On Thu, 30 Jan 1997 Ranma1747@aol.com wrote:
Can anyone please send me Chapters 1-6 of "A Son's Duty?" I would really
appreciate it. Thanks.
Once again...
***
Hitomi Ichinohei <hitomi@MBnet.MB.CA>
Here is a new one. I won't promise anything with it, just say that I
thank a lot of people, especially Adam Nebhut.
***
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, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Moose, Kunou Tatewaki, Kuno Kodachi, 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 One:
The morning was beautiful. Nice and sunny with a hint of moisture left
over from the morning rains. In the air, a delightful fragrance, full of
perfumes and smells, yet clear and fresh, with just a hint of suppressed
dust tickling the nose. A day like this was to be savoured whenever
possible.
For many Japanese however, this was another day in which people had to
hurry to get to the trains and buses, rush to the undergrounds, or get
ready for school. Busy lives, the rush of the city, and the race for
prosperity in an effort to keep up with the demands of energy, the cost
of living, and increasingly high prices. One could describe it as
preparing for war. Not the kind of war that was obvious, indeed, not one
that many would call a war in the usual sense. It was a war for survival
and in this war Ucchan's, a small okonomiyaki shop located in Nerima
District, was barely holding its own.
The owner of the shop, one Kuonji Ukyou, always opened the shop with a
friendly smile and a pleasant demeanour. While the regulars who attended
the place found the business cozy, if a bit unusual for a district far
from the hustle of downtown Tokyo, the irregular customers were surprised
to find that the restaurant resembled many of the Office Girl bars and
clubs closer into the city. One of the reasons was the fact that Ukyou
sometimes appeared as a young man and at other times as a young woman.
Then there were those friends of hers, especially one red headed girl who
tried to disguise herself as, and claim to be, a boy despite her obvious
femininity. This raised some eyebrows, but as long as they caused little
or no trouble, the establishment was tolerated.
Technically speaking, Kuonji Ukyou was a boy, at least on paper. He was
sixteen, the owner of a semi-successful expansion shop of the Kuonji
family, which he ran part time in the evenings and on weekends, and was
enrolled in the local high school, Furinkan. Admittedly, he was not at
the top of his class in school, but Ukyou was close enough so that he
would have little, if any, trouble getting into a university of his choice
once he passed the Juken. To all appearances, Ukyou was a self-assured,
competent businessman with a solid, if unusual, set of customers. Some of
the other business people in the district were surprised at the good
fortune of the restaurant which apparently filled an unsuspected niche in
the neighbourhood. Especially since it was closed at the oddest times
when the shop should have been open.
In reality, Ukyou was a young woman. She had chosen to be regarded as a
male early on in her life thanks to a disappointment which dishonoured her
and her family. It started when she was a child. Ukyou met a young boy,
who, at first, was her adversary. A pleasantly mannered boy who happened
to beat her every day in order to secure an okonomiyaki from her father's
yattai. Gradually, the two of them became friends, with Ukyou now making
okonomiyaki's for Ranma. For Ranma's part, he was glad to have such a good
friend, for Ukyou, she had started to fall in love with him. Admittedly,
it was a crush at the time, and it was complicated by the fact that Ranma
thought she was another boy, but she persuaded her father that this was
the boy for her.
When her father had asked the father of the boy, Saotome Genma, to marry
the two of them, Genma had said that it was up to Ranma. What happened
had embarrassed her family, and embarrassed her for when given the choice
Ranma had not realized what was being asked. Genma, not wanting to give up
anything, agreed to the engagement. The boy's father had then stolen the
yattai when they were supposed to take Ukyou with them on their training.
This created a situation where, for the sake of honour, she and her family
had to make a choice: Either move, or for her to be raised as, and to
become in fact, a young boy. Ukyou herself chose to be raised as a boy
since she would never trust another male again.
Over the years, he had become a good son, performing all of his duties,
going to school, getting good grades, and practicing a type of martial art
almost lost in the rush to teach 'business martial arts' to the westerners.
While his style used many of the basic moves common to all the higher arts,
Ukyou had an additional set of weapons, his spatulas with which he
practiced daily, and the equipment of an okonomiyaki chef with which, if
used correctly, he could become extremely deadly. It was soon after the
start of the new school year when the tracers Ukyou had put out and the
tracking he had been doing finally paid off. Ranma had returned and was
now living in Nerima district. While this was far from home, he
nonetheless set out to confront, and defeat Ranma for the deep, still
painful, insult to his, and the families, honour.
Ukyou applied to, and was enrolled in Ranma's school. His goal, to
challenge Ranma and make a fool out of him. By this time, he did not
consider himself a woman anymore, at least not in any real sense of the
word. All that was left for Ukyou to move on was to finally defeat the
one who had stolen his honour.
Ukyou had not realized how wrong he was to confront Ranma. At first, his
opponent had avoided all his blows, then when Ukyou was getting the upper
hand, Ranma's skills started to show. Instead of defeating him, Ukyou and
his shame were exposed to the school. At that point, as far as he was
concerned, Ranma was now a deadly enemy. It was only after a talk with
Ranma, who explained what had happened, that Ukyou realized that he had
not meant to dishonour him, but that he honestly did not know what Ukyou's
sex was when he was younger.
Seeing the way Ranma wished to restore his honour, Ukyou started to fall
in love with him, a love that blossomed in an instant. This time, it was
not a crush, or a passing phase, but true, deep, and meaningful love. At
that moment, Ukyou's life was thrown into turmoil.
You see, Ukyou stilled considered himself to be a male for the most part
and his documentation and papers supported that fact. It was only after
being exposed for whom he was several times that he came to accept, and
be what he once was for some part. Ranma's revelation of how he changed
sexes had facinated Ukyou and helped in his decision. Thus Ukyou started
to live a life where he lived his school and some other parts of his life
as a man, and at other times he was a sweet, caring young woman. It was
not too bad a life, and he was able to fit into the area well, away from
his family.
All things considered, it was not a bad start to a new life, in fact, it
was an excellent start. The best thing about it was he had more freedom
than he would normally be allowed had he stayed with his parents.
Generally speaking was as pleasant as this particular morning. At the
moment however, Ukyou had to head for school.
"Well, at least it is a beautiful morning.", Ukyou thought as he inhaled
slowly, enjoying the smells and feeling of the air. "Today is the sort of
day that nothing can go wrong." Turning back to the door, he locked up
and reached into the mailbox. Inside were the usual items and, as Ukyou
started to walk down the street, he began to sort through it. The bills
he put to the back to the pile to handle later when Ukyou got home. There
were the new magazines, his regulars would like the article in them,
especially since an Ensoku to that area was coming up in the next couple
of weeks. In addition to this was a reminder from her supplier about next
month, and a thank-you letter from a local construction company. The last
letter though caught his eye.
It was from his father, whom he hadn't seen, or really thought of
contacting, for a few months now. Worried that something might be wrong,
he quickly opened the letter and started to read it. After the usual
salutations and greetings, as well as some other information, Ukyou got to
the part that interested him. He started to read in earnest and his eyes
began to show a bit of startlement. As he read further, Ukyou stopped
walking and stared at the letter.
"By the gods!", he thought to himself, "Not now, not when I finally am
getting my life back together." Ukyou looked at the letter once more to
make sure that he had not misread it, and shuddered. What he now
considered his worst nightmare was now coming true, and there was not a
thing that he could do about it. Folding the letter carefully, Ukyou put
it back in the envelope and placed it in his briefcase. Surprisingly, he
then stuffed the rest of the mail haphazardly into his briefcase as well,
not really paying attention to what he was doing. "Family duties! I
thought I could escape from them if I stayed here after what Ran-chan said
to me. If father finds out how I feel, if he even suspects what I feel
about Ran-chan, there could be a lot of trouble." He shook his head as he
resumed walking, "How am I going to get out of this? In any case, while
father visits I can no longer appear as a woman, even in private...
Ran-chan!!!" Ukyou grimaced, "I'm going to have to stay away from him,
and I am also going to have to make sure that he stays away from me and
the restaurant, at least for a while."
At that moment, the object of Ukyou's concern was having a few troubles of
his own. For Ranma, the day had started better than normal. His usual
morning practice with his father had ended with Genma being dunked in the
pond, and Akane, luckily, did not catch him watching to make sure that she
arrived back safely from her morning jog. Even breakfast went well with
Akane and him being cordial and polite to each other. It was when he was
walking with Akane on the way to school, that he had made a big mistake.
He opened his mouth.
He wasn't quite sure what it was he said. In fact, Ranma was sure that he
had been nice to Akane all morning. "Stupid girl," Ranma thought, "What
does she think I did now?" Turning his head, he looked back at his fiance.
In the mood she was in, Ranma was not sure if it was wise to stop. He did
like her a lot, but her temper...Ranma still had bruises from the last time
she blew up and he wanted to avoid any more. "I'm sure I didn't do
anything to her. Why does she have to be so violent?" He continued to
think..."Ok, what did I do...I asked her how she liked the day so far...I
looked up at the sky and smiled...I asked her if she wanted to go somewhere
this evening...I said that she looked nice..._I_ DID_NOT_DO_ANYTHING_TO_HER
...What's wrong with her?" He looked back again and ended up tripping over
something and hitting the ground...hard.
Akane's morning had started off well. The sunlight had come streaming in
her bedroom window, tickling her nose and waking her up. She had opened
her window, letting the outside air clear the mustiness and smells of sleep
from the room. Akane looked outside and noticed how nice it was, the sun
giving just a hint of a rainbow to the air. She got ready and left her
room, heart light, and feeling wonderful.
Her morning jog had also gone very well, and she arrived back, full of
energy. The surrounding neighborhood had just waking up and not too many
people were about. People had greeted her with a friendly smile, and others
had noded politely. All in all, a nice, lazy day, not that she really
expected it to last.
She also expected to have an arguement at any moment with Ranma.
"Strange, " She spoke softly to herself, "Sometimes, it's as though we
can't have a good day unless we fight." Going downstairs, Akane expected
Ranma to make some sort of smart remark, something to purposely get her
angry. It wasn't that Akane was looking for her day to be spoiled, but she
had gotten used to their constant bickering. She was surprised that he
greeted here pleasantly, even warmly. It sometimes happened, so she
shrugged her shoulders and started eating. It was on their way to school
that Akane realized Ranma had not eaten as much as usual.
What had triggered that reaction was when Ranma asked her about how she
liked the day. He had never been that pleasant, in fact, he usually made
some comment by this time that caused her to automatically attack him. "Is
he sick?", she muttered to herself as she looked at him, "He's just staring
up at the sky."
It was when Ranma had asked her out and said she looked nice that she
decided to try and hit him. At first, it was because she thought their
parents were trying to get them to date again, they were always inventing
situations to throw them together. Then she realized, he was just being
nice because he wanted to be nice.
She hesitated, then shouted, "RANMA NO BAKA!!!"
It wasn't that Akane wanted to fight this time, it was more that she wanted
to return some normality to her day. She was not used to Ranma being nice
to her, and it was unnerving to say the least. For Akane, it was better
for her sanity, and her pride if they were fighting. She ended up chasing
him into the school yard, her school bag swinging at him.
That was when Ukyou turned the corner.
Normally, Ukyou would have been able to avoid an attack, having been able
to feel when danger was approaching. Most people thought that he, and the
other martial artists at the school, had fast reflexes. As Ukyou would
have told anyone who asked, the skill came from practice, of putting
oneself into enough danger that the skill became as a new sense, and while
his body and mind would usually react before truly being aware what was
happening, his worries had distracted Ukyou.
It was a spectacular crash.
GLOSSARY
OKONOMIYAKI
Okonomiyaki litterally means, "As you like it." It is comparable to an
American pancake, but with a richer flavor and a lighter, more delicate
skin. A recipe for it follows below.
The basic recipe is a pancake mixture made with rice or wheat flour. Extra
flavor can be given by adding a stock to the mixture. In addition, many
Okonomiyaki places have their own family recipes that have been handed down
for generations.
The following is a restaurant type mixture for about 10 people.
Basic Ingredients
10 chicken eggs
2 quail eggs
5 cups of wheat or 6 cups of rice flour
3.5 cups of Awase Miso
Additional ingredients
Thin pork slices
Thin beef slices
Shrimp, shelled, deveined and fillited.
Red pickled ginger
Wasabi
Sesame oil
Daikon, grated finely
Thinly sliced Shitaki Mushrooms
or any other flavourings as long as they are thinly sliced.
Break the eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add Awase Miso to the eggs and mix
well. Slowly add the flour and beat so that the mixture is without lumps.
Heat a griddle or hot plate to about 350 degrees farinheit and oil. Stir
mixture just before you pour it out on the hot plate. Allow to start
cooking, and add any ingredients that you would like to the mixture that
is on the girdle.
Wait until the bottom is browned and flip over to cook the top.
Flip back over and onto a plate.
Garnish with bonito, nori, or some wasabi.
Serve.
Sauce:
There are a variety of sauces that can be had with Okonomiyaki. My
favourite is a Sweet Sake sauce.
