[Ranma][Fanfic] Borrowed Time - Part 3
Nicholas Leifker
Leifker presents...
Kasumi's scream was the first thing Soun heard, a pain-filled
cry that sent his paternal instincts on edge. He looked over to his
eldest child, and blanched at the arrow stuck through her arm. Blood
- too much blood, Soun thought - gushed from her arm, staining the
wooden floor below.
Soun's first instinct was to help his daughter, to ease her pain
and to make sure she was comfortable. He moved to get up - then
stopped as an arrow flew past him, clipping his hair and embedding in
the table between him and his child. He glanced at Kasumi long
enough to see Nodoka take her, then bounded from the house and into
the backyard.
The rational father that had casually raised his children was
gone by that time. Someone had made the mistake of hurting one of
his babies, and for that they were going to die. They would know a
moment's pain before he sent them into the next world; that Soun
Tendou swore. He leapt from the ground to the roofs above, using the
wall as a stepping stone to his prey.
It wasn't difficult to see her once he made it to the roof. His
target was only a slip of a girl, a couple of years younger than
Ranma or Akane, clad in the quirky style of clothing common among
natives of Mandarin China. The girl had an arrow aimed straight at
his heart, and another waiting in case the first one missed.
Soun didn't care.
He charged at the girl with animal ferocity, not caring what her
arrows could do to his flesh. The first arrow clipped his arm,
cutting enough to draw blood, but nothing more. He could see his
target readying the second arrow, and knew that she would be too late
- much too late.
The sniper tried to back off as she saw Soun charge, using the
bow and arrow as melee weapons to guard her retreat. Soun knocked
the bow from her left hand, and ignored the arrow's cuts as he
grabbed her right. The Amazon tried to struggle - a struggle which
stopped as Soun grabbed her by the throat, a muscle spasm away from
justifiable homicide.
It was in that agonizing moment, as the world stopped, that Soun
got a look at the sniper's face. For all the girl's skill with the
bow, for all her warrior's intentions, she was still just a child.
A child, much like the three that he had raised, who didn't want
to die.
With an anguished cry, Soun cold-cocked the warrior to keep her
from struggling, and carried her back to the house. As much as he
wanted to kill her, the time for fighting had finished, and there was
business to sort out back at home.
*********************************************************************
Leifker presents...
Borrowed Time
Part three of four
A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker
All Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. All rights
reserved. I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without the author's permission.
Heh... damn, this feels good.
*********************************************************************
When Soun returned to the Tendou home, he found that things had
taken a turn for the worse. Kasumi's injury was the most obvious, as
Nodoka wrapped his daughter's arm in gauze; unfortunately, she was
not the only one hurt. Shampoo placed an icepack on Akane's head,
even as her own wounds bled. Ranma was busy tying up an unconscious
Amazon, and Genma held the Saotome honor sword, a blade he was wiping
clean of blood. All of their expressions, while no doubt mirroring
his own, still shocked him; he never thought he would see familiar
faces so profoundly furious.
"What happened?"
Ranma finished the knots that bound the other attacker. "They
rushed in from both sides. We were lucky; Kasumi's screams warned us
of the attack. We managed to knock one of them out and stab another
before they ran off." His eyes instinctively shifted to Akane, and
he moved to cradle her in his arms.
Soun's eyes moved over to Genma. "Stab?"
His old friend nodded. The blade quivered in his shaking hands.
"I... I saw her go for Nodoka, and I reacted instinctively. I... the
wound wasn't immediately fatal, but it'll keep her out of action for
awhile." He sheathed the sword, and purposely placed it as far from
himself as he could. "She ran off, but I don't know how far she can
go."
Soun heard a moan, and looked down at the girl in his arms. He
unceremoniously placed her on the floor, and started to bind her.
Once finished, he moved almost blindly to the table, his hands
seeking the comforting wood.
"Ha... have the police been notified?"
"Yes. They'll be here in a few minutes. I also called Dr.
Tofu, and he's on his way." Nodoka walked over to Soun, and started
to look at the cuts on his arm. "Are you okay?"
