8The Martial Arts Music Competition
Small note: I do not own any of the original carracters of Ranma½ by Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own any of the lyrrics of the songs - original owners and writers will be presented in the "Music and Lyrrics" chapter.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any coments or questions.
Prologue:
"Ranma!" Kick punch swap "Come on Ranma! Fight Back!" swoosh screech punch
"You know I don't fight girls, Akane." sidestep duck jump
Akane came to a halt. Her breast was heaving heavily, and her brown eyes glared at Ranma.
Ranma stood right in front of her, breathing normally, not breaking a sweat, and it looked like he didn't have a problem in the world.
Well, except for the fact that he was right now a she.
Ranma-no-onna eyed Akane. She looked rather mad, as she stood right in front of him - er - her, in an attack stance. She was wearing her yellow Gi, and her bluish black hair fell in to her face, framing her eyes perfectly.
He, no she, was wearing his usual Chinese outfit. Black pants, and loose red tank top.
His, no once again - Her - hair was tied back in to a tight braid, but some theses hanged loose, and his bangs was hanging over his blue eyes.
Akane sighed, dropped her attack stance and bowed the girl in front of her.
"Fine, be that way"
She turned away and walked to the door of the dojo. As she was about to close it behind her, she turned around.
"It's almost breakfast. I'm going to take a bath, so you're going to have to wait until I'm done. And don't you try anything!"
Ranma walked passed Akane, waving her hand to cool the girl off.
"Hey! I wouldn't try anything, and you know it" She smiled, at Akane, who closed the djojo door "Besides, who would like to peek on a uncute tomboy anyway?" She laughed and started running down the hall. Akane was right behind her, chasing her for what life was worth.
"You take that back!" she shouted. She was mad, and Ranma knew it. But he wasn't worried. There was a sure sign around- or rather lack of it- Akane, that she hadn't taken it to hard. There was no mallet in sight.
The short chase ended as Ranma took refuge in the kitchen, and Akane retreated in to the bathroom.
"Oh, hi Ranma-kun." kasumi greeted with a smile as Ranma walked over to the stove, and poured the hot water from the kettle that stood there, over her, turning her once again male.
"Mor'n kasumi. Breakfast ready?"
"Not quite. In about fifteen minutes or so." She smiled at him, grabbing a knife and started to shop a carrot.
"Kay. I'll just sit on the porch then." he said and left the humming Kasumi to her chores.
He walked in to the combined living- and dining room, and walked out on the connected porch. There, he sat down and stared at the blue sky. Some white clouds drifted slowly over it, making it peacefully beautiful.
"Taitou no hachimenreirou." he sighed.
Right now, he liked his life. It hadn't always been like this. For less than three months ago, his life was a total mess. And that was the end of it, or at least he hoped it was. His life had always been a bit odd, but around two years ago, his life took a sudden turn.
He, and his father had been on a long training trip. Long as in 7 years, if not more. His father had left his mother when he was very young, and he hadn't been home during that time.
Around two years ago, he and his father had been in China, looking for a cursed training ground called Jusenkyo.
Well, they found it, and you might say it was cursed. The training ground was built right in the middle of one thousand springs. In the springs where poles sticking up.
His father had ordered him to follow and he did.
They jumped from pole to pole, attacking each other, trying to knock one another off the pole.
Ranma was first to succeed. His father went flying into one of the springs.
But Ranma was up for a surprise when his father emerged.
It wasn't really his father emerging. It was more like a giant panda, wearing his fathers Gi and glasses. Taken by surprise, he himself was knocked off one of the poles, as he was trying to defend himself.
As his head came above the water, he saw the guide come running towards him, shouting something in a really bad Japanese.
"That is to to bad. You fall in spring of Naynnichuan. Very tragic story. Happen over 2500 year ago."
He couldn't believe it. His body felt really wrong. Some... more private parts were... missing, and other parts were... expanded.
He feared the worse and looked down at his chest, and he almost fainted. There were two rather large bumps sticking out.
He had BREASTS'!
The guide soon explained the curses of Jusenkyo, and also made sure they knew what triggered them. Ranma found out that cold water triggered the curse and hot water reversed it.
That had been the start of a really mixed up period of his life.
Shortly after the accident at Jysenkyo his father had taken him home to Japan, only to announce that he, Ranma Saotome, the heir of Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, was engaged to one of the daughters to his fathers old friends, Soun Tendo.
