Ranma 1/2: Siblings
Episode 12

All Ranma 1/2 characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  Viz owns the US
rights, and I'm using them without permission.  Don't sue me, I have no
money.

***

*Oh crap!* Acchan thought as he dodged another attack.  *I hate Kuno I hate
Kuno I hate Kuno I HATE KUNO!*  He pressed himself to the ground as a
silver dagger flew through the space his body had occupied a second before.
 *Must...warn...others!*  He jumped, and barely missed having his paws
taken off by a silver shuriken.  *On the other hand, saving myself first
would be a good plan right now.*  He decided to implement the Saotome
Secret Technique and haul tail out of there.  *This is Ranma's fault, I
just know it,* he thought as the events replayed themselves in his mind.

***

Andrew finished mopping up the boys, making quite sure he finished the song
as the last one fell.  "I even chose a song you guys know," he said to the
pile, disgusted.  "What more chance do you want?"  He looked for Kaori, but
noticed no one else around, except for Kuno and some weird westerner he had
with him.  "Hey Kuno, I guess it's your turn."  He got into a battle
stance, just in time to be splashed with water.  *You know, I'd really like
Ranma's water sense,* he thought as he transformed.  He wriggled out of his
clothes.  *And guys wonder why I go commando.*  He looked up at Kuno and
growled.  *Jerk.*

Kuno paled and stepped back.  "There! You see it with your own eyes!  The
being known as Andrew Saotome is in truth a demon from hell known as
Acchan!"

"Indeed."  Acchan looked the other man up and down, trying to assess his
threat level.  He was short, about the same height as Ranma-chan, but
massed as much as four of her, his form bulging with knotted, tiwsted
muscle.  He was deeply tanned, blonde, and had a lined, craggy face that
was fixed in a perpetual scowl.  He wore dark, well worn leathers.  "He is
a were-beast.  A man cursed to become an animal."  He reached into a pouch
at his side and pulled out a silver dagger.  "Only death by a silver weapon
will release him from his torment, and I, Oregon Smith shall be the man to
do it!"

Acchan didn't like the way this was going.  *I think that's my cue to
exit...* He started to back away slowly, and that was when the fun began.

***

Ranma and Ukyo stood in the hall, talking in low tones.  Akane stood a
little ways off, watching the pair suspicously.

"Uh...Ucchan?"  Ranma asked the chef nervously.  "Are we still engaged or
what?"

Ukyo gave Ranma a look that was equal parts sadness and amusement.  "I
don't think that would be right, sugar.  We both know why."

Ranma blushed deeply, and gave a little grimace of distaste.  "But...do
you..." he faltered as the words failed to come to him.

"Yes, I do love him.  It's different than with you.  There's no bad
memories, only good ones.  He's a good man, even if he's a
little...unrestrained."  Ukyo smiled at a memory.  "He's chivalrous, and
brave, and strong.  He's like you Ranchan, in the ways that count, and
different in ways that make him special too."

"I'm suprised, Uch...Ukyo," Ranma said, a small smile on his face as well. 
"But I want you to be happy.  I'm...sorry if it was hard on you."

"Ucchan, Ranchan.  Call me Ucchan.  We're still friends, aren't we?"

Ranma grinned.  "Always, Ucchann, always."  The two embraced, but it was a
hug of friendship, not the glomp that had been all Ranma experienced
before.

"Hmph," Akane growled beside them.  Ranma and Ukyo broke the embrace,
embarrased.  "Something I should know?"

"Jeez, Akane, can't a guy hug a friend?" Ranma protested.  Akane looked at
Ukyo, and something passed between the two girls as they locked gazes. 
Ranma, sensing the danger was past, let out the breath he had been holding.
 *Jeez, could she get any more jealous?*  He turned to Ukyo, and decided to
ask her the question which had been on his mind for such a long time. 
"Ucchan, there's something I gotta know."

"What's that?"

