Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2. Rumiko Takahashi does. I don't own Sakura Wars either. Ouji Hiroi does. Either way this is a fanfiction based on Sakura Wars cept with Ranma characters. It is a work of fiction.
Genma had died while I was the navy. I had recently graduated. I know so little about my father. Knew him all my life yet never truely knew him. He was a great martial artist. He trained me well.
"Darn you old man"
Darn you for dying before you could see your boy become a man. He would have been proud. I'm no wimp, no coward, no weakling. He raised me well. As I was given my first assignment sure I was an ensign but I couldn't believe my luck. Being chosen for an assignment at Edo. Landlocked. The imperial capital sure, but not at sea.
"Haha do your best Saotome"
Ryouga Hibiki. Rival. Best friend. The two terms might seem oppisite and yet to strive to be your best sometimes you need some goading, friendly rival. He didn't want to kill me but he was always striving to be better than me, and I had to keep in top form so that never happened. I sighed and went off to Edo.
After getting off the train I met a tomboyish girl named Akane Tendo. She is also a fighter of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. White Pants. Red Shirt. Brown jacket. I have no idea why I imagined Akane would be a swordsman in a pink kimono with purple sash, red hair bow, and blue hair. Instead I met this uncute tomboy; that has black hair. Oh well point being miss Tendo leads me to the base.
Theatre!? The base is a theatre. There must be some mistake. But there comes Commander Tendo.
"Welcome Ranma"
"Commander"
I salute to Soun Tendo even though I'm riddled with questions.
"Manager. Call me Manager"
Indeed Commander Tendo looks like a wary drunk, more like a theater manager than my idea of what a hardened officer typically looks. Is there more than one Soun Tendo in the world?
"Come on. Come on inside"
He leads into the theatre. Akane goes taking up the rear behind me. Inside I am introduced to Nabiki Tendo who somehow reminds me of a russian even if in fact she is japanese too. I have no idea why such an odd thought came to me. Maybe it had to do with the piercing cold eyes and fact she has a revolver. She too has on a red shirt but she has no jacket. She is wearing a blue skirt. Neither Tendo daughter had made a good impression. Neither looked like they wanted to be friends with me. I felt a stranger. Was this any place for an ensign? Working at a theater? What the boom happened to get me so punished?!
"Well there is Akane, Nabiki, and over there is Kasumi"
The so called commander, or manager as he now insists is his title, refers to the third girl in the room. I turned my attention to the oldest. Whereas I and Akane were sixteen, and Nabiki seventeen, Kasumi was nineteen. A girl in purple kimono, white hairband, and red shoes
"An honour to meet you"
I say in good etiquite but before I can get quite acquinted the father shows me to ticket booth and explains the other chores of my menial job. I tried to pay attention. I really did. But as soon as he is called away by some emergency I can only assume is electrical related I go off to see more of the theater
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you"
A child has appeared just as I was gonna check out the basement. How did she get there? Transportation? Bah no way. I look over to here. She looks eight or maybe nine. She is dressed in yellow and has a pink hair bow. She has a teddybear. She must have merely come so quietly I didn't notice for surely teleportation is impossible. I'm a way good martial artist but I had no reason to be paranoid. Least I did not until right this minute
"Yeah right. Who are you kiddo?"
"Hinako and this is my teddybear Jean-pierre"
I just stare at her for a minute trying to mentally wish her to go away
"Jean-Pierre says you're not being very nice Ranma"
How did the teddybear, wait screw that, how did Hinako know my name. Teddybears are stuffed animals. They don't know squat.
"Manager wants to see you"
Sheesh. So starts my first night at a new job, with no idea how working here is supposed to help me defend the capital or Japan. I'm at the capital, not given clear idea how plays going to help keep the country safe. Oh sheesh great.
Days pass. Days pass. Kasumi has warmed to be, Nabiki looks like she'd love to blackmail me or somehow make money off my life. Nabiki.. finanical genius but not a social sweetheart. My god all three good actresses with Kasumi being the best. Strangely enough I did notice just last night Ryouga Hibiki outside shining Manager Tendo's shoes. They were whispering but all I can deduce is obviously Ryouga got a worse gig than I so I didn't get bottom of the barrel in assignments either.
Just what. Huh. A minute ago an alarm sounded sounding. That's out of the ordinary. While all the others are gone to whatever scenanigans going on elsewhere I check out books in my room. They I quickly learn about the Anti-kouma quad. My pops was in that. So was the manager. Genma Saotome, Soun Tendo, and some dude named Kuno. Facinating actiony stuff, some parts boring but I finally getting to know my dad's past
It's two hours later when there is a knock on the door getting me out of my reverise, my book studies. Ha who'd ever guess I would be studying, engrossed in a book. That seems so unlike me but it's .. understandable in this case. Pops had a freaking past as a buttkicker of demons
"Come in"
In comes the manager
"Ranma I think the koubu are ready for you now. All calibrated and set"
"Koubu? What's a koubu"
"Didn't Akane tell you?"
I shake my head. Does some pieces of the puzzle exist I did not look to find? Egads
"Um no.. uh does have to do with the basement?"
"Darn tootin it does. It is under the main first floor"
"No duh sherlock. Basements usually are"
I had no idea of knowing what was there was beyond my imagination.
But I was taken there nontheless. There I found about the real Imperial Floral Combat Troop/Troupe as well as the demons they fight. That explains the books in my room. The demons seemed to be subservant to the Kuno Council. I learned all this in orientation. It's leaders were four. Kuno himself, for he has turned to the dark side, as well as his two childrem. Kuno has a hawaiian ponytail thing but still plenty of hair on his head. He somehow managed to look evil yet charistmatic. Tatewaki, son, looked strong yet stupid. He was dressed as a samurai. Kodachi was beautiful, vain, and insane. Hikaru, not related to the other three, was expert in voodoo. Hikaru Gosunkugi. Somehow he looked like a little boy and acted like little brother to Kuno. Hikaru had to be most eerie looking and palest. So the Flower Troop was defenders of Japan afterall. Woohoo!
It takes all year to defeat the threat but good did triumph and I even started a relationship with that tomboy Akane so in short what I am saying is even after all this weirdness I lived happily ever after. THE END.