http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5220
Ray "The Texas Ryoga"
Tryoga@juno.com

This is in response to the Might v. Right challenge� and all the
subsequent letters that followed. I decided to bang out a fic in response
and the next thing you know, I have a three-part story plotted out in my
mind�. Now, to set you up for this�..(damn, I just noticed that Juno
won't let me do italics...any text surrounded by <> should be italics..
the copy on my webpage will be the right format...)
Sweet water and light laughter

				A Ranma � Fanfiction

			Might, Right, and all that lies between

What happens when one is Right but is not one of the Mighty?
What happens when one becomes the Mighty�. at any and all costs?
And can redemption be found for corrupted Might? For one who has
struggled so long for power that they have lost sight of why they
struggled in the beginning?

Our story begins�.

�. With a beating



The Right

<What's happening? Something just exploded in my midsection. I'm
confused, this seemed like such a good thing moments ago� is that my mind
is screaming?� or my throat?� Don't go into shock� don't go into shock� I
hate the sound of bone snapping�..>

15 minutes ago�.

Hikaru Gosunkugi gathered his trembling courage and straightened his
gaunt frame as much as he could. He was currently staring into the beady
eyes of Kenji Tsumato. With a nervous lick of his lips, he asked aloud,
"What did you say, again?"

Tsumato looked back with an incredulous expression on his face and
sneered. "Not that it's any of your business, punk, but what I said, was
that Akane Tendo has got to be some sort of whore." He glared down at
Gosunkugi with a steaming malevolence. Behind his six-foot frame, his
four friends poked at one another with glee and rude whispers of
anticipation.

Gosunkugi stood trembling, in the near deserted schoolyard. He had heard
Tsumato quite clearly the first time, and before he could even think he
had walked up to him and asked him to repeat himself. He wasn't quite
sure why it was that he done so save perhaps for the fact that Akane
Tendo had always been rather kind to him. The few times he had actually
been brave enough to speak to her, she had always been friendly and
patient. And his contact with the youngest of the Tendo sisters had not
just been limited to those few, fleeting, conversations. He had studied
her from afar for a long time, since early childhood. He had watched her
from across playgrounds and schoolyards. He had studied her with his
naked eye and through camera lenses. 
He wasn't particularly proud of his spying on her, which may have been
one of the factors that contributed to his sudden and surprising defense
of her character. But for whatever reason, Gosunkugi knew damn well in
his heart that Akane Tendo, beautiful and kind Akane Tendo, was no whore.
He swallowed once again and a thought flashed through his mind like
quicksilver.

<"Take a stand, you coward. For once, do something right. She's your
friend; you can't let this stand. Take a stand">

He stared directly into Tsumato's eyes and tried to force his voice into
sounding as deep and full as possible. The results weren't the bass tone
of danger that he had in mind, but at least his voice didn't crack or
waver. "Take back what you said. Akane Tendo is no whore."

Tsumato rocked back as if he had been struck and his friends behind him
fell into an astonished hush. Hikaru Gosunkugi showing defiance to a
brute like Kenji Tsumato? The buys might have thought him brave if they
didn't think him so stupid. Tsumato grinned wolfishly and asked, "Or else
what?" His companions snickered.

The much larger Tsumato held up one callused and rough hand and began
ticking off fingers. "The little slut has half the campus after her. She
lives with that Saotome creep. She's got her sister selling photos of
her. She's always got some guy chasing after her ass. You know she's
putting out, else they all wouldn't be interested." He leaned back and
leered, "Besides, like I said� if I don't take it back, what are you
going to do about it, wimp?"

Hikaru's face had become even paler, if possible while Tsumato had been
speaking. A flush of anger suddenly overtook him and he spit out the
words before he could even think. "I'll make you regret what you just
said and beat an apology out of you." He was as astounded as his own
words, and for just a moment, looking at the expressions of surprise on
the faces of the thugs in front of him, Gosunkugi felt a surge of pride
and power.

Tsumato began to laugh. The four astonished thugs behind him began to
snicker. Tsumato raised a muscular arm threateningly of Gusunkugi's head.
Hikaru felt his confidence slide away in a rush, and it was all he could
to keep from trembling. "Look punk, I could smash you with one arm tied
behind my back. You ain't nothing but a flea to me, and I sure as hell
ain't giving you no damn apology for that Tendo bitch."

Hikaru stuttered through his lips, "P-p-prove it."

"Huh?" Tsumato rumbled. His cronies started scratching their heads in
confusion.

"I-I, said 'Prove it.'" Hikaru let the forward momentum take him and he
calmed down as he spoke, knowing now that it was far too late to back
down. "You said you could take me with one hand tied behind your back?
Prove it. Have one of your little stooges tie your hand behind you with a
belt, then, lets see if you really can beat me." Hikaru had no idea where
the bravado was coming from. His mind was running at a thousand miles a
second, trying to recall every gesture, every word, every movement of
confidence that he had ever seen before. Images of television heroes,
martial arts legends, and the champions of his anime's were flashing
through his mind. A starburst bright thought burst into his mind and he
realized that if he could get Tsumato to go along with this crazy scheme,
and if his friends wouldn't jump on him, then he actually had a chance.
With just one arm available, how could Tsumato win? 

<"Damn right! This is the right thing to do! I'm going to do the right
thing and walk away the winner, for once in my life.">

<"Besides, the good guys always win.">

With this near-deranged thought ringing in his head, Hikaru straightened
again and crossed his arms across his chest and awaited Tsumato's answer.

