[Ranma][Fanfic][Revision 2.0draft] Ranma-ototo Series (parts 1-2)
In preparation for a new story set in my Ranma-ototo universe, I'm
revising the original six part mini-series. Mostly because I kept
cringing when referring back to it for the follow up story (tentatively
titled: Please Save My Family or PSMF). I also wanted to fix some
problems with using ototo as an suffix and other bonehead mistakes.
Being my first fanfic and having no pre-readers/FFML input it was very
rough.
So, I''d appreciate it if I could get some C&C and grammar/spelling
corrections on the revised version. I'lll put the revisions out in 3
segments.
Thank you. BTW the follow up story (PSMF) will probably his FFML in a
week or so.
EVA fans, don't worry... my main 'writing' project right now is Reality
Bites (which will probably be renamed 'Garden of EVA'). This revision,
PSMF, and CMD is mostly editing and touch up right now. After all, I
have 8 chapters of CMD in the bag, so I can sit back a bit from it for
a month or so.
[Ranma][Fanfic] Ranma-ototo Series (parts 1-2) Revision 2.0draft
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Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome have both known tragedies in their lives,
Akane in losing her loving Mother and Ranma in obtaining his hated
curse. There are other events and tragedies that helped shape their
lives, but these two major events define who and what they were at the
present.
They were always able to overcome these obstacles by knowing who they
were and who their families were.
Or so they thought...
=======================================================================
Ranma-ototo (Little brother Ranma) Series (Parts 1-2) Revision 2.0draft
Ranma 1/2 characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi
Ranma 1/2 Copyright by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakan Inc., Kitty, Fuji,
Viz Communications
Ranma-ototo series created and written by Jim Lazar
Ranma-ototo series Copyright 1998 by Jim Lazar
Story starts shortly after 'Back to the Happosai' Anime episode.
Continuity based on Anime up until 'Back to the Happosai' episode.
=======================================================================
Ranma-ototo (Little brother Ranma)
Part 1 - Past Memories
Ranma was not dreaming: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever
about that. The register of his awake state was signed by the author,
the head of the Tendo household (one Kasumi Tendo, who was cleaning
Ranma's bedding currently after they became wet over the night for some
unknown reason), the large panda playing shogi with one Soun Tendo (a
relation of Miss Kasumi, I believe) at the moment, and a certain Rumiko
Takahashi. 'SHE' had signed it. And her name was good as god, for
anything she chose to put her hand to. Ranma was awake as Akane Tendo's
cooking was bad.
Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what
there is particularly bad about Miss Akane's cooking, for how could the
food so lovingly created in the golden hands of my fair love be bad. I
might have been inclined, myself, to regard a can of spam, or anything
made by my vile sister's hands for that matter, as the deadliest piece
of food possible. But the wisdom of Rumiko Takahashi is in the simile;
and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Ranmaverse is done
for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Ranma
was not dreaming!
Ranma was also quite male at this particular moment: as a side
note. 'Ranma' being a male name this would normally not even be a
issue, but Ranma being Ranma, his sex was always in question, lest you
set thine own eyes on him or her yourself. Read no further if thy can't
tell the difference between a male and a female of the homosapien
species known as mankind, for this is not a lemonfic. So say I, the
Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno, age 17.
Ranma knew he was awake and male? Of course he did. How could it
be otherwise? Ranma was male for as many as 16 years now. And even
though Ranma was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he
was an excellent man of martial arts on the very day, a scant few
months ago, when he fell into a particular cursed spring in Jusenkyo, a
place somewhere in the wilds of China that my eyes have not personally
set sight on, and fate conspired to curse him with a female half that
he wishes to rid himself of. This is the story I've been told,
countless times, by the yen loving demon known as Miss Nabiki Tendo,
but I believe it to be a false tale told to me to keep me from my
pig-tailed goddess, to whom I intend to be wed one day.
The mention of Ranma's current sex brings me back to the point I
started from. There is no doubt that Ranma was awake and male. This
must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the
story I am going to relate. If we were not perfectly convinced that
Hamlet's Father died before the play began or that Marley was dead
before the ghosts arrived, there would be nothing more remarkable in
his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own
ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly
turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Paul's Churchyard
for instance -- literally to astonish his son's weak mind.
But I digress. The very male, awake, and non-dreaming Ranma flew
away from the enemy trying to avoid the savage blows of his mortal
enemy's weapon. Somehow, his punches and kicks did not connect with
anything except the hated wooden weapon. A shower of the Tendo dojo's
floor, abet in small pieces, streaked upwards as the weapon crashed
into the floor. Ranma (did I mention that he was male at the moment?)
easily dodged being hit by the aforementioned small pieces only to be
hit by a large board, that may not have even come from the floor of the
sacred Tendo dojo. That it seemed to come much later and from a
direction in opposition to the rest of the small flying fragments would
tend to confirm this fact.
"You'll regret that!" Ranma yelled defiantly, although lacking in
moral resolve, and then he closed for the kill. He never got the
chance, as a large wooden mallet, being the aforementioned weapon, came
out of nowhere and sent him crashing through the roof, leaving behind a
nice Ranma-shaped hole. Which is lucky for the Tendos, since the
recently opened 'Ranma-shaped Hole Repair Company' just started a week
long sale, so Nabiki Tendo informs me, but I know not why she thought
it important for a noble man like myself to know such a trivial thing.
