Ranma 1/2

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma, Rumiko Takahashi does. I just borrowed some of the characters. Rated: NC-17

Shades of Home

Chapter 5

Ranma frowned at his school schedule. {Let's see Lit., Chemistry, Weapons, Strategy, History, Field Medicine. (Herbs and Simples) sounds different but more useful. After school activities . . . Field training and Martial arts training. Meditation.}He folded the schedule and put it in his book bag. It was filled with all the books and other things that he would need for school. He also had a look in his closet. {Jacket, I need a jacket and a uniform} Finding everything he needed, Ranma got ready for his first day of school in the Compound.

Ranma sat down at the table outside the door of the school building. He flopped onto the bench beside Leela. Danny sat beside her and Sunny across from him. Shuba was leaning over Leela's shoulder, looking at her class schedule. "Do I havta' take Field training? I'm a thief. I stay in the city. Not out in the country with a bunch of critte' crawlers. Yuck!" Shuba laughed tugging a lock of her silver hair, "Yes, you need it. What if you have to escape from the shadow realms and wind up in the Rockies of America or something?"

"DIE!! RANMA SAOTOME!!!"

"Oh, Shit! Kuno! Where th' hell did that ass-hole come from?"

Ranma didn't even lose his famous temper. He just decided that he wasn't putting up with this any more. When Kuno had attacked him in Nerima, it had been child's play and they both knew it. But Ranma knew that now it was time to stop playing around. He wasn't going to put up with much more in the way of stupidity. People had gotten hurt before in fights with Kuno.

Turn, catch blade of shinai between palms. Twist, push down. Shinai breaks. Ranma punches Tatiwaki Kuno in face. Kuno falls down. Ranma breaks arm. All She Wrote. Time elapsed two tenths of a second.

"Kuno, you shit-head. Now ya done it! We're both in it deep. We ain't gonna be standin' in the hall holdin' buckets. We'll both get a beatin' over this. And a talkin' to. And when Steven gets through talkin' I'd rather take two beatin's. Damnit!" Ranma nearly kicked Kuno, but he was down and that wouldn't be fair. "I really, really like it here and I wanna get off on the right foot with the staff. Where the hell did you come from?"

Tatiwaki just groaned. His arm hurt and he was truly puzzled. Ranma had never really hurt him before. His over romanticized psyche couldn't handle the real world, only the one that existed in his head.

"Hey! What's your malfunction?! Why did you jump Ranma?" Sunny looked Kuno over with a frown. "I'll heal your arm for you: but don't get the wrong idea I don't like you at all. Poor Ranma." Leela and Danny had taken up defensive stances. Shuba had run for Headmaster Steven.

"Ranma hold him so I can heal his arm. You'll need to straighten it out first." Leela relaxed a bit. Danny sighed. Ranma was in trouble and so was this ass. Fighting was strictly forbidden.

Ranma complied, pulling Kuno's arm straight and holding him while he struggled. "Hold still! She can't do anything with you kickin' around. And screamin' won't get you anywhere, either. You brought this all on yourself."

Ranma had no sympathy what so ever.

Tatiwaki struggled some and screamed once when Ranma set his arm.

"You broke the fair Akane's heart. You ran away and never wrote her. She cried for hours. You've been gone over a week. And the pig-tailed girl has disappeared as well."

,Sunny looked at Ranma, "What the hell is he babbling about. What pig-tailed girl? Who's Akane?"

Ranma decided that now was the time to start explanations. "I'm the pig-tailed girl and Akane is my only real fiancee. I'll explain more later. Here comes Steven and he's got fire in his eye. Stand up Kuno. Stop actin' like a dope" Ranma dragged Kuno to his feet, giving him a shake. "Thanks Sunny."

"Ok Ranma, I thought I told you absolutely no fighting. Only supervised practice bouts. Kuno, I don't know what you were doing at your old school, but at this school no one, and I mean NO one carries even a shinai. I thought we discussed this yesterday. My office, NOW! Danny, Leela, Shuba! I want written reports as soon as possible."

