[FFML][Ranma][Fanfic][Final Draft] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty -
Chapter 1 [Section 2]

Okay, here is the final draft (I hope) of the first chapter of my new
series. Anyone who has seen the first drafts will recognize many
changes to the first half. The part in the mountains hasn't changed to
much (I didn't get any negative comments about Ranma and Akane's
training in the mountains).

BTW, Ukyo's big apology had been postponed, since many people indicated
she was a bit OTT in her apology for this part in the story (I had to
agree). She also makes her reappearance later in the school year.

Also, it was suggested that I split it up into smaller parts for the
pre-reading/FFML so I have. I'll post the pieces over then next few
days.

I'm mostly concerned with cleaning up the grammar and spelling in this
draft, but as always, I welcome any comments about the story and
characters. Be brutal if you have to.
 
 

[Ranma][Fanfic] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 1: Hit Me Hard,
Kiss Me Hard
=======================================================================
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 1: Hit Me Hard, Kiss Me Hard

Ranma 1/2 characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, used
without permission
Ranma 1/2 Copyright by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakan Inc., Kitty, Fuji,
Viz Communications, etc...

Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and Copyright
1998 by Jim Lazar

An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga, but
incorporates elements/characters of the anime as well.

<Speech text in angle brackets are thought by character.>
All other speech is in Japanese, although written in English in this
story of course.
=======================================================================

[section 2]

     After wandering for a week or so, Ryoga sat on a tree limb with
Akari. The young teenage girl looked at Ryoga, then said, "Do you still
love Akane?"

     Ryoga looked awkwardly at Akari. "Yes, but I love you," he said,
then added softly, "more."

     "I wish I could believe that, you still wander off and end up
there more than here," Akari said, fighting back her tears. "I think
that's a good sign that you still long for her in your heart."

     "It's just my families bad sense of direction," Ryoga insisted.

     "Maybe, but I think deep down you want to be with her more.
Despite the fact that she's probably going to end up marrying Ranma."

     "That's not for sure!!" Ryoga blurted.

     "See what I mean? Ryoga," Akari said, paused and then continued,
"I love you and I hope you love me." She smiled when she saw him nod.
"But, I need you to get over Akane. Until you do, I can't sit around
waiting for you wander back to me."

     "Akari, ever since I've known you I've felt close to you. I know
you hate the fact that I love Akane too, but-" Ryoga said, then was
interrupted by Akari.

     "You love her, but she doesn't love you! The only love she feels
for you is when you're a pig!" Akari exclaimed. She calmed down a bit,
then continued. "You should go now. Try to find out if you love her or
me. You should tell her that you are P-Chan to start, that's the only
way you'll be able to decide for sure."

     "It may be too late to tell her now."

     "Well that's your choice. If you decide to come back to me and can
tell me that you only love me, or at least have given up on Akane, then
I'll welcome you with open arms."

     "I wish I could tell you right now, but my heart is telling me two
different things," Ryoga said, then stood up. He fell and crashed into
the ground, since he forgot he was sitting on a tree limb about twenty
feet in the air.

     "Ryoga, I love you, but I won't wait forever. If I find someone
else before you return..." Akari said, letting the rest of the threat
go unspoken.

     "I understand Akari, thanks for giving me another shot to figure
my life out. I love you," Ryoga walked away. He just made the biggest
mistake of his life. Well...except for following Ranma to China, that
is.

     "Tokyo is the other way, Ryoga," Akari instructed and pointed.
After he was gone, she muttered, "I love you. Please come back to me."
She cried for several hours on the tree branch.

                          *             *             *

     Cologne, Mousse, and Shampoo all walked into the Cat Cafe after
spending a month back in China on Amazon business. They were surprised
to find it open and people enjoying dinner. A young waitress walked up
to them and asked, "How many?"

     Cologne looked at the waitress, then applied the end of her staff
to the girls forehead. The girl's eyes glazed over. "Why are you in my
restaurant?" Cologne asked.

     "We were hired to run the restaurant while the owners were away on
vacation," the waitress explained, with a flat tone of voice.

     "*I* am the owner!" Cologne shouted. Then the telephone rang.
Cologne jumped over and picked it up before the cook could get it. She
whacked him over the head with her staff, then said, "Hello?"