Soun just stared out into space. He could feel the tears
threatening, along with a primal scream that begged to be released,
but he couldn't - wouldn't - release them. Not yet. "I... My eldest
daughter was just shot with an arrow. My youngest daughter was
knocked unconscious, and could've been killed if..." He shook his
head, trying to block out the recent events from his mind. "I... am
most definitely not okay, Nodoka."
Nodoka grabbed him by the shoulders, and gently began to knead
his tense muscles. "Just calm down, Soun. Everyone came out all
right. Kasumi's fine, Akane's fine, we're all fine." She got up,
and headed to the kitchen. "Let me get some tea ready to calm
everyone's nerves."
Soun stared at her for a moment, almost like a man drowning.
"Yes, Nodoka... that would be perfect. Thank you." He could feel
the table's wood splintering in his grip. His eyes turned to
Shampoo, who was helping Ranma tend to Akane's injuries.
"Shampoo, what do you know about the warriors who attacked us?
The police will be here any minute, and they will want to know as
much about the attackers as possible."
Shampoo bowed her head. "They five warriors from village. Mai
Lin shoot Kasumi with arrow. Lon Kai Ranma knock out. Lon Wu one
with stab wound, and others are Li Jin and Xian Den." Her voice
turned low for a moment. "There more out there. There at least six
in hunt, and Hibachan help."
"Do you think they would be at the Nekohanten?" Soun fixed a
stern gaze on the expatriate Amazon.
She nodded. "If not at restaurant, Shampoo not know where."
"Okay." Soun let out a gentle sigh. Perhaps with the police's
help, this could be ended quickly. "Thank you for your help."
"Shampoo grateful for shelter." She lowered her head to the
ground. "If want Shampoo leave, Shampoo understand."
"No. We made a promise to protect you, and we will not break
that promise." He looked over at the entrance, to see the police
enter, and sighed. They weren't going to like what he had to tell
them.
*********************************************************************
An Amazon does not fear death. An Amazon accepts death as a
part of life, and yearns for the most glorious, honorable ending
possible - preferably while defending her sisters in battle. As
such, there are few things that an Amazon truly fears; after all, if
they stood together, there was nothing which could stand in their
way.
One of those 'few things' was silently sipping tea in the
Nekohanten, looking at Li Jin and Xian Den through angry, smoldering
eyes. The elder woman could not speak; it was clear that her
emotions had temporarily taken the words from her. She poked at the
two still standing with her walking staff, her eyes the only method
by which she could communicate.
After a moment, she backed off, her eyes still aflame. "I told
you! I warned you of what could happen! You were explicitly told
not to harm any of the others in the house! Now, why did you disobey
my orders?"
Li Jin found the courage to speak up, her voice stammering.
"El-Elder, we didn't see anything wrong with-"
Cologne rapped her over the head. "You didn't see anything
wrong? You were at the tournament two years ago; you saw how easily
Ranma took Shan Pu apart. Now imagine a household of such people.
And you claim you didn't see anything wrong?"
"No, I didn't, Elder. There were a couple of capable warriors
in the house; however, our reconnaisance showed only two warriors who
would be a problem. Beyond that, all we saw were old men and weak
Japanese women."
"In other words, you saw NOTHING." Cologne spat at Li Jin's
feet. "When an elder offers you advice, you listen. You don't go
off half-cocked, expecting that 'Amazon strength' will overcome;
that's silly propaganda brought on by people too immersed in the
past. This is the present. And these people are a serious threat to
us, if we anger them."
Cologne turned away from them, her anger deflating. "What
happened to Mai Lin and Lon Kai?"
The two Amazons looked at each other. "We don't know. We think
they were captured, but we can't be certain."
Cologne propped herself up next to the injured body of Lon Wu.
"They will no doubt be secured by the family, long enough for them to
be taken in by the authorities. Once that happens, they are out of
our reach - and worse than dead. Beyond that, we can't stay here
long - the police will be here soon looking for us, and we must avoid
such legal entanglements." She looked down at Lon Wu's resting form.
"Can you walk?"
