I proposed this idea a while back, guess its time I finally put it out.
This is just a one-shot scene / short story / teaser of what could be my
newest series or maybe not. ;) 

Just a few facts to know before you read.

- The story starts out the same, Akane goes off to the army in place of her
father. Upon entering the camp, she makes up an excuse to be named Kaneda
as her male name. 

- For now, I guess I've turned off the curses of the cast as well as
changed a few details. I might turn them on again, someday, once I thought
of a use for it.

- Pu Chan = P Chan = Mu Shu in the story. Here Ryouga is stuck as an
ancestral guardian pig demoted from his rank and now accompanies Akane in
the hopes of making her a hero there by bringing honor to the family. And
thus be able to revert back into his true form, a man.

- Ranma has seen Akane while she was bathing (The King of the rock scene,
or in this case with the misfit trio 'the queen of the rock:) ) and ever
since, he has fallen deeply for her. (Just a new idea that came to me so
that I could start their attraction for each other happen early on rather
than having to wait until the end just like it did in the movie.)

- And... Oh well you'll find out sooner or later.

I guess with all that said I'd better get on with the story!


Akane (Couldn't come up with a better title :)
By Kahlil Noriega
Pre-read and edited by Kiwi Noriega 

All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi creator of Ranma 1/2 and to Disney
for the movie "Mulan"

Legend
* * Demotes thoughts of the character
{ } Scene allocations and further descriptions of the narrative
< > Sound effects

Akane (Very, very rough draft)

In a valley, nestled in the heart of the Quinghai region stood the camp of
the Imperial Army of China. Its luscious green fields were covered with the
pitched up white sheets of the tents and training equipment of the army's
new recruits.

They stood there in perfect formation. Staffs in hand as they faced
stoically forward, attentive to every word said by their master as they
began to flow from form to fighting form, all of this was watched by the
careful eye of their commanding officer.

Ranma watched as his recruit moved in perfect unison with each other, they
were shaping up much faster than he had expected they would. In no time
they would be ready for battle. He just hoped it wouldn't come to soon. All
of those brave faces and strong hearts, it would be a shame to lose even
one of them to war. 

Scanning the hard stoic faces of his men, he felt a certain pride wash over
him in waves. Which was painfully cut off as his eyes focused on the cause
of the disharmony, Kaneda. And both pride and face fell away as he tried to
cover his eyes with his hand, watching him struggle through the forms of
the kata, was just to sad.

"Stop!" he shouted over the cries of his pupils as they slowly complied,
parting a way before him as he walked between them. 

Kaneda just looked down at her shoes as she felt Ranma's gaze on her. She
could only feel shame for not doing it right. 

* And I tried so hard! * She thought to herself, and shame once more bore
on her. 
Walking pass his students, Ranma stopped before Kaneda, staring down at
him. His anger at him slowly built up as he saw some moisture run down her
cheeks. 

["She's crying!"] And Ranma felt angrier as he looked at him, sniffling
like he was a little child. He needed a man. A warrior, not some crying
boy, it's a desperate time, a time of war. And he needed his men that could
stand up to the rigors of his training. Not just for China, not for him,
but for themselves, so that when the time comes to go into battle, they had
a hope to survive.

Swallowing his distaste for the man weeping before him, he took Kaneda's
staff in hand, held it before his face as Kaneda looked up startled and a
bit frightened. Ranma held his anger even more at that as he broke the
staff in two. Akane could only stare in surprise as despair slowly rose up
within her as Ranma let the two broken pieces fall to the ground before
her.

Akane sank to her knees, staring at the two broken pieces. Ranma looked at
him in disgust and anger slightly tinged with concern with a bit of
understanding. His honor bound him to his men. And if in any way he could
help a man, he would do it. No matter how much it pains him or himself.

"You are all men." He shouted over their heads.

"Men in a desperate time. All of you must be strong. War will claim most of
you if not all of us. If you do not know why you are here, then leave..."
This he said looking down at Kaneda, who sank deeper with her shame.