Ingredients:
2/3 cups Sake
1/3 cup Mirin
1/3 cup Shoyu
1/3 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of Su
2 whole takano tjume crushed
In a suacepan heat up the Sake, Mirin, Shoyu, and Su. When it is nearly
boiling add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat and add the
ginger and takano tjume. Let simmer for an hour or until the sauce is two
thirds of its original volume. Strain and cool. Serve in a Shoyu dish.
OFFICE GIRL CLUBS
These clubs and bars are designed to cater to Office Girls or secretaries
as they are known here. In areas of Tokyo, these clubs and bars feature
transsexuals and transvestites as waitresses.
JUKEN
This is the standardized test that students take to determine their place
within the structure of schooling. The test results determine which
schools you can enter.
YATTAI
A type of cart used for selling food to customers. Can be seen in many
resort areas and is similar to the American mobile hot dog or hamburger
stand.
MAGAZINES
The gathering of various magazines is a type of customer appreciation
displayed by the restaurants. Because life is very heric and rushed, most
people take any oportunity that presents itself to read, study, catch up
on current events, or socialize. In fact, a restaurant usually has a set
of regulars who sit at the same place every time and use it to study and
socialize. In fact, some regulars pay for the privilage of the sitting
space with a monthly fee over and above whatever food they may order. In
other cases, an owner might provide a space because of the customer
flow a particular person might bring in.
The new magazines are placed at these tables and the older ones are
rotated to other parts of the restaurant including the food preperation
bar. Over a month, a restaurant will go through approximately eight or
nine dozen new magazines.
Remembering my school days, the only times that I had to relax was going
to the candy store where ojisama used to sit all of us down and tell us
stories or during the performance of the tea ceremony every day. Trust
me on this, we even work at having fun. My country is a country of
workaholics, and no matter what anyone says, this is a fact of Japanese
life.
ENSUKO
An Ensuko, or 'Far Feet' is a type of field trip to a historical place,
such as a temple, or a place where something of great importance has
occured in our history, or, for students in the science stream, a
scientific research centre. These were both fun and boring, depending on
how good you were. Ranma would definately be in trouble on these for
_NOT_ wearing a proper uniform. (For that matter, he would be in trouble
anyways since _NOT_ wearing a proper uniform can be grounds for dismissial
from school.)
REMINDER
In Japan, manufacturing is conducted on the just in time theory of
economics. Basically stated, screws, parts, and equipment are delivered
as close as possible to the manufacturing time. According to the theory,
this has the following benefits:
1) Top quality raw materials are made available.
2) Top quality parts are created.
3) No stockpiling occurs of unecessary equipment.
4) Quality control remains very high.
5) There can be imediate production stopage and revision if it needs to
be done.
Because of this, the reminder serves two purposes.
1) Asking the restaurant owner to make an estimate of the materials
needed for supplies at the end of each week based on past business
performance.
2) To provide information on new techniques, recipies, equipment, and
materials that allow the restaurant owner to have a better product
and more customer satisfaction.
THANK YOU LETTER
This is _not_ what most readers of this would think. I.E. A thank you
for repairs done due to a lot of dammage being done to the restaurant.
Indeed, this is a common, mundane occurance that is designed to promote
good public relations and repeat business. In this instance, a new type
of high effiency hotplate and burners would have been installed at
Ucchans. This would include a series of single cup coffee burners as
well as a large cold brewing container to make a strong house specialty
coffee. Given that Ucchans would serve mostly studying school students
and some business people, this would be the best way to increase the
popularity of her place of business.
***
Authors Notes:
This started on the Ranma Mailing list, (Ask everyone else what started
it, not me), and I went ahead and started it. People said I would not
get the permission I wanted and continued to ask for it. So here it is,
Chapter one. I want people to flame me on this one. It is bad if there
are no complaints about my writting, especially as I am new to the
English language. Please FLAME FLAME FLAME.
On a personal note, do not mind the glossary, it was just some people had
questions on what those particulars were that I included in my story.
Other than that, there isn't a lot to say, but that this is trying to fit
into the continuity of the series. Hopefully, I am able to make a
contribution in a psycological manner that will explain some of the
rather bizzare aspects of the story. As to what I mean, join the Ranma
Mailing list and find out about the craziness of Ranma, and those that
follow the chosen red haired goddess, (or is that black haired god? The
Kunou's are getting to me it seems...).
Anyway's enough ramblings, have a good time with this one, and good night.
Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi_Ichinohei@MBnet.mb.ca
Here is the second part, I hope people enjoy it.
As usual, it is dedicated to a lot of very good friends, especially Adam.
***
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, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, 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 Two:
The school yard was suddenly quite silent.
Akane was looking at the scene; a little bit startled and with a trace of
a smile starting to twitch at the corner of her mouth. What surprised
Akane, and had probably silenced everyone else, was the fact that Ukyou
had ended up sprawled out on the ground, stunned. Ranma, on the other hand,
was flat on his face about five feet further on, having some trouble getting
his breath back. She couldn't help but stare, her knowledge of their
skills made the two of them hitting each other accidentally immensely funny.
What had started out as a nominally good day for Ranma was steadily getting
worse. His face clearly showed that he had lost his breath. As usual,
however, he was going to be ok. He usually was in these situations, and
had a tendency to recover faster than most people. Of course, he had to
concentrate and focus on those parts of the body that were injured, not
very much of a problem given his stamina.
Actually, Ranma's stamina was a product of two different circumstances, the
first being that of his study of the various martial arts and the
associated medicines that allowed ones body to heal at a rate much faster
than normal, and the second being that he was a trouble magnet.
The first was a distinct advantage, allowing him the chance to concentrate
on healing, and on getting a task accomplished. It was one of the many
secrets that he had learned while growing up. His mind was the focus of
all thought and wisdom, therefore he must be willing to learn from as many
different people as possible. He was sometimes stubborn about doing this,
and his father occasionally went overboard in trying to train Ranma in so
many disciplines, but he did get trough to his sometimes wayward son.
So as Ranma grew, he learned many schools of thought, and the most
important lesson he had learned, the one that was common to every
discipline that he had ever been taught, was that the mind is more
important than the body. His teachers in the school would have disputed
this as Ranma never seemed to pay attention in class. This, of course,
was not entirely true as he concentrated on the expansion of his mind and
senses, integrating his knowledge in order to act instinctively and
decisively when the time came. It allowed him to experience more than most
people, especially since he had been concerned with the study of Kenpo,
seemingly to the exclusion of all else, for most of his life. The many
training trips he had gone upon would have meant his being a failure in
school long ago if he was unable to use his head.
The second reason was sometimes his worst nightmare.
Wether it was Kunou Tatewaki; who was in a way both a romantic rival, (at
least to Kunou-Sempai's mind), or a potential and persistent suitor, (in
the oddest sense), to people he had never heard of before, their first
reaction to was usually to marry or kill him. It had become an almost
constant factor in his life since he moved here. People at school enjoyed
it, partially for the entertainment value, partially because interesting
thing were always happening, but, somehow, Ranma kept wishing for a
chance to be normal.
In the past few months alone, Ranma had been attacked several times,
offered dates, threatened with marriage, and...complications...occurring
from his...other half. He was still angry with his father over that
particular incident, and at times hit Genma when reminded about it, but
was able to act a lot calmer now than when it had first happened. Of
course, he wouldn't admit it, but the reason Ranma was able to handle his
situation was due to Akane.
Nobody would have believed that, however, given the way they acted in front
of their family or in public.
For both of them, the relationship started out well. Ranma had just
arrived at the Tendo Training Hall and was being...harassed...by Nabiki,
Akane's elder sister. Ranma had been embarrassed, and Akane noticed the
blush Nabiki's...handling...of the situation had caused their guest. She
decided to take some pity on this new arrival to their home and took Ranma
out to the Dojo proper in order for them to practice Kenpo. She wanted
to test this person who was supposed to be an arranged husband for her,
or one of her sisters. Ranma ended up defeating Akane, but at the time,
she didn't mind. Losing to Ranma was not so bad, and they had started
to become friends. Somehow, the fact that her father wanted Ranma to
marry either her, or one of her sisters, was still ridiculous, but not
really as bad as it sounded originally.
At least that is how it started out.
During the battle and afterwards, Akane had revealed a bit of herself
that normally would never have been revealed to a male. How determined
she was, the fact that she did not like boys, at least, not romantically,
and that the only people that she respected were other women. Ranma's
face had displayed a bit of shocked strain at the acknowledged respect
Akane had shown.
A lot of it had to do with the fact that Akane had said some things that
only her family and closest friends would hear. The emotions she revealed
told a lot about the trust she placed in her father and in the apparently
close relationship between their family's. Still, she had shown a shadow
of her true self, the part that was hidden away beneath the many layers
of her personality, and not one that she would normally allow to be
observed by a male.
Wondering what to do about this, Ranma decided to sit down and contemplate
the garden, allowing the mind to drift to different areas and touch
lightly on the situations that had brought them here. Paying no
attention to the surroundings, time past and no answers were found, At
least not answers that made sense. A driving need surged up, and Ranma
wanted nothing more than to go back to China.
This was how Kasumi found Ranma, looking at the garden, staring with a
determination and seriousness that looked cute on the young face. She
had prepared a hot bath for the two practitioners and insisted that their
guest take a bath. With no option, Ranma headed for the bath, still
wondering what to do, and not realizing Akane would be coming in soon.
Ranma's bath had changed the respect Akane had shown earlier to a type
of hatred and rivalry.
During the past few months, however, their respect had once again grown
for one another. The one thing wrong was that both were as stubborn as
mules about everything they did. Not wanting to be the first to admit
defeat, they started to hide their true feelings behind the wall of hate
and contempt that they had built; Akane calling Ranma a pervert, and
Ranma retaliating by calling Akane a tomboy. These times, while
interesting to those around them, had created a situation that made them
decide to avoid the possibility of marriage for all time.
Words both outwardly lived by, but inwardly balked at, creating situations
that would be untenable in a normal persons life.
Somehow though, through all of this turmoil, Akane had grown to support
Ranma, and to help him get out of most of the situations that he found
himself in. It was not that he could not handle himself or could have
not have defeated what was coming at him, but more that he did not have
the heart to do so himself. It was this that she had come to recognize
as a part of herself in him, that of the nervous, slightly scared
individual who cannot bare to show it. Of course, when it came to a
battle, she found him stupidly macho, full of fight and bluster, but put
him in front of people where he had to reveal or display emotions, and he
was a wreck.
Being with Akane made what Ranma had to go through a lot easier to bear.
At least until it came to his many other fiance's, of which Shampoo and
Ukyou could be counted officially. Shampoo from a complete accident, and
Ukyou by an old choice. Of course, they had different ways of going
about getting close to Ranma, some of which he dreaded.
At the moment, Ukyou could have cared less about getting close to Ranma,
in fact, he just lay there, his eyes closed and seemingly unwilling to
get up.
Akane smiled slightly as she approached the two, pointedly not paying
attention to Ranma. She noticed a strange, almost-grimace evident on
Ukyou's face, something that was unusual, especially given Ukyou's
tendency to be as obstinately macho as Ranma. Usually he was ok when in
a fight, and could take a lot of damage. He had proven that several
times in the past, and would probably prove it again, despite the fact
that he did not have to. For some reason, however, this time seemed
different and Akane was a bit concerned. Despite their competition for
Ranma, they were friends and if Ukyou was hurt then she wanted to help.
"Want a hand Ukyou?" Akane asked.
Ukyou opened his eyes slowly as the words sank into his head. He was
really bad off if he couldn't avoid getting hit by someone, especially in
an accidental manner. The practice of harakei had given him the skills
necessary to avoid such occurrences and only severe emotional stress
could cause him to disregard the warning signals that must surely have
been in the air. This was not a good sign, and that meant the news that
he had received from his father had disturbed him more than he was
originally willing to admit.
Sighing, Ukyou looked up at Akane, "Thanks Akane-chan, I appreciate it."
So saying, he took the offered hand and allowed himself to be helped up.
"I am just annoyed with myself at the moment," Shaking his head, he
continued, "I should have been able to avoid getting hit like that,
After all, I am supposed to be a martial artist."
Akane had to grin at that. The reputations that Ukyou, Ranma, her, and a
few others in the school had gained was immensely overrated at times.
Although he looked a bit unsteady at the moment, if Ukyou could joke like
that, he was going to be ok. Shaking her head, Akane said, "Are you
sure? For a moment it looked as if you were hurt."
Ukyou smiled slightly, "I'm sure, although this is probably going to start
some new rumours around here." Turning, he started to look for his
briefcase, and noticed Ranma with it. At the moment, it was open, with
the magazines now on the ground, and a certain letter being held by
Ranma, who looked as though he was about to open it.
While the discussion between Ukyou and Akane had been going on, Ranma
managed to get air back into his lungs. Noticing that his two 'fiance's'
were talking with each other, he groaned to himself. Despite the valiant
try, he was going to end up with bruises; again. At least this time he
would not have to go to the doctor. Standing up, and trying to bounce
back quickly, (He couldn't allow anyone to notice that he was hurt.),
Ranma noticed that Ukyou's briefcase had popped opened and that
everything usually contained inside was now spilled over the ground.
