The Spring Of Drowned Thief

Quick Learning and an Old Friend


A week passed since the incident in Ranma’s room with Akane, and the days continued with craziness. Ranma and Akane had started getting up early in the morning for practice, and they were both pleased to have some one to spar with. As Akane didn’t really agree with the time Ranma wanted to start, it seemed like the only time they could do it, due to such eventful days that seemed to follow Ranma around.


The entire family was surprised to see Ranma taking to Nemera so well. He had in fact joined a few clubs at school and seemed to be doing well in his academics. After the training session with Akane, they sat down for breakfast. Soun started up conversation with Ranma. “Well, my boy, you seem to be taking your new life here pretty well, I’ve also noticed that you have been reading many books late at night.”

Ranma raised a smiling face from his super sonic eating, and said, “Oh, yeah. Pops never really like books, but I don’t know what he was talking about. I’ve learned quite a few things from them.”

Soun raised a questioning eye, “Like what, may I ask?”

Ranma got his usual nervous look on his face, scratching the back of his head, “Err, well, it’s kind of embarrassing. I’ve been learning a few cheap parlor tricks, and perfecting them. Nothing to great, but its kind of a hobby.”

Kasumi was interested this time. “Oh! What kind of tricks do you know Ranma?” Ranma rubbed his chin and started to show off a few things. His first one was snapping his fingers and making fire appear in his hand. The next one he did involved cards. He seemed to just be pulling them out of thin air and he soon had a full deck in front of him. His third and final trick puzzled every one though. He asked Kasumi to pick a card, remember what it was and put it back in the deck. He shuffled them up and then looked at her.

“Is this your card?” Kasumi shook her head.

“Oh my! That’s not it…” Ranma’s eyes widened a little and looked a little pale.

“Wha-What!? Err, is it this one?” Again she shook her head and smiled

“No, I’m sorry. It looks like you are going to need to work on that trick a little.” Ranma rubbed his chin and looked confused.

“Well, I’ll be damned… It usually works… Oh yeah!” The family raised an eyebrow, and Ranma quickly pointed at Nabiki.

“Hey! Can you check your bra, there Nabiki?” Nabiki looked completely un-amused and asked.

“What are you asking me Ranma?” Soun spoke up too.

“That’s a little improper Ranma. Apologize now!” Before any thing could be said, Nabiki looked horrified as she started to feel some thing in her bra. The family stopped as they watched her pull a card out of her shirt.

“Is that it?” Kasumi was shocked but shook her head again.

“Umm no. It’s not.” Ranma was shocked again.

“What!?” Soun started coughing and Ranma hit his back hard and quickly a card shot out of his mouth which Ranma caught mid-air and flashed it in front of Kasumi with a determined look on his face.

“This it!?” The negative response again. Akane stuck a chopstick in her food and found a card stuck to the end when she pulled it out. Ranma pointed again.

“That the one!?” Kasumi was once again shaking her head feeling sorry for Ranma. He got up and shouted, “Damnit!” slammed the deck on the table upside down, and stomped out of the room and towards school. The family was a bit distraught in the circumstances until Kasumi looked at the deck on the table and pulled up a card.

“Oh, my! Silly Ranma. The card was right on the bottom here. I wish he didn’t miss it, or it would have been more magical...” The entire family, minus Kasumi, slammed their faces into the table.

The walk to school was mostly spent in silence as Akane pretended that she didn’t know Ranma had her book bag hidden away. It was kind of nice not to bother with it, and in the back of Ranma’s mind, it was probably his way of being a gentleman. The only thing that worried Akane was how he managed to open her locker and get it in there before she ever noticed. It was one of those mysteries that seemed better left a mystery.

“So Ranma, I hear you’ve been doing good in those clubs, but I have a question.” Ranma knew what was coming and answered before she could ask.

“I go as a girl as thanks for those guys that helped me out with Kuno. Let them drool over me as I lift weights, and let them think I’m weak, yet eager while boxing.”

Akane raised another question. “And the gymnastics?”

Ranma got a little bit of an annoyed look on his face, and answered. “Well, err. I’m really good at that stuff, so you know. I thought I’d give it a try, but there’s no way in hell I’d go in there as a guy. Every one would think I’m gay instantly. On top of that I felt kind of bad about what happened to Kuno. I didn’t think people could issue a restraining order for you… So I let him watch from 100 feet away.”

