DYNASTY - CHAPTER ONE - PART B
By Sydney Kyle <jantzen77@hotmail.com>
Author's note: Okay. I made a grievous boo-boo regarding Akane and
Ranma's wedding. Anyway, I'll repost that prologue as soon as this
error's fixed, but it doesn't really matter, as the incident has
virtually nothing to with the story.
The story's gonna be posted in separate parts for every chapter--
for some reason my e-mail service refuses to send messages with more
than 30 KB unless it's an attachment. Oh, well...
The characters here all act the way they should be: the way they
act in the manga and anime series. I'll tell you this, though--this
will only be temporary. Certain...events are going to shake up the
status quo--so if you don't like the shallowness of this
interpretation, then rest knowing that this is gonna get a hell of a
lot deeper as it progresses.
You have been warned.
Oh, and for all of you who demanded to know just what exactly the
Dynasty's all about and why the hell they're after the Jusenkyoites,
all I can say is wait. It's important that you discover this along
with the Ranma cast... ;)
Anyway, the disclaimer's still the same. All characters belong to
Rumiko Takahashi and the Dynasty characters belong to me.
Keep those inputs going. I need some ideas on certain characters...
=========================
* * * DYNASTY * * *
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
=========================
* * * * * *
=========================
CHAPTER ONE:
PART B
Elimination
=========================
"Ranma?" Ukyou Kuonji asked, hopefully.
The boy turned. "Sorry to disappoint you," he replied, his voice
dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm not the object of your affections."
Ukyou narrowed her eyes as she approached the boy in front of her.
He _did_ have Ranchan's height and form, but upon closer inspection,
she realized that in place of the pig-tail was a spotted black-and-
yellow bandanna, and a pair of green eyes in place of the blue.
"Oh. It's just you," she muttered, stifling her disappointment.
Ryouga Hibiki was tired. Exhausted. Drained. He had been travelling
for three months now, struggling to find Nerima after the shame of the
wedding fiasco, and the last thing he needed was a reminder of his
most hated rival. Especially from a girl who had once been his
co-conspirator in many a separate-Akane-and-Ranma plot.
"Sorry, Ryouga. Thought you were Ranchan, that's all."
He stared at her, his thick dark hair lifting slightly in the
sudden breeze. "How could you think I was _Ranma_?"
"Hey, you guys look alike from a distance, okay?" Ukyou shot back
staunchly. "Big deal. Could happen to anyone."
Ryouga frowned. "Yeah. Right."
"Well, long time no see. Thought you were gone for good." She
shrugged. "Heh. No such luck, eh, sugar?"
Ryouga smirked at her, displaying the briefest flash of a pair of
tiny fangs. "Gee, thanks. You make one helluva welcoming committee,
you know that?"
"Well, ex-CUSE me," Ukyou retorted. "I thought you were happy to
leave Nerima. I thought you were happy out in the country."
Ryouga sighed and glanced away. "That was because of Akari."
Ukyou blinked. "Akari? Who's Akari?"
"Akari Unryuu. She just moved into Nerima with her grandfather--who
seems to have recovered nicely from his 'death'--and she's planning to
enroll in Furinkan High. She's got this HUGE white sumo pig with her
all the time. Kind of hard to miss, really."
Ukyou was still blinking. "So she's a girl?" she queried dubiously.
Ryouga nodded, looking faraway.
"A real, LIVE girl?"
Ryouga nodded.
"Are you sure she's not, like, a figment-of-your-imagination-type
kind of girl?"
Ryouga nodded, looking distinctly irritated.
"You mean a real girl--not as in, a guy dressed up as a girl or
something?"
"YES!" Ryouga yelled in frustration. "YES, SHE'S A NORMAL GIRL!!!
AND YES, SHE _IS_ REAL, AND YES, SHE _IS_ SANE, AND YES, SHE _IS_
PERFECTLY NORMAL--AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, ANYWAY!!!"
"Wow," Ukyou remarked, shaking her head in disbelief. "You...with
a girl. Still can't believe it though..."