As both women were not paying attention, he started to gather up everything
and place it back in the briefcase. The spill wasn't too bad, and he was
able to gather most of the papers and books, placing them back inside the
briefcase. It was when he started to get the mail that he came across
the letter addressed to Ukyou.
Ranma had known for some time that Ukyou received a lot of mail. Actually,
he was a bit surprised at the amount of mail that his friend received
every day, but usually paid no attention to it since it was related to
the restaurant business. This was the first time that he knew of that
Ukyou had received a personal letter. Ranma was curious, and he stared
at it as if to open it up.
"Ran-chan, If you don't mind, I'll take that.", and Ukyou proceeded to
grab his briefcase and the letter, then proceeded to pick up the magazines.
"Who is it from Uk-chan?", Ranma asked, curious, and trying to get a closer
look at it.
Sighing, Ukyou replied, "Nothing you should be concerned about, just a
letter concerning my past."
Akane was the only one who noticed the slight grimace appear briefly on
Ukyou's' face once again. Realizing that Ukyou needed a friend more than
a pest at the moment, she grabbed Ranma by his pig tail, took him, and
tossed him some distance away. A cry of "Kawaiikune" could be
heard coming from that direction as Ranma headed for parts unknown.
In the meantime, Akane was trying to get Ukyou to open up a bit.
"Want to talk about whatever's bothering you?"
"What's to talk about Akane-chan, I'm just not at my best today."
"Is that so? Then why so protective over that letter?"
Sighing again, Ukyou answered the only way he could, "Something to do with
the past, and now has to do with the future. It's really nothing that
should worry you."
Akane shrugged and looked up, noticing the time. She decided that she
would have to try again later. The two of them, each thinking their own
thoughts and hoping to get there before Hinako-Sensei, rushed towards
their room. Both had forgotten that Ranma had been sent into the
air, and that the direction he was travelling in was towards the pool...
Said person was climbing out of the pool, and she was not having a good
time. "Gah...Why did she have to do that? JUST WHAT DID I DO TO HER
TODAY!!!" She fumed a little bit, and started to wring out her clothes,
"Just perfect, I didn't need this to happen to me today. Why can't
I go a little while without getting wet somehow...It's as if someone
really wants to complicate my life."
The young red head, who looked very cute because of the fact that she
was angry, went out of the fence surrounding the pool and started back
towards the school entrance. She glanced up quickly at the clock tower
and noticed the time, "It figures, no time to get any hot water...Ah well,
it's not as if the class doesn't already know. At least I'll be able to
get some water at lu..."
At that moment, a happy yell went through the air. A yell that most people
in the yard ignored, while a few just smirked. A yell that made Ranma
close her eyes in utter frustration, and groan with contempt at the
person who had just grabbed onto her.
"My Pig Tailed Goddess, how I have longed to see you. I am glad that you
have managed to elude that sorcerer, Saotome!", Kunou Tatewaki said as he
hugged the young woman, completely oblivious to the signs of almost pure
hatred coming from her, "I have wanted to hold you in my arms, and to
take you away from the evil that abounds here."
Ranma didn't even try to explain; she just booted him into the sky.
She grumbled and went into the school. One of these days Ranma was either
going to get rid of her curse, get rid of her idiot father who was the
cause of the trouble, or kill Kunou.
It was not a good day for her.
The usual school antics happened during the day. Hinako-Sensei speaking
to Ranma and telling her that, when she was a girl, she should wear a
proper girls uniform, Akane attempting to both ignore Ranma and to get
her to pay more attention to her work, especially in English, and Kunou
trying to find his "pig tailed goddess" during the lunch break.
It was also obvious to Akane during the day that Ukyou's concentration was
off. Their professors had come in and out of the class and while,
normally, Ukyou was an excellent and intuitive student, today he had
almost no reaction to what was going on around him. Somehow, she
would have to try and get Ukyou to open up about what was bothering him,
after all, they were friends.
For Ukyou, the day seemed to be one long torture session. There was a
very good reason for not paying attention; his thoughts were in complete
turmoil. He hardly heard what any of his professors said as he tried to
decide what to do. It wasn't going to be easy to stop Ran-chan coming to
the restaurant, Ranma was too curious for his own good at times. Shaking
his head, he suddenly realized something and started to laugh silently at
himself. He had chosen this life, chosen to be considered a male in
front of all Japanese society and yet he still loved Ranma. The duties
he must fulfill because of his new sex and the duties that he wished to
fulfill were at complete odds to one another.
Almost exactly the same situation in which Ranma usually found himself in.
"I'm going to need help with this," Ukyou thought, "But who can I go to?
Ran-chan is a good friend, but father would kill him. Shampoo is out,
and so is Mousse..." Trying to decide which of the many people that he
knew who might have been able to help, Ukyou looked lazily around the
room. As he did so, details of the past flitted through his upset mind
and for some reason his eyes settled on Akane. "Why not, " Ukyou
snorted, "She's the only one who might be able to help, and she has some
knowledge of what I'm going to have to go through."
Since the best course of action would be to ask Akane for help, Ukyou
decided to walk her home after school so that he could explain the situation.
***
"So your father is coming to the District? I would be very happy to meet
him. From what you and Ranma have told me, he must be a very nice
person, and I am sure that Ranma would enjoy talking with him again."
Ukyou face took on a hurt expression, "I wouldn't say that Akane, if he
saw Ranma, there would be a lot of trouble. In any case, my father has
his own ideas of what his 'son' should do."
Akane caught that last part, and looked at Ukyou, "What are you talking
about, You're a girl."
Shaking his head, Ukyou pulled out the letter and handed it to Akane,
"Not legally Akane-chan, by law, I'm a boy. This means that I have
certain obligations to fulfill, not the least of which is one that you
are familiar with."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just read the letter Akane"
Akane started to read. Normal stuff, things that she hoped her father
would write to her when she went off to university. It was when she got
near the end, that she saw what had caused her friend some worry.
***
(Begin excerpt)
Turning to business concerns about the store, Ukyou, it is a pleasant
surprise that you have managed to be profitable during the past few
months. Your mother and I expected to still be supporting you, even
though you told us that you would have more than enough customers in
Nerima District. Your books are showing a nice profit, but then, that
is what I would expect of you considering the business courses that you
had opted for. I guess an old man has to take a back seat once to his
son once in a while.
There are some concerns I have however, such as the fact that your profit
margin seems to be low. Is this a promotion of some kind to get new
customers to come to the shop? I would like to know, because it seems to
be a success where you are and I was thinking of implementing it here
at this shop. Another thing, haven't you hired on any help? From the
looks of the figures, you seem to be leaving a lot of time open. I know
you have to go to school, but couldn't you find some girls to waitress
and run the shop during the day?
On a more personal note, your mother and I were going to take a vacation,
but she convinced me that it would be better if I come out to visit you.
We do have a lot to discuss, such as your education, and I would like to
spend some time with you. You are growing up fast son, and I wish to be
a part of your life now and then. If you want, we could take a Sunday
and go fishing, like we did when you were younger.
As to the main matters of my visit, there are some duties that you must
perform now that you are old enough. Although it will be several years
before your coming of age ceremony, your mother and I must insist that
you carry them out. One of these duties will be for you to visit the family
shrine in Kyoto. As my eldest son, you will have to make the proper
offerings to our ancestors in preparation of becoming the one to inherit
the business and honours of our house. The Kuonji line is old Ukyou, and
our origins are tied with that ancient city. The priests and members of
the temple have already asked if you were ready so you will have to
travel there soon.
Other than that, there is one particular duty that will require your
immediate attention, which is setting the date for your marriage. I will
admit, we would not discuss this normally considering what happened in
the past, but it is time that you were engaged. I have spoken to a friend
of mine, and his daughter will be arriving with me in Nerima on Saturday,
March 19. I am sure that you will like her. She is a pleasant young
girl, and will make you a good wife.
As always son, I am proud of you.
Father.
(End excerpt)
***
Akane had stopped walking, shuddering a bit at the information that she had
just absorbed. "That is some letter, I can see why you were troubled.
What are you going to do about it?"
"What can I do. Family honour requires I go through with whatever is
planned." Ukyou put one hand in his pocket and the with the other
dejectedly lifted his briefcase to his shoulder.
Akane just looked forward, the letter forgotten in her hand and whispered
to herself, "Family honour..."
Ranma had rushed home in the meantime. He did not want to stick around
the school any longer that he had to. It was not that he hated the
school, although he did feel that most of the courses that he was forced
to take in the science stream had no relation to his future profession,
but rather that whenever he stayed around something, or someone, always
managed to pull him into some type of battle. After the bruises he had
received earlier in the day, he was not feeling up to having a fight.
As he reached the gates to the Tendo household however, he ended up being
drenched with cold water.
Ranma glared at the panda that was standing on the road outside the
stonework fence. "What did you do _that_ for pop?" she shouted, "You may
_like_ being a panda, but I do _not_ like being a girl!"
Wanting nothing more to do than to take a hot bath, Ranma paid no heed to
the panda, who was now trying to stick a sign in front of her face, and
entered into the yard. "Perfect, " she muttered to herself, "Now I need
some hot water to change myself back. Sometimes I think I should
skewer the old man, just on principle."
"Hello everyone, I'm home! Kasumi? Do you happen to have any hot water
available?", Ranma shouted as she went through the door.
Kasumi stepped out from the kitchen, "Yes Ranko, do you want some tea?"
"No Kasumi, I need it in order to..." Ranma stopped talking as she
realized _what_ Kasumi had called her and suddenly knew _why_ her father
had thrown the water at her.
The person who stepped out of the kitchen behind Kasumi wore a very nice
silk kimono, with an eye pleasing geometric pattern on one shoulder. She
looked very much like 'Ranko', the same facial features, same delicate
grace, and a confidence that fairly exuded from her. Although both
denied it, anybody who looked at them would have said that they were
mother and daughter.
"Hello Ranko," said the woman, "How are you today?"
Ranma could only answer, "Hello Auntie Saotome."
GLOSSARY
KENPO
Also known as Kempo.
This is an ancient art that is the basis of all the higher levels of the
martial arts that are in existence today. Basically, it is a hand to
hand style of fighting that has evolved over the centuries to encompass
all of the teachings of arts, and has evolved into many differentiating
styles. It is also the first known combat art.
The origin of the art is said to have begun long ago at the Shaolin
Temple in China. While this is true in a way, it is necessary to trace
the art back even further. According to recorded history, the legend of
the martial arts started when Prince Bodhidharma, a warrior, and later a
monk, was sent by his teacher, Prajnatara to China to reteach the
principles of Buddhism and introduce the knowledge of Dhyana, or Zen
Koans, to the practices of those there. Bodhidharma agreed to do
this and headed north, to the various southern kingdoms.
In the year 520 BC, Bodhidharma travelled to the kingdom of Wei where he
had an intense meeting with the Emperor Wu. This conversation led
nowhere since the Emperor was concerned with worldly matters and did not
have much time for spiritual concerns. This had discouraged
Bodhidharma and he left for the Honan province and the Shaolin Temple
in a kind of depression.
When he arrived, his worst fears were realized. The monks of the famed
Shaolin Temple, which was known even then as a place of great learning,
had grown physically, and mentally, deficient having no other concerns
than meditating all day long. Bodhidharma was not happy with this and
had to find some way to return the temple to the place of learning it once
was. He left for a time and returned to teach all the monks of the
monastery the art of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho. This art was _not_ meant to be
used as a way of war, but instead used to inspire vigour, confidence, health,
and concentration so that the monks could continue to pursue enlightenment.
Forty years later, the first of many attacks occurred. Bandits had decided
the temple held vast sums of treasures. In the attack, the monks did not
fight well, and it looked as though the temple would fall, and indeed,
the elders of the temple were ready to give up. Instead, a young monk,
known only as the begging monk to history, fought back with his hands and
his feet killing some of the attackers and driving away many more. Thus
began the training in the Shaolin temple of the first fighting style
known as Chuan Fa.
Over the next few decades, the techniques were expanded so that the
learning of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho, supplemented with Chun Fa raised the
various techniques from the original eighteen to seventy two. This
allowed the monks an advantage, and they were soon known as the silent
protectors of the people of China. Later still, a meeting between Ch'ueh
Taun Shang-Jen and a master of many martial ways known as Li, developed
the fighting style of Wu Xing Quan, which had one hundred and seventy
distinct techniques and were divided into five different animal forms.
This was the true start of the higher arts, and it was the greatest gift
that the monks could give to the peoples whom they were to teach.
According to some legends, it is said that Kenpo originated in the
Okinawian Islands and the Ryukyu kingdoms as well as in Japan, however,
this is not entirely true. Kenpo, or Law of the Fist, was a derivative
of Chuan Fa. Many wandering monks had brought the arts across Asia, but
nowhere was the art more welcomed than in these far off islands and
kingdoms where fighting for survival was paramount. Thus, since monks
thought the practice of bodily skills to any who wanted to learn, Kenpo
was available to Noble and Commoner alike.
