Musical Sisters OR Rotation with Carry.
An alternate Ranma 1/2 scenario.
By Kevin D. Hammel
Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. Publishing rights are held
by Viz in the US and Shogakukan in Japan. My purpose is to honor the
creator and her works. No infringement intended.
***
A nineteen-year-old woman worked in the kitchen getting the evening
meal ready. Her long hair was corralled in a ponytail to prevent it
from interfering with her life too much. Looking at the clock, she
realized it was time to start the rice cooker. The kitchen appliance
was dented, like all the other devices in the room. A glance at the
cupboard showed that the plastic tub of rice was almost empty. <Gotta
bring more rice down from my room.> She made a mental note to herself.
After the proper amount of rice and water were added to the device,
she turned it on only to be greeted by the 'done' chime. A sour
expression crossed her face for a moment; then she hit the machine
hard in JUST the right place to make it work this time. So it was that
a new dent joined the multitude. With a fresh smile, she turned her
attention to tonight's entree.
"Excuse me, Big Sister, do you need any help in the kitchen?" A
younger voice sweetly asked.
The cook turned to see her younger sister, a lanky seventeen year old.
"Don't worry. I've got everything under control." She looked
thoughtful then looked up to smile at the taller girl. "'Sides, you've
got that big test coming up... I don't want the best student at
Furinkan High to drop a notch over dinner."
The younger girl flushed a bit, then shook her head. "Big sister, what
would we do without you?" She sniffed a bit. "What is that?"
The older girl took a big whiff, and then noticed a bit of smoke.
"Uh... dinner, I think!" She said, then turned to see a tiny fire
starting in the skillet where she had been browning some meat.
"Ooohh... WHY ME!" she shouted, then began evasive maneuvers to save
dinner. It was from moments like these that her unique School, Martial
Arts Housekeeping had arisen.
The younger girl watched the spectacle for a few moments, the headed
up to her room. She DID need to study and, no matter how much of a
mess Big Sister made in the kitchen, the food ALWAYS came out well.
And, somehow, the kitchen and the whole house stayed spotless.
In a building adjacent to the home, the third daughter busied herself
with her daily training regimen. She had just finished her morning
run, and was currently removing the ankle and wrist weights she
trained with. Setting the last weight sown, she looked around the
dojo. Someday, it would be hers. She would inherit her family's
legacy, and its school. Sadness crossed her face as she thought about
her mom... who had died ten years earlier. How different things would
have been had she lived.
A white gi contrasted with her long hair, tied in a ponytail like both
her sisters. Like the middle sister, she was quite a bit taller than
the oldest. Also like the middle sibling, her body hadn't caught up to
her growth spurt, so she was a bit gangly. But her coordination was
perfect, despite her early growth.
Shaking away the threat of tears thoughts of Mother always brought on,
the girl began her kata. Training occupied a specific place in her
life. And took a carefully allotted swath of time. When she trained,
she focused on it totally... like all the other things she did. Her
actions revealed a practitioner of the Art with both skill and
dedication. Speed not strength was her forte, so she had tailored her
training routine to reflect that. Her arms and legs almost blurred as
she danced through her procession of forms.
Upstairs, with dinner now on autopilot, Big Sister worked out in her
room. Large bags of foodstuffs were used as an impromptu weight set,
since her father wouldn't buy anything like that for her. Accompanying
the workout were the guttural cries and exaggerated sound effects of a
martial arts film than played on her mini TV/VCR. When mom died, she
felt responsible for her whole family and became a mother of sorts to
her siblings. Before that, she and her sisters had trained together
and SHE had been the best. At first, she had to give up the Art
totally and concentrate on assuming Mother's duties. By the time she
was in Junior High, her sisters were old enough to fend for themselves
a bit, so she wanted to pick the Art up again.
Even after seven years, it still hurt when she as she remembered her
father's reaction. Little Sister was to be the sole heir of the
school. Little Sister had not abandoned the Art, and thus had shown
herself as worthy. That had only increased the older girl's desire to
excel. Bookshelves full of martial arts 'How to' books dominated the
room. The walls were decorated with annotated blueprints of household
appliances. When she wasn't doing the various chores housekeeping
required, she was here working out.
Since she had graduated from High School, her life was defined by
housework and martial arts. And even when she was in school, the only
subjects she really cared about were Home Economics and Physical
Education.
She had her best workouts when Daddy was gone. Those times, she would
go to the dojo and go through a proper set of kata. She knew Father
frowned on her activities, but as long as meals were cooked and the
house was in order, he didn't complain too much... unless her saw her
in the dojo. That was Little Sister's domain, and he felt she didn't
belong. She would never get over the feeling it SHOULD be hers.
