Ranma the Apprentice
None of the characters in this fic are owned by me.
Ranma characters belong to Rumiko Takakashi. Ah! My
Goddess characters belong to Fujishima Kosuke. All
other characters to appear in this are owned by their
respective people. Please don't sue me, I'm not rich.
E-mail me any C&C at NighthawkTM@yahoo.com. Flames will
be ignored.
Chapter 3
Here's Ranma
Ryouga Hibiki stood on the cliff's edge, looking
out into the strange valley. He pondered the meaning of all
the little pools, of the bamboo poles sticking out of them.
It was at that point that the cliff under him crumbled to
dust and he dropped into the waiting pool below him.
He didn't know that the cliff had been weakened
by a demon's assault. He didn't know that Ranma had
been gone from this place for two years subjectively and
fifteen minutes chronologically.
All he knew, in his heart of hearts, was that
Ranma was responsible for this. Right before he hit the water
he let loose a cry, "RANMA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Then he
hit.
----------------------------------------------
The first man to walk up had been a
postal carrier. Kuno saw through his disguise and
ran him off.
The second man to walk up to his beloved's
home had been also cleverly disguised, but Kuno knew
that the evil Saotome would likely come in disguise in
order to hide from his greatness. He fled before the
might of the Blue Thunder, taking his delivery of rice
with him.
Kuno saw the third man wandering by and
immediately drew his bokken and demanded to know
why he was here in front of the Tendo household. They
did say that the third time was the charm, did they not?
Kuno noted the man's panicked look
and had drawn the immediate conclusion. He had
posed, informed the man that the virtuous and
beautiful flower within that house was to be his
bride, and had attacked.
The man's glasses had fogged up, he had
mumbled something that started with a Ka... and now
Kuno knew what a Rubik's cube felt like.
The fourth such man was walking up with
a girl, and the great Tatewaki Kuno was a little cautious
after that last encounter. Not much, but a little.
"HOLD!" Kuno posed again, a little
unsteadily. "Who are you to approach the Tendo
household?"
"Uhm. Ranma Saotome. And this is my
friend Skuld. And you are?"
"At last," the kendoist trembled, not
sure if his knees would give out or not. "KNOW
YE THIS THEN, AKANE TENDO IS MY FUTURE
BRIDE."
"Okay. You don't need to shout, y'know.
Oh, uh, congratulations. Hope you two have lots of
future happiness and all. Oh, can I have an invitation
to the wedding? I always wanted to go to one." He had
ever since Urd told him how it is supposed to form a
deep bond and it intrigued him. What better way to get
to know how to behave in such a formal situation.
Kuno blinked. He considered rushing
forward and attacking but he'd just gotten done
trying to reset his joints and wasn't sure they'd stay
there. "Do you concede then before my superior
skills and noble lineage?"
"Sure. Say, if you're a swordmaster,
maybe you n' me could have a match sometime.
I recently learned some moves that I'm having a little
trouble with. I could use any help you'd give me."
Kuno blinked again. His skill was being
recognized and deferred to? His superior claim to
the beauteous Akane was acknowledged? Either this
Saotome was a coward or he recognized that Kuno
was his superior. "Ah. Well. Good then." He'd have
to think about this.
"Yeah, not tonight though. I gotta
meet with the Tendos and see if there's a way
I can avoid an engagement to one of his other
daughters. Have a nice night."
Kuno blinked again. He thought he
heard a noise. Yes, it was his bed calling him.
How could he deny his bedchambers the noble
presence of their master for a second night?
"So be it then. Have a pleasant night. I think I
must be going myself."
Skuld watched the kendoist stagger
off. "That guy is kinda scary."
"Nah, I figure he's just like that
minor goddess over in section G, Tiana. Probably this
Akane was nice to him once when he was really down
and he immediately fixated on her."
"So we just go in?"
Ranma knocked. "Nah, I figure..."
The door opened. Ranma and Skuld both
blinked. There was something Belldandy-like about
the girl standing there. "Hello?" The voice was also
perfectly Belldandy.
"Sorry miss, you just remind me of Skuld's
sister." Ranma bowed and apologized for the moment
of staring.
