From: jstaik1043@earthlink.net (Jack Staik \[Property of Jillian\]) DISCLAIMER: The Voices made me do it! The Voices! -------------------- Ranma 1/2: Redemption By Jack Staik, Bookkeeper-At-Arms -------------------- WARNING!!: This is a nasty story. I do NOT like Akane Tendo, but I acknowledge her as the True Fiancee because Takahashi says so. In this tale, I give Akane what she deserves. -------------------- She-Who-Was-Akane trudged up the staircase to the third-floor apartment. She was terrified; her five-year quest was almost at an end. Sheer terror would have made her throw up, if complete panic hadn't already made her throw up at the front door to the maison. She stood before the door for several minutes, unable to move. She wanted to run, to hide, to do anything else... She knocked at the door. A man she had never seen before answered. The breath she didn't know she had been holding escaped. "May I help you, miss?" "I'm looking for Ranma Saotome. I was informed that he lives here." Hiro looked at the trim young woman before him. She was pretty, and well-shaped, with a martial artist's stance - typical of the type that followed Saotome around. The red shirt and black pants, in obvious imitation of Ranma, were a nice touch, even if they weren't very flattering to her. "He's not in at present. I'm Hiro Kirasawa, his roommate. Perhaps if you left a message?" "When he will be back?" she asked, not caring how rude she sounded. "In about five hours - he doesn't get off work for another-" "I'll wait." she answered abruptly and sat down in the hallway in lotus position, apparently content to wait there. Hiro wasn't a gentleman by any stretch of the imagination, but there was no way he'd let someone sit in a public walkway in front of his door. "You can wait in here, if you like." She-Who-Was-Akane nodded, got up, and entered the apartment. Three people rented this apartment, seldom in it at the same time. The decor, therefore, was ... eclectic (a politer term than "picked up randomly from second-hand stores"). She-Who-Was-Akane fished out details; Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee posters, a wooden punching post in the living room, a hand-drawn diagram of an Anything-Goes style training kata... Ranma lived here. It took all of her will to keep herself from crying. Hiro watched as she sat down lotus-style on ther floor. Several attempts at small-talk had failed, so Hiro ignored her ater that. * * * * * * * * * * "Taidama!" Ranma called out. The eyes of She-Who-Was-Akane snapped open. His voice... much as she remembered, but somewhat... richer, more powerful. The terror gripped her again. She wanted so much not to be here. "Hey, Hiro, bring home another girl?" Ranma asked when he saw the strange female back. She got up and turned to face him. The blood ran out of his face. Neither one of them moved or spoke. Hiro asked his roomie for an introduction, but failed to get either one to notice him. After nearly a half-hour, Ranma finally broke the silence. "How did you find me?" he croaked out. "It wasn't easy. It took me five years." "What, Nabiki didn't sell it to everybody who wanted a piece of me?" he said in an accusing tone. Anger was beginning to show on his face. She-Who-Was-Akane looked downcast, guiltily staring at her feet. "I - I haven't seen or talked to Nabiki in five years." "Gonna blame that on me, too?" She winced. "No, Ranma-sama." Ranma was gfetting tired of this. He wasn't used to these all of these feeling, and he wanted it over with. "Then why are you here?" She-Who-Was-Akane knelt before him. "To beg -". Tears began to flow down her cheeks. "f-for for-forgiveness." Ranma looked at her as if she had grown another head. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Ranma's face softened for a moment, then became hard and cold. "You're forgiven. Now get out." She-Who-Was-Akane looked at him, her eyes pleading. Ranma's foot kicked her in the head, sending her to the floor. "Hey! Ran! What the hell are you doing?!?" Hiro yelled. he almost grabbed Ranma's arm, but memories of the last person to grab Ranma stopped him. "No!" She-Who-Was-Akane said. "He - has the right." "Nani?!?" Hiro exclaimed. "Nobody should be treated like that!" "Stay out of this!" Ranma snapped. "And you - get out and go HOME!" Hiro had never seen Ranma angry before. He had never seen his battle-aura. He had never heard Ranma's voice raised in anger. And it was a sight he would see in nightmares. "I have no home." She-Who-Was-Akane said. She had not bothered to get up from the floor. "What, Soun wouldn't let you back until you got his prize back for him? Unite the schools with a sweet, dutiful slave and whipping boy?" Ranma snapped. "I am no longer Soun's daughter. I - I renounced my name." Ranma's battle aura lessened somewhat. "And why should I believe you, of all people?" "I don't know." Ranma grunted, letting his battle aura drop. "At least you got that part right." He turned to the bedroom. "Hiro, could you throw this garbage into the street? I'd do it, but I don't want to put my hands on her." Hiro was shocked at what he'd seen. Ranma was the most considerate of people, a kind and gentle man who taught children's classes at the local dojo. He always went out of his way to help others, aiding old people and the sick and handicapped. This - hate - was alien. He helped the girl to her feet, hindered by the fact she didn't want to get up. He finally got her on the couch and tried