     The voice on the other end said, "Quick! Close up shop and get out
of there, the owners are coming back."

     "Is that you, Nabiki Tendo?" Cologne asked. The telephone went
dead suddenly.

     "What's going on, Great-grandmother? Why these people running our
restaurant?" Shampoo asked.

     "That money witch has been running our restaurant while we were in
China," Cologne explained.

     "Oh, that very kind of her!" Shampoo exclaimed.

     "I doubt she left the profits for us, Great-granddaughter,"
Cologne explained slowly.

     "Oh, that not nice."

     Cologne suddenly leapt up onto a table and shouted, "All right!
Everyone out! Including the help Nabiki Tendo hired, you're all fired!"

     Everyone looked at Cologne, but didn't move until she suddenly
seemed to triple in size and catch on fire. There was a mass exodus,
even the paralyzed waitress screamed and ran out.

     Mousse commented, "Well at least they kept the place clean."
Cologne tossed a bucket of water onto Mousse and then crammed the duck
into it's cage. The duck sighed. He was home.

     "What do we do now Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.

     "We get you your husband of course. Here's what I want you to
do..." Cologne explained.

                          *             *             *

     Ranma hung by his feet and poked his head into Akane's window.
"Hey Akane?" Ranma inquired.

     "Ranma? What are you doing?" Akane asked, as she saw the boy
hanging upside down in her window.

     "Just hanging around," Ranma said. Akane groaned. "Would you like
to join me on the roof?"

     Akane shrugged, pulled on a robe and climbed out. Ranma helped her
to the top of the roof. They both sat down and gazed up at the night
sky. "What's up Ranma?" Akane looked at him, hoping he'd finally say
whatever had been on his mind all day.

     "Um, well I just wanted to say..." Ranma said, then trailed off
and started to twiddle his thumbs.

     "Ranma! I know you've been trying to tell me something all day, so
just spit it out!" Akane insisted, with an angry tone.

     "Well I wanted to say Happy Anniversary and that I'm glad that I
know you," Ranma finally said.

     Confused, Akane softened and asked, "Anniversary?"

     "Yeah, it was one year ago today that I walked into the front door
of this house. Actually, I guess I was carried in by a panda."

     Akane gasped and thought for a second. Then she said, "You're
right. I'd completely forgotten that."

     "Gee thanks."

     "Oh! I remember the day vividly, just lost track of the date. Hard
to forget the day you were engaged to a hermaphrodite," Akane said.

     "Hey!"

     Akane looked down, then said, "I'm sorry Ranma that was mean of
me. I'm really glad that you remembered this day."

     "I also wanted to urk-" Ranma began, then stopped suddenly when
the bicycle tire landed on his face.

     "Nihao Ranma!" Shampoo chimed.

     "Shampoo? Where on Earth did you come from?" Akane gasped. "We
haven't seen you around for weeks!"

     "We were in China on very important Amazon business. Un-cute girl
go away now. Shampoo have to talk to husband," Shampoo insisted.

     "Urk..." Was heard from under the bicycle.

     "Shampoo, he's not your husband, fiancee, boyfriend, or anything.
You're mostly just an annoyance!"

     "You lucky Great-grandmother told me to be extra nice, or Shampoo
have to kill you now!"

     "You call this nice? Your bike is on Ranma's face!"

     "It only way he not run away," Shampoo explained, as if it was
obvious.

     "I give up, good luck Ranma," Akane said and did an impressive
flip off the roof and into her window. At least from the roof it looked
impressive, if Ranma had seen her landing, he would have said something
to the tune of, "Nice landing, you klutzy tomboy."

     "Urk..." was what Ranma actually said, since he still had a
bicycle tire on his face.

     "Good, now that un-cute girl gone we can talk, husband," Shampoo
said and backed her bicycle off his face.

     "Shampoo! Will you leave me alone already! I don't love you and
I'm not going to marry you!" Ranma shouted, then spat out the piece of
rubber he was chewing on.

     "Didn't Ranma miss Shampoo?" Shampoo asked, then picked up Ranma
and hugged him closely. Ranma didn't notice her pull several hairs out
of his head when she finally released him.