They both passed through the gates to the school… Well Akane did, Ranma had incorporated walking on his hands while on the wall. Akane thought he was showing off at first, but he said it was an old habit. Akane stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed some thing out of the ordinary.
“Ranma?”

He jumped beside her and listened. “How are we early for school, and where is the angry mob of perverts that are usually here to try an molest me?”

Ranma sat on that for a bit and said, “Good question… Hmm may as well, make the best of it and go get ready for class. I don’t mind the buckets that much, but I hate having to copy off of Hiroshi and Daisuke, after class.”

Akane nodded, “I know what you mean, but I can’t help but think some thing is up. Can’t you?”

Ranma put on an all-knowing smile and started walking in, with Akane behind him. “Oh, I don’t think any thing is up. I KNOW some thing is up, and I bet I can find the source. By chance, did you ever pay off Nabiki for that picture?”

If Akane had been holding some thing, it would have fallen out of her hand slowly and shattered on the ground with a deafening tone.

“Thought not. Don’t worry Akane. I prepared for some thing like this. Just leave it all to me… Akane…?” He looked back to see her petrified, in her tracks. He sighed, picked her up and started moving inside. The funny thing was, that she didn’t even bend. Ranma just shook his head, ‘And I though I used to be bad for this kind of stuff. Especially after that cute Amazon kissed me…’

The day went on as normal, for Ranma and Akane, and a few boys did eventually try to woo Akane with their love, but it ended in a rather nasty beating. Lunchtime rolled around and the two started eating outside with a few of their friends. Akane was sketchy at that point wanting to know what was going on around the school. “ARGH! Why didn’t any one attack me this morning!? It’s driving me nuts!”

A couple boys looked towards Akane with saddened faces, and said. “We know the truth about you Akane. We purchased evidence today, from an undisclosed source.”

The other boy spoke up and his voice shook. “W-we all took a vote this morning Akane, and we’ve all decided that we support you in your life choices with that new girl Ranko! But please don’t forget that we loved you first!”

Akane became a ball of pure rage and screamed, “W-WH-WHAT!!!??”

Ranma quickly grabbed her, sat her down, and calmed her down. “Akane! Don’t get so worked up by a practical joke!”

The boys looked at Ranma with sorrow filled eyes, “But these photos… It shows Akane and that cute girl. TOGETHER!”

Ranma rubbed his chin. “Hmm. Lets see those.” Ranma started his examination of the photo and started nodding. Then he suddenly shouted, “Ah ha! I knew it!” The boys came in close to see what Ranma had discovered.

“What!? What is it!?” If Ranma had a tail, you could call him a weasel with the looks he was giving off.

“Look carefully. This photo has been worked! The mat beneath them should be indented more, and both have their eyes closed. I would also surmise that the two where sleeping separately when these photo’s were taken. Just look at the trail of drool coming out of Akane’s mouth! It’s completely unbent! Ha! This is amateur work I say!” The boys came in closer and shouted even louder

“Are you sure!?”

“How can you be certain!?”

Ranma then pulled out a couple of photos from his shirt. “Well, if you compare it to these REAL photos of Nabiki with that crazy gymnast from the other school, you can clearly tell that they are fake. Just look!”

The boys all gathered around and in each and every one of their tiny minds, they started seeing some light of truth in Ranma’s lie and quickly a random boy said, “You know… Nabiki has only ever sold us pictures of other women… and it’s not every day you hear of a girl taking pictures of other girls, let alone girls doing things with each other…” then another boy spoke up.

“Maybe she’s trying to hide the fact that she’s the one that’s actually that way…” Ranma was on his feet in an instant.

“You see! Quick! Spread the word that Nabiki’s photos are fake and that she’s nothing more then a pervert trying to hide herself! I’ll start selling photo’s of REAL evidence, starting at 500 yen a picture!” Every last boy nodded and started running off spreading the word that their beloved Akane was theirs to claim once more.

After Ranma was out of pictures and his pockets were full of cash, he found a quiet place to finish his lunch. Akane joined him and after a bit of silence, it was broken. “Umm, thanks I think. How and why did you do that?”

Ranma stuffed a rice ball in his mouth and began to answer. “Hey, if you can get one person to believe a lie then you can get a crowd to easily. You just got to get them pumped up. I also got Nabiki’s negatives and played with them a bit, to make them look a little bit fake. I did a little bit on work myself and doctored a few pictures of my own. Pretty simple really.”