"Well, she's probably looking around for me right now," said
Ryouga, furtively tugging at the umbrella that was wedged on top of
his huge travelling backpack. "Then you can see her for yourself."
"That I will," replied a grinning Ukyou. "This is definitely some-
thing I gotta see with my own eyes. I never thought you had it in
you."
"Me and Akari were _dating_," growled Ryouga.
He didn't think it possible, but he had actually succeeded in ren-
dering Ukyou Kuonji utterly speechless. Then she regained control of
her vocal chords. "You _were_ dating?"
Ryouga scratched the back of his head, letting out a deep, resigned
breath. "Well, we kinda sorta broke up..."
"Huh? Why?"
"Akane."
"Oh." Ukyou was quiet. That one word was enough.
Ryouga cleared his throat, switching topics abruptly. "Hey, what's
that?" he inquired, pointing at the box that hung from a string in
Ukyou's hand.
The tactic worked. Ukyou's face filled with pride as she lifted the
cover of the box to show him the heart-shaped okonomiyaki inside. On
the top was a "saucy" message: "To My Darling Ranma."
"Oh, just a little present for my Ranchan," she answered slyly.
"Not very original, I admit, but if Shampoo can use her passion spice
and Kodachi her black roses with paralysis gas to win Ranchan over,
then I figured that I could use my okonomiyaki in the same way."
Ryouga gazed longingly at the okonomiyaki, feeling his stomach
rumble. He hadn't eaten a decent meal in a couple of days, and the
inside of the box smelled scrumptious.
"Say, Ukyou," he began, "you don't mind if I--HEY!"
Ukyou batted away his hand with a sharp spatula shuriken that she
fished out of her bandoleer. "Ah-ah, sugar, no can-do. I nearly killed
myself trying to perfect this thing, and I'm not about to waste it on
anyone other than Ranchan."
Ryouga scowled. "You're obsessed with him, aren't you?"
"Not as much as _you're_ obsessed with Akane, sugar."
"But that's--" Ryouga groped for some sort of comeback. "I--"
Ukyou suddenly stopped. "Oh, damn," she muttered, sneaking a swift
glimpse at the clock on the other side of a storefront window. "Now
look whatcha done, Ryouga! Now I'm gonna be late for school!"
"What did _I_ do?!" Ryouga demanded.
"You made me _talk_ to you, you jackass!" snapped Ukyou.
She turned abruptly and began to sprint toward the direction of
Furinkan High, not even bothering to bid farewell to the boy behind
her. It didn't seem necessary, though, as she became aware that he was
running along beside her.
"What are you DOING?" she exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm lost! I figured that if I found a familiar landmark like
Furinkan High, I can remember the way to the Tendo dojo or something."
"Oh, yeah, RIGHT. You wanna see what Akane's up to, huh?"
"N-no! Actually--I-I just wanted to check if Akari might be there!"
"You are SUCH a jackass sometimes, Ryouga."
* * * * * *
"Now this one will be the hardest target we have ever tried to take
so far. He may look quite young, and inexperienced, but take heed, he
is extremely formidable. He is phenomenally strong, displays
remarkable endurance, and has a paranoia that allows him to sense most
attacks before they are carried out. His weapons of choice include a
seemingly endless supply of bandannas, a belt that can be wielded like
a sword, and that heavy red umbrella on his back. He also possesses
the knowledge of several fighting techniques that may prove quite
devastating. One of them is the Bakusai Ten-Ketsu, or the breaking
point technique, that can repulse a wave of attackers if executed
precisely. One fact that I find quite impressive in the boy is that he
is the first upperworlder on the list who has exceptional control of
his spiritual energy--his ki--enough control to actually manipulate
it into a form of attack. Because of this, he is capable of unleashing
a ki-blast called the Shishi Houkoudan, which feeds off of his
depression. I advise you to approach this one with extreme caution. If
reverted to his other form, he will be infinitely easier to subjugate.
As skilled as the boy may be, he is barely able to keep his abilities
under control, and is easily influenced by his emotions--moreso than
other upperworlders. Sadly for him, it is these traits that determine
the final outcome in this little game of survival..."
