I did not have a lot of time today, so it is a bit skimpy.  I will try to 
finish it a little later on or complete it tommorow.  Again, flame this.  
I need the information.

Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi_Ichinohei@MBnet.mb.ca

***

A Son's Duty.

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's ongoing Manga series, Ranma 1/2

Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun, 
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Tendo Ranko, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, 
P-chan, Shampoo, Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Kurenai Tsubasa, 
and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 1995 by Takahashi Rumiko.

Publishing rights:

Japan:              Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong:          Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America:      Viz Inc.

Chapter Four:

***

It was a lovely evening.  A fine breeze was wafting across the area and, 
although it was still early in the year, the air contained a hint of a 
wonderful spring and a exquisite summer.  It felt like the evening 
carried romantic intentions from the Kami to all the mortals in their care.

On such evenings girls prepared special meals for their boyfriends or the 
boy took the young woman particularly close and special to his heart to a 
nice restaurant.  This night would see many young people, and many 
adults, make commitments to one another, promising themselves to each
other, and looking at each other in the wonder of the moment when they 
declare their love.  Their lives would encompass each other, and their 
Karma would intertwine, if only for a little while.

It was the perfect time for people who loved each other to ask for a date.

***

Ukyou sighed to himself as he walked back towards the Tendo's with Akane.  
He was on his way to ask Ranchan for a date, (With Akane's permission and 
encouragement no less!), but was feeling extremely uncomfortable with 
it.  It wasn't that he hadn't tried to arrange a date between himself and 
Ranchan before but, somehow, when he imagined an evening like this, it 
wasn't him going as a man to ask a girl for a date.

"Are you really sure about this Akane?" he asked his companion while 
trying to hold two bouquets of flowers, a box containing a dozen small 
cakes, and his school bag.  "I mean, is this the _only_ way to do this?  
Can we not do this some _other_ way?"

Akane smiled slightly to herself.  She originally thought of this as a 
quick way to help Ukyou out of the situation with his father.  It was 
while she was teaching him how to be somewhat romantic and helping him to 
shop that she got an idea to fix Ranma for that morning.  Not only would it
help Ukyou, but it would solve some of the problems with Ranma's mother and 
enable her to get a little bit of revenge on her...betrothed.

It was simple really.  All Ukyou had to do was act romantically, treating 
Ranma as any girl would like to be treated, and endearing him to Nodoka.  
Ranma would then be able to hide a bit more effectively and Ukyou would 
be able to have a  girlfriend' to present to his father.  And if both of
them treated Ranma _as_ a girl during the entire time, including at 
school, then she would get some revenge on him, and teach him how to act 
_properly_ when he wanted to go out with her.

It was the perfect plan.

"I'm sure Ukyou.  If you want to do this without problems then you are 
going to have to do it this way.  Remember, you have to call Ranma, 
Ranko, and you have to treat her as though _you_ are the man and _she_ is 
the woman.  Also, you have to do so romantically."

Ukyou gave up trying to argue and instead muttered under her breath, "I 
still say this is ridiculous..."

"Don't complain and listen," Akane replied crossly, "If you want this to 
work, then you have to treat Ranko as if she is as feminine as possible.  
Now this means..."

***

At the moment, Ranko was having anything but romantic thoughts.

After getting out of the discussion about her school uniform with a 
somewhat unconvincing lie, Ranko started to talk with her mother about 
little things.  What was happening in each others lives, if she was  
getting on well, and how Ranma was doing.  For some of it, Ranko got very 
nervous, especially since she had to talk about herself in the third 
person.  Despite this, she was starting to have a good time.

She was glad that her baka father was not there to spoil everything for 
her.

It was while Ranko had started to relax that the doors to the house opened.

"Hello everyone, I'm home!"

Nodoka looked up from where she was sitting as did Ranko.  Hidden behind 
the screen to the alcove was someone else who was with her, although she 
could not tell who it was.  She hoped that at long last, it was Ranma.

As the two young people stepped into the living area, Nodoka saw a large 
set of roses.  Lovely bright red with the buds just starting to bloom.  
Behind them was a tall young man with a long pony tail.  Looking at his 
face, Nodoka was surprised at how handsome he looked.

"Oh!  Hello Auntie Saotome.  Allow me to introduce Kuonji Ukyou."

Ukyou bowed to Nodoka, a deep formal bow that was full of respect for 
her.  As she looked, she noticed where Ranchan had gotten her good looks 
from.  It was uncanny how exact they looked.  If it was not for the fact 
that Ranma was obviously younger, he would swear the m..GIRL she loved 
and her mother were twins.

Nodoka bowed back, pleased by the politeness this young man had shown to 
her.  It was not often that one met young men in this day and age who 
payed attention to the older ways of Japan.  Still, when she took a 
closer look at him, she noticed that he seemed slightly nervous, and
noticing the direction of his quick glace, she looked slightly over to 
Ranko.  There was obviously something going on because Ranko was also 
nervous, and had begun to perspire once again.

"I am pleased to meet you Saotome-san.", Ukyou said as he stood back up, 
"Please, if I may be allowed to, I would like to present you with one of 
these roses."

Nodoka smiled, "I thank you for your courteous gesture, but surely those 
are for another person in this house."

Ranko had been watching these proceedings with some nervousness, 
especially since Ukyou had not met her mother before and did not know 
what was going on.  One wrong sentence, one wrong _word_ and she would be 
running for his life.  With small bits of perspiration starting to slide 
down the from her forehead, she watched the both Nodoka and Ukyou carefully.

"I do admit, one of them is for someone else, a girl who is like a small 
delicate rose, and whose smile brightens up the day.  As for these," he 
took one of the roses from one bouquet, "they are for whomever I come 
across who is as lovely in soul as the silk touch of a single beautiful 
petal as it dances across the sunlit air."

Nodoka was suddenly very pleased with Ukyou.  True, she would not be able 
to tell much from one meeting, but he seemed pleasant, and was obviously 
a romantic.  He showed courtesy and respect for an elder and, while he 
was obviously nervous, he also affected Ranko in some way.

"I thank you Ukyou-kun, but who are these others for then?"

Ukyou turned to Ranko, and looked straight into her eyes.  With a serious 
expression on his face, he said, "For a girl I like a lot Saotome-san, if 
she will accept them from me."  He held out the roses to Ranko who, 
dumbfounded, looked as though she was about to faint.  "Do you accept
them from me Ranko-chan?"

Ranko fainted

Akane hid a smile, and took the box of cakes to the kitchen.  Ukyou was 
laying it on thick, but it was romantic.  She sighed and hoped Ranko 
would learn a few things.  Of course, the expression on her face when she 
left the room was priceless...

***