I originally posted this chapter on September 28th of last year.  I intended to move right along through my outlines of the other chapters, and maybe even be done by now.  However, I got sucked into the world of anime voice acting, and this story kind of gathered dust in my writing folder.  I received many positive comments on it, and I rather liked it myself, so I decided to pull it out and work on it again.  Here is Chapter 1, revised thanks to the C+C I received.  More is appreciated, and then it'll be posted to the RAAC.  Thanks! :-)

--Yuffie


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            Hiding Behind Fear
                      By Yuffie Kisaragi

            Chapter 1
            Old Wounds



   The postcard came on a drizzly spring day.  The message was short and to the point, but to Kyoko it spoke volumes.  "Bringing Ranma from China," it said.  Kyoko stared at the postcard and felt a wave of fear pass through her body.
   "No," she whispered, "not yet.  I can't bear to lose them."  If Genma Saotome was bringing his son Ranma to the house, it could only mean that he was ready to merge the two families.  As an obedient wife, Kyoko knew she had to abide by the wishes Soun had stated in his will.  As a mother, she would do all in her power to protect her girls from the martial arts.
   Kyoko sighed.  Best to tell the girls now so they would be prepared.   "Kasumi?"  Kyoko peered into Kasumi's bedroom.  Kasumi was on the phone with a friend, discussing boys and attempting her schoolwork at the same time.
   "Nabiki?"  Nabiki was also in her room, checking her
stocks on the internet.
   "Akane?"  The youngest daughter, however, was not in her room.  Outside, Akane was returning from an afternoon jog.  She mimed a few punches at the air, then looked around guiltily.
   "There you go again, Akane,"  Sitting on the porch, Nabiki gave her younger sister a smug look.  "No wonder the boys think you're so weird."
   "They don't think I'm weird," Akane said hotly.  "Do they?"
   Nabiki rolled her eyes.  She turned and walked towards the house.  "This may interest you," she called over her shoulder.

    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **

   The three Tendo sisters kneeled at the table.  Kasumi was excited.  Nabiki was bored.  Akane was confused.
   "Mom?  What's wrong?"
   Kyoko cleared her throat.  "One of you will have a fiancee by the end of the day."  Kyoko explained Soun's wishes to the girls.
   Kasumi perked up at the mention of a boy.  "Really?  Is he cute?  I hope he's older than me.  Younger men bore me."  She began to fantasize about the mystery fiancee.  "I hope he's tall, and handsome, and..."
   Nabiki interrupted her.  "Just where will this fiancee and his father be staying?"
   "They'll be moving into the guest room."
   Nabiki frowned.  Two more mouths to feed, and their resources
were already strained.  Her mother never seemed to worry
about money, leaving all that to Nabiki.
   Akane smiled.  <A martial artist, to run the dojo!  I
can finally learn martial arts, our family tradition!>
   "Unfortunately, we must obey your father's final wishes.
However, this situation does NOT mean that my daughters
will be placed in any danger.  Ranma's wife will not need
to have anything to do with the dojo."
   Akane was about to protest, when she heard the front door slide open.
   "It must be Ranma!"  Kasumi hurried eagerly to the door.
   "Saotome-san, we've been waiting," said Kyoko as she followed Kasumi.
   Akane frowned and stood next to Nabiki, waiting for Ranma and his father to be presented in the living room.  In a moment, Kasumi and Kyoko came running back into the room followed by a very large panda  carrying a small redheaded figure.  The panda set the redhead down in front of the terrified family.
   "You wouldn't be...?" asked Kyoko nervously.
   The redhead looked sullenly at the floor.  "I'm Ranma Saotome," came a high pitched voice.  "Sorry about this."
   "Oooh, he is cute," giggled Kasumi.
   Nabiki studied the person in front of her.  Her eyes narrowed.  "Hmmm..." she frowned.  She bent down and patted the breasts on Ranma's chest.  "Ranma's not a boy, he's a girl," she announced.
   "Oh my."  Overwhelmed, Kyoko did the first thing she could think of.  She fainted.