     "Were you gone?" Ranma asked, then suddenly realized, "You're
right! I haven't been hit by a bicycle tire in over a month."

     "Money girl steal from us and now you have to marry me!" Shampoo
insisted, peeved that he didn't miss her.

     "Nabiki? Why should I marry you just because Nabiki did
something?" Ranma asked.

     "Because otherwise we have Nabiki thrown in jail for stealing the
profits from our restaurant," Shampoo said, and grinned triumphantly.

     Ranma went pale. Had Nabiki's shady doings finally caught up to
her? He opened his mouth to speak, but a female voice came out. He
looked up to see if it was raining, it wasn't. He looked around and saw
Nabiki behind him.

     Nabiki stood on the top of the ladder that leaned against the
roof, a robe wrapped tightly around the red teddie she wore. She said,
"Shampoo, you tell your Great-grandmother that she'll find that all
expenses have been paid for the Cat Cafe for the past month. That means
that nothing has been stolen from you and there is absolutely no way
that she can prove I had anything to do with the street gang that ran
the restaurant."

     Shampoo glared at Nabiki, "Money girl better not make
Great-grandmother angry or you be sorry," Shampoo said. Then she
realized that the plan backfired and peddled her bicycle away. <Dang,
Great-grandmother seemed sure this plan would work. I wonder why she
insisted that I get Ranma's hair and a saliva sample on special tire as
part of plan?> Shampoo thought, then shrugged as she left the roof.

     "What on Earth did you do to them?" Ranma asked Nabiki.

     "Just ran their restaurant while they were away in China," Nabiki
said.

     "And kept the profits for yourself."

     "True, but I paid all their expenses, so I really didn't steal
anything," Nabiki pleaded her case, then made her way down off the
roof.

     Ranma sighed, then went down to his room. Realizing that this
wasn't the right time anymore, he put the ring back into his dresser.
He just stared up at the ceiling before drifting off to sleep. He
thought about washing the big reminder that was written on the ceiling.
In big red letters it read, 'May 13th: Anniversary of Ranma meeting
Akane'. He decided to leave it for next year. Then he decided he should
also leave all the other reminders up there as well, especially the one
about Akane's birthday, since he had really messed up big time on her
seventeenth birthday.

     For some reason, he never thought about how all those reminders
got up there in the first place, he just took them for granted.

     Before turning in for the night, Kasumi put away the iron into the
kitchen closet. She slid her jar of red paint aside to make room for
the iron.

                          *             *             *

     Shampoo returned to the Cat Cafe and handed the hair and saliva
samples to her Great-grandmother. "Here you go Great-grandmother, but
plan didn't work, Nabiki stopped Ranma from accepting," Shampoo said.

     Cologne took the samples, then said, "Never mind, I knew he
wouldn't fall for that ruse. For now, we can't hurt any of the Tendos,
Ranma wouldn't like that. I just needed the samples."

     "What for, Great-grandmother?"

     "Oh, just a little magical item I am going to create to let you
have Ranma all to yourself. That Tendo girl won't even care after I do
this to my son-in-law," Cologne explained, then started to cackle.

     It took her several days to prepare the hair and saliva samples,
perform the needed steps to create the magical chicken bone, and then
store it safely in her cabinet along with her notes. It would take
several months for the magic to bond with the samples and the chicken
bone. Cologne could wait to get Ranma to marry Shampoo.

     Shampoo couldn't. Every day Shampoo asked, "Is it done yet?"

                          *             *             *

     The day after their Anniversary, Ranma and Akane walked to school.
Akane asked, "Ranma, what was it you wanted to ask me last night?"

     "Um, well...I'll tell you later," Ranma said. <I can't ask her
now, I don't have the ring.>

     "Come on, just say it. I won't bite...or hit you."

     Ranma knew he had to say something, or she WOULD hit him. Picking
the least objectionable thing he could think of, he said, "Well then I
guess that's a NO then."

     "What?"

     "Well I was going to ask you if you wanted to spar with me while
Pop's leg mends. But without hitting, what's the point," Ranma said,
then shrugged.

