Disclaimer: I don't own any character in this story, it's just for fun.
This is the prologue of a story I'm writing and would truly appreciate any feedback I can get on it so far.
Past Lives Calling
Prolouge
"Damned stupid tomboy." A certain redhead mumbled to herself as she walked atop the fence running along the canal. It had been two whole weeks since the whole wedding fiasco and Akane's temper seemed to only be getting worse. The Tendo girl had actually accused Ranma of trying to do something to Kasumi when all Ranma did was offer to help clear the table after dinner. Of course the youngest Tendo didn't see it that way as she splashed Ranma with her ice water before sending the newly turned girl across the ward via mallet.
One would actually think the anger prone Akane would actually be ecstatic after the news they received in school today. Kodachi Kuno was not going to be competing in the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament this season. That meant Akane wouldn't have to deal with the crazy Kuno girl attacking before the competition even started. It was cheap tactics that many people knew about but either cause no one had any concrete proof or because of the insane amount of money that family had, no official ever did anything about it. Personally Ranma believed it to be the second reason, she didn't want to admit it but that kind of money did buy power.
She had to admit that she was a little worried about Kodachi though, the whole reason behind the unsuspected dropping out of the upcoming tournament was because the girl had taken a sick leave from her private school. When Kodachi wasn't using poisons or trying to seduce Ranma the girl was half way all right to be around. The spark of pure insanity wasn't in her eyes like it was in her brother's but there was something there. It was something Ranma always wondered about but could never find out more as the girl never stayed calm for long.
Preparing to jump off the fence as it would be ending soon due to the break in it for the bridge across the redhead looked up and noticed a figure looking out over the water leaning against the stone railing. Even from where the redhead stood in the just beginning setting of the sun Ranma could tell how dishelved the girl looked. The usually perfectly kempt hair was a bit of a mess and her school uniform was wrinkled very badly, the blouse halfway tucked into her skirt with the blazer hanging open. The strangest thing though was the hair, being unkempt was admittingly strange but here was streaks of blonde running through it.
Thankfully the girl on the bridge didn't notice Ranma as the redhead stared at he girl. All of her survival instincts was screaming to turn around and run but she couldn't just do that. Out of all the people who was there to wreck the wedding this girl on the bridge was surprisingly not even among them. In fact, thinking about it the news at school was one of the few rare times the girl came up in conversation the last two weeks. The insane gymnast never showed up in person around Ranma since the redhead came back from China.
Steeling her nerves for a possible confrontation the redhead gently hopped off the fence, hands in her pockets as she slowly walked up the bridge to lean back against the stone railing next to Kodachi looking over her shoulder to see Kodachi's profile. It was easy to tell the darker haired girl had been crying.
"Hey Kodachi, what's up?" Ranma asked half smiling hoping to maybe at least help the girl cheer up a bit. At least if they didn't get into a fight with Kodachi attacking 'The Redheaded Harridan' to free her Ranma-Sama.
"Tell me...Have you ever doubted who and what you were?" Kodachi asked not tearing her gaze from the waters of the canal. After a deep sigh the dark haired girl continued. "What am I saying, with your curse I'm sure you have."
"Y-You know about my curse?" Ranma sputtered trying to figure out what to say to that.
"I...Found out right before your little trip to China." Kodachi said hugging herself a little tighter as she leaned on her arms. "Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if I should be mad or happy about it."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked taking a hand from her pocket to scratch the base of her pigtail nervously.
"You either ruined my life...Or saved it." Kodachi said shrugging a bit.
"What-How? We weren't engaged and I told you multiple ti..." Ranma got out before Kodachi turned and leaned against the railing facing Ranma putting two fingers on the redhead's lips.
"This has nothing to do with the whole fiancé mess you are in...Not really." Kodachi dropped her hand away from Ranma hugging herself with it as she leaned on the other one looking off to the side back at the waters of the canal. "Learning about your curse shattered my life, I'm still trying to pick up the pieces, but your mother has helped a lot."
"My mom helped you?" Ranma asked in shock.
"She still is, but she introduced me to this wonderful man named Ono Tofu. I...I've been having these strange dreams ever since I was little of a whole other life. Most of them were vague, a lot nothing more than shadows in my memory, but they were there." Kodachi explained, it was easy to tell it was bothering her but Ranma was unsure what to do. She hated to see girls upset but what else could she honestly do? She didn't know how to comfort girls, he barely could interact with girls without getting in trouble.
"Please just let me talk, I have a lot to apologize for and I want to give you a little bit of an explanation but I'm not ready to go into everything yet." Kodachi said as she sat down on the railing crossing her ankles.
"Okay." Ranma said sitting down next to her with a nod, silently wishing, and not for the first time, that she could deal with girls and knew what to do and say around them. "Listening to what you say is the least I can do."
"Thank you, having someone to listen that I know won't judge me helps." Kodachi said with a sad smile, "Along with the help from another doctor who is an associate of Doctor Tofu, we believe that there may be something too my dreams after all. With the help of...Happosai...They found blocks in my...Chi? pathways. Only it wasn't chi, we don't know exactly what it is yet but we do know those blocks is what was causing my...Unstableness."
"Wow, Happosai actually helping someone." Ranma said a little shocked, "So they removed the blocks?"
"Some...They said it is a slow process and can only do a little at a time but the more they remove the more...how can I put this...centered I become." Kodachi explained, "But there's bad news to about it all."
"What's wrong, are you okay?" Ranma asked not hiding the little bit of worry seeping into her voice.
"I think I will be but there is a huge seal and not even Happosai can figure out what it could be for. In some ways he said he gets the feeling of a four leaf clover from it." Kodachi explained.
"Maybe some of your dreams come from it, what happens in them?" Ranma asked.
"I...I can't talk about them yet, I'm still trying to understand them myself." Kodachi murmured.
"Maybe I can help?" Ranma said before he realized what she was saying. Of course she wanted to help but this could also backfire spectacularly against her.
"Maybe later...but I have to go." Kodachi said getting up and moving away from Ranma. "Would you really be willing to help me after all of the grief I caused you?"
"Of course I would be." Ranma said making up her mind and holding a fist to her heart. "I promise on my word to do anything I can to help you through this."
"Are you sure? You won't break your promise will you?" Kodachi asked a little skeptically.
"I'm sure and I always keep my promise." Ranma said smirking, "That's just my style."
"Wh-What did you say?" Kodachi asked as her eyes widened in shock.
"I always keep my promise?" Ranma asked confused taking a couple steps towards Kodachi.
"No, after that." Kodachi said, "Why would you say something like that?"
"That's just my style?" Ranma asked scratching her pigtail again, "I dunno, it just came to me and felt right."
"I have to go, thank you for listening to me." Kodachi said before hurrying off leaving a totally confused redhead wondering what the hell just happened and what she got herself into.
