On Fri, 11 Apr 1997, Scott Jamison wrote:

	*Less* calm than Akane!?  Now that's scary...

Hey!

He a boy, not a girl.

They are bound to be differences.

	Never figured out where Ranma got his money from...Genma did
some odd jobs for Toufuu, but didn't seem like the type to share the
wealth... 

You know, I've never figured it out either...

	Ranko's hardly ordinary :-)

You can say that again!

	Sort of...

Boy is he in for a surprise...

Well, I'll let you read how he took his fathers anouncement.

Uh-oh!  Ranko had better hope for *real* understanding...

You COULD say that...

***

	"Forget it pop!  You're not going to take me down today."  said
the young man confidently as he countered an inside snake strike to his
abdomen.  "You've been using that variation too often for me to fall for
it." 
	A handsome man in a dark, almost black gi answered him with a
smile, "Son, you've got to start thinking of various possibilities instead
of only a small number of circumstances.  As the sole heir to the
Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu, you have to be ready for anything." 
	Tendo Soun then reached in again with the snake strike, but with a
small nerve variation that allowed him to grab his son's gi between his
thumb and forefinger, allowing him to pull his son slightly off balance
for a quick inside strike to the underarm for the take down.  "Kaneda, you
may be the best martial artist of your generation, but you are still too
damn overconfident.  Remember that each variation can have a thousand
different endings." 
	Groaning from where he was on the tatami, Tendo Kaneda, sole heir
to probably the greatest school of the martial arts replied, "OK pop. 
Point well taken." 
	Soun smiled as he thought of all that he had put his son through. 
While it was difficult initially, Kaneda had surpassed all expectations
and had become a great martial artist.  The only problem he had was the
tremendous ego.  Hopefully, there would be someone who would undermine his
son's overconfidence before it became a deadly weakness. 
	"Father, you have a phone call" came a female voice from the dojo
entrance. 
	Soun looked up, "Thank you Kasumi-chan.  I'll be right there." 
	Looking at his son, he said, "Practice the seventeenth Kata for
the next hour." 
	Kaneda groaned as he thought of the seventy five moves in that
Kata. 

	Soun picked up the receiver.  "Moshi, moshi.  Tendo Soun." 
	The voice answered, "Moshi, Moshi Tendo-san.  This is Saotome
Nodoka, and it is time." 
	Soun's eyebrows raised, "You mean you are bringing her by today?" 
	Nodoka answered, "Yes, it is time for old promises to be
fulfilled." 
	Soun smiled, but he answered in a neutral voice, "Nodoka-chan, the
agreement was between Genma and myself in order to continue the school. 
Are you sure you want to subject your daughter to this, especially since
you have told me she doesn't really know much about the martial arts?" 
	Nodoka's voice replied, "Yes.  It was my husbands wish that our
families be united in fact as well as in feeling." 
	Soun nodded to himself, "I understand, and his wishes shall be
honoured.  May I suggest something more however.  No matter what happens,
will your daughter and yourself move into our home.  I have always felt
bad that you would not accept our proposition before, and I know it must
be hard on you and Ranko.  Since we are now uniting the families, I must
insist you accept this." 
	The woman on the other side of the phone said, "I will accept
Tendo-san.  We will close the house here and after my daughter and myself
move in, we will arrange to rent it out to provide income." 
	The man looked sad, "As you wish Nodoka-chan, but that is
unnecessary.  We are family." 
	Nodoka's voice became firm, "I insist on this.  The children will
need some form of income until they can marry and take over the school. 
We will arrive this afternoon." 
	Soun hung up the phone after the good byes and went to the dining
room table to remember his old friend and training partner.  A brother
that had died almost ten years before.  "I wish that your wife would have
accepted our offer old friend.  It would have made life easier on her as
well as providing a burden of relief for me.  I have worried about both
her and your daughter since you passed on to the next life." 

Ranko's Life:

Chapter One:

Who is this girl...???

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

Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Saotome Ranko, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Kuno Tatewaki, and Tofu Ono
Sensei are copyright 1987, 1997 by Takahashi Rumiko. 

