[FFML][Ranma][Fanfic][DRAFT] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2
[section B]
Pre-readers: Unlike the first chapter, I hope to only do two drafts of
the remaining chapters (baring major rewrites). I'll send you, my
pre-readers, the first draft as the pre-reader draft. This will be
followed by the FFML draft, which will go to you and the FFML. I'm
going to stick with the smaller segments for now. Feel free to comment
as your time allows. As always, I appreciate your comments,
suggestions, nit-picks, gripes, rants, and grammar corrections.
Okay, here's the draft of chapter 2 of Childhood of a Modern Dynasty.
As I did with the final draft of chapter 1, I am spitting it up into
four pieces for easier reviewing by everyone.
First two segments will appear before Anime Expo and the second two
will appear after I get back.
The first chapter of CMD should hit RAAC after I get back from Anime
Expo. Therefore, you can still comment on it if you want to. At this
point, the Omake Theater from the final draft of chapter 1 looks to be
stillborn and won't be in the final version (no one really liked it).
It also may be awkward to do in some of the darker chapters.
Make sure to check out my new Childhood of a Modern Dynasty website for
some graphics of Akane (at age 76), Hanaki, and Daijiko. They are the
best my borderline drawing skills can do (they are modified from other
screenshots/art). James Davidson's palmcard is available too; it's a
little better quality (I'm not a bad draftsman).
http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime/childhood.html
[Ranma][Fanfic] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2: Broken
Hearts and Legs
=======================================================================
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2: Broken Hearts and Legs
Ranma 1/2 characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, used
without permission
Ranma 1/2 Copyright by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakan Inc., Kitty, Fuji,
Viz Communications, etc...
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and Copyright
1998 by Jim Lazar
An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime.
Any references to 'Birth of a Modern Dynasty' refer to the fictional
book that the fictional author James Davidson wrote detailing the
events that happened in the manga and anime. It is not an actual fanfic
or book. 'Childhood of a Modern Dynasty' is the title of this fanfic
series written by me (Jim Lazar) and the fictional book that James
Davidson is writing.
<Speech text in angle brackets are thought by character.>
All other speech is in Japanese, although written in English in this
story of course.
=======================================================================
[draft section B]
* * *
The next morning, Ranma and Akane awoke and kissed each other
without any awkwardness. When they opened their tent, they were
surprised to find a stack of equipment in front of their damaged tent.
"What's this?" Akane asked, then started to examine the equipment.
Ranma looked around the campsite to make sure nothing of theirs was
missing. Nothing was. Akane listed off her discoveries, "Spare
blankets, bedding, a ton of food-" she paused, mentally determining
what kind of food and what she could make with it, "-even some panties.
Well that's good, even washing my only remaining pair isn't doing me
that much good."
"No need to wear them on my account," Ranma said, and flashed a
big grin.
"Pervert."
"Tomboy."
They kissed. <May have to work on our pet names,> Ranma thought to
himself, then got lost in the kiss.
* * *
Ukyo made her way down the mountain after dropping off the
supplies for Ranma and Akane, mostly as an apology. She was still
crying and muttering aloud, "I guess that's it then. He's made his
choice. I guess I've known it since I messed up their wedding. What a
fool am I to waste my life chasing him!" In her sorrow, she missed
seeing the edge of the cliff that Ryoga had fallen down two days
before. Fortunately for her, she only fell part way and ended up
crashing into a small ledge about a third of the way down.
Unfortunately, she broke her leg just like Ryoga did during his tumble
off the cliff.
"Damn," Ukyo swore, when she tried to get up. She examined her
leg, then swore again, "Damn, what are the chances of me breaking my
leg just like Ryoga did!" She quickly put a splint around her leg,
packed some food and extra clothing into her small backpack and
discarded the larger pack. Then she used her large spatula to hobble
down the cliff, very carefully. This was going to be a lot harder by
herself.
* * *
On the other side of the mountain, a group of red headed girls
were taking a hike. To keep from getting lost they were all tied
together with ropes. The girl in the lead looked up when she saw a blue
bird fly overhead. She didn't notice the edge of the cliff that she
walked off of. The other girls did notice the edge as they were pulled
past it. Ryoga's hospital had to set around twenty more broken legs and
arms, plus replace Ryoga's casts when an orderly spilled cold water on
him when watering a plant by his bed. Turns out the orderly couldn't
read kanji.
* * *
The next three days went by too quickly for Ranma and Akane, but
they finally decided they both needed hot baths and a real bed or futon
to sleep on. Besides, they were already a day over their original plan.
They packed and gathered the trash, burying what was biodegradable and
packing out the rest.