Steven almost literally had steam coming out of his ears. He marched Ranma and Tatiwaki to his office and shut the door.

"Ranma, you first. Start talking and you better make it good."

Steven crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

Ranma rubbed the back of his head and then pulled his pigtail. "Damnit! Tatiwaki's crazy as a junk yard rat. He's been harassin' my fiancé, Akane, for years. Even before I knew her. He set up this stupid rule at school that only someone who could beat her in a fight could date her. So every day she has ta fight a buncha' hentai before she can get in the door. I came along and beat the crap outa all of 'em, and put a stop ta that foolishness, but Tatiwaki decided that I ain't good enough for Akane and kept attackin' me every day or so. Oh! and he's in love with my other side. Calls me the pigtailed girl. A buncha other guys, and a girl, fight me too, but they don't amount ta much. Except for Ryouga. But that's a story for another time. Tatiwaki's really good with a sword but not much otherwise" Ranma caught Tatiwaki's face on his foot, at shoulder height, holding him with ease by shifting his weight to counter his efforts to dodge. "So here we are. I'm sick an' tired a' tryin' not ta hurt 'im.

"I'm warnin' ya! Figure out some way ta convince this idiot ta quit, or I'm really gonna hurt 'im bad next time. No matter how much or hard ya beat me, and I'll keep it up till he quits, or you kick one a' us out. I'll never attack him, but I'll defend myself."

Steven sprang over the desk while Ranma was talking, dragged Tatiwaki off Ranma, and shoved him into a chair.

"Stop that right now! We had a talk about this sort of thing yesterday. I thought you understood; if you can't get your act together, you will never leave the Compound again. I promise you! And we can arrange for you to be further confined, if need be. You can't go around attacking people because they have violated your weird code of conduct. Now, it's your turn to explain yourself. So far, you're in the wrong, and Ranma's in the right. From what I've seen, you're lucky he didn't loose his temper."

"Ranma Saotome has no honor! He is a despicable commoner. He beats me because he won't fight fair. He uses Anything Goes hand to hand; I fight with a sword, honorably. He brawls like a common street fighter. I will not admit defeat till he does it with a sword." Tatiwaki hunched in the chair and glared at Steven. "He keeps braking my Shinai instead of fighting me in an acceptable manner."

Steven just shook his head. This was going to involve something that he didn't want to do.

"Ok Ranma. You know what I said to you. But this is serious. I can't get out of what I have to do. The rules are very clear. The one who attacked gets three lashes, and the one who did the most damage gets three. So you both will be getting three lashes."

Steven took a bamboo rod from a corner behind his desk. Ranma blinked once, it was no thicker than his index finger.

"Tatiwaki, you first. Then Ranma. I really hate this part of my job. I feel like a child abuser. But sometimes corporal punishment is the only way to get your attention. And you are the one who didn't pay attention. Bend over the desk."

Steven watched as Tatiwaki bent over the desk. Then he sighed and gave Tatiwaki three swats on the rear end. They weren't very hard.

"Now I am very disappointed in you. You gave me your solemn vow that you wouldn't cause any trouble. That hurts my feelings. I trusted your word and you broke it almost before it was given. Here I have vouched for you myself. You know that you were headed for a mental institution before I brought you here. You assured me that you're capable of controlling yourself. But I see that you don't even seem to want to make an effort. I truly hate striking a student for any reason; however, the rules are very clear. Ranma doesn't deserve what I have to do now. However; he was aware of the rules as well, so Ranma if you would please."

Steven indicated that Ranma should also bend over the desk.

Ranma bent, teeth gritted. He wasn't afraid of the pain, he knew that Steven wasn't going to hit him any harder than he'd hit Tatiwaki and that had been just a sharp pat. He was mad because he had let Steven down. Three swats later, swats that barely knocked the dust from his clothing, Ranma straightened up.

