Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Polarity ❯ Phase Shift ( Chapter 8 )

Hotaru slept the sleep of the truly wiped out.

 

Michiru had to smile as she pulled the sheet up to the neck of her adopted daughter and the small girl snuggled in deeper under her blankets. Kissing the young warrior on the forehead, the aqua haired woman quietly turned and left Hotaru's room, closing the door softly in her wake.

 

Walking downstairs, she saw that Haruka and Setsuna were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. Her lover had a frown on her face that only intensified when Setsuna developed a Cheshire grin. Sitting between the two of them, Michiru could only hope that she would be able to defuse her lover's temper without waking the exhausted Hotaru.

 

“Now then,” Haruka asked calmly, “what the hell is going on here?”

 

Setsuna's smile only grew slightly, “No doubt Ranma will ask the same thing when he comes looking for answers.”

 

Haruka did not seam fazed however, “Seriously. We need to know about this Ranma. He may allegedly be Polaris reborn, but how do we know he won't be a threat? What if this is some kind of set up or what if…”

 

“We can't just go on `what if's' here,” Michiru said while taking Haruka's hand. “We've gone down that road before. Every time we gave in to our paranoia it made things worse.”

 

“Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that someone isn't out to get us,” Haruka reasoned. “How many battles have we fought where the innocent became the monstrous?”

 

“It is not our place to judge these things,” Setsuna said simply. “I say we let the Princess meet Ranma. She has been right much more often then we have, and I believe that we need to start trusting her judgment.”

 

After a pause she added, “Besides, you're just trying to get out of that poker debt you owe Polaris from the Queen's birthday party. You remember the one where you almost fondled…”

 

Haruka dove over the table, clapping a hand over Setsuna's mouth. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw her friend relent, but felt a chill from her side and turned to look into her girlfriend's eyes.

 

“And what happened at this party?” Michiru asked with a touch of cold in her voice.

 

 

Polarity

By Seth

Chapter 8

Phase Shift

 

Note: Ranma and Sailor Moon are owned by their respective creators and distributors. I use them without permission or gain, but with respect to the work done before me.

 

 

Ranma walked along the streets of Nerima, ignoring most of the world around him as his mind was deep in thought. It may have been uncommon for him, but he was taking a good, hard look at the last few months and really going over everything with a fine toothed comb.

 

Getting hot water from thankful shop owners was easy. Figuring out your life? Now that's hard.

 

As he trudged along, somewhat making his way towards the Tendo home, he considered the words of three women. Kasumi, who he had known for his entire stay here in Nerima, had spoken with conviction to him about honor, feelings and her view on both. She had said that he was the only one with honor left in his life, and he was starting to think she may have been right.

 

Setsuna, who he was still unsure of, had listened to his life and had told him he carried a burden. At first he thought that she meant his family's honor, but he was starting to think that she had meant the weight he carried was one he shouldn't have to. It was as if the strange woman had somehow felt responsible for the trouble in Ranma's life.

 

Finally there was Sailor Pluto and her team. They were strange, no doubt, and maybe needed a little, or a lot, of polish on their fighting style. But Ranma had felt a sense of camaraderie with them unlike anything he had felt in all the times he had teamed up with the other fighters in the area. Ryoga or Mousse would not have watched his back like they had, stepping in to block a finishing blow simply because it was the right thing to do.

 

Sure, Ryoga would have blocked War's sword, but he would have said something like, “No one gets to kill Ranma but me!”

 

Wasn't friendship wonderful?

 

He knew changes needed to be made. Akane was just using him as a scapegoat for all her shortcomings, and she seemed to enjoy it far too much. Shampoo wanted to hump him dry for her people, but didn't think anything about his feelings on the topic. Ukyo was in almost as bad a situation as him, and desperately clinging to him as a way to redeem her honor in her father's eyes and regain her womanhood.

 

Kodachi was just effing nuts, no ifs ands or buts.

 

Throw in parents that wanted to use him to make grandkids or retire in luxury and a pack of rivals that wanted his blood, and his maidenhood in Kuno's case, and Ranma was just about at his limit.

 

Reaching the Tendos, he slid open the front door and sighed. On the floor of the entryway were a pair of formal geta, and only one person regularly visited with that sort of attire. Unless you counted rich people Genma had foisted him off on over the years.

 

His mother.