Thy fair Akane Tendo put down her formidable weapon, I know this
to be true as I have felt it's loving caress on my body many times, and
she collapsed to the wasteland that was the floor of the Tendo dojo.
The last I see of my love is her cooling off by opening her
sweat-soaked gi to wipe the sweat off her ample bosom, but being a man
of honor and moral fiber I shan't describe the grand sight, that I took
great pains to keep in view as I soared away, any further than that.
What? Did I not mention that I was on the roof of the
aforementioned Tendo dojo so I could see that honorless cur, Ranma
Saotome, get the beating that I, in all my physical and mental
superiority, have not wished to bestow on him myself, lest I sadden my
fair love, Akane Tendo? I guess that point slipped my mind, as I am
still thinking of the fair Akane's heaving bosom. Normally such a task
(the rooftop surveillance, not the heaving bosom reflections) I would
leave to my faithful manservant, the Kuno family ninja, Sasuke, but
alas, he is currently recovering from something my twisted sister made
him eat, supposedly a potion she wishes to use to ensnare Ranma Saotome
with. So I found myself in flight along with the cur known as Ranma
Saotome, after being hit by the aforementioned cur on his way through
the roof, taking in a sunrise that pales in comparison with the beauty
of my pig-tailed goddess and Akane Tendo.
We perchance to fall into the spacious koi pond at my vast estate,
my family being one of the obscenely well-off upper class, by the time
I rose to the surface the vial cur Ranma Saotome had fled my grounds to
avoid the beating I would surely have given him. In his wake I find
that my beautiful pig-tailed goddess had decided to pay me a visit and
wished to bathe with me, this would be the second time my pig-tailed
goddess has requested this of me. My honor as a gentleman required that
I turn her down, but her maidenly insistence only made the invitation
irresistible.
Sadly, my indecision had scared off my pig-tailed goddess, next
time I will not hesitate to give her my love, that shall be a golden
day in my life. I happened to glance heavenward in search of one of my
loves and spied a Ranma-shaped hole in the patio roof near my sacred
koi pond. I know now why Nabiki Tendo informed me of the 'Ranma-shaped
Hole Repair Company' and it's current sale, she must be clairvoyant to
foresee my need of this foul-named companies' services. I dash into my
abode to enlist their services. Sadly, this ends my tale for the day,
fare-thee-well good reader.
* * *
Kasumi had just finished putting out the laundry, which included
Ranma's bedding. Kasumi glanced back at the bedding. <Honestly, why
does Nabiki have to do that to poor Ranma?> she thought.
She walked towards the house, passing the big tree in the corner
of the garden. She paused to look at the heart shaped carving on the
back of the tree and then traced the initials with one finger. A smile
crossed her face. "Someday," she whispered to herself.
<Oh, that reminds me, I have to take Doctor Tofu's medical books
back to him today,> Kasumi thought, as she walked back to the house.
* * *
Everyone was eating breakfast at the family room table. Genma, in
his panda form, was munching on some bamboo leaves. Kasumi brought out
more food and kneeled down at the table.
"Akane, can you stop by Mother's grave on your way home and
replace her flowers? I'm afraid I can't make it over this week." Kasumi
asked, sweetly.
"Sure, Kasumi, but it'll be a little late. I've got practice after
school today," Akane replied.
Ranma, still in his girl form, looked at Kasumi and Akane with a
little sadness in his eyes, then looked downward. No one at the table
seemed to notice.
* * *
The sun was low in the sky when Ranma walked up to Mother Tendo's
grave. He knelt down and put his hands together to pray.
Akane walked down the walkway towards the grave, carrying a
bouquet of carnations. She stopped short when she spotted Ranma in
front of the grave. <What is Ranma doing here?> Akane thought. She was
about to approach Ranma when she noticed a few tears come down his
cheek. A shocked look crossed her face.
"Mother Tendo... I don't remember my own mom too well, but I hope
she's as nice and wonderful as I remember you were." Ranma said,
unevenly.
<When did Ranma ever meet my mother?> a puzzled Akane thought.
"Anyway, your family is well and happy. Even Akane seems to happy
hitting me with her mallet," Ranma explained. Akane flinched a little
at this comment. Continuing, Ranma said, "I guess it's good therapy for
her to work out her anger that way and with all my martial arts
training it doesn't hurt... well... not for long."
Akane looked angry and then softened, when she realized what he
was really saying.
"I just wanted to say hi... I wish I knew what you'd think about
this engagement... it'd make it easier to decide," Ranma said.
Akane gasped and dropped the bouquet of flowers. Ranma turned his
head and noticed Akane. "A...Akane? It's not what you think!" Ranma
said out of habit.
"Relax, Ranma, praying at my mother's grave is not a 'malletable
offense'," Akane said calmly, although Ranma's name was said with a
little rise in volume. "But, I never knew you knew my mother?"