"Steven, Headmaster, please forgive me. I'm truly sorry. I shoulda found some other way. Run even. I shouldn'ta let my pride get the better a me." Ranma wiped at his eyes.

"Saotome, you are truly a coward." Tatawaki sneered. "Crying over such a little thing. Ha!"

Ranma glared at Tatiwaki. "You're so stupid. He could beat me ta a pulp and I wouldn't shed a tear or make a sound. I'm not cryin' 'cause he hit me! I'm cryin' 'cause I deserve ta be hit. I gave him my word I 'd obey the rules. And at the first test, I failed 'im. You babble about honor an' Bushido, but you wouldn't know true honor if it bit ya in the ass."

Tatiwaki gulped, he hadn't seen Ranma look like this, ever. His eyes seemed to glow with a kind of red light. He really looked dangerous for the first time in his experience. Then the essence of what Ranma was saying hit him, square between the eyes.

"Oh! I never thought. I . . . I owe you an apology, Master Steven. I am sorry that I too failed you." Tatiwaki started on one of his elaborate speeches.

"Steven, If ya don't shut 'im up now, you're gonna have ta give me another three, 'cause I truly can't stand ta hear ‘im rant n' rave just now."

Ranma wiped the tears off his face.

"I'm tired of 'im. Tired a' his stupidity. Tired a' his playactin'. One a' the reasons that ya didn't understand Anything Goes is 'cause I tried so hard not ta do this idiot any harm. I've had it with 'im. I've warned ya, but just ta make sure ya understand I mean business. I'll repeat myself. If he attacks me one more time, I'll break somethin' important. I'll make sure he doesn't attack anyone for at least six months. If that doesn't work, and he attacks me a second time, I'll make sure that he never holds a sword again. If he attacks any of the others. I'll kill him and take the consequences. They ain't fighters, they could get really hurt. 'Cause this baka ain't got the sense of a' box a' rocks."

Steven knew that he had a real situation on his hands. Ranma was as good natured a kid as he had ever seen. But even a saint can be driven to violence if the situation is right. Ranma had evidently been pushed that one inch too far.

"Well, I can't say that I blame you much. But we can't have the students fighting. I understand that this is a grudge of long standing, at least on Mr. Kuno's part. Tell me why you have never faced him with a Shinai."

Ranma shrugged, "Ain't got one."

"Ah! As simple as that? Well, we'll get you the real thing and Tatiwaki as well. I want this settled before someone winds up dead." Steven called his secretary. "Tell all the other students what's going on. Then have them come to the dojo, all the teachers as well." Steven stalked away with both boys in tow.

He'd read the reports later, even if he did know what they said.

In the dojo, Steven unlocked a storage room containing all kinds of weapons. At Ranma's look, he explained. "The lab has its own weapons and they are locked up there when they aren't needed. The dojo has its own compliment of "sharps" and they are locked up in this room. Ranma, if I ever see you with a sharp weapon without my express permission, you will be confined to your room for a week, no visitors what so ever, and double the home work. Understood?"

Ranma nodded solemnly, saying softly, "Yes, Sir. I understand. I won't let you down again."

Steven handed Ranma a sword. "How's that one? Balance good for you?" He also gave Tatiwaki a sword. "Here's one for you, too. Now, here's the way it goes. First blood. I'll referee. My word is final. If I call the fight and you don't stop at once, you'll be expelled. Ranma, that means that you go back to your Father. Tatiwaki, you'll be confined to a cottage on the grounds, or sent to Imperial Hospital. Do you both understand?" Tatiwaki paled and nodded. Ranma just nodded. "I insist that you both exercise self control. Ranma, I believe that you have plenty. Tatiwaki, I don't believe you have the self control of a gnat. Warm up! Get used to the weapon you're using."

One of the instructors approached Steven, "Steven! Don't you think that you are being reckless? These boys aren't . . . "

Steven turned his head so slowly you could practically hear his neck creak.