The injured woman nodded, and felt the bandages around her
stomach. "Yes - for awhile, anyway."
Cologne nodded. "Good. We have to move quickly. Take me to
where Mu Tsu and Lan Yap are resting. The restaurant is no longer
safe. Let me get some important things, and we'll be off." Before
heading into the kitchen, she flashed the pair an evil smile. "By
the way, I touched a pressure point known as the 'full-body cat's
tongue' on each of you. It isn't a problem for you - provided you
never acquire a Jusenkyo curse. If you disobey me again, though, it
will be the last day you spend as a human being."
The two uninjured Amazons looked at each other, then at a
touched point between the chest and stomach. They thought of the
magic of Jusenkyo, and inwardly vowed never to disobey the elder
again.
*******************************************************************
Ranma knelt in front of the toilet, letting the day's lunch
escape him, along with a small portion of his anxieties. Fight or
no, vomit still tasted like vomit, and he grimaced as he wiped his
mouth.
He stared at the lunch floating in the toilet, his mind flying.
He never got this nervous about fights before, not even during the
fight with Saffron. Of course, that was before he had a lot to lose.
He'd been a loner for so long that even losing his life in battle
would be no great tragedy.
When Kasumi screamed and the Amazons rushed into the room,
Ranma's nerves turned ice-cold. His mind took a back seat as he
fought the other Amazons, not trying to kill them, but not holding
back either. That was when he was at his finest, when the Art flowed
through him without any effort.
In the instant that Akane was knocked out, that changed. He saw
the Amazon raise her sword over Akane's prone form, about to finish
her off, and Ranma's blood boiled. He had never really attacked to
kill before; in that moment, the Amazon he fought understood the true
horror of the Musabetsu Kaketou Ryuu. He pummeled her mercilessly,
and probably would have killed her if the others hadn't run off.
After it was all said and done, after the police had shown up
and he could relax, he found himself here. This wasn't like his
earlier fights. Those were one-on-one, with their best warrior
matching his skills against himself. This fight was a war, with
families and loves on the line on both sides and neither side giving
a damn about who wouldn't be walking away from it. There was no safe
zone - indeed, the safe zone had just been violated - and much of the
comfort of his life had left him as a result.
Ranma flushed the toilet, and staggered back outside. The
police and medics were still there, asking questions and making sure
that everyone was patched up. The scene seemed so unreal, so...
mortal. They had always handled such emergencies in-house. He had
never imagined that they would need to seek outside assistance.
"Where's Akane?" he slurred.
Soun looked up from his questioning. "She's resting in bed."
Ranma nodded and walked upstairs, purposely ignoring the
policemen there. There was only one place left where he felt truly
safe.
He knocked on her door softly. "Akane?"
"Come in, Ranma," came the muffled reply.
Ranma slid the door open. Akane was curled up in a ball on her
bed, sobbing quietly. A bandage was around her head where the blow
had left a small cut. Ranma sat down next to her on the bed, and
quietly ran his fingers through her hair.
"Akane, I..."
"Ranma, I... I'm sorry I'm such a klutz." She banged a fist
against the bed. "Why did they have to come? We were happy before
this! If only Shampoo hadn't..."
Ranma lay down next to her, and held her in his arms. "Akane,
you know better. You're not a klutz; she just took you by surprise.
And as for why... you know why."
Akane shook her head. "But now... with Kasumi... can't we
just..." She shook her head, apparently knowing how her protests
sounded. "Sorry. It's just... Just hold me, Ranma."
Ranma tightened his grip around her, and whispered into her
hair. "I'll never let you go, my kawaiikune fiancee." He kissed her
on the forehead just below her bandage, and rubbed his fingers
against hers. "I swear it."
*********************************************************************
There are some events that reflect a change in a person's life,
Mousse reflected in between sips of water. His journey to Japan
could be considered one. It was a boy who first left the village in
search of his childhood love and to kill the warrior who had taken
her from him. It was a young man who had faced down Herb's minions
at Hourai, and a slightly older young man who had watched Shampoo
fall in Kiima's eggspell. He had taken a large step when she had
emerged from the egg that second time; he had begun to let go and
allow her to find her own path - even if that path didn't include
him.