Kenpo also developed due to the many disappearances and returns of people
from Okinawa and the Japanese Islands. Many times had they left for
China, and many in the villages thought they had died, their families
leaving a marker in the gravesite above the village. They had instead
travelled and applied themselves to many differing ideals, and thus
learned of the fighting skills of the Shaolin. In their time away, they
learned many ways, many types of masteries of different arts, but at the
base of which was Kenpo, or Chuan Fa. In most cases, there is a mystery
behind the spread of these arts in Japan, especially since it was as a
rather abrupt explosion of learning in the seventeenth century.
Unfortunately, the reasons for this development have been lost to
history, or rather, been kept from history as many schools of learning
are only handed down within the family line.
Today's modern art of Kenpo, as known across the world and most especially
in North America can be traced back to the Kosho ryu Kenpo which was
developed in Kyushu, Japan by the families of Kumamoto and Nagasaki.
These schools of arts, however, are not the only forms of the arts
available. As of last count, there were over five hundred different
schools with most of the training going back to as a basis centuries
older than that of Kosho Ryu Kenpo.
To be honest, Kenpo is the first of the "Anything Goes" or "unrestricted"
Schools of Martial Arts, the real question was, what was the secret that
allowed the Kenpo practitioner such power? A saying from the Han
Dynasty, "Nothing is impossible to the willing mind." was the first attempt
to put into words the power of the form, the power of the mind. Thus in
reality, Kenpo is a way of training the mind more than that of training
the body. This has left the world with few true masters of the Kenpo
style for to master this style one must be able to master oneself and then
integrate both mind and body into one cohesive unit. It is an emphasis on
the combination and utilization of body and mind in concert, and thus
being able to achieve the higher levels of enlightenment, that makes the
art so difficult.
As one master said, "Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self
requires enlightenment." thus summing up all that has been learned by
striving to study Kenpo. A way of the enlightened, on the path to the
goal of enlightenment. A way for all of the forces of nature, and the
forces of man to go past what has been known before. Thus as the basis
for the martial arts, Kenpo is best described by Bruce Lee, who in
comment on his art of Jeet Kune Do said, "To have no way as a way; To
have no limitations as a limitation."
And before anyone asks, Kenpoist can use weapons, although true masters of
the techniques disdain them.
HARAKEI
Harakei is the practice of knowing when an opponent is going to strike or
do something. Sometimes described as a sixth or seventh sense, it is
practised by many arts, but actively developed among the higher arts,
especially in the Japanese practice of Bujutsu, or the study of all
martial arts.
When training begins, the student is taken into as a room to practice by
themselves. The student, when they are truly ready to learn the
techniques, will first feel a presence of another person in the room, or
observing them. When they are ready to go on, they will be able to
determine from feel alone weather the person watching means to harm them,
observe them, or help them. Somewhat difficult to know at first.
When the Sensei decides to teach the student the art, the student is
blindfolded and sent into a room filled with objects, the idea is for the
student to avoid the objects placed in areas around the room. Each time
this is done, the room is rearranged so that memories of what the room
was like before will not interfere with the training. When the student
is able to pass through the room, the ears are then blocked and the trial
begins again. Then the nose is stopped and this is repeated.
After this, training with as a live person begins, again following the
steps outlined above. The main difference here is that the student
learns how to use the currents of air, the small change in the feel of
the floor of the dojo, and to access the part of the mind that has never
truly disappeared in the human species, that of the instinct. Working
through this, the student comes to be at a level where mind and body work
in harmony to react before knowing. They training is long and
arduous, usually lasting between three to five years for the hand to
hand combat.
Finally, training is completed with weapons being used to face one another.
The weapons used are for practice, and usually do not have any sharp
edges or killing points on them. There is a point however, where
sharpened and deadly weapons are used, and that is at the point where the
student is about to graduate from that Dojo. While not usually practised
publicly today, there are still incidences of this final training
technique being carried out, especially in the Koga district.
It is theorized that the training is not actually creating a sixth sense,
but is intensifying the other five senses that humans have available.
This last point is still debated by physicians and philosophers.
***
Authors note:
I want to thank everyone who wrote into me and sent me the comments. I
certainly needed them, and I hope people keep making them. Strange as it
may seem, my writting gets better the worse the comments are. It makes
me strive to be better than I am so I do not disappoint anyone.
I know I cannot please everyone, and changes in writting style sometimes
turn people away from a writer, but I _need_ to listen to the fans.
Without the fans, without all of you who read these words, the books from
the stores, or the comic books, what is the use of sharing a point of view.
So I _KNOW_ the value of free speach which is why I want flames to come
in to me on my writing.
I would be a hippocrite if I, who have decided to write words down, denied
the same rights to another individual.
Until Next time.
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 Three:
A nervously smiling Ranma was in a combination of shock, fear, and
longing.
The woman before her was her mother. The one person that she longed to be
with and get to know, and the one person to whom she could not tell the
truth. To tell her mother who she really was would mean her death.
It was always this way when Saotome Nodoka came to visit the Tendo
household.
In order to survive, Ranma had taken the identity of Tendo Ranko, the
niece of Tendo Soun. Everyone in the household went along with this, not
only to protect Ranma and Genma, but because Nodoka would take her own
life after that of her husband and child. A situation which had to be
prevented at all costs.
Still, Ranma _wanted_ to know her mother, to be with her, and to try to
understand her past. Her father had neglected to tell her anything about
Nodoka, keeping it secret, and not even hinting at who she was and what
she was =FClike. If anything, it made the young girl more anxious, more
curious about the woman who would marry her father. Although it was never
mentioned, Ranma was sure that the marriage was arranged. Who would be
willing to marry that idiot otherwise.
Unfortunately, what hurt Ranma the most during Nodoka's visits were the
lies she had to tell her.
The Tendo's themselves did not feel good about the lies, but given the
situation, it was the _only_ way for Ranma to know her mother. Everyone
in the house realized that it broke Ranma's heart to be near Nodoka, but
never be able to acknowledge that she was her child. It was something the
she would never admit.
The other three girls were sensitive to the circumstances and chose not to
say much about it. Akane saw the pain in his eyes, Kasumi, the love in
both of them, and Nabiki, the intense longing of something she herself
missed. They felt uncomfortable but missed their mother too much to
interfere in Ranma's decision.
As long as the young girl had known Nodoka, she felt guilty over what her
father had her doing. All of the lies drained her emotionally and
mentally. It was extremely hard for Ranma; having been torn from her
mother, and then not able to tell her who she was. Of all the things
Genma had done to her life, this was the one thing that she hated most.
It was only by sheer luck that Ranma had not killed her father when she
had the chance, and it was only because of Nodoka that she still had not
killed him.
How she longed to tell Saotome Nodoka who she was, despite what family
honour might cause her to do.
*Forget thinking about skewering the old man,* she thought, *I want him to
suffer before he dies. If he hadn't made that stupid promise and had me
sign it when I was too young to know what I was doing, I could be with her
right now!*
Silently swallowing her disappointment and bitterness, Ranma smiled
sweetly, "Ranko-chan is doing wonderfully Auntie Saotome! School is sooo
much fun!"
Nodoka smiled at that and looked at Ranko', who was wet and, as usual, was
dressed very much like a boy. She sighed silently to herself,
*Ranko-chan, whatever am I going to do with you? If only you realized how
pretty you look, and how many boys would ask you out if you tried to look
your best. If only you had someone to watch over you properly.*
If her feelings about Ranko were unusual, so was the situation.
Nodoka realized that something traumatic must have happened in the girls
past for her to behave in the way she did. Always acting and dressing
like a boy, using rough language, and closing herself off from most people
around her. Ranko never seemed to want to be the girl she was.
On top of that the Tendo family had bought Ranko a panda, a _very_
expensive and exotic pet. It seemed to be the only thing that mattered in
her life since she was always playing with it in the water and having it
sleep in her room instead of the yard. In addition, Ranko had taught her
pet to use language, even to the extent of writing signs. The fact that
she had enough time to teach her pet to use language told Nodoka that
Ranko had few, if any, friends.
Nodoka felt a longing, a sense of indescribable loss in that child that
resonated with her own. She could feel the longing for a mother, someone
Ranko could trust completely, implicitly. It was for these reasons that
she believed Ranko had been orphaned at an early age, with her parents
dying in some unspeakable manner.
She thought once again of how much pain Ranko must have in her life. The
girl tried to hide her true emotions from her, but she knew that
underneath lay a deep sorrow. Nodoka longed to take the child into her
arms and comfort her as much as possible, to eliminate, for a time at
least, what troubled Ranko.
She had come to love Ranko, and treated her as her daughter.
*If only your mother had lived, or your aunt,* she pondered silently to
herself, *perhaps you would have grown up normally and have been satisfied
being yourself. We've never talked about it, but you must miss your
mother very much. At least, that is what I have seen in your eyes, and in
how you dress and act. It is almost as though you do not want anyone to
come near you, or know you. How hard of a life have you had Ranko?*
Nodoka thought, *I know that you will not openly accept anyone as a
replacement, but I hope that I can at least come close, for your sake...*
Nodoka kept her face happy and bright, as she always tried to do with
Ranko, "That's wonderful Ranko, but where is your school uniform? Was it
damaged in some manner?"
Ranko's face flushed and some beads of perspiration started to appear on
her forehead as she wondered what to say...
***
At that moment, Akane and Ukyou had just turned into the road that led to
the Tendo home. They walked slowly, an almost palpable air of depression
about them. Ukyou's face had an uncomfortable and resigned look while
Akane's expression was concerned.
The reason for their mood was that they had been discussing,
unsuccessfully, what to do about Ukyou's father. So far, every idea they
had come up with had been rejected as either too simple, too complicated,
or too dangerous to work. If there was a way for Ukyou to be herself,
they weren't able to figure it out on the walk home.
Of course, the panda didn't care about that.
The only concern that Genma had was making sure that Nodoka never found
out the truth about her son. If she did...the panda shivered visibly at
the thought of his wife's Katana, and more, the extreme sense of honour
that she had. At the first possible chance, she would come after him and
perform the role of Kaishaku.
A role that required the person to be a master of Kenjutsu.
He had no doubt that she had practised with the blade and would carry out
the role to perfection. Although she stated that she was clumsy, Nodoka's
speed, the perfection and economy of her movements, and her accuracy
indicated otherwise. He was scared of a lot of things, but his wife's
ready Katana was a fear going beyond the ordinary.
Unfortunately for Genma, his fears were justified considering his past
indiscretions. He had realized long before that if Nodoka found out about
some of the things that he had done, he would be forced to take his life,
or at least pay reparations to many, many people. Nodoka was extremely
serious about every point of honour, every tradition, that made up the
feudal past of Japan.
If, make that when, she found out about Genma having stolen and cheated
his way through the long years of training, she would be _extremely_ angry
at him. Nodoka definitely would not approve of any of his methods. She
might forgive some of his actions, she might force him to repay people,
but the one thing she would never forgive is what happened to her son.
Nodoka would demand his life for what had happened to Ranma.
Unbidden, his mind went back to that unfortunate day months ago. He had
taken Ranma on a training trip to China, going to many historical places
important to the boy taking over as the sole Master of the School of
Indiscriminate Grappling. The trip had gone extremely well up to that
point, with Ranma enjoying the sights and anxious to learn all he could.
Then came the disastrous trip to Jusenkyou. He had taken Ranma there,
assuming that since it was one of the lengendary training grounds, the boy
would face a true challenge. Unfortunately, Genma was never very
proficient at reading Chinese.
Upon thier arrival, they had engaged the local guide, an old man who
supposedly knew the legends of the past. Genma had thought the two of
them would be able to absorb the wisdom in the stories this person would
tell. A way of making it harder for Ranma to concentrate.
When they had arrived, the guide had indicated that each of the pools had
it's own tragic legend, it's own tale of misery and despair and as such
was too dangerous for anyone to train there. In their stubborn pride,
their conceit over their abilities, they had chosen not to listen. All
that was noticeable were the pools with bamboo poles in each one, ending
approximately ten feet high above the water. A small height to traverse
considering the vast amount of time he had concentrated on developing the
boys inner resources.
Both had stood on the poles in a relaxed stance. They were ready to move,
ready to adjust their attacks. Below them, the guide was trying to get
them down, trying to stop them from doing what they were doing.
Determined and ready, they attacked each other. The style of movement had
to vary, from hard, to soft. General strikes to test each others
preparedness.
Ranma had managed to knock him into a pool first.
He was angry at that, that his son should show him up in such a short time
at a new training ground. That Genma, a Master, should be shown up by the
pupil. He leapt out of the pool and landed on one of the poles, again
facing Ranma, not understanding the boy's startlement, or caring about
what the guide was saying. He struck his off-guard son into a pool, a
short distance away.
It wasn't until Ranma came up out of the pool that he noticed, and decided
to listen.
To his horror, and his everlasting embarrassment, Genma learned that he
was cursed to become a giant panda every time cold water hit him, and his
son was destined to become his daughter. He could never allow himself to
contact his wife again.
Nodoka would _never_ forgive him.
He ran up to both girls, oblivious of their mood, and waving his sign,
trying to get their attention.
Akane looked up, "What is it Uncle Saotome?"
Genma just held his sign for Akane to read.
