InuYasha Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ The Guardians of Earth ❯ Past Regrets ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A Ranma 1/2 multiverse fanfiction

By Dmitri 'Ranshin' Antonov

The Guardians of earth

Chapter 4: Past regrets

Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki. To normal people that live a common life they
would be just names. But to people that live
in Nerima those two names could bring fear and amazement, especially the former.
People that live in Nerima know that
these two youngsters are two of the most powerful people in the world. If you
had seen one of the two boys serious
fights you would agree to it within a heartbeat.

Serious fights as in when they start to glow in different colours and start
throwing raw emotional energy around.
This sight of course horrifies normal people, yet at the same time amazes them.
For two seventeen year old boys to be
capable of doing what many martial arts masters could not do even if they
trained their entire life, from the day
they could walk till the day the died, is incredible.

Currently these two boys were on their way to the Tendo dojo to get Ranma's
backpack, among other things.
They were having a conversation about literally speaking how the hell they got
themselves into this situation.

"Why did we agree to this so quickly anyway?" Ryoga sked Ranma. He just didn't
understand why he had agreed to this.

"I'm as clueless as you are man. Maybe because of our pride or something. I
mean, we are martial artists after all.
It's our duty to protect the weak. Isn't it?" Ranma said this unsure of his own
words. This time they weren't going
to fighting some low grade oni, or a demi-god for that matter. They were going
to fight the gods' biggest enemies,
the devils themselves.

"It is our duty. Although I did kind of neglect it for a while. I mean attacking
you the way I did wasn't honorable."

"Will you quit this regret crap! I forgave you for that, now stop beating
yourself over what wasn't really your fault!"

"Okay, sorry about that. But you're right. It's our duty as martial artists to
protect the weak. But I was wondering,
what are you going to tell the Tendos and your parents?"

"I ain't telling the Tendos or the old man shit! The only ones that deserve to
know are Kasumi, mom and Dr.Tofu.
Mom has been showing that she finds Akane an annoyance, not a potential bride.
She also knows that Kasumi has somone
else and that me marrying Nabiki would be a nightmare."

"So, you marrying Akane or any Tendo is out of the question now? I guess your
glad aren't you?"

"I'm relieved. I save Akanes life and how does she repay me? She blames the
whole wedding fiasco on me. I'm seriously
sick of her shit Ryoga. She's the most ignorant person I know. She sees
everything that I do or don't do as perverted
and disgusting. You were like that too, but not nearly all the time. She on the
other hand, she thinks that everything
she wants she's supposed to get. She thinks that life is easy as hell. Us Ryoga,
we worked our asses off to be at the
level we are now. She just thinks that because she's daddys spoiled little girl
she can get anything she wants."

Ranmas voice bore almost nothing but malice. But if you listened clearly and
looked at his eyes you would notice not just
the anger, but the sorrow and regret in his words. He was angry at Akane, there
was no doubt about that. But he was also
sad and regretted that all they went through was for naugh in the end.

"Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. Even if it is a whole pool. Heh I
just remembered how much a hammer she is in
the water. Can't even go one stoke wothout drowning. I'm surprised she didn't
drown in the bath or the shower."

He chuckled, sad at the memory. To think that once he loved that uncute tomboy.
She who was built like a mule, twice as
ugly and just as strong. He even remebered when he used that exact insult on
her. It was when Ryoga and Mousse first
formed an alliance to try to beat him. Which of course failed miserably.

"Those were the times. Remember Togenkyo Ryoga? I almost admitted my feelings
for her there, while saving her from Toma.
She was so stupid for hitting him. I mean, if I was like that brat and some
woman comes and slaps me in the face objecting.
Of course I'd want her as my bride, wouldn't you? She never thinks. Never did,
and isn't now. Sigh...I should just get
over it. Hell I am over it, it's just that, we could have had so much."

Ranma had stopped walking by now and was looking at the ground, his head down.
He had tears streaming freely down his
cheeks and he had a hard time controlling his breathing. He was talking in
heavily controlled sobs.