     Genma had indeed broken his leg, but somehow Akane doubted that
that was what Ranma was trying to ask her last night. Of course, Akane
wasn't one to pass up a major concession on Ranma's part, so she
agreed, "Ranma I'd love that! I've been wanting you to take me
seriously as an martial artist for the last year."

     "Oh, good. Well, tomorrow morning then," Ranma said, looking
towards school.

     Akane thought all day long about what Ranma really wanted to ask
her. Especially something so big that he'd finally agree to spar for
real with her. <No...it couldn't have been THAT!> Her mind insisted.

                          *             *             *

     When Akane was preparing to go to bed that night, she found a
small piece of folded paper taped to her desk mirror. She opened it and
examined it. A couple of formulas were hand written on it: '1+1=2' and
' R+A=2'.

     Akane looked at the formulas, gasped, then asked herself, "Ranma
plus Akane equals a couple? Could this be his way of saying he
considers us a couple finally?" Akane smiled and jumped into bed, still
holding the paper in her fingers.

     Then a thought struck her, as she examined the paper again, <I
hope this isn't just some homework he needs help with?>

                          *             *             *

     The next morning Akane and Ranma faced off in the dojo. Akane
charged at Ranma and tried to land a kick or hand on Ranma. She
couldn't. "Come on! You said you'd spar with me, so hit me already!"
Akane screamed.

     Knowing he had agreed to it, Ranma reluctantly said, "Just try not
to die, okay?" He then lashed out with a left jab, followed by a right
kick. Akane took both hits and fell to the ground.

     "Damn, you don't have to hold back you know!" Akane insisted, as
she rose back to her feet.

     "I didn't!" Ranma insisted.

     "Yeah, right. Well prepare to be hit!" Akane yelled, then jumped
at Ranma, throwing various punched and kicks. Ranma blocked them all,
until one got though and hit him on the chin. Ranma flew backwards and
crashed into the wall.

     <Damn, her tactics and forms are weak, but she has brute strength.
May have to be more careful.> Ranma thought.

     "Giving up?"

     "Nope, nice one. Maybe you should be a boxer, that's a nasty punch
you have there," Ranma said, meaning it as an insult.

     Akane smiled, taking it as a compliment, then said, "Thank you
Ranma."

     Ranma got up, did a somersault over Akane, and pegged her in the
back of the head, again pulling his punch quite a bit. Akane spun
around and kicked Ranma in his side. Ranma did a back flip, then threw
a punch at her stomach.

     Unfortunately, Akane had ducked to avoid what she thought was a
high punch, so she took the punch in her eye instead. She crumpled to
the ground.

                          *             *             *

     At breakfast, Akane had an ice pack on her eye. Ranma looked
despondent. "I'm sorry Akane," Ranma muttered as he saw the black eye.

     "No, it's all a part of training," Akane insisted. <Damn, I know
he was pulling his punches, but it still packed a wallop,> Akane
thought.

     "Ranma, I know Akane wants you to train with her, but try to be a
little more careful," Nodoka scolded her son. "After all, if you kill
her your honeymoon will be no fun."

     "Mom!!!"

                          *             *             *

     For the next month, Ranma and Akane would spar for a hour before
going to school. Ranma still held back too much for Akane's liking, but
they both still got a good workout. Ranma was amazed at how much better
she was getting, but being Ranma, he never bothered to tell Akane that.

     In mid June Ranma and Akane were seated in their homeroom, when
Ukyo walked into the classroom just as the bell rang. She was wearing
one of the new Hawaiian school uniforms, a boy's uniform. "Ukyo!!"
Ranma and Akane both shouted at the same time.

     She shyly looked down and took a seat as far away from them as she
could. Ranma and Akane's efforts to talk to her were silenced by the
teacher. Akane and Ranma looked sadly at each other and spent the first
half of the day looking worriedly at Ukyo. All attempts to talk to her
were cut off quickly by an angry look from her.

     At lunch, they finally cornered her in the schoolyard. "Ukyo!
Where have you've been? We've been worried sick about you!" Akane
asked, as she tried to get some eye contact with the girl in front of
her.

     "Yeah, Ukyo after the wedding we looked for you all over. Konatsu
even had to close the restaurant!" Ranma said, also trying to get Ukyo
to look him in the eyes.