"Of all the guys you could have picked," began Ranma, "why TAROU?"

Ukyo glowered at him.  "What's wrong with Tarou?"

Blithely ignoring Ukyo's degrading temper, he continued.  "He's
egotistical, he's of honroble only when it suits him, he's arrogant, he's
got a name I wouldn't wish on anyone, he turns into a monster, and
finally...he's such a jerk!"

Ukyo fought the urge to whack Ranma.  "Go ahead," Akane said to her.  "He
deserves it."  Ukyo shot the other girl a smile and proceeded to brain
Ranma with her spatula.  Her second blow was pre-empted by a shout from
another student.

"Hey Ranma!  Isn't that your brother?"  Ukyo and Akane went to look out the
window, Ranma a few steps behind.  "Wow, aren't those daggers silver?."

***

In another room, Nabiki's right eyelid began to twitch.

***

Acchan ran around the school yard, twisting and leaping to avoid the
weapons and attacks a burly dwarf of a man leveled at him.  The grounds
were littered with weapons that shone brighter than steel.  As they
watched, an arrow clipped some fur off of the end of Acchan's tail.  "It
looks like I better get out there," Ranma sighed.  "Akane, can you get some
hot water for 'Drew?"  Akane ran off while Ranma opened the window and
jumped out, landing on the dwarf.  

Ranma winced as he landed, the man was rock hard.  "Mind telling me why
you're trying to kill my brother?"  He bounded off to the side, giving
Acchan enough of a distraction to run around a corner.

The dwarf glared at him for a moment, and his eyes suddenly widened.  "You
are kin to the were, and your aura is like his!"  A horrified look covered
his face.  "A family of were-creatures!  The evil must not be allowed to
continue!"  He ranted on for a while, slipping into English.  "By the hand
of Oregon Smith, you shall die!"  He then pulled out some more weaponry and
threw them at Ranma.

"Hey!" Ranma yelled, ducking and weaving.  He charged the man, driving his
fist at the man's gut.  Moments later, he reeled away, holding his throbing
hand in his other.  "What the hell are you made of, rock?"  The man merely
grunted and threw some more weaponry at him.  *Can't hit him, he makes
Ryoga look like a pansy.  Can't dodge forever, and he doen't LOOK angry.* 
Ranma ducked as a dart flew for his head.   *Blast it is.*  Ranma
concentrated, and cried "MOKO TAKABISHA!!"  The yellow light flew from his
hands and crashed into Smith, stirring up a huge dust cloud that obscured
his target from vision.  "Well that's tha...shit."

As the dust cloud cleared, Smith stood there unharmed, but dazed.  He had
been knocked back a total of half a foot.  Like his brother had moments
before, Ranma implemented the Saotome Secret Technique and ran after his
brother.  Turning the corner, he found Andrew putting on his clothes. 
Akane stood a few steps away with the kettle.  "'Drew, we are in some deep
trouble."

"Is it dead?" Andrew asked anxiously.  Ranma shook his head, and Andrew
cursed.

Ranma grabbed Akane's hand.  "Come on, we've got to get out of here," he
said, and the three ran out of the yard.

***

The war party convened at the Nekohanten.  Mousse and Lotion stood beside
Shampoo, while Tarou and Ukyo sat at the table beside Andrew and Kaori. 
Akane also sat at the table, her eyes on Ranma who was pacing up and down
the joint.  Genma stood at the door to the restaurant, keeping watch.  "OK,
guys, from what Nabiki was able to dig up, this Oregon Smith guy is a
complete nutcase," Ranma said.

Andrew snorted.  "Tell me something I didn't know.  'Only death by a silver
weapon will release him,' yeah right."  Kaori swatted him.  "Sorry."

"He makes Kodachi look sane," Ranma insisted.  "Count on Kuno to find
someone more nuts than him."  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a
piece of paper.  "According to this, he thinks all of us with curses are
'were-beasts.'  We've got some sort of disease as well as a curse, so that
we turn into creatures and feed upon the flesh of the innocent."