"And worst of all, Jusendo. I almost lost her, both her and me were so close to
death. I think that if I would have lost
her that day, I would've killed myself. I would have never forgiven myself for
letting her die. But we survived, both
of us. And now what? Only more problems. She hates my guts, she despises me, she
even shows it. Ryoga I can't, no, I
won't take any more of this. The Saotome and Tendo engagement is through. But
the only person I'm telling that for now
is you, and I'm also going to tell Kasumi, my mother and maybe the doc."

He had stopped crying, although his cheeks were wet from his tears and his eyes
were slightly red. Ryoga took in all this
information shockingly without any trouble at all. Akane had become even more
violent than ever since the fiasco.
Ranma the aeroplain was seen more often these days.

They continued their walk, in silence this time. Ranma had many things to regret
and cry about, Ryoga did not. The only
thing that the lost boy really regretted was that he was so blind to the facts
for so long. He didn't know why he had
though that he loved Akane. Probably because she was so nice to hiim while he
was a pig. This was one of the facts that
he was blind about. He had abused Akanes trust and Ranmas friendship, yet the
pigtailed martial artist saved his bacon
lots of times. Ryoga winced at the pun.

"So Ranma what are you going to tell everyone anyway?" he had wanted to ask this
question for a while now but he had let
Ranma have his moment of sorrow in silence. He knew his help wasn't needed,
Ranma healed his own wounds.

"I'm going to tell the Tendos that I'm going on a little training trip. Kasumi
and the doc don't really need to know any
more than that. But as for my mother, she deserves a more complete version. I'll
tell her that I'm leaving, for a long
time. Ucchan'll get the same thing. I'm not even letting the amazons know that
I'm leaving."

"I wonder what we're going to do when we find the next guardian." Ryoga said,
changing the subject. He felt the anger
and sorrow Ranma was currently giving off. And if he decided to release it, his
own Perfect Lion Roar Bullet would
seem like a flickering match compared to what Ranmas would be.

"Well, the first thing is to actually find him, or her. After that I guess we
just touch his or her symbol. Darcyn said
that it was the only way to teleport him to the place that we were at, whatever
that place was." Surprisingly Ranma
seemed to relax, if not by much. But enough to be uncapable of firing off a Shi
Shi Hokodan.

Soon the two boys were at the Tendo dojo. Ranma opened the gate and they walked
through, closing it after them.
They walked up to the porch and Ranma gestured for Ryoga to wait for him, the
lost boy just nodded his head and stood
completely still, for the fear of getting lost.

When Ranma entered he saw that Soun and Genma were playing Shogi as usual. His
mother was drinking tea with Kasumi and
both were watching television, both were slightly wincing for some reason.
Nabiki was not there, which meant that she
was either in her room or out somewhere. Then he noticed the horrible stench
which seemed to come from the kitchen. In
other words, Akane was cooking lunch for him, again. *So that's what mom and
Kasumi are wincing for*

Ranma sighed and walked into the room with a call of "I'm home!" As soon as that
was said all eyes were at him. And then
his father started bickering.

"Where were you boy? What was that stunt with the aura this morning? I demand
you tell me how you did it!" Ranma just
looked at him in sudden confusion. His aura? What was he talking about? Then it
dawned on him. *Of course! Nabiki told
me that I wouldn't wake up this morning becuase I had a huge aura. How the hell
did I forget? Probably because of the
day's events. Oh man...wait a sec! I can use this to my advantage.*

"I have no idea how I did old man. That's what I've been trying to figure out
all day. That's also the reason why I'm
going on a training trip." It was a perfect excuse actually. Of course his
mothers expression showed that she knew that
he was lying. Even for the short time that they had known each other, she still
knew him best.

"You're going on a training trip? That's great boy! You can take your fiancee
with you as well." Genma said this with
a happy yet a little desperate face. *He probably wants me to take Akane with me
so they won't have to eat her poison*

"Are you nuts old man? How the hell am I gonna train if I have a girl with me?
She'll just distract me anyway." Ranma
said this with frustraition. *If she found out what me and Ryoga are gonna be
doing she'd start with that 'I'm a
martial artist too' crap again and demand to come with us.

"Come now son. Surely you can take her with you. She will not be any trouble,
she could help you train." Soun said
this with as much wisdom in his voice as possible. But he was still nervous.