     "Can't you just leave me alone? My Father made me come back and
re-open the restaurant," Ukyo said, as she poked at her okonomiyaki.
Ranma and Akane both noticed that it had 'I'm sorry' written on it.

     "Ukyo, please talk to us. Of all the people who we thought might
try to stop the wedding, we never thought you'd take such direct
action. We were worried you might have done something rash after you
disappeared," Akane said.

     "Ukyo please talk to us. We're your friends," Ranma pleaded.

     "I'm no friend. I'm a monster who ruined your beautiful wedding,"
Ukyo said, as she began to cry.

      With a smile, Ranma joked, "Well yes...but you had help."

     Despite herself, Ukyo grinned briefly. "Why are you two being so
nice?" she finally asked. She stared at a piece of dirt on the ground,
which she apparently found interesting.

     "Because you're our friend and, despite the fact that you're after
my fiancee, I still like you," Akane admitted.

     "Fiancee?" Ukyo gasped, then looked up at their eyes for the first
time. She looked closely at their hands, then mumbled hopefully, "You
didn't get married?"

     "Nope. Mrs. Saotome said we had to deal with our assorted admirers
and fiancees first. Plus me and Ranma decided we should probably try to
stop insulting each other before we tie the knot," Akane explained.

     "Yeah, but we haven't had much luck so far," Ranma insisted,
trying to be funny, but failing. "At either item." Last second save.

     "I...I assumed that you two got married in a private ceremony
after the destroyed wedding...I couldn't face you knowing what I did to
you both," Ukyo said, between sobs. Then she thought, <I still have a
chance to get my Ran-chan!>

     "Well don't get any ideas of starting to chase Ranma again...I'd
rather not have to fight you again," Akane said.

     "Ukyo, we're friends...but I just can't return the love you feel
towards me. I just don't look at you like that," Ranma explained. Then
he glanced briefly at Akane.

     When she noticed his glance, Akane grinned.

     "How can you both keep calling me your friend after what I did?"

     Akane said, "Because you are. I don't know if me and Ranma will
ever get married-" Ranma frowned at this point, neither of the girls
noticed. "-but I want to try and see if we have a relationship that
will last. Up to now we haven't had any uninterrupted time to find
out."

     Ukyo looked up at them, then said, "Can you forgive me? I would
like to try and be your friend again."

     "Of course," Ranma and Akane both agreed at the same time.

     "All I ask, Ukyo, is that you back off on pursuing Ranma. I really
don't want to have to fight with you over him again," Akane asked,
reached out and took Ukyo's hands in hers.

     "But I still love him," Ukyo said, looking down again. Ranma
looked very awkward at this point.

     "I know, I can't make you not love him and if you said you didn't
love him I'd know you were lying to me. As long as you don't cross the
line between friend and crazed fiancee, I'll be glad to call you my
friend," Akane proclaimed, then hugged Ukyo closely.

     "Oh Akane, if only Ranma was twins," Ukyo sobbed, then kissed
Akane on the cheek, a slight smile coming back to her troubled face.

     "You want his girl side?" Akane quipped.

     "Hey! I'm not getting into a menage a trios with you two!" Ranma
yelled, loudly. He drew the sudden stares of most of the students in
the schoolyard. His shoulders slumped and he tried to disappear. It
didn't work.

     "That's not exactly the kind of thing you shout out like that,
Ranma!" Akane scolded him, hoping Kuno didn't hear it.

     "He hasn't changed, has he Akane?" Ukyo said, smiling broadly for
the first time in months.

     "Nope, he's still my baka."

     "Tomboy!"

     "You should probably find different pet names, you know," Ukyo
asserted.

     Ranma and Akane both blushed. Then they had to start denying
everything, Ranma even denied that he was born at one point, when the
students surrounded them and asked about the 'menage a trios' that the
three of them were having.

                          *             *             *
 

--
Jim Lazar

E-Mail - mailto:jimlazar@earthlink.net
Home - http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar
FanFiction - http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime

"You made Akane whose daughter?!?!"
"Genma's."
"Has she hit you with her mallet yet?"
"Several times, actually."