"Umm, let's talk about this elsewhere. Ok?" Ranma asked shyly,
glancing back at the grave.
"Okay," Akane agreed. She picked up the dropped flowers and
approached the grave to pay her own respects.
* * *
Akane and Ranma were sitting in a booth at a cafe near the
cemetery. Two cups of tea were on the table in front of them.
"I remember your mother from when I was little, before my father
started taking me on our training trips," Ranma began. "Some of the
details are fuzzy, but I do recall picnics and spending time at your
house with your mother. She always made the best food."
Akane grimaced at the statement of the food. "Why didn't you tell
me about this before?" Akane asked.
"The woman I remember always seemed like MY mother, but then I saw
a picture of your mother recently and it got me thinking. There is
another woman I remember who is probably my real mother, but pop has
never talked much about her or shown me a picture," Ranma calmly
explained.
"Then this morning when Kasumi mentioned your mother's grave some
more memories surfaced," Ranma explained. "I decided to pay a visit to
her grave to see if it could make my memories clearer and to pay my
respects, of course."
"Ranma, that's very nice of you. Why don't we head home and ask
our fathers about this?" Akane suggested.
"Okay," Ranma replied. He got up, ignoring the check.
Akane cleared her throat. "Don't forget the check," Akane said,
grinning.
"Err...sure, NABIKI," Ranma quipped. He received a punch in his
arm from Akane for his effort.
* * *
After Ranma and Akane got home, they cornered their fathers on the
porch.
"Father, did Ranma ever meet Mother?" Akane asked.
Soun and Genma seemed very shocked and upset at this question.
"What? Of course not, we never met Ranma until he showed up as a girl,"
Soun said, unconvincingly.
Genma said a simple, "Right. Absolutely. You never met Mrs. Tendo,
Son." He turned to leave.
Ranma grabbed Genma's shoulder and spun him back around. "You're
not going anywhere till we hear the truth from you two!" Ranma said,
recognizing an obvious evasion by his father when he saw it.
"We need to know... Ranma says he remembers my mother when he was
growing up," Akane said.
"Tell us, Pop! What's the big deal? It's a little worrying to me
that I remember Akane's mother better than my own!" Ranma shouted at
his father.
Soun and Genma exchanged troubled looks. Then Genma splashed
himself with a bucket of water and turned into his panda form.
"Saotome! How dare you leave me alone in this!" Soun yelled and
started to cry.
"Stop the evasions and just tell us or we'll beat it out of you
two!" Akane yelled.
The panda held up a sign that said, "I'm just an ordinary panda.
Don't ask me!"
Akane pulled out a 'Super Extra Heavy Duty Mallet (TM)' and
prepared to swing it. Her battle aura started to glow a dark crimson.
Soun produced a hot kettle of water and returned Genma to his
human form. "I think we need to tell them, Saotome," Soun reluctantly
said.
Genma nodded and agreed, "You did play together when you two were
younger. When you were about 4 or 5."
"My dear wife always enjoyed taking us on picnics and Ranma would
sometimes tag along," Soun stated.
"Gee, even back then you were mooching off us, Ranma," Akane said,
sarcastically.
"Let's just hear the rest of the story, okay?" Ranma insisted.
"There's not much else to say, Ranma used to come over and play
with Akane all the time," Soun said. He suddenly seemed to get an idea
(insert light bulb here). "Why do you think we decided to engage you
two back then?"
"What!?!?" Akane and Ranma both yelled in amazement.
"You said that you two decided only about a year ago to engage
us!" Akane screamed.
"Plus it was me and 'one of your daughters'...not Akane in
particular," Ranma mentioned smugly, thinking he'd caught them in a
lie.
"Well, we wanted to let you choose each other yourselves," Genma
insisted.
"Of course we paid off Nabiki to make sure Akane was the choice if
Ranma didn't choose Akane by himself," Soun informed them, smiling.
"That's why she was so eager to force me and Ranma together,"
Akane said, growing angrier.
"It's a good thing too, considering how you showed up at our door
Ranma. That's was quite shocking to us all," Soun said, casting an
angry glare at Genma.
"There you go then, simple really," Genma said and turned away to
avoid any further discussion. Soun followed him away. They both seemed
very pleased with themselves.
Akane and Ranma were processing all this information. "Do you
believe them?" Akane finally asked.
Ranma looked thoughtful for a second (a world record). "Sort of.
It does seem to fit with my memories, plus the bit about Nabiki is
definitely plausible. But there's still something they are avoiding
telling us," he said.
"Yes...I got that feeling too, if only we could go back and see
what really happened back then," Akane suggested.
Ranma thought for a few moments, then suddenly yelled, "Happosai's
magic mirror!"
"Wasn't that broken?" Akane asked.
"I saw him fixing it after our trip to China, I'm sure it'll
work," Ranma explained.
"As much as I hate to say it, let's go with your plan," Akane
reluctantly agreed. They both went inside and into Happosai's room.
* * *
Ranma and Akane crept into Happosai's room. They started searching
through piles of panties and bras for the mirror. Ranma picked up a
pair of panties and looked at them briefly. "Akane, these are yours,"
he said, tossing the panties to her.
