This is the present draft for Childhood Mysteries part five.
It's a long way from being truely finished, but the plot points are all
in place.
C&C for me please.
Thanks
First fic alert.
I didn't create these characters or their setting. I am
using them without permission and realize that I could
get in serious trouble for this. I also realize that I
am making no profit on this work, and not really capable
of being a good suee.
C&C welcomed and encouraged. Flames used for
experiments in spontaneous combustion.
Thanks to my pre-readers, who helped improve this work
greatly. Special thanks to Toby Kilbreath and Talesia;
who have given me many ideas for this work.
This occurs after the 36 volume of the manga, meaning
that Nodoka knows of Ranma's curse, but the Saffron
incident has not occurred. It should also be noted that
I really don't know much about Nodoka's character.
Here it is.
Version 0.32
Date Started: 6/16/98
Last revised: 8/07/98
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Thoughts <>
Authors notes and details ()
Stressed words --
Sound FX and some actions**
Ranma in girl form -chan
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What has happened already:
Late the day before Ranma received a mysterious
visitor...
The visitor left him behind a small child, with
a birth certificate proclaiming her as Saotome Miko...
Ranma takes Miko to the mall and accidentally
runs into Kuno, Kuno claims that Miko is a demon and
attacks Ranma...
After visiting Tofu, Ranma and Miko return to
the Dojo...
Unfortunately, the rest of the Tendo and Saotome
clans are home, and they did not react well to this...
And the Kuno's believe that Miko is a demon
keeping them from their loves, and plan on doing
something about it...
-------------------------
Ranma 1/2:
Childhood Mysteries
Chapter 5: Impact
-------------------------
<What now? > Ranma thinks to himself, <Its bad
enough this stuff has to start now, just when things
started to settle down. *Sigh* All I would have needed
was a few more months and everything would have been
ready, but it had to happen now...Just when everything
was calming down. >
This was just one thought of many as Ranma
climbs the stairs and walks down the hallway to his
room. But just before he reaches the door he hears it
close and catches the sound of quiet crying.
"I just had to ask." Ranma moans to himself. He
quickly steps into the room, not noticing the eldest
Tendo sister climb up the stairs.
-------------------------
Ranma entered his room with some apprehension.
Actually, though he'd never admit it (even to himself),
he's scared. Scared that Miko will ask one of the
questions he fears questions he can't really answer.
Not that the sight of Miko is any better. Miko
is as he thought crying; or to be more specific crying
into the pillow of the futon, which she is laying on
top of.
Ranma decides to start with the most obvious
question, "You heard us talking didn't you?"
Miko nods into the pillow, but doesn't look up.
*Sigh* "You weren't supposed to hear that. And
I...apologize for not making sure you where somewhere
else before they started yelling."
Miko looks up at Ranma and with tears in her
eyes asks the question he fears most, "Are you really my
daddy?"
-------------------------
One of Kasumi's lesser known abilities is
superior hearing. Kasumi can hear almost everything
going on around her with clarity that few others have.
So when Kasumi hears the door to Ranma's room closing
softly it only came surprise that it would be closing
with Ranma still in the hallway, not that she could hear
it.
Still Kasumi is definitely shocked when she
hears a faint sound coming from the room... <Crying? >
Kasumi arrives at the door about the same time
that Akane leaves her room, dressed in her usual workout
gi. Seeing Kasumi pause outside the door to Ranma's
room she decides to get closer to find out what she was
doing.
The two are joined by the middle Tendo sister
just in time to hear Miko's voice asking the question
they all wanted to know...
"Are you really my daddy?"
-------------------------
"That's what we...um...ugh..."
Akane's exclamation is cut short, when Kasumi
places her hand over Akane's mouth and makes a shushing
motion with her other hand.
<Now maybe we'll find out want is going on
here, > Nabiki thinks, ignoring the movements of her
sisters, <And then I'll ask Ranma about that money. >
<This isn't right, > Kasumi thinks privately,
<But I need to know. >
Akane just stands there in shock. <Wha...What's
with Kasumi? She's never acted like this before. >
All three girls bend closer to the door to
listen.
-------------------------
Ranma opens his mouth to answer when a laugh
that could only be called terrifying laugh sounds
through out the Dojo.
