Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Of Men and Kittens ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: IronDragoon 
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.11.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.11.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Men and Kittens, Chapter 4
By: Iron Dragoon
"* *"= Chinese
***********************
"*Great Grandmother! How can you protect him?!*"
"*Simple. He didn't do anything wrong.*"
"*HE ATTACKED THE VILLAGE!!*"
"*No, *HE* didn't. The Neko-ken attacked us.*"
"*What do you mean? What's the Neko-ken?*"
"*We didn't tell everyone everything. The Neko-ken is a Martial Arts style. We didn't want the villagers trying to learn it. The training is so intense it's been outlawed for a few thousand years. In my life time, there have been eight attempts to master this art. Only three have survived the initial training, and two of them had to be killed because of their berserker state. Only Ranma has survived both of these. But his mastery of it is unstable. Before we can attempt anything, we have to help him get it under control.*"
"*But WHY?! Why not just kill him?!*"
Khu Lon was tired of having the same conversation over and over.
"*Because if that triggers the Neko-ken, we will be destroyed. We're not strong enough.*"
*And from what I've seen, we may never be. I still don't understand how he learned the Armigutiken in two hours..*
****************************************
Ranko stood staring at the door of her home... Her one time home. Her ears drooped and her tail went limp and lifeless as her shock wore off. Her father's words echoed through her mind.
*"So then, you are pregnant. You can leave this house and live with your cousins, or you can be banished from the clan. Either way, you are never to return here."*
Tears blurred her vision as she turned from her childhood home.
****************
Ranko knocked on the door and hoped she could keep herself together when she saw her uncle. She hurriedly wiped the last of her tears away as the door opened.
"Yes? How can- Oh my! Ranko-chan! You've changed since I last saw you! How have you been?"
"H-Hello Kasumi. It's.. Good to see you again," she greeted as her eyes teared up again. Kasumi couldn't hold her sympathy back anymore. She knew what had happened. Ranko's mother had called just after her father had cast her out. Kasumi rushed her cousin and gathered her in a hug that released all of Ranko's grief in a torrent of tears. For the first time in a long while, Ranko felt loved.
For a little while, at least.
*****************************
"We're home Kasumi!"
"Oh! Akane! Nabiki! I have to talk to both of you."
"What is it Kasumi? I've got things to do," replied Nabiki.
"Ranko-chan is here. She's been disowned by her father."
"WHAT?!" screamed Akane as Nabiki fought to stay conscious.
And managed to fail magnificantly.
*****************************
Nabiki shot up into a sitting position as she was woken up by Akane's scream, "I"LL KILL HIM!"
"What? Where? What's going on?!"
"Nabiki! Ranko was raped and her father *disowned* her because she got pregnant!!"
Nabiki's face screwed up like someone stuck month old milk under her nose.
"Huh? That doesn't make any sense."
"That's because that's not what happened," said the topic of their conversation as she walked in. Nabiki and Akane examined her; the puffy red eyes from crying, the slump of the shoulders, the drooping cat ears, and the nervously twitching red furred tail with black stripes and nodded to themselves. Yep, this was definitely their cousin. And with this confirmed, both their minds decided to commit suicide.
********************************
"So let me get this right; you were visiting a cousin in China and got knocked into some magic spring that turned you into... a... cat girl?" questioned Nabiki.
"Yes.."
"And then some guy saved you from drowning and started acting like a cat?"
"Yeah.."
"And you started acting like a cat too? And did.. 'It' with him?"
"Mm-hmm..." nodded the red head.
"Whoa... Weird.." Nabiki muttered.
Akane gaped at her sister. "That's ALL you have to say?!"
"What's there to say? What's done is done. We don't know his name, so it's not like we can find him."
And once again, the booming laughter of Fate was mistaken for thunder on a clear day..
*****************************************************
A few days passed over the village and saw Ranma training with the elders, becoming increasingly dependent on the Neko-ken to dodge unexpected attacks and to deal with new techniques. The black of night watched the troubled boy assaulted by dreams and thoughts of the lost red head.
