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Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 14:12:48 +0800
From: "Kurt Glenn C. Jacoba, MD" <kgj@pascuallab.com>
       I still don't have a title any good suggestions out there?
                                Prologue
                            By Elaine Thrill


_________________
Disclaimer: All Ranma 1/2 Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm
below legal age to be sued.
Acknowledgements:  Thank you Lord Archive for the idea an to the
pre-readers who have corrected my overly wrong grammar.

Sorry to the people I promised a copy of this and failed to comply to do
so. I know this is too late or too early for Christmas, but I kept
finding bugs.
___________________

   Akane opened her eyes and smiled, the sun filtering through her
windows, shining on her calendar. She saw it was December 24, the day
before Christmas, and there was nothing that could stop her from having
fun now.
   She jumped down from her futon and rushed to the bathroom. Quickly,
she cleaned herself up and ran down the kitchen hoping maybe, her older
sister could use some help.
      "Good morning Akane, did you sleep well?" Kasumi asked from the
kitchen
   "Yes, oneechan. Do you need some help with breakfast?"
   "Thank you Akane, but I'm already finished, would you mind waking
Ranma up?"
Akane sighed as she nodded feeling sad a bit as she trudged on the
stairway, Never mind, she thought; there's still lunchtime anyway. As
she opened the door to Ranma and his father's room she found out that
Ranma was already up. In fact he was already gone "Now where could he
be?"
   Nabiki, passed by and said in a monotone voice, "If you're looking
for Ranma, he's out with his father, he'll probably be back in a
moment."
   As if on cue the door slid open downstairs and the arguing voices of
a teenager and his father reached Akane's ears.
   "That is the last time I'm going to listen to your advice, Pop."
Ranma bit out, "Pulling on a stupid stunt like that. What were you
thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?"
   A blow was heard closely followed by a splash and the voice of
Ranma's father, Genma. "I can't believe I've lived the last sixteen
years of my life raising an ingrate! Don't talk to your father like
that."
   The voices drifted closer as Akane went down with Nabiki, "Oh my,"
they heard Kasumi say, "Would you like some hot water now?"
   Ranma grumbled and answered in a mezzo-soprano voice "Yeah, thanks
Kasumi."
   "Ahh you're back," Soun said from the doorway holding his hands at
his back.
   Ranma looked at him strangely as he poured the hot water Kasumi gave
him on his head. "Yeah, well,"
   Genma laughed out loud, "Now-now, let's discuss that later, Tendo,
I'm hungry let's see what Kasumi has prepared for breakfast."
   Soun nodded "Yes, there is more than enough time to talk about this
later" He mused as he followed Genma inside.
   "Is it just me, or are those two acting really weird today?" Ranma
asked the three sisters.
   "Well" Kasumi started, "Father did go out this morning right after
Mr. Saotome and you went outside."
   "Probably nothing, you know how those two are anyway." Akane
shrugged.
   "Well okay." Ranma said dismissing the subject as he walked inside,
"What's there to eat Kasumi?"


