Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Zenki Fan Fiction ❯ Book One: Heir to the Throne ❯ Exile Cycle V: Real Folk Blues ( Chapter 5 )

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any other anime or video game

that may appear in the story.

** - thoughts

Chapter 4:

Real Folk Blues

As the chaotic conflagration of light died down, taking with it, the

pig-tailed young man; the cries of pain, loss, and sadness ceased.

Silence reigned as the Saotomes, Tendos, and the rest of the NWC were

left to pick up the pieces after Ranma's decision to leave their lives

forever.

At that moment, Kasumi felt that she had failed her role as a surrogate

mother. When their mother had died, it had been her duty to help her

overemotional father raise her youngest sister the right way.

But instead, she had sheltered and catered Akane from the harsh reality

that was life, she never made Akane answer for any mistakes that she

made during the course of her life, especially the acts of abuse that

Akane put on her former fiancée, only to betray him in the end, despite

his unflagging faithfulness to her. However, whenever trouble came

knocking on the doorstep, Kasumi had simply chosen to be oblivious and

thought that everything would turn out fine in the end. Her silence had

cost her the one who gave life to her dismal existence.

Kasumi sunk to her knees with her face in her hands, and wept. Though

Akane would never say it, she was more than willing to do so.

"I'm so sorry..."

Nabiki was speechless. She never thought that the chaos in Ranma's life

would drive him to do the unthinkable. An ache deep within her heart

reminded her of the chance she had, but foolishly squandered away.

Unable to stand any longer, Nabiki sagged down on the cold ground,

as she gazed at what looked like a war zone still shocked at what had

transpired. To think it has been four years since the time that Ranma

was first set down in front of her. Four years of missed opportunities

and broken hearts, with her past actions to him, she knew he never love

her the way she secretly wanted in her heart. And now here she sat,

amidst a grieving mother, a broken sister, and three heartbroken girls.

*At least,* she thought, *he's gone to better place and hopefully find

that someone just for him.* As a lone tear traveled down her cheek she

whispered in regret, "But I wish it was me."

Mousse was happy and a bit guilty at what had happened. A bit guilty

for his actions towards his pig-tailed rival, but his blind love for

Shampoo quickly overwhelmed his guilt as the thought of his beloved

Shampoo would finally shower him with her affection now that Ranma

was gone forever.

Ryoga couldn't help but to laugh maniacally at Ranma's apparent

death, as Ranma finally got what he had coming to him. His thirst

for vengeance for his hated rival quenched, he was glad that his

relationship with Akane would no longer pose a problem and they didn't

have to hide their love for each other from the eyes of others. He

began to daydream about himself and Akane basking in each other's love.

Unfortunately, for the eternally lost and delusional fanged boy Akane

seemed to think otherwise.

"THAT IDIOT!!! HOW DARE HE DO THIS TO ME!!!" shouted Akane in anger.

Ranma was hers by right, for he had been promised to her even before

their birth.

*How dare he leave me! I own him for the things he put me through! He's

MY property! He belongs to me and not to anyone else! Especially not to

those whores!* she thought angrily to herself, not noticing that she

had thought out loud and everyone heard her Kuno-esque rant.

Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi grew their battle auras upon hearing Akane's

self-centered rant. In their minds, they knew that she was the one

responsible for Ranma's pain and sadness that lead to his eventual

death. They took out their weapons and as one, launched themselves at

the spoiled, delusional brat shouting their own battle cries.

"SHAMPOO KILL!!!"

"DIE YOU CHEATING WHORE!!!"

"FOR MY RANMA-SAMA, YOU SHALL FEEL THE FURY OF THE BLACK ROSE!!!"

Both Ryoga and Mousse tried to stop the three enraged girls from

killing Akane, but Ukyo sent Mousse flying in the wild blue wonder with

her battle spatula, while Kodachi paralyzed Ryoga with one of her roses

as Shampoo's bonbori put him into la la land.

After seeing Mousse and Ryoga get their ass handed back to them, Akane

thought it would be better to run than fight the three girls who were

glowing red with insane rage.

After dealing with the idiotic pair, the three saw Akane's retreating

from as it disappeared in the forest and probably running back to

Nerima. With promises of slow, agonizing death, the three pursued their

fleeing prey, leaving the remaining Tendos, Saotomes, and one very

silent Amazon matriarch behind.

Genma slowly opened his eyes and groaned as he felt intense pain

all over his body; he cursed the heavens for giving him such a

disrespectful boy for a son. He looked at his surroundings, gazing at

the chaos from Ranma's departure. He quickly concluded that his honor

less son had run away while he was unconscious, never realizing that

Ranma was not even in this world any longer.