Akane wasn’t sure how to feel. “Err, about what happened. You don’t think I’m like that right? I’m not a pervert you know. I didn’t mean for that, I was just distracted…”

Ranma shook his head and hands, “Don’t worry Akane. I know you didn’t mean it, and I know you’re not a pervert. Don’t worry about it. Ok?”

She smiled and nodded, “Ok… thanks Ranma. I’m just wondering one other thing now that I think about it. Why didn’t you destroy the negatives, if you had them?”

Ranma grinned at the question. “Two reasons actually. One: was because I planned this and thought I’d have some fun as well as show her I’m not one she can black mail, and two was because I thought you’d need a little bit of relax time after school. Want to go out for dinner tonight? I got enough to take the entire family out. My treat tonight!”

Akane started getting excited. “R-Really!? It’s been a while since we’ve all had a chance to go out for dinner. Are you sure it’s ok?”

Ranma nodded happily. “Of coarse! Think of it as paying back, for putting up with me so far.”

Akane bowed a little sheepishly. “O-ok. I’ll call Kasumi and tell her about it. Thanks Ranma!”

The bell rang for the student to return to class and in record time the rumors were spread about Nabiki. It wasn’t that the students were talking about it, but it was the fact that Nabiki was glaring ice-cold daggers at Ranma on her way in. The day passed with out any event until the school was out of session for the rest of the day. Akane smiled as she left the building to see the usual horde of boys out side waiting for her. They were making up for missing this morning, and this time the hearts in their eyes were flaring crimson, for they had almost lost their blue haired beauty, and so the battles began, with both teams smiling. After a sound victory going to team Akane she gathered her things and started making her way home. Her last obstacle stood in her way just out side though. But it was easier to tumble then she thought. “Excuse me, but do you know where Furikan high school is?”

She raised an eyebrow and looked at the bandana clad boy, and answered simply, “This IS Furikan High…”

She was then caught off guard by the sudden tears of joy in the young mans eyes. “R-Really!? This is it!? Please! Tell me where Ranma Soatome is?”

She let a curious look cross her face, but didn’t feel like prying. “He’s in the work out room. Just follow those guys over there and they should lead you there.”

The bandana boy shook her hand furiously, “Thank you!” and he shot off yelling bloody murder and some thing about revenge.

‘He can take care of himself… I hope...’ sigh… ‘Better go check up on things…’

Ranma had decided to stay behind for an after school work out and catch up with Akane later at home. He was currently a she in the red gym shorts and all, putting a few ego-powered guys in their proper place. Her work out was slightly interrupted when she saw a somewhat familiar face come in. She couldn’t place it at the moment, but it was defiantly some one she should know. “Ranma Soatome! Where are you!?”

‘He knows me… Looks familiar… Doesn’t sound happy… Better play it safe.’

“He’s not hear right now, but he’ll be back in a few mins. Can I help you?” The redhead asked as she put down her weights and walked over to the young man.

“Damn! I need to know where he is right now! Tell me!”

She raised an eyebrow and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got to learn patients there big guy. Walk with me, talk with me.” And with that, she started dragging him off towards a secluded part of the gym for a further session.

“So what’s your name?”

“Err, Ryouga Hibiki. Yours?”

“Call me Ranko. So what do you want with Ranma?”

“To get my revenge! He ruined my life!”

‘Hmm. Don’t remember mugging him, but he does seem strangely familiar…’

“What did he do? It sounds like you really hate him…”

“Err, that’s none of your business. Sorry, but it just some thing that happened in China…” and then every thing clicked into Ranma’s mind.

“Could you stand up for a second?”

Ryouga looked at her funny and with a little bit of confusion, complied. “Uhh, sure. Why?”

Ranma started circling Ryouga, and examining him. “Hmm… By chance, did you come across a girl lost and unconscious in a forest just out side of Josenkyo?”

Ryouga’s eyes almost shot out of his head and started stuttering, “H-how did you know about that!?”

Ranma continued with the questions. “Did she have red hair and did you take her to a hospital two towns away?”

Ryouga looked at her long and hard for a second, before piecing it together himself. “Oh, my god. You’re not-“

“MY HERO!!!”

“ACK!”

And like a hungry leach she was attached to Ryouga. “You saved my life! I don’t know how I can ever repay you!”

Ryouga was a bit taken back in words and didn’t quite now what to say, but eventually with a natural coolness, he said. “Aww, it was nothing. Just doing what was right. You wouldn’t have left ME out there would you.”