Akane caught them and said, "What? How would you know! Pervert!"
One malleting later, Ranma finally found the magic mirror. It's
broken glass had been taped together. Akane took great pleasure in
rubbing Ranma's eye with an onion to make him cry. A tear hit the
mirror and the surface of the mirror started to glow.
"Magic mirror, take us back to when me and Akane played together
as kids," Ranma commanded, holding Akane's hand.
With a bright flash, Ranma and Akane vanished from the room,
leaving only a pair of panties and bra hanging where Akane was
standing. They hovered for a second, then fell to the ground.
* * *
In a small playground, Ranma and Akane appeared with a bright
flash of light. The sun was high in the sky. Akane suddenly looked
shocked. Noticing her expression, Ranma asked, "What's wrong, Akane?"
Akane patted her sides and thighs with a confused look on her
face. She said, "I don't think that mirror is working right... for some
reason my bra and panties are missing." She started to blush.
Ranma face-faulted. "Well, knowing Happosai, he probably made it
do that when he fixed it," he mentioned. He paused, then pointed at
Akane's skirt. "You'd better avoid any flying kicks while we're here
though," he said, grinning. A mallet quickly replaced the grin on his
face.
"Hey, that's a really neat mallet! Want to see mine, lady?" a
small voice said.
Ranma and Akane both turned around to see a little girl standing
behind them. She was about five years old and had short dark blue hair.
She was also holding a small mallet.
Ranma and Akane both exchanged a troubled and knowing glance.
"That's a cute little mallet you have, little girl," Akane said bending
down in front of 'Little-Akane'.
"I'm Akane!" the little girl said, smiling.
"I'm err...Shampoo," Akane said, causing Ranma to shudder. "And
this is..."
"Ra...yoga," Ranma offered, just correcting himself in time. He
got a thoughtful look on his face, then said, "You know, Akane, you
really shouldn't carry a mallet around, you could hurt someone with
it."
"But, I need it to keep my little brother from swiping my lunch!"
Little-Akane protested.
"Brother!?!?" Akane and Ranma both shouted in unison. To say the
looked shocked was an understatement.
"Yeah, he's around here somewhere. Got any food?" Little-Akane
asked.
"Um... I have an onion..." Akane offered, then handed the onion to
Little-Akane.
"Great," Little-Akane said, grabbing the onion. "Ranma-ototo,
lunchtime!!" she screamed. Ranma and Akane were even more shocked at
hearing 'Ranma' and 'little-brother' together.
Suddenly a little boy appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the onion,
and started to eat it. He was also about five years old and had long
black hair tied in a single ponytail.
"Uhhh, no... It can't be," Ranma stammered.
"Looks like we found what our fathers were hiding," Akane said in
disbelief, a little more coherently than Ranma.
"Yeah," was all Ranma managed to say.
Little-Ranma started crying. "Wahhh, it's an onion! Yucky!"
"I thought you used the mallet to keep him away from your lunch?"
Akane asked Little-Akane.
"An onion is just as good punishment," Little-Akane declared,
grinning. Despite herself, Akane grinned and nodded her agreement.
Little-Akane glared at Little-Ranma. "Ranma no baka! That's what
you get for eating anything you can get your hands on," she yelled at
the little boy.
"Don't worry, Akane, there will come a time when he avoids eating
certain food cooked by a certain girl like his life depended on it,"
Ranma insisted, then added, "And it does." He was promptly malleted by
both Akanes.
"I'm sorry, Ryoga... I usually only use the mallet on my ototo,
I'm not sure why I did that," Little-Akane apologized. She looked
downward and seemed to be on the edge of tears.
A sympathetic look crossed Ranma's face. Then he ran his hand
through Little-Akane's hair. "That's okay, I know that sometimes he
probably deserves it," he said. He nervously looked at the grownup
Akane to see if she heard that, she did.
Little-Akane smiled and then a dreamy look appeared on her face.
"Ryoga, I like you, will you marry me?" she asked. Then she jumped up
and hugged Ranma.
Akane and Ranma both face-faulted. Ranma could just stammer
incoherently. "Great!! Yet another fiancee!" Akane snarled.
Ranma leaned over to Akane after putting Little-Akane down. "Um...
don't forget that this is YOU," he whispered to her. Akane realized
that she may have overreacted and calmed down.
Little-Ranma felt left out, so he yelled, "And you can marry me
lady! Yaaaay!!! Take that Akane!" Little-Ranma stuck his tongue out at
Little-Akane.
"Copycat!" Little-Akane replied.
"Tomboy!" Little-Ranma retorted.
"Pervert!" Akane accidentally said, getting lost in the moment.
Irritated, Ranma exclaimed, "Un-cute!"
Many odd, confused, awkward, and troubled looks went around the
little group.
Ranma was unable to take any more of this. "Okay, that's it. Let's
go...Shampoo!" Ranma commanded and then turned away.
"We have to go now, Akane. Take it easy on Ranma. Someday you may
be glad he's your BROTHER," Akane said, smiling to Little-Akane.
"Okay! Bye, bye!" Little-Akane said, sweetly.
Just then, a woman's voice was heard calling out. "Akane...