Khu Lon found the boy wandering while she was checking the sentries.
*What a wonder. He's probably single greatest Martial Artist ever to exist, yet he's fighting a battle he has no chance of winning..*
"Ranma, what are you doing out?"
"Just thinking elder."
"About what?"
"Er... About how I got here?"
"Ranma, don't try to lie to me. You're terrible at it."
Ranma took a deep breath and sighed.
"Yeah.. I was thinking about her. I can't help it. Every time I get time to myself, I end up going in circles. I want to find her, but I don't know why.."
Khu Lon looked at him intently for some time. She watched as his mind strayed from the conversation back to his original thoughts. She sighed as she watched his eyes glaze of and smile.
"Ranma," she broke into his thoughts, "There isn't much training left that can help you. Not here, at least. I think maybe the time has come for you to leave. You're almost in complete control of the Neko-ken, though I don't know how you managed it. The only thing left is the trigger for it. It's changed from fear of cats to simple fear and strong emotion."
Ranma stared into the stars, lost in thought. He let his gaze fall to his hands. He watched them flex into fists a few times and spoke.
"I think... I should gain some more control before I go looking for her. Maybe the answer is in another art.. I think the Anything Goes style just became a killing art instead of what it was meant for. To defend those who can't."
"Perhaps.. But what becomes of an art is often up to who controls it, and what they use it for."
************************************************************
"Pop, I think it's time to go. The elders can't help me anymore."
"Good. It's about time. I've got a friend we need to visit back in Japan.."
"Not yet, pop. I don't have total control yet."
"Are you sure? We can stop just for a visit!"
"No. If I go home, I'm going to stay there."
**************************************************
"Hey cousin! How's it going?"
"Ryu! How have you been?! It's been years!"
"I've been doing okay. I got a letter from Ranko saying they were coming to visit, is she here?"
"No, your family left in a big hurry a few days after the tournament. Ranko looked pretty shaken up.. You might want to call her. Something happened that you should hear from her.."
"Little sis was shaken? Think I will call... How'd the tournament go? Sorry I missed it?"
"No problem! And say hello to 'Mu Tsu; Male Champion of the Joketsuzoku!'"
"HA! We'll have to spar some time, champ!"
"Hey! How's your training going, by the way?"
"It's going good! I got this new technique you've got to see! It's called the 'Sempuu Kyaku..'"
*****************************************
Ranma dropped to all fours and growled as he felt the shock wave of Ki wash over him.
*Damn that was strong! The village must be under attack!*
And with that, he sprinted toward the shout of, "Shoryuken!"
*************************************
Ryu was having the time of his life. This battle was based on pure skull, and his cousins' Hidden Weapons style was giving him a run for his money. Every time he dodged, he had to scramble to dodge a half dozen other weapons. He started laughing in delight until he felt it. Someone had flared their Ki in challenge. With out a word to his cousin, he took off to meet the challenge and hopped Bision wasn't involved.
*********************************
Mu Tsu fell on his ass. He had been watching his cousin fight Ranma for the last fifteen minutes. He had gotten so dizzy from watching the two of them, it was either sit down or puke.
"*Amazing, isn't it?*"
"*AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!*" he screamed in surprise.
"*Heh, sorry. But I had to see this fight. I'm just glad they took it outside the village.*"
"*Ryu'll beat that scum, elder Khu Lon. Then the village will be avenged..*" he replied with a glint in his eye.