He was a sixteen years old boy in a girls body, engaged to a girl he didn't know, and he couldn't see any way out of it.
He was furious. He had decided to go back to china, to find a cure against his sexchanging problem.
But his father Thought otherwise. Genma put him out cold and carried him to the house of the Tendos.
Of course, Lady Luck had turned her back on them, and of course, it had to rain on their arrival.
So Ranma could understand mr Tendo, when he fled from them, as they arrived.
Things got worse as he introduced himself, and Soun thought he was a girl. So did all of his daughters too.
Nabiki, the middle daughter, was mad at her father. She had short, brown hair, and she was known to make money from almost any situation.
Kasumi, oldest daughter, only smiled and went to fix some tea for them all. She had long, brown hair, and she had an aura around her that shone of serenity.
Then there was Akane. She was the youngest daughter, and she was mad, but not at him.
At least not to start with.
She had asked him - currently her -to spar with her, and asked if they could be friends.
He had accepted. He didn't have any friends at that time of his life, and he really needed one.
Ranma-no-onna had easily beaten Akane, and he remember exactly what she had said when she was defeated.
"I'm really glad you're a girl. I could never stand for a boy to beat me."
Next thing he remembers was him, as male, in the bathtub.
He was ready to exit, when Akane walked in on him - Naked!
He had seen her, and she had seen him.
She had then backed out, and closed the door behind her.
Then he heard her scream.
"Iyaaaaa!"
He and his father had a lot to explain that evening. And as Ranma once again was reminded of the accident of his life, he got mad.
So was Akane. She now took him for a sexchanging pervert.
And there was more to come.
As he and his father ended their explanation, he and Akane got engaged to each other in less than five minutes. Both of them refused blankly. He didn't have time for an engagement at the moment. He had to get back to China and find a cure.
But, as before, he didn't have anything to say against his father.
So, he stayed at the Tendos, and he stayed engaged to Akane.
He had to go to the same school as her and Nabiki as well.
There, he got to know Kuno; the biggest jerk thru ought the history. He was in the same class as Nabiki, and he used to harass - to him, explain his undying love - Akane, but as he met Ranmas female side, he started to harass him -no her- too.
And, as Kuno learned about Ranmas engagement to Akane, he declared Ranma of being a sorcerer.
And, being the airhead all Kunos where - are - he didn't get it when Ranma tried to explain that he and "Osage no Onna" was one and the same. Kuno twisted it all into thinking Ranma was engaged to her too.
Then there was the episode in his life when he reencountered the eternally lost boy, Ryouga.
He was an old pal of his, and till was, but at that time, Ryouga had been out to kill him. He blamed Ranma for sticking out on a fight. He had then followed Ranma and Genma to China, and was accidentally pushed in to the spring of Heituenniichuan.
Ryouga used to get lost, found Ranma again, and they would fight.
Just that once, Ryouga went a bit too far.
One of his razor-sharp bandanas cut off Akanes long hair. She had gone into chock, not returning from it until she had cried out with Kasumi.
And on top of everything, Ryouga became Akane's little pet pig - P-chan, as Ryouga had come to challenge Ranma once again in his cursed form.
Ranma sighed.
All of this had happened in less than two months after his arrival at the Tendos.
To top it off, this was just the top of the iceberg.
Then there where Shampoo, the girl from the Joketsuzoku village near Jusenkyo, who he accidentally got the kiss of death off, when he beat her at combat as a female.
Shampoo, or Xian Pu as her real name was, followed them to Japan, trying to kill the female side of Ranma.
When he, once again by accident, beat her - this time as male - she gave him the kiss of marriage, and tried to marry him. She still was.
Then there was the fact that she had the curse of Maoniichuan, which didn't help. Ranmas biggest fear was just that - Felines.
Ukyo was also a problem. She was his childhood friend but his father had engaged them, just so he could get her dowry - and okonokiyahi chart.
But, as the man his father was, he had taken the chart, and left Ukyo behind.
She had then put her soul into learning to be a martial artist in Okonokiyaki, and demanded revenge. She had started in the same class as Ranma and Akane, looking like a boy.
Soon enough, she challenged Ranma, and one thing led to another, and he ended up calling her cute, and stuck he was stuck with one more fiancée.
Ranma gave a loud sigh, and looked over at the pond.
The trouble didn't stop with Ukyo.