Almost to Numata, which was at the base of Hotaka Mountain, Akane
saw a figure lying face down in a ditch by the path. Dropping their
packs, they both approached the figure. His clothes looked very torn
up. Ranma reached down to turn him over. "Careful, it looks like his
leg is hurt," Akane mentioned, indicating the figure's leg.
Ranma carefully turned the figure over and then recoiled in shock
as he saw Ukyo's dirty face. "Ukyo? What the heck is she doing up
here?" Ranma asked, although he had a good idea what she might be up
here for.
Akane checked Ukyo's wrist for a pulse. "She's alive, but pretty
weak," Akane stated, then put her canteen to Ukyo's mouth and poured a
little water down the dehydrated girl's throat.
"Akane, if you can handle both our packs, I'll take her to the
nearest clinic or hospital," Ranma said.
"Sure, go fast. She looks like she has been dragging herself
through the forest for days.
Ranma lifted Ukyo carefully into his arms, then bounded off in
search of a clinic or hospital.
Akane went back and picked up their discarded packs. <Bet she had
something to do with our equipment being destroyed. Damn, I thought she
was my friend,> Akane thought to herself, as she followed the leaping
Ranma into the city.
* * *
Ukyo was running, she chased Ranma through the woods. She could
see him look back at her every now and then, but he didn't slow down.
"Ranma! Come back! I love you!" she screamed. She stopped dead in her
tracks when she saw that Ranma had run into Akane's arms. They looked
back at Ukyo and smiled, then they began to kiss passionately. Before
Ukyo's startled eyes their clothes disappeared. Ukyo looked sadly
downward, as the tears started to flow from her eyes. That is when she
noticed she was standing in midair. She screamed as she plummeted off
the side of the mountain.
Ukyo screamed and sat upright in her bed. Disoriented, she looked
around.
"Oh, good! You're awake!" Ryoga said, as Ukyo looked his way. "I
was pretty worried when they brought you in yesterday. You looked
pretty bad."
Ukyo realized that she was in the same room that she left Ryoga in
and looked around. "How did I get here?" she finally asked.
"They said some guy found you on the mountain and brought you
here," Ryoga explained, and then asked, "How'd you break YOUR leg?"
"I was upset and crying...I sort of fell down the same cliff you
did. Not all the way, fortunately," Ukyo replied.
"Why were you upset?" Ryoga asked, suppressing a smile at the
thought of Ukyo following in his footsteps. <And people call me
clumsy,> he thought.
"Well, let's just say that Ranma and Akane are forever out of our
reach. They have something together that I doubt either of us could
match. I saw them kissing," Ukyo informed Ryoga.
"Just kissing? That doesn't mean..." Ryoga began.
"Well, they were going at it pretty heavily under a waterfall,"
Ukyo sighed. "And they weren't exactly overdressed."
"Oh," Ryoga muttered, then started to grow depressed.
They both laid back and looked at the ceiling for awhile. They
talked some more until the nurse came in and saw that Ukyo was awake.
"Good, you're awake. You really didn't need to break your leg just to
spend more time with your boyfriend," the nurse said, with a smile.
Ukyo smiled back, but didn't bother to correct her.
<Boyfriend? Did Ukyo tell them I was her boyfriend?> Ryoga
questioned himself.
"You'll be out of here in a couple days, your break wasn't that
bad, but you were badly dehydrated when you arrived," the Nurse said.
"Thank you," Ukyo replied.
"Bath time, Mr. Hibiki!" a cute young nurses-aid said, as she came
in the door. "Don't worry, the bath water is nice and hot like you like
it." She drew the curtain and put down the bunch of gauze she had
learned was needed whenever he got his sponge baths.
Ukyo tried to ignore the thought of the sponge bath going on
behind the curtain.
* * *
A couple hours later, after Ryoga's depression over Akane overcame
his willpower to stop it, a huge Shishi Houkou Dan blast roared out of
Ryoga's hands and blasted several holes in a series of walls and
ceilings of the hospital. The blast was strong enough, since Ryoga was
EXTREMELY depressed, to leave the Earth's atmosphere. It impacted
against the surface of the Moon, totally destroying a large rectangular
black monolith that had just started to channel power down to the
Earth's surface.
When the monolith exploded it sent a shock wave across the Moon's
surface, blackening everything that it hit. Suddenly the shock wave
reversed direction, collapsing back to the monolith's original
position, and then disappeared with what could only be called a flash
of black light. All that remained was a circular blast pattern around
two kilometers in diameter, which was as black as the space the moon
hung in.
