[Eva/Ranma][FanFic] For the Sake of the Children - Part 8

[Anand Rao]

For the Sake of the Children

Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi
Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Gainax

Oh, I suppose I should have mentioned this early on, but there are some
Eva spoilers here, especially if you don't know anything about Rei.

All forms of C&C welcome.

Chapter 8: A Past Revisited Part I
------------------------------------------

Kaji knocked on the front door of the house and waited patiently,
hearing footsteps come towards him from the inside. He was almost ready
to implement the final stage of his plan. He was here, at the Saotome
house, to cover all his bases; and to satisfy a curiosity.

The door opened, revealing Ranko. She was wearing a pair of faded blue
jeans and an oversized Chinese-style red shirt that had obviously
belonged to Ranma at one time. Her hair was wrapped up in a thick white
towel and the shoulders and neckline of her shirt were damp. "Oh, hi!
It's nice to see you again!" she greeted.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Kaji asked apologetically.

"What? No, I just finished getting out of the shower," Ranko replied,
explaining her appearance.

"I see. Is your father home by any chance?" Kaji asked.

"Sure, come inside," Ranko replied, stepping away from the doorway.
"Otosan's in the Dojo with Rei right now. You're welcome to go on over
there, I'm sure he won't mind."

"I'd rather not disturb him if he's in 'sensei' mode. As I recall, he
got rather, uh, annoyed when people interrupted his classes. Do you
mind if I just wait for him?" Kaji asked.

"Oh, okay. Go ahead and have a seat," Ranko said gesturing to the sofa
in the living room. "Can I get ya anything to drink?" she offered.

"No thanks," Kaji replied as he sat back on the sofa. He glanced around
the room, noticing the assorted books, knickknacks, and photographs on
the walls. His eyes focused on one photo in particular. It was an old
one, a picture of Akane and Ranma-chan at the beach. Ranma was wearing
his standard one-piece swimsuit with the word 'Boy' printed in big bold
letters on the front. Akane was wearing a yellow bikini top and a pair
of jean cutoffs that made her look eerily like Misato. As Kaji pondered
-that- revelation, Ranko sat down on a love seat across from him,
curiously looking at his face.

"You knew my parents and all their friends from before, didn't you?"
Ranko asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes I did. Life. . . was never dull," Kaji replied fondly.

"What- what was my Aunt Ranko like? I mean, I've seen lots of pictures
of her and my mom, or my grandmother, or one of my aunts. But I don't
know anything about her. Otosan won't really say anything about her
either; and- and in all the pictures I've seen, Otosan and her are never
in the same one together. I just thought it was kinda strange," Ranko
said.

"Ranko. . . is difficult to explain," Kaji said uncomfortably.

"You see? Otosan gets that -exact- same look on his face whenever I
mention her! Why is that? What's the big secret? I mean, I look like
her, so is she- was she really my mother?" Ranko asked.

"Huh? No. I'm pretty sure Ranko was -not- your mother," Kaji replied.
(At least, I think so,) he amended silently.

"Then why won't anyone tell me about her?" Ranko demanded, then blushed.
"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking it out on you," she apologized.

"That's all right," Kaji said graciously, "I'm not really the person you
need to talk to about this, but I can tell you one thing. I think, that
there was no one in Ranma's life that he hated, or loved, more than
Ranko."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense! How can you love and hate someone
at the same time?" Ranko protested.

"It's all too easy. Unfortunately, you'll learn that one day, when
you're a bit older," Kaji replied sadly.

****************************************

Ranma and Rei stood facing each other in the dojo. Both student and
teacher were dressed in white gis. Ranma's arms, hands, and legs were
covered with thick pads. The pads were there more for Rei's sake than
for Ranma's. "Good. This time try two right jabs, followed by a left
hook, then a right uppercut, okay?" Ranma asked.

Rei nodded her head and immediately attacked, aiming her punches towards
the pads on Ranma's hands. Each hit struck cleanly, and Ranma nodded
his head in admiration. "Do it again," he said. Without missing a
beat, Rei performed the combination attack flawlessly again. "Three
more times," Ranma smirked. He was truly impressed with Rei, and a bit
unnerved by her. She never complained, glared, or even sighed. Ranma
was attempting to push her to her limits and she simply acquiesced and
accomplished what was requested of her. (I need ta get a rise outta
this girl,) Ranma though.

