I originally wrote this, not intending to continue it.
And yet, here I have rediscovered my muse - read, I have
taken a proper vacation, away from the pressures of work -
and I have found a use for the Honorable Father universe.

The way the story has gone - see part one, which follows
this post - the title is no longer really appropriate.
It may become appropriate later in the story, but that's
another matter.





Honorable Father:  Prologue
by David Eddy <dje@progress.com>


A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series,
Ranma 1/2.  The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property
of Takahashi Rumiko and her licencees.





   Nodoka looked at the pledge, with its pathetic palm
print from a young Ranma, then back at Genma, horror in
her expression.  "Husband, you cannot do this thing.
Clan honor will not permit it."

   "Rubbish!" spat Genma contemptuously.  "What does a
frail old man know about-"

   "Husband!" shouted Nodoka, overriding him, steel
ringing in her tone.

   Genma cowered in fear and shock.  Where had his
compliant, traditional wife gone?

   "I know you, husband.  I have not gone through eight
years of marriage to you to be surprised by your actions.
I know it is your dream to train Ranma to be your catspaw
against that evil old man.

   "But you forget your place, your duty to the clan
Saotome!  A heavy duty has been laid upon us by my
father, and his father; I will not have you force
yourself, myself, and our children to the sword simply
because you are too short-sighted to see beyond your own
desires!"

   Genma knelt on the floor, cringing at this demon who
had replaced his wife.  Nodoka had never before directly
opposed him in this way; she had always suggested
alternatives or simply gone along with his wishes like a
proper traditional housewife.  But now...

   Now Nodoka smiled a conciliatory smile.  "However, I
do not see why we cannot both fulfil our duty to the
clan, *and* follow your desires.  It is not a large
compromise I ask you to make, husband.

   "You wish to train Ranma to be a superb martial
artist, presumably to gain revenge on that evil old man
you call your master.  Clan duty requires us to ensure
that Ranma - or another son - is brought up to be an
acceptable mate to one of the Tendou girls... and since
Ranma is the same age as the *youngest* of those girls,
even if we had another son he would probably be too
young.

   "So, husband, it falls to Ranma.  I propose this:
You may take Ranma on the training trip you propose.
However, in addition to training him in your arts, you
must also train him to be a manly man, and to be a fit
husband for a Tendou girl."

   Genma perked up and stood, smiling a gleaming smile.
"Well, that's no problem.  I mean, with me as an example,
how could he fail to be attractive to the ladies?"

   Nodoka said nothing for a long moment, then turned to
a nearby bureau and extracted five blank sheets of paper,
a brush, and some ink.  She laid the sheets side by side
on top of the bureau and then stood motionless, head
bowed, thinking.

   Genma waited while Ranma played nearby, cute in his
tiny gi.

   Eventually Nodoka looked up and turned to Genma once
again.  "I shall rephrase, since you do not appear to
have understood me.  If you will do this thing, then in
addition to being a manly man, Husband, I will also
require you to pledge on your honor" - and with this
Nodoka gestured at the paper, all ready to be used for
formal calligraphy - "that you will ensure Ranma is
properly brought up in the traditions of this clan."

   "Meaning?"

   "Education, both traditional and modern.  Duty.
Politeness.  Forcefulness.  Decisiveness. Compassion.
Modesty.  Public service.  These are the characteristics
of nobility, and the tradition of the Saotome clan... and
it is these that will expected of Ranma when he goes to
meet the Tendou girls.  Do you really think you can do
all that on your own, on the road?"

   "Bah, I know Souun; he is-"

   "It is not your friend Souun who matters.  Even if
what you say is true."

   "I... alone?"

   "Do not forget, *husband*, that there are other
branches of our clan, some of which have sons around
Ranma's age.  He is simply the first in line to fulfil
the clan duty, because I am the eldest daughter; if he
fails or is... regrettably eliminated... there are others
that can serve."

   Genma blanched.  So self-absorbed was he that he did
not see the tears shimmering in Nodoka's eyes.  With a
gulp, he looked away.

   "What do you suggest, then, wife?"