   "Akane, Ranma." Soun said as he held the two teens, "Today is a
special day and we have decided that you two should go out and try
something new for a change."
   "Huh?" Akane and Ranma said in unison.
   "Jeez Mister Tendo what are you getting at?"
   "What Tendo here is trying to say is that, you two should go away for
a bit and we have paid for the trip. All you have to do is pack and
reach the docking bay by four o'clock today."
   "What?" Akane and Ranma shouted.
   "There is no way I'm going out with a tomboy like her."
   "Who wants to go out with you anyway?" Akane asked as she stood up.
   "But that can't be." Soun said, "We already paid for the tickets to
the steam liner, and they were expensive."
   "Steamliner?" Both Akane and Ranma looked at Soun incredulously
"Where exactly did you get the money to buy two tickets for a
steamliner."
   "Here and there."  Genma said flippantly, "But that doesn't matter
now. Are you two going or not?"
   "Ehhgive us time to think about this okay?" Akane spoke up; "It's
not like you can ship us somewhere..."
   "The tickets are first class" Soun said. His voice trailing off.
   "And they're to the different countries of Asia including the
countries Australia, US, and some countries in Europe."
   "What?" Both Akane and Ranma shouted.
   "Plus, they're non refundable." Soun pointed out.
   "What were you both thinking pulling a stunt like this?" Ranma
shouted sending a flying kick to Genma.
   "Well" Soun said after a moment of thought, "We were thinking
about"
   Genma interrupted as he peeled himself off of the floor, "Why, you
two of course! Besides it is Christmas, consider this as our Christmas
present to both of you."
   Ranma and Akane both looked at their fathers, and sighed.
   "Here's the drinks you asked for father," Kasumi said laying the tray
down in front of Soun. She then noticed the demeanor of Akane an Ranma
and asked, "Oh, my is something wrong?"
   "Well, if you two don't like it, I could always sell the tickets"
The breaking of the wall cut off Nabiki's voice.
   "Nihao, Ranma," Shampoo said her arms flying around him, "You take
Shampoo on date, Yes?"
   "Uhh," Ranma said squirming out of Shampoo's grip, "I"
   He was interrupted by the mallet that Akane wielded on her hand, with
a swift blow she knocked him unconscious.
   "Come on Ranma, we have some packing to do." Taking his pigtail she
lugged him upstairs.
   "Akane such a violent girl." Shampoo huffed as she jumped to
intercept Akane slugging the now unconscious Ranma.
   Akane knowing this would happen came prepared as she flung the glass
of water she had taken from the tray Kasumi brought, to Shampoo.
Shampoo, being in mid-kick and because of the archway of the stairs,
didn't see the water and she fell downin her cursed form, hissing.
   "Oh my," Kasumi said as she picked up Shampoo-neko, "We better get
you some" Akane didn't hear the rest of what Kasumi said as she dropped
Ranma on his room.
   "Well?" Akane huffed; I don't see why we shouldn't be goingafter all
it's a waste of money if we don't goplus the fact that it would be
ungratefuland besides what could possibly go wrong? Nobody will know
that we're on that boat anyway."


   On the bus going to Tokyo Akane sighed as she looked out the window,
"It's a whole three months what were the thinking? What about school and
all that."
   "Oh jeez, Akane, we're on vacation and thinking about school?" Ranma
said exasperatedly
   "Well"
   "Just try to enjoy the trip will ya? We could just take the first leg
of the trip you know and go back the rest of the way."
   "I don't know"
   "Anything could happen, don't worry about it. I mean nothing ever
stays" Suddenly a screech was heard and the bus came to a complete
stop, "See what I mean?"
   "Let's go check out what's wrong." Akane said as she jerked her head
to the sound of the crash.
   "Hey mister!" Ranma called to the driver, "What happened."
   "The stupid jerk of that car was driving crazily down the wrong lane.
And he's managed to crash a whole ten cars."
   "When do you think we'll get moving again?" Akane asked as she looked
at the crash.
   Ranma looked out and winced, "Sure hate to be in their shoes right
now."
   "With this mess? I think about three hours."
   "Three hours?" Akane exclaimed, "Our trip's leaving in two."
   "Well, there's a good Three hour walk to the harbor if you like. The
driver suggested.
   "Akane?" Ranma looked at her questioningly, "You up to it? We are
carrying bags you know."
   "So?" Akane asked "It's not as if I can't take a little walk."
   "I mean, I'm carrying a back pack, you're lugging a whole suitcase!"
   "What do you mean by that? At least I'm not going out there with no
clothes!" Akane's voice rising.
   "Well, duh, it's not as if I got a lot of clothes"
   They were interrupted by the driver clearing his throat, "If you two
are fighting, take it outside."
   Ranma sighed as he took his backpack out of the seat, "Come on Akane,
I think we could do better on foot."
   "With the luggage?"
   "I thought you said you could manage?"
   "Hmph, I could, but I can't run"
   Ranma sighed as he opened the suitcase and took half of the dresses
out and fit it inside his pack, "Happy? Are we going or what?"
   "Just a minute" Akane said as she looked at the crash and jumped
over the ripped cars, to see if anybody was trapped, a second later,
Ranma joined in looking over the cars. After thirty minutes of helping
the people get out Ranma sighed, "Okaynow are we going? We're going to
miss that boat."
   "Coming, coming" Akane said as she ran after Ranma.