He wailed, "Oh what a cowardly son I have! To think that he would even

attack the man that gave him life! He is not fit to be called a man

amongst men!"

The moment the words spilled forth from his lips; he regretted it as he

saw his wife stand up and leveled a glare that promised slow, agonizing

death. A fiery red battle aura formed around her as she pointed the

katana at him and shouted,

"UNFORGIVABLE!!!"

Shame and grief washed over Nodoka's crying form, as she vainly tried

to stop her tears. Upon hearing her husband's demeaning comments on

their son, murderous rage grew in her, rage directed at her stupid

husband and at herself.

She had tried so hard to turn Ranma into a man amongst men, pushing him

slowly away from her. Her own foolish and naïve actions had trapped

them both in parts that neither could escape, and it was already too

late to try to set things right, way too late.

Now her honor demanded her end. Nothing less could be accepted as

atonement for the sins of the father and mother.

Nodoka blinked back the tears as she fought to find her center. She

could hear his tortured soul cry out for vengeance, vengeance that

demanded ultimate end. Her fate was already decided, but her husband...

He was without honor....

He would not atone to his son's soul......

He.....

.... would feel Tenchu.

Wrath of heaven.

She readied her katana as she stood up, not caring about the battle

aura she projected, she leveled her katana at her husband and shouted,

"UNFORGIVABLE!!!"

Seeing his cowering form, she said in a frigid voice,

"From this moment on, my husband is forever dead to me."

"W-What?" Genma asked fearfully, not understanding what she said

"My HUSBAND would not have cursed my son to turn into a girl with cold

water."

Genma started to sweat bullets as the kunoichi took a slow, deliberate

step towards him.

"My HUSBAND would not have sold my son like a slave just to fill his

hunger."

More steps.

"My HUSBAND would not have forced my son to lie to me."

Closer.

"My HUSBAND would not have engaged my son to a violent, spoiled brat,

who destroyed her family's honor by sleeping with another man."

Genma heard several gasps behind him. He could feel the anger and rage

that her battle aura projected.

"But most of all, my HUSBAND would not have forced my son into the path

of damnation."

"To those who have embraced the arms of death!"

Genma was frozen in shock. He watched with dread as she prepared to

deal the death blow.

"This is the punishment of heaven!"

Genma turned white in terror.

*I just didn't hear her say that!* he thought as overwhelming fear

wracked his pain-filled body.

He tried to look around for Soun, hoping for some help and sympathy,

but he saw his friend looking at him without any emotion on his face.

A flash of steel in the morning light was his only warning.

He ducked a sideway slice that would have loped off his head had he

been a second slow and leapt sideways away from the following thrust.

Nodoka unleashed her family's forbidden art becoming what her family

was feared for back during the Warring Periods, ninjas of Azuma. She

stalked the fat martial artist, eager to end their little game of cat

and mouse.

Genma, still hurt from his bout with Ranma, was quickly tiring from

dodging the deadly kunoichi. He became more frightened as small cuts

started to appear all over his body as she started to become even

faster, nearing god-speed.

"The flash of the limitless blade............can you not see it?"

Seeing his inevitable defeat and subsequent death, Genma utilized his

final attack.

Nodoka screamed in frustration as the object of her vengeance ran like

a coward and disappeared into the forest.

"Worthless...................a truly worthless existence." she muttered

Nodoka looked at the heavens above and shouted,

"IT'S OVER GENMA! THE CLAN IS DEAD! OUR NAME IS DEAD! WE ARE DEAD!!!"

She slumped to the ground in exhaustion and wept bitterly in her hands.

Once again, silence reigned in the field, with the exception of the

sounds made by a mother's grief.

"Come you two, help her get up and let us take our leave." Cologne's

calm voice broke through the veil as Kasumi and Nabiki helped the

Saotome matriarch to her feet.

She had been silent ever since Ranma departed within the pillar of

light, only she had seen the object he held close to his heart before

he 'jumped' over the cliff. Her suspicions were confirmed when she

confronted Happi about it, but if it really was what she thought it

was, then, Ranma was truly lost to them and the Amazons would have to

chalk it up as a loss. But still, the matter with the Tendo girl was

still unfinished.

*That can be rectified.* she thought to herself as she looked at the

silent Tendo patriarch and said,

"We have business to discuss." Soun only nodded his head grimly as

they trekked back to Nerima, towards the Tendo household.

As night began, Akane had come back to her home bloody, bruised, and

near collapse. The three enraged girls had caught up with her in the

soccer field near Furinkan. She had barely escaped with her life,

making a break for it as soon as the three girls started to argue with

each other at how they would deal their punishment to her. She started

to look for Kasumi, so she could have her big sister treat her wounds.

She was shocked to find all her clothes in bags near the dojo.

