[FFML][Ranma][Fanfic][DRAFT] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2
[section C]
Okay, here's the draft of chapter 2 of Childhood of a Modern Dynasty.
As I did with the final draft of chapter 1, I am splitting it up into
four pieces for easier reviewing by everyone.
First two segments will appear before Anime Expo and the second two
will appear after I get back.
The first chapter of CMD should hit RAAC after I get back from Anime
Expo. Therefore, you can still comment on it if you want to. At this
point, the Omake Theater from the final draft of chapter 1 looks to be
stillborn and won't be in the final version (no one really liked it).
It also may be awkward to do in some of the darker chapters.
Make sure to check out my new Childhood of a Modern Dynasty website for
some graphics of Akane (at age 76), Hanaki, and Daijiko. They are the
best my borderline drawing skills can do (they are modified from other
screenshots/art). James Davidson's palmcard is available too; it's a
little better quality (I'm not a bad draftsman).
http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime/childhood.html
[Ranma][Fanfic] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2: Broken
Hearts and Legs
=======================================================================
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 2: Broken Hearts and Legs
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 and anime.
Any references to 'Birth of a Modern Dynasty' refer to the fictional
book that the fictional author James Davidson wrote detailing the
events that happened in the manga and anime. It is not an actual fanfic
or book. 'Childhood of a Modern Dynasty' is the title of this fanfic
series written by me (Jim Lazar) and the fictional book that James
Davidson is writing.
<Speech text in angle brackets are thought by character.>
All other speech is in Japanese, although written in English in this
story of course.
=======================================================================
[draft section C]
* * *
After ducking out of the house carefully to avoid being seen,
Ranma and Akane walked down the street hand in hand. They were dressed
very smartly. Ranma had a suit and tie on, although he looked very
uncomfortable and kept tugging on the collar. Akane had a black
strapless dress on, topped by a cute shawl. Akane was also wearing
light makeup, just enough to bring out her natural beauty. Because of
the dress, Ranma had a hard time concentrating on where he was headed
and twice he walked into telephone poles.
From an upstairs window in the Tendo house everyone looked at the
retreating couple. "Looks like they did get closer on their training
trip," Nodoka remarked. Everyone nodded.
The young couple, which they finally considered themselves, walked
into the small French restaurant they had picked out together, very
carefully. The planning session for this date was more like the
military planning session for the invasion of Normandy, than like a
casual discussion about where a young couple should go on their first
date. They hoped that they had chosen a restaurant where Ranma's
fiancees or any of their assorted admirers wouldn't interrupt them.
Halfway though dinner they realized their big mistake, Kodachi
Kuno was a gourmet French cook and had dropped by to steal some recipes
from the famous chef of Ma Maison. Unfortunately, by the time when they
realized that, Kodachi had already attacked them,
Akane dodged the first ribbon strike directed at her purely by
chance, she had leaned over to kiss Ranma. Perhaps they needed to bring
a lookout on their dates. When the booth seat behind her exploded from
the ribbon's impact, she knew something wasn't right. Both Ranma and
Akane jumped to opposite sides of Kodachi to split her attention.
Then Ranma yelled out, "Kodachi attack number three!"
Going into one of the battle plans they had practiced in the
mountains, Akane allowed the ribbon to wrap itself around her arm the
next time it shot out at her, grabbed it, then yanked hard on it.
Kodachi, amazed at Akane grabbing her ribbon, didn't see Ranma jump at
her and send a kick into her back. Since Akane's yank on her ribbon
already had Kodachi off-balance, she couldn't resist the kick. The long
flowing dress Kodachi was wearing didn't help her balance either. Akane
ducked as Kodachi went flying over her head and through the window.
Kodachi landed in a lake down the block.
"Not bad...but we may not be as lucky next time. She wasn't
expecting me to kick her," Ranma said, as he analyzed the fight.
"Where were we?" Akane said and smiled. They finished the
interrupted kiss. Then the manager came over and tried to find out what
happened. The couple ignored him, until a soaking wet Kodachi, now
dressed only in her green leotard, landed a kick into Akane's side.
Both Ranma and Akane went crashing through a brick wall and into the
kitchen. Ranma ended up in a huge pot of soup. Since soup in normally
served hot he wouldn't have cared (except for not really wanting to be
in a big vat of soup of course), but this was Gazpacho Soup and was
served cold. Ranma started to drag her body out of the watery tomato
soup and swore. Something to do with Kodachi's parentage and her
resemblance to a dog.
While Ranma got herself out of the soup, Akane was trying to get
out of the big vat of noodles she had fallen into. The cook who was
still stirring the noodles, despite the 'Akane Alfredo' that was being
made, didn't help her any. The cook didn't even seem to care that this
was a French restaurant and 'Alfredo' dishes were Italian, for some
reason this made Akane the maddest.
