First part of this was sent to the FFML, but I've only
just recently finished the second. For those who just
want to read the new stuff, skip down to where Akane
comes home from school.
Questions, comments, or C&C will be much appreacated.
Will You be my Fiance?
(A Ranma 1/2 Alt History)
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://Ammadeau.tripod.com/fanfiction.htm
In a town within the Nerima ward, Ranma awoke to greet
the sunrise. This wasn't by choice; he had to get in his morning
sparring with his father, eat breakfast, and get ready for school all
in time to catch an early train. Furinkan was only the next town
over, but walking there was certain to make him late. Being late
might mean getting transferred to a school that was ever farther
away.
Ranma still felt a little groggy, a sure sign that the old man
was going to beat him at sparring today. Privately, he believed that
he had surpassed his father about six months ago, but that didn't
mean his pops didn't have any fight left in him. The old man had
strength and endurance to spare, plus being about as crafty as they
come. Even when Ranma was in top form, wins against his father
didn't come easily, but the pig-tailed boy wouldn't have it any other
way.
Chapter 2: Two Friendships
At about the same time and in a place much closer to
Furinkan High, Kasumi Tendo also arose to greet the sunrise, as
she had been doing for nearly a decade now, to start preparing
breakfast before the other members of her family awoke. If anyone
had observed her all this time, they would have noticed a lightness
in her step and a slightly wider smile on her lips this particular
morning. Not a rare sight of late, but one unheard of a year ago.
There was a simple reason for this: Kasumi was happy.
That's not to say she didn't enjoy cooking meals, cleaning, or
keeping the house in order. While she was infrequently thanked
her for her efforts, she knew that she was appreciated. However,
this did not mean much to her; it was in the acts themselves that
she had found contentment. Yes, for the longest time Kasumi had
been content with her life as it was, but something, or rather
someone, had given her a glimpse into the possibility of true
happiness.
As she rose from her bed, she imagined that her room
belonged not just to herself, but also to another. After taking her
bath, she fantasized that she was not preparing it for her father, but
for someone even more special to her. As she passed the rooms of
her sisters, she imagined that they now belonged to much younger
children, still tucked in, waiting for the scent of their mother's
breakfast to awake them. She began to blush at this particular
thought.
As Kasumi moved out to the dojo, she could feel her pulse
quicken as these day-dreams grew stronger. She would open the
door and lean against its frame, watching her husband move
through an intricate kata that she could barely follow, his black
hair wild and chest glistening with sweat. He would pretend not to
have heard her, but as the smile grew on his lips she knew that this
was a special performance for an audience of one. That he was
performing for her and her alone.
Kasumi would towel him down at the end of his practice,
telling him that the bath was already hot. He would hold her close,
give her a quick peck on the lips, and hurry off to the furo. She
would stay in the dojo for a few minutes more, tidying up for her
husband's classes that day. Making sure that everything would be
perfect for him, her life and love.
Then she would move on to the kitchen, preparing
breakfast as one by one her children would come downstairs,
eventually followed by their father. She would present the meal to
those smiling faces, eager to show their appetite for their mother's
wonderful cooking. And Kasumi would smile as her husband
would hold her close, and whisper, "Kasumi-chan" in her ear. She
would smile and whisper back, "Ranma."
The sounds of other people stirring snapped Kasumi out of
her day-dream, but the smile stayed on her lips as she finished
preparing breakfast.
Akane yawned as she blinked the sleep from her eyes and
shut off her alarm's annoying buzzing with an open palm strike,
automatically pulling the blow so as not to damage the delicate (in
her view at least) time piece. She'd gone through quite a few alarm
clocks in learning that it wasn't always a good idea to hit
everything with full force. It had been her father's whining about
going bankrupt over busted alarm clocks that had finally convinced
her to be more gentle with said time pieces.
For a few moments she merely sat in bed, willing herself to
be able to tolerate going to school when she knew what was
waiting for her there. Yet for some reason she didn't find it as hard
this particular morning, as it had been all of the previous week.
She spent another moment wondering about it, not coming to any
real conclusions, decided she was being silly, and then hopped out
of bed.
Akane, by her nature, was normally an earlier riser. Ever
since she had been little she had jumped out of bed and ran down
the stairs for breakfast, usually before said breakfast was finished
cooking. That had changed some years ago when she had taken up
jogging. Now she no longer had to impatiently wait for the food to
be ready.
It had been harder to do this year, however. Boys had
noticed her before, but it had never really bothered her. She would
just ignore them. Kuno, however, proved all but impossible to
ignore and due to his little speech, it was a battle for her just to get
to school everyday. It hadn't been so bad at first, since her father
no longer sparred with her she needed the practice, but she had
grown so tired of it all. It made going to school that much more of
a chore to her, and one that she looked forward to doing less and
less.
With a sigh, she quickly changed into her jogging outfit,
sprinted down the stairs, and out the door.
Nabiki, unlike the rest of her family, was not by nature an
early riser. It took her a definite effort to get ready for the day, but
an effort that she had been making for so long that it was nearly a
reflex. Not so that day. Instead, she yawned and stumbled, still
feeling half-asleep. She tried convincing herself that it was staying
up all night thinking over the e-mail message she had gotten that
had done it, but she knew that it was the contents of that message
that had sapped her will.
Over one school break about a year ago, she had been
making her rounds as usual, earning her yen for the day. This day,
however, she found that she was being followed by a little girl with
long auburn hair. As far as she could tell, the girl had been
watching her intently for over an hour.
Finally having had enough, Nabiki walked right up to the
girl. But before she could say anything, the girl asked, "What have
you been doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've been watching you collect money from people. Why
are you doing that?"
"Because they owe me money."
"But why do they all owe money to you?"
"Why are you asking about it?"
The girl shrugged. "Just curious, I guess."
"Well, the last person had made a bet with me and lost.
The one before that had taken out a loan with me and I was just
collecting his payment. I had some photos to sell to Kuno, he's the
kid that lived in the mansion."
"So it's like you're running a business?"
