In My Life
----------
by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr. (fmerced@pworld.net.ph)
A Fanfic inspired by the anime Ranma 1/2 created and copyrighted by Rumiko
Takahashi
---------
Prologue
--------
Another day was just another excuse for life to drag its boring self into
self-destruction. Well, at least that was what Ranma thought about his
life, as he was still lying on his bed even after his mother had already
thrown him of the futon that morning. Ranma looked around his room, his
desk was filled with books and notes that he still had to read and memorize,
the cork board hanging on the door still had reminders that he again forgot
to do, and his cabinet was a mess. Ranma was depressed, and for quite some
time now, but he didn't let it get the better of him, for he knew better
than to lament over such things. And also because he didn't know what was
making him so unhappy.
Finally, Ranma convinced himself to step out of the slump and again face the
world. The consolation, he thought, was he can always sleep if he didn't
like what the day held for him. Ranma scoured through the pile of neatly
folded clothes on his cabinet, and he chose a blue outfit and a pair of
black loose pants. He stepped out of his room and promptly proceeded to the
bath, which was a couple of doors away. Ranma reached out for the door but
quickly stopped himself upon hearing the noise from within. "Ucchan! Are
you still in there?!" Ranma slammed his palm several times on the door,
hoping the ruckus he's making will be heard over the faint radio music
that's coming from within. "Feh!" Ranma leaned back on the wall and
patiently waited for his turn, as he was convinced that nothing he could do
would get over his sister's Billy Joel tapes. A minute later Ukyou stepped
out of the bath. Ranma only exchanged pouts with Ukyou before entering the
bath.
"Gee...Ranma. You look blue." Ukyou couldn’t help notice the dismal
enthusiasm her brother was displaying at the breakfast table. "You still
angry about the bath?" Ranma finally looked up from the table.
"Nah...But you should know that other people need the bath, Ucchan." Ukyou
giggled and promptly nodded in agreement. Genma and Nodoka were not paying
attention though, as the parents of Ranma and Ukyou were discussing
something else.
"Well, I'm going now." Genma picked up the suitcase that lay ready on the
table near the door. "I hope I can finalize everything about the dojo
today." Genma waved goodbye to his children while giving a blissful kiss to
his beautiful wife.
"Why is father insistent on building a dojo? I thought he had all but given
up on that." Ukyou asked the rest of the Saotome family while she cleaned up
the breakfast table.
"I guess he feels obligated to build one." Ranma was clearing the table and
handed over the dirty dishes to Ukyou. "Remember, he's supposed to carry on
the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." Ranma chuckled as he recalled the
family joke about his father and his martial arts pursuits.
"Don't be rude about your father like that, Ranma." Nodoka was still sitting
down and had a small piece of paper that she was reading. "You know that it
still breaks your father's heart whenever he recalls how he was passed over
the responsibility of carrying the name of the Anything Goes Martial Arts."
Nodoka scribbled a few more lines on the short list she was browsing.
"That's just the point. Why would he care for Anything Goes Martial Arts,
when what we've learned from Cologne is much better?" Ukyou finished
rinsing the dishes and quickly handed them back to Ranma for him to place
them on the top cabinet.
"You know, if you only grew a few more inches, then you wouldn't need me
whenever you have to wash the dishes." Ranma's playful jest wasn't ignored.
"Just stock them, Ranma." Ukyou walked up to one corner where a weighing
scale and height-measuring device was located. "Ha! I gained 1/2 of an
inch...looks like I'm taller, eh Ranma."
Ranma walked up to his sister and tried to verify Ukyou's claim. "Half-an
inch doesn't make a difference. But, those five pounds do." Ranma left the
kitchen laughing out loud at Ukyou.
"Ah!!! I've gained five pounds! Gawk...now I'm fat! What am I going to
do?!" Ukyou stormed out of the kitchen in a frenzied hurry.
-----
Ranma was busily reading his books when Ukyou knocked at his door. He
turned around only to find the angry glare from his sister. "Falsely
calibrating my weighing scale is not funny, Ranma!" Ranma grinned back at
Ukyou before returning his attention to the work on his desk. "If you mess
with my things again, I swear I'll kill you! I may be your adopted sister,
but I'm part of the family, Ok!" The door forcefully slammed shut. Ranma's
concentration was again disrupted as he couldn't help smirk from the little
practical joke, but he knew he had so many things to do so he looked out the
window for a minute in order to calm down, before going back to his studies.
Ukyou came back into the room. "By the way. Where are the rest of our
things? I haven't unpacked much." Ranma stared at the boxes scattered
around the room before answering his sister. "Thanks." Ukyou's exit was as
swift as her entrance.
-----
Soun Tendo cast a strong and powerful gaze at the twenty or more of his
pupils that were breathing hard and were visibly weary and tired from the
morning training. "Dismiss." Like a pack of furry critters, the students
of the Tendo Dojo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts scattered out and ran
towards the nearest exit. Only three of the students stayed behind.
"Oww...my arm hurts." Nabiki massaged her left limb and checked if she had
pulled a muscle or if it was cramps that she was feeling. Kasumi handed
some towels to her sisters so they can wipe the perspiration of the training
away. "Thanks."
"Now, wasn't that a nice work-out?" Her two sisters didn't receive Kasumi's
enthusiasm that warmly.
"Gee...daddy. Aren't we too old for this kind of thing?" Akane didn't
hesitate to speak out her mind, especially in matters that she didn't like.
"And, why are we doing this anyway?"
"Why, to carry on the name of the Tendo school...."
"Yeah...we heard that one before, daddy." Nabiki walked past her father and
flung the towel over Soun's head.
"Let's not question father's intentions. I'm sure there is a purpose for
all our training. Isn't that right, father?" Soun was dumbfounded when he
finally got the towel off his head. "Is there?"
"Um...Of course there is Kasumi." Kasumi was satisfied and quickly left
with Nabiki. "Er...you believe me, Akane? Right?" Akane only crossed her
arms in disagreement. "But, you're..."
"Oh, don't worry about us daddy. We'll take care and carry on the dojo."
Soun relaxed a bit. "Of course, until someone stronger finally shows up and
beats me." Akane's parting words made Soun wince.
------
End of Prologue
---------------
Notes:
Alternative story
No curses, no fiancée's
C&C appreciated
SPAM reroute to the SPAM ML
Signing out