[Ranma] "Scarlet Spring" (1/?) By Henry J. Cobb $Id: scarlet_spring1.txt,v 1.2 1996/12/28 13:45:01 hcobb Exp hcobb $ The Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of her copyrights is intended. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Prologue: Ten year old Akane Tendo stepped up to her father, Soun. "What's the matter daddy?" Daddy looked up from the postcard. "Genma has taught Ranma the Nekoken! He's taunting me. We must uphold our side of the bargain! Come Akane, we must pack for a training trip." "A training trip?" Mommy wiped her hands on her apron. "Yes dear. I must uphold my promise to train Akane in the school. Only by combining two masters of the art can it fulfill its potential." Three weeks later: Akane woke up coughing. That damn cursed spring had almost killed her. The guide had looked so apologetic when he had come by to explain that the spring was recently formed and so was unmarked. Akane hadn't understood that or the fever that had burned in her lungs. She just knew that she had been very sick. Someone stirred next to Akane. "Xian-ko, you shouldn't sleep here. You might catch my fever." The purple haired amazon girl, the same age as Akane, turned to Akane with obvious concern. "Ak-ko need Xian-ko, keep watch. Besides, is Xian-ko's bed too." "It's just your bed. Thanks for letting me use it, but you shouldn't expose yourself." "Ak-ko up, Xian-ko fetch breakfast, for sister, good?" "Yes, thanks." Daddy came into the room, he looked so sad. Had he been talking to the doctor again? Was her condition about to get worse? And she had been feeling so much better these last few days. "Daddy?" "We have to return home now Akane, do you feel well enough to travel?" "I think so daddy. What's the matter daddy?" "Your mother isn't feeling well, we have to return to her." Xian-ko and her great-grandmother came to the train station to see Akane and Soun off. Akane waved to Xian-ko, until she couldn't see her anymore, then let the coughs free for a moment before turning and looking brave for daddy. He looked so sad. Akane and Soun arrived back in Nerima a day too late to see Mrs Tendo, alive. Six years later: Akane Tendo finished her Saturday morning jog, three times as long as her weekday jog. Through constant physical training, she had overcome her childhood weakness. She switched from her jogging outfit to the training Gi and piled up bricks to shatter with one mighty blow. "Hyaah!" Akane had exactly the same hairstyle as her sister Kasumi, short in front and on the sides with a ponytail tied back with a bow. Her hair was kept out of the way for her art, without being too unfeminine. And if doctor Tofu didn't see that Akane was even cuter than her sister, well that was his problem, wasn't it? "Hey! Kasumi!, Nabiki!, Akane!" Her father called his daughters together. "I have great news." Soun announced. "Genma is bringing Ranma here. They've been training in China." "Wow! China!" Nabiki chipped in. "I've been there, it's no big deal." Akane said. "Don't worry daddy, I can take Ranma. He'll find his match in me." "My little girl, you make me so happy." Soun hugged her tightly. Akane wasn't sure exactly what Soun's deal with Genma was. It seemed that she and Ranma were to fight a match or something over the future of the Dojo. For six years she had trained for this match, even while her father grieved the loss of his wife. Secretly, she had welcomed Kuno's challenge to the boys of Furinkan High. It helped with her training, to have a few dozen sparing partners every morning, even if they weren't very good. As the doorbell rang, Soun and Nabiki rushed to the door. Akane remained standing next to Kasumi and waited. She glanced out at the clear skies above Nerima then turned her attention back as Soun approached with an old man. The old man stopped and stared at Akane. "Ranma, you weren't supposed to show..." "Show what, pop?" A boy walked up with Nabiki, behind the two men. The old man looked back at the boy then again at Akane. The boy stopped and stared at Akane, jaws agape. Soun attempted to restore order to the situation. "This is my old friend Genma." He pointed to the old man. "This is his son, Ranma." He pointed to the boy. "And these are my three daughters Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane." "Soun, we must talk, privately." "This way Genma. What seems to be the matter?" The two men retreated to Soun's study. Nabiki returned to her room. Perhaps she had found no profit potential in Ranma. Kasumi went back to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Ranma was left alone in the hall, with Akane. He wore a red Chinese outfit and had black hair, tied back in a ponytail, like Akane's, but without the blue hightlights that hers had. "Ranma, you know martial arts, right?" "Ah, yes." "Would you like to have a little match?" There was no sense in delaying this. "Uh, OK, I guess." During the match, Ranma made no attacks at Akane, but he easily dodged her attacks. He kept looking at her, half-horrified, half-fascinated. Akane should've felt insulted, to be treated this way, but she saw her advantage. She faked a punch at him, which he dodged, while she dropped to take him down with a leg-sweep. She helped him to his feet. "Don't feel so bad, no man has ever beaten me. I guess this settles the issue." "The issue?" "Yes, the match between us for the future of the Dojo, that your father and mine arraigned. I won, I keep it." Ranma gave her that look again. "I don't think they meant this kind of match." "Well, let's get washed up and then we can straighten this out. You first, after all you're our guest." As Ranma came out of the bathroom he saw Akane again. He came up and looked right in her face. "Do you mind?" "Oh, sorry, please excuse me." Ranma returned to his room. After her bath, Akane joined the others around the living room table. "I did it father, I took Ranma in that match, just the way I said I would." Genma looked horrified at Ranma, who stared at the table. "Excellent." Soun beamed. "Genma and I made a deal 20 years ago, that a pair would be made between our children to inherit the Dojo and continue the school. Ranma and Akane were the obvious choice and I'm glad to see that it's worked out so well." "What!" This wasn't what Akane had meant at all. "Soun, but what of Ranma's problem?" Genma asked. "Doesn't he look like a fine manly boy to you?" Soun pointed at Ranma. "I'm sure it's no problem at all." "Daddy! You tricked me!" Akane ran up to her room, slammed the door and cried into her pillow. Henry J. Cobb hcobb@slip.net http://www.io.com/~hcobb