Now, it looked as though his 'letting go' was about to be
complete, and with it would go the last of his childhood.
He took another sip of his water, and looked over at the
entrance. Someone was trying to get in; one of the other Amazons,
most likely. He didn't feel like getting the door for them; he was
tired, in a way he'd not felt before. He was weary in the soul.
Mousse wiped some moisture off on his blue jeans, and waited for the
door to open.
His instincts had been correct. Cologne walked in, soon
followed by three of the others. Curiously, two of their number -
Mai Lin and Lon Kai - were absent. His emotions warred inside, as it
meant that maybe, just maybe...
"What happened?"
Cologne flashed him a deadly look, then turned to the others.
"These fools didn't bother to listen to me. Mai missed and hit one
of the Tendous - Kasumi, by the description. They should have
retreated then, but they decided to attack instead." Cologne shook
her head. "We have to settle things quickly. Mai and Lon are
probably in police custody by now, and it won't take long for them to
find out who they are and where they're from. If our government
hears about it and the entire village is implicated, it could mean
disaster for all of us."
"Can't we break them out?"
"Have you figured out how to dodge bullets, Xian?" Cologne
turned to the person in question. "Honestly, we could, but not
without making more of a mess than things already are. They'd have
every policeman in Tokyo after us." Quite suddenly, the matriarch
turned from the group and over to Mousse, switching her language to
Japanese to get his attention. "Mousse, come here."
Mousse blinked. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" she growled. "We need you right now."
He set the cup down and walked over to her. "What do you want?"
Cologne's dark eyes seemed to stare right through him. "I need
you to go over to the Tendous to talk to Shampoo. She won't listen
to me; she might listen to you. Convince her to come back and face
judgement, to avoid further bloodshed."
"What makes you think she'll listen to me?"
The smile that formed on Cologne's face was almost guileless.
"Didn't you know? She has more feelings for you than you realize."
Mousse's anger rose at that statement. "If you're trying to
convince me that Shampoo loves me, don't. That won't work anymore."
"I wasn't," Cologne said evenly. "She views you as a friend.
Right now she probably feels that everyone else from the village has
betrayed her. That leaves only one person to try to convince her to
come back. If she doesn't, there's a good chance that a number of
Tendous and Saotomes will die."
"You don't mean to..."
"I don't want to." The growl from Cologne's throat sent chills
down Mousse's spine. "But the combatants are too good to allow one
side to hold back. Ranma can beat *me*, under some circumstances. A
number of people are going to die if this doesn't stop, and if you
can convince her to come back, then all that can be avoided."
"Not all," Mousse replied evenly.
"True. Very true." Cologne rubbed her fingers against her
lips. "But enough that she might want to give herself up. Now, will
you do that?"
Mousse nodded. "Of course. And what will you be doing?"
Cologne sighed. "Going to an alternate plan - one these fools
should have tried before." She turned around, and gave Mousse a
deadly glare. "Go. And hurry."
Mousse sighed, and finished his cup of water. He wiped the
moisture from his lips, and looked down at the sheen of water on his
hand. Fate had given him one last moment with Shampoo - a chance for
him to save her soul, or perhaps just to say goodbye.
**********************************************************************
Shampoo stared out the window of Kasumi's bedroom, watching the
night stars as they shone down on the earth below. Truth to tell,
she missed the sight from the village; in Tokyo, the lights from the
city drowned out all but the brightest stars. In the village, she
could see a vast sea of stars, so many that even thinking about
counting them would be impossible. The stars seemed so lonely in the
city, she thought... drowned out in a false darkness.
"Shampoo?"
She turned to the door. "Not-ni... er, Akane?"
Akane walked in the room, and took a position next to her at the
window. "I was wondering if we could talk."
"Understand." Shampoo took another glance at the sky. "What
want talk about?"
Akane let out a long sigh. Her face was tense; her lips were a
thin, bloodless line, and her eyebrows furrowed to a point. "Why are
the Amazons like this? Why are they hunting us like this? I'd like
to think it's just because of that stupid law... but there's more to
it, isn't there?"