Cause, then there where Mousse, or rather Mu Tsu, also known as Duck Boy. A nearsighted boy from the Joketsuzoku village. He had the curse of Yaazuniichuan, and was head over heels in love with Shampoo. He had sworn to beat Ranma in combat (he still, after two years still hadn't succeeded) and then win Shampoo's heart, and marry her.
And let's not forget Kuno's sister, Kodachi.
She went to St. Herbereki all girl school, and hated Akane and Ranmas female side. She often used drugs ad potions to have things her way. And her laughter then. Screaming, terrifying sound. It alone should be enough to put her in a padded room.
But so far, she was roaming free.
And Ranma didn't even want to go in on all the things Cologne or Happosai had done.
Cuh Lon, or as he knew her - Cologne - was Shampoos great great grandmother. At least that's what they said. She was now the owner of Nekohanten, a Café/Restaurant where both Shampoo and Mousse worked. Cologne had followed Shampoo to Japan to make sure the child fulfilled their laws, and that Ranma did the same.
Happosai, also known as Happi, was Soun and Genma's old master. He hadn't been anything but trouble since the day he showed op. And Ranma often ended up with the blame, when the old lecher was stealing girls underwear, or glomped them.
"Ranma, what are you doing?"
He turned around. Beside him stood a smiling Akane, trying to dry her damp hair.
"Nuthin'. Just Thinking."
"Oh." she sat down beside him, looking out over the pond. "About what?"
"Just ol' memories." he replies and stood up. "I'll go and take that bath now. Se ya at breakfast." he smiled down at her as he left, leaving Akane alone on the porch. She smiles as she saw him disappear inside.
'He really seems happy these days. Can't blame him either. His life has always been odd. Mine too. But I wouldn't change it for the world. Not if it meant giving up on him.' She smiled. Akane couldn't deny that she did like Ranma. She liked him a lot. But it was a question of how much a lot was. She had been thinking about it quite a bit these last couple of weeks.
After the failed wedding, things had pretty much gone back to the old way, except for some small changes.
Shampoo didn't come by as often as she used to do. And when she did, she managed to use the door, with minor things getting wrecked. Sure, after a while with her around, things got back to normal. Mousse, could come running in, trying to beat Ranma. Shampoo would then glomp Ranma, and stick to him like a second skin, and Akane would go ballistic. She could nowadays handle about 15 minutes without her mallet, but then it would strike down on poor Ranma as usual.
Ukyo had become friendlier towards her as well. Sure, she was still after Ranma, and would never give up, but she didn't try to pair her up with different guys, and she left Ryouga out of it.
The biggest change might have been their household.
Kasumi was still her old self, but she now and then even went out with Dr. Tofu - Akane still couldn't understand how he got the courage to ask her out - and she had help from Nodoka, who had come to almost stay with them.
She and Genma lived at their house, but they might just have lived at the Tendos, as much time as they spent there.
Akane was eternally grateful for the decision her father, Mr Saotome and Mrs Saotome had made, of Ranma staying with her, and her family. Of course, she didn't say it out loud. That would end up in her and Ranma being on a honeymoon before they could say the word Wedding.
Nabiki was still up to her usual business, even though she had started to use less and less photos of Ranma for selling to the public, or blackmailing Ranma with.
Akane looked to her right. There she could se her father, and Genma sit and play one of their never-ending games of Go.
They had lessened on their never-ending plans to wed their heirs. At the longest, there had been a whole week in-between their attempts.
And then there where herself, and Ranma.
It was unbelievable what changes they had made. They almost never fought, well not seriously anyway. And they did more things together. Sure, not so that their parents saw. That would be a catastrophe. They could even put on a fight just to get them of their backs.
But the thing Akane was most proud of was the fact that she was making a big progress in the kitchen. She now couldn't just boil water, or curry under supervision. She could also cook rice, pasta and a salad. Combining them made it a total of seven dishes.
"Suteki da ne" She looked up at the sky, and sighed. Life was bliss, and she was enjoying it fully.
But what she didn't know was that it wouldn't last long.
Life was going to take yet another big turn. For the better, or worse, nobody knew.
New chapter, soon to be up... hopefully. I don't know how much I might be able to update. But I will try. I can promise that much.
Reviews are very welcome.
Beta Reader for this Fanfic is needed.
If you have any songs/lyrics you think would describe a character, relationship or anything ells in Ranma½, please tell me. I am all ears.
Until next time!