Tsumato chewed his lip in indecision for a moment. He glanced behind him
at his cronies who stood staring at him expectantly. He could see one of
them, Tatski,  with his hand straying  to his belt. He gazed forward
again and took in the sight of Hikaru Gosunkugi standing defiant, a
smoldering little figure of indignation and anger. Ludicrous, really in
the thought that he was a threat to him, but he was acting far to
confidant. What trick could the little bastard have up his sleeve? For a
moment, he considered just sucker-punching him right there, but he
disregarded the thought with a slight shake of his head. He was a bully
and a thug, but he did have a skewed sense of schoolyard honor and ego.
He had made a claim and Gosunkugi had called him on it. His pride
demanded he follow through with it. If he couldn't defeat Hikaru
Gosunkugi, one-on-one, even with his hand tied behind his back, he would
be a laughingstock. And he sure as hell couldn't back down from the
little weasel, either. He gestured behind him and then pointed at
Gosunkugi contemptuously.

"Tatski'll tie my arm back. Give me a minute you little freak, and then
ya die!" He growled and turned to his friends who were jeering Gosunkugi
as they whetted their appetites for the slaughter soon to come.

While they busied themselves with preparing Tsumato for the fight,
Gosunkugi stood rooted in the same spot. His mind was amazingly clear and
he calmly stood, running through his mind every martial art battle he had
ever seen. He knew he wasn't strong, but he was fairly nimble and
mentally, he prepared himself. In his minds eye, he could see himself
ducking under the off balance punches Tsumato tried to throw, and
skirting free of his wild and ungainly kicks. Through tactics of hit and
run, he should be able to deliver enough punishment that Tsumato would
fall before he could land a blow on him.

"Ready to die, punk?"

*	*	*
Gosunkugi and Tsumato circled each other warily for a few moments. For a
minute or two, Gosunkugi felt out Tsumato's speed and style. The bound
arm at his side was hampering him and really was throwing off his balance
and speed. Hikaru was able to bob and weave and able to avoid all of
Tsumato's strikes. The air was filled with curses and jeers from the
loose semi-circle of Tsumato's followers.

<"I'm going to win! For the first time ever, I'm going to win!">

Ducking underneath another awkwardly thrown punch, Gosunkugi threw his
own, first, counter attack. His hand formed itself into a straight blade
and his arm arced out as he chopped at the vulnerable side of Tsumato's
neck. There was a jolt as he made contact�. and Tsumato began to laugh.

He threw his head back and roared. "Is that it, punk? O.k., I'll tell you
the truth, I thought for sure you had some kind of plan or some kind of
trick, but if that's the best you got� I'm done playing with you."

Hikaru stood in dismay, staring down at his hand as though it had
betrayed him, he looked up in time to see Tsumato lazily reach for him
and wrap his unbound arm around Hikaru's head in a side hammerlock. He
whimpered and flailed wildly with his arms and legs against Tsumato's
torso. Tsumato simply grunted and shook Gosunkugi back and forth.
Tsumato's leg darted out and struck Gosunkugi directly behind his knee.
He collapsed as Tsumato released him from the headlock. From the corner
of his eye he could see the dark blur of Tsumato's knee as it arced
towards his face. An explosion of light and sound filled his head
suddenly. He fell forward, onto his hands and knees. The jeering sounds
of Tsumato and his cronies filled his ears, but they sounded oddly
distant and far away. 

His mind flowed sluggishly�.

<What's happening? Something just exploded in my midsection. I'm
confused, this seemed like such a good thing moments ago� is that my mind
is screaming?� or my throat?� Don't go into shock� don't go into shock� I
hate the sound of bone snapping�..>


*	*	*


Hikaru Gosunkugi's eyes fluttered open slowly.

<I'm in a hospital. I wonder who brought me here?">

Hikaru sluggishly tried to make his mind work and catalogue what exactly
happened to him.

<"I remember being found by�. A groundskeeper? How long was I lying there
after� Tsumato left? How badly am I hurt?">

He tried to move his head and look around, but the effort was too much.
As he drifted away into darkness, he thought�

<"I Am Never Going To Be Beaten Like This Again�� Kenji Tsumato� I will
have my revenge�.">


End part one.

Story postnotes

Well� we see what happens when might and right are at opposing ends.
Hikaru was in the right to ask for an apology, although he was, perhaps,
not in the right DEMAND one. It is a very fine line to determine what is
right. But, in essence, this is what happens when Right and Might are at
opposing ends. Might stomps the piss out of Right. Nazi Germany wasn't in
the right to bomb and invade Poland in 1940, but they rolled the Poles
with ease. The Poles fought with honor, and courage, and bravery. They
charged pure cavalry, men on horseback, into the jaws of German tanks,
and they died with honor and courage and bravery. And Germany invaded and
occupied Poland within a month. Might v. Right�. Might wins. By the by,
the ending�and a taste of things to come, to be perfectly honest, I had
this image in my mind, one of the images that helped set this whole fic
up, actually�. Think of the ending to part one of Gone With The Wind.
Scarlet O'Hara standing there, "And I will never go hungry again!" and
then she became a bit of a hardass and very "Do-whatever-it-takes"�.. 

Author postnotes

I'll pound out part two in a bit. I jammed this one in about an hour
after dreaming this up yesterday. So please forgive the roughness of
it�right now I am transcribing Hidden Talents 9 onto disk� (another
Hikaru Gosunkugi fic�.)After that, I might pound out part two later today
and possible even get part three out late-late tonight. Not a long fic, I
predict about 15 pages�.. as always� C&C Tryoga@juno.com

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