Author's Notes: Tee hee

Disclaimer: Ranma & Co. belongs to a talented artist called Rumiko Takahashi. I'm not talented so it's not me.

Intertwined Fate

Prologue

Once upon a time in the distant kingdom of Nerima, there lived a king with his queen who, for a very long time had been longing to have a daughter that they could love and treasure as their own. And so the noble couple prayed and prayed that someday, the Gods will listen to their plea and will give them a healthy and strong child to treasure lovingly as their own.

A year passed by, and their prayer was heard. The queen became heavy with a child and her estimated due was only a few days away. Then the day came. Of all the people who are panicked, the king was the most panicked when he should be the one to be most calm at a time like this. The king would calm down for a while and became alarmed again when he hears the cries of his wife. Thinking that she might be in great pain and he couldn't help himself.

The queen's maids then suggested that the king stay in his chambers so he could calm down and so he did. He still continued to plea that both his wife and child be safe and sound. That they both would live through this because he was very aware that his wife sometimes suffers from sickness and he became very worried.

Moments later, the doors burst open in a way that the king did not like but he let it pass since it was a messenger assigned to tell him what happened to his family.

"It's a boy!" the messenger exclaimed, very glad about this even though out of breath.

The king went to his wife and a tiny bit of disappointment inside. His wife had so wanted a daughter. And so does he. This, however, was washed away instantly as he saw the form of his wife with the small child in her arms. It made his heart melt. He neared her and he could clearly make out in her face a smile that he or anyone had never seen. It was a motherly smile for her child.

"Ranma is our treasured blessing is he not, my king?" the exhausted yet very happy queen whispered while she looked at the sleeping figure cradled in her arms.

The king smiled and nodded his head slowly in approval. He just had to agree.

A year and a half month passed. Prince Ranma Saotome grew to be a strong, healthy boy. He always made his parents and all the servants of the palace happy with every clumsy and sometimes brilliant attempt he made in everything he does. The people of the palace would always chatter to themselves saying that the prince will someday grow to be a strong and clever martial artist one day. Something his parents wanted him to be.

Then a tragic day came upon them. Something the queen nor the people of Nerima did not expect to happen. Something the prince is, of course, not aware of yet. The fabled king of Nerima, Genma Saotome, was said to have been assassinated in the mountains during his daily hunt by an unidentified person. It spread on the whole town just like a terrible disease and various rumors were spread until none knew what really happened anymore. Except for some people from the royal palace.

The queen, unable to bear this, left the castle to find some time for herself where she ended up inside a forest. In there she spilled her heart away. Crying and grieving the death of his husband. She just loved the king so. How will she live without him in he life? She asked herself. And how will Ranma grow up without a father? She asked herself more. What will happen to the people without him? So many questions that she knew she couldn't answer. So she cried and cried until sleep took over her sadness.

It was almost evening and the wind was already beginning to blow cold air. But this was not what awoke Nodoka, the queen of Nerima. What really woke her up was the voice of someone crying.

Yes. Someone crying. The voice of a small child crying.

Out of curiosity, she stood up and straightened her silk-made gown to look for the source where the crying has come from. With cautious steps she made, the crying grew more loudly and she became worried now. The queen looked behind a large, old oak tree where she saw a small crying child wrapped only in heaps of thin silken white clothing.

Almost immediately, she piled the poor child in her arms. She instantly felt pity and dejection for the poor abandoned child.

"You poor child!" the queen gasped, unable to believe such cruelty for an infant. "What kind of 'animals' left a poor child like you to die in this kind of place all alone!" she cried out while trying to sooth the crying infant in her arms. It was very rare that the queen uses such bold and cruel words. But she loved children very much and any dreadful actions against small children, especially young infants, she considered unforgivable.

So, as fast as she can, she went back to the castle to treat the poor child. Her maids all gasped out loud the minute they seen the queen in tattered and dirty clothes, not to mention the small child cradled in her arms. But she didn't mind them. Instead, she ordered them to prepare all the things that need to be prepared for the ignored child.

Moments after, the air had calmed down a bit. No more panicked maids shuffling on their feet. No more noisy baby cries. And no more dirty, tattered clothes for the queen. It was suddenly peaceful. Even though they all knew that the king had just died.

The queen watched the small child in the cradle gently sucking on the baby bottle she held in her hand. She had just learned, a few minutes ago, that the child she brought home was actually a girl. She really didn't have time to check for she immediately brought the kid with her the minute she found her.

"Mommy?" she heard someone from behind her. It was Ranma. She smiled at the young prince knowingly which he gave back with a perplexed look. He wanted so much to know what 'creature' was in the crib and so he had asked for permission by simply calling to his mother. And her smile was a sign of approval.

Slowly, he made his way next to the crib and gently climbed up on a chair next to it. The prince saw the small baby and he studied her angelic figure from her head to her small, tiny toes. He held out a small finger to her, which she gently grasped in her small hands. Ranma smiled and cooed something to the younger child. The queen smiled and realized that Ranma had a liking to the child. So, she decided.

She decided to raise the child as her own. To raise her as Ranma's little sister. Maybe that way, she could fulfill the wish her husband had. And so does her own. And so, she decided to raise her as Princess Akane, the new princess of Nerima.

Author's Notes:

So how was it? Doing well so far? I hope so.

Oh, please do tell me what you think!! I really need to know!!