"You are here, for your country, for your people, for those you love and
care. You must be at your best or all hope is lost. There is no shame in
crying, but there is in defeat when one didn't do one's best..." 

Looking at his students, all gathered there watching him, listening to him.
Some even nodding in agreement while others pondered still on his words. It
was a desperate time indeed. He felt proud to be leading his men into
battle, preparing them, it was a desperate time indeed...

***

Akane knelt there all the while as she listened to Ranma's speech, her
tears slowly drying as the shame she bore a moment ago gradually diminish
with his strength and words. She felt her depression subside as she smiled
in understanding.

***

Ranma, finished with his speech turns around and leaves, but not before
turning his head to look back at Kaneda who still knelt there looking at
the broken pieces. He smiled a knowing smile, for he knew, underneath it
all, he was smiling too, and he felt his tarnished pride shine anew.

Walking away he called out "Dismiss" to his men before vanishing within the
folds of his tent.

Slowly the cheers died down as the recruits broke away to attend to there
own chores. A few of them even went up to pat Akane on the shoulder or give
a few words of encouragement. Akane only smiled back to them in return.

And as the last of the soldiers drifted away, Akane slowly rose up and off
the ground, the two broken pieces of the staff she brought close to her
chest as she walked away headed for her tent that laid in the farthest
corner of the camp.

***

She had only taken a few steps when she heard the distinct sounds of a
galloping horse. Turning around, she saw the messenger run pass her as the
man leaped off of the saddle and quickly confronted Ranma as he got out of
his tent because of the noise.

Handing out a rolled parchment, Ranma read quickly, his brows creasing as
he read on. Some of the trainees who were close by, stopped whatever they
were doing as they all looked on, a tad worried that the message could be
bad news.

Rolling up the parchment, he handed it over to the messenger and exchanged
a few words with him before the messenger bowed and finally left, riding
back to which he came in.

Sighing, Ranma called out his troop leaders to gather the men as he quickly
moved to go inside his tent.

Akane intercepts him before he entered.

"What's going on?"

"We've just been ordered to go to the mountain pass. We are to reinforce
the main army there to hold off the Musk's attack." Ranma said a bit weary.
He wasn't looking forward to it all, Akane guessed.

"We're leaving here, Now?" Akane asked still disbelieving. She wasn't ready
for this.

"Yes. Go and get ready. And pass the word as you go about the camp. We'll
have to leave this afternoon if we expect to get to the base of the
mountain by nightfall."

"Nightfall?"

"Yes, go and pass the word quickly."

And with that said he entered his tent.

***

{Entering her own tent}

"So what's the news?" Pu-chan asked outloud. Cricket agreeing to his
question.

"The army's moving."

"Leaving?"

"Yes, now. Come on help me with this." Holding up her pack.

***

{On the lonely road through the mountains.}

The army is moving slowly through farm fields as they traversed over
rolling hills and plains, through forests. Till finally they stopped at a
local town. The men disperse and mingle with the common folk.

Akane just surveys the proffered goods in the stalls. Young women eye him
critically as if a prized trophy to be won. Some of them even came up to
talk to him, which Akane accepted courteously. No point in ruining the
effect of his male persona right? The watchful eyes of the commander who
shrugged off the incident as he gathered the men to continue on with their
journey observed all of this. 

***

{Camp site, at the base of the mountain, a terrible storm is raging around
them}

Rain and wind battered the men as the tried to pitch up their tents in the
muddy ground. Horses screamed and pranced around as they struggled with
their bindings, while men tried to calm the startled beast. 

Akane struggled with hers as the wind battered and tossed her tent on its
pegs as she tried to stabilize the tent. But it was no use, the wind was
just too strong as it tore loose from its ropes and flew off, accompanying
the raging storms. 
   
* Oh no! What am I going to do? Where am I going to sleep? * Akane thought
out loud to herself as she watched the drifting piece of clothe, which used
to be her tent, fly off to who knows where. And what's worse of all, it
started to rain really hard. 

* What could possibly go wrong next? *

"You could sleep in my tent." Ranma offered to her. Standing close to a
withered up tree, watching her as she knelt there on the cold wet ground. 