"Damn, that's got to be Kodachi," Ranma looks
quickly down to Miko, "Stay here, I'm going to get rid
of her before she causes any trouble. If anyone but me
tries to open the door, hide, got it?"
Miko nods once.
Ranma turns and leaves, but as he does he
notices something out of the corner of his left eye.
<She's fading out...Nah, couldn't be. Worry about the
Kunos, not Miko. > He also notes that all the Tendo
sisters are out in the hallway, but puts the thought
aside for the moment.
Ranma arrives at the back door to the house just
in time to see Kodachi's ribbon yank Genma and Soun into
the koi pond.
Kodachi laughs at the floundering fathers (or
rather the floundering father and panda) but quickly
ignores them when she notices Ranma's arrival, "Ah, my
darling are you finally ready to confess your love to
me?"
Ranma ignores the fathers, (who have gotten
untangled from the ribbon and are watching from the
sidelines) and responds. "I never loved you, Kodachi.
And I never will, go away and leave me alone."
Kodachi laughs, "Don't worry my wonderful
Ranma-sama, even now my brother is removing that demon
that binds to you to that pig-tailed hussy. Soon you
will be able to declare your love for me, free of that
demon's influence."
<Demon? What de...> "MIKO!" Ranma is upstairs
before the shout is even out of his lips. As he
reaches his room he hears the sounds of fighting coming
from within. He bursts into the room just in time to
see Kuno leave...through the window. But he also sees
Miko lying on the floor next to Akane who is even now
stepping down from the high kick that had sent Kuno
flying.
All Ranma needed was one question, "What
happened?"
Nabiki answers, in a quiet tone of voice, "We
*gestures at Akane and Kasumi* where going to talk to
Miko when Kodachi starts laughing. Thing is we couldn't
find her, I mean she wasn't here when we came in. Then
Kuno breaks in screaming about demons and trips on
something. Then there she is, lying where Kuno tripped,
curled up and crying. Akane gives Kuno the old boot and
then you show-up."
*Sigh* "Kodachi was a distraction, she was going
to keep me busy while Kuno got Miko. But I figured it
out before Kodachi could get me caught up in a fight. I
told Miko to hide if anyone but me tried to come in,
and I guess she did too good a job. You ok?" This
last was delivered to Miko, who is slowly getting up
from her prone position.
Miko nods and manages a smile. "I was hiding
when that bad man stepped on me. Then she *points at
Akane* kicked the bad man out the window."
Akane snorts lightly and looks away.
"Thank you Akane," Ranma says politely. However
he is sighing inside, <Is she ever going to get over
this? I hope so, but somehow...I just don't know. >
"You know Ranma," Nabiki's voice was strangely
calm, "I'm willing to bet that whatever your hiding from
us is big, very big. So I am going to give you a
friendly, and free, piece of advice. Tell us now,
before we find out ourselves, things will be much easier
on you if you do."
"*Sigh* And what makes you think I'm hiding
something from you?"
Nabiki grins a predator-like grin, "Can't say I
didn't warn you Ranma. You can come to any of us when
you decide your ready to fess up."
The sisters leave, but not before each gives
Ranma a different glance. Kasumi's look was filled with
pity and a little curiosity; Nabiki would obviously
enjoy finding out everything there was about Miko, and
rubbing Ranma's face in it; Akane was just plain mad,
though something else unidentifiable was also present.
Ranma checks the hallway one more time to make
sure there are no more listeners then turns back to
Miko, "Come one Miko lets get you back to Dr. Tofu's."
Ranma then picks-up Miko and carefully settles her on
his back, her arms around his neck.
"Daddy," Miko hesitantly begins, after they had
gotten halfway to Dr. Tofu's , "Remember what I asked
before that bad man came?"
Ranma freezes for a moment then nods and begins
to walk again.
"I don't want to know."
This time Ranma does more than freeze, he
face-faults (to Miko's secret enjoyment), "Wha'...why
not?"
Miko squeezes Ranma's neck a little harder, "If
I don't know I can still pretend you are, even if you're
not."
Ranma smiles a sad and ironic smile, "Ok, Miko,
I won't tell."
Miko just smiles in response.