"Why are my clothes out here?" she asked herself

"We put them there for you." answered Kasumi as she came out the house

with Nabiki in tow.

"What?! Why?!" Akane asked as she became angry

"WHY?! I'LL TELL YOU WHY, YOU SPOILED BRAT! IT'S BECAUSE YOU DESTROYED

OUR FAMILY'S HONOR BY SLEEPING WITH THAT PIG RYOGA!" bellowed Nabiki,

her cool and calm façade already forgotten, as she berated her sister's

thoughtless actions

"How could you, Akane? Ranma loved you with all his heart and this is

how you repay his love? By sleeping with another man?" Kasumi asked

Akane softly

"IT'S ALL RANMA'S FAU--" shouted Akane before she got slapped by Nabiki

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT AKANE!" yelled Nabiki at Akane "DON'T YOU DARE

SAY THAT IT'S HIS FAULT! IS IT HIS FAULT THAT HE'S BETTER THAN YOU?! IS

IT HIS FAULT THAT HIS FATHER ENGAGED HIM TO MANY GIRLS JUST TO FEED HIS

FAT BELLY?! HE TRIED AKANE! HE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE IT WORK WITH YOU

AKANE! WHY DID YOU GO LEAD HIM ON LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU WERE JUST

SCREWING WITH RYOGA!"

"WHY DO YOU CARE?!" asked Akane hotly, her rage and anger blinding her

thoughts "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT PERVERT HAS ANY FEELINGS, OR YOU FOR THAT

MATTER!" Akane felt her other cheek get slapped by Kasumi this time.

"YOU WILL NOT TALK LIKE THAT TO YOUR SISTER OR ABOUT RANMA!" Kasumi

shouted, her anger getting the better of her momentarily, she forced

herself to calm down and continued in a soft voice, "I am deeply

ashamed of you Akane, you've become a spoiled, self-centered princess

who cares about no one except herself. If Okaasan was still alive, YOU

would have been the one to kill her."

"WHY YOU!!!" shouted Akane as she summoned her mallet in her rage at

the insults directed to her and prepared to use it on Kasumi.

A katana hissed in the air as it cut Akane's mallet before it made

contact with Kasumi.

Looking at the stump of what used to be her mallet, Akane saw Nodoka

with her katana pointed at her with her father looking at the scene

with a cold expression.

"You would hit your own flesh and blood in your anger? You are truly

nothing but an honor less whore." said Nodoka

"Daddy!" Akane looked at her father hoping to get him on her side

"I cast you out." Soun said seriously, for the first time without

breaking down and crying.

"What?" Akane asked, not believing, at what her father had said

"You made the choice of sleeping with that man, and in doing so,

brought dishonor upon this family. You have forced my hand in this and

I have made my choice." Soun elaborated the consequences to his former

daughter.

"B-But I'm your daughter..." Akane stammered

"I have no daughter named Akane." came the response from the middle-

aged martial artist.

"B-But..."

"Leave now, and never step put in these grounds ever again." Soun said

with a final tone in his voice.

"FINE, I DON'T CARE!!! I CAN LIVE WITHOUT ANY OF YOU!!! I HATE YOU

ALL!!!" shouted Akane with anger getting the best of her again. She ran

out of her, no the Tendo home despite the pain she felt all over her

body and in her heart. She ran with tears in her eyes, disappearing in

the night as rain fell down from the sky.

As soon as Akane stormed off, Soun broke out in tears. He really didn't

want to do it, but after Ranma himself told him of her unfaithfulness,

it was the only way to save his family's honor or what was left of it.

Cologne had also informed them that Ranma had used an artifact of great

power to banish himself into another plane of existence, like a self-

imposed exile. She had also told them that he may never return from his

journey and that they should try to move on with their lives before

heading back to the Cat Cafe herself for the night.

"Did I do the right thing?" he asked to himself out loud as his two

remaining daughters tried to comfort their grieving father.

"Only time will tell." said Nodoka as she watched the rain falling

from the heavens, not noticing the tears that came down her face.

*Please be safe, wherever you are, my son*

They say goodbye is all we know of heaven and all we need of hell.....

The cloaked figure merely smiled after watching the events that had

unfolded before her eyes.

*Finally that cheating whore, got what she had coming to her.* the

figure thought to herself.

It was a shame that she couldn't get her hands on the girl; she would

have her begging for death after she was done with her.

"Damn you Deus..." the figure grumbled at the unfairness of it all.

Realizing that Ranma would be awakened anytime now, she went back to

her viewing globe and waited for her chosen's rebirth.

*I can't wait to see the NWC's faces when they meet his kids.* the

figure laughed to herself as she remembered what would happen in 8

months back at Ranma's home.