"Wow," was Skuld's comment as she was still
staring. She'd have to do some readings, but she might have
found her sister's mortal analogue.
"I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is my friend
Skuld. Pleased to meet ya."
"Oh, won't you come in?" Kasumi gestured
towards the inside of the house. "I am Kasumi Tendo."
Another girl popped out. "He's here?! Hi, I'm
Nabiki Tendo. Come on in, we're all (well, almost all)
anxious to meet you."
----------------------------------------
Nabiki looked around the table, edged a little
closer to Ranma and looked attentive.
Kasumi wondered if the formal tea set should
be brought out now, or would it be better if she waited on
such details. Certainly this Ranma was better than she
would have expected.
"So." Soun Tendo inhaled a massive drag on
his cigarette, snorting an impressive cloud of smoke a
moment later. "Which of my daughters are you going to
marry?"
"Are you absolutely sure there should be one?
I mean, my dad apparently made a few of these arrangements.
I sure as heck don't wanna force nobody into nothing."
"You better not choose me," Akane grumbled,
though she was glad to see this guy wasn't too keen on the
marriage thing either. She'd had a couple of days to calm
down, and so found a degree of tactfulness. Besides,
there was no reason to rain on Nabiki's parade. "I detest
this concept of a forced marriage. Nothing personal."
"Uhm, you're Akane, right? It's OK, I already
met your fiancée and he explained everything." Ranma
shrugged and smiled.
Akane blinked, then leveled a cold glare at
her father. "Dad? Have you made OTHER arrangements
specifically involving me?"
Soun shook his head frantically.
"He said his name was Tatewaki Kuno..." Skuld
offered, only to be met with a series of moans.
"I haven't given him permission," Soun said slowly.
Well, Akane COULD do worse. "Well, I suppose..."
"DAD!!!!" Akane panicked. Sometimes her father
got a hold of an idea and just wouldn't let go.
"Well, that leaves me and Kasumi."
"NABIKI!!!" Kasumi gently chiding, Akane staring
in increased alarm.
"Mister Tendo, do you even think this is fair to
your daughters? They don't know me, after all."
"It is a matter of honor." Soun nodded, gathering
stoic dignity around him like a blanket. "As far as I am
concerned, that is the end of it. For the sake of my deceased
friend, your father, this must be done."
"Maybe," said Kasumi as if just considering the
idea. "He should get to know us just to see which would be
the better match."
"What a wonderful idea, Kasumi!" Nabiki nodded
enthusiastically, as well she might as it was her idea anyway.
Nabiki could usually count on Kasumi to remember her lines.
Ranma exchanged a glance with Skuld. So far it
was pretty much as she'd predicted.
"So, Skuld is it? I know Ranma spent most of his
life being trained in the martial arts, but what about you? How
did you get involved in all this?"
"I was exiled from my homeland temporarily for the
crime of data hacking." Skuld sipped at her tea and noted the
blank looks from all but one. She smiled as Nabiki obviously
started working out angles on how to exploit this. "Because
I was doing a favor for Ranma here, digging up some information
he needed. I've just been tagging along until either my sister
starts going to college here in Japan or until my sentence is
over."
"So you're an information specialist," Nabiki said
thoughtfully.
"Actually, I'm mainly a debugger. System maintenance
is my usual occupation." Skuld shrugged.
"Ah, whatever." Soun managed after a moment. He
had less idea of what this young girl was talking about than Akane,
who was less computer literate than Kasumi (who'd only seen
computers in stores and the like but had read a book.) It wasn't
like they had computers available in Furinkan High School.
"So where did you say you were from?"
"Norn's Grove, a little place South of Valhalla."
"Ah," Soun exclaimed. She was German. Spoke
Japanese very well for a gaijin. No doubt Ranma had been
the tutor.
"Valhalla?" Kasumi frowned a little. Skuld? Norn's
Grove? Ah, she was Norwegian! No doubt she'd have some
serious trouble with the Japanese summers. "Well we have two
guest rooms, and we can put you up while Ranma decides
to marry me."
Everyone stared. Kasumi blushed when she realized
what she had said. "...or Nabiki," she appended a moment later.