Kodachi came into the kitchen as both of her hated 'impediments to
the love of her darling Ranma' tried to get out of their respective
vats. "Where are you hiding my darling Ranma! You twisted girls! Taste
my ribbons of love!" Kodachi screeched. She pulled out two more ribbons
from her tight green leotard. She quickly wrapped the ribbons around
the throats of Ranma and Akane. Both girls started to choke. "Where is
my Ranma!" Kodachi screamed and yanked on the ribbons.
Ranma pointed behind Kodachi. Kodachi took the bait and looked
behind her. Ranma took this opportunity to jump out of the soup and
kick a set of knives off a nearby table. As they passed her face, she
held her head up so that the ribbon around her neck was cut. Catching
her breath, Ranma tossed a cantaloupe at Akane's head.
Akane was a little surprised to see Ranma throw a cantaloupe at
her head. Even more surprised when it hit her hard on the side of her
head. "What did you do that for!" Akane screamed, then realized that
she could breathe again. She looked down and saw the rather large knife
that had imbedded itself in the cantaloupe just before hitting Akane.
The cut ribbon slipped off her neck. <Damn, he's good,> she thought,
then yelled out loud, "Thanks, Ranma!" She leapt out of the noodles,
lifted up the vat, and then tossed it at Kodachi. Kodachi ended up
covered in noodles and pinned beneath the vat.
"'Kodachi con Carnie', not a good dish," Ranma said, as she helped
Akane remove noodles from various places on her body.
"For a French restaurant they sure have a lot of Italian food,"
Akane said, as she tried to knock a noodle out of her noggin. It slid
out of her ear and she looked at Ranma. "You sure are a fun date."
"I try," Ranma said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Akane.
The manager of the Italian restaurant, which was next door to the
French restaurant, started yelling at the Ma Maison's manager. The two
managers soon had an all out brawl going about the hole in the wall
between the two restaurants and who was going to pay for it.
Ranma paid the bill using some of the money he got from selling
the ugly ring earlier in the day. Then as Ranma and Akane made their
exit, Akane yelled back loudly, "Gee, isn't that Kodachi Kuno? Isn't
her family rich?"
The two managers suddenly knew who was going to pay for the
damage. They called the Kuno lawyers the next day. Soon five big, mean
looking, hairy knuckled, barely human lawyers showed up at the
restaurants. The managers had to keep from puking as they negotiated
with the 'ladies'. They only managed to get about half what they needed
to repair the damage. They should have hired Nabiki Tendo to represent
them.
And that is how Ranma and Akane's first date ended. Well, they did
spend some time in the park making out after Ranma found some hot
water. They managed to avoid being attacked while they kissed. It was
just luck, since Shampoo rode right by them on her bicycle and never
thought for a second that the kissing couple could be Ranma and Akane.
Given the fact that Akane cried out 'Oh, Ranma!" right when Shampoo
rode by, you'd have thought she might have figured it out, but she
didn't.
* * *
A couple of days later, Konatsu greeted Ukyo and Ryoga at the
train station and helped them back to Ucchan's. As the two hobbled up
the stairs, Konatsu made up the spare futon in Ukyo's bedroom. Ukyo
appeared at the door. "Ryoga, you can have the bed, with your shoulder
you need a real bed. The futon will be fine for me," she insisted.
"Oh no, Ukyo! I couldn't, It's already too kind of you to let me
stay here while my injuries heal," Ryoga insisted back.
"Sit, Pig-boy!" Ukyo commanded and pointed at the bed. Ryoga
obeyed. "Good. Now you injured yourself saving me, so consider this my
repayment to you." Ryoga nodded his head.
"Konatsu, we'll have to close the restaurant until I can cook,"
Ukyo told the female ninja, who was really a guy. It's a long story.
"Ukyo, I'll keep the restaurant open, at least during the lunch
and dinner rushes. I think you've taught me enough that I can make the
okonomiyaki if you can just whip up the batter for me each morning."
"Thank you, Konatsu. Remind me to give you a raise."
"I only get room and board now."
"I'll make bigger okonomiyaki for you to eat?" Ukyo said, smiling.
"But seriously, I will start you on an hourly wage. You've earned it."
"You honor me, mistress," Konatsu said, with a bow.
"Please don't call me mistress, Konatsu."
"Yes of course, Ucchan."
"Try 'Ukyo'."
"Of course, Ukyo. I'll bring up some food and tea later, but is
there anything else I can get you two?" Konatsu said, as he prepared to
leave.
"Konatsu, there is one special thing I need. After you get it,
I'll need you to help me deliver it," Ryoga said. <This is it, the last
tie that binds me,> Ryoga thought.
"Of course," Konatsu agreed, then got the details from Ryoga.