Ranma... time to go home!!!".
"Okay, Mom!" Little-Akane and Little-Ranma both chimed in unison.
They started running towards the voice.
Ranma turned around to join Akane in staring at Mother Tendo, who
had walked up to collect Little-Akane and Little-Ranma.
"Hope you two played nice," Mother Tendo said, with a beautiful
voice.
Akane looked at her mother, tears formed in her eyes. She held her
hands tightly together in front of her.
Ranma just stared in amazement and a little sadness in his eyes.
He unconsciously put his arm around Akane and pulled her close to him.
[End - Part 1]
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Author's notes and ramblings for part 1:
Sorry about all the 'malleting' by Akane, both of them, but it helped
create some amusing scenes and begins the meeting between Ranma/Akane
and their younger selves with a bang (or a skull crunch). I've never
really liked Akane's mallet rampages, but it just fit into this story
so well. The rest of the series will have less malleting.
I AM rewriting some Ranma 1/2 history here. Generally I'm paying close
attention to the anime episodes up to the 'Back to the Happosai'
episode for continuity, explaining away any contradictions as I go (if
I care or need to). Events happening after that episode may or may not
happen in this 'universe'.
The idea for Ranma and Akane to use the magic mirror to go back in time
to spy on themselves evolved from the 'Ranma goes back to Jusenkyo at
last' Anime episode, of course (which takes place after the official
'Ranma-ototo' continuity anyway).
Of course, the first five paragraphs were 'borrowed' from 'A Christmas
Carol' by Charles Dickens (I always steal from the very best) and of
course Rumiko Takahashi never signed off on any of this story.
Basically I liked the tone it set for the Ranma-ototo series (although
I have no ghosts in this series except for the perceived ghost of the
Tendo Mother). I also wanted to make it clear that this wasn't going to
end up just being a dream by anyone (since the use of the mirror is
based on a 'dream episode'). You can read the original at:
http://www.literature.org/Works/Charles-Dickens/christmas-carol
or buy the book (it's a thick paper filled thing).
If the first section of this story seems like Tatewaki Kuno temporarily
possessed me, it is because I think I was (maybe there are ghosts in
this series after all). Since he shall not appear in the rest of this
series, it was his wish to write the first part of this tale. I'm sorry
if all the Kuno-speak made you sick.
P.S. This is NOT a dream, as I think I hammered into you in the first
part of this story.
=======================================================================
Ranma-ototo (Little brother Ranma)
Part 2 - The love of brother and sister
Mother Tendo noticed Ranma and Akane. "Oh hi. I hope the kids
didn't disturb you two?" she asked.
"Oh no, they are adorable," Akane replied, nervously.
"Well they are, but also quite a handful," Mother Tendo said, then
was interrupted by a tug on her dress by Little-Akane. "What is it,
Akane dear?"
"When I grow up I'm going to marry him," Little-Akane declared,
pointing at the grownup Ranma. Ranma looked away awkwardly.
"Well, that's nice dear. But, it looks like he already has a
girlfriend," Mother Tendo replied, indicating the grown up Akane.
"Oh...well...you see," Akane stammered, blushing. She pulled away
from Ranma a bit, but Ranma's arm was still around her shoulder.
"Don't worry you two, the kids are just very imaginative... they
keep saying they are going to marry each other when they grow up. If it
wasn't for the fact that they fight all the time, I'd think they were
serious," Mother Tendo remarked. She smiled lovingly at the kids.
Ranma and Akane exchanged glances, both troubled and knowing.
"Kids will be kids I guess," Ranma finally managed to say.
"That's what I said when I caught them playing 'doctor' a few
months ago." Mother Tendo chuckled, sweetly.
Ranma and Akane blushed and held back a face fault. "Well, it's
been nice meeting you, Ok..usama,' Akane said, stumbling over
'okusama'. She had almost said 'okasan', which means mother of course.
"Yes it has, but we have an appointment we have to keep," Ranma
insisted. Then both Ranma and Akane had the same thought about sending
their fathers into low earth orbit for the lies they have been telling.
"Well, thank you for entertaining the kids. You're such a cute
couple," Mother Tendo said. A loving smile crossed on her face.
"Err...thank you," Akane and Ranma both said somewhat in unison.
Both were blushing a deep crimson.
Mother Tendo turned to leave. Little-Akane and Little-Ranma said
their good-byes and left with her.
After they had left the playground, Ranma turned towards Akane.
"Well, guess that ends our engagement?" Ranma mentioned. A part of his
heart died as he said those words.
"Guess so... Ototo" Akane said, stumbling a bit when calling Ranma
little brother. A part of her heart died as she realized she couldn't
marry Ranma anymore, but she couldn't figure out why. She never wanted
to marry him anyway, right?
"Please don't call me little brother," Ranma pleaded.
"Why? I've always been so much more mature that you," she taunted,
grinning.
"Actually my girl-side is more 'developed' than you," Ranma
quipped, earning a punch in his side.
"No mallet?" Ranma asked, as he rubbed his side.
"Well, just call it a birthday present."
"But, I guess that answers most of our questions, even a few we
didn't ask," Ranma said.
