Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ryoga stories ❯ Ryoga's New Curse ( Chapter 4 )

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This story takes place about nine years after 'Ryoga's Quest'. It is a seperate event though. Please enjoy.

Chapter 1 version 1.1

Ryoga found himself falling towards a river and he hoped that the book would be safe in his bag.

'I guess I'll finally find out what my new cursed for is...' His head hit the water and he felt a strange sensation. It wasn't as bad as when he turned into a pig, but he could tell his height was shorter. He looked at his hands and saw they were still there.

'That can only mean that I'm a...' He struggled against the weight on his back and the raging currents. His strength felt like it took a nose dive. It was all he could do to keep from going down any further.

Finally he reached the shore and dragged himself out of the river. He found it difficult since, something was off. He tried not to think about it.

'What ever I've become can't be worst then being a pig.' Once he regained some of his strength, he pulled out his water heater and quickly changed back. 'That feels better.'

Ryoga took a look at his surroundings. He was in a thick jungle and it struck him.

'I'm close to Nerima!' Wasting no time, he got dressed again and took off for the city. 'Oh Akane, how I long to see your sweet smile again. It feels like it's been ages since we last meet. Corse it always seems that way to me. It's probably only been a half a year at most...'

The trip wasn't long and beyond dodging several splashes of water, it was uneventful. He stepped up and saw it. The Tendo dojo. He knocked and for several seconds, no one came to the door. Finally, he heard tiny foot steps. They were then followed by a thud. Some one small just fell over. After a few more seconds, he heard the tiny foot steps again. They were headed towards him. Soon the door handle started to move. Slowly at first and he could hear someone straining to do so.

'Maybe they've been hurt...' He helped the person out by turning the knob. The door soon opened and Ryoga was facing no one. He looked left and right. 'That's odd...'

He felt a pull on his pants leg. He looked down to see a two year old girl.

'Oh no... It can't be... Is this Ranma and Akane's daughter?... If it is, my heart of glass... Will shatter!'

"Hello? Who's there?" A older man jogged around the corner. "Why it's Ryoga! How's it been? Haven't seen you in about ten years."

"Ten years!" His mind filled with images of several children like the one in front of him. "Where is Akane?!"

"Akane? Well now, I'm not really sure about that. She hasn't been here in a long time."

"A... long time? Why is her child here?"

"What do you mean? This is my daughter. Ryoga, meet Ryotori. Ryotori, meet Ryoga, an old friend of the family. Ryoga, why don't you come in. There's a lot you've missed in the last ten years."

"Yeah, I'll say..." The two walked into the dining room and took seat on the opposite sides of the table.

"Where to begin... I know. About a year after you left Ranma and Akane finally tied the knot."

"They what?!"

"Calm down. It was a great day, but a year later on their twenty first birthdays, the two got a divorce. It seemed that they weren't able to make it work. I'm just glad they didn't have any children or I would have objected to the divorce."

'Thank goodness. That means my dear Akane is still unspoiled'

"Akane went on a training journey shortly after that and Ranma hit the books and went to college."

"Ranma? College you say?"

"Yes, it was hard for us to believe, but it seems when he really tries, he can do anything he wants. It only took four years for him to get his Doctorate in archeology. Shortly after that, we lost contact with the lad."

"My god, then..." Ryoga thought back to the cave and wondered if perhaps that was the real Ranma.

"Well, I shouldn't say all contact. He does stop by every once an a while to pick up a check that Nabiki sends him. In fact, he was just here an hour ago." Soun stopped and looked at a Ryoga. "Son are you ok?"

Ryoga seemed out of it. That's when Soun had an idea. He picked up his cup of water and splashed Ryoga with it. Then it was his turn to go into shock.

"Ryoga... Your a..." Soun promptly fainted. Hinako came in the room and saw her husband passed out on the floor and went to him. After an hour of care, the two came back to their senses. Soun looked over at Ryoga and saw that Ryoga was himself again. 'What an awful curse to have."

"So Ranma's doing ok?"

"Umm. Yes. He's doing very well for himself."

"You mentioned Nabiki sends him a check every month. Why?"

"You know, I'm not really sure, but I also get one. I've heard that Kasumi and Dr. Tofu get a check as well."

"Wow. Wonder how she's able to do that..."