"Nice job, Rei. You're a natural. Are you feeling tired?" Ranma asked.

Her hair was damp and plastered to her forehead and neck. Sweat
drenched her face, and dripped in rivulets down her chin. She shook her
head, silently allowing Ranma to continue.

"Okay then, there's one more thing I want you to do," Ranma paused,
smiling thoughtfully, "attack me. You choose the moves or the combos.
Heck, create your own combos if you want! But, attack me."

A perplexed look crossed Rei's face and she tilted her head slightly to
one side. (Gotcha,) Ranma thought as he smiled and took a step back.
"Rei, you got talent. You're a hard worker and a good listener. You
only need to be told something once, and you do it. -Now-, however, I
want to see your creativity. You're not a parrot, Rei, or a puppet;
you're a human being. So, show me Rei. Show me what makes you, you.
Attack me," Ranma said again.

Ranma blinked in surprise as a light blush grew on Rei's cheeks and her
perplexity grew into visible agitation. (Human. . . being. No, not
me,) she thought.

"Relax Rei. This isn't hard. Close your eyes and take a deep breath;
like I showed you earlier," Ranma said.

"The meditation technique," Rei said.

"That's right, you need to find your center again. Take as long as you
need; I'll be ready for you," Ranma replied.

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she
allowed her mind to wander. (Human,) she thought. (No, a tool. A tool
of Unit 00.) Rei pictured her Eva in her mind, images of the battles
she fought floated through her mind. (A tool for him.) Rei thought of
Gendou, and what he truly wanted of her. (An expendable marionette.)
Rei opened her eyes, her face calm. (I know my fate; I welcome it.)

She opened with a kick, her foot snapping up and connecting with Ranma's
left hand. She followed with a right hook, a left uppercut, then
another kick. (I'm . . .) She took a step forward and let out a right
jab, upward towards Ranma's face. Ranma stood firm and easily blocked
the strike. (I'm . . . ) Rei attempted a power kick with her back leg,
but lost her balance and fell backwards. (I'm a lie,) she thought just
before landing on the floor.

"Rei, are you okay?" Ranma asked, kneeling down in front of her.

"Yes," she replied.

"I guess I pushed you a bit too hard today," Ranma said sheepishly,
"Sorry about that." Ranma held out his hand, but Rei just sat there and
stared at him for a few moments.

"Er, are you sure you're okay?" Ranma asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she replied. Ignoring Ranma's outstretched hand, she stood
up. Ranma blinked and then stood as well.

"I guess we're done for the day. Why don't you go on in the house and
take a shower; then I'll take ya home," Ranma suggested.

"Thank you," Rei replied, walking towards the door.

"Rei?" Ranma inquired. The albino girl paused and turned towards him.
"What made you attempt that last kick? It wasn't anything I'd shown
you," Ranma said curiously.

"I. . . don't know," Rei replied uncertainly.

"Well, next time, I'll show how to do it without losing balance, okay?"

"Next time?" Rei asked.

"Sure. That is, of course, if you want to continue practicing. I won't
make you do anything you don't want to, Rei," Ranma said firmly.

"I'd like to continue the training," Rei said.

"Glad to hear it. If you keep it up, in a few years, you'll be a great
martial artist!" Ranma exclaimed.

(Years? Is this what it means to live and grow? Will I have the time?
Can I. . . survive?) Rei thought. She glanced around the dojo almost
longingly. (A home.) She turned away from Ranma and continued to walk
out of the dojo. As she got to the door, she turned her head towards
Ranma once more. "Saotome-sensei? Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome, Rei," Ranma replied as Rei walked towards the house.

****************************************

"Oh God! You gotta be kidding!" Ranko screamed, laughing so hard that
tears formed in her eyes.

"Not at all. It really happened. It was a month before your parents'
wedding too. I thought they were going to call it off again, Akane was
so mad," Kaji said, grinning slightly.