Ranma looked up at him as cutely as she could and shook her head, “Of coarse not!” and the hug became tighter. Akane took this moment to walk in. She noted all the sad expressions of the body builders as they looked on to see their monument on womanhood slowly being taken away from them.
A
kane looked over to Ranma who was very close the young bandana boy she had spoken to earlier. “Umm, I didn’t mean to intrude…”

She said with a somewhat hurt tone that didn’t escape Ranma’s careful ear. Ranma spoke up quickly, “Remember that guy I told you about that saved me when I was lost?”

Akane sighed in relief, “That’s him!?”

Ranma nodded and smiled, “That’s right! My savior!” And to every ones surprise, Ranma leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek. Akane was surprised for other reasons then the work out team, due to advanced knowledge on Ranma’s various conditions. Ryouga on the other hand went beat red, and started quivering feeling a nosebleed coming on.

“Akane. Wait with him while I get changed. I want to get to know this guy better, and don’t let him out of your sights. He gets lost easily.”

“Umm. Ok. Please hurry.”

Ranma came out of the change room to an awaiting Ryouga and Akane. She was the first one to speak.

“Ryouga. I want to know some thing… Why are you so mad at me?”

Ryouga didn’t catch on and asked, “Umm, I didn’t say I was mad at you did I?”

She lowered her head a little and held up a thermos and poured. The black haired boy asked again. “You said, I ruined your life… What did I do?”

Ryouga jumped back trying to figure out what he just saw, and then pointed and shouted, “YOU!? SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU HAD A JOSENKYO CURSE!?”

Ranma looked low and said, “Ever since I visited Josenkyo. Now how did I ruin your life?”

Ryouga’s mixed thoughts started swirling in his head, but he didn’t know what words to say. “YOU GAVE ME A CURSE TOO, DAMNIT! I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I SEE YOU BEATEN INTO THE GROUND!”

Ranma thought this over and said, “Well you did save my life, so I guess I kind of do owe it to you…”

He then stood, arms out and facing forward. “DO WITH ME WHAT YOU WILL!”

Ryouga smiled and shouted, “That’s what I like to hear! PREPARE TO DIE!” The next few moments consisted of Ryouga unleashing years of fury upon Ranma, and pounding his fists everywhere he could. When he was done, Ranma was lying on the ground, out cold and bleeding badly.

Akane rushed over screaming. “AHHH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO RANMA!?”

Ryouga started beating his chest in victory, above his fallen victim. “Wah, ha, ha, ha! I’ve beaten him! I’ve finally gotten my revenge!”

Akane stood up and smacked him hard with tears in her eyes. “He wasn’t even fighting back! How could you do that to him!?”

Ryouga rubbed his cheek and stared at her, “b-b-b-but he-he ruined my life… He should have fought back…”

Akane started crying as well as trying to clean the blood off of Ranma’s face. “How could you do this you big jerk!? He’s going to die if we don’t do some thing!”

Ryouga was once again finding his mouth dry and not knowing what to say. “I-I-I Didn’t mean to! I thought he’d a least defend himself! It’s his own fault!”

Akane was down by the savagely beaten Ranma. “I-I can’t stop the bleeding! Look at all these cuts! Look what you’ve done!”

Ryouga looked down at his beaten enemy, and then at his bloody fists. He started shaking a little when he remembered not pulling a single punch. He looked back at Ranma with a bit of shock horror in his face as he remembered a constant smile on Ranma’s face and at what he had done to him. He dropped to his knees and crawled over to Ranma. There was blood and a lot of it. The crater Ranma was laying in was starting to pool over and flood. “W-we have to get him to a doctor right now!” after that said, Ryouga picked up Ranma and put him on his back for a second time. “Show me where the hospital is!”

Akane wiped the tears from her eyes, and started running in the only direction she could think of. Towards doctor Tofu’s clinic. The three arrived and the Doctor saw the immediate danger and brought Ranma into the back. “What happened to Ranma!?” The doctor asked.

Ryouga bowed his head in shame, “We got into a fight and I got too carried away… Please help him! I didn’t mean to!” He plopped into a chair and started crying into his hands. “I don’t know my own strength some times! I thought he would have done more!” He looked towards Akane, and asked with a pleading voice, “Why didn’t he fight back!? He’s my most hated enemy! My tormentor! Why am I so sad!? I should be happy!”

Another smack from Akane brought back a bit of his senses. “Shut up, and quit whining!”