Nabiki nodded. It wasn't exactly legal or a hundred percent
honorable, but since she wasn't allowed to get a part-time job, it
was about the only way a school girl could make money. Nabiki
liked having money, and while her family wasn't poor, there wasn't
a lot of funds for the extra things she had wanted. That was why
she had started, at least; she had come to enjoy the thrill of a
challenge, the thought and skill that went into bleeding every yen
she could from her opponent. Her problem now was that she had
gotten so good at it that it wasn't a challenge anymore. She could
take all of someone's money without even thinking about it. Her
whole business was becoming more of a chore than a pleasure.
She was looking for a way to get back the old thrill again, and
perhaps this is what put her in an unusual mindset for what the girl
said next.
Then the girl asked, "Can you teach me how to do that?"
Nabiki was a little surprised by the girl's request, and it
took some convincing on the girl's part to show that she was
serious, but eventually the middle Tendo sister relented and took
on her first official student, Hitomi.
Hitomi lived in the next town over and would occasionally
take the train to study with her new sensei. At first, Nabiki was
keeping whatever profits Hitomi made as learning fees for herself.
While she was admittedly greedy, that wasn't the reason that she
was taking all the profits. She honestly believed that this was a
whim on Hitomi's part and wanted to see just how committed her
new student was. As the training progressed, Nabiki reduced her
cut until it was only a small portion of what her student was taking
in. Somehow teaching had revived the mercenary girl within her
and she started working on improving her own business to the
point where she was making several times more than what Hitomi
had brought in. The old thrill of earning yen was back, and owing
it all to Hitomi, Nabiki felt a little guilty about snatching away the
profits of her student.
At Nabiki's suggestion, they started to communicate more
often over e-mail. She had sold her old Mac at a discounted price
to her new student. She had planned on getting a new one anyway,
but still it was odd for her to sell it at a price that was much less
than she could have sold it to someone else for. Nabiki told herself
that this was a present to her student for doing so well, but on the
inside she was wondering if she was starting to go soft.
Nabiki switched on her computer and got her things ready
for a bath as it booted up. Quickly entering her password, she went
into her e-mail and pulled out the message, reading it for what had
to be the hundredth time.
To: TheQueenOf@FurinkanHigh.edu
From: HitomiS@HerbekeAcademy.edu
Subject: Outside Activities
Sensei,
I just started my new juku and my own business is
expanding at my new school, so I won't be able to come and study
under you as often anymore.
You've helped me so much, sensei, so please let me know if
there is anything I can do to help you.
Hitomi
Nabiki thought it over again. Hitomi was just like having a
kid sister, even to Nabiki who already had one. Better actually,
since Akane and she didn't really have any common interests, so
they didn't spend much time together. It was nice to have someone
who looked up to you, listened to you, and tried to follow in your
footsteps. Nabiki enjoyed having someone to look out for, to
protect, and to guide. Maybe it was the emergence of a motherly
instinct or just plain old loneliness, but she enjoyed it, whatever the
reason.
There was another side to it, however. Nabiki had taught
Hitomi about the importance of an exchange: that nothing came of
nothing, and that one should always make sure they got something
out of any deal. The girl had taken this lesson to heart, and
decided that she needed to repay her sensei for all that she had
been taught. Nabiki argued that the profits Hitomi had already
given her were more than enough, but the girl was adamant on
'paying her sensei back in full.' And since she couldn't help
improve her sensei's business, Hitomi had decided to help in other
areas, mostly by continuously trying to convince Nabiki to have
interests that didn't involve business in some way. Slowly but
surely, Nabiki's resistance had been worn down. She sighed a little
bit, and began to type.
To: HitomiS@HerbekeAcademy.edu
From: TheQueenOf@FurinkanHigh.edu
Subject: Re: Outside Activities
You've helped me so much, sensei, so please let me know if
there is anything I can do to help you.
What would you suggest I do then?
Nabiki
Nabiki found that finally replying to that message and a
nice long soak had rejuvenated her spirits. She was ready to go out
and earn her little pocket full of yen. But first, breakfast.
She came downstairs to find the meal already laid out;
miso, fish, and rice were all tastefully arranged next to the hot tea
waiting to be poured. Kasumi was currently arranging her own
breakfast, her eyes half-closed and a smile on her lips. To Nabiki,
it looked like her elder sister was thinking of something other than
the food in front of her and wondered what it could be. She
shrugged; as long as it kept Kasumi cheerful, she was all for it.
Her great cooking alone was worth the price of her happiness.
It was a quiet morning, with only birdsong and the faint
sound of their father in the dojo, going through his morning katas.
He hadn't taught anyone since Akane was little, but he still liked to
keep his skills up so he didn't get too rusty.
"Good morning, Nabiki," Kasumi said as her sister sat
down, and then poured them both some tea. "Did you sleep well?"
The middle Tendo had to smile at that. Despite the small
age difference between them, Kasumi looked after her as if she
were still a child. Somehow, Nabiki didn't resent it though.
"I slept okay, how about you sis?"
"Oh yes, I slept very well."
Nabiki could have sworn that for a moment it looked like
her elder sister was actually blushing, but she had to be mistaken.
Kasumi did not blush. Not even the time the waiter had hit on her
at a restaurant. Not that her elder sister had even realized that the
guy had been trying to pick her up. Nabiki was becoming more
and more convinced that Kasumi lived in a world of her own, and
was increasingly envious of the happy place that elder sister
inhabited.
Nabiki decided to try something a little bold. She didn't
think it was true, but at least would get some sort of reaction out of
Kasumi.
"Wow sis, do you some sort of secret boyfriend of
something?"
The eldest sister nearly choked on her tea as her cheeks
turned instantly rosy and her eyes held a wide, panicked look that
Nabiki had never seen in her before. She was feeling a little
startled herself. She'd just been joking, she had never expected it
to be true.
"Of course not, Nabiki! How could you even think such a
thing!" Kasumi practically yelled in a tone that was just barely in
control.
It was the kind of reaction Nabiki would expect from
Akane, but not Kasumi, who often acted as if she didn't fully
understand the world around her. Nabiki wasn't sure how to read
this. If it had been Akane, then she would have known that such a
strong denial meant that it had to be true. Kasumi had never acted
this way before, so it was hard to tell. It might be a cover-up,
though it could also be Kasumi outraged at being asked such a
question. The former was so nearly unthinkable for Kasumi that
Nabiki immediately favored the latter.