      Akane looked at the ship, which was reclining the passenger
boarding stairs. "Ranma! They're pulling the stairs up."
   "I could see that!" Ranma said as he jumped down the fence and
carried Akane.
   "What do you think you're doing?" Akane protested.
   Ranma grunted "What do you think? I'm faster than you areboy you're
heavy."
   "What did you say?" Akane asked.
   "Will you keep still for a minute or we're not going to get to that
boat." Ranma shouted as he leaped off the platform and greeted the
astonished stewardess.
   "Um" Ranma started as he took out the two tickets off his backpack
and let Akane down, "Sorry about this."


   Akane was intent on the idea of unpacking when Ranma came inside
shaking his head, "I can't believe this place."
   "What's wrong now?" Akane asked.
   "The person in the next room's a minister." Ranma answered in a
monotone,
   "Are you betting that our fathers had something to do with that?"
Akane cringed, "I don't knowreally, those two are definitely hiding
something, that might be it."
   "I don't know how they're planning to get us there since they're not
herebut I'm not stepping near that man." Ranma grunted as he sat down
the bed.
   "They can't do anything they're miles away. It might be a
coincidence. Ever thought of that Ranma?"
   "I'm not spending this whole time cooped up in here arguing so, I'll
be going out now okay? See you in a little while." Ranma said as he
walked out the door and headed down hallway.
   He took the elevator up to the higher deck and saw that they were
full of shops when suddenly he got splashed.
   "I'm sorry, miss." The girl said as she picked up the glass of water,
"I didn't"
   Ranma cut her off while restrapping his belt lower down; "It's okay."
He said and smiled what are you doing here alone?"
   "I'm getting mommy a Christmas present." The girl smiled, "Wanna help
out?" Ranma smiled, Oh, yeah, I forgot about thatthe food here is free
so I got only about three thousand-yen "Sure," He said to the little
girl, "Where would you want to go? I need to buy someone a present as
well."
   The little girl led around Ranma in circles until a saleslady stopped
him when he was looking at the little silver trinkets.
   "Looking for a present for someone special?" The lady asked.
   "Oh...gee I was only looking around and watching after her." Ranma
said pointing to the little girl who was still browsing at the little
boxes.
   "Won't you like to buy something?"
   Ranma looked at her, "Yeah, well"
   "Would you like a cuff link?" the lady said going on a series of
men's accessories and Ranma looked at her strangely, and then realized
he was in his cursed form.
   "Ahh, no, it's not like that, I was looking something around those
lines." Ranma said pointing to the rings and brooches at the far right.
   "Ohh, looking for a present for your sister? Well tell me what's
she's like and I might be able to help you."
   "Well that's easy, she's an uncute, tomboy, who doesn't know how to
cook and"
   The lady interrupted her "Then why are you giving her a gift then?"
   "It's Christmas after all and"
   "I see." The lady smiled, "Well, when I ask forgivenessI give a rose
to my friend, why not try the rose shaped brooch here?"
   Ranma grimaced when he saw the rose, "I don't think that's a good
idea," he said thinking of the Kunos
   "Well, what about this?" The sales lady said when she showed him a