Kaori looked nauseous.  "That is so gross!"

"It gets worse," Ranma told her.  "He honestly thinks he's doing us a favor
by killing us, by releasing us from our torment."  Ranma smiled grimly. 
"On top of that, hiding in cursed form or just not changing around him is
no defense.  He was able to recognize me as cursed with just a look."

"The reason we called you all here is to warn you, and because we think
things might get worse," Andrew said, taking over.  "The guy wasn't very
pleased with the idea of Ranma and I being a family of 'weres.'  If he
discovers the truth about Shampoo..." Andrew trailed off, leaving the rest
of it unsaid.

"A cursed woman having a child with a cursed man," Mousse said softly, fear
coming into his voice.  "And Kuno knows about my curse."  His eyes blazed
with an inner fire, and his hand sought out Shampoo's.  "If he touches her,
I'll KILL him."

"Shampoo no let crazy man hurt her child," Shampoo agreed, her hand
tightening on Mousse's.

Genma called from the door.  "Ranma!  This Smith person is a short gaijin? 
About as wide as he is tall?  Wears leather?"  At Ranma's confirmation, his
face went stern.  "He's coming this way."

A bit of panic set in Ranma's face.  "People! Get ready!  Things to
remember, this guy is is SOLID.  It's like punching a block of steel.  And
he's tough.  A full force blast from my Moko Taskabisha only dazed him."

Mousse blinked, and pushed his glasses down onto his face.  He walked over
to Ranma and Andrew.  "Here," he said, holding out some objects he pulled
out of his robe.  "This should help."

Ranma took one of the pairs and looked at them.  They were a pair of
gloves, plated with steel.  He looked over at the other objects, which
Andrew was holding, and saw they were a pair of slip-on shoes with metal
soles.  He grinned at Mousse as he slipped the gloves on.  "Thanks."

Andrew jumped to his feet after slipping on the shoes, and Lotion winced as
he cracked some of the tiles on the floor.  "Whatever works, hey bro?"  He
looked at the others.  "Let's go."

***

Andrew and Ranma hid behind a parked car, and watched as Tarou-monster went
up against Smith.  They winced in sympathy as they heard bones snap in
Tarou's paw as he punched at the dwarf of a man.  Tarou-monster roared in
pain.

"We're doomed," Andrew said.  "I thought if anyone could take him, Tarou
could."

Ranma nodded, and ducked as Tarou-monster flew overhead to impact a
building.  "This is bad.  This is very, very bad."

"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!"  A thunderous explosion shook the street, and rock
fragments showered down on the combatants.  Andrew and Ranma looked up over
the car, and saw a familiar figure facing off against Smith.  Smith's left
arm was gone, and they could see the stump had the look of broken rock.

"RYOGA?!"  Ranma exlaimed.  "Where the hell did he come from?"

"What I'd like to know is how he's using that move on a person," Andrew
said, and looked over at Ranma.  "Didn't you say it doesn't work on
people?"  Their attention returned to the battle as Ryoga yelled again and
stuck his finger into the dwarf's chest.  There was an explosion, and Smith
crumbled into dust.

Andrew and Ranma raced to Ryoga's side as the dust cleared.  Ryoga smiled
lightly and nodded to them as he reached into the remains of Smith, and
pulled out a little old man they had seen before.

"Happosai," Ranma growled.  "I should have known."  Andrew grabbed the
unconsious letch and ran into the Nekohanten to tie him up.  Ranma turned
to Ryoga.  "Long time no see, man.  Where'd you go?"

Ryoga locked eyes with Ranma, and Ranma could see the lost boy had changed.
 His eyes held a peace that wasn't ever there before.  Ryoga spoke, his
voice calm and flat.  "We must talk, Ranma."