It was possible though, Nabiki realized as she thought
about it some more. Kasumi went shopping about every day and
always took her time about it no matter what she was out to get.
People rarely went with her so no one actually knew how she spent
that time. She could have been meeting someone, ridiculous as the
notion may be.
Kasumi had been acting a bit differently the past six months or so.
Before, she seemed to have some sort of inner peace thing going,
like she was a Buddha in training or something. Now she was both
happier and sadder. She was usually the former, grinning instead
of just smiling, actually laughing out loud at times, a sound which
Nabiki hadn't recalled ever hearing before this year. Kasumi even
made a joke about Akane's cooking. Nabiki, and everyone else,
had been too stunned to laugh.
She was also occasionally melancholy. If she ever was sad
before, she had never shown any sign of it. Akane and father were
still just as oblivious, but Nabiki noticed and tried to help her sister
out as best she could during those times. Nabiki never liked how
inadequate such moments made her feel.
*But if she does have a boyfriend, then why keep it a
secret? And why deny it so strongly? This might be something
worth looking into.*
Returning from her jog, Akane took a deep breath and let it
out slowly. She already felt ten times better than she had when she
had woken up. Running always made her feel so wonderfully
peaceful and alive that it was hard for her to worry about what
would happen in the school yard.
Positive that Nabiki would be done with her bath by now,
Akane gathered up her bath things and headed for the furo. Sure
enough, it was empty. She sort of missed those times years ago
when all three Tendo sisters had always taken their baths together.
The youngest Tendo wasn't complaining though, she enjoyed
having the bath to herself, though she did resent not being able to
enjoy it as long as she would have liked. Coming in late was not
an option when those boys would be waiting for her in the school
yard. And if they didn't slow her down, Kuno certainly would.
That was just another reason for her to pound them all into the dirt.
Kasumi called her down for breakfast just as she was
starting to forget about boys and relax.
"I'll be right down," Akane called back, trying to keep her
irritation out of her voice. It wasn't her sister's fault that she
couldn't enjoy a bath, it was all because of those stupid boys for
listening to that idiot Kuno.
Akane noted, as she sat down to breakfast, that her sister
was smiling as always, serving a meal that Akane knew she could
not hope to recreate. Only her father joined her at the table.
Nabiki had eaten early so she could be off for school and Kasumi
had eaten with her as she usually did. Soun was picking at his
breakfast while he studied the newspaper and Akane's elder sister
was starting on her household chores for the day. Their house was
so quiet and normal that it always left Akane somewhat unprepared
for the chaos that awaited her when she departed.
Akane listened to Kasumi humming a sweet little song as
she washed some dishes, her eyes half-closed and a smile playing
at the corners of her mouth. Akane wondered what she was
thinking of. In many ways her eldest sister was a mystery to her.
Her father was much like herself, and not just in matters of martial
arts. He was the source of her temper, though he was much more
likely to break down and cry these days. Nabiki she could also
understand, to at least to some extent. She knew the reasons why
she sometimes did things, even though Akane usually didn't think
they were worth while. She had never had any need for yen
beyond what she got for an allowance.
Akane could not figure out how Kasumi could live the life
she had and be so happy all of the time. She would have been
unbelievably frustrated and bored if all she did all day was cook
and clean. She even felt guilty sometimes that they had dumped all
of this work on Kasumi and would try to help her out, though she
knew her attempts at housework often created more work for her
eldest sister than less. Even after cleaning up one of Akane's
cooking disasters, Kasumi would still be smiling no matter how
bad the mess was. Akane had once talked to Nabiki about it, but
the middle Tendo had told her that as long as Kasumi was happy
with the way things were, then they shouldn't try to get in her way.
Akane had reluctantly agreed.
Hitomi awoke the second her alarm sounded and felt a
surge of triumph. She knew it was a very small victory, but she
enjoyed it nonetheless. She had worked hard to get over her
natural inclination to sleep in, inherited from her lazy father.
Nabiki had taught her the importance of making every hour in the
day count. Every extra minute spent sleeping, meant one less
minute doing what you wanted to. Hitomi was already convinced
that there weren't enough minutes in the day to begin with. She
thought it was ironic that her brother Ranma, who liked to sleep in,
had to get up even earlier than her now so he wouldn't be late for
school.
She switched on her computer as she started to get ready
for the day. Nabiki hadn't replied to her message last night, which
was odd since her sensei was usually very prompt about things like
that, checking her e-mail every day. The most business often went
to those most vigilant after all.
Hitomi smiled when she read Nabiki's reply. Soon the
smile grew into a full-blown grin that erupted with laughter. She
just happened to have the _perfect_ way for her sensei to spend her
extra time. She had had the idea for some a while now, waiting for
an opportunity like this to use it.
Her plan was actually quite simple. Both Nabiki and her
brother weren't seeing anyone and neither had ever been on a real
date before. They also happened to be the people that Hitomi liked
most in the world, next to her parents that is. If they married, then
the person she had come to regard as her older sister would become
her real sister. She didn't expect love at first sight, but she would
do her best to speed things along.
Hitomi quickly typed her reply as a plan began to form in
her mind. Tomorrow was the first year anniversary of her
becoming Nabiki's student. She had planned to take her sensei out
to a fancy restaurant which she had already gotten a reservation
for. Unfortunately, her own business, combined with juku and
some school activities, were keeping her too busy. She had
planned to get out of her obligations and take out her sensei
anyway, but it would be much better if she could persuade her
brother to go in her place. She enjoyed the irony that she would be
using the very skills that Nabiki had taught her in order to set up
this date.
As Hitomi was heading for the bath, she nearly tripped on
something that was sticking out from under her bed. She pulled
out the short wooden staff and stared at it in confusion before she
finally remembered. Her mother had finished cleaning up the attic,
storing everything in boxes, some marked for the basement, others
the trash. Hitomi had been curious over what her mother had
found and decided to take a look.
She had seen many strange things, but it had been the short
staff that had really caught her eye. It was made of a wood that
was a dark reddish brown and nearly smooth as glass to the touch,
at least those portions of it had hadn't been intricately carved.
They were all of abstract shapes, that, with their gently flowing
curves, reminded Hitomi of water. She decided to keep the staff
for herself since it was headed for the trash anyway.