"For tonight," Ranma inclined his head in a sitting
bow, "that would be quite welcome. Tomorrow, though, me and
Skuld'll be checking out a small apartment near here until we
resolve a few things."
"It's no trouble," Kasumi put in, not quite willing to
let the matter drop as her eyes swept over Ranma's form.
"I'm afraid it's necessary," Skuld said with a shrug.
"There's gonna be some trouble looking for Ranma here, and
there's gonna be more trouble if he's staying here when it comes."
Plus, she'd discussed this with Ranma and too many of the other
fiancées would construe this as favoring the Tendo engagement.
"Oh, there's this." Ranma held up an arm fitted with
a bracelet made of jade and silver. "I'm under a curse which this
keeps in control."
"Yeah, right." Akane scoffed openly, still irritated
at this *boy* calling *Kuno* her fiancée.
Ranma removed the bracelet, setting it on the table
with a raised eyebrow. "Skuld?"
Skuld pulled a canteen out of her backpack and
splashed Ranma with it, putting the canteen back while the
Tendos were gaping at Ranma.
Ranma quickly explained that his father had chosen
this wonderful training site, which was where his father had
saved his life from a stray attack from another fight going on
at the same location. He never mentioned exactly WHAT was
fighting there. Hot water changed him back to male, cold water
to female, unless he was wearing the Stability Bracelet.
"It was originally created for people with curses like
werewolves and the like. If I'm a girl when I wear it, I'll be a girl
until I take it off and get some hot water. It's made dealing with
the curse a lot easier in some ways."
"Uhm," Nabiki said, starting to have second thoughts
about the whole thing.
"Now, now, let's worry about this later, shall we?"
Skuld put in quickly. "Worry about it later, eh?"
---------------------------------------------------
"School, huh?" Ranma wasn't impressed.
"Yeah, Ranma. All your records show your chronological
and not your biological age. I could fix those but your mother and all
would definitely view this as being strange. Best to leave as is for now."
Skuld shrugged. "I had to mess enough with my own records."
"What records?"
"Exactly." Skuld nodded. "Now, thanks to Urd's little
potion and my laptop computer, I look like and am registered as
a fourteen year old exchange student from Norway who registered
high enough on the placement tests that I can attend Furinkan."
"Uhm, Skuld? Other than you look closer to fifteen, you
haven't changed.."
"Oh bugger." Skuld frowned. "Well, whatever.
Anyway, you're attending the same class as me and Akane. Nabiki
is in the same class as that Kuno guy."
"Okay. Did you give me a good grade point average?"
"You're gonna have to do that yourself, don't know how
much of that Dad'll put up with before he starts with the lightning
bolts."
"Do I haveta wear a school uniform?"
"You might be able to get away with some clothes. I doubt
your working clothes..."
Nabiki opened the door. "C'mon, you two, breakfast!"
"'Kay." Skuld finished typing on her laptop and closed it
up. "Now try to get through the day without fighting anyone, Ranma."
"Oh yeah, THAT's gonna happen."
"Y'never know." Skuld shrugged.
Kasumi looked up from setting out the breakfast dishes.
"My, Ranma-kun, what was that you were doing this morning?"
Ranma blinked. "Do you mean the spear katas, the unarmed
stuff, or the meditation?"
"That bit where you were glowing and floating in midair."
Kasumi's comment stopped her sisters in mid-motion and
even caused Soun to stop reading his paper for a moment.
"Oh, THAT. Just a meditation technique, building up
your chi, directing the flows, that sorta thing."
"Oh," Kasumi nodded, satisfied.
"Floating?" Nabiki repeated.
"Yeah, advanced chi techniques, y'know," Ranma shrugged.
Akane blinked. It was almost unthinkable, after all, she was
the best there was in the Furinkan area. But if Ranma were THAT good,
he might have some stuff that she could learn. She grinned inwardly. Oh,
yes, and she would be able to check out Nabiki's fiancée a little more
thoroughly and determine if he was suitable for her dear (lonely though
thoroughly mercenary) sister.