 

Taking a deep breath he kicked off his shoes and started in, already hearing the noise of overlapping voices in the living room. He paused as he passed the kitchen and saw that Kasumi was in there, leaning over the sink, white knuckles gripping the edge of the counter.

 

“Kasumi,” he asked softly.

 

She turned around and Ranma received the shock of his life. Kasumi was angry, no, livid. For a moment he thought that she was mad at him, but when she saw Ranma poking his head in her face transformed into one of relief. She left the counter and walked over, placing one hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes.

 

She asked in a whisper, trying not to draw the attention of the people in the main room, “Are you alright?”

 

Nodding and sharing her low voice Ranma answered, “I'm ok. I took care of the problem with a little help and I'm feeling much better.” Kasumi nodded and a smile crossed her face. He continued, “So what's going on in there?”

 

Kasumi's smile vanished and her eyes took on a hard edge, “When your mother arrived things started to get out of control again. Akane was yelling about you shacking up with another girl, even though I had told her you were at the clinic all day yesterday, and the day before. Your mother started cheering for grandbabies, your father started harping about the pledge, and it all went to hell from there.”

 

Ranma was doubly shocked, first at the fact that Kasumi had all but swore right in front of him, and secondly over what she had said.

 

He asked, “When did you tell them where I was?”

 

“As soon as I had found out.”

 

Ranma looked down, his own anger rising, “Two days, they knew for two days and not one of them aside from you visited. Akane was there. She was there when I went down the first time, and she didn't come.”

 

“Ranma,” Kasumi said softly and squeezed his shoulder. “I…”

 

Ranma shock his head, “No, Kasumi, don't worry about it. I guess I should have expected as much. I'm going to go in there now. Please don't come in, it's going to be bad.” And with that he turned away and started down the hall.

 

In the few steps it took to get to the living room he had refocused himself and was tapping into the very edge of the Soul of Ice. He knew that he would need the calm mental state and clarity of thought to get through the next few minutes.

 

It didn't even take two seconds after he entered the living room before the yelling started.

 

“Where have you been?” Akane shouted. “No, wait, I already know. You were off with one of your floozies, weren't you?!”

 

Genma added his two cents, “Have you no honor boy?! How can you be so disrespectful to your loving fiancé?”

 

“Loving?! Why would I love that jerk? He's always running around trying to do perverted things with those…those…HUSSIES!”

 

Ranma felt the Soul of Ice drop a few more degrees. At Mount Phoenix it had been so clear, but it wasn't the truth. He may have loved her, but she could never accept him. He was an excuse, and she enjoyed venting her anger at him.

 

“Now Akane, there is nothing wrong with someone as manly as my son seeking out appropriate mistresses,” Nodoka Saotome chimed in. “After all, don't you want to share in the joys of motherhood with those who love your husband to be as much as you?”

 

The Soul of Ice was now approaching freezing.

 

“WHAT?!” Soun Tendo was on his feet, the ki projection of a demonic head hovering over the table, “HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY LITTLE GIRL!”

 

Frost started forming around Ranma's feet.

 

“I wouldn't let that sick freak touch me,” Akane swore to her father, glaring at Ranma. In her arms a small black piglet nodded, his beady eyes promising Ranma a world of pain for even thinking such a thing.

 

Genma started in again, “Oh the shame! If only I had been a better father, I wouldn't be cursed with such a disrespectful son. Throwing away all honor and the future of the Anything Goes School. Ungrateful boy!”

 

Ranma took all this in, not saying a word. He turned his gaze to the end of the table where Happosai sat on his stack of pillows, a mug of tea in his hands. Tilting his head, Ranma silently asked if the old master was going to add his two cents worth.

 

Happosai, for once stayed quiet. The ancient pervert knew from the waves of cold ki that Ranma was on his very last nerve. Now, he was a pervert, and a thief, and a liar, but no one ever doubted Happosai's innate ability to survive anything. Ranma was tired, angry, sad, disappointed, and feeling abandoned. Happi took all this in, and for once made the correct decision.

 

He shut the hell up.

 

Nabiki, who normally would have pushed the situation further, had already been chewed out by Kasumi of all people. So she took the old master's rather enlightened approach as well and kept out of this.

 

Not seeing the illuminated path, it was Akane who got the last dig in.

 

“I'd rather die then marry this jerk!”