"*Ryu doesn't stand a chance in a real fight with Ranma.*"
"*WHAT?!*"
"*Ranma's Neko-ken is made to kill. Plain and simple. Ryu's style is for defeating an opponent. And Ranma has an edge Ryu doesn't.*"
"*What's that?*"
"*Then Neko-ken is based on instinct. The more hurt, the more angry, or the more scared Ranma gets, the more he relies on his instincts. Basically, unless Ryu can beat him in the first few minutes, Ranma will get better and better.*"
By: Iron Dragoon
"* *"= Chinese
***********************
"*Great Grandmother! How can you protect him?!*"
"*Simple. He didn't do anything wrong.*"
"*HE ATTACKED THE VILLAGE!!*"
"*No, *HE* didn't. The Neko-ken attacked us.*"
"*What do you mean? What's the Neko-ken?*"
"*We didn't tell everyone everything. The Neko-ken is a Martial Arts style. We didn't want the villagers trying to learn it. The training is so intense it's been outlawed for a few thousand years. In my life time, there have been eight attempts to master this art. Only three have survived the initial training, and two of them had to be killed because of their berserker state. Only Ranma has survived both of these. But his mastery of it is unstable. Before we can attempt anything, we have to help him get it under control.*"
"*But WHY?! Why not just kill him?!*"
Khu Lon was tired of having the same conversation over and over.
"*Because if that triggers the Neko-ken, we will be destroyed. We're not strong enough.*"
*And from what I've seen, we may never be. I still don't understand how he learned the Armigutiken in two hours..*
****************************************
Ranko stood staring at the door of her home... Her one time home. Her ears drooped and her tail went limp and lifeless as her shock wore off. Her father's words echoed through her mind.
*"So then, you are pregnant. You can leave this house and live with your cousins, or you can be banished from the clan. Either way, you are never to return here."*
Tears blurred her vision as she turned from her childhood home.
****************
Ranko knocked on the door and hoped she could keep herself together when she saw her uncle. She hurriedly wiped the last of her tears away as the door opened.
"Yes? How can- Oh my! Ranko-chan! You've changed since I last saw you! How have you been?"
"H-Hello Kasumi. It's.. Good to see you again," she greeted as her eyes teared up again. Kasumi couldn't hold her sympathy back anymore. She knew what had happened. Ranko's mother had called just after her father had cast her out. Kasumi rushed her cousin and gathered her in a hug that released all of Ranko's grief in a torrent of tears. For the first time in a long while, Ranko felt loved.
For a little while, at least.
*****************************
"We're home Kasumi!"
"Oh! Akane! Nabiki! I have to talk to both of you."
"What is it Kasumi? I've got things to do," replied Nabiki.
"Ranko-chan is here. She's been disowned by her father."
"WHAT?!" screamed Akane as Nabiki fought to stay conscious.
And managed to fail magnificantly.
*****************************
Nabiki shot up into a sitting position as she was woken up by Akane's scream, "I"LL KILL HIM!"
"What? Where? What's going on?!"
"Nabiki! Ranko was raped and her father *disowned* her because she got pregnant!!"
Nabiki's face screwed up like someone stuck month old milk under her nose.
"Huh? That doesn't make any sense."
"That's because that's not what happened," said the topic of their conversation as she walked in. Nabiki and Akane examined her; the puffy red eyes from crying, the slump of the shoulders, the drooping cat ears, and the nervously twitching red furred tail with black stripes and nodded to themselves. Yep, this was definitely their cousin. And with this confirmed, both their minds decided to commit suicide.
********************************
"So let me get this right; you were visiting a cousin in China and got knocked into some magic spring that turned you into... a... cat girl?" questioned Nabiki.
"Yes.."
"And then some guy saved you from drowning and started acting like a cat?"
"Yeah.."
"And you started acting like a cat too? And did.. 'It' with him?"
"Mm-hmm..." nodded the red head.
"Whoa... Weird.." Nabiki muttered.
Akane gaped at her sister. "That's ALL you have to say?!"
"What's there to say? What's done is done. We don't know his name, so it's not like we can find him."
And once again, the booming laughter of Fate was mistaken for thunder on a clear day..
*****************************************************
A few days passed over the village and saw Ranma training with the elders, becoming increasingly dependent on the Neko-ken to dodge unexpected attacks and to deal with new techniques. The black of night watched the troubled boy assaulted by dreams and thoughts of the lost red head.
