�WILD STALLION IN THE MIST�

(A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic)

>From the Desk of Megane 6.7

This is a work of Fiction.  All Characters and Landmarks, are the 
property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Video, Kitty Films, 
Viz Video, Shonen Sunday, and anyone else who legally owns the 
rights.  

PART 1:  A BRAND NEW LOVE STORY BETWEEN THEM?

	Soun read the postcard again, tears streaming down his 
face as old memories of his friend raced through his mind.  �At
last!  Ranma is coming!  How I�ve waited for this day!�

	Soun wasted no time in calling his three daughters Kasumi,
Nabiki and Akane down to the living room.  As they knelt in front of
him, waiting for him to speak, Soun noted that while Nabiki was 
dressed in a kimono, and Kasumi in her usual yellow dress, Akane 
was still in her training gi, fresh from the gym.  He considered 
saying something to her about it but since he himself was wearing a
gi, he supposed it would be aright, after all this was Genma 
Saotome, not the emperor of japan.

 	�Why did you call us here daddy?�  Nabiki asked bluntly.

	�Is something wrong father?  You�ve been crying!�  Kasumi
said in a worried tone of voice.

	Soun wasted no time in telling them about his lifelong 
friend, about Ranma, and the engagement.

	As he expected, Kasumi seemed concerned about Ranma�s
age, Nabiki asked if he was cute and Akane was insulted by the whole
idea.  Soun sighed to himself.  While he was pleased that Akane was
training hard to one day to take over his doujou, he wished she wasn�t
so....difficult.

	Then Soun heard a noise at the front door.  Nabiki 
immediately got up and rushed towards the front door....

	Only to immediately rush back and hide behind her father as
a large panda carrying an struggling red haired girl over his 
shoulder.  

	�Oh my!�  Kasumi said with surprise.  �Is this the friend 
you�ve been talking about, father?�

	Soun shook his head violently.

	�Oh so this panda just happened to walked in here?  Nabiki
implied sarcastically.

	Soun shook his head again then cringed in fear as the
panda set the girl down firmly in front of them and waited.  When
the girl said nothing, the panda places a paw down on one of her 
shoulders and growled a warning.  The girl seemed to hesitate and
then she sighed and said in a meek voice....

	�I�m Ranma Saotome....Sorry about this.�


*	*	*

THE NEXT MORNING....	

	Soun thanked Kasumi as she poured him another bowl of 
miso soup.  He took a long sip and then looked up to see the people
sitting around him.

	He knew that the idea of an arranged marriage might not
go over so well and that�s why he was glad he had three daughters to
increase the odds that one of them would accept the idea.  He had 
hoped Kasumi would be the one to accept it since she didn�t hate 
boys like Akane and wasn�t obsessed with money like Nabiki.  Now it 
seemed she had lost all interest in Ranma and had sided with Nabiki
to recommend Akane for the best choice.  Akane immediately said she
wouldn�t do it, especially after the bathtub incident and she had found 
out that Ranma was....that he was in fact a....

	Soun had fainted dead away when he discovered that 
Ranma was in fact a girl.  Luckily the gender problem was fixed with
a little hot water.  Still, to have a son-in-law with a curse that 
changed him into a female with cold water was disconcerting to say 
the least.  Now Ranma sat at the table next to Akane, both of them 
ignoring the other as they ate their breakfast in silence, Soun knew
neither of them wanted anything to do with the other and that a 
possible union between them was now looking very unlikely.

	Then Ranma promptly stood up and left for school, Akane
was about to follow him when Nabiki said in a taunting voice.

	�Shouldn�t you walk with Ranma to school?  After all he 
IS your fiancee....�

	�Why should I?  We�re not engaged and that it!�  Akane
snapped as she left the house in a huff.  Soun turned to glare at 
his middle daughter.

	�You�re not helping the situation by making her angry.�
Soun remarked in a scolding tone.

	�Trust me daddy, Akane would sooner marry a woman than
Ranma....and I don�t mean Ranma�s girl form either.

	�Perhaps I should engage Ranma to YOU then?�  Soun 
retorted.

	�If you do, I�ll simply wait until I�m eighteen, continuing to
date as I please till then and the engagement will be invalid and 
useless since I�ll be legally old enough to make my own choices.�  
Nabiki said in a bored tone of voice.

	�N...Nabiki....How can you be so cruel to your own father.�
Soun sadly asked.

	�I won�t have to if you don�t force me into an engagement 
against my will.�  Nabiki said matter-of-factly.	
 
	Soun sighed as he realized she was right.  Nabiki left for
school and he was left alone with Kasumi as she gathered the 
breakfast dishes for washing.
	
	�Kasumi?�   Soun inquired.

	�Yes, father?�  Kasumi replied, turning to face him as she
continued to gather the dishes.

	�Tell me something....What is your opinion of Ranma?�  
Soun asked cautiously.

	�He seems like a nice person.  It�s a little strange that he
changes into a girl but it�s not his fault.  Why do you ask?�  Kasumi
replied.

	�Well Kasumi....After what happened to Akane in the 
bathtub....and what Nabiki just made clear to me....I�m considering
engaging you to Ranma.�  Soun replied.  

	Kasumi suddenly dropped a dish she had been collecting 
and turned to her father, her eyes wide with shock.

	�W....What?�  She stammered.

	Seeing this, Soun quickly starting talking.  �Now....I don�t 
want to scare you or force you into this but I don�t know what else
I can do.  Akane and Nabiki want nothing to do with Ranma 
whatsoever.

	�M....Maybe they just need time to get to know each 
other....He just got here yesterday.�  Kasumi offered nervously.