* * *
The next afternoon, Ranma was having a snack in the dinning room
and paging through a martial arts magazine, when he saw a familiar
black pig with a yellow and black bandana walk by. Ranma's eyes went
wide and he grabbed P-Chan. "Ryoga! You honorless pork byproduct!"
Ranma yelled, then grabbed the pig and ran down to the bathroom, trying
not to be seen by anyone.
In the bathroom, Ranma held P-Chan in his hands, and scolded the
pig, "Ryoga, you liar!! You said you would stop chasing Akane! I took
that to mean no more 'P-Chan'!" He was about to toss P-Chan into the
hot water, when he heard a voice behind him.
"I never said anything about P-Chan, only that *I* wouldn't chase
her anymore," the voice said.
"Still, you know that I can't allow you...to...to..." Ranma began
to explain to the pig, then stopped and he turned around to see Ryoga
standing in the doorway on one crutch. Ranma looked back at the pig in
his hands and then back at Ryoga. He tossed the pig into the hot bath.
The angry pig clawed his way out of the tub. "He didn't change," Ranma
stated the obvious and picked up the pig again. It bit him hard. Ranma
tried to shake off the pig, but it just kept chewing on his hand.
"Of course not! That's just a regular pig, dummy!" Ryoga said.
"You're lucky you have the cast on or I'd make sure you're telling
the truth," Ranma implied, with an evil smile. "So where did you get
the pig?" He said, looking closely at the pig, who was still trying to
make a meal of his hand.
"I bought him at a pet store, added a bandana, and there you have
the new 'P-Chan'!"
"You think of this yourself?"
"Yup, I knew that I couldn't be her P-Chan anymore, that you
wouldn't let me be her P-Chan anymore, and that I didn't want her to be
hurt by the loss of her pet," Ryoga explained. <It's also the last tie
that binds me to Akane. Snip,> Ryoga thought, then sighed.
"And you didn't want her finding out about your curse," Ranma
added.
"Well, that too..."
"Okay, that's a good plan, as long as it works I'll continue to
keep your curse a secret," Ranma said.
"Thank you, Ranma. I guess I just enjoyed being loved by someone,
even if it was just as a pet," Ryoga explained.
"I guess that's what friends are for," Ranma said. He offered his
free hand to Ryoga, that being the one without the pig attached to it.
Ryoga considered this a moment, then accepted it internally.
Shaking Ranma's offered hand, he said, "Friends. I'll be staying at
Ukyo's until my casts are off."
"Oh, already shacking up with someone else?" A voice behind Ryoga
asked.
Ryoga turns around to see Akane in the outer doorway. "Akane! What
did you hear?" Ryoga blurted.
"Just that you're staying at Ukyo's...Don't worry I was only
kidding, she told me that she was letting you stay with her until your
leg and shoulder healed," Akane said, with a smile.
Ryoga visibly relaxed. Ranma walked forward and held out 'P-Chan'.
"Look who showed up..." Ranma said, then pried the pseudo P-Chan off
his hand and handed it to Akane.
"P-Chan! I was so worried when you weren't here when I returned!"
Akane exclaimed. She hugged the pig to her chest. She missed Ryoga's
look of longing and when he wiped the drool from his mouth.
"Down boy," Ranma whispered to Ryoga.
Akane looked up, then said, "You know I never noticed before, but
P-Chan's collar looks a lot like your bandana, Ryoga!"
Ryoga went white with fear. Ranma just said, "Imagine that."
Akane hugged her P-Chan again and walked out. Ranma wanted to hold
Akane in his arms. Ryoga wiped away another piece of drool.
Ranma whispered a question to Ryoga, "So how did you find a pig
that would attack me like that?"
"I think you did that when you tossed it into the hot water,"
Ryoga said, grinning. Then he hobbled out of the bathroom and said,
"Good luck with him."
Ranma just cursed silently.
* * *
At dinner that night, Ryoga and Ukyo were present to apologize to
all of the family members. They had both been asked by Ranma and Akane
not to discuss the events that happened in the mountains, they had
agreed.
Ryoga apologized first, just bowing his head, since his two casts
prevented a more formal bow. "Mr. Tendo, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, I
sincerely apologize for anything I did to cause your two families any
harm. I promise not to interfere with Ranma and Akane's relationship
again," Ryoga recited very fast, without stopping for a breath of air.
Nodoka nodded, then said, "Very well, Ryoga. My son says you are
man of honor, so I will take you at your word. Please don't break my
trust in you."
"I won't, Mrs. Saotome," Ryoga said.
Ukyo knelt down and crossed her hands. Her head was as far to the
floor as possible without creating a hole. Considering that her leg was
in a cast, this was an incredibly hard position for her to bow in. "Mr.