"What?"

"I said, you could sleep in my tent."

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"No trouble at all, go get your things."

"Really sir, you don't have to do this."

"I won't argue with you on this Kaneda. I'm not about to let one of my men
sleep in this god forsaken weather when I can help it."

Akane just looked at his stubbornly as water freely dripped from her hair.
 
"Go get your things. We will need to get our rest if we ever hope to defeat
the Musk at the daybreak when we move out tomorrow."

Akane just sat there watching him, suddenly afraid. * What if he finds out
I'm actually a...No! He mustn't, but if I turn down he might suspect... *

"Well go on...Go get your things." And with that said, Ranma turned around
headed for his tent.

* I guess I have no choice do I? * Slowly Akane got up as she picked up her
things and headed for Ranma' tent.

***

Upon parting the folds of the tent, Akane got an eye full of Ranma's bare
back as he stripped away his wet clothes. Tossing the discarded garments
onto a neat pile on the corner of the tent. 

Akane could only stand there speechless, admiring Ranma's well-toned body.

As Ranma turned around to face him, Akane could only look down at her feet
as she tried to hide the blush that rose on her cheeks.

Ranma watched him a bit annoyed, seeing him dripping all over the place. 

"Well?" 

"Well what?" 

"Well, aren't you going to take off your clothes?"

"My clothes? Why should I take off my clothes?"

"You're all wet from the rain; you don't expect me to let you sleep in
them. If I did, I'd let you sleep out in the rain if you so much as prefer
it rather than stay in here."

Akane pondered on the suggestion a bit and found that the prospect of
stepping outside didn't appeal to her at all.

"Well, could you at least turn around?" She accompanied this with a
swirling motion of her finger as she looked at him. Her other hand tightly
closed her robe around her. 

"Turn around?" Ranma asked confused.

"Yes... turn around." 

"Why should I do that, we're both men?" Ranma said, really annoyed.

"Yes, we're both men, I just don't like people seeing me naked."

Ranma just shrugged it off as something weird as he grudgingly complied and
walked over to the bed and sat down. Muttering to himself of the stupid
things...

<Asking me to turn around, as if she were a girl, stupid of all the.... >

***

Akane made sure to present her back to him as she peeled away her wet
clothes, careful to hide her curved features as she cautiously peeked
behind her to make sure that Ranma wasn't looking.

Satisfied and a bit sure that he wasn't, she peeled off her wet robe, but
not before checking her bandages that bound her chest.

"Is that a bandage?"

"Huh?"

"Is that a bandage you are wearing?" Pointing at the cloth wrapping visible
at her waist, the same wrapping that held her chest close to her. Though he
couldn't see what it really hid.

"I thought I told you not to look!"

"Kaneda we're both men! And besides this is my tent and if you're hiding
something from me then I want to know. Is that a wound you're hiding?"

* A wound? Yes a wound! * Akane exclaimed feeling relived that he didn't
find out, now her mind boggled on what caused it as she fiddled with her
fingers before her as she finished dressing up into a new robe. Before she
turned around to face him with the lie she thought up.

"Yes, it's an old wound."

"Why what happened, can I see it?" This had genuine concern behind it.

"It was an accident. And I'd rather not tell how it happened. And as for
showing it to you, I don't want to. It's not something I go out and boast
to others."

"I see."

"Yes, I'm not too particularly happy about hiding it either. Especially to
you, it's a guy thing."

"Yeah, I wouldn't go off showing mine either. I have my pride."

"Well, could we just drop the matter and get some sleep?"

"Sure, you could sleep there." Ranma said pointing to the cot next to his.

"Beside you?" Pointing a finger at him.

"Of course."

"On the bed?" Pointing a finger at the bed.

"Yes..." He said rather annoyed.

"Here, and now!" 

"Yes and yes, and if you don't quit complaining I'll let you sleep outside
if you wish. It's already enough to know that my generosity is being
strained to its limit."