box laden with gold and set off with a diamond in the middle and
beautifully carved flowers on the sides. On each flower's center was a
single diamond. "It's beautiful." Ranma said as he examined it, "ButI
don't have that much money."
   "How much do you have anyway?"
   "Three thousand yen." Ranma answered.
   "That's simple," The lady smiled as she moved to the far-right.
   Ranma looked at the girl he was accompanying and said, "Hey, I'm
gonna check out these stuff, wanna come?"
   The little girl nodded, "Sure! I don't like these boxes anyway." The
girl answered as she skipped up to Ranma and held his arm. "Who are you
buying the gift for?"
   "A friend." Ranma said as he stopped where the sales lady did.
   "We don't usually do this lowbut it is Christmas." She smiled "Here
this is a friendship ring, I don't know what's special about it
thoughbut there was something the distributors said about it...and
people didn't want to buy it after that little word."
   "Special?" Ranma asked. "Is it harmful or something like that?"
   The sales lady smiled, "Oh no! I bought one of these last week and
gave it to my friend and nothing's happened to her."
   Ranma sighed"I don't know"
   "Of all the things here that one is refundable." The lady smiled,
"And I'll hold myself responsible for it.
   Ranma looked at her skeptically; "Wellokayare you sure nothing bad
will happen?"
   "Absolutely." The saleslady smiled.
   Ranma examined the ring; it was gold with little diamonds lining the
edges and an ornate pattern shrewn in the middle. In the top of it was a
small figure.
   "What's this?" He asked pointing to the crevice.
   "Oh" The sales lady smiled, "That's the surprise."
   The little girl bounced up and down, "It's a pretty ring miss ahhh"
   "Ranma, my name's Ranma Saotome."
   "Miss RanmaumFushigina Aiko's my name."
   Ranma smiled as he handed the money to the sales lady, "Well
Fushigina, let's see about that gift you're going to give your mom."
   The sales lady smiled as she gave Ranma the box wrapped in Christmas
wrapper. "The gift's in a black velvet boxin case you wanted to know.
How about you little girl? Would you like to choose from this selection
to give to your mother?"
   The girl nodded and after an hour or so, she picked the brooch
rejected earlier by Ranma.
   "Well, are you satisfied?" Ranma asked as he looked at the girl's
smiling face.
   "Mommy will be so pleased!" The girl exclaimed, "Thank you miss."
   "Yeah well, I could sure use some hot water." Ranma grumbled.
Fushigina smiled and took out a small pouch "Here, I've got a small
water case"
   "Don't worry about it, I can go back to my room and get the hot
water." Ranma said giving the girl back her pouch. "Where's your room by
the way?"
   "21" The girl answered.
   Ranma smiled, "Travelling first-class too? That's the floor where our
room is. Ours is 18"
   "Really?" The girl smiled, "We'll be seeing a lot of each other then
miss."
   "Maybe, or" Ranma hesitated when thought about explaining the curse
and said, "You'll probably meet my brother."
   "Your brother? What's his name? Why didn't you buy a gift for him
too?"
   "We share things." Ranma smiled as they went inside the elevator,
leaving the busy floor behind.
   "Oh? I don't have any siblingsI don't know what it's like."
   Ranma knelt down, "Yeahbeen there. Let's go to your mom okay she
must be worried about you."
   "Okay. Thanks Ranma."
   "Sure."