***

Ryoga sat in the dojo, his legs crossed.  He looked incredibly peaceful,
completely unlike the depressed, angry man Ranma knew.  Ranma sat down in
front of him, and Akane sat at his side.

"This is very hard for me, Ranma,"  Ryoga said softly.  "Please bear with
me."

"The night of the...combat, I was in a rage.  I had to stop your date, to
make sure you couldn't win that time.  When Andrew got in my way, he was so
much like you.  He had the same grin, the same easy air of confidence." 
Ryoga paused, and swallowed the lump in his throat.  "I don't know what
would have happened if Kodachi hadn't drugged me.  Perhaps it would have
ended the same way it always did between you and I.  Perhaps I would have
exploded like that anyway."  I was told by...a friend...that everyone
thought I felt I was a killer."  He stopped, and tears began to mist his
eyes.  "I knew I hadn't killed Andrew.  I was broken by the sudden
realization of what I was becoming."

Ryoga looked down at the floor, and tears fell from his eyes and stained
his pants.  "Four years, Ranma.  Four years I have chased you down.  Over
trivial things that a real man would have dismissed with a laugh.  I was
becoming a monster, and that night showed it to me.  If it hadn't been for
that night, I'm sure one day you or I would have died."  Ranma looked at
Ryoga in shock, as the lost boy looked up, tears streaming.  "It ends here.
 No more fighting, no more jealously, no more hatred.  I am tired of being
half a man, consumed by depression and anger.  I want to find peace with
myself.  Killing you won't bring me that.  I'm sorry, Ranma.  For all the
pain I've cause you and those you care about."

Ranma's throat was constricted as he responded.  "I'm sorry too, Ryoga.  I
never wanted it to be this way.  I only wanted to be your friend."

Ryoga nodded and turned to Akane.  "I have something to apologise to you
for as well, Akane.  I have used you as a weapon against Ranma from the day
we first met.  I convinced myself I loved you, because I knew it would hurt
Ranma.  I fought him over you many times, because I knew it would hurt
him."  He paused, and through clenched teeth finished what he wanted to
say.  "I became P-chan, your pet, because I knew it would hurt him most of
all, by forcing to keep an oath to hide my curse."  As Akane gasped, he
bowed his head.  "I'm sorry, Akane.  I was so focussed on hurting Ranma, I
didn't see I was hurting you.  I know what I've done can't be forgiven."

Ryoga stood, recognizing that his continued presence would only aggravate
Akane further.  "I will leave now."  He stood, and walked to the door of
the dojo.

"Ryoga."  Ryoga turned, and looked back at Ranma.  "Where are you going
now?"

Ryoga smiled a little bitterly.  "Away from here.  I have told Akari
goodbye, I wished to do the same with you.  I must find the half of 
myself I lost over these four years.  Maybe once I'm a full man we'll 
meet again."  He turned to leave, and stopped at the door.  "By the 
way, Ranma, you may want to learn the Breaking Point in case 
the letch finds another of those cursed stone suits."

With that, the lost boy exited the dojo, and walked out of their lives.

Ranma watched the disappearing form of Ryoga for a moment, and turned to
Akane.  "I wanted to tell you so much, but the oath prevented me.  I'm..."
His speech was stopped by Akane's hand on his mouth.

"I don't think I can take two of those from you in one day, Ranma," she
said with a little smile on her face, and stood up.  "I need to be alone
now," she said as she walked to the house.

Ranma watched her leave, and looked down at the place Ryoga had sat, and
the tears that wet the boards.  He stared at them for quite a long time,
until he heard footsteps behind him.  He turned, and saw Andrew and Tarou
standing there, a determined expression on their faces.  "The freak says
he'll change my name if we get him one picture," he pulled out a camera,
"of you in this."  In his other hand there was a white, frilly bra.

Andrew pulled the bottle of water he was hiding behind his back, and began
to advance on Ranma.  "Don't make this harder than it has to be, bro." 
Ranma jumped up, and started to back away.

"NO WAY!"