Tendo Kaneda are copyright 1997 by unknown

Publishing rights:

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

By Ichinohei Hitomi

	While things had never really been better in the Tendo household,
Soun knew that some hard times were coming, especially given his son's
rather outspoken tendencies.  The boy was quite adamant about not marrying
until he found a girl who shared his love for the Arts, especially given
the type of life he wanted to lead.  Kaneda's reaction upon finding out
that he was engaged, especially to a very traditional Japanese girl, was
going to be the beginning of another war between father and son. 
	If only Kaneda was as well behaved as the girls. 
	Sighing, Soun realized that he had only himself to blame in this,
having filled the boys head with tales of past glories since he could
walk, and teaching him everything he could about the Arts in such a way
that the boy would love it.  Unfortunately, the girls Kaneda had met of
his generation had viewed the Art as a simple sport or exercise, unlike
the serious bent the family school followed.  *Perhaps I should not have
told him of his Samurai ancestors.  He is too filled with dreams of pride
and glory to be satisfied with an ordinary girl.*
	He would need his daughters help to keep his son from exploding
when told of the situation. 
	Soun started to shout, "Oi!  Oi!  Kasumi!  Nabiki!" 
	Not getting an immediate response, he went to look for them,
stepping first into the kitchen that was his eldest daughters domain. 
"Kasumi!" he said. 
	Kasumi looked up from the melon she was carving for an afternoon
snack and gazed over to her father, "Yes father?" 
	"We will be receiving guests this afternoon, and I will need help
in keeping your brother calm.  I was wondering if you could make one of
his favourite meals for lunch." 
	Kasumi looked at her father, knowing the sometimes disruptive
attitude her younger brother had.  "I take it you're going to be giving
him some bad news?" 
	Soun grimaced a bit, "It depends upon what you mean by bad news,
daughter.  All I will say until I inform all of you of the situation is
that it is a matter of family honour." 
	The eldest Tendo sibling narrowed her eyes, "I take it that
whatever this concerns, he might not be willing to go along with it?" 
	Soun sighed, "I'm afraid so.  Unfortunately, he is the only one
who is qualified to fulfill this vow." 
	Kasumi nodded to her father.  "I understand." 
	Rolling his shoulders a bit, he left the kitchen and headed up
towards his other daughters bedroom.  *At least Kasumi will be willing to
help, and with Ranko-chan here, she'll be able to get some relief from
staying home all day long.  Perhaps she'll finally go back to school and
become the doctor she always wanted to be.*
	Soun found Nabiki going over her computer records and keeping
track of the families investments.  He had been surprised at first, but
his middle child had truly found her calling in computers and finance,
being able to track ideas and possible investments to successful ends. 
While she wasn't always successful, her profits definitely outweighed her
loses.  "Nabiki.  I need to ask you if you could help me with something." 
	Nabiki looked up at her father from where she was typing, "What is
it father?" 
	Smiling a bit, he replied, "The wife of an old friend, Saotome
Genma, is coming here with her daughter.  Since he died, I've always been
worried about them, especially since Nodoka never wanted to accept any
help from us.  I was wondering if you could come up with a financial plan,
especially since I've invited them to live here." 
	Nabiki narrowed her eyes, "Daughter, eh?  I take it you've engaged
her to Kaneda and he doesn't know about it as of yet." 
	Soun coughed a bit, "Ah...Now that you mention it, yes, that is
the case.  May I ask how you figured it out this time?" 
	Nabiki smiled.  It was an old game her father had played with her
in order to keep her from falling apart after her mother had died.  It
wasn't needed now, but old habits died hard on both sides.  Besides, it
was a comfortable sort of intimacy that her brother and sister didn't
share with their father.  Kasumi was the future medic, Kaneda was the
Martial Artist, but she had always been pegged by her father as the
innovative one.  "Easy father.  You said he was an old friend, that you
worried about his wife and daughter, and that they were now going to be
living here.  If it was simply a matter of lending them room for a while,
or making sure they were safe, you would not have asked for me to help
with a financial plan." 
	Her eyes suddenly twinkled, "Besides, the only time you talk about
finances these days is when it has something to do that will make Kaneda
mad, like how you had me 'convince' him not to get a motorcycle." 
	Soun coughed again, "Well, he is a little bit reckless." 
	Nabiki laughed, "Do you want to talk about everything?  It'll make
you feel better, and allow you to get ready for little brothers rather
direct way of overcoming objections." 
	Soun laughed as well and started to talk about Genma, Nodoka, and
Ranko. 