Ukyou looked at the sign, "Who is Nodoka?"
"She's Ranma's mother, Ukyou." Akane answered, "Except she doesn't know
who Ranma is and thinks that she's my cousin Ranko."
Ukyou turned around to face Akane, "Wait a second, why wouldn't she know
who Ran-chan is?"
Akane looked at the panda in front of her, her eyes narrowing a bit, and
she grabbed hold of one of its checks. "Oh, I'm sure Uncle Saotome would
be able to explain, especially about a promise he made to his wife...."
"Another promise?" Ukyou looked at the panda who was now trying to get
away. His obvious anger was more than enough to make Genma gulp with
fear. Ukyou took the heavy spatula off of his back, twirling it around
like the weapon it really was, "ANOTHER...DAMN...PROMISE..."
A cloud of dust rose quickly as Genma suddenly found himself being made
into panda pancake.
***
After a while, both girls continued on to Akane's house. Despite the
pleasant diversion, (they had left Genma in a panda sized pothole), both
were still unable to come up with a way for Ukyou to face his father. It
was a difficult problem without any easy solution.
Akane was thinking of all the times that they had successfully pulled off
lies and deceptions. It was not something that she was proud of, indeed,
all of them were privately shamed when it had to occur. If there was some
way to rescue the situation, she wasn't sure what it was, and with Auntie
Saotome visiting, things would become even more complicated.
Something poked at her memory. A trick that had been carried out before,
one that might be able to help...Akane remembered in a sudden flash of
inspiration what it was.
"Ukyou, remember Tsubasa?"
Ukyou winced at that, "Yes, what about him?"
"Remember what you did when you thought that Tsubasa was a girl? The
picture you sent of Ranma saying that she was your fiancee?"
"Yes, so what about...", Ukyou went silent as he realized what Akane was
talking about. If he could claim that he had a relationship with a
_female_ Ranma, then there would not be a problem in facing his father.
In fact, his father might approve of the relationship.
Akane grabbed Ukyou's hand and started running towards the business
district, "Come on, we have some shopping to do!"
Ukyou, who's face had taken on a look of comprehension a few seconds
before, now took on one of consternation. "Akane...Akane-chan, where are
we going?"
"To buy about two dozen flowers and some cakes."
Ukyou was in a bit of a panic. Akane's hand was firm and he couldn't
shake loose. Moreover, Akane had some sort of idea that she was not
informing him about. "What are you doing?!?"
"Preparing you to become a romantic young man...."
GLOSSARY
KATANA
It has been said by many that there is magic in a Japanese blade. No
matter how far away in the world, the reputation of the Japanese blades
have sparked envy, fear, and deep longing in those that wish a good
weapon. They are known over the world for four major factors:
1) The cutting ability
2) The flexibility
3) The respect shown to them
4) The workmanship.
So, how are these weapons made?
According to the experts who write a lot of books, there are many methods
used. Some of these methods described are accurate, some are not. Others
are from the imagination of the writer who "knows" how to do it without
having ever set foot into the room of a creator.
Here is the method that I saw used to make my own sword.
The sword maker need three physical objects before he begins to make the
sword:
1) A source of pure carbon
2) A source of iron
3) A source of cold water.
The sword maker needs to have at least one assistant, and the maker must
perform the rituals of purification before considering touching the
physical material.
After the purification ritual, the sword maker takes the carbon and
creates a very fine powder with it. The powder is then placed into
specially blessed containers and placed carefully aside at a small shrine.=
This is left there for the priest or priestess to come and bless.
The iron bearing rocks are then placed inside a small blast furnace. The
process of removing the iron from the rocks takes between four to six days
and the metal is removed from the bottom at that time. This metal is cut
up, and then the cut pieces are placed into a fine ceramic clay and baked
for several days until the metal is liquid again. The ceramic is then
left to cool naturally for about six to eight days. The ceramic coating
is removed, and the metal cleaned. It is then placed inside the shrine as
well for a priest or priestess to bless. It is one of five bars made at
this time.
When this was completed the sword maker contacted the one for whom the
sword was to be made and a Shinto priest or priestess, usually dedicated
to a god of war, although, depending on the swords use, other gods or
goddesses could be invoked. The person for whom the sword was being made
went through a purification ritual, and the blessed bar and powder was
brought out. The iron bar was heated until it was white hot, and an even
layer of carbon powder was poured over the top of the bar. The bar stayed
this way for about three to five minutes and the excess dumped into the
fire. The person for whom the sword was being made makes a cut and let
their blood fall along the length of the bar. The bar was then folded
over and blessed by the priest or priestess as it was sealed by pounding.=
The bar is folded about two hundred times, using the methods detailed
above, and with the owner coming in at certain times to place more blood
within the blade. In the final fold, the owners blood is placed once more
and sealed with a special blessing being placed upon the bar. Thus the
bar now belongs to the blood line and the saying, "The sword is the soul
of the warrior" takes on a very special meaning.
The whole bar is then shaped carefully and primary grinding and sharpening
is done. The bar, which is now a rude blade, is covered in a thick layer
of clay, and the cutting edge has the clay removed in a careful triangular
pattern. The blade is then heated to the desired temperature and cooled
quickly in the blessed water, thus forming a sharp, flexible edge.
Final grinding and sharpening is now done and polishing is completed.
Any defect in the blade are covered by designs along the blade. The blade
is then signed with the mark of the maker, and it is considered complete.=
However, this was not always the case. Some blades came out so well that
no designs were placed on them. In fact, the best blades do not even have
the seal of the maker, as to make a seemingly perfect blade is, in itself,
recognition enough. An unsigned, unadorned sword is the pinnacle of the
sword makers art.
The other bars are formed in the same way to form a set of blade of the
usual following lengths:
Jin Tachi 38 inches
Katana 30 inches
Chisa Katana 24 inches
Wakizushi 20 inches
Tanto 14 inches
Such properly made, properly blessed blades are treasures of a family
line.
KAISHAKU
The righter of wrongs.
This particular role is considered to be one of high honour among those
who still practice the ancient ways. The role being talked about in this
case is that of a second (I can think of no other term in English that is
equivalent. This comes of my lack of knowledge of the English language
and it's usages.) in the process of one committing seppuku. For this
role, the person must be of high personal honour, and of known purity.
Usually, the Kaishaku goes through a ritual of purification before the
morning of the ceremony. The person then stands, or sits on the right
side of the one about to commit themselves to the Kami and is at an angle
that will allow a clean strike to the neck. The Kaishaku knows that the
blow must be struck once, and that it must be as clean as possible. To
this end, the Kaishaku is usually a practitioner of the war art of the
sword known as Kenjutsu.
After the third cut in the case of a man, or a female warrior, or the
second cut of a woman, the Kaishaku strikes hard, and immediately upon the
exposed back of the neck. The Kaishaku then makes the appropriate
offerings and arrangements for the bodies. The Kaishaku then goes to the
lord or to the person to whom the dishonour was done and informs them that
the honourable end to the person who needed to atone has been done.
This role is usually asked of a family member or a very close friend as
the role is one of the greatest trust.
KENJUTSU
Kenjutsu is the war art of using the sword..
To begin, Kenjutsu differs greatly from Kendo in some significant manners:=
1) Kendo uses a Shinai for practising. This is a four piece practice
sword that is quite flexible and does not hurt as much as the Bokken
which is a solid piece of wood used in Kenjutsu practice.
2) Kendo concentrates on the development of the mind and on use of the
sword in a manner conductive to sports while Kenjutsu practices the
development of skills towards the use in an actual battle.
3) Kendoist practice with protective armour when facing each other while
Kenjutsu practitioners do not use armour when using the bokken.
Currently, there are less that 100 publicly known schools of Kenjutsu in
existence although it is known that there are many schools that are still
unofficially thought. At one time, the number of publicly known schools
surpassed 1400 different schools. Although not used today, there are
still some practitioners of this full art who do it out of duty to the art
itself.
True Kenjutsu schools are few and far between. It is better for those
interested to find a kendo school and try this before becoming involved in
this art of war.
Authors Note:
There are several things in this that I needed to change and I want to
thank all of the pre readers for their advice. I really needed it.
Now about the Katana. I could only list what I knew and saw. The one
thing that I remember the most was that my set of blades took more than
five years to complete. Since this was all that I was allowed to see,
there might be something missing from it.
One thing, the method I describe is one of the most traditional methods
used, at least as far as a family sword is concerned. I have used my
blades and they can cut into a lot of things that other blades cannot.
Over the years I have met several sword masters and have been thought a
lot of different weapons. Learning about the past can be a lot of fun.
It is also great way to exercise.
On a personal note, I did once try to see what a group called the Society
for Creative Achronism was about and attended a number of their meetings.=
One of the things I was interested in was learning in how they thought how
to use a sword. Unfortunately, they used the sword in terms of a sport
and not in how it is actually used. It was interesting from what they
were doing, but some of the facts they had wrong. One of the ones that
they refused to believe was how well a Japanese blade cut and were telling
me that swords were used like baseball bats.
This is not to say that they are not accurate in a lot of other areas, but
I would say some of the fighting techniques were based on suppositions. I
have used many different types western swords and if they were used as
they thought me how to use them...let's just say that western knight would
not be able to do some of the things that they did.
They do know a lot about the past, but some of the things they teach are
hardly accurate.
Oh, by the way. Please flame me so I can know what I am doing wrong. I
need it!
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 the promise of an 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 a
boy took the young woman close 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 eyes meeting in
wonder at 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 about 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't we 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 Akane 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. Additionally, if
both of them treated Ranma _as_ a girl during the entire time, including
at school, then Akane 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, remember to be romantic."
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 has _always_ been a girl.
Now this means..."
***
At the moment, Ranko's thoughts were anything but romantic.
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 Nodoka 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. There were two
shadows behind the screen to the alcove, one obviously male. It was
impossible to tell who it was, but she hoped that it was Ranma at long
last.
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 was.
"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 he looked up, Ukyou noticed where Ranchan had gotten her good looks
from. The resemblance was remarkable, and the features between the two
matched exactly. If it was not for the fact that Ranma was obviously
younger, he would swear the m..GIRL he loved and her mother were twins.
Nodoka bowed back, pleased by the politeness this young man had
demonstrated. It was not often that one met young men in this day and age
who payed attention to the old ways of Japan. Still, when she took a
closer look at him, she noticed that he seemed slightly nervous.
Following his quick glace towards Ranko, she noticed that the girl was
also nervous around this young man. The child was looking down at the
floor and had started to perspire once again. Was it possible that Ranko
liked him?
"I am pleased to meet you Saotome-san.", Ukyou said as his head came back
up, "Please, if I may be allowed to, I would like to present you with one
of these roses."
Nodoka smiled and gestured for him to sit down, "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 anxiety, 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 her
life. With small bits of perspiration starting to slide down her
forehead, she carefully kept track of the conversation between Nodoka and
Ukyou.
"I do admit one of the bouquets 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 a rose from one bouquet and gave it to Nodoka, "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 Ranko's face just before
she fainted was priceless...
***
Ukyou was beside Ranko, feeling her pulse, and trying to wake her up.
Of all the possible things that could happen, this was not the one that he
had expected. Ranko starting an argument, overacting, being extremely
macho about it, those Ukyou would have expected. For Ranko to have
fainted was totally unlike her.
Nodoka had come up to the other side of Ranko, and had also felt her
pulse. Hiding a small smile at the worry and guilt evident on the face of
Ranko's suitor, she motioned for him to sit back. "She's ok, Ukyou-kun.
I think Ranko is startled more than anything. In any case, she should get
cleaned up properly so please excuse us for a while."
Ukyou nodded, unable to say anything.
***
By the time Nodoka reached the washroom with her, Ranko had started to
stir.
Nodoka looked at the young woman beside her and noticed the glassiness in
her eyes. It wasn't so surprising, after all, even though Ranko acted
feminine and was always looking for approval from her, Nodoka knew that
the girl wanted everyone else to think of her as a boy.
Smiling, she thought that Ranko must have been waiting for a long time for
Ukyou to make such an overture.
Nodoka took Ranko into the bathroom and splashed a little water on her
face.
"Ranko. Wake up dear, you have a young man waiting for you."
Ranko shook her head, partially in relief, partially in shock. As her
eyes cleared, she thought of what had just happened in the living area.
Ukchan had acted like a man and was romancing her! To top it off Akane
been there and had done absolutely nothing! She shuddered, everyone acted
as if men asking her out was normal. Was it possible that she going mad?
"Go in and take a bath dear, I'll get something for you to wear."
Ranko went without a word of protest.
***
After she started the water going, (and quickly splashing herself with hot
and cold water to confirm that her memories were correct), she calmed down
and started to relax. Akane must have told Ukyou what was happening.
Luckily Ukyou was a good friend, she would not give anything away. But
why had they come prepared?
She started filling the tub, making sure the water was not hot enough to
cause her to change. It felt good to do something somewhat normal at the
moment, considering what was going on in the main room. If she didn't
know better, she would swear that her life was becoming weirder.
The whole situation was emotionally draining, and she felt the urge to cry
and scream. She could not let herself do _that_ however, she was, after
all, a man.
