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The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz Communications Inc.)
No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: This story is tagged <DARK>Nodoka opened her door to find a rather large guest poised outside.
"Panda-san? What are you doing here?" Nodoka asked rhetorically, surprised to find the Tendou's pet knocking on her door..
The panda only bowed formally. "P-please come in," the Saotome matriarch invited, more from automatic response than actual thought.
Panda-san entered the front room and waited for her to catch up.
"Is there a problem?" a man standing in the living room began to say only to trail off as he saw the panda.
"No, Jenkin-san. This is Panda-san, he belongs to the family I was telling you about."
"I s-see," the man stumbled through his thoughts. "I wasn't aware that it was legal to have pandas as pets."
Nodoka shrugged. "They don't seem to have any problem with him."
The panda gave the man an odd look before turning a more questioning look at her.
"Jenkin-san is a private detective I am hiring to try to locate my husband and son," Nodoka explained. She didn't know why she said anything, she just felt the need to explain his presents for some reason.
The panda nodded. Nodoka thought a sadness seemed to wash over him, but she dismissed it.
"Well, I guess I should be going," the investigator pronounced and began to inch his way toward the door.
The panda eyed him as he moved then held a paw up, as if to stop him. The man froze.
"I think he wants you to stay," Nodoka suggested helpfully.
"Okay," the man squeaked. "I'll stay."
The panda moved over to the low table where Nodoka and Jenkin had been discussing her case. Looking at all the papers and pictures scattered, the panda released a long drawn out sigh. Nodoka noted that his eyes seemed flat, almost devoid of any color or life. After a moment, the panda fished around and produced a thickly padded envelope. Nodoka gasped when she saw her husbands seal.
"Has something happened to my husband and son?" she begged of the panda, forgetting that pandas couldn't answer.
This panda, however, decided to answer with a sign. 'Please, come with me.'
= = = = = = = = = =
Genma lead the two out into the back yard. He felt a longing in his chest at the familiar yard. He could almost hear the boy's war cry as they practiced. The phantom smell of his wife's cooking seemed to drift across the yard.
He shook his head clear then moved to the spot he selected. He looked up at his wife and the stranger. At first, he was just going to let the man leave, but he thought it would be better if there was a witness.
Death was the cowards way out. Then again, he was very much a coward. He thought he really should be doing this in his human form, but he knew his wife would demand to talk to him. She, undoubtedly would have many questions for him. Then he probably wouldn't be able to go through with it.
Really, it all came down to honor. He didn't have much if any. He had tried to teach his son all of what he knew and understood of it, but knew he had made many mistakes. The boy had forgiven him from taking him away from all the friends he tried to make. He had even forgiven him for the Cat-fist. Genma knew, somehow, Ranma had even forgiven him for Jusenkyou. In time, Ranma might even forgive him for that night. That horrible night which had brought him here.
Honor. It was the guiding principle of martial artists and true warriors. Yet, for all his dreams and desires, he knew that it was a belief whose time was passing. When he could work for a week, mending fences and patching roofs, only to get cheated because, where he saw a noble warrior on a great training journey, others only saw a dirty homeless man. What choices did he really have? It always came down to the word of a known local against an unknown drifter, an outsider. What was he suppose to do when it came down to his honor verses doing what he knew was right? He and his son needed to survive. Sure, he sold the boy for a bowl of rice and two pickles, but the boy hadn't eaten in two days and he hadn't for three. Every man he cheated had cheated him first.
After that, it just became easier and easier to forgo honor for what was right. Too late did he understand. It was always easier to convince ourselves what we wanted was good and right.
What he had done was inexcusable, unforgivable, and perhaps inevitable. The boy would try to forgive him, but he would never be welcomed back to his old friend's house. Akane was also a forgiving soul, but everyone had their limits. His wife might not forgive him, but she would stand by him. That was why he had to go through with this.
To live would be to tear apart the two families. Choose between husband and son. Between family and love. Love and duty. Duty and honor.
Really, it all came down to honor. Honor and doing what was right.
And so, he would attempt to regain some of his lost honor. Not for honor's sake, but for the reasons that had always guided him. Because he knew it was right.
= = = = = = = = = =
Nodoka and Jenkin watched as the panda produced an ink well, paper, and a brush.
Skillfully, words were set in ink.
The huge animal then produced its blade.
A night time breeze played across the silent yard.
Quick practiced strokes were followed by a grunt of surprise and pain.
Nodoka withdrew her blade and stepped up to the panda.
"Wh- what are you doing?" Jenkin rudely interrupted the sacred moment.
She did not stop to answer, instead she carried out her perceived role. The role she had hoped never to play.
"You - you - you just killed a panda! They're an endangered species!"
"Would you preferred him to suffer?" she returned with a glare.
His gazed faltered and shifted to the panda.
Satisfied with his response, Nodoka picked up and the panda's final words.
I don't ask for love
Nor expect your forgiveness
Just know I love you.
Nodoka looked up from the haiku.
As the warm blood continued to pool around the beast, her confusion spiraled slowly through fascination to increasing horror. Finally she could keep it in no more and let lose the pain in her heart to the heavens.
= = = = = = = = = =
At that moment, across the ward in a certain house in a certain room in a certain bed a small currently-female form suddenly clutched onto the other female in the bed tightly.
"Ranma," Akane began as she awoke. "What's wrong?"
Ranma could only shake her head slightly as the tears began to fall. She couldn't explain why nor could she stop. It was moments like this she hated her curse the most, but something in her wasn't about to let go of Akane, even to go change.
Outside the room in the hall, a man with a bushy mustache paused. Something had awoken him earlier. He had felt something off in his house and arose to investigate. Now he felt that something again. This time it made him feel much older.
Silently he made his way down to his wife's shrine. For some reason, he felt a great need to be consoled.
As a reminder, this is a work of fiction. The views any character may express are those I attribute to them given my understanding of them and the situations I put them in. In other words, this is not meant to promote or attack any particular life style or choice.
That being said, anything worth having is worth fighting for. Genma's choice in this story ensures that a wife, a son, a daughter-in-law-to-be, a granddaughter, a best friend, and others will never have the opportunity to set this right. There will always be the hole and hurt he left behind.
Thank you for listening to my slight rant. I hope you enjoyed this short side story, and continue to enjoy the main story.