***

	Ranko sighed to herself as she packed up the last of her skirts,
dresses, and uniforms that she was going to be taking with her to her new
home.  She looked around her room for what might be the last time,
especially since she was about to meet her husband.  Although Ranko had
known she was going to be married to one of the sons of Tendo Soun, a man
she had never met, she was still a little apprehensive at the thought. 
	Honour was everything however, and Saotome Ranko was a child of
honour. 
	She went to her shelf and took down a couple of her favourite
stuffed toys and hugged them to her.  "Well guys, I suppose this day had
to come.  Mothers been preparing me for this ever since I was a little
girl, and now I'm about to meet the man I'm supposed to marry.  I just
hope he's kind and understanding, especially since I don't know that many
boys." 
	Nodoka chose that moment to look in on her daughter, the bright
spot of her life since her husbands death almost ten years before, and
smiled.  *She's still so innocent in so many ways.  Genma, I know that we
have to honour the agreement between our family and the Tendo's but I also
don't want her to lose that innocence when she grows up to be a young
woman instead of my little girl.  In a way, I wish this day had never
arrived.*
	Ranko opened her eyes, a small smile on her face, and turned to
put her dolls into one of the cases.  "Don't think I'm going to leave you
two behind.  I'll need someone to talk to in a house full of boys." 
	Nodoka walked into the room, "It will be all right Ranko-chan. 
We're going to be moving in with them this afternoon, and then we'll get
everything packed up and moved over to your new room." 
	Ranko looked up from her packing, "You mean you're moving in with
me mother?" 
	Nodoka's smile widened at that, "Of course I am.  After all, you
still have to finish school before you're married, and I don't think you
really want to be all alone in a house full of men." 
	Ranko hugged her mother, glad that she understood her fear.  It
wasn't that she didn't like men, but having gone to an all girls school
she was unused to mixing in with boys on a social basis.  The idea of
being around a man in a social situation was scary enough, but suppose he
learned her secret!  "Mother, are you sure we shouldn't tell them
everything that's happened?" 
	Nodoka hugged her daughter to give her confidence, "I'm sure, my
child.  If they find out, then so be it, but until they know you, I do not
think it would be wise." 

***

	There was a slight rumble of thunder and rain began falling
lightly over the Nerima district when a shout could be heard coming from
the Tendo Dojo.  "ARE YOU NUTS POP!!!  WHO THE HELL SAID I WANTED A
FIANCEE?!?" 
	Yes, a normal day at this particular residence. 
	Tendo Soun, owner and master of the Tendo Dojo, sighed again as he
looked over at his son.  "This has nothing to do with wanting a fiancee
son, it has to do with the honour of our families.  My old training
partner, Saotome Genma, and I decided to unite our families before you
were born.  To unite those families, it was decided that our children
would marry and carry on the Art.  Unfortunately, Genma died before he
could have more than one child, his daughter, Saotome Ranko." 
	Kaneda was about to raise a rather loud objection, which was to be
concluded with his throwing his idiot of a father out of the door and into
the rain when he caught Kasumi's frown.  Gritting his teeth, he kept his
voice down and his body from reacting as he said in a very low growl, "You
could have told me about this sooner, such as a couple of years ago.  At
least given me time to get used to the idea.  But no....My father, the
master of Musabetsu Kakutou, decides to forgo the niceties of letting me
be prepared for having a wife.  Well, since I have no _choice_ in the
matter, you had better tell me all you know about her." 
	Soun gulped a bit, this would be the tricky part.  "Well, as I
said, she is the daughter of Saotome Genma and Saotome Nodoka.  From what
I've been told, she is a very nice and polite young lady who has been
trained in all the traditional duties.  She is accomplished in the tea
ceremony, has been thought how to prepare most foods and dishes..." 
	Kaneda slammed his hand down on the table.  Hard.  "Father....That
is all fine and good, but how about some information.  Such as how old is
she?  Have you ever met her?  What is her personality like?  Does she like
martial arts?  That sort of stuff." 
	Nabiki started to grin a little, enjoying the spectacle of her
little brother getting the better of their father.  It was rare, but when
it happened the situations were classic.  It was especially funny when you
considered that Kaneda was a cross between modern and feudal Japan. 
	Soun cleared his throat.  "To answer your questions in order:  I
do not know, I have never met her, all I know of her is what her mother
has told me, and she has not been trained in the arts." 
	Kaneda's face started to get red.  Not only had his father engaged
his to a very traditional girl from the sounds of it, but he didn't know
the first thing about her!  *Damn him!  I already told him I didn't want
to get married to a traditional girl!*
	Just before he could explode, a voice was heard to call from the
walkway.  "Moshi, moshi!  Is anyone at home?" 
	Soun got up, "That will be Nodoka and Ranko-chan.  I want you on
your best behavior Kaneda." 
	Growling under his breath, Kaneda followed his father and sisters
out front to great their guests.  *If he thinks for one minute that I'm
gonna agree to this marriage, he's got a screw loose.  I ain't marrying
anyone but another martial artist.*

***

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."