"I'm not certain, but I hear she's into some dirty stuff..." Ryoga's mind filled with images of prostitution, gambling, and other mob related activities. "I think she became a lawyer."

Ryoga face vaulted.

"A lawyer?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that." His face suddenly became like stone. "Don't you ever think those kind thoughts about my daughter again. She'd never be involved in criminal activities."

Some place far away, Nabiki sneezed.

"Someone is talking about me. Have them found and killed."

"Yes ma'am!"


Back at the Tendo residence.

"So this is your daughter?"

"Yes. Ryotori was born about two years ago."

"Hello Ryotori."

"Hello." The little girl politely bowed her head.

"What a sweet little girl."

"I am not sweet. I'm going to be a marshal artist."

"A martial artist you say?"

"Yup. Gonna be big and strong."

"Wow. You know, I've got something for you."

"Really?"

"Follow me." The little girl followed closely behind Ryoga and they entered the bath room. "I hope it's still here."

He searched around for the opening in the wall.

"Um, Ryoga?"

"Yes Mr. Tendo?"

"Why did you want my little daughter to follow you in here?"

"Ah ha! Here it is." He pulled out an old umbrella. "I hid a spare in here back when I turned into a pig. I didn't like to stop my weigh training for very long, so I hid this here."

"Wow, that is pretty."

"You think so?" He looked at it carefully. She's right. "Well, you can have it. Be careful though, it's heavy. Once you've mastered lifting that, I promise to bring you a heavier one."

"Really? Wow!" She grabbed the umbrella from Ryoga's grip and began to play with it.

"What the... That weights about four hundred pounds.

"Yes, she's been lifting weights already. I tried to stop her, but she's as head strong as Akane was."

"Wow. Guess I'll be bringing that heavier umbrella sooner then I thought."

The group meet back in the dining room and sat down. Ryotori was busy lifting the umbrella up and down and side to side. It made Ryoga feel happy to help the sister of Akane. Almost as if he were helping her directly.

"Ryoga, you said you used to turn into a pig..." Ryoga froze.

'Oh no. He didn't know did he...'

"Son, that wasn't a pig I saw you turn into. Want to tell me what happened?"

Ryoga went over the tale about fighting gollums and then fighting a shadow version of Ranma.

"Sounds like you've had quiet an adventure."

"Yeah, but it's far from over. I've got to find Akane."

"Wish I could help you with that one son, but I haven't heard a single thing from her since the divorce. She spent about a week here and then left. She didn't even say goodbye."

"You don't seem very upset about that."

"Let's put it this way. Shortly after that happened, there was a minor flood in this area. And I cried a lot too. But the past is the past. After five years of waiting, I finally got on with my life and that's when I meet my wife, Ms Hinako. We dated for about three years before we finally decided to get married."

"Mind if I go and look in her room?"

"Sure. I haven't been it since she left so everything's the same."

Ryoga walked slowly up the stairs as if he were about to face God. As he approached her door, he said a prayer and turned the door knob. There was a momentary sucking sound and Ryoga took a second to figure out what that could mean.

"I had her room vacuum sealed." Ryoga face vaulted. Once he was back up, he proceeded through the door. It was exactly the same, right down the smell. He looked around and found what he was looking for. Akane's diary. He remembered watching her write for hours each night, so he was sure it would contain some clues to here where abouts.

He read through the book and soon had what he needed.

"Mr. Tendo, may I keep this?"

"Akane's diary? Well... Sure. Just make sure you treat it with care."

"I will, I promise." He put it into his bag, knowing what he had to do. "Mr. Tendo, I'm leaving now. I'm going to track down Akane for you and I won't be back until I've found her."

"What about the umbrella?" Ryotori asked as she tugged on his pants leg.

"Oh... Yeah, I'll stop by real quick with that, then I'll leave. Ok?" The little girl smiled. It was true this girl looked nothing like Akane, he didn't care. She still reminded him of Akane.

Soun and Ryotori walked with Ryoga to the front door and said their good-byes. Ryotori looked on with passion in her eyes.

'I'll do it for him. I'll become the strongest in the world. Then he'll like me like he likes my big sister...'

Soun simply looked at his daughter and tried to figure things out.

As Ryoga headed out, he felt a splash. He turned to face an old lady throwing water on the ground. She noticed Ryoga beginning to succumb to the weight of his bags.

"You know, young ladies should carry so much on their shoulders."