Disclaimer: All characters and places are the property of the one and only Rumiko Takahashi. Except for the original characters and places, that is.

Author's Note: This is my first Ranma ½ fan-fiction ever, so I might make the characters a little OOC, and besides, I have never written any battle scenes before in my whole life. Anyway, as usual, any honest criticism is welcome, as well as any queries. Please review as much as possible!!


It's Gonna Rain!

A Ranma ½ Fan-fiction

Prologue

If any passerby was to walk through the secluded forest area near the dojo at that precise moment, the passerby would be treated to the sickening sounds of fists meeting flesh and the unmistakable sound of trickling blood.

Or rather, the master of the dojo hoped that there was. He sure could use a hand or two. All his students, training hard under him just a mere few hours ago, were now slamming into the hard wood floor of the dojo or against the thin walls and crashing into the adjacent rooms, most unconscious, several holding weapons in their limp hands, blood pooling all over.

He just could not believe it. His dojo had been his pride and joy, and was recognized by the whole village to be the strongest and most undefeatable dojo of all, and yet, here his students were beaten by a mere female challenger. Female. Just one female.

If anyone could predict the future and had warned him beforehand, he would have merely scoffed and passed it off as a joke. But now, the evidence was before his eyes. Just one woman was able to overpower all his students. If this woman was one of his students, he would have applauded and jumped for joy. But she was not. And that was the worst part of it.

The grip around his sword tightened, the knuckles clearly turning white. He waited. Waited for his turn. He knew that sooner or later, the woman would dispatch of all his students, and he would be the only one left standing. The last one to defend the dojo, to prevent the dojo's sign from being taken away by a stranger.

Footsteps softly treaded through the bodies, eventually stopping in front of him. Blearily, he looked up at the smooth, oval face and cold hard eyes of the stranger. Beautiful in her own way, but like an ice-princess – untouchable.

"So you've dispatched of all my pupils? Well, unfortunately, I am not prepared to lose to you. Draw your sword. The one who falls first will lose. If I lose, my dojo's sign will be yours. Are the terms agreed to?"

The voice that answered was feminine, cool and clear like a spring, but there was an edge of hardness in it. "I have told you before, I have agreed to the terms. I am honorable, and will not go back on my word."

Even if you are merciless, he thought inwardly.

"Then it's settled then. Draw your sword."

The opponent wasted no time. In a second, she fluidly drew her sword and advanced on him, leaving him barely any time to react. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, drawing his blade at the same time, and brought his sword up to meet hers as she tried to cut through his defences. They parried back and forth, neither of them giving up. Sweat was trickling on his face, and his palms gripping his sword tightly had grown sweaty, but he ignored these minor discomforts and trudged on.

He swung his sword away and dropped in a somersault, aiming for her back, but she managed to turn around and parry that blow before he could strike her.

That was what he was waiting for. He slid his sword down the blade of hers, making a huge screech in the process which rung in his ears, and brought his sword under hers and through her defences to aim at her neck.

Or so he thought. The next moment, she had flipped bending back wards to avoid his sword.

Then he felt it. A surprisingly strong pressure on his chest, bringing him flying in the air. He didn't know what happened next.


She landed neatly on both feet, and looked down at the limp, unconscious body of the master of the dojo. Now no more. A cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the sight.

"Your dojo is mine, Tanaka-san. Victory is mine."

Her long ebony hair swung backwards as she turned, stepping away from all the unconscious bodies, like a parting wave. The smile on her lips had already fallen as she contemplated the easy defeat of the so-called amazing, powerful dojo.

Stepping out of the broken dojo, the newly obtained dojo sign clutched in one hand, Shoken Koname stared upwards into the sky. Storm clouds had already started to gather.

"It's going to rain... Well, I don't have any hot water, so it can't be helped..."

She looked backwards once more at the silent, lifeless dojo. Her eyes narrowed.

"Where can I find an even more challenging opponent? An opponent that, if I managed to defeat, would have everyone acknowledge me as the strongest martial artist of all Japan...?"


Author's Note: Okay, so the prologue was pretty boring, but I had to introduce Shoken Koname first, right? And I just realized that I totally forgot to mention that her name was Shoken Koname! She is the "villain" in this story... And you also probably know by now her "secret", but as for which Jusenkyo spring she fell into, it'll be revealed later.

And I really hate describing battle scenes now. Took me a whole half hour just to get that part the way I wanted it, and even then it isn't perfect. Ah, well. Nothing is perfect.