   Akane was getting irritatedshe had tossed and turned and slipped her
mind just trying to find out exactly what to give to her room mate.
Deciding that the best thing to do was sew she took out some yards of
satin white cloth and a sewing kit. Afterwards she took out one of
Ranma's shirts. "I don't exactly know how to do this but" she looked at
the white satin cloth "Well, it's the thought that counts, and he only
brought five shirts with him."
   For the next hour she began snipping and sewing away, after two hours
she sighed Well, Not exactly what you'd call from the tailors but it'll
have to do. She thought as she placed it inside a red paper bag. Now
where's that stupid jerk?
   As if on cue Ranma stepped inside the room. "Don't you know how to
knock?" Akane shouted as she shoved the package under the bed.
   "Well gee. I thought this was my room as well."
   "I know you idiot." She sighed, "Well, I'm hungry, and this is an
all-expense paid tripwhy not go down to the dining room?"
   "Fine with me." Ranma said, "As soon as I get some hot water."
   For the first time Akane noticed this little fact and raised an
eyebrow, "What happened?"
   "A little girl spilled her drink on me." He answered.
   "Oh, just get a move on." Akane said as she sat down.


   After a while they were seated in a dining room of the Steamliner.
"Well, what do you want to eat?" Ranma asked.
   Akane looked at the menu and told her order while Ranma said, "I'll
have what she has but skip the wine thing."
   "Are you trying to imply something?" Akane asked.
   "No, are you?" Ranma shot back.
   "No." Akane answered forcefully. "What's the matter with a little
wine anyway?"
   "Nothin' except it doesn't help with your focus and stuff like that."
Ranma waved off.
   "Oh really?" Akane asked as she smiled, "How about it then? Let's see
who lasts longer."
   "What?" Ranma asked her.
   "I'm serious Ranma, I'm challenging you. That is if you're sc" Ranma
interrupted Akane
   "I am not!" He smiled, "Fine then, two bottles of the strongest red
wine." The waiter looked at them both repeated their orders and said,
"And two bottles of red wine?"
   "Yes." Ranma answered. "I have a challenge to win here."
   "Oh yeah?" Akane answered. "We'll see."
   After an hour they had finished four bottles each and still both
refused to be bested by the other. This went on for hours until it had
become a spectacle in the dining room.
   "Are you sure those two are in the right age to drink?" someone
whispered
   "I don't know, they look pretty much fazed to me."
   "Ahjust some macho jerk pretending he's better."
   "Hey, waiter, where's the wine we ordered, and my ID!"
      These were the whispers around the ballroom. Some of them even
joined in, though both Akane and Ranma were already drunk they shrugged,
"Sure, okay with us, as long as you take it on your credit."
   Finally when the waiters protested that there wasn't any more wine
the group of ten stood up and went to the elevatorsome getting in
trouble for not paying up.
   By the time they reached the elevator there were only six. Ranma,
Akane and four other girls who were still fuzzy blurs.
   They shrugged and opened the door into their room.
   The next morning Ranma woke up through the gentle swaying of his
room. Swaying? He thought as he jumped up and saw that he was in a very
luxurious room sleeping in the floor next to the bed.
   "Ughhh, mando I have a head ache."
   Akane groaned from the sheets, "You mean hang-over? Yeah I have one
too."
   "Whatever, I'm going to take a walk or something, since I can't do
katas here." He told her. But as he stepped out of the door he was
intercepted by none other than Genma.
      "Well, boy get into something formal."
      "Formal? I don't have anything formal." He answered.
   "Fine. Take this then." Genma said.
   "What are you doing here anyway and why the heck am I gonna wear
something formal?"
   "We're here because we're going to attend a special occasion. Are you
going to dress up, or am I going to drag you boy?"
   "Let's see you try." Ranma answered but went back to his room
anywayafter burying his father's face in the carpet.
   "I thought there was something fishy going on." He mumbled as he took
the box and headed towards the room.


   "What?" Akane shouted as she reached over for a white dress.
   "Go dress now Akane." Soun said as he handed her a box with a white
dress.
   "Where exactly are we going?"
      "To attend on a special occasion." Soun answered "Your sisters are
waiting."
   "Wellalright." Akane said as she picked up the dress and went inside
the bathroom to change. After a few moments she was ready.
   "Where are we going?"
   "You'll see." Soun answered as he took his daughter's hand.


   The first thing Ranma noticed when he entered the room was that Akane
wasn't there any more, "Yo, pop, you know where Akane went?"
   Genma shrugged, "Soun probably went ahead of us and took Akane along.
Just go and change."
   "Fine, fine." Ranma said as he entered the bathroom to change his
clothes. He reappeared later with a tie on his hands, Genma quickly went
to him and tugged on his hands, "Faster boy."
   "Let go, Pop, I'm finished already!" Ranma shouted as he tied the bow
on to his neck, "I can't believe I'm wearing this tuxwhy does this have
to be formal again, old man?"
   "Because it's a special occasion now let's go." Genma said as he
tugged on his son's arms.
    "Fine, fine." Ranma said as he shook his arms out of his father's
grasp.
    "Oh no, I want you to follow me. You might get lost or something."
    "You're mistaking me for Ryoga, oyaji." Ranma grumbled but complied
anyway If it wasn't for this stupid hang over
   "What are we doing in the chapel?" Ranma asked as he was led inside.
"Why so attend you wedding of course." Genma answered as he pushed the
boy in with Akane.
   The minister inside gave them an odd look and said, "Back again?"

End chapter one
More on this later.

Elaine Thrill





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