 

“Really?”

 

It may have just been a whisper, but it stopped all the talking in the room.

 

Ranma continued, “I guess I never should have gone to China to save you then. Or saved you all those times when Toma, Kirin, Mousse, Taro, or even Ryoga almost killed you or married you. I guess I never should have cared about you at all. I guess I never should have KILLED Saffron to save your life.”

 

Ranma had to take a breath to regain his control.

 

His mother took this opportunity to speak, “Son, that was very rude. You should apologize to Akane for that outburst.”

 

“Why? She isn't interested in the marriage that you all have been pushing for. She just said she would rather die. I was asking if the last year of my life and everything I've done have been a total waste or not.”

 

Nodoka exclaimed, “Ranma! How can you say such things? I thought my son was well mannered and caring? What has brought this terrible rudeness about?”

 

“I've been in a coma for two days. Tends to give a guy time to think when no one bothers to check on me at the clinic.” Stunned silence met his remark.

 

Nodoka asked, “How? What were you doing in a clinic?”

 

Ranma looked over at Akane, “She knows. She saw me fight that psycho that was attacking people downtown. She was so grateful for me saving her life yet again that she left me for dead, bleeding out in the middle of the street.”

 

“Oh, you just were overreacting,” Akane countered. “You were just trying to get attention. You always act that way so you can get attention. You probably got up and shacked up with Shampoo as soon as I left.”

 

Ranma shook his head, “Three ribs cracked, one broken, and more besides. Don't believe me? Ask Doc Tofu. He cared enough to get me patched up, unlike my `loving' family or `caring' fiancé. I wonder if any of you even thought to check when Kasumi told you where I was.” Seeing their blank reactions he snorted, “I thought so. She told you and you just figured I'd come back on my own, ready for the next round of `Pound on Ranma'. I can just feel the love here.”

 

“Enough Ranma,” Genma shouted, “you must apologize this instant for your bad attitude. Then we can move on to preparing the wedding and securing the family honor.”

 

Nodoka nodded, “Your father is right. You must accept responsibility for your actions dear. To do otherwise is very unmanly.”

 

Happosai suddenly looked down and saw his tea had frozen over. His eyes widened and started darting around, looking for a way out. When he saw Ranma's eyes he managed to whisper only loud enough for Nabiki to hear.

 

“Oh, fudge nuggets…”

 

Ranma calmly walked over to his parents and looked his mother in the eye.

 

He said softly, “You are right, I need to fix this.” Nodoka looked very pleased at this and he continued, “Can I see the family honor blade for a moment?” This drew a round of gasps. “Don't worry, I`m not going to kill myself. I just need to show you something.”

 

Reluctantly Nodoka handed over the wrapped blade and Ranma took it up carefully, almost reverently. He walked past his father, who almost wet himself at the feelings flowing off his son, and for a moment feared that the boy would take his life. The moment passed when Ranma moved to stand on the porch and turned back to face them.

 

Gently unwrapping the blade, he placed the cloth aside and drew the blade. His eyes inspected every inch of the shining metal and noticing no imperfections.

 

“This sword is supposed to represent the honor of the Saotome clan,” he said, “but there is a problem. This blade is finely made, with no faults and showing a true and clean edge. It doesn't properly represent the family honor.”

 

Reversing his grip and using both hands Ranma held the blade pointing downward and suddenly drove it into the hardwood of the porch, almost to the hilt. With a sudden tensing of muscles and a jerk to the right Ranma used his considerable strength to snap the blade, that handle coming clean off in his hands.

 

He looked up to see a room full of wide and unbelieving eyes and saw that his mother was halfway out of her sitting position, a hand reaching out to stop him. He simply stood and looked on the now broken sword handle.

 

“Now it's a perfect reflection of the Saotome honor, and I wash my hands of it.”

 

With that he tossed the broken handle at his father's feet and started walking out of the house, heading for the side gate.

 

He had made it halfway across the yard when his father yelled out, “Hold it boy! What do you think you are doing? Where are you going? What's the meaning of all this?!”

 

“I'm finally doing what you always taught me,” Ranma answered, not even turning. “I'm cutting my losses. My honor is intact, and all it cost me was a family that only cared about themselves. You've gone on and on about how disrespectful I am. Well, I never really cared before because I thought that deep down you loved your son. Now I know different. All you want is for me to solve all your problems for you.”