* * * * * *
"Stupid Akane," muttered Ranma.
He was currently in his history class, unmindful of the monotonous
droning of the sensei up front as he pointed out several locations on
a map of ancient Kyoto. Around him, the class was buzzing, paper
airplanes were being launched, comic books were being read, spitballs
were being thrown, and notes were being passed...
"Huh?"
Ranma glanced down at his desk, momentarily puzzled. His classmate
behind him had tossed a folded-up piece of paper with his name
scrawled on top of it.
He opened it idly, wondering if it had anything to do with that
wedding blunder, though it the topic had already gotten old.
{What's with you and Akane?} were the hastily scribbled words on
it.
Ranma sighed. He did _not_ feel like discussing Akane right now.
For one, she was mad at him. Again. It didn't matter why she was mad.
She was _always_ mad. But this time, she seemed to get mad at him more
often than usual, and for the smallest, most insignificant reasons.
And he had no idea why.
<Stupid Akane,> he thought again, his fist tightening round the
paper. <Doesn't even need a reason to chew me out. It doesn't matter
what I do. She'll take it the wrong way anyway.>
Ranma pressed his hot forehead into his cold palms.
<Akane, you kawaiikune tomboy. What the heck did _I_ do to make you
so mad?>
He could think of a million different reasons. Maybe it was the way
he choked after tasting her food this morning. Like he could help it.
She _had_ gotten a little better at it--slightly. Or maybe it was
because he had received presents of food and messages of love last
night at the dojo gates from Ukyou, Kodachi, and Shampoo. Or maybe
because he had bested her when they conducted their daily training
at the dojo. Or maybe...
...maybe she was still mad about the whole marriage thing.
Ranma vaguely remembered telling Akane how he really felt about her
during that incident at Mount Phoenix, when he thought she was going
to die. He had told her that he loved her.
Things took a downhill turn after that.
In the end, after all the dust had finally settled, they resolved
that they would continue on with their lives like nothing had
happened.
<Yeah, right,> mused Ranma, more than a little bit bitter. <How're
ya s'posed to act like nothin' ever happened when you just admitted to
her that you love--you...love...>
Ranma shook his head violently, trying to clear his thoughts.
<No. Don't think that. Don't EVEN think that...>
How _did_ he feel about Akane? Did he care for her? Did _she_ care
for him?
Lately, over the way she seemed to throw more violent tantrums
directed at him, it didn't seem like she cared at all.
Ranma felt his heart contract at the thought, and he had no idea
why...
"Ranma!" hissed a voice.
He was jolted out of his reverie. He straightened up, half-
expecting the sensei to subject him to the water-bucket punishment for
not paying attention, but the sensei didn't even seem to notice. He
glanced around inquiringly, wondering if his friends Hiroshi and
Daisuke had called him regarding the note, but for once they both
seemed to be engrossed in the sensei's history lesson.
"Son-in-law!"
Now _that_ was an expression he couldn't mistake.
Ranma looked out the window beside him that overlooked the campus
grounds of Furinkan High, and was surprised to see two figures.
One was Akane's father, Soun Tendo, looking very agitated and on
the verge of tears. The other was a diminutive silver-haired old
woman, who happened to be Shampoo's great-grandmother, Cologne.
<Wonder what they're doin' here?> Ranma thought, blinking.
Soun beckoned to him frenziedly, and Cologne waved her gnarled
wooden staff in a manner that was almost uncharacteristically
hysterical.
Ranma's forehead furrowed in concern. Something was wrong.
<But why're they insistin' that I come down _now_?>
He sneaked a swift glimpse at the sensei, weighing his options.
Then, with a nonchalant shrug, he cautiously hefted something up onto
his chair and hurled himself out the window while his sensei's back
was turned.
He _was_ a martial artist, after all.