Back in the hospital, Ukyo had to squirm to avoid the bits of the
ceiling that were raining down on her. "Cheer up Ryoga! Or you're going
to kill us!!!" Ukyo shouted. Then when Ryoga's blast did not stop, she
shouted, "What about Akari! She loves you!"
This snapped Ryoga out of his depression and the blast subsided.
"Akari?"
They moved Ryoga and Ukyo to a new room in an undamaged wing of
the hospital. Fortunately, no serious injuries were suffered by anyone
in the hospital. Although, several red headed girls were found
wandering around naked after their hospital gowns were burned off by
the blast. The cause of the explosion was never determined and Ryoga
wasn't about to confess.
* * *
Later that day, Ukyo and Ryoga were having a discussion of their
lost loves when the nurse came in. "You have visitors," she said, then
let in Ranma and Akane. Both had obviously cleaned up since the dirt of
the training trip was nowhere to be seen.
"Are you both okay?" Akane asked, genuinely concerned since they
had seen the destroyed wing of the hospital. Both of the patients
nodded, trying to figure out how Ranma and Akane knew they were here.
"Ukyo, you shouldn't be hiking in the mountains alone, you were a
mess when we found you," Ranma said.
"YOU found me?" Ukyo asked, then looked away.
Ranma nodded. "On our way down the mountain. What were you doing
up there anyway?"
"I think you know. We were trying to keep you and Akane from
getting closer," Ukyo admitted, looking ashamed.
"I guessed as much, but I hoped you meant it when you told me that
you still wanted to be my friend," Akane said, then added sincerely, "I
was really enjoying your friendship."
"I was enjoying our friendship too...and I didn't want to
interfere with your relationship...but, I guess I sort of snapped when
I found out about your trip alone. Pi...Ryoga and me just couldn't
stand the thought of you two alone in the woods," Ukyo explained,
between sobs. "I'm sorry."
"Let's call this strike two, Ukyo. Try something like this again
and I'll never talk to you again," Akane said, then added, "I think you
probably should give our families a formal apology too, call it penance
for your misdeeds." She cracked a smile.
"Thank you, Akane. I promise that was the last time. I know now
that I just can't compete with what you two have," Ukyo said softly and
the two girls hugged. Ukyo held her friend in her hands and swore to
herself that she would keep this promise.
After several minutes of working up his courage, Ryoga apologized
as well, "I'm sorry too, Akane!!" He then switched to his most noble
and proud tone of voice and declared, "I'll love you forever, but I
know now that Ranma holds your heart. I can't break up what fate has
determined." Then he started to think of Akari again to control his
depression.
"You...you were in love with me?" Akane asked, shocked.
"Yes...haven't I mentioned that before?" Ryoga replied. Akane
shook her head slowly. Ukyo and Ranma slapped their heads at the
blunder. "Well...err...I guess I have for almost as long as I've known
you," he stammered, twiddling his fingers and looking out the window.
"That's sweet, Ryoga, but I love Ranma," Akane said. She then
hugged Ryoga.
"I know that now...Good luck, Akane," Ryoga said, barely audible.
"Err, I love you too, Akane," Ranma shyly announced.
Looking back to Ranma, Akane gasped, then said, "Oh dear...that
was the first time I said that out loud, wasn't it??"
"About time one of us said it," Ranma said, then pulled Akane into
his arms and kissed her. They completely forgot about the other two
people in the room. Though the words were never spoken before, the
feelings were there, almost from the start. They both knew that now.
"I would really love some cold water right now," Ukyo muttered.
Ryoga nodded his agreement, then changed his mind. He still didn't
want Akane to find out about his curse, that could be painful for both
of the; physically for him and mentally for her. <Akari loves
me...Akari loves me...> Ryoga kept repeating to himself until the two
lovers took it outside.
* * *
When Ranma and Akane finally arrived back at the Tendo household,
they were greeted with hugs, kisses, and requests for souvenirs. Ranma
and Akane obliged all of them. Nabiki wasn't too excited about the pine
cone that they gave her. Kasumi loved hers and added to the collection
in her room. Right next to the 24-karat gold tiara that they brought
her from one of their trips to China. It's the thought that counts,
after all.
Leaving Akane to eat some lunch, Ranma went into the bathroom.
After Ranma washed herself on the stool, she sunk her sore body into
the hot bath. "Ahhhhh..." He exhaled deeply.
Ranma stared at the ceiling and thought about Akane. Then the girl
of his dreams walked into the bathroom and it wasn't Shampoo, she's
more the girl of his nightmares. Well, Kodachi is actually the girl of
his nightmares, Shampoo is just the girl of his bad dreams. Recently,
all of his good dreams had included the goddess who stood before him.