Shampoo nodded sadly. "Amazons have much pride. It effort to
get past pride. Amazon have law, and law most important. Lose law
mean lose pride." She spouted some lines in Chinese, in an effort to
convey what she couldn't in Japanese.
"Pride too dangerous thing, Akane. Pride make person do thing
that person normally not do. It also make person feel good. Pride
no let person ask questions to self. If no doubts, there no
problems, no guilt. No worries. But person miss out on truth, make
person not see. You once have pride with Ranma, yes?"
Akane nodded slowly.
"And now much better because you give up pride, yes?"
Akane's face flushed beet red.
"Amazons no realize this. They have much pride, and not see
better thing."
"Are they ever going to give up?"
Shampoo shook her head. "Not ones on hunt. They die before
give up. If can defeat and kill or capture, then Shampoo safe. If
no, then..."
"Why did you come to us, anyway?"
Shampoo turned from Akane's gaze, and looked to the outside.
"There some things that Shampoo never give up. Shampoo give up on
Ranma, because Ranma no Shampoo's to have. Shampoo no give up on
life, because this life Shampoo's.
"Amazons have much pride. Shampoo, too, have pride. Shampoo
want live. Shampoo no can defeat Amazons alone. Shampoo need help.
Shampoo need friends."
Shampoo reached over, and grabbed Akane's hand. "A... Akane,
Shampoo want say something. Shampoo not know if she get chance
again."
She tightened the grip on the hand for a second. "When Shampoo
first come to Japan, Shampoo think all women outside of village weak,
subservient to man. That why Shampoo support village so much. Women
must have power to choose own life, and not have to answer to man.
"Akane and Ukyou help change that. They not slave to man; they
equal to man. Shampoo not know that exist away from village. It
help Shampoo make choice. It show Shampoo what important."
An uncomfortable silence hung over the two at the end of
Shampoo's words. Akane stood there, uncertain, while Shampoo waited.
Before a response could come, another knock came from the bedroom
door.
"Shampoo!"
"What want, Ranma?" Shampoo shouted back.
Ranma opened the door. "Mousse is downstairs. He wants to talk
to you."
Shampoo glanced from Ranma to Akane and back. "What he want?"
Ranma shrugged. "Dunno. He wouldn't tell me."
Shampoo paused for a moment. "What he wearing?"
"Um... T-shirt and jeans, I think."
Shampoo nodded. "Okay. Shampoo talk." She followed Ranma down
the stairs and into the dining area.
A small part of Shampoo ached at the sight in front of her.
Mousse was so changed in the past two years... both for the better
and the worse. He wasn't a warrior any more; while he still
practiced his martial art, he didn't go around with a robeful of
knives like he used to. The handsome but annoying young boy had
traded in his belligerence for some peace - a peace Shampoo knew she
would never find. He waved quietly at her entrance.
"Shampoo."
"Mousse." Shampoo's words came out as a whisper. She bit her
lip, then started to speak in Mandarin. "What are you doing here?"
Mousse cast his eyes to the floor. "I've come to ask you to
come back, Shan Pu. To face judgement like an Amazon."
"Why should I?" Shampoo crossed her arms defiantly.
"Because it is the only way, and we both know it." Mousse
sighed. "If you go back, you go back with honor, and face death with
honor. If not, they'll hunt you down and kill you like a dog.
Worse, anyone who stands in their way will be killed as well. Do you
really want to put your friends through that?"
Shampoo shook her head. "No, I don't, Mu Tsu. Unfortunately,
the laws of the tribe leave me no choice. You say that I would go
back with honor. You know that's a lie; I would be killed, then
quickly forgotten. A true Amazon doesn't give up like that, not for
some outdated law. The people here - my friends - understand that as
well, and are trying to help me live."
She sat down, and invited Mousse to do the same. "Mu Tsu, I am
forced to make a choice. Either I can remain an Amazon in fact and
sacrifice my warrior's spirit, or I can keep the fighting spirit that
made me worthy of being called an Amazon and fight what my sisters
are doing. I don't want this. Nothing would please me more than to
see the rest of the hunters go home and leave me to live my life.