 

Genma looked like he was going to argue, but Ranma ignored him. Instead he turned to face his mother who was still frozen in shock.

 

“I can never be what you want,” He told her. “I'm not some gigolo out pumping sperm into any willing womb. I don't want to get married, to anyone, and I can't see myself as much of a father anyway. The old panda pretty much ruined that for me.”

 

He took in all the stunned faces, Saotomes, Tendos and Master Happosai and said one last thing.

 

“I'm going to find my life now. I don't know how or where, but I'm going to find it. I hope that someday you'll find yours too, but I won't be in it.”

 

He turned once more and headed to the gate. His hand made contact with the wood when a voice once more stopped him.

 

“So you're just running away?! You coward!”

 

He knew that this was going to be hard, but he forced himself to turn and face Akane. The youngest Tendo had stormed out into the middle of the back yard and stood, her fists clinched at her side as she glared at him.

 

She continued to shout, “Go ahead! Run away from the pact! Run away from all the trouble you've caused! See if I care! But you can't run away from the Anything Goes School. You know you're no good at anything else, so let's face it, you need to stay!”

 

“No…I don't.”

 

Akane panicked for a moment then yelled into the house, “Nabiki! He owes you a lot of money, right? He has to stay till he pays you off!”

 

The middle Tendo looked up from the sword hilt still lying on the floor and answered, her voice emotionless, “Not this time. I don't think I'd like what it would cost me.”

 

And then Ranma had the gate open and was through it, letting it swing closed behind him. Akane was desperate. She needed a way to get the last say in this unbelievable situation. Then the answer came to her, simple and straight forward.

 

“I CHALLENGE YOU!”

 

Ranma's hand swung backwards and held the wooden door open. His head tilted to one side as if considering.

 

“I'm listening.”

 

Akane smirked, “A fight to see which one of us is really the one to carry on. The winner is the only heir to both the Saotome and Tendo Schools, and the loser has to give up both Schools forever!”

 

“Fine.”

 

Ranma turned around and walked back into the yard, but Akane held up her hand.

 

“No cheating, you hear me? None of your fancy special moves or blasts. We use the Anything Goes School only.”

 

“Peachy,” Ranma nodded and fell into a tight stance, his hands held in close and his legs settled in a stable spread. “Call it.”

 

Akane yelled, “BEGIN!”

 

“I yield.”

 

Akane actually stumbled out of her headlong charge and fell on her face as Ranma put his hands up and surrendered.

 

“It's just not worth it to me. You can have Anything Goes for all I care; I have a few dozen other styles to fall back on.” The young martial artist continued, “I've fought and fought for every little thing in my life. I've won so many fights, but I lost the war in my own heart.”

 

And with that he turned to leave again.

 

Akane pulled herself up off the ground. Her mind was spinning in confusion and rage. She dug in her feet, leapt from the ground, and pulled out her mallet to smash Ranma into submission for his arrogance, his attitude, and everything else he had ever done to her. The wooden hammer was up, over her head, and on it's way to killing Ranma when they boy spun on one heel and lashed out with a blazing straight punch that blew through her guard and impacted hard with her chest, sending her flying across the yard and skidding to a halt on the ground at the far end.

 

“Three cracked, one broken. I wonder if you'll be faking it to get attention,” Ranma said coldly before he walked out of the yard, letting the side gate finally close behind him.

 

Soun Tendo was already in motion, checking on his fallen daughter. Genma however looked panicked.

 

“What do we do now? Without the boy all our plans are for nothing. We need him to join the Schools. We need him so we can retire. Hell, we need him to fight all the loonies that keep showing up here. What do we do, Master?”

 

There was no answer, and Genma turned to look at Happosai's cushions, but they were empty. Looking around rapidly, Genma saw that the old man was nowhere in sight, and a shiver of dread went down his spine.

 

“Even the Master has abandoned us…”

 

**********

 

“Ranma.”

 

He was almost to the end of the block, but it was the one voice that he would stop for at this point. He turned and saw Kasumi a few yards behind him, holding his rucksack. Judging by how it was bulging and resting on the ground she had packed every last scrap of clothing he had, including the garments he had collected for his girl half over the last year.

 

“You really shouldn't leave unprepared like this.”