-------------------------
One examination and lollipop (and a private
warning to watch her leg) latter Ranma and child are
back at the Tendo's. Ranma is doing a kata in the back
near the koi pond and Miko is watching from the porch.
Ranma is quietly thinking up battle plans as he
goes through his practice, <Let's see. The Kunos know
and have attacked. That means I should expect Shampoo
and the Old Ghoul soon. Ukyou will probably confront me
before school tomorrow. But Ryoga could show-up
anytime. Since Nabiki isn't here my bet will be that he
shows up *tenses to jump* NOW! >
Just as Ranma's feet leave the ground the space
he was standing in became filled with umbrella, "Ranma
prepare To DIE!"
<Might as well find out what he if he's heard
yet. > Ranma grins, "Well if it isn't P-Chan! What did
I do to you this time?"
Ryoga lands next to his umbrella, which he
retrieves, and drops his pack, "You cheated on Akane!
You've been stringing her along all this time when you
already have a kid! DIE!"
"Now Ryoga," *dodges a bandana* "How can I have
cheated on Akane when I Miko is older the entire time I
spent in Nermia?" *Dodges an umbrella strike*
"That doesn't matter, because today is the day I
finish you off, witness my new technique Bakusai
Tenketsu Saikou!" (I could use a full translation and
the proper wording please)
Ryoga's new technique is an improved version of
the original Bakusai Tenketsu, with a much bigger blast
radius and a more violent explosion, an explosion that
sent large (heart sized) chunks of rock in every
direction. Ranma himself is easily able to dodge all
the larger pieces of rock will still maneuvering closer
to Ryoga.
Miko is another story.
Luckily for her most of the rocks (and all the
larger ones) miss entirely, but in her haste to try to
dodge the rock her leg gives and she topples over onto
her side. Even worse as she lands a distinct *SNAP*
sounds out.
Ryoga, Ranma, and the Tendos (who arrived before
the blast occurs) stand in total shock for about two
seconds before anyone even breaths. Then Ranma screams.
"MIKO!" Ranma shoves Ryoga aside, gathers the
unconscious Miko into his arms and is over the wall
before Ryoga has even finished falling over. If he had
stayed he would seen Ryoga transcribe a graceful
arch...right into the koi pond...
-------------------------
Ranma makes a dim note of the giant column of
blue chi that erupts in the general direction of the
dojo, but pushes it to the back of his mind, for he had
just arrived at the clinic.
Dr. Tofu ushers Ranma out of the check-up room,
or rather tries to. Ranma doesn't seem to be very
co-operative mumbling something about 'all my fault'.
In the end Dr. Tofu hits Ranma's sleep spot, dropping
the martial artist like Kuno after glomping Akane.
<Strange, > the doctor thinks to himself, <Her
leg isn't really broken, but it's cracked slightly.
There is nothing I can really do about it though. A
cast won't really help, but a cane might. >
*Sigh* <But I doubt it will ever really heal. I
wish I knew what caused the original injury to her leg,
I might be able to do more if I did, but Ranma swears
that he has no idea what caused it. And I believe him,
not that it's any stranger than anything else he's told
me. I really should do something to help Ranma get over
Genma's interference, and Mrs. Tako's death, but
what...>
Tofu ponders on these and other thoughts as the
sun goes down and another day ends.
-------------------------
A young lady stops and looks down at a letter
she has just finished composing. Her room is clean and
well orginized. Bookshelves are all over and they are
all full.
"It'll be good to see Ranma again," the lady
mutters to herself, "It's been so long..."
With a quick flourish the letter is complete and
in its envolope.
The lady smiles to herself and begins to prepare
for bed. Just before she falls asleep she has one last
thought, <I hope he has enough of a warrning, things are
likely to get messy. >
-------------------------
End Part 5
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(If I got any special technique names wrong please send
me the proper words. Thanks.)
Finally its finished!
Remember C&C is always welcome.
After all if you don't tell me what's wrong then I can't
get better.
The lady? You'll find out in a few chapters.
I'll do my best to get the next part out soon, but don't
get your hopes up too high.
Thomas Scroggs
Cartoon Survival Rule #4: You can hide anywhere. Behind
trees, boulders, anything. Just remeber, unless your
hiding place is destroyed, don't change them. If you do
you'll end up hiding behind the same whatever your enemy
is.