Ryouga too shocked to do any thing else sat in silence and shook a little. Dr. Tofu brought Akane over to him and put his hands on her shoulders, and calmly said. “I want you to take this boy into the washroom with you and get cleaned up, I’ll take care of Ranma. He’ll be all right. What I need from you two right now, is to be calm. Can you do that for me?” Akane slowly nodded and took Ryouga into a bathroom.


The two washed their hands in and bits of clothes in silence. Akane watched the blood go down the drain with a dazed look on her face. She caught Ryouga looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look at him with a scowl. “What the hell are you looking at!?” Ryouga remained silent, and tried to speak. “WELL!? You got some thing to say!? Say it!”

Ryouga gulped and found courage in his moment. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I didn’t know that would happen… I’ve never hit any one like that before…Just targets…”

Akane slammed her fist on the counter. “Why are you telling me!? Tell him that! How could you not know what would happen!? You tried to kill him!” He bowed his head again, not knowing what to say, as a few tears streamed down his face. “STOP CRYING YOU BIG BABY! TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS! CRYING ISN’T GOING TO BRING HIM BACK IF HE DIES! STOP IT I SAID!” She started beating on his chest as hard as she could, and started flooding with tears.

Ryouga stood there and accepted his punishment until he finally started hugging Akane. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean too...”

She buried herself in his chest and kept crying and hitting him. “S-stop saying that! J-just shut up…!” She collapsed to her knees and Ryouga followed. The two cried until the doctor came in to check up on them.

“Feeling better you two?” They both shook their heads and Akane answered.

“N-not really… How’s Ranma?” Tofu adjusted his glasses a bit and coughed.

“Well a few bones are out of place, and he’s going to need to have his chest bandaged to keep the ribs from growing together awkwardly.\"

Akane started sniffling again, with the bad news, but before she could jump to conclusions, he filled her in. “I expect him to make a full recovery, but he’s going to have to stay off his feet for a week or two until he’s healed up a little more. He’s lost a lot of blood, so he’s going to need a lot of fluids over the next little while. Ok?”

Akane nodded her head slowly and asked, “When will he be conscious again? I want to know if he’s ok…”

Tofu shook his head a little. “He’ll wake up after a good rest…” The doctor chuckled a little. “but if it’s any consolation, shortly after you carried Ranma in here, Betty did go missing again, so he should feel ok when he’s up. Just very sore that’s all.”

Akane started laughing a little between her sobs, and started making wet snotty sounds. Ryouga didn’t quite understand, but assumed it was good, and spoke up. “If it’s ok, I’d like to help take care of Ranma. I can’t leave him like this. It’s just wrong. I promise to behave and control myself… I can’t just live with it, and I can’t run away from it…” Akane was about to protest, but started wondering what Ranma would want, and decided it would probably be best this way. He probably wanted to ask, or tell Ryouga a few things.


Soun Tendo pulled up in a taxi, and rushed in to check on his daughter and Ranma. He approached Akane, put his hands on her shoulders and with every last ounce of concern a single parent could give he asked. “Are you ok dear? What happened?”

She shook her head and went over to Ranma’s side and spoke softly. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, ok dad? I’ve had a long day, I just want to be with Ranma until he can leave, ok?”

Soun turned with proud tears in his eyes. ‘That’s my girl!’ “Ok, Akane dear. Please try and get some sleep tonight…”

She smiled and said, “Yes, dad. By the way, this is Ryouga. He’s going to be helping with Ranma.”

Soun turned to him and asked. “Do you live close to here my boy?”

Ryouga shook his head. “Err, no. I’m not really sure where my home is. I have been camping for the past two years.”

Soun rubbed his chin in concern. “Hmm. That’s no good at all. Please, be a guest at my dojo. If you are with Ranma, then I have no qualms with your staying with us.”

Ryouga bowed his head. “Thank you very much. I’ll help with chores and try not to be a nuisance.”

Soun nodded and looked towards the doctor. “How long do you think you’ll be holding Ranma here before we can move him?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses again and said, “I’d like to keep him here for tonight to keep an eye on him, but I think we can move him tomorrow. He’s in good hands with me, don’t worry.”

Soun nodded his head, happy with the answers and motioned for the bandana-clad boy to follow him. “Thank you Dr. Tofu. For all your help.”

Tofu scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’m just doing my job, sir. Think nothing of it.” And with that every one went their ways for the evening.