Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Big Break-Up ❯ Chapter 4

This story contains scenes of explicit sex, naughty words, and other horrible, offensive things.  If you are underage in your house, village, town, city, community, state, province, country, or continent: READ NO FURTHER!  If that type of thing offends your tender sensibilities, or you are stupid: READ NO FURTHER!  All characters are the copyright of their respective creators and/or owners; no copyright infringement is intended by this story.  Any resemblance to people, places, or situations alive, dead, or otherwise is purely coincidental.

 

The Big Break-Up

Chapter 4

 

Friday Morning

 

Kasumi yawned as she made her way down the stairs toward the kitchen in the early morning hours. For a number of years she had been the one to prepare breakfast for the entire family as well as lunch boxes for her sisters, thus she was quite used to being the first one up. As a matter of fact, in many ways she liked this time best as it was a time of peace and quiet before the inevitable noise, bustle, and craziness of life in Nerima began. It didn't stop her from being tired, though.

 

Entering the kitchen she filled up a kettle with some water and put it on the range to boil as she always did first thing. Despite the heat and humidity of summer in Japan, she still liked to start her day with a nice cup of tea. She had just finished that task and was turning toward the refrigerator to begin preparing breakfast when she saw something out of place in her spotless kitchen. Lying on a countertop was a thin, silver, metal object. Frowning she reached out a hand to pick up the odd item, which she was positive hadn't been around the night before.

 

The rectangular device was lighter than she had expected and as she brought it up to examine it more closely she gave a little start of surprise as it suddenly split apart, the top smoothly and silently levering open to reveal a blank screen to the shocked young woman. With a flicker the screen switched on to create a perfect, three dimensional hologram of Ranma, who looked a bit battered and worn in Kasumi's concerned eyes.

 

At the moment the young martial artist was frowning and peering off to the side. Suddenly he spoke, his voice coming out as clearly as his image; “Hey! Is this thing on?” Apparently getting a positive response Ranma jerked his eyes forward to stare directly at Kasumi.

 

“Uh, hi, Kasumi. Sorry `bout this kinda weird message, but I just wanted to let you know that I'll be back this Sunday around one o'clock or so.” Suddenly he began rubbing the back of his head in that nervous gesture that Kasumi knew all too well. “Uh, actually…I've got some important news to tell everyone, so I kinda invited a bunch of people over to the dojo then. Sorry `bout this, but like I said; it's really important.”

 

“Anyway, I've invited my Mom, Shampoo, the Ghoul, Mousse, Ukyou, and you guys, of course. Oh yeah, I invited Ryouga too, but who knows if that idiot can make it in time or not. He's probably comin' to challenge me soon enough as we ain't seen him in a month or so,” Kasumi smiled at this as a challenge letter from Ryouga had indeed arrived the day after Ranma had left on his training journey, although the boy himself hadn't arrived yet. “Well, if he's there or if he shows up by Sunday, could you like chain him up in the dojo or something so he don't wander off? He really needs to hear what I got to say, too.”

 

“I didn't invite Happosai or the Kunos, but knowing my luck they'll probably show up anyway. So, I guess you'd better be countin' on a full house this Sunday. With this message there should be some money,” At that point a slot in the base of the message device opened and a single bill fluttered out to land on the countertop. “I hope it's enough to pay for some food and stuff for everyone.” Ranma's hand once more drifted up to the back of his head. “Like I said, I'm really sorry for all the trouble, Kasumi. Uh, I guess I'll see you on Sunday.” The martial artist paused and then looked to the side once more, “OK? Is that-” The hologram abruptly vanished, leaving Kasumi holding the silent metal device, but only for a few seconds as it quickly began dissolving into a fine, grey powder that was nearly invisible.

 

“Oh, my!” Kasumi was finally able to exclaim in reaction to these surprising morning developments. She carefully brushed her hands clean and then picked up the bill that had fallen onto the countertop. Lifting it, she immediately saw that it wasn't Japanese currency, but American. Looking at the corners she saw the amount: $10,000. A quick mental conversion to Japanese yen left her with only one comment.

 

“Oh, my!”

 

A few moments reflection led her to the decision that she'd best not mention this to either her father or Mr. Saotome. Both men were just somewhat irresponsible when it came to money. Instead Kasumi decided to let her sister Nabiki handle this; she was the one mostly in charge of the family finances anyway and she'd have the best connections with banks to make sure they got a good exchange rate. That decision made, she quickly moved to get a dust pan and broom to clean up the powder from the disintegrated message device.

 

After all, nearly invisible just wasn't quite good enough when it came to a mess in Kasumi Tendo's kitchen.

 

Two Days Later, Sunday

 

The noise in the Tendo dojo rose and fell with the pace of the conversation of those within. Although Ranma's message had said he'd arrive at one o'clock, everyone had come earlier, intent on seeing the teenager for their own, various reasons. Kasumi was well aware of her guests' tendencies, however, and had been prepared for such an eventuality. Enough food and drinks had been prepared to keep everyone occupied while they waited for the one who had invited them.