    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **

   Kyoko opened her eyes slowly.  Kneeling alongside her were her daughters, Ranma, and the panda.  Kyoko put her hand to her pounding head and looked at the sorrowful redheaded girl.  Many thoughts flooded her mind. Ranma was a girl.  There would be no marriage.  There would be no one to run the dojo.  Her daughters would never know the dangers of martial arts.  Kyoko smiled.
   Kasumi looked at her mother's smile and frowned.  "This is all your fault, mother.  Can't you tell the difference between a boy and a girl?"
   "I assumed Saotome-san's son was a boy."
   "Does this look like a boy to you, hmmm, mother?" asked Nabiki as she squeezed Ranma's right breast for emphasis.
   "Please, I wish you'd stop that," Ranma glared at the older girl.
   "Stop it you two!"  said Akane.  "He, er, she is a guest!"  She put her hand on Ranma's shoulder and smiled.  "Hi, I'm Akane.  You wanna be friends?"
   Ranma smiled for the first time since she'd entered the Tendo home.  She gave a slight nod.
   "Come on," said Akane.  "I'll show you around."
   The two girls walked outside.  Akane showed Ranma the koi pond and the garden.  Ranma was impressed by the size of the Tendo's property.  Akane led Ranma to the building behind the house.
   "And this rock path was built by my dad," Akane swept her hand out, following the path towards the dojo.
   "Is that the dojo?" asked Ranma, taking the bait.
   Akane's face lit up with her smile.  "Yes!  Would you like to see it?"
   "Sure."
   Akane led the small redhead into the dojo.  The floor of the dojo was swept and polished.  The room shone from excessive cleaning.  There were no scuff marks on the floor, no dents in the wall.  Barbells sat unused in the corner.  Ranma stood in the center of the room, taking it all in.
   "Wow."
   "You study kempo, right?  Can you teach me?"  Akane asked
eagerly.
   A slow smile spread across Ranma's face.


    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **

   After grabbing a snack, Kasumi walked past the living room on the way to her room.  She stopped, took a few steps back, and peered into the living room.  Kneeling at the table across from her mother was a strange looking man.  The man was crying.  Kyoko looked upset.  Kasumi continued up the stairs and went to Nabiki's room.
   "Hey, Nabiki, who'se that strange guy in the living room?"
   Nabiki looked up from her computer.  "Beats me."
   Kasumi shrugged and headed off to her room to finish her homework.
   Nabiki glanced at the clock and shook her head.  <Better tell Akane she can take her bath now, or she'll forget.  This family would fall apart without me.>

    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **


   Ranma went through a few kata effortlessly while Akane watched with awe.  She finished the last excersize and turned to Akane with a smile.
   "That was great!  Do you think you could teach me?"
   Ranma smirked.  "Sure!"
   Akane crouched in a fighting stance.  "Ok, let's go!"
   "Hey, wait!  Um, do you know what you're doing?"
   Akane shrugged.  "Dad taught me some when I was little.  So, let's go!"
   Ranma sighed and took a defensive pose.  Akane threw a few clumsy punches which Ranma dodged easily.  Frustrated, Akane continued her advance, backing Ranma againt the wall.
   "What's wrong?  Attack me!"  Akane threw a hard, straight punch at Ranma's face.  Smiling, Ranma jumped in the air and flipped over Akane's head.  Landing softly behind Akane, she began to giggle.  Akane smiled.  "You're pretty good!"
   "That last punch of yours wasn't bad either.  Had a lot of power behind it."
   Akane's eyes lit up.  "So you'll teach me, then?"
   Ranma nodded.  "Some other time though."

    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **    **

   Kyoko tried to process what she had been told.  Genma Saotome did have a son, he would marry one of her daughters and run the dojo.
   "My son will carry on the legacy of the Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."
   "But Saotome-san, can he be an adequate leader of the school?"
   A pained look crossed Genma's face.  "He will be a strong leader!" he said confidently.
   Kyoko sighed and bowed her head towards respectfully towards
the mysterious gi-clad man.  "As you say, Saotome-san.  The marriage is on." <Soun, my darling, the arts took your life.  Will they take
my daughters as well?>
                End Chapter 1



Special thanks to Bert Miller, Kichigai, and Lucres Annuiteas for their C+C after I posted the original, I really appreciate it :-)  More C+C from them and anyone else is welcomed!
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