	�Perhaps....But in the meantime, engaging them together is
only causing them to hate each other more.  So for the moment, I
want the engagement with Ranma to fall to you.  

	�But....but I....�  Kasumi�s voice seemed on the verge of 
panic, which was rare considering how calm and collected she 
usually was.�

	�Please Kasumi, for your father�s sake and the sake of the
Anything Goes School of Marital Arts....�

	Soun clasped his daughter�s hand in his own.  I know I can�t
force you to marry Ranma but please just accept this engagement for 
now until we can see if Nabiki or Akane will change their minds.�  
Soun pleaded, tears forming in his eyes.

	�What if they don�t change their minds?�  Kasumi asked 
with fear in her eyes.

	Soun gripped her shoulders, his eyes pleading.  �Then I
want you to marry him.  Kasumi, I beg you, for our family, for the 
school, for me....�  Tears poured from his eyes.  �For your mother.�
he whispered, sobs wracking his body at mentioning his dearly 
departed wife. 
	
	�I....I....�  Kasumi looked into her father�s eyes and then
she knew she couldn�t break his heart.  �I....I will do as you ask.�

	�Oh thank you!�  Soun rose to embrace his daughter, 
crying tears of joy.  �You make your father proud!  I know you two 
will make a good couple and raise a strong family.�

	�Father!�  Kasumi blushed bright pink as Soun released 
his daughter and smiled as she picked up the rest of the dishes and
promptly walked into the kitchen.  A few moments later, Genma 
walked into the living room in panda form and took a seat beside 
Soun.  He noticed Soun�s tears and growled inquisitively.

	�Oh, h....hello Saotome, allow me a moment to gather 
myself.�  Soun said as he wiped the tears off his face. Genma-Panda 
held up a sign with a �?� on it as Soun turned to face him.

	�Saotome, I�ve decided to engage your son to my eldest
daughter Kasumi.�  Soun said.

	Genma-Panda looked surprised and scribbled on his sign
which read �But what about Akane?  I thought we�d already 
decided?�

	�I know but I think Kasumi is the better choice for him.  
She�s sweet, kind, a great cook, good housekeeper and pretty to 
boot.  Nabiki is too selfish for him and Akane....well you remember
what happened in the bath?�  Soun replied.

	Genma scribbled again.  �Is Kasumi okay with it?�

	�Yes, I just had a little talk with her.  She�s agreed to marry
Ranma if Nabiki and Akane continue to show no interest in him.�

	�But if you�ve already engaged him to Kasumi....�  Soun 
grabbed his paw, stopping him from writing.

	�I did that to ease off the pressure.  Now that Nabiki and 
Akane are no longer being forced into something, they can get to 
know Ranma and perhaps express an interest to marry him 
themselves.�  Soun said.

	�But what about the pressure on Ranma to marry 
Kasumi?  Isn�t that unfair to my son?�  Genma noted on his sign.

	 �I have no doubt your son will like my Kasumi.  She is the
sweetest person on this planet.�  Soun replied.

	�But she doesn�t know martial arts....does she?� 
Genma-Panda wrote.  �Ranma�s been on the road with me for a very 
long time and marital arts is all that he really knows.�

	�So he�s uncivilized?�  Soun asked.

	The panda nodded solemnly.

	�Well I�m sure Kasumi can help him with his manners.  In 
the meantime, Akane will be taking over the doujou.  She has been 
training constantly for the last few years and I think she�ll be the
best choice as my heir.�  Soun said.

	�Then why are you engaging Kasumi to Ranma?  Shouldn�t it be Akane and
Ranma since there�re the marital artists?�  Genma scribbled furiously on
his signs.  �Kasumi is unsuited for Ranma.�

	�What do you suggest Saotome?!�  Soun said, a note of 
anger growing in his voice.  �Akane doesn�t want to marry him!
If I force her they�ll only bicker and hurt each other!  Akane and 
Ranma can still carry on the school as partners and not as husband 
and wife.�  he finished, trying to be logical.

	�Anger might turn into love eventually, Tendo.�  Genma 
wrote.

	�I�m not willing to take that chance.  We�ve waited too 
long for this moment to allow it to slip through our fingers.  We
have to push for Kasumi and Ranma from this point on or wait until
Akane or Nabiki change their minds.�  Soun said as he stood up.  
�Are you with me Saotome?�  He reached out with his hand to 
Genma.

	Genma looked at the hand for a moment and then placed 
his own paw on top on it and nodded.

	�Thank you Saotome, you won�t be disappointed.�  Soun 
promised with a smile as he walked towards the closet and opened 
it.  He searched through it briefly before pulling out an old Shogi 
board.  He blew some dust off the board and walked back over to
Genma with a smile on his face.  �Remember this old friend?�  he
said as he began to set up the board while Genma�s face lighted up,
obscured by his panda fur as he eagerly prepared to play the first 
game of Shogi with his friend in ten years.


To Be Continued.....


	How do you like it so far?  I wrote this when I realized that, aside
from lemon fanfics, no one had ever, to my knowledge, done a serious
fanfic on Ranma and Kasumi as a possible couple.  This is probably
because Ranma and Kasumi are almost complete opposite in personality and
style.  You've have to be crazy to put them together, hence this fanfic
was born.

	I realize Soun is a bit too thoughtful in this fic but I thought taking
this from his point of view would be an interesting change.  His
emotional state and stubborness to see the engagement work will remain
the same.

	I will try to continued this series as often as possible but my
"Wishing Upon the Same Star" and "Legend of Ranko" series come first.

	Give me feedback!  I LOVE FEEDBACK!

Sincerely,

Megane 6.7


SHIMIYENU IS COMING.................