"Like why I love to hit you with a mallet?" Akane smirked.
"Yes, that and the fact that our fathers are both morons," Ranma
commented, angrily. "Our father actually. I guess 'Genma' isn't my
father after all," he added as an afterthought. <I always thought he
was too stupid to be MY father.>
"Let's go back now, I've seen enough here," Akane sadly said. She
started to cry, as some of the ramifications of what they'd learned
seeped into her consciousness.
"Agreed." Ranma pulled the mirror out. Noticing Akane crying, he
hugged her again and let her tears fall onto the mirror. "Magic mirror,
please return us to our own time."
With a flash of light, Akane and Ranma disappeared from the
playground. As Ranma vanished, he saw a young boy of about five years
old run through the park. <That kid looks familiar somehow,> he
thought, before he vanished completely.
The small boy stopped near where Akane and Ranma were standing
just seconds before. "Where the heck am I now!?!?" he yelled. He
straightened his dirty headband and then walked off looking very lost.
Suddenly, a teenage boy ran by the little boy, almost knocking him
over. He was running in terror from something. His brown hair was
smoking, as if a bolt of lightening had recently hit him.
The aforementioned 'something' called out. "Darling!!!!" She was a
beautiful young woman and was wearing only a tiger stripped bikini,
barely. She floated towards the running teenager and suddenly a bolt of
lightening flew from her fingers and arced towards the teenager. It
looked like a sure hit, but then the lightening stopped in mid-air over
the spot where Ranma and Akane disappeared. The lightening hovered
there in a vague hand mirror shape. The young woman didn't even notice
and continued to chase the teenage boy.
The little boy wiped the blood from his nose that had appeared
after seeing the woman in her bikini. He saw the sparking mirror,
walked over to it, and looked closer at it. "That's cool!" he yelled
and tentatively touched the mirror. With a flash, the little boy
disappeared from the playground. With one last crackle, the lightening
fizzled out of existence. Silence filled the playground.
* * *
Akane and Ranma were standing in the playground again. Confused,
they looked around. "What happened? Why didn't we go back?" Akane
asked.
"Um... I think we did. Look at the playground. It looks older and
the sun is setting," Ranma mentioned, pointing at the sunset.
"Oh, you just said back to our own time, nothing about where,"
Akane recalled.
"Let's go home," Ranma said. He held Akane's hand as they walked
off in the direction of the setting sun.
They didn't notice the flash of light behind them. A little boy
wearing a headband appeared out of nowhere and walked around looking
more lost that normal, if that was possible.
* * *
Akane and Ranma returned to the Tendo house and went into the
kitchen where they found Kasumi making dinner.
"Kasumi, can we ask you a question about Mother?" Akane hesitantly
asked.
Kasumi turned around and smiled sweetly. "Of course, Akane. What
is it?"
"Ranma and I have found out something..." Akane started to say,
but then trailed off.
"What we want to ask is... am I your brother, Kasumi?" Ranma
asked, bluntly.
Kasumi looked very shocked and unnerved. Which for Kasumi meant
that her eyes grew a little wider and a slight twitch was seen on her
mouth. She just said, "No, don't be silly. Father only has us three
girls."
"But..." Akane began.
Kasumi interrupted her. "Ranma, you HAVE become like a brother to
me and Nabiki. We do look forward to when you marry Akane and we can
officially call you our ototo," Kasumi explained in her sweetest and
most calming voice.
"Kasumi! That marriage isn't going to happen anymore! We found out
that Ranma is our brother, probably my twin! Now please tell us what
you know!" Akane snapped.
"Akane, you're still trying to get out of your engagement to
Ranma. I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that Ranma is
NOT your brother," Kasumi calmly insisted. She returned to making
dinner.
"Come on, Akane, we're not getting anywhere here," Ranma muttered.
"Okay," Akane replied and followed Ranma out the door. Neither of
them saw a tear go down Kasumi's cheek and her hands start to shake.
Dinner that night was filled with tension, both Soun and Genma
denied everything. Unfortunately, Nabiki was at a friend's house
collecting on a past-due debt or she would have enjoyed dinner
immensely.
* * *
Later that night, Akane was in her bed tossing and turning.
Suddenly, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She grabbed a robe, opened
her window, and climbed out.
As she climbed onto the roof, she spotted Ranma staring at the
sky. "Mind if I join you?" Akane asked.
Ranma looked over at her and said, "Sure...Sis."
Akane grinned and sat down next to him. "Couldn't sleep either I
see. What are we going to do?" Akane asked, looking up at the stars.
Ranma sighed. "I don't know... I think we need to get some rock
solid proof that our fathers can't deny."
"Yes, but I'm still finding it hard to imagine Kasumi lying to
us," Akane said.
"Our fathers... err... our father and Mr. Saotome I can
understand, but Kasumi?" Ranma agreed with her.
"I've never known her to lie, but I've never seen her as shocked
as when we asked her," Akane mentioned.
"Well, tomorrow we'll find something that proves what we know
already," Ranma declared.
"Right, we can go through the old photo albums and records. Maybe
even find a birth certificate for you," Akane said, with the same look
of determination she has when she tries to cook.
