Trying my hand at some different manga/anime fics. Perhaps a slightly lengthy prologue, but as nothing much happens in it, I decided not to label it as a chapter. Probably this will end up being around 16-20 chapters. Read and enjoy! Any reviews are happily and greedily welcomed!
Just outside of Tokyo, Japan, in a small town called Nerima, morning is breaking with serene beauty. A glowing orb of light peeks over the horizon; the soft blue color of the sky morphs gently into a pale pink; the sun rises steadily, sending beams of rich gold cascading across the still sleepy landscape. A cool March wind blows through the blossoming cherry trees, and one of the delicate petals drifts to the ground, resting feather-soft against the rough bark of the tree. At this ostensibly negligible sign, several tiny sparrows inhabiting the tree start to chirp incessantly. One of the little birds gives an undignified squawk and flies off screeching as a plate goes flying past his head. The peacefulness of the day, not to mention the plate, is shattered. Not too far from this once utopian scene, the residents of a large, inviting-looking house are just rising. The events that are to ensue there, however, will be anything but peaceful.
Akane Tendo shut off her alarm and slipped quietly out of bed, throwing on her favorite yellow dress. Today, she was going to surprise everyone in her family and make a meal worthy of the word breakfast. Today, no one was going to get cramps from her cooking and turn a deathly shade of grey. Today–oh, who was she fooling. Today she was going to at least keep the eggshells out of her eggs. An image popped into her head unbidden, Ranma smirking at her as he said in a derisive tone, No way a klutz like YOU could ever do that. Akane growled and clenched her fists.
"Oh yeah? Just wait you baka. I'll show you." Already in a foul temper, Akane slammed the door as she went out. "Eep!" She looked around frantically. "I hope no one heard!" She whispered to herself, creeping down the stairs and keeping an eye on everyone's doors. She was so absorbed in this that she didn't even see the person at the foot of the stairs and bumped into them. "Aaah! Oh, Kasumi onee-chan, I'm sorry! I didn't see you and-"
Kasumi gave her usual oblivious-to-the-world smile. "Oh it's alright Akane. What are you doing up so early? School doesn't start for an hour and Ranma's still training with ojisan."
Akane blushed and ducked her head. "Um . . . Well . . . I was going to try and–and cook–maybe–" She fumbled to a stop. "Kasumi help me make breakfast please?" Akane begged suddenly, clasping her hands in front of her. "I know I can cook, I just need a little help!"
Kasumi's smile faltered a little as she recalled the other times Akane had cooked in her kitchen. Memories of ruined stoves, broken dishes and inedible meals filled her head. Then Kasumi's forgiving nature (maybe too forgiving) took over and she smiled again. "Of course you can! I'll be happy to help you Akane! What's the special occasion?"
The real reason? That Chinese bimbo Shampoo had brought over her 'too-too delicious ramen' just last night, and it was all Akane could do not to pound Ranma into the floor as he complemented her. Wow Shampoo, this is really good! Hey, maybe you could come over some time and give Akane some lessons! She sure could use 'em! Akane's battle aura had flared and she had promptly sent Ranma flying out the open shoji doors, where he had landed in the pond. That had only been the beginning–
"Akane?" Kasumi asked, seeing her sister begin to glow a light red.
Akane blinked. "Huh? Oh yeah. Come on Kasumi."
"Ah, is that the smell of Kasumi's delicious cooking?" Genma queried, relaxing his defense in the middle of blocking his sons' punches. He was promptly sent into the koi pound by a roundhouse kick.
"Ha! How about it old man? And you're always tellin' ME to concentrate." Ranma smirked as he turned towards the house, arms crossed self-satisfyingly.
Panda Genma stalked out of the pond holding a sign. [Such disrespect! Honor your elders you ungrateful son! With that he whacked the sign into the back of Ranma's head and sent him flying through the shoji doors–straight into Akane as she was coming out of the kitchen, proudly bearing a plate of food.
"Ooof! Whatdja do THAT for?!" Ranma yelled, turning to face his father who was innocently holding the sign behind his back and looking up at the sky. Ranma promptly got clonked on the head again.
"Ranma you idiot!! That was breakfast!" Akane yelled as she tossed another plate at him that was moving roughly at supersonic speed.
"Aack!" Ranma barely evaded the smoking missile. "Akane, what're you–Stop, I didn't do a damn thing! Go hit pops! Gyaaah, get away from me!!"