"I can't believe their lives were so- Oh, looks like they've finished,"
Ranko observed, watching as Rei opened the backyard door and enter the
house. "Would you like to take a shower?" Ranko asked.

"Yes, thank you," Rei replied.

"I'll go get you a towel," Ranko said. She walked to the linen closet
and took out a large towel from the top shelf. She returned to the
living room and handed Rei the towel. "How was training today?" Ranko
asked brightly.

"Fine," Rei replied.

"Uh, great. Well, you know where the shower is, so feel free," Ranko
offered.

"Thank you," Rei said once more, walking to the restroom.

"Well, I guess you can go see Otosan now," Ranko said to Kaji after Rei
had left.

"Thanks for keeping me company, you've been a gracious hostess," Kaji
replied suavely.

"Oh, y-you're welcome," Ranko replied, blushing at the compliment. Kaji
walked purposely to the backyard door, then paused and turned back
towards Ranko.

"Say, could I trouble you for a glass of water?" he asked.

"Sure! Would you like some ice with it?" Ranko asked.

"Actually, yes. The colder the better," Kaji said, laughing lightly as
if he had made a joke. Ranko walked into the kitchen and took a tall
glass from one of the cupboards. She opened the freezer, grabbed a
handful of ice cubes and dropped them into the glass.

"Um, we only have tap water," Ranko said apologetically as she walked to
the sink and filled up the glass with water.

"That will be fine," Kaji assured her. (Besides, it's not like I'm
going to drink it,) he thought.

"Here ya go," Ranko said, handing him the glass.

"Thanks. Well, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Kaji said, walking out
into the backyard. He paused at the koi pond, fondly remembering the
various times people had been dunked in a very similar one located in a
modest dojo in Nerima. (More and more lately I've been missing those
days,) he thought with a sigh. After a few moments he continued on
towards the dojo.

He opened the door and stepped inside the dojo. He saw Ranma packing
away his arm and leg pads into a storage closet. "Hey Sensei, do you
have a few minutes?" he asked lightly.

"Kaji? What are you doing here?" Ranma asked in surprise.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you," Kaji replied
seriously.

"Okay, come on, have a seat," Ranma said, sitting on the floor. Kaji
walked a little closer to Ranma and sat down in front of him.

"Ranma. . . I have a favor to ask you," Kaji said hesitantly.

"Name it," Ranma replied immediately.

"There's a job I need to do. Afterwards, I'll be leaving Tokyo-3;
probably for a good long while. I was wondering, if you could look
after Misato for me. Ranma, there are a lot of dangerous secrets in
NERV. For months now, Misato has been stubbornly investigating things
that could get her killed," Kaji said seriously.

"This job you're doing. . . It's just as dangerous, isn't it?" Ranma
guessed.

"Yes it is," Kaji admitted, "but it's a job I need to do, Ranma."

"I understand. Do you need any help?" Ranma asked.

"I'm afraid that Marital Arts won't help me with this one. If you can
just look after Misato for me, I'd appreciate it," Kaji replied.

"I'll take care of her," Ranma assured him.

"Great, that's one thing I won't have to worry about at least," Kaji
sighed. "Now, on to the second reason that I'm here." Kaji casual
lifted the glass of ice water and tossed it onto Ranma's face.

"W-What was -that- for?" Ranma sputtered irritably.

"I'll be damned! You really are cured!" Kaji exclaimed in wonderment.

"So good of you to notice," Ranma replied dryly.

"How'd it happen?" Kaji asked softly.

"It's kinda a long story," Ranma sighed.

"I got the time," Kaji replied. He saw the haunted look that passed on
Ranma's face and smiled gently. "If it's too difficult for you to talk
about it, I understand," he said.

"Huh? No, it just brings back some. . . difficult memories, that's all.
It all began shortly after Akane and I got married, a couple days into
our honeymoon, to be exact," Ranma replied.

************************************************

"Ranma. . ," Akane whispered softly, gently caressing his face.

"Hmm?" Ranma mumbled, unconsciously tightening his hold on Akane.

"Good morning, Husband," she replied lightly.