"I can't take her with me. She sure as hell won't be able to help me. She could
help if she were as good as Ryoga or
Shampoo. But she's not, not even close. You know it, I know it, and she knows
it. Now cut the crap and leave me alone!"

Ranma wasn't really angry, just irritated as hell and frustrated to boot. Akane
would never be able to help train him,
that's for sure. Besides this trip wasn't even for training, it would come after
the trip.

"Ok, then boy. Do as you like, but hurry back will you." This was said rather
happily by Genma for some reason. His
intensions were clear though. *The boy will be here in a week admitting his love
for Akane, I'm sure of it!*

"Yes go ahead son. We will be waiting for your return." Soun said this in pretty
much the same relaxed and happy tone as
Genma. Of course since his plans were pretty much the same. *I should have a
priest ready by the time he's back!*

"Uh, sure whatever. I'll go pack." Ranma quickly bolted up the stairs and went
into the guest room. He quickly took out
his traveling pack and put in all the necessary stuff in. Including some
clothes, his tent and other traveling stuff.
He then opened the side pocket of the pack and took out a small wad of cash and
put it into his pocket. *Might as well
put my savings to use*

He then took out a paper and pensil and started writing. He wrote as quickly as
he could, and it took him only a few
minutes to finish. He folded the paper and pocketed it. He then quickly exited
the room and bounded down the stairs.
He then went up to his mother, took out the letter and gave it to her.

"Read this in private when you the get chance. But you probably already know my
intensions." He wispered to her.
Making sure no one would hear. Then he took out a little money from his pocket
and handed it to her.
"Give this to Nabiki, it's what I owe her." He quickly hugged his mother and she
hugged him back, knowing that where ever
he was going, she wouldn't see him again for quite a while.

Then he released her and with a final wisper of "I love you mom." He went for
the door. Then he cursed slightly to himself
when Akane came out of the kitchen with a plate of something that looked like
combination of brocolli and ooze in her
hands.

"Where are you going Ranma?" she said with slight anger in her voice.

"I'm going on a training trip with Ryoga. If you need proof then he's outside."

Akane looked out the window, not believing Ranma. Then she was surprised to see
Ryoga standing there with his arms folded
under his chest, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Ok then, but before you leave have some of the lunch I prepared. I worked
really hard this time Ranma so eat some." she
said this in a threataning voice. With a look that said 'Obey or die'. But Ranma
just shrugged, picket up a pair of
chopsticks out of nowhere and shocking everyone by actually eating it. He
quickly finished everything that was on the
the plate and silently burped to himself.

"So, how was it?" Akane asked with hope on her face. She had tried so hard this
time, it must have been really good if
he ate it that fast.

"Excuse me for a minute will you?" He then quickly went to the bathroom. Sounds
of barfing followed the minute after.
Then he exited, went up to Akane and spoke rather bluntly. "It was the worst
meal you have prepared to date." He then
went out of the house.

When Ryoga saw him Ranma looked a little pale. He'd seen him like this before.
"So, how was the meal?"

"The worst meal she has prepared to date." He just ignored Ryoga by giving him
the same answer he gave his supposed
finacée, and grabbed his stomach in pain. "Let's get out of here." He said
groaning and walking up to the gate.

"Right behind you man." Ryoga nodded following him.

That night, Nodoka Saotome took out the letter that Ranma had given her and
started reading.

'Dear mother.

If you're reading this that means I'm a few miles away from Nerima by now. You
probably know the reason.
I need a new start, a new life. Because the life I have now is just not
something I can live with. I'm also leaving
because my life of chaos just went up a few levels. I can't tell you what
happened, but I can tell you that it will
be at least a year before I see you again. If I see you again that is. Sadly,
what I must do now could lead to
my death. But hey, that's just my life. I'll try to settle down with a nice girl
when this is over and give you
some grandchildren, since you seem to want some so much. I will see you when my
journey is over.

Forever your loving son, Ranma Saotome.


Authors notes:
I wanna thank all my reviewers, I wanna thank mastermage for his help, I wanna
thank my good friend Da g00se for his
support, and mostly I wanna thank DarkKnight2050 for proof-reading. Thank you
all!