Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Honest Truth ❯ Truths Revealed ( Chapter 2 )

The Honest Truth

Chapter 2: Truths Revealed

by harmonious jade

 

 

 

The three had become nearly inseparable at school. Yoko made Ranma happy, which made Akane happy. Akane and Yoko had taken to ribbing Ranma's opponents, especially Kuno. Their comments became such a distraction to everyone else that Nabiki was taking quite a hit in her bidding pools. Even Ranma enjoyed hearing them picking on his opponent. It just egged him on.

 

The trio had just finished another boring day of school and had decided to go get some ice cream. As they reached the gates, they heard a familiar laugh.

 

"Ohohohohoho!" Kodachi Kuno landed on top of the wall surrounding the school in a flurry of black rose petals. "It is my beloved Ranma come to take me away."

 

Ranma rolled his eyes. "You're dreaming again, Kodachi."

 

The female Kuno caught sight of Yoko. "Oh no, not another to try and take you away!" She jumped down and stormed towards the tall girl.

 

Ranma and Akane stepped in front of Yoko to block Kodachi. "I don't think so, freak," Akane said as she crossed her arms."

 

"Ah, but I do." She held up the rose in her hand and blew across it at the two fighters.

 

Ranma knew the moment he saw the rose what was going to happen. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. All he could do was shout "watch out" towards Yoko. He and Akane stiffened and collapsed to the ground.

 

Yoko immediately realized the threat and dropped into a defensive stance. She pulled her chi into the ready. "Why if it isn't the Black Rose, Kodachi Kuno."

 

"How wonderful! You know of me. Then you know that Ranma is mine. Stay away!" Kodachi threw a hail of razor sharp rose petals at her.

 

Yoko was remarkably calm as the deadly projectiles approached. Faster than light, her hands whipped out and caught every petal. She lowered her arms beside her and crushed the petals. "You're going to have to do better than that, Kuno." Blood dripped from her knuckles.

 

Kodachi smirked. "I think I did well enough. And if that doesn't stop you, I have quite a few other things that will." She turned and leapt over the wall, disappearing from sight.

 

The paralysis wore off quickly for Ranma and he ran to Yoko's side just as she dropped to one knee. "Are you okay?"

 

"Not really," she replied, pulling her bleeding hands up to look at them. Her sight grew hazy and dim. "Ran... I...." She collapsed unconscious into his arms.

 

"Oh, hell." He turned to see Akane beside him. She was beginning to bandage the girl's hands with strips of cloth she was tearing from her skirt. "I've got to get her to Dr. Tofu's immediately. I'm afraid of what kind of poison that stupid bitch had on those petals."

 

Akane nodded as she tied the last knot. "I'll be behind you."

 

He nodded and took to the roofs. "Hang in there, Yoko. You still have a lot of explaining to do to me."

 

 

 

 

Ranma burst through the doors of Dr. Tofu's office mere moments after leaving the school. The doctor looked up at the intrusion. "Ah, Ranma! So good to see you. Is there a problem?"

 

He laid Yoko on the examining table. "Kodachi attacked her with her razor petals. I'm sure they were poisoned."

 

He looked down at the young woman. "Hmmm." The bandages on her hands were already soaked with blood. Removing them, he noticed a slight discoloration along the edges of the wounds. "Yes, there is poison in her system."

 

Ranma looked scared. Yoko was related to the Emperor of Japan. What would happen if she died? Would they blame him?

 

Dr. Tofu pressed several pressure points on her arms to stop the poison from spreading. Next he began cleaning the wounds. "Tell me what happened," he asked Ranma.

 

"Well," he started, "Kodachi showed up and saw Yoko. She thought she was another iinazuke, so she attacked. Akane and I tried to stop her, but she paralyzed us."

 

"I don't see any other cuts on this young woman. How did she stop the petals?"

 

The young man thought back. "It... it looked like she used Chestnut Fist, but she caught them."

 

"Ah, good, I have found part of one of the petals. Now I can make the antidote." Tofu took the petal to where he had several test tubes and dropped it in one. He looked over at his shelves and took down several vials.

 

"Are you going to be able to save her, Doc? I mean, she's like my best friend. I don't want her to die."

 

"Neither do I," Akane said as she ran in.

 

Tofu looked up and smiled. "Hello, Akane. You have perfect timing. I need you to pick up a few things for me at the market. I am missing a few ingredients for the antidote. Just charge it to my account." He handed her a list.

 

She looked it over. "White roses?"

 

"To counter the effect of the black ones. Ranma, would you stay here and help me?"