But I would sooner spit on my ancestors' graves than give up my
warrior's spirit and go back.
"Aren't you doing that now?" Mousse's voice sharpened. "You're
going against everything our people were taught to believe. Isn't
that showing disrespect to our ancestors?"
"The ancestors didn't know better, Mu Tsu. They could only see
one way, one which involved absolute obedience to the law. There are
other ways our goals as Amazons can be accomplished. Your time here
among these outsiders should have shown you that."
Shampoo got up, and turned away. "Mu Tsu, go home. Find a nice
Amazon, get married, and raise fine daughters for the future of our
tribe. I don't ask for your understanding why I do this." She
allowed herself one last look at the man, and gave him a sad smile.
"Sayounara, Mousse."
Mousse got up, and bowed to her. "Farewell, Shampoo. And may
the spirit of the ancestors be with you in your battles."
Shampoo fought the tears in her eyes as she watched him walk
away. She waited until she heard the front door close, then buried
her face in her hands.
***********************************************************************
"... in short, Lockheed Corporation's use of Yoshio Kodama in
acquiring government contracts, while somewhat unethical, was
necessary. The reason why it became a scandal was because it
involved a foreign company."
Nabiki Tendou looked at the last passage, frowning at the way it
sounded. She didn't want it to appear too cold, but the fact of the
matter was that it was cold... in a businesslike manner. She had a
good idea as to what the 'real world' was like, thanks to
relationships formed inside the business community; the problem was,
the teaching assistant who would grade the paper likely wouldn't.
She'd made low grades on a couple of papers for precisely that
reason, and didn't want to jeopardize her grade just because she knew
more than the instructors did.
The young college student saved her work on the computer, and
shut the machine down. College was a waste to her; most of the stuff
the professors taught her was great in theory, but tended to fail
under the stress of practice. It had gotten so bad that she had
considered switching to engineering, even though it would have meant
a more rigorous courseload. Fortunately, there were other things to
distract her from her school problems. She picked up the telephone,
and started dialing.
"Hey, Keiko. Yeah, I finished the paper. Anyway, I was
wondering if you wanted to do something tonight. Yeah, the new
Miyazaki film sounds like a good one. Meet you at seven? Cool. See
you then. Bye."
She hung up the phone, and looked over at the clock. She still
had an hour; enough time for a nice, hot shower. After her workout
earlier in the afternoon, she desperately needed it. She gathered
her bath supplies and robe, and opened the door.
Before she could even see her attacker, she felt a hand grab her
arm and pull her out. She got a close look at hard black eyes, then
felt a soft touch on the back of her neck.
*********************************************************************
"Hello?"
"Hello, Akane Tendou."
At the sound of the gravelly voice, Akane's blood boiled.
"Whatever you have to tell me, old ghoul, I'm not interested. Good
bye." She hung up the phone with a crash, only to have it ring a
moment later.
"Hello?"
"I was wondering if you knew how your sister was doing."
Akane blinked, not expecting to hear such concern. "Um...
Kasumi's okay, I guess."
She could hear the old woman breathe on the other end. "That's
nice to hear. Unfortunately, it isn't Kasumi that should worry you."
Akane paused for a moment as her words sank in. "What have you
done to Nabiki?"
"Nothing - yet. However, if you wish for her to remain in good
health, you and your family will meet at the Furinkan High soccer
fields at sundown tomorrow. Tell Shampoo that she may have the
option of giving herself up, or facing me in combat to the death. No
police are to be involved. Understand?"
"I understand," Akane whispered. She hung up the phone without
saying goodbye and stood there for a moment, letting her anger slowly
build up. She walked up the stairs, her anger barely in control, and
knocked on the door for their guest.
Whatever time Shampoo had bought herself had just run out.
**********************************************************************
Nicholas Leifker
nwl...@unix.tamu.edu
http://people.tamu.edu/~nwl9354 (for now)
May 5, 1998