Tendo, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome," Ukyo began to speak. "I sincerely
apologize for my actions at the wedding and at various other times. I
know now that my actions were shameful and that I have brought dishonor
upon me and my family. I beg your forgiveness and will make any
monetary reparations that you deem necessary." Ukyo remained in her
head down position, waiting for a response. A few tears dripped out of
her eyes.
"Ukyo, dear. I know you love my son. I can understand that,"
Nodoka began, looking at Ukyo's prostrate figure. "The engagement to
Akane was agreed upon first and thus it is the one I must have my son
honor. If Akane decides to negate that engagement, I'd be glad to call
you my daughter-in-law. I accept your apology on one condition: You
must never again interfere with Ranma or Akane's relationship or their
next marriage." Then glaring at everyone, she added, "Which will be
their last wedding, it will either occur or I will nullify the
engagement myself. I assure you, should that happen, that my husband
would not like the events that followed.
Suddenly a panda with a broken leg started to play with a tire in
the yard. Everyone ignored it.
"I understand Mrs. Saotome. You have my word that I won't
interfere with their relationship. I value them as friends too much to
ever repeat my shameful acts," Ukyo apologized again, still prostrate.
"Great! Lets eat!" Nodoka said, cheerfully. Her cheerfulness took
everyone by surprise, since she had been so somber up until then.
Kasumi started serving the food and everyone started to chat.
Genma returned to the table after discarding an empty teakettle.
He sat down and reached for some food.
Nodoka slapped his hand, and said, "Nope, none for you." She
hefted out a basket of bamboo and gave it to him. "If you're going to
go panda on me to avoid your responsibilities, then you can eat as a
panda," Nodoka explained, then splashed Genma with cold water. The
panda sighed and started to chew on the bamboo.
About five minutes later, Akane said, "You can get up now, Ukyo."
Ukyo rose from her bowed position and stretched her sore legs. In
the process, she spilled the bamboo over the floor, since the panda had
been using her back as a table. The panda cried.
"You didn't need to stay down there that long, dear," Nodoka
insisted.
"I know. I just wanted to let the tears stop," Ukyo sniffled.
"So where did you go after the wedding, anyway?" Ranma asked.
"Oh, I went home for a bit, then did some wandering trying to
collect my thoughts and escape the shame of what I did to you two. Even
got over to China and did some exploring," Ukyo told the assembled
people.
Akane said, "Well since Jusenkyo is gone-" Ranma frowned. "-I know
you didn't come back cursed." She noticed Ranma's reaction, "Opps.
Sorry, Ranma, I forgot."
"That's okay, I'll find a cure someday. Until I do, I'll live with
it," Ranma said, somewhat honestly.
"That's my brave son, despite my husband's failings as a teacher,"
Nodoka said and shot a glare at the panda.
"Actually, I did find one interesting place in China. It's filled
with hundreds of caves, each one holds a different curse. If you sneeze
in one of them you get turned into the last animal that sneezed in it,"
Ukyo told them.
"Really? Any 'cave of sneezing handsome man'?" Ranma asked,
hopefully.
"I think she's kidding Ranma," Nabiki said, as she looked up from
her dinner.
"Oh," Ranma said, then looked sad. Everyone had a good laugh at
his expense.
* * *
The next morning Ukyo awoke, stretched her arms and tried to rise
to go to the bathroom. She couldn't seem to get up, her legs felt very
heavy. Finally, she managed to get up on her crutches. "Damn, all this
laying around is making me weak," Ukyo chastised herself, promised to
start doing some exercises to keep in shape while her leg mended, and
made her way slowly to the bathroom. She slipped off her robe and
pulled her large T-shirt off, then she sat down on a stool and filled a
bucket with water. She grabbed a sponge and began to wash herself.
Ukyo stopped suddenly, when she felt her cast start to rub against
her leg. She looked down at her cast and noticed for the first time
that it seemed to have grown in size overnight. "Damn," she cursed,
then grabbed the bucket and started hitting her cast repeatedly. A
piece of the plaster cracked off and a girl's face poked out, well it
was a boy's face that just looked like a girl. Another long story
there.
Tsubasa spat out a piece of plaster, then exclaimed, "Oh, Ukyo!
Let me comfort you in your time of pain!"
"Tsubasa! How dare you impersonate my cast!" Ukyo screamed. A few
carefully placed hits and Tsubasa went flying out of the window with
most of the fake cast. Ukyo wiped her hands off then examined her real
cast for damage. There didn't appear to be any so Ukyo returned to
washing up. She probably should have covered up instead, because
Konatsu and Ryoga burst into the bathroom to see what the noise was all
about. They both beat a hasty retreat when they saw Ukyo washing
herself and when the assorted pieces of the bathroom's decor started
hitting them.
* * *
--
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."