Ranma's eyes snapped open and his head jerked up slightly. He looked at
Akane, who was happily nestled against his chest and grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry, this is gonna take some time to get used to," he said.

"I know," Akane replied throatily, "and we have the rest of our lives to
get used to this."

"Hmmm. . . We should have done this a long time ago," Ranma mused,
absently running is hand down Akane's bare back.

"Get married?" Akane asked, a bit startled.

"That too," Ranma replied, grinning openly.

"Pervert," Akane giggled, biting lightly on Ranma's ear.

"Tomboy," Ranma moaned, tightening his hold on Akane.

(Kasumi was right, this is -much- better than hitting him,) Akane
thought wickedly as she kissed her way down his chest.

Much, much later, the newlyweds sat at the dining table enjoying a late
breakfast. They had the house to themselves for a week, after which
time they planned to go on an extended training trip around Japan. "So?
How is it?" Akane asked eagerly as her husband shoveled food into his
mouth.

"Ya know, if you would have told me two years ago that your cooking
would improve this much, I'd say you were dreaming!" Ranma replied.

"So you like it?" Akane demanded.

"Sure! Well, actually, the fried rice is a -little- salty, but other
than that. . ," Ranma trailed off as Akane's eyes narrowed. Wordlessly,
she tasted a bit of the rice and her shoulders slumped.

"I guess I salted it twice," Akane admitted softly, "and I wanted things
to be perfect too!"

"Hey Akane, a little salt's not gonna kill me! It's great, honest!"
Ranma protested.

"Really?" Akane asked, sniffling softly. Ranma smiled as he gently put
his arm around Akane's shoulders. (I can't believe how cute she is!) he
thought. Ranma had been amazed at the changes wrought in Akane during
the few days of their marriage. The same woman who had tried to send
him into lunar orbit only a month ago now acted gentle, loving, and
demure.

Akane wiped her eyes and raised her face towards Ranma, waiting
expectantly. Ranma leaned down to kiss his wife, but was interrupted by
an insistent and loud knocking on the front door. Akane groaned
resignedly and pulled back away from Ranma. "Perfect timing," she
observed dryly.

"I'll go answer it. Then we can get back to. . . breakfast," Ranma
smirked.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Who ever it is, get rid of them!"
Akane replied.

Ranma stood up and laughingly jogged to the front door. (If it's Ryoga,
I'll kill him,) Ranma thought wryly. As he neared the door, Ranma
suddenly became alert. (Jeez, I haven't sensed anyone -this- powerful
since. . ,) Ranma thought, then suddenly opened the door. Standing
before him was a tall man with long, silver hair that flowed down his
back. He was wearing a scaled metallic breastplate and a think dark
green cloak. "Herb?" Ranma asked unbelievingly.

"Ranma Saotome," the man greeted, "I trust you've been well?"

"What are you doing here, Herb?" Ranma demanded warily.

The prince of the Musk Dynasty smirked slightly and pushed back his
cloak. "Relax Saotome, I am not here to fight you," he replied.

"Where are your two goons?" Ranma asked, glancing around the yard.

"They got. . . distracted on the way here," Herb sighed.

"Do you guys -still- have that problem?" Ranma scowled.

"No! I'm -married- now!" Herb snapped.

"I'm sure she must be a nice animal," Ranma deadpanned.

Herb's face turned red and he glared at Ranma. "If you must know, I
married an Amazon. Now, if we can get back to reason why I'm here?" he
asked acidly.

"Yeah, why are ya here?" Ranma asked.

"Saotome, when last we met, I locked you in cursed form, then did battle
with the intent to kill you. We were enemies; and yet, at the end of it
all, you saved my life," Herb stated.

"I won't kill," Ranma declared clearly, "even a guy like you."

"Be that as it may, you did save my life," Herb repeated, "and because
of that. . . I'm indebted to you," he grimaced.

"What? You feel like ya owe me something? Since when is honor so
important to you?" Ranma asked.

"It was my wife's idea," Herb admitted, "she thinks it's bad luck to let
any debt go unpaid; superstitious nonsense!"