Ranma wasn't really surprised to see Akane fighting a mob
of boys before school the next day. If the group hadn't given up
after a week of this, it was unlikely to stop because Ranma had hit
some of them a little harder than they were used to yesterday.
Ranma decided not to interfere this time, though Akane would
probably yell at him for not helping her. He had a feeling that
she'd yell at him no matter what he did, so thought it best not to
draw her attention.
Ranma skirted the edge of the fight, which was nearly over,
in an effort to avoid any trouble before school started. Akane
would probably try to fight him again, if only to prove that she
could fight her own battles, and Kuno would still insist that he
hadn't been beaten. Suddenly, the aforementioned kendoist
blocked his path.
"So I find you, wretch, clinging to the shadows like a
cowardly dog, in the vain hope to avoid my vigilant eyes. It has all
been for naught knave, justice will be served. So says the Blue
Thunder of Furinkan High!"
*Is it my imagination,* Ranma thought, *or are his
speeches getting worse?* "What do you want this time, Kuno?"
"For you to set aside your tricks and fight me honestly, man
to man. Only in this way can I prove my superiority to you and
win the hand of the lovely Akane Tendo."
Ranma decided now wasn't the time to mention that Akane
was a little too busy with her own fight to notice him at the
moment. Not that she would have cared anyway; Akane looked at
Kuno as if he were some kind of bug, while Ranma didn't think
that she held him much higher in her estimation. They could both
beat each other senseless and she wouldn't bat an eyelash.
"What does that have to do with me?" Ranma asked him.
"I am sworn to protect the fierce tigress that is Akane
Tendo from fiends such as yourself. If you wish to possess her,
then you must challenge her to honorable combat, not beguile her
with your witchery. Swear true that once I defeat you, you will
pester her no more."
Ranma wasn't aware that he was 'pestering' her, in fact he
seemed the only guy in school that wasn't. "So if you win this
fight, I have to leave her alone?"
The kendoist nodded.
"So what do I get if I win?" After playing shogi with his
sister, Ranma learned to make sure you always get something if
you win. She wouldn't even play unless they were both betting
something.
"You will not."
"But suppose I do, shouldn't I get something? How about
this: If I win, you have to make sure that morning fights with
Akane will stop and make sure that no one at school tries to fight
her anymore, including you."
"But what better way is there to prove my love for her?"
Kuno beseeched the heavens, hand held to his forehead in a gesture
of tragedy.
Ranma groaned. This guy just could not be for real.
"Look, all you have to do is beat me and you won't have to worry
about it."
Kuno pondered this for a few more moments in silence,
until he finally said, "Oh, very well. Your chances of defeating me
are so slim that it matters little."
Ranma didn't know if this guy was blind, stupid, or had an
ego the size of Osaka. It was probably all three. Ranma cracked
his knuckles and prepared to pound the kendoist into the ground.
Kuno fought better than he had before, Ranma had to give
him that. His bokken was blur as he sought to maim the pig-tailed
boy. Ranma still won in the end, but Kuno had managed to give
him a few bruises to remember the kendoist by.
*If he would always fight at this level,* Ranma thought,
*he might turn into an interesting sparring partner.* He had no
doubt that Kuno would challenge him again.
Ranma woke him up by knocking him on the head with his
own bokken. "Hey, anybody in there?"
"That hurt, you know," was Kuno's reply.
"Well, you fought okay that time, but you still lost. Now
don't forget our bet."
"I protest! You must have used your magics on me again.
No one can defeat the Blue Thunder, no one!"
Ranma knocked on his head to stop the kendo boy's
ranting. "Since when is pounding someone with fists and feet
magic? I didn't use any sorcery this time or any other time I fought
you. If you won't believe me, ask some of the people who saw the
fight. We fought, you lost, now are you going to be a man and
honor our bet?"
Kuno sat in thought for some time, his eyes closed. Ranma
was about to clonk him in the head again, when the kendoist
sprang up, knocking Ranma on his butt.
Kuno stood, fist upraised, and declared to the heavens,
"Yes! The Blue Thunder will now protect the fair Akane Tendo
from all challengers, and in that way prove my love to her!"
"That's not what I meant. I just wanted you to stop the
morning fights," Ranma said, but Kuno was already long gone.
*Well,* he thought, *at least I'm not going to be late for class
today.*
Ranma suddenly found himself surrounded by a mob which
had been growing ever since the fight with Kuno had began. He
was now encircled by most of the school, all shouting things at
him. "Wow, you beat Kuno again!" "What did you mean by bet?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?" "Are you dating Akane?"
Nabiki sat in class, watching the morning drama as it
played out in the school yard. On the left, her sister Akane was
engaged in fierce combat with the various members of Furinkan
High's sports' clubs. This had become such a typical sight that it
was boring to watch. The fight was so repetitive that she could tell
which moves her sister was going to use even before she used
them. Boy attacks, Akane dodges, counterattacks, knocking the
boy unconscious. Repeat until you run out of boys.
And on the right, the boy who had made the mistake of
getting involved in one of Akane's fights yesterday, who had also
beaten Kuno, the best martial artist in school, four times in one
day. Kyoko, one of her factors in her sister's class, had informed
Nabiki that his name was Ranma Saotome. She wondered if she
had heard the name before, since it sounded so familiar. It could
be because that boy was a sort of legend in the Japanese
educational system. He had been forcibly transferred time and
time again for offenses including, but not limited to: being late,
sleeping in class, destruction of school and private property,
assault, and inciting a riot. His total list of crimes ran several
pages long.
However, the morning fights hadn't been able to keep her
attention that day, though her eyes did linger over Ranma. She
was thinking of Hitomi's e-mail message, and the possibility that
her oldest sister was engaged in some secret rendezvous with a
man during her frequent shopping trips.
Nabiki had never had a boyfriend. Actually, she had never
gone on a date. It wasn't due to a lack of offers; even with her
mercenary reputation some guys were interested in her looks and
obvious intelligence. Besides, some people liked ruthless women.