Khu Lon found the boy wandering while she was checking the sentries.
*What a wonder. He's probably single greatest Martial Artist ever to exist, yet he's fighting a battle he has no chance of winning..*
"Ranma, what are you doing out?"
"Just thinking elder."
"About what?"
"Er... About how I got here?"
"Ranma, don't try to lie to me. You're terrible at it."
Ranma took a deep breath and sighed.
"Yeah.. I was thinking about her. I can't help it. Every time I get time to myself, I end up going in circles. I want to find her, but I don't know why.."
Khu Lon looked at him intently for some time. She watched as his mind strayed from the conversation back to his original thoughts. She sighed as she watched his eyes glaze of and smile.
"Ranma," she broke into his thoughts, "There isn't much training left that can help you. Not here, at least. I think maybe the time has come for you to leave. You're almost in complete control of the Neko-ken, though I don't know how you managed it. The only thing left is the trigger for it. It's changed from fear of cats to simple fear and strong emotion."
Ranma stared into the stars, lost in thought. He let his gaze fall to his hands. He watched them flex into fists a few times and spoke.
"I think... I should gain some more control before I go looking for her. Maybe the answer is in another art.. I think the Anything Goes style just became a killing art instead of what it was meant for. To defend those who can't."
"Perhaps.. But what becomes of an art is often up to who controls it, and what they use it for."
************************************************************
"Pop, I think it's time to go. The elders can't help me anymore."
"Good. It's about time. I've got a friend we need to visit back in Japan.."
"Not yet, pop. I don't have total control yet."
"Are you sure? We can stop just for a visit!"
"No. If I go home, I'm going to stay there."
**************************************************
"Hey cousin! How's it going?"
"Ryu! How have you been?! It's been years!"
"I've been doing okay. I got a letter from Ranko saying they were coming to visit, is she here?"
"No, your family left in a big hurry a few days after the tournament. Ranko looked pretty shaken up.. You might want to call her. Something happened that you should hear from her.."
"Little sis was shaken? Think I will call... How'd the tournament go? Sorry I missed it?"
"No problem! And say hello to 'Mu Tsu; Male Champion of the Joketsuzoku!'"
"HA! We'll have to spar some time, champ!"
"Hey! How's your training going, by the way?"
"It's going good! I got this new technique you've got to see! It's called the 'Sempuu Kyaku..'"
*****************************************
Ranma dropped to all fours and growled as he felt the shock wave of Ki wash over him.
*Damn that was strong! The village must be under attack!*
And with that, he sprinted toward the shout of, "Shoryuken!"
*************************************
Ryu was having the time of his life. This battle was based on pure skull, and his cousins' Hidden Weapons style was giving him a run for his money. Every time he dodged, he had to scramble to dodge a half dozen other weapons. He started laughing in delight until he felt it. Someone had flared their Ki in challenge. With out a word to his cousin, he took off to meet the challenge and hopped Bision wasn't involved.
*********************************
Mu Tsu fell on his ass. He had been watching his cousin fight Ranma for the last fifteen minutes. He had gotten so dizzy from watching the two of them, it was either sit down or puke.
"*Amazing, isn't it?*"
"*AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!*" he screamed in surprise.
"*Heh, sorry. But I had to see this fight. I'm just glad they took it outside the village.*"
"*Ryu'll beat that scum, elder Khu Lon. Then the village will be avenged..*" he replied with a glint in his eye.
"*Ryu doesn't stand a chance in a real fight with Ranma.*"
"*WHAT?!*"
"*Ranma's Neko-ken is made to kill. Plain and simple. Ryu's style is for defeating an opponent. And Ranma has an edge Ryu doesn't.*"
"*What's that?*"
"*Then Neko-ken is based on instinct. The more hurt, the more angry, or the more scared Ranma gets, the more he relies on his instincts. Basically, unless Ryu can beat him in the first few minutes, Ranma will get better and better.*"