Breakfast went smoothly, and soon after the Tendo sisters, Ranma, and Skuld
headed out the door and were on the way to school.
END
None of the characters in this fic are owned by me.
Ranma characters belong to Rumiko Takakashi. Ah! My
Goddess characters belong to Fujishima Kosuke. All
other characters to appear in this are owned by their
respective people. Please don't sue me, I'm not rich.
E-mail me any C&C at NighthawkTM@yahoo.com. Flames will
be ignored.
Chapter 3
Here's Ranma
Ryouga Hibiki stood on the cliff's edge, looking
out into the strange valley. He pondered the meaning of all
the little pools, of the bamboo poles sticking out of them.
It was at that point that the cliff under him crumbled to
dust and he dropped into the waiting pool below him.
He didn't know that the cliff had been weakened
by a demon's assault. He didn't know that Ranma had
been gone from this place for two years subjectively and
fifteen minutes chronologically.
All he knew, in his heart of hearts, was that
Ranma was responsible for this. Right before he hit the water
he let loose a cry, "RANMA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Then he
hit.
----------------------------------------------
The first man to walk up had been a
postal carrier. Kuno saw through his disguise and
ran him off.
The second man to walk up to his beloved's
home had been also cleverly disguised, but Kuno knew
that the evil Saotome would likely come in disguise in
order to hide from his greatness. He fled before the
might of the Blue Thunder, taking his delivery of rice
with him.
Kuno saw the third man wandering by and
immediately drew his bokken and demanded to know
why he was here in front of the Tendo household. They
did say that the third time was the charm, did they not?
Kuno noted the man's panicked look
and had drawn the immediate conclusion. He had
posed, informed the man that the virtuous and
beautiful flower within that house was to be his
bride, and had attacked.
The man's glasses had fogged up, he had
mumbled something that started with a Ka... and now
Kuno knew what a Rubik's cube felt like.
The fourth such man was walking up with
a girl, and the great Tatewaki Kuno was a little cautious
after that last encounter. Not much, but a little.
"HOLD!" Kuno posed again, a little
unsteadily. "Who are you to approach the Tendo
household?"
"Uhm. Ranma Saotome. And this is my
friend Skuld. And you are?"
"At last," the kendoist trembled, not
sure if his knees would give out or not. "KNOW
YE THIS THEN, AKANE TENDO IS MY FUTURE
BRIDE."
"Okay. You don't need to shout, y'know.
Oh, uh, congratulations. Hope you two have lots of
future happiness and all. Oh, can I have an invitation
to the wedding? I always wanted to go to one." He had
ever since Urd told him how it is supposed to form a
deep bond and it intrigued him. What better way to get
to know how to behave in such a formal situation.
Kuno blinked. He considered rushing
forward and attacking but he'd just gotten done
trying to reset his joints and wasn't sure they'd stay
there. "Do you concede then before my superior
skills and noble lineage?"
"Sure. Say, if you're a swordmaster,
maybe you n' me could have a match sometime.
I recently learned some moves that I'm having a little
trouble with. I could use any help you'd give me."
Kuno blinked again. His skill was being
recognized and deferred to? His superior claim to
the beauteous Akane was acknowledged? Either this
Saotome was a coward or he recognized that Kuno
was his superior. "Ah. Well. Good then." He'd have
to think about this.
"Yeah, not tonight though. I gotta
meet with the Tendos and see if there's a way
I can avoid an engagement to one of his other
daughters. Have a nice night."
Kuno blinked again. He thought he
heard a noise. Yes, it was his bed calling him.
How could he deny his bedchambers the noble
presence of their master for a second night?
"So be it then. Have a pleasant night. I think I
must be going myself."
Skuld watched the kendoist stagger
off. "That guy is kinda scary."
"Nah, I figure he's just like that
minor goddess over in section G, Tiana. Probably this
Akane was nice to him once when he was really down
and he immediately fixated on her."
"So we just go in?"
Ranma knocked. "Nah, I figure..."
The door opened. Ranma and Skuld both
blinked. There was something Belldandy-like about
the girl standing there. "Hello?" The voice was also
perfectly Belldandy.