She was beginning to suspect that several of her factors were
developing crushes on her. That she hadn't accepted any of their
offers was usually due to a lack to time or interest, though most
often the latter. All the guys at school were either boring, crazy, or
obsessed with her sister. There was simply no one worth her time,
so she had given up looking. She also had much quicker and more
effective means of getting their yen than dating them.
The e-mail from Hitomi, combined with her conversation
with Kasumi that morning, had reawakened her interest in the idea
of dating. Unfortunately, she was still at school with the same
people. They were all already crossed off her mental list as not
being worth it, and she just couldn't persuade herself to give them
another chance. The only prospect not on the blacklist was
currently fighting an enraged Kuno.
Nabiki didn't know much about the new student, but what
she did know was both positive and negative. Ranma was
obviously a great martial artist, and if he could end up a good a
teacher as he was a fighter then he was guaranteed to be a popular
sensei. Even without going that road, there were always
competitions and other work to think about, like being a stunt
double in a movie. And if he turned out to have any acting ability,
Ranma could become an action star. Either way, he was
potentially lucrative.
On the minus side, he was also a troublemaker who was
famous for causing chaos wherever he went. The cost of damages
alone might be enough to offset anything he could earn. She had
also heard that he barely paid attention in class, even sleeping
through a lecture on his first day. Being a poor student meant bad
grades, which cut off some avenues for him.
Nabiki shook her head in anger. What was she thinking?
She was supposed to be getting away from things like that, doing
as Hitomi had suggested and concentrating on something other
than business. Okay, Ranma: he doesn't seem too smart, but he
was cute and Nabiki knew enough about martial arts to have a
decent conversation with him. One date wouldn't be so bad,
especially if he paid for it. If he turned out okay, then she could
have other dates with him, and maybe a potential long-term
boyfriend. It would probably be good for her image as well, going
out with a boy who had already made himself popular by besting
Kuno.
The only problem was Nabiki had no idea how to go about
it. She had a feeling that her cool facade would instantly crumble
if she asked him out and he turned her down. She could think of
no immediate way to get him to ask her, no positive way at least.
Forcing him on a date wasn't an option.
Kyoko was feeling a little worried for her boss at the
moment. She had been acting a bit strange the past couple of days,
but Nabiki did have the occasional mood swing. No one else
noticed them, but Kyoko did. She was acting stranger than usual
that morning though.
Kyoko ran off a mental checklist on her boss. Staring out
the window before class to watch the fights: normal. She was
concentrating totally on the new kid fighting Kuno, rather than
switching between the two fights, but she could be checking out
the boy's style to know how to set the betting odds. Besides, no
one really needed to watch Akane's fights any more to know how
they end up.
That was the pronounced change, the one that anyone could
have noticed. Nabiki hadn't called for any bets. Her factors had
taken care of it anyway, but for her to not even ask about it this far
into the fight was unprecedented. Nabiki also seemed to be
concentrating a little too much on the new student for Kyoko's
liking.
"Sempai," Kyoko called out to her, but Nabiki continued to
stare and didn't respond.
"Sempai?" Kyoko said again and tried tugging at her boss's
arm to get her attention. She liked how her boss always preferred
to wear silk blouses. Kyoko had started wearing them herself
because of it.
Nabiki's eyes seemed to snap into focus as she turned
around to face her factor. "What is it, Kyoko?"
Kyoko blinked a little in surprise. No 'Kyoko-chan?'
Nabiki called everyone who worked for her '-chan', partly as a
closeness thing and partly to show who was the boss. She called
Kuno 'Kuno-chan' mostly as a private joke with her factors, since
the bokken-wielding nutcase was practically working for her the
way she made so much money off of him. Anyone who worked
for her usually called her 'Nabiki-san', though he younger factors
preferred 'sempai.' No one called her 'Nabiki-chan,' except her
older sister, who was such a sweet person that she could get away
with anything. Kyoko didn't think that even Nabiki's father called
her '-chan.'
"I thought that you'd like to know how the betting is going
today, since the fights are almost over."
Despite being a year younger than Nabiki and about half
the staff, Kyoko had been chosen as the boss's chief assistant.
Nabiki had said that it was due to Kyoko's scores in math, which
were the highest in the school, and the fact that she was in the same
class as the boss's younger sister, who she liked to keep an eye on,
and not always as a source of revenue. Kyoko liked to think that
there were other reasons as well.
Nabiki took the clipboard her assistant had handed her and
started going over the numbers, pushing all thoughts of dates and
Ranma out of her mind. The betting on Akane vs. the idiots (as
Nabiki liked to call the boys who actually listened to Kuno) had
gone steadily down, even after they had changed it from 'who will
win' to 'how fast will Akane pound the boys into the pavement.'
Those fights just weren't exciting anymore. The betting on Ranma
vs. Kuno was up to even more than those of yesterday, making up
for the loss on Akane's battle. Some people were still betting on
Kuno, even when Ranma routinely beat him. Nabiki shook her
head. Idiots like that didn't deserve to get allowances.
Nabiki handed back the clipboard with a smile. "Looks
like my sister's fights aren't that popular anymore. We'll have to
make sure that the fights with Ranma keep coming."
Kyoko was glad of the clipboard to hide her blush. He boss
had such a nice smile. She wished that she had a smile like that.
"Don't you mean Ranma's fights with Kuno?"
Nabiki smirked. "I don't think we have to worry about
Kuno-chan giving up. Once he sets he sights on something, he
doesn't stop until he gets it. From what I've seen, it'll be cold day
in hell when he beats Ranma. No, what I meant is other fights
around Ranma. The other kids are interested in him and so will bet
on just about anything that happens around him. Some boys hate
him and will bet against him, others admire him and will bet on
him. Most of the girls are interested in him, so they'll bet on him.
The other girls, mostly my sister's friends, think he's a jerk and will
bet against him."
"Most of the girls are interested in him?" Kyoko repeated
with some surprise. She had heard a few planning to ask him out,
but that was it. She often wondered where her boss got her
information, but had found that whatever the source it was rarely
wrong.
Nabiki nodded and gestured to the window where Ranma's
fight with Kuno had just ended. "Look at all the girls that are
flocking around him after the fight. Many girls ignored the fights
before Ranma came, so this is good for us at least. You don't find
him attractive, Kyoko-chan?"