Her own School had developed out of a strong desire to do chores
faster and better... to give her more training time. In parallel to
that, the study of pressure points and electrical junctions in
household appliances had helped her develop the techniques of Martial
Arts Appliance Repair.
***
Father had gathered the three sisters for an important announcement.
They all knelt before the table in the living room. "Ranma is coming!"
He said with excitement, waving a postcard with a panda on it.
All three girls looked at him. The youngest was dressed in her gi,
having just concluded her workout period. The middle sister and oldest
were dressed similarly in long skirts and blouses, though the oldest
also wore a weather-beaten, but spotless, apron.
"Who is Ranma?" the youngest asked.
The father couldn't keep joy off his face. "He is the heir to my best
friend's School. When we were younger, my friend and I pledged to
unite our schools and families by marriage."
The oldest brightened a bit, and then frowned. "I hope he's not
younger than me... younger men are so... young."
"Oh dear, I hope you're right." The middle daughter said as she raised
a hand to her face, covering her mouth.
Suddenly, the eldest girl shot upright and bolted up the stairs.
Sounds that could only be described as wildly chaotic emerged from her
bedroom for a few seconds, and then she appeared in her doorway
wearing a well-worn pink gi.
Father stood and looked sternly at his daughter. "What are you doing
wearing THAT?"
"Because, Daddy..." The girl said, then flipped over the railing and
plunged down from the top of the stairs to the floor. "I'm a martial
artist."
Resentment was still on the older man's face. "How can you say that?
You abandoned the Art for years!"
Anger now had the oldest daughter in its grip, and wasn't going to let
go as a decade of frustration boiled to the surface. "Because my
family needed me to. I didn't see you cook..."
"Please! Father... Big Sister... don't fight." The middle daughter
implored, looking at each of them with big brown eyes as eloquent as
her voice. As if by magic, both combatants stopped their argument.
The doorbell rang.
The youngest girl got up to answer it, followed closely by the eldest.
***
There are moments that are frozen in the mind forever, and the scene
that greeted the two girls upon opening the door was one of them. A
short, dripping wet... boy? Fronted a huge, thoroughly drenched panda.
The boy spoke first, in a voice which sounded disturbingly feminine.
"I'm Ranma Saotome... Sorry 'bout this."
The two girls blinked in perfect unison before the youngest daughter
broke the silence. "Ooh, he IS cute!"
The two girls' father pushed his way between the two daughters to wrap
his prospective son-in-law in a bear hug. "Ranma! It's so good to...
Hmmm?" The man let go and blinked his eyes. Something felt strange
about Ranma. He let go to stare at the small... boy.
The youngest daughter was curious about two pronounced wrinkles on the
boy's shirt. A quick poke stopped quite a bit before it would have on
a boy's chest. "Uh... Daddy. He's a girl."
"Please don't do that." The small boy who was a girl responded, not
appreciating the taller girl's attentions.
The three girl's father passed out.
The middle daughter smiled at her junior sibling and Ranma. "Why don't
you show Ranma-chan the dojo, Nabiki?" She turned to her senior as she
continued, "I'm sure Akane will help me with father."
Akane looked from Ranma to Nabiki, realizing the fiancee they had all
hoped for would never be, at least this time. "Okay, Kasumi-chan. I'll
help you with Daddy, then..." She looked at her youngest sibling with
earnest entreaty. "Maybe I can help show Ranma the dojo too."
Nabiki had the thoughtful look on her face that caused many at her
High School to tremble. "Well, Akane... you KNOW how Daddy feels about
you going into the dojo."
"Look, Nabiki. Won't you just give me ONE chance to test another girl
in the Art?" Akane asked earnestly.
"Look, you guys..." Ranma whispered, in a quiet but firm voice. "I'm
not a girl."
"Yeah, Ranma. Tell me another one!" Nabiki good-naturedly chided, her
thin smile fading in the face of Ranma's serious expression. "So, you
wanna see our dojo?"
"Sure, Nabiki. I'd like that." Ranma replied. The two girls left
together. And Akane flew up the stairs to fetch some bedding to make
her father comfortable, as quickly as possible.
***
"Would you like to spar?" Nabiki asked Ranma after giving the small
girl a thorough tour of the facility, which took all of forty-five
seconds. Akane walked in toward the end of the tour, earning a glare
from her sister.