"Okay. Um..." Ranma stammered.
"Yes, Ranma?"
"Can we not mention this to anyone else until we find out the
whole truth? I'd hate for one of my 'fiancees', or god forbid Kodachi-"
Ranma said. Akane looked up at Ranma and her eye twitched. Ranma
continued, "-to find out that I've got an opening. I don't need that
trouble right now."
"Sure, speaking of which...who's going to take the number one spot
now?" Akane asked, teasingly.
"Who said you were number one?" Ranma replied, fighting back a
smile.
"Ran...ma..." Akane growled.
"Calm down... To tell you the truth I don't even know if I want to
marry any of them. I like Ukyo, but just as a friend. If Shampoo wasn't
so determined, she'd be nice too as a friend, and well, Kodachi is just
plain scary. You're the only fiancee I ever felt any love towards..."
Ranma said. Then he stopped very suddenly as he realized what he just
let slip out. He started to blush.
"Lo...love? You love me?" Akane asked.
"Umm..." Ranma stammered. <No use denying it anymore, I guess,> he
thought. "I guess so, but now I guess it must have only been a
brotherly love I felt all along," Ranma explained.
"I guess I always felt something for you myself, just couldn't
figure out what it was," Akane explained, smiling.
"Well, lets just be glad for tonight that we know the truth, even
if no one else will admit it," Ranma said and put his arm around his
sister to keep her warm.
"Yes."
* * *
In a dark alley, a little boy wearing a headband was crying in a
corner. "Why can't I find my home?" Little-Ryoga cried out.
Little-Ryoga looked up when he heard a loud cry. "Where on Earth
am I now?" Ryoga screamed from the entrance to the alley.
"I think it's an alley," Little-Ryoga mentioned, matter-of-factly.
Ryoga was startled. He looked down the alley and spotted the
little crying boy. "I know it's...hey, what's wrong kid?" Ryoga asked.
Little-Ryoga looked up and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I
can't find my house."
"Join the club kid. That's life," Ryoga said, coldly. He started
to walk away.
"Mister, can you help me find my way home?" Little-Ryoga asked,
looking at Ryoga with little puppy-dog eyes and tears streaming down
his cheeks.
"Um, I'm not sure that I can..." Ryoga said, trailing off. He
looked at the crying kid and relented. "Sure, but let's wait till
morning. We'll find some place I can unroll my sleeping bag for the
night."
"Thank you mister, my name is Ryo," Little-Ryoga said.
"Nice name kid, I'm Ryoga," Ryoga introduced himself, still not
getting the connection. Ryoga noticed the kid's headband, which was
just an old torn rag. "Hey kid." He reached up, pulled one of his
yellow bandanas off his head, and gave it to the kid. "Here, use this
instead of that old rag."
"Wow, this is nicer than mine, thanks!"
"Don't worry about it, I have plenty," Ryoga replied.
* * *
In the morning, Ranma was in his girl form and helping Akane
search through some old albums and boxes.
"So far only a couple pictures of you as a kid, but you're alone
so it's not going to prove you're my brother," Akane said.
"You know I always wondered what it would be like to have a large
family, traveling on the road with my fa... err... Mr. Saotome didn't
give me much time for a normal family life," Ranma said.
"I always wanted a little brother to play with, or better yet, a
little sister to play 'tea ceremony' with. I guess I got both now,"
Akane remarked, grinning.
"Hey! There's no way I'm going to play 'tea ceremony' with you!"
Ranma yelled.
"I know, I never played with tea sets or dolls much either. Just
pulling your pigtail!" Akane explained, still grinning.
"Well, just don't pull it off, I'm rather attached to it," Ranma
quipped.
As she finished looking through a photo album, Akane sighed.
"Nothing in that one either...wait a second..." she said. She fingered
a photo that seems to be sticking out between two pages. She pried the
stuck pages apart then saw a couple of pictures. She excitedly grabbed
one. "Ah ha!!!!" she screamed.
"What?"
"Look!" Akane yelled and showed the picture to Ranma. In the
picture were all the Tendos in a very typical 'family picture pose':
Soun, his wife, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, and a five year old Ranma on the
receiving end of a mallet.
"No wonder I don't remember this part of my life that well, with
all the mallet blows I took," Ranma remarked.
"Um, sorry about that," Akane apologized.
"Wow, first time you'd ever apologized for all the malletings!"
Ranma declared, amazed.
"I'm only sorry for that one," Akane informed him, pointing at the
picture. "Not for all the rest of them."
"Gee, maybe I was better off as an only-child," Ranma sighed.
* * *
On an old country road Ryoga and Little-Ryoga were walking, Mount
Fuji could be seen in the distance. Little-Ryoga was wearing his new
bandana.
Ryoga stopped and wiped his forehead. "Where are we now?" he
asked.
Little-Ryoga looked around. "We have to be close to my home! My
map says it's near Mount Fuji!" he said, excitedly.
Ryoga turned and faced the kid. "You have a map? Why didn't you
say so?" Ryoga asked, irritated.
"You didn't ask," Little-Ryoga said, matter-of-factly. The kid
produced a piece of paper and handed it to Ryoga.