Kyoko looked out the window and studied Ranma for a
time. She had already taken him in at a glance, but needed time to
think of just how she should answer the question. She was on
dangerous ground here, at least in her view. If she answered yes
then she wouldn't be contradicting her boss, but it wouldn't be
honest as Nabiki was forever telling her to be with her. If she said
no it would be how she felt, but Nabiki might be curious to why,
and that was something that Kyoko wasn't prepared to answer.
"I don't find him attractive, sempai," Kyoko finally said,
"but maybe he just isn't my type."
Nabiki thought about it for a moment before nodded.
"Do you . . . " Kyoko asked tentatively. "Do you find him
attractive, sempai?"
"Maybe," Nabiki answered almost immediately, "that's
what I'm trying to figure out."
Ranma wasn't surprised to find Akane watching him in
class yet again. The school was buzzing with all sorts of rumors
after his fight with Kuno. This time however, when she noticed
that he was noticing her, she turned away not in anger, but what
looked to be embarrassment.
Ranma was shocked when someone joined him for lunch.
For a while Akane only sat there next to him, bento unopened
before her, staring out on the school yard. Though he could tell
that she was trembling slightly, on her face was an expression of
pure determination.
She suddenly turned to face him and asked, "Why? Why
did you do it?"
"Do what?" He asked confused. The most he had done to
her all day was a few glances in her direction and those were
because of how strangely she had been acting. Of course, Ranma
was familiar to be accused of something that he hadn't done.
Akane had already done that with once before.
"Why did you make Kuno stop the morning fights?"
"Like I said to you before, it wasn't right, you know? Guys
trying to hit girls, they should've known better. I could understand
if they were helping you train, but the whole 'got to beat you to
date you' thing is just stupid. Besides, you didn't look too happy
about it."
"You mean, that you did it . . . for me?" Akane asked,
blinking at him in utter astonishment. Ranma didn't think that she
would have sounded more surprised if he had told her that his
father was a panda.
After a few minutes, Akane seemed to recover from her
shock. Then she stood up, her eyes narrowed. "Just because you
stopped the morning fights, doesn't mean you get the right to date
me now."
Ranma looked at her, even more confused than before. He
had enough troubles with the girls at school as it was. He didn't
need to add to them. "I don't want to date you."
Akane almost went back to the surprised look when her
eyes narrowed again. "So I'm not good enough for you to date, am
I?"
"I didn't mean that!" Ranma had a feeling that he had just
lost control of the conversation.
"Well, what did you mean then? Just because you might be
a better martial artist than me, doesn't mean that I'm beneath you or
something."
"You're jumping to conclusions! I don't want to date
anyone!"
"I see, so you don't think that anyone at this school is good
enough for you, is that it?"
Ranma just barely registered how Akane seemed to get
angrier with everything she said. Her hands were clenched now
and her face was getting progressively redder. He was getting a
familiar tingling on the back of his neck that meant he was on
dangerous ground. Things could get ugly quickly. Perhaps it was
this danger sense that made him think before replying.
Ranma took a deep breath and told her, "I don't think I'm
better than anyone else. I am good at martial arts, don't know
many who are better, but then there isn't much else that I'm even
half-decent at. I don't think that there is anything wrong with you
or any of the others girls at school. I just don't have the time to go
on dates now."
Ranma watched all the anger drain out of Akane, a
surprised look on her face once again. Ranma inwardly cheered.
For once he had said the right thing and actually avoided a fight. It
hardly seemed possible. All of those arguments that he had had
with his sister were starting to pay off. Then why did he have the
feeling that he had just caused more problems than he had solved?
When Akane noticed that Ranma was looking right at her,
she seemed to find her shoes much more interesting to watch.
"Oh," was all she said in reply to Ranma's speech, before she
turned and walked away.
Ranma sighed when he realized that there was only a
minute left to eat his lunch.
When Kasumi heard the door close softly, she thought that
Nabiki had come home early for some reason, since Akane always
slammed the door shut. Her little sister was so energetic. It was a
good thing that she had taken up martial arts to burn off that excess
energy or the house might suffer, at least more than it already did.
Kasumi didn't mind the work, but repairing the house was
expensive on their limited budget.
So Kasumi was surprised to see Akane slowly walking up
the stairs, her eyes unfocused and staring at the ceiling. On her
face was an expression of utter confusion. It was an expression
Kasumi was used to seeing on Akane, but it usually lasted only a
few moments. Her sister was a quick thinker, though she
sometimes made the wrong assumptions.
"Akane, is something the matter?" Kasumi called out to
her. "Did something happen at school?"
Akane was so startled that she nearly fell down the stairs.
Akane stared at the floor and struggled with what to say as
Kasumi started on the laundry. It was all so confusing in her own
mind that it was difficult to put into words.
"Kasumi, have you ever met someone that you didn't know
what to think of?"
Kasumi frowned slightly as she turned away from the
laundry. "I'm not sure what you mean, Akane."
Akane growled a little in frustration. She wasn't sure what
she meant either, but if she didn't tell someone about this it would
drive her crazy. And her friends at school might jump to the
wrong conclusions, which would only make things worse.
"Okay, let's say when you first met this person you thought
that... they were a real jerk, but after a while you're not sure if
they're such a jerk after all. In fact, they might be kind of... nice,
but you're not sure. All of your instincts are saying not to trust...
this person, but they've done nothing bad so far. In fact, they even
helped you out when they didn't have to. So this person might turn
out to be not so bad after all, except you're afraid that if you aren't
on guard around them and treat them nice that they'll... turn out to
be a real jerk all along and were only pretending to be nice."
Akane wrung her hands together in anger. "Am I making
any sense?"
Kasumi smiled and gave Akane a comforting pat on the
shoulder. "I think you're making a lot of sense. It sounds like you
met a boy at school who was nice to you and you're not sure if it's
some sort of trick or not."
"I didn't say it was a boy."
"You didn't have to. You've told me about some of your
problems with the boys at school. I said before that we should
explain to father and have him take care of it, but you wouldn't
hear of it."
Akane frowned. Kasumi just wouldn't understand what it
would do to her reputation as a martial artist if her father had to
step in for her. There were enough people that wouldn't take her
seriously because she was a woman. If it looked like she needed
her father to fight her battles for her, then no one would respect
her.