 

He sighed, “Kinda had to, Kasumi. If I had let them get to me again it would have started all over. I had to act while I could, otherwise it would all go back to the way it was. I'm just not strong like that.”

 

The eldest of the Tendo sisters gave a slight smile, “I don't know. I think that you had just enough strength to do what needed to be done, that's all that matters.”

 

She passed him his pack and he shouldered the load. It was heavy, but it was still light in comparison to what he had just relieved himself of.

 

Kasumi asked, “So what now?”

 

“I honestly don't know,” Ranma answered. “I've got a couple of leads I'm going to check out, and I don't think my fighting days are anywhere near over. I'll just take it one day at a time, and try to make each day a little better.”

 

“Good plan, my boy.”

 

Ranma and Kasumi turned to see Happosai sitting on a nearby mailbox, pipe out and lit.

 

Ranma moved in front of Kasumi and rooted his feet, ready to intercept any attack on her, or himself.

 

“What do you want, old goat?”

 

The old master laughed, “I have to say, you really scared the crap out of this old man in there. But I can see that there were other forces at work here.” Happosai nodded to Kasumi, “I'm guessing she finally got through that thick head of yours.”

 

Ranma nodded, and after taking a long pull on his pipe Happi continued, “Good. You were getting into a rut anyway, and being stuck like that is no way to improve your skills. It would only wear you down in the end.” At Ranma's questioning look he went on, “To continue your rather well used sword analogy in there, even the greatest blade will dull with constant use unless it is lovingly cared for. You're right to go out and find a new path, one that suits you better.”

 

With that the old pervert hopped down and walked away, softly humming to himself as he headed back into the Tendo compound. Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other, stunned by Happosai's words. After a few moments though, the finality of the situation once more asserted itself.

 

Ranma asked, “How about you? What are you going to do now?”

 

A thoughtful look crossed Kasumi's face, “I'm not sure either. But I think the first thing I'm going to do is follow your advice.”

 

“How so?”

 

“I'm going to go give Doctor Tofu an Amazon Glomp Tackle that will knock his socks off,” Kasumi said with a smile. “Take care of yourself, Ranma. And stay in touch if you can.”

 

“I will.”

 

And with that Kasumi watched the young man she had nurtured for a year head out, seeking his destiny.

 

**********

 

Hotaru dreamed.

 

It was not the nightmare of her father's lab fire that had taken so much from her, nor was it the nightmare that haunted her of the monster within that she feared.

 

This was a dream of happy times in a magical land long ago.

 

She was holding herself upright with a wooden practice staff, gasping for air. In part it was because she had just been put through the wringer by her new instructor, the mysterious Sailor Polaris. But for the most part it was due to laughter as she watched the training field.

 

“You did that on purpose,” growled out Polaris as she climbed out of the courtyard's fountain.

 

Princess Serenity looked up from the ground where she had just fallen after tripping into Polaris, causing the white haired warrior to fall into the water. Beside her, Sailor Mercury looked on in stunned silence, one hand still holding a wooden practice sword, the other holding a scroll that the Princess was trying to give her.

 

The heir to the throne had come bounding out to the courtyard, calling to her blue haired friend that she had finally finished her homework and wanted it checked over. Mercury and Saturn were in the middle of their training time with the Polarian combat mistress, and their instructor had just jumped over a strike from the tactician of the Senshi team. Landing off balance due to the sudden distraction, Sailor Polaris had been caught off guard when the Princess tripped over a knoll in the grass and had taken a header into the nearby fountain, her gravity still reduced after her jumping dodge.

 

“One more giggle out of you kiddo and it's ten laps around the castle,” the albino haired Senshi said to Saturn as she pulled herself out of the water.

 

The Princess scrambled to get up and reached out to help, “I'm so sorry! I was just…”

 

“No, it's ok. I've got it…”

 

“Let me help you out.”

 

“No. Wait!!”

 

And now the Princess joined Polaris in the water.

 

Saturn couldn't help it and fell to the ground, laughing herself to tears as the two of them struggled to get out of the fountain, only succeeding in pulling each other in again.

 

In her sleep, Hotaru smiled warmly and slept better then she had in years.

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

Endnote: Next time, Ranma sits down with Setsuna and attempts to understand the improbability of reincarnation, and also comes face to face with a piece of Polaris' life. Until then, keep believing, keep pretending.