Since I got fairly good response from the teaser, I've decided to go on.
I did a bit of revision on what was previously posted, and ended off
this segment..

C&C is more than welcome.
Hopefully I'll get a good bit done before AWA occupies my free time next
weekend ;).
----------------------------------------------------

RANMA : GAIJIN Part 1 of 5 (or six, maybe seven tops)
by Paul Meaney
paulm@inetnow.net

	“Kasumi! Nabiki! Akane! Come down!” Soun Tendo shouted at the house. “
I have an announcement I’d like to make!”
	Kasumi was first to arrive, being the most obedient daughter. “What is
it father?”
	Nabiki arrived next. 
	“Akane?” Soun called. “Where is that girl?”
	“She’s in the Dojo, Daddy. I’ll get her.” Nabiki responded,
unconsciously patting her camera.

	It was still raining when Ranma left his house. He didn’t mind the rain
so much. Especially today. It seemed to match his mood. Dark, gloomy and
unpredictable. He looked back on his empty home, his home now, and went
off to meet his future in-laws.

	“Fiancee?” Nabiki asked.
	“When did this happen?” Akane muttered. “Don’t we have some say in who
we’re supposed to marry?”
	“Now, now, girls..” Soun started “Ranma’s parents sent this letter from
America over a month ago, so they should be here any time now.”
	As if on cue, there came a knock on the door.
	“Oooh!’ cooed Nabiki. “I wonder if that’s Ranma!!”
	They quickly got up to answer the door. Upon opening the door, they
gazed upon a teenage boy under an umbrella. He carried a look on his
face that no boy his age should have. Soun couldn’t quite place it. He
tried to ignore the boy’s ragged look and tried to speak..
	“Are you..”
	The boy bowed down. “My name is Saotome Ranma.”
	A twinkle in Soun’s eyes brightened and a smile crossed his face. “At
last we finally meet, son!” he started. “But.. where are your parents? I
thought that they would come with you..”
	“I’m sorry, Mr. Tendo..” Ranma began. “My parents are dead.”
	Soun then recognized the look on Ranma’s face. It was the look of
having a loved one taken away from you. It was mourning and pain. A look
he had seen in the mirror quite some time ago.
	

	Ranma and the Tendo family sat down in the dining area, where Kasumi 
had laid out some refreshments. “Please help yourself.” She announced
pleasantly.
	Ranma started to pour himself a cup of tea. “Thank you..”
	“Kasumi.”
	Ranma put on a small grin. “Domo arigato gozaimas (SP), Kasumi..”
	Soun, tears flowing slowly, spoke up. “I’m sorry, son. Genma was my
dear friend. How did this tragedy happen?”
	“Dad! Don’t push him! It’s rude!” Akane scolded him.
	“It’s okay.” Ranma looked at Akane, reassuringly. “I’ve been through
this several times with the police in America. Two years ago, my Father
had originally wanted to take me to China for the summer on a training
trip. My Mother talked him out of it. For once she wanted us to go off
as family, so she booked us on a trip to America.”
	Every time Ranma uttered the word ‘America’, The middle girl..
Nabiki..  her eyes glistened. Ranma couldn’t figure it out. Why was she
so interested in that dreadful place?
	“After some time, the question of how my training was progressing came
up and  I wound up fighting in a tournament in Los Angeles. I placed
first.” Ranma paused to drink some tea. “My performance must have been
quite impressive, because we got offers to compete across the country.
In the year that followed we visited every major city in the country and
I placed first in every competition I attended.”
	“Wow! First place!” Nabiki boasted. “That must have been great.”
	“Yes, but America slowly took hold of us. The fame that followed began
to effect my performance. It had taken it’s toll on us as a family as
well. So we decided it was time for me to retire from the American
circuit and return home.”
	“Very wise, son.” Soun remarked. “What happened then?”
	“We were celebrating my retirement dinner in (PICK YOUR FAVORITE CITY),
where a group of men decided to hold up the restaurant. When they came
to our table to collect our belongings, my father and I simply looked at
each other, and simultaneously attacked the thieves. The two closest to
us went down easily.” Ranma paused and stared into his tea. “I leapt
over the tables and attacked the other two. The fired at me with
shotguns and missed. I brought them down without a problem, but my
parents were behind me and took the shots.”
	Everyone shared a moment of silence.
	“How tragic for you.” Soun said.
	“The press treated me like a hero. It seems that these men were
responsible for many other crimes. The authorities were very helpful in
having me moved quietly back to Japan. More press was exactly what I
didn’t want.”
	Akane looked at the poor boy. She understood what he was going through.
It didnt seem that long ago that her mother passed away. Her heart went
out to him.
	“This letter from your father..”
	“He sent it the day we decided to move back. About a month and a half
ago. That’s why I’m here.”
	A bead of sweat dripped from Souns’ brow. He was afraid of what would
come from the boy’s lips. “Y-yes?”
	“The School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts must go on. Since I am the
last male heir, it is my duty to see that it does. After what I’ve been
through in America, I’ve come to appreciate the ways of our own country.
My father had an agreement with you, yes?”
	“H-hai!” Soun sputtered.
	“I intend to honor that agreement, if one of your daughters is
willing.”
	“Hey! Waitaminute!” Nabiki started “We hardly know you! You expect one
of us to get engaged to you just like that?”
	“Of course not. That would be unfair to all of you. I want to give it
some time. Let things develop upon it’s natural course.”
	“And what if none of us decide to marry you?” Nabiki added.
	“I’ll jump over that bridge when I come to it.”
	“It seems fair enough.” Soun said, satisfied that the dojo still had a
chance to go on. “At least we can try.”
	“Fine then. I have plenty do do in the next few days. I suppose I’ll be
going back to school soon enough. We’ll get to know each other then,
neh?”
	“Yeah, sure.” Nabiki muttered.
	“What about meals? Where are you staying?” Kasumi asked.
	“My winnings from the tournaments have paid off the family house with
some extra to spare. I should be okay for a while.”
	“You’re going to stay all alone in your old house?” 
	“Nonsense!” Soun said “You’re too young to be living by yourself!  You
can stay here with us. We have plenty of room.”
	“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a burden to you here. I can make do on
my own. Besides, I dont want to put any more pressure on the ladies than
I have to. Having me around will surely put a strain on things.”
	Soun thought it over. “Perhaps it’s for the best, then. You will be
stopping by here and we will certainly be checking up on you. A young
man such as yourself cannot be totally unsupervised.”
	“Of course.” Ranma agreed. “I hate to be rude, but I should be on my
way. It’s getting rather late, and I have other errands to attend to.”
	“Very well.” Soun said.
	They all got up and Ranma bowed to the group. “I’m sorry I couldn’t 
come here under different circumstances."
	Akane looked at Ranma nodded and smiled at him. This boy wasn’t like
the other idiots at school. He was mature, smart, thoughtful and
considerate. She began wondering what it would like to be his wife.

NEXT: KUNO! 



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	 ...paul the hentai knight...
Avid QUAKEr, Anime Buff, Mock-Illustrator & 
		 Cartoonist.
	            ^_^
	http://www.inetnow.net/~paulm/
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