Akane paused briefly, but then shrugged, dropped the towel that
covered her, sat down on a stool, and began to wash herself. Ranma
looked up and saw her. "Akane? Err...maybe I should leave," Ranma
offered.
"Think we've gotten past this stage in our relationship, haven't
we?" Akane replied with a grin.
"Ya, but I'm a guy now," Ranma pointed out. Pointed out verbally
that is, he wasn't about to move his hands at the moment, especially to
point THAT out.
Akane glanced into the water. She said, "Yup, looks like it."
Ranma blushed and adjusted the position of his hands. Akane finished
rinsing herself off, stepped into the tub, and sat down by Ranma's
side. She curled up to his side and held onto his arm. "What do you
think we should tell our families?"
Still a bit embarrassed by Akane's closeness to his male body,
Ranma said, "Lets not say anything or they'll have us married before
the end of the day." He moved his arm and wrapped it around her
shoulder.
Akane smiled. "Good point," Akane agreed.
"Tell you what, I'll take you out to dinner tomorrow and we can
get a good start to our new relationship," Ranma suggested. <Where the
heck am I going to find the money for that?> Ranma realized, after his
lips made a promise before his brain figured out the details. Nothing
unusual there.
"That's sounds great. It'd be nice to finally do something normal
couples do," Akane replied, then kissed Ranma.
After their lips parted, Ranma quipped, "You mean normal couples
don't have nutcases, Amazons, and other assorted fiancees chasing them
all the time?"
"No, I think that is unique to us."
* * *
As Akane prepared to go to bed that night, Nabiki came in and
asked, "So use any of them?" She winked.
"What?" Akane wondered. Then she realized what Nabiki was
referring to, so she said, "Of course not!" Then to prove her point she
dug the unopened box out of her backpack and showed them to Nabiki.
"Interesting that you took them with you," Nabiki said, with a
wink. She walked out of the room.
Not wanting to risk saying anything, Akane just looked at Nabiki's
back as she departed.
* * *
The next morning Ranma awoke. Out of habit he leaned over and
almost kissed the sleeping panda. "Ack..." he gasped as he stopped
himself in time. "Every time Mom and Pop fight, he ends up here instead
of downstairs with Mom," Ranma muttered.
Getting up, he stretched and walked over to his dresser. He opened
a drawer, then reached to the back and pulled out a number of little
boxes. Opening one, he examined the ring. <Maybe I'll end up using
these after all. It's a good thing I didn't sell them to pay off my
debt with Nabiki,> Ranma pondered. He put all the rings back, except
the ugliest one, then pulled on his red Chinese shirt and pants.
He left his room and went to see if Akane was up for sparring this
morning. If he happened to get some kisses in too, so be it.
* * *
Akane and Ranma worked out vigorously in the garden.
"Wow, they are really getting into it! Looks like Akane learned a
lot," Nabiki commented, as she watched the sparring from the breakfast
table.
"Yes, looks like my son has gotten over his fear of hitting
girls," Genma said proudly.
"It wasn't fear!" Ranma yelled from the garden, as he ducked a
kick from Akane.
"I'm still not convinced that it was right to get him over his
reluctance to fight with girls," Nodoka scolded her husband.
Genma splashed himself with water to avoid the fight with his wife
that he was sure was coming. The specially designed cast on his leg
expanded to fit the larger panda leg it now surrounded.
"Nabiki, do you still have the number of the zoo handy?" Nodoka
asked. The panda grew very worried. Everyone else at the table smiled.
They all looked out to the garden when a splash was heard. Ranma
wrung out her top as she stepped out of the koi pond. Akane was
beaming.
"Akane won? Oh my little girl has finally beaten her fiancee in a
fight!" Soun blubbered.
Akane came into the house, wiped the sweat from her face, and
knelt down at the table. "Not really, he still won't go all out with
me. I wouldn't last more than a few minutes if he did," Akane conceded.
Knowing glances went around the table. "You have improved
remarkably in the past two weeks, even more than the two months we
trained here at home. You should be proud of yourself," Ranma said, as
she came in the house and put her shirt back on.
"Thank you, Ranma," Akane thanked him with a smile. Most everyone
at the table smirked.
"What are you all smirking at!" Ranma and Akane yelled in unison.
"Nothing," they all replied. Even the panda held up a sign that
said 'nothing'.
* * *
--
Jim Lazar
E-Mail - mailto:jimlazar@earthlink.net
Home - http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar
FanFiction - http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime
"You made Akane whose daughter?!?!"
"Genma's."
"Has she hit you with her mallet yet?"
"Several times, actually."