"Sorry miss, you just remind me of Skuld's
sister." Ranma bowed and apologized for the moment
of staring.
"Wow," was Skuld's comment as she was still
staring. She'd have to do some readings, but she might have
found her sister's mortal analogue.
"I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is my friend
Skuld. Pleased to meet ya."
"Oh, won't you come in?" Kasumi gestured
towards the inside of the house. "I am Kasumi Tendo."
Another girl popped out. "He's here?! Hi, I'm
Nabiki Tendo. Come on in, we're all (well, almost all)
anxious to meet you."
----------------------------------------
Nabiki looked around the table, edged a little
closer to Ranma and looked attentive.
Kasumi wondered if the formal tea set should
be brought out now, or would it be better if she waited on
such details. Certainly this Ranma was better than she
would have expected.
"So." Soun Tendo inhaled a massive drag on
his cigarette, snorting an impressive cloud of smoke a
moment later. "Which of my daughters are you going to
marry?"
"Are you absolutely sure there should be one?
I mean, my dad apparently made a few of these arrangements.
I sure as heck don't wanna force nobody into nothing."
"You better not choose me," Akane grumbled,
though she was glad to see this guy wasn't too keen on the
marriage thing either. She'd had a couple of days to calm
down, and so found a degree of tactfulness. Besides,
there was no reason to rain on Nabiki's parade. "I detest
this concept of a forced marriage. Nothing personal."
"Uhm, you're Akane, right? It's OK, I already
met your fiancée and he explained everything." Ranma
shrugged and smiled.
Akane blinked, then leveled a cold glare at
her father. "Dad? Have you made OTHER arrangements
specifically involving me?"
Soun shook his head frantically.
"He said his name was Tatewaki Kuno..." Skuld
offered, only to be met with a series of moans.
"I haven't given him permission," Soun said slowly.
Well, Akane COULD do worse. "Well, I suppose..."
"DAD!!!!" Akane panicked. Sometimes her father
got a hold of an idea and just wouldn't let go.
"Well, that leaves me and Kasumi."
"NABIKI!!!" Kasumi gently chiding, Akane staring
in increased alarm.
"Mister Tendo, do you even think this is fair to
your daughters? They don't know me, after all."
"It is a matter of honor." Soun nodded, gathering
stoic dignity around him like a blanket. "As far as I am
concerned, that is the end of it. For the sake of my deceased
friend, your father, this must be done."
"Maybe," said Kasumi as if just considering the
idea. "He should get to know us just to see which would be
the better match."
"What a wonderful idea, Kasumi!" Nabiki nodded
enthusiastically, as well she might as it was her idea anyway.
Nabiki could usually count on Kasumi to remember her lines.
Ranma exchanged a glance with Skuld. So far it
was pretty much as she'd predicted.
"So, Skuld is it? I know Ranma spent most of his
life being trained in the martial arts, but what about you? How
did you get involved in all this?"
"I was exiled from my homeland temporarily for the
crime of data hacking." Skuld sipped at her tea and noted the
blank looks from all but one. She smiled as Nabiki obviously
started working out angles on how to exploit this. "Because
I was doing a favor for Ranma here, digging up some information
he needed. I've just been tagging along until either my sister
starts going to college here in Japan or until my sentence is
over."
"So you're an information specialist," Nabiki said
thoughtfully.
"Actually, I'm mainly a debugger. System maintenance
is my usual occupation." Skuld shrugged.
"Ah, whatever." Soun managed after a moment. He
had less idea of what this young girl was talking about than Akane,
who was less computer literate than Kasumi (who'd only seen
computers in stores and the like but had read a book.) It wasn't
like they had computers available in Furinkan High School.
"So where did you say you were from?"
"Norn's Grove, a little place South of Valhalla."
"Ah," Soun exclaimed. She was German. Spoke
Japanese very well for a gaijin. No doubt Ranma had been
the tutor.
"Valhalla?" Kasumi frowned a little. Skuld? Norn's
Grove? Ah, she was Norwegian! No doubt she'd have some
serious trouble with the Japanese summers. "Well we have two
guest rooms, and we can put you up while Ranma decides
to marry me."