"That doesn't matter now, this... boy I'm talking about got
Kuno to stop the fights, even though I tried to fight him on the first
day of school."
"Oh?" Kasumi said, feeling the slightest bit worried. The
story was beginning to sound familiar.
"At first I thought he was there to fight me like the others,
and when he refused to hit back I thought that he was just trying to
humiliate me. I guess he didn't mean any harm. Then he ended the
fights. I tried to find out why he did it, why a boy would help me,
and I just ended up shouting at him." Akane hung her head in
shame.
Kasumi put a comforting arm around her little sister. "It
sounds like you should apologize to him, then."
"Yeah!" Akane said with sudden enthusiasm. "I could even
bake him some cookies to make up for the way I acted!"
Kasumi was a bit startled. *If he eats one of Akane's
cookies, he'll think she really dislikes him.* "Why don't you just
stick to saying you're sorry? If you give him cookies, people might
get ideas about the two of you."
"You're right, Kasumi. Thank you," Akane said as she
stood and made for the dojo. "I think I'll get some practice in
now."
"Oh, Akane?" Kasumi called her back with a trace of
nervousness in her voice.
"Yes, Kasumi?"
"What's the name of this boy?"
Akane thought for a moment, remembering back to when
he was introduced to her class. "Ranma, Ranma Saotome."
Kasumi sighed as Akane left. The last thing she wanted
was her cute and popular sister to get close to Ranma, but she
couldn't jeopardize Akane's first friendship with a boy her age.
Kasumi just hoped that it wouldn't go further than friends.
Sometime later, Nabiki came home in high spirits.
Ranma's latest fight with Kuno had made the day a profitable one,
and there was also Hitomi's reply waiting for her. It definitely
would be nice to do something that didn't have to do with her
business for once.
Nabiki's first reaction to Hitomi's suggestion was to cringe.
She liked being in control and a blind date meant that she didn't
even have control over who she was going out with. What if he
was ugly, boring, or a real jerk? Nabiki could find ways of making
his life hell, but she wouldn't really enjoy it. She wanted to find a
way to relax. It didn't make her feel any more secure when she
read that this brother had never been on a date either. Hitomi was
trying to put it in the best light, but it was clear that Nabiki's
student had some way to go yet in the art of persuasion.
She read on in the message and suddenly her eyes opened
very wide. Hitomi said her brother's name was Ranma. Nabiki
just remembered that her student's last name was Saotome. Now it
could have been a big coincidence since Hitomi didn't mention the
fact that he went to Furinkan high, but Nabiki had never had much
belief in coincidence. Besides, she vaguely remembered meeting
Hitomi's older brother when she first took her on as a student. That
was why Ranma seemed so familiar.
Hitomi was trying to set her up on a date with the person
she herself was considering asking. She thought a while before
replying. She didn't want to seem too eager.
Ranma was in his room doing his homework. Actually, he
was staring at his homework while his thoughts were mostly
involved Akane and the way she had acted around him. Ranma
had experience with some strange people, male and female, but he
just couldn't figure Akane out.
"Oh, big brother!" Hitomi called from the doorway,
startling Ranma out of his thoughts.
"Why don't you ever knock?" Ranma scolded to cover his
embarrassment at day-dreaming.
Hitomi smiled. "But why? There's no way I could hope to
sneak up a master martial artist like my big brother Ranma."
Ranma frowned at her sarcastic tone. "Is there something
you want, Hitomi?"
Hitomi began to wander about his room, looking over his
collection of books on various martial art forms, stacked next to his
set of karate movies. "Oh, I was just seeing what you were doing,
that's all."
"My homework."
Hitomi stopped at his desk and carefully studied the blank
notebook page. "Having some trouble?"
Ranma nodded absently. He knew he could do it if he was
just able to focus, which he was unfortunately unable to do at the
moment. The real problem was it was due tomorrow and he didn't
think the teacher would take his lack of focus as an excuse.
"I could help you --"
"-- for a fee," Ranma completed, knowing how his sister
operated.
Hitomi nodded.
Ranma fished around his wallet, to find it depressingly
lacking in yen, certainly not enough to pay for his sister's help. *I
knew I should have gotten those pork buns on the way home, but I
was so hungry.*
Ranma noticed that Hitomi was twirling a lock of her hair,
and suddenly became very nervous. He knew that she only did that
when she had a scheme, one which usually involved him in a way
he wouldn't like.
"Already spent your allowance?" Hitomi asked with a grin.
"I have a deal for you. I'll do all your homework for today and all
of next week besides, if you do me a small favor."
"How small?" Ranma asked, his eyes narrowed
suspiciously.
"You might even like this," Hitomi told him as she plunked
herself down on his bed. "But since I'm in a bit of a bind, I'll do
your homework anyway. It's been almost exactly one year since I
began studying 'practical economics' under my sensei, and I was
going to take her out on a little celebration. I planned out the
whole night, along with getting dinner reservations at a fancy
restaurant, but unfortunately some things have come up at school
that will keep me busy on that night."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Well, most of the activities could be postponed for another
time, but the dinner reservations were very hard to get and I can't
let them go to waste. I also can't have my sensei eating alone, so I
thought that you could take her."
"What? No way!"
"Why not? All I'm asking you to do is walk and eat, two
tasks you excel at already."
"Your 'sensei' isn't much older than me, right?"
Hitomi thought for a moment. "She's about a year older,
why?"
"So if I go to this fancy restaurant with her, won't that look
like a date?"
Hitomi rolled her eyes. Her voice was filled with sarcasm.
"I don't see how anyone could make that mistake. Two teenagers
going to a fancy restaurant together and all."
"You're trying to get me to date your sensei!" Ranma
accused.
"You _are_ a sharp one, brother dear."
Ranma couldn't believe his little sister was trying to set him
up. He had enough problems with their mother doing that. "But
you know the kind of problems this sort of thing has gotten me into
in the past."
"But this situation is different," Hitomi told him, counting
off the reasons on her fingers. "Point one, she's not a martial artist.
Point two, neither of our parents know her or her family. And
point three, you will definitely get in trouble unless your
homework is done."
Ranma sighed. "You're not going to give up until I say yes,
are you?"