"I guess," The small girl replied, "But, I'll warn ya. I don't hit
girls."
Nabiki looked askance then assumed a ready stance. "I hope you'll make
an exception for me."
Ranma shook her head as if she knew something the other girl didn't,
then stood to face her opponent with a strangely casual stance.
Nabiki went at the girl with some low-speed kicks and punches, frankly
surprised that she dodged each one. Speeding things up a bit, Ranma
sped up her dodges as well, easily evading each jab. "So, Ranma, "
Nabiki said as she launched another low-speed barrage, careful to
follow a predictable pattern. "Don't you want to fight?" She playfully
taunted.
In response, the girl smiled and dodged some more.
Akane watched from the corner. She was uncertain whether to cheer
Nabiki being shown up, or frown at the insult to her family's school.
Deciding it wasn't HER school any more; Akane came to the conclusion
it might be good for Nabiki-chan to get knocked down a few pegs.
Nabiki smiled inwardly, but kept a poker face. Full speed... now. The
girl released a flurry of full speed punches in a pattern she hadn't
used yet, catching Ranma off guard. Nabiki smiled as the small girl
actually had to block a few blows, but realized she probably wouldn't
be able to really touch her opponent. "You're good." She said to...
empty space. Looking around, Ranma seemed to have vanished. A light
tap on her back told the story. Ranma had leapt over her.
Nabiki turned to the victor. "You're really good." She stated as she
bowed.
"Yeah..." Ranma said with confidence, rather than arrogance.
"Maybe I could pick up a few pointers from you... Wanna be friends?"
"Uh... yeah." Ranma responded, brightening for the first time during
her visit. "You're pretty good... for a girl."
Akane walked around the mat, careful to enter the arena from the
guest's side.
Nabiki watched her sister, surprised but pleased at her sibling's
observance of protocol, and respect.
>From the far side of the mat, Akane advanced on the other two girls
then stopped a few meters behind. "Excuse me." She said as she rose
from a bow. "Ranma..." she continued, noticing both girls turned to
face her. "Would I be able to..." Akane locked onto Nabiki's eyes,
looking for permission to ask her question.
Nabiki struggled to keep a superior look off her face and gave a tiny
nod; now was not the time to rub it in.
"Spar with you?"
"Sure... Akane, is it? Let's see whatcha got." Ranma said as she
assumed the same casual stance as before.
This was it. Akane took a calming breath as she quieted her racing
heart. The time had come to put her years of practice and study to
use. She assumed a ready stance.
Nabiki left the mat, and positioned herself to watch. She wondered if
Akane would last as long as she had.
Akane knew she would have to make the first move, so she charged at
Ranma, stopping just short of the girl, going after her with low-
strength punches. Ranma behaved predictably, dodging each one.
Akane decided to up the ante. With a high pitched cry that would have
made one of her video tutors proud, she went after the girl at full
speed and strength.
Ranma dodged, and Akane put a fist clean through the wall. The smaller
girl leapt high, only to find Akane flipping in front of her, holding
back on a low power blow. "I don't hit girls either!" She said with a
smirk.
"Good one!" Ranma breathed as she gently landed on the mat. Ranma
seemed to develop some interest in the fight after that, and tested
Akane's defenses with some mock attacks of her own, which Akane
dodged.
The eldest Tendou couldn't help but feel all her training was worth it
as the match continued. She hoped that, somehow...
A cry of "Akane!" interrupted the combatants. Both fighters stopped,
then turned to the source of the voice. It was Akane's father. "What
are you doing in here?" He asked sternly.
Akane bowed. "I am truly sorry, father. But I just wanted to..."
"Look, Daddy. Akane asked me if she could spar, and I let her."
"Very well then. I'll let it go... this time. Perhaps if Nabiki
invites you to come again, she can teach you some self-defense
techniques." He paused for a few moments to let the words sink in.
"Right now, however, you should prepare some refreshments for our
guests."
Nabiki shook her head. Daddy was laying it on a little too thick.
"Yes father." Akane said as she bowed to her father, the retreated
from the mat. She hurried from the room, not wanting her tears of
humiliation to remain in public view.
As she hurried from the room, she heard Ranma's parting words. "Hey,
Akane... Good match!" And, somehow, that made it all worth it.
***
(END)
Well... There it is. I thought I'd toss an alt-fic out and see what
happened.
Thanks for reading, and PLEASE let me know what you think!
Kevin D. Hammel
January 8, 2000
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khammel@anime.sobhrach.com
kevinsff@pacbell.net
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~khammel/
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