"If it's nonsense, then why are you here?" Ranma demanded.

"If you ever get married, you'll understand," Herb replied dryly.

"So you came all this way just to thank me?" Ranma asked. He was still
wary of the powerful prince and decided not to mention his recent
marriage.

"Yes, and to offer some information that you may find useful," Herb
replied.

"What information?" Ranma asked.

"Rumors have been spreading recently about a healing spring in the
Himalayas. It is said that bathing in the spring can cure any ailment;
physical, mental, or spiritual; including curses," Herb said.

"Even. . . curses. . ," Ranma repeated slowly.

"Indeed. Apparently some yogi mystics live near the spring, and their
meditations and prayers are what power it. Some nonsense about 'Karmic
Powers'. I thought, perhaps, that you might find such a place useful,"
Herb explained.

"A cure. . ," Ranma whispered. "Hey, why haven't you gone there?" he
asked suspiciously.

"A cure no longer holds any importance to me," Herb declared.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Let's just say that my wife prefers me this way," Herb grimaced.

"She prefers. . . it?" Ranma said, starting to snicker.

"At any rate, this is for you," Herb said coldly. He pulled out a
folded up piece of paper from his cloak and handed it to Ranma. "That's
a map to the approximate location of the spring."

"Th-thanks, Herb. I appreciate this," Ranma replied, his caution
waning.

"My debt to you has been met. The -next- time we meet, you would do
well to watch your tongue, or I will break you!" Herb declared, abruptly
turning around and walking away from the house.

"I'd like ta see ya try it jerk," Ranma muttered as Herb walked away.
Ranma closed the door and glanced down at the map in his hands. "A
cure? A cure!" he exclaimed. He ran back to the dining table and
excitedly sat down in front of Akane.

"Ranma, what's the matter? Who was that at the door?" Akane asked, her
eyes wide.

"It was Herb! He brought a map! There might be a cure to my curse!"
Ranma babbled eagerly.

"Herb?! What was he doing here? Map? What map? A cure?" Akane
demanded.

"Look, Herb came here to tell me about this place in the Himalayas that
has a healing spring or something. He said it may be able to cure me;
and he gave me a map to the place! All I need to do is go to China,"
Ranma explained.

"Woah, slow down a minute. China? Don't you think you need to think
this through a bit?" Akane asked pointedly.

"Aw, what's ta think about Akane? We were gonna go on a training trip
anyway, right? We'll just head to the Himalayas, get me cured, then
come back. We train during the whole journey!" Ranma replied.

"Something just doesn't seem right about this. Are you sure you can
trust Herb?" Akane wondered.

"It was a matter of honor, so I guess we can trust him. Besides, if he
was out for revenge or something, he'd just attack me," Ranma pointed
out.

"I'm still not sure about this, Ranma. I thought you were okay with the
curse now," Akane said in small voice.

"I've accepted it, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna pass of the chance
for a cure," Ranma said.

"I understand. . . but, what if something goes wrong?" Akane asked.

"What could go wrong? We're just heading off to some healing spring in
the Himalayas. It'll be great training for us," Ranma replied
confidently.

"I guess. . .," Akane replied dubiously.

"There are lots of beautiful places in China, Akane. We'll have a
blast, I promise!" Ranma said, staring hopefully at his wife.

Akane shook her head and finally smiled. She cupped Ranma's face with
her hand and kissed him lightly. "Okay, Ranma. Let's go to China," she
said with a sigh.

************************

The End

************************

Authors Notes:

Ok, well, I planned to make 'A Past Revisited' all into one chapter, but
quite frankly, 'Real Life' has been looming largely in the horizon
lately, and writing time is short. So I decided to split it into two
parts. Otherwise, chapter 8 wouldn't have been released in a loooooong
time. ^_^

Such as it is, I hope you enjoy it, and chapter 9 will be out. . . well,
whenever I get around to it.

On a side note, I had originally planned to end this in 12 chapters, but
that's not going to happen anymore. My outline has been thrown off
completely, (I had originally wanted to introduce Ryoga three chapters
ago!) So, we'll see how things go.

Nameste,

Anand