn't like the way Ranma treated her sister but even the gentle Kasumi couldn't blame him for the outburst after everything that her sister had done to him. She sighed and proceeded to clean the breakfast table unnoticed by the others as if she was a ghost.

# With Ranma #

“What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?” Nabiki was shaking with barely repressed rage by now “You nearly broke her arm! What's gotten into you? First you disappear then you return only to kill a demon in the middle of the schoolyard whose body dissolves into a thin air after you stab his corpse. You've tortured Happosai and then you snap at my sister!” the famous Ice Queen was near hysterical.

Ranma just calmly stood there listening to the girl with a bored look in his eyes.

“Are you done?” he asked in a cold flat tone.

“What?”

“You heard me.” Ranma continued in the same tone “Look at yourself, you're smarter than most women twice your age and yet you're acting like an emotional schoolgirl” those words had the same effect a slap would have had, Nabiki couldn't think of anything to say. “Your sister is a spoiled brat that lives in a pink fantasy world” the man's voice held a hint of disgust to it “You can't shelter her from the truth forever and you know it. She's eighteen for Shenlon's sake and she's acting like she's five. We both know that you and Kasumi tried to keep her in line but obviously your methods don't work that well. And now that I've finally put her in place and done exactly what you wanted to do for so long you throw yourself into a fit of hysterics. Do you seriously think that I will tolerate that bitch's stunts and temper tantrums? I should be made a saint only because I managed to put up with her for this long and Dark Gods know even my patience has its limits” Ranma's eyes now had a fire raging within them, obviously he was not as calm as he wanted to appear.

“I'm s-sorry.” Nabiki said almost too quiet to hear “I guess it's happening just a tad bit too quickly for me too handle, things have been happening too fast even for me. I just need a little time to figure everything out.” She hung her head so her hair overshadowed her eyes in attempt to hide the despair she knew showed in them.

Nabiki was startled to feel a warm and surprisingly gentle hand under her chin and a moment later she was losing herself in twin pools of blue-grey eyes while a gentle comforting voice soothed her troubled mind and heart.

“Hey... look at me. Most people would have gone crazy by now and you are just a bit confused that's already saying something don't you think? Come on, get yourself together it won't do for people to see you like this.” Ranma watched Nabiki take few deep breaths while a more collected and neutral look appeared on her face “Good” a moment was broken and cool business tones started to return to Ranma's voice “You'll have five periods at school during which you can sort through everything but now I need you to listen.” Ranma stepped out of Nabiki's personal space in favor of leaning against the nearby wall “I will need your assistance later this day, are you willing to provide it?” after a moment of thought he added “I will pay of course.”

Nabiki seriously contemplated the offer. She was a little hurt by his remark about payment but a rational part of her mind knew better. After a few more moments she agreed and somehow had a vague felling that she just sold her soul to a devil or at the very least gave it up for rent. She was not that far from the truth.

A madman's grin appeared on Ranma's lips “Perfect. Now to deal with the more pressing matters.”

“What do you mean?”

“School starts in five minutes and I believe that not so long ago you told me that you didn't want to be late.” Nabiki's eyes widened in realization and she was ready to run there in hopes of not being too late. Instead Nabiki squeaked when she felt a pair of strong arms envelop her from behind. Ranma only chuckled, amusement practically radiating off of him. “I know of a much faster and convenient way to travel.” Without further ado Ranma teleported only to appear seconds later near the school gates.

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Nabiki was trying to come to grips with what had just happened. Ranma had hugged her pressing her back against his toned chest causing small shivers of excitement to roll down girl's spine, than everything blurred leaving Nabiki disorientated and weak in her knees, the next thing she knew, she was standing in front of the school gates with Ranma huskily whispering in her ear.

“I'll pick you up after the school ends. Don't be late.” In the following second Ranma vanished as if he never was there in the first place.

The middle Tendo stood shock still until the warning bell rung and students began to enter the building. She was standing a little to the side and in the shadows of a tree so nobody noticed her yet. Nabiki quickly composed herself and adopted the stoic expression she was famous for. Taking a deep breath she proceeded to enter the school. Nabiki's subordinates were waiting for her near her desk ready to give their reports as well as receive new assignments. Nabiki took another deep breath and approached them, she had matters to attend and could not allow herself to be distracted by the confusing behavior of the man that was wreaking havoc in her life, one that before yesterday she could read like a book.

# Nerima Park, high in a tree near the lake #

Ranma materialized on the same branch he had occupied the previous day, he needed to think and this place seemed like the best choice.

The feel of Nabiki's body so close to his and the smell of her excitement had quite an effect on his lower half so Ranma was forced to spend a few minutes struggling with his body, willing it to calm down.

He knew he overreacted with Akane and that was bothering him. Ranma prided himself on control and today he let it slip, it was a miracle the girl was still alive. Usually he tried to avoid outbursts like that because they tended to end in a mass slaughter or at the very least a lot of property damage. He couldn't allow himself to lose control like that again even though he knew that there were more than enough people around who would tempt him.
Ranma was sure that he would have to deal with his past and those who had tormented him, after all, the news of his return would spread quickly, that was a given and his so called rivals wouldn't miss a chance to try and spill his blood.

Then there were the fiancées that needed to be dealt with, he'd rather be dead than married. He had enough women with a master-servant bond connected to him, he didn't want a wife especially not an unstable teenager.
Next on the list were his parents, Ranma needed to find a way to prevent their intrusion with his life he had experienced more than enough of that already.
And of course the cherry on top was that Ku Lon had surely sensed him the other night and probably knew what exactly he had become. The prospect of explaining himself to her wasn't in any way appealing to Ranma.
He needed a way out, a solution that would allow him to start a new life and he needed it now.

After pondering various possible solutions for an hour or so, Ranma came to conclusion that renouncing the Saotome name was his best choice. It would get his parents off of his case as well as take care of all the engagements and promises made by Genma (and there had been a lot of them).

He hoped that Ku Lon would be reasonable enough to talk things through, for her own and her village's sake, the last thing a sane person would want is an angry Ranma on their case.

He will have to talk to Ukyo but that couldbe done later, after he was no longer a Saotome.

The Kunos, Ryoga, Mu Tsu and everyone else could be dealt with brute force if necessary but that will only happen when they finally showed up so it wasn't a priority at the moment.

Ranma needed to carefully plan everything out. After he resigned his name he would need a place to stay as well as new identity with all the proper paperwork. Once that was done he would contact his Executive Director at New Age Tech. and start building a branch of the company in this dimention.

Ranma glanced at the sun and tried to judge the time, he decided that he had more than enough time to see the Amazons before he needed to meet Nabiki. Ranma jumped down from the tree and headed for the Nekohanten.

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