"Mr. Sasaki, I don't believe I asked you for your opinion. However, since you asked so politely . . . These boys are two of the finest swordsmen in the world today and fooling around with them is going to cause more problems in the long run. Let them draw a little blood now or loose a limb later. Just relax and watch the show. If you can see them at all."

"Kuno, ya jack-ass! Get over here. I'm waitin' on ya. Stop sittn' there composin' haiku. Pansy!"

Ranma was ready, after taking a few swings to get the balance of his sword. He didn't use weapons, not feeling the need for one. But just because he didn't use them, didn't mean that he couldn't. The real reason that he didn't use them was that his Pop usually sold them for food and liquor.

"I'm Dr. Carlson, I will be coordinating this fight. Strip to the waist, please. I will call first blood. Headmaster Steven will be referee. If he calls a foul, the fight is ended. Fouls are: cutting below the waist or on the face.

"Anything below the mid thigh is counted as fair. If you are called on to separate, you will do so at once. Understood!? " At their nods he continued. "Take your stance! Begin!"

Kuno stepped forward, raised his sword and yelled 'Mehn!'. Ranma shifted just enough to dodge his swing. Next, Kuno jumped into the air, sailing over Ranma's head "Ryu....eeep!" Ranma reached up, grabbed Kuno by the ankle and jerked him out of the air.

"Stand still and fight, ya damned grasshopper. Ya' wanna' fight with swords, stay on the ground. I'll kill ya if we go air-borne."

Ranma hadn't even raised his sword.

Spectators exclaimed and pointed.(Hey, he still has his sword sheathed. What the hell is that!)

Ranma held his sword casually, as if he barely knew it was there.

"Kuno, get ready cause I'm comin' for ya. AAww! Poor Kuno. Gotcha!"

Ranma drew his sword. That was all most of the observers saw. Kuno was just able to see Ranma draw his sword, slash him, and return to Holding a Feather stance.

"Blood to Ranma Saotome!"

Ranma smirked.

Kuno just stared at the Doctor.

"First blood? I'm not bleeding."

He looked down at his chest to see a very shallow cut from just under his left pectoral muscle across his chest to the same place on his right. Tiny beads of blood dotted it like garnets on a thread.

"What? How?"

Ranma shook his head. "It's a hidden style. I learned it from a guy in the wilds a' northern Japan. The last teacher a' this style ta pass on the premier move died teaching it ta the guy who taught me. It's nothing ta mess 'round with."

Tatiwaki grabbed Ranma by the shoulders.

"I must learn this style. It is the penultimate. I must know all the secrets. I will be your student." He shook Ranma slightly. "I, Tatiwaki Kuno, know this. Ranma Saotome is the penultimate samurai, gentile, glorious, merciful, graceful in defeat, generous in victory. mmmummph!"

Ranma smacked Kuno in the mouth, with his foot.

"Shut up, ya dummy. I wouldn't teach ya this style if ya begged me on your knees. Ya ain't worthy. Ya don't have an idea in the world how ta use it. Ya'd go round pickin fights just ta show off. It's no flash style. Ya pick up a sword, ya make a decision. Ya either get ready ta kill or ya get ready ta die. Fancy words an' ceremonies don't change the fact that a sword is a weapon, weapons are used ta kill. Ya cut someone they heal. Ya kill em there's no goin' back. Ya don't know the secret a' steel. When ya understand it in your heart, come back. I'll listen ta ya then, maybe."

Ranma was disgusted. Kuno didn't do anything by halves. Either he liked you or he hated you. There was no indifference.

Kuno started to drop to his knees. Steven grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to his feet.

"Get up. Even if Ranma said he would teach you. I wouldn't let him. I can see that I need to send you to the clinic. You arn't right. Here, take him to the lab. I want a full battery of blood tests done on him. He's got to be bi-polar or something. This isn't normal."

Steven seethed. This kid was a real nut. Too proud, rich and self-centered for anyone's good. No one in his family could do anything with him. He was supernaturally fast, good at martial arts and crazy.