to dry the constant flow of tears. "Don't worry, miss. I'm sure he didn't mean that -" "Yes he did." she snapped. "And I deserve it. All of it." "Why don't you tell me about it, uh - what is your name?" "I have no name. Only Ranma-sama can give me a name." "GARBAGE!!" Ranma yelled from the next room. She nodded. "As he said. Atashi wa Gomi desu." Hiro was still in shock. "What happened? How did all of - this - start?" "If Ranma-sama decided not to tell you, then I can't say anything. I was the one at fault, and leave it at that." Hiro shook his head, and got the first-aid kit for her injury. The next morning, Hiro was gone and Hikaru came in. Hiro explained as much as he knew. The woman called Gomi had slept on the floor outside Ranma's bedroom door. Some hours later, Ranma woke up and went about his morning routiine. If he noticed Gomi anywhere, he ignored her. And this was not some mild "Pretend I don't see her" ruse; Ranma ignored her presence as if she were a ghost. He stepped out of his bedroom - and stepped on her gut. Doing his morning kata, he hit her four times when she wandered too close. And when he cooked breakfast. he pointedly failed to cook her anything. When her stomach rumblings became too loud, Hikaru tried to give her his food, but Ranma stopped him. "If the worthless bitch wants to eat, let her cook it herself." Gomi nodded and went to the cooking area. Soon, terrible smells and horrid sounds were emitted from the kitchen. "I'm not cleaning that up." Ranma commented. Soon Gomi came out with a small dish with something purple and quivering. "What the hells is that?" Hikaru asked. "It - it's two fried eggs." she said. "Still the same cook you always were." Raznma chuckled. "Now it's your turn." he laughted. Gomi took one bite and began to retch. Had she eaten anything in the past fifteen hours, she would have thrown it up. Ranma laughed, then saw the clock. "Don't have time for a floor show - gotta get to work." And he dashed to his bedroom. As Hikaru steadied the poor girl, Ranma ran across the living room in his working clothes, the left. Gomi turned to Hikaru. "Was he wearing -" "- A policeman's uniform,. That's right. He's a police officer." Gomi sighed. "How noble. Why was he in girl-form?" Hikaru shrugghed. "Less likely to be changed. * * * * * * * * * * In the next few days, a routine began to take shape around the Maison. Ranma continued to brutalize Gomi, who just took it. The other two tried to get her to defend herself, or at least speak about what caused but to no avail. Hikaru and Hiro watched helplessly as the pretty girl was brutalized by a man they considered a friend. "Can't you let up on her a bit?" Hiro asked Ranma out of the blue. "I mean, you just tear into her like she was a Balkans' dictator;" "Let her suffer." he snarled. "Ranma-sama is right, Hiro-san. This is what I deserve." "Just don't expect me to pay your way." he said. "You better cough up the rent, or else!" "And how is she supposed to do that?" Hiro complained. "She can sell herself on the street for all I care." "As my Ranma-sama says." Gomi said, and walks out. "Finally." Ranma sighs. * * * * * * * * * * Ranma and Gomi returned home at the same time. "What are YOU doing here?" Ranma yelled. "I - I got the rent money," she said. "And how did you do *that*?" Ranma commented. Gomi looked down. "You said to sell my body, so I did." A trace of guilt washed over Ranma for an instant. "I'll do whatever it takes it prove myselt to you, Ranma-sama. No matter how long it takes." Ranma slammed her back against a wall. "How can you stand being you?!? Haven't you tortured me enough??" "Gomen nasai, Ranma-sama." He slapped her brutally. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?!" "I love you." He froze. "Nani?" "I love you. I want to be with you. Please please please-" He backed away from her, shock on his face. He slumped to the floor of the hallway and stared at her. "All the malletings, all the yelling, all the insults - why?" "Because I'm a coward. I wasn't woman enough to be a wife, but I was afraid to say so. So I hid. I hid behing a battle-cry of 'I Hate Boys', I hid behind your curse. I didn't allow myself to admit I felt anything, because I didn't want to be weak. "That Night - the night I hurt you - was supposed to be my one big show. I would show everyone how strong I was, and how weak you were. I would be the strong one. "Instead, I showed everyone how good and noble you were, and how pathetic I was. Instead of you cringing at my feet, I chased after you, begging you to come back. And you never did." Ranma held his face in his hands, not caring if she saw the tears. "I loved you for so long. Seeing you like that - hearing what you said - it was too much. I knew you did it just to hurt me. like all those other times you tried to hurt me. It was too much. I knew you didn't love me. And I hated you." Gomi looked up at him. "D-do you hate me now?" "Yes." She cried out, briefly. "Then - then I'll stay." "Why?" he asked. "Someone said that love and hate are two sies of the same coin. You loved me, but I turned it into hate. I want to turn it back. Not for the honor of the school or our clans - but so we can be together. I want to be redeemed. "I want you to love me again." Ranma shook his head. "You hurt me too much. I don't trust you." "I know." * * * * * * * * * * That night, Gomi slept on the floor at the foot of Ranma's bed. She could hear his breathing, and was content. -FIN-