Sighing, she reached for a wash bucket and filled it. "There has to be a
way for me to explain who I am, a way for me to meet her as myself. It's
not as though we are complete strangers now, but what would she think of
me?" She shook her head a little, "Problem is that stupid promise would
cause me to commit seppuku if she did know."
She snorted as she poured the water over herself, "I wonder which
technique of seppuku that she would ask me to commit..."
At that moment, Nodoka stepped into the washroom, her robes removed, and
bath articles in her hands.
Ranko shook the water out of her eyes and looked up to see who had
entered. The sight of her mother, here in the same room with her to also
take a bath caused her to become more upset. She greeted Nodoka with a
nervously stuttered hello.
"Here Ranko-chan, let me help you," Nodoka said as she came up to her
daughter. "Your back needs scrubbing and your hair is a bit of a mess."
Ranko nervously looked down at the floor tiles, not able to say much, the
emotions of the day starting to crack her visage. What Nodoka was doing,
what she was offering, was to help one who is a family member. She wanted
time with her mother, wanted to share special, private moments together,
but as mother and son, not mother and daughter.
Nodoka noticed Ranko fighting for control and silently kneeled behind her,
waiting for the young girl to compose herself again. She knew that Ranko
liked to act like a boy and would not want to show any loss of control.
To demonstrate such a loss to someone who, despite the closeness of the
families, was a stranger would be to dishonour both of them.
That did not stop Nodoka from wishing the child would show some honest
emotions.
Silently, Nodoka undid the braid in Ranko's hair, letting the three pieces
float free. Reaching down, she took some shampoo into her hands and
started to rub it into the scalp of the girl in front of her, trying to be
comforting, a reassuring presence that Ranko could take strength from.
It was when Ranko started to sob quietly that Nodoka, unbidden, took the
child into her arms and just held her, letting the grief and unspeakable
sadness run it's course.
GLOSSARY
KAMI
This is the name for all the Spirits, Goddesses, and Gods within the
Japanese belief system. They inhabit all things, all matter. The Kami
help to control aspects of life although we do have free will. On
occasion, the Kami may ask for help and then those chosen will perform the
missions dictated to them.
CAKES
I had a few people ask me about this and if it matched up with the giving
of chocolates on a date in Western culture.
Actually, this is not the case.
To be polite, when a young man is visiting the family of a girl that he
likes, it is customary to greet the members of the family with a small
gift. Usually, the gift is a small treat or something that is affordable,
yet shows that he acknowledges her family and their household. Everyone
shares in this treat and enjoys each others company.
Authors Note:
Well, here is another chapter completed, thanks again to all the pre
readers and the members of the Fan Fiction Mailing List.
Of course, there have been a few guesses as to where I am going with this,
but so far, no one has guessed the plot ending. I am having fun however
with all the people who are guessing. From the looks of it, this fan
fiction is getting a bigger response than I imagined.
Of course, I still want people to critisize, comment, and basically flame
me on what I do wrong. How can I improve myself otherwise?
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 Five:
*How could a day that started off so good end up being so bad!* the young
man kneeling at the table thought to himself. *Even if this works, what
am I going to do afterwards? Pretend to be Ran-chan's boyfriend every
time Saotome-san comes over? Fake a life?* He shook his head, trying to
clear what had happened a few minutes ago from his mind.
It was because of what happened that Ukyou was feeling guilty and worried
at the same time.
*I had to listen to her,* he thought to himself, *I had to try things her
way. There had to be a better to solution to my problems than this!*
Grumbling slightly, he turned towards Akane who had just come back in the
room carrying a tray with cups, a pot of hot water, a whisk, tea, and the
cakes he had brought. "Just what do you suggest now? You realize that
Ranma fainted? I've never seen him faint before!"
Akane sighed, "Ukyou...It's her, not him, and it's Ranko, not Ranma.
Please keep that in mind."
Although the statement was meant to be helpful, it did not make him feel
better. As it was, Ukyou's mood had been steadily getting worse,
especially considering the various circumstances that had brought him
there that night. His fathers letter, Ranma's mother, and Akane's plan.
Despite the calm Akane displayed, nothing seemed to be going right.
"Great! Now what do we do about school? If this is to work, Ranko will
have to act like a young lady all the time. You do realize she'll never
be able to pull it off." Ukyou said as he prepared himself some tea.
"How do you expect her to put up with what we usually have to go through?
She has no experience and no training in how to be a girl."
"Oh, come on Ukyou, she'll do fine once we explain it to her." Akane told
her friend. "All you have to do is keep it up and continue to be romantic
and kind to her."
She looked at the young man in front of her, trying to decide on
something, "Ukyou...You do have a suit don't you?"
Ukyou choked slightly on the tea, "Of course I do. Who do you think I
am?"
Akane smirked slightly, "Well, I thought you might have gotten rid of all
of them..."
Ukyou just looked at Akane for a moment, and then started his _long_
reply.
"Now see here Akane-chan..."
***
"There! That's much better. See how nice you look Ranko?" Nodoka said as
she turned her daughter to the mirror.
Ranko was surprised at what she saw staring back at her. The girl in the
mirror had her hair brought up in light curls and held in place with a
comb. Her kimono and obi, which she usually only wore to festivals,
seemed nicer that usual, somehow, more formal yet full of fun. It was the
face, however, that caught Ranko's attention. Her mother had applied only
a bit of clear mascara, blush and lipstick, but the effect was wonderful.
She knew from past experience that she could become a very cute young
woman if she had to, but this...she was beautiful.
*I wonder if mom could teach me how to do this...WHAT AM I THINKING!!!*
Ranko shuddered slightly as she wondered what was going on with her mind.
Why did she want her mother to teach her how to use make-up? *Calm
down...You're not going crazy...It's nothing to be alarmed about...*
Nodoka looked at Ranko and was pleased at the expression on her face. If
she could teach the girl how to dress as a young woman, then perhaps she
would start acting like one. From how Ranko reacted, she was pleasantly
surprised, and that made Nodoka very happy. As she looked at Ranko, she
came to the decision to stay for a while. Ranko would need some help to
catch the young man upstairs. Despite the fact that he liked her, if the
child acted like she usually did, Ukyou-kun would not have much to do with
her. Besides, nothing was really happening at home and perhaps, if she
stayed, Ranma and Genma would return.
Smiling, Nodoka said, "Come on dear, let's go and talk to that pleasant
young man of yours.", and started to lead Ranko upstairs.
***
"Hello everyone, I'm home!" Nabiki's voice called out from the doorway.
"Anything come for me in the mail?"
Kasumi looked out from the kitchen, "No, not today Nabiki."
"Thanks elder sister. I'll be upstairs for a while."
"Ok, supper will be a little late by the way."
Nabiki walked up the stairs wondering what she could do to make a little
extra money this week...
***
The door to the living area opened, and Ranko walked in followed by
Nodoka.
Ukyou's jaw fell open as he looked at the beautiful young woman in front
of him. She wore a lovely multi-hued kimono with an offset pattern which
wound perfectly around her small frame. The obi, in a lovely contrasting
series of colours, somehow accentuated her natural beauty. And her
face...
Her face, which had always been cute, was no longer that of a young girl,
but a mature woman! Her eyes, literally seemed more defined, sharper, yet
wide and full of wonder. The small bit of lipstick made her lips seem
fuller, more inviting. To him, she seemed to glow from within.
For this to be his childhood friend, his fiancee was impossible...
Ranko glanced quickly at Ukyou, and then back down. She was slightly
embarrassed about appearing in front of her friends like this, but she had
to go through with it with her mother here. Then again, something was
going on that no one was telling her about.
*Why are they doing this?* she wondered to herself, *Why..." She briefly
looked back up and blushed as she noticed Ukyou's expression. *No...It
can't be...She likes the fact that I look like this?*
Nodoka smiled to herself and turned to the table, allowing the two young
people to stare at one another. As she prepared herself some tea, she
took note of their reactions. From the look on his face, Ukyou-kun was
quite taken with Ranko's new look. As for Ranko, she looked up every so
often and blushed when she noticed his gaze. Now, if she could get the
child to go out on a date with this young man...
All three of them failed to notice Akane's facial expression. It was a
combination of jealousy, envy, and some slight anger. The jealousy was
natural. Anytime someone looked the wrong way at her fiancee, she felt
the need to do something to prevent it from going any further. This time
however, it was more.
*She's beautiful...Extremely beautiful. How could she look that good!*
She looked at Ukyou as she sipped her tea, *He likes how she looks? He
actually finds her attractive! What did I do?*
Akane fumed, but kept her temper in check. *This is for Ukyou's sake. I
have to remember that.* This was her idea, not Ukyou's, so whatever
happened would be her fault. She knew that Ukyou was attracted to men,
and that Ranko was attracted to women, so their reactions were probably
not what one would think from the surface behaviour.
Still, looking at the two of them, it would be easy to assume that...Akane
suddenly smiled at the picture that appeared in her head; That of Ukyou as
a strong samurai and Ranko as a delicate lady. The next few days might
turn out to be fun after all, if things didn't go _too_ far that is.
Ukyou shook himself out of his momentary stupor and reached for the dish
of cakes. For some strange reason, he was now extremely agitated, unsure
what to do or how to react. Here was Ranko, a beautiful woman, and he had
to force himself to respond to her like that.
It was not that he wasn't attracted to her. He had always been attracted
to Ranma, but now...How could he be attracted to a woman? His hands were
shaking slightly, and as he stood up, Ukyou hurriedly put the plate back
down. He had forgotten his manners as Ranko had to sit before he
presented the cakes.
Ukyou realized that he was acting a bit silly, but it would take a while
for him to come to terms with this.
"Uh...Ranko...Uh...I...Did you like the flowers?", he got out, his voice
breaking slightly.
Ranko felt her face flush as she sat down, not really sure what to say or
do. Looking down a bit, she responded, "Yes Ukyou-kun. I do like them.
They are lovely."
Ukyou picked up the plate of cakes and then presented them to her, "I...I
got these for you Ranko. I hope you like them."
*Well, more than two can play this game,* Ranko thought to herself, *I
don't know how they expect me to react, but I can use my imagination...*
"They are my favourite Ukyou-kun," she replied taking one, "I am glad that
you came over tonight."
Akane started to laugh silently as this went on for the next little while.
***
Nabiki was not having much luck finding a way to make money. Oh, there
was always selling pictures of her sister and Ranma to Kuno, but that got
boring after a while. While it did provide an income, was hardly a
challenge. She needed something more, something that would provide
several opportunities if she was to hone her negotiating skills.
Sighing, she headed downstairs. Perhaps a small snack would enable her to
come up with a challenge. On second thought, if dinner was going to be
late, she figured that a large snack was in order, especially if Kasumi
was going to let Akane cook again. She shuddered slightly at the thought
and seriously considered eating out.
As she passed by the open door, Nabiki glanced into the living room and
stood still with disbelief. It was no surprise that Ranma was a girl at
the moment with her mother here, but what was going on was unbelievable!
It looked as though Ukyou was romancing Ranma!
*No way...*, she thought, *Ukyou isn't like that. If anything, she is
always trying to show Ranma how good a wife she would make. Why would
_Ukyou_ be acting like a young man...More than that, why is little sister
acting like if that is normal...*
She examined the scene in front of her and saw a possibility. If she
could get to her camera and catch this on film...
***
"Ukyou-kun," Ranko started, "Is everything all right? You do not seem to
be yourself tonight."
Ukyou was flustered. Ranko had not only been perfectly feminine, but was
outdoing what most young women would do. She was perfect! Twinges of
jealousy and pride warred with each other in his head. How could someone
who had no training act more feminine that most girls?
He, of course, did not realize that his own looks and actions projected
the perfect illusion of a young Japanese gentleman.
"I'm ok Ranko-chan, but I am caught by your beauty. I only wish that I
had more time to bask in your glory, but I must soon leave for my job.
Would you do me the kindness of allowing me to escort you to a nice
foreign restaurant, perhaps a French one, this Saturday night?"
Ranko blushed fiercely. This was totally unexpected. She glanced quickly
at Akane, afraid to answer, not knowing how to answer given her past
reactions. Akane only shrugged, not giving her any idea of how she should
answer. She lowered her head, *Great! The last thing I want is to end up
in a war between these two. Why can't things ever be easy?*
Nodoka looked at Ranko, who had not answered. This was a good opportunity
to get the child out of the house for a while. At least, she would make a
new friend if nothing else. If anything was going to happen however, it
seemed as though she would have to step in.
"I'm sure that Ranko-chan would be glad to accept. You will have to
pardon her, she is just extremely shy around men."
Akane nearly choked on her tea as a sudden burst of laughter threatened.
***
Later that evening, after Nodoka took Akane and Ranko shopping for some
clothes and a new school uniform, Nabiki headed to the shopping district.
She had stayed in the shadows as Ranma agreed to go on a date with Ukyou.
Such wonderful luck was not to be ignored..
"Ah...What an excellent day!" Nabiki thought as she left the film at the 1
hour photo shop. She chuckled to herself as she thought of what had
happened. If this continued, Nabiki would not have a problem with getting
a lot of spending money for the next couple of months, and if she arranged
it right, orders for the pictures would be coming from at least four
sources.