Looking at the map closely, he noticed the kid's house indicated
with a big arrow. Mount Fuji and a lake were indicated. Handy 'There's
a mailbox nearby' and 'Around here -->' labels are one the map as well.
"I've seen this map before," Ryoga said, trying to remember where.
After thinking for a few minutes, he yelled, "Wait a second, this is
the 'Sacred Hibiki Family Map'! How did you get it!" He rummaged in his
backpack for a few moments.
"My parents gave it to me, before they went out for groceries a
couple months ago," Little-Ryoga explained.
Ryoga pulled out his own map, unfolded it, and compared it to
Little-Ryoga's map. They looked identical; Ryoga's is a little more
worn, but otherwise identical. "It IS the sacred map! Look the sacred
Hibiki family crest is on it!" Ryoga insisted. He indicated a spot on
each map that resembled an ink spot, mostly because it was. "This map
has been in our family for over ten generations," Ryoga claimed,
ignoring the fact that it was on ordinary typewriter paper.
"Are you a Hibiki too?" Little-Ryoga asked.
"Yes. This must mean that you are..." Ryoga said, then paused and
thought for a moment, then continued, "...my little brother I never
knew I had!" <I guess I haven't been back to my house for longer than I
thought!>
"Really? I didn't know I had a big brother! Cool!"
They hugged a little awkwardly and then set off towards the
nearest mailbox.
* * *
As the sun set, Soun and the panda were playing shoji on the
porch. Nabiki was watching television in the family room. Akane walked
in the front door and made her way down to the family room. A male
Ranma came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming kettle.
Once in the family room, Akane screamed very loudly, "Family
meeting!!!! Now!!!!" Everyone was shocked at her sudden yell, not to
mention the awesome crimson battle aura she was generating.
Ranma walked out to the porch and poured hot water over the panda.
"You too, even if I'm not sure if you qualify as 'family' or not,"
Ranma snarled.
Genma made a dive for the koi pond, but Ranma kicked Genma back
into the house. "Don't try that again or were having panda burgers
tonight!" Ranma exclaimed, menacingly.
Meekly everyone knelt at the table. Kasumi came out of the kitchen
and joined them. Ranma and Akane were standing over the table when
Akane slapped the family photograph they had found onto the table.
Soun and Genma took one look at the picture and grew very scared.
Soun started to cry. Genma dived for the photo, stuffed it into his
mouth, quickly chewed it, and then swallowed it.
Akane slapped down a dozen more pictures to replace it. "We
thought you'd try that!" Akane explained.
Nabiki and Kasumi each took a photo and looked at it. Soun and
Genma tried to make a break for it, but suddenly found that they have
been chained to each other and to the floor.
"Oh my," Kasumi intoned, with her usual hand gesture.
"Hmmm. I didn't know that we knew Ranma way back then?" Nabiki
questioned, with a genuine shocked look on her face.
"You can't run away from this, we've thought of everything. We
want the whole story and we want it now!!" Akane snapped. Both Akane
and Ranma's battle aura flared up.
"We want to know why you never told us that me and Akane are
brother and sister!" Ranma yelled.
"What?" Nabiki asked, face-faulting.
"What?" Genma asked, a fake look of astonishment on his face.
"What?" Soun asked, his voice trembling.
"Oh my," Kasumi intoned.
After no one spoke for several moments, Nabiki remarked, "Wowza, I
know they do this in the southern United States, but I never thought my
father would engage his own daughter to his illegitimate son."
Both Ranma and Akane were taken back by Nabiki's comment. "You
know she's right, we assumed we were both full Tendos, but..." Akane
said.
"You think our mother had an affair with..." Ranma said, looking
at Genma. "No, that couldn't happen..."
Genma looked insulted, mostly since he had just been insulted.
"That would mean that Father had an affair with Mrs. Saotome..."
Akane said, as she reasoned out the logic. "How could you!" Akane
yelled and sent her father into low Earth orbit with several
well-placed punches. Unfortunately, for Genma and the floor, he was
still chained to Genma and the floor. So Genma and a good chunk of the
floor went with him. This made a rather odd shaped hole in the ceiling
and then the roof. Debris from the roof and floor flew everywhere.
A very Kasumi-like "Oh my," was heard, but not from Kasumi. The
Tendo sisters all looked at the source of the voice and realized that
it had been Ranma who muttered those two word. She was standing soaking
wet with an empty bucket by her side.
[End - Part 2]
=======================================================================
Author's notes and ramblings for part 2:
This was a short story at first, but it spiraled into a multi-part
story as I was writing it. In fact part 2 was also going to go further
into the story, but increased in size while writing it. Little-Ryoga
coming into the future wasn't in the initial draft, but was added to
provide some humor.
BTW, the 'Sacred Hibiki Family Map' is from the Ranma 1/2 manga Volume
11, Number 1. I provided the important sounding name, but the layout of
the map is Rumiko Takahashi's. This manga story is also where the idea
of Ryoga mistaking his younger self as his younger brother came from (I
couldn't resist once I brought Little-Ryoga into the future).
======================================================================
--
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."