 

"Sure thing, doc," he replied. "Hurry back, Akane."

 

The youngest Tendo nodded and ran out the door.

 

Dr. Tofu began mixing ingredients while Ranma stood beside Yoko and stroked her arm. "Hang in there," he whispered to her. "I wanna know what you meant about a family gift."

 

"What was that?" Tofu asked. "Did you say 'family gift'?"

 

Ranma explained about when Yoko had given him the five thousand yen she won.

 

"Ranma, have you noticed anything familiar about Yoko?"

 

"Well, besides her using Chestnut Fist? No, not really."

 

"That's very surprising." He dumped a glass of cold water on the boy. "What about now?"

 

Ranma screamed. She looked angrily at the doctor. "Now what'd you go and do that for?"

 

"Show him, Betty." He pulled his skeleton over, which was currently attached to a mirror.

 

Ranma looked at herself in the mirror. "What am I supposed to see?"

 

Tofu turned the mirror to the table where Yoko was laying then back to Ranma. "Look again."

 

"I still don't..." It hit her. She looked an awful lot like Yoko. "But..."

 

"That may be what she meant by family. I will take a blood sample and have it checked."

 

"But... if we're related... that means.... I.... I'm...." She couldn't finish her thought. It was just too unbelievable. "I... I gotta go find Pops or my mom."

 

"Go right ahead. It's going to be a while before she wakes up."

 

Ranma nodded. "Thanks, Doc. Tell Akane I'll meet her back here."

 

 

 

 

Ranma landed on the roof of the Tendo dojo. Kasumi was in the kitchen fixing dinner. Nabiki was in her room listening to music. Mr. Tendo and her dad were nowhere to be seen. She assumed they were in some bar running up another tab.

 

Finally she found the person she was looking for. Nodoka Saotome sat quietly in the garden listening to the sounds of nature. She dropped down and walked up behind her quietly. "Mom? Can we talk?"

 

The elder Saotome turned around and smiled. "Of course my dear." She put her hand on the bench beside her, motioning for the girl to sit. "What is on your mind?"

 

"My friend, Yoko, well, she got hurt today."

 

"Oh my, that is horrible! Will she be okay?"

 

The red haired girl shrugged. "Dunno. I took her to Dr. Tofu's. See, Kodachi got it in her head that Yoko was another iinazuke I think. She attacked her with some poisoned razor petals."

 

"Have faith in Ono-san. He is an excellent doctor."

 

She nodded and looked at the ground in silence. "Mom?"

 

"Yes dear?"

 

"Dr. Tofu thinks I might be related to Yoko. She looks a lot like me."

 

Nodoka's brow furrowed in thought. Yoko was a very common name in Japan, but if Ranma said she looked like him... It wasn't like her son to lie. "What is Yoko's last name?" she asked quietly.

 

"Uh, Miyazawa. Why?"

 

Her mother's eyes lit up. "Miyazawa? Are you absolutely certain?"

 

"Yeah."

 

She jumped up and grabbed her hand. "We must get to Tofu's immediately. I cannot let Yoko die."

 

"Mom, what's going on?" asked the very confused red haired girl.

 

"I'll tell you soon enough." She ran down the street with Ranma in tow.

 

 

 

 

They arrived just as Dr. Tofu was about to apply the antidote. Yoko's hands had turned black. He saw the looks on their faces and quelled their thoughts. "It's just the poison. They will be normal after we administer this." He held up a jar with a milky white liquid inside.

 

Everyone watched with baited breath as he poured the liquid over her hands, coating the wounds. As if by magic, the blackness was overcome. Slowly, her hands returned to normal.

 

Nodoka grabbed the doctor around the neck and thanked him. He blushed and explained that it was what he was supposed to do. Ranma watched them curiously until Akane tugged on her sleeve. "I think she's starting to wake up," she said quietly.

 

The two girls turned to look at their friend. Yoko's eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" she asked groggily. Her eyes focused on the two hovering over her. "What happened, Ranma-kun?"

 

They quickly told her what happened. The girl paled when she was told of her hands turning black. Dr. Tofu peered between the girls and smiled. "Ah, nice of you to stick around. I'll go see what I can find for you to eat."

 

His face was replaced by a familiar one. Yoko's eyes widened. "Auntie Nodoka?"

 

"Oh! Little Yoko! I'm so glad you're alright. Your grandmother would kill me if something happened to you. Why didn't you tell Ranma who you were?"

 

"Because I told her not to," said a rather commanding voice from behind them. Everyone turned to see the Amagawa matriarch enter the room. She was almost as tall as Nodoka and dressed in a traditional kimono.