Going to a nearby chocolate shop, she decided to treat herself to some ice
cream. "Now, if I talk to Kuno first..."
GLOSSARY
TEA
For the Japanese, tea is as important and rice and breathing. It
signifies life, and it signifies a time of reflection and calm. For one
to ignore tea is for one to ignore oneself.
This is truly observed in the Tea Ceremony, of which there are several
different schools.
The various implements used are as follows:
1) Shikiita A protective tile upon which the brazier stands
2) Furo The brazier which heats the Okama
3) Okama The tea kettle
4) Mizusashi The cold water jar
5) Kensui The bowl for waste water
6) Futaoki The bamboo rest for the Okama lid or for the Hishaku
7) Hishaku The water dipper
8) Chawan The tea bowl
9) Chakin The tea cloth, usually made out of linen
10) Chasen The bamboo whisk
11) Natsume The tea caddy
12) Chashaku The bamboo teaspoon
13) Fukusa Bassami A small handbag made of silk, which holds the
Kobukusa and Fukusa
14) Kobukusa A small silk napkin
15) Fukusa A silk napkin
16) Sensu A fan
Each of the implements has their own special purpose, their own
significance to the enjoyment of tea. All are important and should be
used with economy and grace. A ceremony is more than a simple social
gathering, it is an appreciation of all things in the universe.
It is our way of revering all life.
Before starting, the tea room is cleaned carefully. A single fresh flower
is carefully arranged under a scroll to bring attention to the ideal that
is there. In a small self contained burner, a delicate incense is lit,
and the room is opened so that nature can be observed.
The Shikitta is then set carefully in a part of the room and the Furo is
placed carefully on top of it. Taking some charcoal dust in the left
hand, the Furo is carefully lined and then coal bricks set on top. The
practitioner then wipes their hands carefully on a small cloth (I forgot
to mention this in the above, mainly because this is done before the
guests arrive.) A fire is lit and the Okama is placed carefully on top the
Furo. The person then leaves the room to clean their hands carefully.
When the guest arrive, they are led to the tea room. The hostess then
brings in all of the remaining utensils. They are carefully arranged
around the Furo in an artistic and harmonious pattern.
The Fukusa is taken in the right hand and takes the tea caddy in the left
hand. Using economic and precise movements, the outside of the caddy in
cleaned in four precise turns. The caddy is carefully placed in front and
to the right of the practitioner and the teaspoon is taken in the left
hand. It is also cleaned with the Fukusa in three precise strokes. The
teaspoon is then carefully placed on top of the caddy.
The lid of the Okama is taken and places carefully and gracefully, yet
with deliberate care, on the Futaoki.
She now takes the Hishaku, open side down and using a graceful, continuous
motion, rotates the dipper as she takes a small bit of water, avoiding a
gurgling sound. She then places this in the Chawan. The bowl is then
gently swirled, and the water poured into the Kensui.
She then places the bowl down, and taking her right hand, takes a corner
of the Chakin and folds it carefully in three folds. She then gently
wipes the bowl inside to outside as she turns it around in slow,
deliberate motions. This clears the mind and concentrates the person on
the importance of cleanliness. Cleanliness is an important part of
etiquette towards the guest to the tea room.
The Chakin is placed carefully on the rim of the Futaoki.
The bowl is carefully set directly in front of her, not too distant, not
too close, but an exact distance in order to provide harmony to all who
observe. With the right hand the Natsume with the Chashaku on top of it
is lifted with the right hand and placed in the palm of the left hand.
The caddy is then carefully and gently opened as to not disturb the
rounded mound of the tea. The tea should be a brilliant emerald green
within the golden setting.
The lid is placed down to the right of the bowl, and the Chashaku is
lifted in a slow careful manner. She then measures two small scoops of
tea into a small mound in the bowl in imitation of the mound in the tea
caddy. The Chashaku is then lightly tapped against the side of the bowl
to shake of any small specks that may be left on it. The sound of the
Chashaku against the Chawan should be neither sharp nor muffled, but focus
attention of the hostess and the guests on the delicacy of the tea, the
care of the implements, and the peace of the surroundings.
Again, the Hishaku is slowly and carefully lifted and again, lowered open
side down into the Okama. The water must be tinkling at a proper pace by
this time. If it is excessively rolling and surging, the Hishaku is used
to take some water from the Mizusashi to calm the edge of the water and
return it's youth. The Hishaku is rotated as it fills to avoid gurgling
which would be disconcerting to the peace of mind that has been achieved
by this time. One third to one half of the water in the Hishaku is poured
into the exact centre of the bowl. The Hishaku then pours the rest of the
water into the Kensui and placed on top of the Okama, open side up.
The Chasen is then taken and the movements with it must be delicate and
precise as it changes the surface into a fine jade froth. The whisk is
then tapped lightly and placed aside. The Chawan is then turned slowly
and placed on the Kobukusa in front of the guest. The guest picks up both
the Kobukusa and the Chawan and turn it to a suitable spot in which to sip
slowly. The Chawan is then silently raised in thanks and then sipped.
Time is taken by the guest to observe the froth, the colour, the taste and
the aroma.
Of the implements, the Hishaku, Chakin, and Chasen are used only once.
The best Chasen in the world come from a place near Kyoto called
Chasenmura.
Of the tea, each leave is individually dried and chosen for it's colour
and richness. The leave must never be bruised, and the stem is removed
after drying. The leaf is carefully crushed into the finest powder
possible.
The above is the most informal ceremony that last about forty minutes. A
truly formal ceremony with Kaiseki can last for more than four hours.
Authors Note:
Well, a lot of people are saying that they like what I am writing and how
I am writing it. I thank everyone for the compliments however undeserved
they are. All I can do is hope that I am answering a few questions now
and then.
Speaking of questions...
The following is a list of questions that people have asked me about this
series and how it is made.
1) How were you able to start writing this series?
The easy answer to that is that I type and see not what I do.
Actually, I answered a few questions on the Ranma mailing list and that
started people asking for the fiction to be written.
But how did I start?
Well, I took a tape recorder and spent 10 hours just dictating story
ideas, notes, and anything that came to mind. It did not matter the
order it was in, all that mattered was getting the ideas.
I copied and expanded those notes into a computer file.
I rearanged that file into a plot.
I checked to make sure I was following the manga storylines.
Then I started expanding the plot to an actual story.
2) How do you know so much about Japanese culture?
I am Japanese, or rather, a half breed Japanese.
3) How could you know so much about what Ukyou would act like?
I am basing Ukyou's reactions on people that I have met. While going to
school, there were people in the local clubs like Ukyou. What Americans
would call transvestites. It is not unusual, and they are treated with
respect due to any citizen.
4) Why is it that you describe so much and not provide a lot of talking?
Because the artform I am trying to emulate is that of Manga. Manga does
not need a lot of talking, conveying ideas, ideals, emotions, and more
with a tastefully done picture. After all, someone once said, " A picture
is worth a thousand words." All I do is try to provide those thoudand
words.
5) Where can I get information on Japan?
Check out the web pages on embassies and counsulates or contact your
nearest embassy.
6) Why does your writing seem so formal.
I am still not very used to English.
7) Everything you write is so logical? Why is that?
Because I find the series very logical. It comes from doing too many
strange things as a child.
8) Is what you write accurate? There seems to be some descrepencies
with what you wrote about swordmaking.
All I can do is write from my own experiences. Others write from their
experiences. As for the data concerning the sword, that is what I saw.
9) Will you do more fan fictions?
I have not decided if I will do more public fan fictions as of yet.
10) Where can I get the books that you have written.
Used bookstores and garage sales. They did not sell very many copies,
and they were pocket romances. I doubt that they will be reprinted.
There are the top ten questions in order of the number asked. :)
By the way, I chose to remove all the hentai questions that were asked of
me.
Oh...I do happen to have someone I like very much. If he chooses to tell
people who he is, that is up to him.
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,
Tofu Sensei 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 Six:
The sky shone blue with a silvery shimmer striking off of the clouds. If
one could look down from above, one could believe the Kami had covered the
entire District in small diamonds as the dew drops which lightly coated
every surface gave off a rainbow of colours and precisely sharp points of
light. The small miracles of life were obvious in every shaft of light
that hit the ground with a delightful warmth.
Of course, Ranma wasn't concerned with the mornings beauty, much less what
the deities had to offer.
She sighed wearily as she looked into her small closet. Hanging inside
was a long sleeved blouse, blue jumper, and a matching blue jacket. The
new school uniform her mother bought for her.
Although she had tried to think of someway to avoid it, there was no
getting around the fact that Ranma would have to wear it, probably for the
next few days. She didn't really mind wearing it anymore, after all, she
had two others. It was more that Ranma was uncomfortable with appearing
as a girl anytime she did not absolutely have to.
Or that is what she would have claimed.
If forced to, Ranma would admit to almost becoming comfortable appearing
as a girl. Not because she wanted to be a girl, but because it provided
certain insights and advantages. Something that not many others had the
opportunity to experience or understand.
The insights that were there for her was in that she was beginning to
understand a little bit more about girls.. Her female classmates trusted
Ranma enough to start letting her in on some small secrets now and then,
small gossip that seemed to occupy their time. What had really made the
difference to her was that she had experienced some of the thrills as well
as the fears of being a teenage girl.
Enough so that she would always be kinder, better than most men. Enough
so that she would always protect the rights of other women. She was one
of the few men who truly understood how women were treated and the
feelings of helplessness it engendered.
The advantages came in terms of combat.
In battle, her female form provided two advantages. The first being that
her opponents underestimated her and the second being that Ranma could
infiltrate places that others could not go. It made it easier to combat
those who would try and fight her.
This did not help the fact that Ranma's mother would want to help her be a
proper young girl, and that meant lying to Nodoka yet again.
"How do I get into these things?" she said to herself.
It was then that Nodoka came in to check on Ranko.
***
Ukyou sighed.
He lay on his futon, looking at the ceiling, tired and a bit bleary eyed.
Groaning, Ukyou seriously considered staying where he was. In fact, all
he wanted to do was lie on his futon and forget about everything that was
happening.
Unfortunately, he couldn't and had spent the night tossing and turning,
small dreams, almost like nightmares, running through his mind. At times
like this, Ukyou's training was the worst thing possible. The study of
the arts of battle made his mind a very sharp, very advanced battle
computer, running through situations, possibilities and strategies, even
when sleeping.
It had not been a good night for Ukyou.
His mind kept replaying everything that happened the night before.
Placing a hand behind his head, Ukyou concentrated on the one scene that
refused to be left alone, the scene which had caused a thousand different
endings to go through his head over the night - the beautiful young woman
that he saw and his confused feeling about her.
*This is crazy. If I marry Ran-chan is this how we will have to live?
Could we live like that for the rest of our lives?* he wondered as he
pushed aside his quilt, *I want him as my husband, _not_ my wife, so what
are we going to do?*
Stretching a bit, he got up. *If I do end up marrying Ran-chan, I might
have to support us, especially since our families would probably be
visiting a lot during the first few years.* Frowning a little, Ukyou
folded up the quilt and rolled up his futon, placing them against the
wall. *Of course, Ran-chan's father would probably move in with us. Come
to think of it, that would be pretty bad...*
He sighed again as he went into the washroom.
***
Nodoka shook her head as she looked at Ranko. The child hadn't looked up
when she came in but spent the time looking in her closet, lost in
thought. Considering Ranko's usual mode of dress, Nodoka decided that her
daughter was trying to decide what to wear in order to catch and hold onto
her suitor.
Nodoka wondered how much she was going to have to teach Ranko about
catching and keeping a man.
She remembered how it was when she was young, how it still was. If the
young girl in front of her was to catch Ukyou-kun, then Nodoka would have
to teach her all the little tricks, all the things that she would have to
do to catch him. Ranko was going to have to learn how to be a proper
young lady.
"Ranko-chan, it's time to get dressed for school," Nodoka smiled, "let us
see how pretty we can make you for that gentleman who was here last
night."
Ranko looked up suddenly, startled more by the fact that someone could get
close to her than by the fact that her mother was there. The only person
she knew of that could do that on a consistent basis was Tofu Sensei. *Am
I really that bad off? Or is it because I've gotten used to her
presence?* she wondered.
That was when what Nodoka had told her hit.
*Uh-oh...*
***
Kunou Tatewaki was not in a good mood.
Someone new was after one of the girls that he had declared to be his. A
girl that he, a Sempai, a descendant of Samurai, and the best of his
generation had every right to. For someone to flout his authority over
these matters was not to be tolerated.
Of course, Tatewaki still had not realized it was now the twentieth
century.
He also had not realized that most women, even in Asia, would not tolerate
his attitude unless they were thought that their only source of self
confidence came from being owned by a man.
For Tatewaki, he considered himself to be absolute master of everything he
surveyed. Every person, every being except for the gods had to bend to
his will, his whims and fancies. Even then, if he considered himself in
the right, The deities had to give way. He was the best person, one
without peer, one without rival, for he was the ultimate of men.
He was also a conceited pig.