* Oh boy, now what did I get myself into now? * Akane thought as she stared
down at the bed beside Ranma who was now lying on his beside hers. Looking
up expectantly at her.

"Well?"

Turning around, she closed her eyes tightly as she began to lower herself
on the bed. Hands clutching her chest tightly as she lay back on the bed
before slowly opening her eyes as she looked up at the clothe sealing
before her.

"You don't snore do you?" Ranma asked casually out of the blue.

"No! I do not!" *Damn him! I don't snore. Humph* 

"I hope so; I need to get up early tomorrow to see to the men."

"Huh?"

"We're leaving tomorrow and there are a lot of things that need to be
done." 

"I see."

"Kaneda."

"Yes."

Ranma turned around on the bed so that he now laid on his side, his head
supported by his arm as he looked at him. Akane tried hard no to look at
him and not feel nervous this close as he stared down at her.

"Kaneda, how much do you know about women?"

"What!" Akane practically leaped out of her bed as she sat up facing him.

"Women, how much do you know?" Ranma said as he continued to look at her
with those piercingly blue-gray eyes. 

"Why? What do you mean?" Akane asked a bit worried. * Does he know already?
*

"Women. You seem to be knowledgeable in that field. Women like you, they
approach you as though you were like one of them."  

* You don't know the half of it. *

"You can easily talk to them. I've seen you do it." 

"Its just talking, no big deal."

"No big deal! Kaneda, it might not seem much to you, but it is to me. You
see I was brought up among men, to be a soldier. Men, warfare, martial arts
those are things that I understand, but women. Women have always eluded
me."      

<Curious> "Is there some reason why you brought this out now?"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact it does. You see... I saw this girl... She
was like snow, in the first days of winter. So pure and white... so
beautiful and fragile. I wanted to hold her, reach out to her. But just
like snow, it melted away in my hand just like she fled from my arms." 

Akane could only look down at the sheets as Ranma told her this. * How
could I tell him? *

"Kaneda, I don't know what it is that I am feeling. I just saw her and
everyday it's like she's there, right there in front of me." 

Akane looked up at him, and looked into his eyes and could only find the
sincerity beside the words.

"Kaneda, I don't know what it is that I'm feeling." 

Akane smiled at him.

"Ranma, I don't know what you are truly feeling; it may just be a passing
moment. But if it is any comfort to you. I know. Deep down inside, she
feels the same way you do."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so. And she knows too."

"I'm glad."

And they both smiled at each other as silence overtook all. Swayed gently
by the flickering light of the flame as the storm freely thundered outside
unconcerned of the two people inside.

~ Finished for now.

Well that's it! Hope you liked it. Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end.
But I wasn't too sure you guys/gals might like it. If you want me to
continue or flame me, please do so. C&C in any form are welcome.
Pre-readers for my other fics are also welcome. 

Explanation:

I really wrote this fic just to get that last particular scene out of my
system. And now that it's finally out, well...its just great! I know I
started somewhere right in the middle of it, cutting too many scenes from
the original story. The beginning introduction was bad, all those facts and
such.  Ranma's speech, I guess was bad, never did like to make long
speeches. Any help with these are greatly appreciated. 

To tell you the truth, I've only seen this movie once, and I missed 15
minutes of the story because we were late. So I don't know how Disney
started the film. And I haven't seen it again since that first time. (Busy
with school work :) But I love the film!  
   
I do have an idea of where to begin and where to end it (based on the
movie, and given some of the suggestions the FFML members gave a while
back) But any help, C&C is greatly appreciated. Oh yeah, I should get a
better title and should I continue this?

Anyway that's that for my rant.

Sincerely
~ Kahlil Noriega

Author of the fic Ranma 1/2 A Chinese Ghost Story

" Frost fills the sky over Ten Mile Lake,
  Silken threads anxious of youth....
  Looking at the moon and feeling lonely...
  Envious of lovers, not of immortality.
  Envious of love, not of immortality. " 

        - Excerpt from the movie " A Chinese Ghost Story "

The anything goes Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction page:
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/9371

E-Mail:
Becknkal@addax.bc.ca