 

Amazingly, everyone Ranma had wanted to come was there as Akane had found a wet P-chan squealing in the streets of Nerima after Ryouga had had a run in with the old lady who was always cleaning the walk in front of her house with water. After eating dinner as a pig with the Tendo family, Ryouga had managed to sneak away from Akane long enough to get some hot water and change back into a human being. His plan from that point had been to start searching for Ranma in order to duel him once more. Before the lost boy could wander away, though, the Tendos had found him and led him by hand to the dojo, sat him down, and told him not to move. Those measures meant that so far Ryouga hadn't managed to disappear, but on the negative side it had left him with a burning need to use the bathroom. This, of course, was Ranma's fault as was everything else that was wrong in Ryouga's life. At least, that was how the world worked in Ryouga's somewhat malfunctioning brain.

 

What was even more surprising, though, was the fact that no one Ranma hadn't invited had shown up yet. This was a discrepancy that nobody was willing to bet on continuing, despite the rather nice odds Nabiki was offering on it.

 

The final, most completely shocking thing, however, was that so far no fights had broken out among the members of the group. The copious quantities of delicious food had to this point managed to keep anyone from attempting to kill their enemies, rivals, or just someone who had managed to say something that annoyed them. As the final morsel disappeared into Genma Saotome's mouth, just missed by a desperate grab by Soun, however, tempers quickly began to fray. In fact, by the time Kasumi returned after clearing away the last empty plate, Ryouga and Mousse were just getting ready to jump to their feet and start attacking one another when the incipient battle was halted by a simple sound: a knocking on the wooden frame of the dojo. That noise caused everyone to cease their conversations and squabbling and turn their attention to the dojo doors.

 

Currently those doors were wide open in the hopes that some stray breezes might relieve the oppressive heat of late July and standing in their space was Ranma Saotome, dressed in his usual Chinese-style clothing, this time a short-sleeved, light blue shirt and black pants with a backpack slung over his shoulder. “Uh, thanks for comin' everyone. Before I say anything else there's someone I think you all need to meet.”

 

While Ranma turned to the side and gestured for someone to join him in the doorway, everyone else in the dojo had the exact same thought: He's got another fiancée!?!?!!?!! Of course, whether this was thought with anger, sadness, glee, nervousness, or some combination of these and other emotions depended on exactly who was doing the thinking. None of them were ready, however, when Ranma stepped into the dojo and to the side to reveal the new arrival.

 

“Hi, I'm Ranko Saotome. Sorry `bout this.”

 

Standing in front of them, redheaded, busty, clad in a sleeveless red Chinese-style shirt and dark blue silk pants, and rubbing the back of her head in the classic Saotome display of nervousness and embarrassment was none other than girl-type Ranma. But standing right beside her was boy-type Ranma! After a few seconds of stunned silence the dojo erupted into an uproar of shouted questions, challenges, cries of delights and nearly every other sound imaginable.

 

It was nearly ten minutes before everyone could be settled down sufficiently to give Ranma and Ranko a chance to explain things. And even at that point a number of people in the teenagers' audience showed their impatience and emotions through muttered comments and nervous shifting in their seats. It was enough for Ranma to begin, though.

 

“OK, well to start I guess I oughtta say that, yes, Ranko is my girl side and, yes, we're both completely cured of the curse.” A series of dousings in hot and cold water left the two martial artists drenched, but convinced everyone that what Ranma was saying was true. That of course left one question prominent in everyone's minds, how?

 

“I can't tell you guys everything about how I was cured,” Ranma said immediately causing some angry exclamations among the various cursed members of the group, but they settled down as he went on. “I can't say nuthin' because I promised on my word of honor that I wouldn't. Basically what happened was that I helped someone out and in return they cured me. The way they cured me was to remove my cursed, female side out of me, which led to the creation of Ranko here. And, no, she ain't no reverse side of me who's goin' to go around killin' people or sucking their souls out or nuthin'. She's just like me, just…Well, just a girl.”

 

“Yes, that's fine!” Genma suddenly spoke up, obviously indifferent about any potential dangers from Ranko. “But what about me?! Can the same thing be done for me? Can I finally be rid of the panda!?!?” The middle-aged man suddenly felt the glares of the other cursed people in the crowd on him at his ignoring their state and began sweating heavily. Everyone's attention was soon on Ranma as he responded, though.

 

“Well, Pop. I talked to the…guys who helped me out a bunch of times about helpin' you all out too, but they weren't too psyched about it. They finally did agree-” Before the teenager could go on the dojo was once again overwhelmed with the sound of people shouting at the top of their lungs, this time mostly in happiness, though, as well as the noise of tables and other items being knocked around by the celebrating people. Ranma vainly tried to get everyone to calm down so he could explain further, but it was hopeless. Hopeless, that is, until Ranko used her own crystal clear voice at the top of her lungs:

 

“SSSSSHHHHHHAAAAAADDDDDUUUUUUUPPPPPP!!!!!!”