* * * * * *
"I don't even think I have to remind you all that all the chances
of the Dynasty's future lies on this final one. It is no accident that
he has been kept for last, mind you. He is the last of the Jusenkyo-
cursed, and the last obstacle that stands in the way of the Shoryuu
clan. This is what all those long years of hunting has finally lead
you to, and he will _not_ be easily taken--indeed, the most difficult
one we will ever attempt to subdue. He possesses a speed that is
unsurpassed, and a skill that is unparalleled. He is very cunning,
very dexterous, and able to adapt to counteract any adversary's
fighting style. He prefers to fight barehanded, and employs the use of
a number of deadly martial arts techniques. One is the Tenshin
Amaguriken, or the Chestnut Punch Technique, which is performed via an
overwhelming amount of hits within a very brief period of time.
Another is the Hiryuu Shouten Ha, or the Dragon's Heaven Blast, a
deadly finishing move that is effective against one enemy or several.
Still another is the Moukou Takabisha, which is the ultimate
manifestation of his ki."
The audience consulted amongst themselves.
"What is his weakness?" demanded an observer.
The tall man ran his long fingers over the tranquil surface of the
pool, sending cascades of ripples across the watery image of a
dark-haired, pig-tailed young man.
"Simple," said Lord Takuma, somewhat indifferently. "He has never
come across anything like us before."
* * * * * *
The bell rung, signaling the end of the school day, and Furinkan
High's entrance was bursting with mobs of exultant pupils, pouring out
of the building like water rushing from a ruptured dam.
Three girls in particular made their way through the multitude in a
peculiarly quiet fashion. This was probably due to the melancholy
state the girl in the middle seemed to be submerged in.
"Akane? Is something wrong?" Sayuri asked.
"Yeah, anything we can help you with?" Yuka put in.
Akane smiled at her friends, shoving away the nagging feeling that
gnawed at the pit of her stomach. "Oh, it's nothing," she managed,
hugging her schoolbooks harder to her chest. "I--I was just thinking,
that's all."
Sayuri observed her pensively, then opted to take the plunge. "You
know, Akane, you really shouldn't let Ranma get to you that way."
Akane oscillated to face her, eyes wide. "Wh-what?"
"Yeah, Akane," Yuka piped up, encouraged by Sayuri's bravado. She
was well aware that bringing up Ranma's name into a conversation was
still a sensitive issue with her friend, but she was determined not to
let Akane keep all her emotions bottled in. Besides, Ranma and Akane
had been acting artificially nice toward each other at school for
weeks now, and they were no longer engaging in their customary
shouting matches involving the creative uses of words like 'tomboy'
and 'pervert'.
It just wasn't _natural_.
"I--I don't know what you guys're talking about," stammered Akane.
"Aw, come on!" Yuka scoffed, shifting her bookbag to her left side.
"We're your friends, Akane. We _see_ things."
Akane laughed, albeit nervously. "See things, huh? Like what? Like
the way Ranma doesn't even want to talk to me anymore? Honestly! Why
would I even care about the way things are between us? That's the way
things're gonna be from now on, and that's the way _I_ like it, okay?"
An uncomfortable silence reigned as the three girls elbowed their
way through the homebound crowds.
Finally Sayuri spoke. "You know, Akane, Ranma may be a jerk
sometimes, but you should stop denying your feelings for him...before
it's too late."
And with that parting statement, Sayuri and Yuka departed for their
own homes, leaving behind a very mystified Akane.
<What did she mean by that?>
She heard a distinctly familiar voice call her name and she spun
around, somewhat flustered, and her confusion grew. "Uhm, Dad? What're
_you_ doing here?"
And then she realized just _who_ were beside him.
There was Cologne, clutching her gnarled old wooden staff, like a
dried-up plum with two pingpong balls for eyes clinging to a tree
branch. There, too, was Ukyou Kuonji, who had been mysteriously absent
from class that day, her blue eyes wide with worry and her expression
deathly pale.
And then she noticed the dried tear trails on his cheeks. The tear
trails were nothing new, but the look on his face was enough to make
her stop in her tracks.
"Dad? Wha--what's wrong?" she asked, urgently.
Soun put his hands on his youngest daughter's shoulders, trying to
keep up a brave face before her. "Akane...something...something
terrible happened to Ranma and the others today..."
=end of Chapter One=
Next: United we stand...
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