 

Nodoka quickly dropped to her knees and bowed. Megumi shook her head and sighed. "Please stand up, niece. I do not blame you."

 

"Grandmother," Yoko said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Come now. You didn't think I wouldn't keep an eye on my granddaughter, did you?"

 

She smiled tiredly. "This didn't happen how I envisioned it."

 

"Most things never do, dear." Megumi pat her arm and smiled. Next she turned to Nodoka and Ranma. "I believe you two and I need to speak. Besides, Yoko needs some rest."

 

"We would be honored, Aunt Megumi," Nodoka said as she bowed again.

 

She saw the confused look on Ranma's face. "All will be explained, young one." She took her arm and led her into the waiting room.

 

"I'll stay here," Akane said softly to the departing family.

 

Yoko reached out and grabbed Akane's hand. "You and I probably need to talk anyway."

 

 

 

Megumi sat across from Ranma and Nodoka. "I think it's about time you told Ranma about your family, Nodoka, especially the reason why you don't speak of us."

 

Nodoka turned to her daughter, her head low. "You may not remember it, Ranma, but you and Yoko have been friends for a very long time. You two used to play when you were babies. Yoko's mother and I were cousins. Best friends, really. When your father took you on the training trip, she allowed me to stay with her. I got to watch Yoko grow up. I imagined that you were growing up in the same way.

 

"We were a happy family until about five years ago."

 

 

Yoko looked at Akane. "Nodoka isn't really my aunt. She's actually my mom's cousin. They grew up together. They told me that they even were in the same hospital when Ranma and I were born. She lived with us for a while until..."

 

"Until what?"

 

"They had gone to visit another cousin who just happens to be the Emperor. While they were there, a group of assassins attacked the palace. Mom and Nodoka, being the good relatives, joined the guards to fight. They got separated."

 

 

"There were so many of them. I heard a familiar cry." Tears appeared on Nodoka's face. "I fought my way over to her. It was too late. The sword had pierced a main artery. I tried to save her, I swear. There was nothing I could do. I'm sorry!"

 

Ranma looked at her mother in shock. She wrapped her arms around her. "It wasn't your fault, mom. You tried to get to her."

 

"But she didn't," Megumi spoke up. "And that is why she was stricken from the registry."

 

"That's not fair! Mom tried to save her. She saved the Emperor at least. Shouldn't that amount to something?"

 

 

"Grandmother Megumi would hear nothing of it. Aunt Nodoka had failed to defend her best friend. So, Nodoka's name was taken from the family registry."

 

"Oh my," Akane said. "That is so sad."

 

"I never have blamed Nodoka like my grandmother has. Mom was her only daughter. I'm the only granddaughter."

 

"Then why did she send you to spy on Ranma?"

 

 

"Because I knew the time had come," Megumi replied to Ranma's question. "It is time to have you and your mother rejoin the family."

 

Nodoka looked at her through tears. "Do... do you mean that, Amagawa-san?"

 

She smiled softly and handed her a scroll. "Take a look at that."

 

She unrolled the scroll to see the Hasagawa family registry. It didn't take her long to find her name and Ranma's. The only name missing was Genma. "What about my husband?"

 

The matriarch snorted. "You call that overgrown...." She quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Perhaps you and Ranma should come have dinner with Yoko and myself tomorrow night. I will be able to answer all your questions then. Right now, I should be on my way." She stood and straightened her kimono.

 

Ranma was quickly on her feet. She escorted her great aunt to the door. "Um, Amagawa-sama? Why really did you send Yoko? Why didn't you come to us yourself?"

 

She smiled down at the red haired girl. "Tomorrow, dear. All will be revealed." She turned to look back at Nodoka. "Make sure that panda of a husband stays far away, or there will be hell to pay."

 

Ranma's mother nodded. "He will, or deal with me." She reached for the ever present katana on her back.

 

Ranma looked up to notice Akane standing in the doorway. "Yoko's asleep. Dr. Tofu says she needs some rest. We can come back later or tomorrow before school." The young Tendo looked a little skittish.

 

"You okay?" Ranma asked.

 

She nodded. "Let's go home. I'm sure Kasumi has dinner waiting." With that said, she led the way out the door. She hated lying to Ranma, especially now that they were getting along. But something Yoko had said disturbed her.

 

Ranma loved her. She knew that. And she loved him, when he wasn't being a baka. Ever since Yoko had come into the picture, he'd been much better. If what she had been told was true, she was going to have to get over any insecurities she had about him.