That morning, Tatewaki had arrived at school earlier than usual,
practising harder, longer, and with greater precision that he ever had
before. For one to try to take his woman, the girl of great feminine
beauty and charisma, one who was above all others, was to court death. He
was sure that her namesake, the uncouth Saotome had something to do with
this. The man was a demon who had taken the girls maiden self and now
sent her off to another.
Tatewaki had, of course, bought the pictures that Nabiki had tempted him
with the night before.
*I shall wait for them both. I have already sworn that Saotome will
suffer for his enslaving of women, but this new boy will feel the wrath of
the Blue Thunder. I shall not tolerate any going after the Goddess of my
heart.*
He stood, waiting for the students to arrive, wanting nothing more than to
teach a hard physical lesson to the young man who dared approach Saotome
Ranma.
***
*Why can't things ever be easy around here.* Ukyou thought. *What deities
are dictating the course of our lives that we cannot even be who we really
are?
Ukyou checked himself in the mirror before he left the washroom. Looking
back at him was a young man, handsome, serious, and very much in charge of
himself. If, as the westerners said, a mirror reflects the soul of a
being, then Ukyou was every inch a man.
It did not matter in the least that he was really a woman or that the
person looking back at him was becoming a lie in a way.
"Am I really a woman?" he muttered to himself, "When I look at myself,
when I dress and act as myself, I do not seem to be very feminine."
Shaking his head, he went into the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast.
The number of questions that Ukyou had in his head were confusing, and he
had to wonder who he really was. A woman who loved a very special, very
singular man who radiated goodness and honour? A man who was in love with
another man despite the fact that he could become a woman?
He had never asked himself about this even when he had originally decided
to be a man, or later when he become a woman once more.
Starting the rice cooker, he turned to prepare some Shiro Miso. As he
looked down into the soup, he wondered at what was really happening with
him. Somehow, this was bringing more to the surface than he had
suspected, and admittedly, more than he wanted to acknowledge.
Absentmindedly, he swirled the soup, not even placing it into the
microwave.
It was ten minutes later when he realized that.
***
Akane was smirking at Ranko as they walked to school.
It had been a fun morning, with Ranko coming down the stairs in a sort of
daze while her mother had rushed her into the kitchen. She had laughed to
herself as Nabiki commented on how beautiful Ranko had looked and had
taken some pictures to remember, "The first time Ranko has been herself."
The sudden expression on Ranko's face had been so hilarious that Akane had
almost choked on her soup.
It was also very easy to get her out of the house that morning.
"Why are the two of you doing this Akane?", Ranma grumbled as she walked
on the ground, not being able to travel on the fence as she usually did,
"This is crazy!"
"Look Ranko', Ukyou has a bit of a problem, and this will help both of
you."
"Yeah? How's that? You going to let Ukyou marry me?"
Akane, without warning, hit Ranma hard over her head with her school bag
shouting, "RANMA NO BAKA!!!"
***
Kasumi came out of the kitchen with two finely lacquered bento boxes in
her hand. "Has Ranko left already?" she asked everyone still at the
table.
Nodoka looked up at Kasumi and saw the lunch boxes. They were the two
that she had helped Ranko to prepare. She sighed to herself. The girl
had forgotten the bento and that meant that not only would she not have
her own lunch, but that she would miss an opportunity to entice the
delightful young man that was here last night.
"She left already, but I will take them to her. I would like to meet her
teachers."
The panda, which was sitting out on the porch, started to sweat visibly...
***
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou arrived as group to the school.
Ukyou had run into them on the way, and had explained what was happening
to Ranma. He was surprised when Ranma actually listened to what he had to
say. Ukyou had expected her to be angry and screaming at the two of them.
Ranma was actually to stunned to react.
As they got in, Tatewaki stepped into their way.
***
Nodoka was just about to come around the corner when she heard Ranma's
name being called out. Suddenly, her heart burst with hope as she ran,
looking for her son, the person that she wanted, needed, to see. She was
startled to see a tall man, standing in front of Ukyou-kun and looking at
Ranko with longing.
As she looked on, it was obvious that Ranko wanted to get into the fight,
wanted to pound on the young man that was getting into an attack stance.
Nodoka was startled as she realized that Ranko had more than one suitor,
and that one of those suitors was not to the girls liking. It was then
she heard something that almost caused her a heart attack.
"No one approaches My pig-tailed goddess. I shall vanquish you as I shall
vanquish all who choose to go after the fair Ranma-chan. None shall dare
to touch her while I, Kunou Tatewaki, The Blue Thunder, exist to defend
such fair beauty!"
Ranko/Ranma looked ready to kill.
Akane's face had a look of utter frustration on it.
Ukyou slowly took his main weapon of his back and prepared several
spatula. This was a battle he could not lose. As he prepared himself for
the upcoming assault, he reflected that the idiot in front of him gave him
the opportunity to release his frustrations.
Kunou was in for a fight he would not soon forget.
Ukyou silently pondered why he was suddenly willing to fight Kunou. He
had never been very violent, in fact, he had only attacked when someone
decided to try and attack Ranma or capture his heart. This time however
was different. Not because of Kunou and his boasting, not even because of
the challenge, but because he had to prove something to himself. Ukyou
needed to prove to himself that he could take care of Ranma no matter what
form he...SHE may eventually be stuck in.
Kunou came in suddenly with an overhand blow going from right to left, the
end of his bokken having a slightly wavering motion.
Ukyou countered the blow easily, although the force set his hands ringing.
Quickly, he grabbed two of the spatula on his chest and threw them at
Kunou's feet. As expected, he leaped into the air and that was when Ukyou
hit him in the face with the flat of the blade.
Kunou was slightly stunned and was quickly finished with a speedy hook
kick to the side of his face near the ear.
Ukyou looked down at his opponent as Ranma came up next to him. He was
exilerated, having enjoyed the exercise and somehow glad that Ran-chan had
seen his prowess. He narrowed his eyes a moment in puzzlement over why he
should feel that way.
It was that moment that Ukyou, Ranma, and Akane heard a familiar voice,
and that voice held a question that filled all three of them with a sudden
fear...
"Why did that young man call you Ranma, Ranko?"
GLOSSARY
Ichiban Dashi
Ingredients:
2.5 quarts of cold water
3 inch square kombu
1 cup pre-flaked katsuobushi
optional: Roasted Kombu
How to prepare:
Bring water to a boil in a six quart pot. Drop in Kombu, and bring to a
boil. Remove Kombu and set aside for use in Niban Dashi. Stir in
Katsuobushi and turn off the heat. Let rest until Katsuobushi rest on the
bottom of the pot. Skim off any surface scum. Place some cheesecloth on
a bowl and pour soup through it. Reserve Katsuobushi for use in Niban
Dashi. The stock last about 8 hours at room temperature or can last for
two days in the refrigerator.
Niban Dashi
Ingredients:
Kombu reserved from Ichiban Dashi
Katsuobushi reserved from Ichiban Dashi
5 cups of cold water
1/4 cup pre-flaked katsuobushi
How to prepare:
Combine ingredients reserved from Ichiban Dashi with water. Bring to a
boil and add fresh katsuobushi. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five
minutes. Skim off any surface scum. Place some cheesecloth on a bowl and
pour soup through it. The stock last about 8 hours at room temperature or
can last for two days in the refrigerator.
Sumashi
Ingredients:
6 cups Ichiban Dashi
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon Shoyu
1 teaspoon Sake
1 pinch of msg
Optional: Fresh green onions
How to prepare:
Bring Ichiban Dashi to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce heat to low and
stir in salt, shoyu, sake, and msg. Stir until well mixed and remove from
heat.
Shiro Miso
6 cups Ichiban Dashi
1 1/2 cups of Shiro Miso (white soybean paste)
1 pinch of msg
2 cakes of cotton tofu finely chopped into small, even cubes
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 ounce of Wakame
How to prepare:
slowly push the miso through a sieve and then bring to a boil in the
Ichiban Dashi. Turn down to a simmer and add the MSG. Place the tofu
cubes, some green onions, and a bit of the softened Wakame into the bowls
and top with the warm soup.
This can all be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator to
microwave when you want. It last about four to five days before you have
to cook more.
QUESTIONS
1) You said that Akane did not find the fact that a _female_ Ranma was to
marry one of the Tendo girls. Are you implying that Akane is a lesbian?
No, I had not meant to imply that at all. Remember, Akane is a martial
artist, born to a martial artist. Her family would want that line of
martial arts to continue. Ranma was said to be a young man, and a martial
artist trained by another martial artist whom Soun knew to be as good as
himself. The amount of skill was what mattered to her at that point
instead of what sex Ranma was.
2) Why are you referring to Ukyou as he? Isn't Ukyou a girl?
Yes, Ukyou is a girl, but I am referring to her as he because this story
is taken from a different point of view. Basically, I am examining the
reasons behind Ukyou's acceptance of a new sex. She is the most flexible
of all the young people in the Ranma series and some people that I talked
to really did not understand her background.
There is also the fact that they really do not understand some of the
things that go on with her in the series. All I am trying to do is to
show how such a decision can affect a person later in their life.
3) You mention a coming of age ceremony. What is that?
The coming of age ceremony is just that. A ceremony that is held to show
that the young people are now ready to take their place as responsible
adults in Japanese society. It is a day of celebration as you share it
with your friends who are also going through the ceremony.
4) In the letter, you mention Ukyou having to go to see Temple Priests.
Why is that?
Fromthe Manga, Ukyou, as do most people in Japan, practices the Shinto
religion. Old family lines tend to have ceremonies that are tied into
certain inheritances. These are not money, properties, or other ordinary
objects, but something that must be passed on in safe keeping through the
family line. From what I have seen in the Manga, as well as certain other
things that happened, I am assuming that her family is one of those old
lines. There are other reasons, but I do not plan to elaborate on them in
this fiction.
5) Why do you have Nodoka thinking about Ranko as her daughter?
Before recent events, Nodoka, consciously or unconsciously thought about
her in that manner. Taking her to buy clothing, being there for her to
talk to, and trying to make her feel better. There are several things
that Nodoka has done that only a mother, or a very close older female
relative, and daughter do.
6) You seem to know a lot about Martial Arts. What do you study, and
where can I go to learn.
I do not know very much about Martial Arts. As a matter of fact, there is
more that I do not know than I know. Of course, I read, study, and
practice a lot, as does anyone else who is serious about the arts.
As for what I study, the art is known as Bujutsu. It is a study of all
the martial arts in terms of use in a real battle instead of a sport. The
sport form of this art is known as Budo. As to where you can learn, the
best thing is to check with the certified sports federation in your city.
They can provide information on places that do teach the arts and teach
them correctly. Since the growth of the arts in the movie business, there
have been several places that have opened up which advertise things that
they do not provide or actually teach things properly. I myself have seen
ads for things such as a Ninja School.
Be cautious about what you do and always trust information received form
many sources. Do not be influenced by fancy television ads, or flyers
that show things being done. Get the facts of the schools in your area
and interview the teacher. If you know someone who does have martial arts
experience, take them with you.
Above all, understand that martial arts, the true arts, require
dedication. For instance, I practice at least two to four hours a day
just to stay in shape. It is not an art to be taken lightly.
7) Aren't kimonos worn at festivals only? It is an old mode of dress.
It may be an old mode of dress, but what does that have to do with it?
Kimonos can be worn at any time. While you do not see it much today,
there are many people who prefer it. I myself waver between a kimono and
obi or work clothes. I find wearing a kimono much more comfortable than
some of the modern clothes.
8) Why would Ukyou react the way she did when Akane said she thought that
Ukyou got rid of her suits?
This is because Japan has few natural resources. Everything that can be
recycled, is recycled. We learned this lesson a long time ago.
9) Is a panda really an exotic pet?
Yes. They are an endangered species.
10) According to the fifth chapter, Ukyou and Ranma seem to be able to act
as the opposite sex. Why do you write as though that is normal?
According to an old maxim, "Only a male can be the perfect female; only a
female can be the perfect male." This is because they must depend totally
on learned actions, not on natural actions. At least this is what is
thought in the theatre.
Authors Note:
A lot of people liked the question and answer section and sent me a set of
questions. I will continue to answer them and appreciate being asked.
The only thing is that I feel I am undeserving of any compliments. Having
the work posted for people to read is already a big ego boast.
As for some of the recipes, I had nothing else to really put in the
glossary this time as pertains to the story. Any ways, I will explain
bento and provide a few recipes for it in the next chapter installment. I
hope people enjoy them.
Oh, and one more thing. I would prefer that for the best fan fictions of
the year, you vote for the good writers, such as Twister and his
Twisted-Path series, or Bert Van Vliet and his Bubblegum Zone series.
There are a lot of good writers out there, I just wish I was as good as
them.
For my own choices, the best stories are:
Twisted-Path Three and Twisted-Path Four
Bubblegum Zone one and Bubblegum Zone Seven
Akane
and
Nightshadow
Those are my choices.
As always, I want to thank my pre-readers as well as all the people on
the Fan Fiction Mailing List.
Especialy one very special person.
Until next chapter. ^_^
Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi_Ichinohei@MBnet.mb.ca
***
Hitomi
Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."