Hitomi gave her brother a big grin. "Nope."
"All right, I'll do it."
"Yatta!"
"But on one condition, you have to pay for all of it; the
meal, the fancy clothes, and whatever other costs there are."
Hitomi frowned over that. Her brother had become
shrewder because of their dealings. She wondered if she should
charge him for lessons. "Okay, I'll accept your condition if you
accept two of mine."
"What are they?"
"First, you have to show my sensei a good time. You can't
just stuff you face at dinner and leave her or anything --"
"Hey, I'm not pops!"
"--Second, absolutely no fighting!"
"What? Why!?"
"You can't entertain my sensei if you're picking fights with
everyone you meet."
"But what if someone just attacks me for no reason? That
happens, you know."
"Then practice the Saotome Secret Technique, but make
sure you take my sensei with you."
Kuno sat in his room in meditation, pondering. It was
something that he was used to doing, staring at his life-size poster
of Akane, wondering when she would finally overcome her
shyness and declare her love for him. But for once, his thoughts
were not focused on his one and only true love.
He had lost. No matter how hard he tried, he could neither
deny nor escape that thought. It came at him relentlessly, a
mocking voice which strangely echoed that of his father. He was
the Blue Thunder of Furikan High, undefeated captain of the
school's kendo team. The only person who could hold a candle to
his skills, and so the only woman worthy of his love, was Akane
Tendo. Even against she, he knew himself to be superior, always
holding back in their fights for fear of harming her lovely visage.
Hard, fierce eyes contrasted with long, soft black hair...
Kuno violently shook his head and reluctantly turned his
back on the poster of his lady love, having to make do with several
smaller pictures of her. No, his love for her was proving to be a
distraction; a welcome one, but a distraction nevertheless. He had
to go back to the root of his problem. Now what was it again?
Ah yes, the bitter taste of defeat that still lingered in his
mouth. Or was that an aftertaste of his sister's latest experiment?
Either way, he had lost. Not once, not twice, but five times, each
defeat more humiliating than the last. At first, he had reasoned that
there had to be some sort of trickery afoot, that his opponent was
beguiling him with some dark art. For was his kendo form not
perfect? Would not even the ancient masters of the blade be
astounded at his prowess? He was sure of this.
But his final battle with this fiend had proved him wrong.
For no matter how he played over the fight in his mind, he could
find no element of trickery in his opponent's actions. He had
played over every single movement at least a dozen times to only
reach one inescapable conclusion, Ranma Saotome was skilled,
more skilled than he.
"Sasuke!" Kuno called out suddenly.
The Akane poster seemed to roll up by itself and behind
stood a short ninja, dressed in his traditional garb. "You
summoned me, master?"
"Yes, I want you to find out all you can about Ranma
Saotome and his family, especially pertaining to martial arts."
The diminutive ninja nodded. "As you wish, master
Kuno." And the poster rolled back down.
Saotome was more skilled. Kuno had to repeat the thought
several times to get used to it. It did not sit well with him. It was
something he wished that he could ignore or make go away, but he
could not escape the conclusion of his excellent logic.
Saotome was more skilled, but in what way? Certainly not
in kendo. It was impossible to improve on perfection. But his
opponent hadn't used kendo at all. That was a puzzle to Kuno.
Kendo was the greatest form of martial arts ever conceived and he
was the undisputed master of it, yet someone who probably did not
even know the correct way to hold a bokken had defeated him.
How could this be?
It was not through magic or any other form of trickery. He
had already ruled those out. The boy had been quite clear that he
had been fighting honestly and Kuno could find no flaw in the
honor of his opponent. That Ranma was fighting only to convince
Kuno of the rightness of protecting the fair Akane rather than
combating her did much to increase the young Saotome in
Tatiwaki's estimation. Kuno felt a small swell of pride when he
realized that it was their earlier fights that had set the previously
misguided boy upon the correct path.
Kuno was starting to see the situation quite clearly. The
four earlier fights had just been his way of steering his opponent
back to the ways of Bushido. That was why, subconsciously,
Kuno had never gone all out against him. For was it not worth
tasting bitter defeat if he could bring a fallen samurai back into the
light? And in their final fight, he must have subconsciously
realized that Ranma had finally returned to the true path and they
had fought with all they had, like true warriors.
Kuno wiped away a small tear from his eye. It was quite a
surprise to him to find that he was more noble and kind than he had
previously thought. And Ranma had even seen Kuno's true
purpose when he himself could not, being blinded by the love that
overwhelmed his heart! His opponent, no his comrade, had guided
him back upon the path before he could have the chance to stray.
Kuno wept at the beauty of the act: the loyal student returning his
debt to his teacher in such a way.
Kuno realized that he had been meant to lose. For once,
righteousness had been on the side of his opponent. Could that be
it? Blinded by his love, following an unjust cause, that he, despite
all of his skill, had been destined to fail?
Now Kuno felt shame at his previous blindness. No
wonder his love had raged against him, she must have felt
confused by his actions. How could he have spoken of their love
in one breath and challenged her to combat in the next? To prove
his own prowess to her? But that was self-evident, he was the
undisputed master of the blade. To prove hers? He already knew
in his heart of the fire that ran in her veins. Her fierceness was for
all to see in every movement and every gesture.
"Oh, what a fool I've been," Kuno shouted to the heavens.
"A poor, blind fool. To accuse an honorable man of blinding me
with magics when I had already blinded myself. I have made
myself unworthy of being a samurai, of the name Kuno, and worse
of all, unworthy of the love of Akane Tendo."
Kuno hung his head in shame for several moments, but then
sprang up when an idea entered his mind, an idea that he pounced
upon like a tiger. What if he could make up for all of his past
deeds somehow, redeem his honor, and once again become worthy
of Akane's love? And Ranma had already shown him the way! He
had ordered him to be the protector of Akane Tendo for losing their
melee. Was this not the perfect solution? Could he have made any
better suggestion? Ranma Saotome was truly a worthy ally, surely
samurai blood flowed in his veins as it did in Kuno's.
He would protect Akane from every harm, visible and
invisible, treating her as the most delicate flower. Thereby
showing that he was no longer blind and, at the same time, his
depth of devotion to her!