As if things couldn't get worse, Soun happened to choose that moment to come padding down the stairs with his toothbrush in his mouth. Perhaps the previous night had been particularly trying for him–or perhaps he just tended to have a melt-down whenever it seemed his life wasn't going as he assumed a normal person's would–but upon seeing the sight that greeted him–Akane chasing Ranma around the house with a frying pan and panda-Genma hastily scooping the spilled food into his mouth–the toothbrush fell onto the floor and tears gushed from his eyes. "Oh Ranma, Akane, please, can't you just get along for one day?!" Soun lamented. There was a crashing sound from the porch. Soun turned to Genma, demon-head taking the place of his tears. "Saotome! Your son has just desecrated our shogi board! Do something!"
Genma promptly stuck his furry leg out as Ranma went racing past him.
"Nyaah, can't catch me ya crazy tom–aah!" Ranma flew through the air and splatted against the wall before sliding to the floor, hands in the warding-off-demons position.
Akane came up a second later and tossed the frying pan at his head. "BAKA!!"
"Kaw . . . waii . . . kuuuuuuun . . ." Ranma's insult was cut short as Akane knocked him into the stratosphere.
"Hmph." She stormed off. "I'm getting ready for school Kasumi, could you get my lunch?" Akane asked as she stomped upstairs.
"Yes, and I'll get Ranma's too." Kasumi answered.
"What about my breakfast?" Soun sobbed sotto voce as Akane snorted in response to Kasumi. "See if I care. Just let him starve. He already ruined breakfast anyway."
"Actually Akane, much as I cringe to defend him, your breakfast probably didn't need Ranma to interfere to be ruined." Nabiki put in as she walked down the stairs.
"WHAT?!" Akane shouted, turning to face her older sister with an expression that dared Nabiki to repeat her sentence.
Nabiki was saved a reply as Kasumi walked out from the kitchen. "What was that Akane? Did you say put in some extra?" Kasumi asked.
Akane face-faulted, then stuck her head over the banister. "No I didn't say that! I–Oh, never mind!" She shuffled towards the bathroom, sighing. Every time she tried to cook, something went wrong. But today her food had actually been edible! Kasumi had tried it and when she hadn't passed out on the floor Akane had decided her meal was a success; so what if Kasumi looked a little pale. And then Ranma had to come in and ruin everything. As usual. "Jerk," Akane said as she stomped into her room. She heard something behind her and turned. "R-Ranma . . . What are–?" She hadn't expected him to get back so quick from wherever he'd landed. Akane's confused tone quickly changed to anger though. "What are YOU doing here? I'm getting ready for school, go away."
Ranma scowled. "Well fine, I was coming up to apologize just 'cause Kasumi said to, but since it wasn't my fault anyway forget it!"
"Wasn't your fault?!! Just who do you think ran into me anyway?!"
"I didn't run into you, pops threw me through the door! And besides, you're such a klutz you probably tripped before I even touched ya!"
"RANMA!" Akane's ever present mallet appeared out of thin air and landed where Ranma had just been standing.
"Haha, I bet you couldn't even hit the ground if you were layin' on it Akane!" Ranma teased, stepping nimbly out of the way as Akane swung her mallet again.
"Hold still and take your punishment like a man!" Akane yelled lashing out with her foot.
"Ack! Akane, I'm just kiddin', I didn't mean to–would you quit it you crazy tomboy?!" Ten minutes later Akane and Ranma dashed out of the house, grabbing their bento as they passed the door. Or more precisely, Ranma ran out of the house in an attempt to escape Akane's wrath, catching the bento boxes as Genma tossed them to him. "See ya pop! Come on Akane, cantcha go any faster? I thought you didn't wanna be late!"
"Son, that is not the way to win the ladies," Genma said, wincing as he heard Akane's comeback.
"How's THIS for fast Ranma?" The relative silence that followed showed Akane running at breakneck speed towards school and dragging a protesting Ranma behind her by his pigtail. Another typical day had begun in the city of Nerima.
w00t. I hope this was an enjoyable romp. I promise the following chapters will not be so stereotypical Ranma, but I thought I would keep the beginning that way, for the sake of newcomers who might not be as familiar with the series.
Mini-Japanese dictionary:
Baka -- idiot, moron, etc.
Kawaiikunee--uncute, not cute: however you wish to translate it.
Ojisan--uncle literally, but also used as a respectful address to older men.
Onee-chan--older sister
Shogi--pretty much it's chess, but Japanese style.