   

   *    *    *

   

   The men faded out of the darkness like wraiths, and
Genma jerked to a halt.  With flashing eyes he scanned
them and their formation, but in that same moment he knew
that there was no escape... the layered formation and
deceptive stances showed that they knew their business.
That, and the well-used look of their still-sheathed
weapons.  It was a perfect ambush.

   At least the boy knew enough to stop by his side, not
saying anything.

   A man stepped forward to easy conversational distance
and cleared his throat.

   "Saotome Genma, your wife craves the indulgence of
your presence.  Please come with us."

   

   

   A sharp wooden rapping of a closing shoji door
sounded, making Nodoka jump.  She looked around to see a
man in his late fifties, salted black hair draping neatly
over the back of his midnight blue yukata in a thick
rope.

   "Father!" said Nodoka.  "Please come in."

   Nodoka's father nodded at his daughter in greeting as
he made his way to a nearby zabuton and sat neatly on top
of the large cushion, his legs crossed.  He rested his
palms on his knees, a confident but serious pose.  A
gentle, warm breeze entered the room through the open
shoji which led to the outside.

   "Daughter.  Have you spoken with young Ranma?"

   Nodoka sobered.  "Yes.  Father, I fear I must beg
your advice.  I am... concerned."

   He nodded.  "As you well should be, daughter.  After
three years, at an age when Ranma should be completing
his first year of school, I can find no evidence that
Genma has taught the boy anything but how to fight and
how to steal.  I fear that were the pledge to be assessed
today, things would go badly."

   Turning her head away from her father, Nodoka watched
Genma and Ranma at the other side of the compound through
the open shoji.  Ranma was climbing the rough stone
compound wall as Genma watched and periodically called up
instructions to him.

   Her father continued, "I must say, what that man has
done, he has done extremely well.  I have had Ranma
assessed by a competent instructor, and he reports that
the boy's abilities are astonishing."

   Nodoka turned back to face her father, her expression
somewhat angry.  "Father, I confess I don't know what to
do.  Why you stuck me with him, is beyond my
understanding!  He has no concept of honor, he is so self-
centered it's amazing he hasn't forgotten Ranma and lost
him."  She paused to pull a snow-white handkerchief from
a sleeve and dabbed at one eye.  "However I would gladly
put up with him if he would only return Ranma to me.  I
miss him so... my son."

   Hayao Saotome cleared his throat awkwardly.  "Well,
as for that, it was a matter of clan duty, the fulfilment
of a promise.  I regret that you have not found love in
your marriage, daughter, but I still feel that your
marriage to Genma has been successful, for young Ranma
appears to be everything we might have hoped he would be.
Or rather, he could be," he finished, muttering darkly.

   Outside, Ranma had reached the top of the fifteen-
foot high stone wall, jumped down with cat-like agility,
and was now scaling a much more difficult wall of
smoothly fitted basalt blocks.

   "I have a solution," said Hayao.  "Ranma will reside
here for two months of every year.  He will accompany his
father for the remainder of the year, and during that
time he will be enrolled in a correspondence course with
a top school.  We will of course audit the results.  As
for Genma, daughter, you have my apologies but I have
decided that if he is incapable of holding to a sworn
pledge, he is not the kind I want around here.  He will
remain married to you so that our honor is not sullied,
but he must never set foot on our domains again.  We get
the best of both worlds - Ranma trained in martial
matters by a true prodigy in the field, the boy gets an
education, and during his time here we can teach him
about traditional matters.  And as for enforcement..."
Hayao paused, and grinned unpleasantly.  "We will simply
have to put the fear of Saotome into him."

   Nodoka joined her father in a shark-like smile.
"Thank you, Father.  Thank you very much."

   "And I think we'll formally adopt that girl Ukyou.
Would you like to take her under your wing, daughter?
After all, it was Genma who made the original betrothal
offer... it seems appropriate.  Perhaps Yumi and young
Michiko will enjoy having an older sister."

   "Of course, father."

   

--
David Eddy - dje@progress.com
http://www.nabiki.com/deddy


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