Everyone stared. Kasumi blushed when she realized
what she had said. "...or Nabiki," she appended a moment later.
"For tonight," Ranma inclined his head in a sitting
bow, "that would be quite welcome. Tomorrow, though, me and
Skuld'll be checking out a small apartment near here until we
resolve a few things."
"It's no trouble," Kasumi put in, not quite willing to
let the matter drop as her eyes swept over Ranma's form.
"I'm afraid it's necessary," Skuld said with a shrug.
"There's gonna be some trouble looking for Ranma here, and
there's gonna be more trouble if he's staying here when it comes."
Plus, she'd discussed this with Ranma and too many of the other
fiancées would construe this as favoring the Tendo engagement.
"Oh, there's this." Ranma held up an arm fitted with
a bracelet made of jade and silver. "I'm under a curse which this
keeps in control."
"Yeah, right." Akane scoffed openly, still irritated
at this *boy* calling *Kuno* her fiancée.
Ranma removed the bracelet, setting it on the table
with a raised eyebrow. "Skuld?"
Skuld pulled a canteen out of her backpack and
splashed Ranma with it, putting the canteen back while the
Tendos were gaping at Ranma.
Ranma quickly explained that his father had chosen
this wonderful training site, which was where his father had
saved his life from a stray attack from another fight going on
at the same location. He never mentioned exactly WHAT was
fighting there. Hot water changed him back to male, cold water
to female, unless he was wearing the Stability Bracelet.
"It was originally created for people with curses like
werewolves and the like. If I'm a girl when I wear it, I'll be a girl
until I take it off and get some hot water. It's made dealing with
the curse a lot easier in some ways."
"Uhm," Nabiki said, starting to have second thoughts
about the whole thing.
"Now, now, let's worry about this later, shall we?"
Skuld put in quickly. "Worry about it later, eh?"
---------------------------------------------------
"School, huh?" Ranma wasn't impressed.
"Yeah, Ranma. All your records show your chronological
and not your biological age. I could fix those but your mother and all
would definitely view this as being strange. Best to leave as is for now."
Skuld shrugged. "I had to mess enough with my own records."
"What records?"
"Exactly." Skuld nodded. "Now, thanks to Urd's little
potion and my laptop computer, I look like and am registered as
a fourteen year old exchange student from Norway who registered
high enough on the placement tests that I can attend Furinkan."
"Uhm, Skuld? Other than you look closer to fifteen, you
haven't changed.."
"Oh bugger." Skuld frowned. "Well, whatever.
Anyway, you're attending the same class as me and Akane. Nabiki
is in the same class as that Kuno guy."
"Okay. Did you give me a good grade point average?"
"You're gonna have to do that yourself, don't know how
much of that Dad'll put up with before he starts with the lightning
bolts."
"Do I haveta wear a school uniform?"
"You might be able to get away with some clothes. I doubt
your working clothes..."
Nabiki opened the door. "C'mon, you two, breakfast!"
"'Kay." Skuld finished typing on her laptop and closed it
up. "Now try to get through the day without fighting anyone, Ranma."
"Oh yeah, THAT's gonna happen."
"Y'never know." Skuld shrugged.
Kasumi looked up from setting out the breakfast dishes.
"My, Ranma-kun, what was that you were doing this morning?"
Ranma blinked. "Do you mean the spear katas, the unarmed
stuff, or the meditation?"
"That bit where you were glowing and floating in midair."
Kasumi's comment stopped her sisters in mid-motion and
even caused Soun to stop reading his paper for a moment.
"Oh, THAT. Just a meditation technique, building up
your chi, directing the flows, that sorta thing."
"Oh," Kasumi nodded, satisfied.
"Floating?" Nabiki repeated.
"Yeah, advanced chi techniques, y'know," Ranma shrugged.
Akane blinked. It was almost unthinkable, after all, she was
the best there was in the Furinkan area. But if Ranma were THAT good,
he might have some stuff that she could learn. She grinned inwardly. Oh,
yes, and she would be able to check out Nabiki's fiancée a little more
thoroughly and determine if he was suitable for her dear (lonely though
thoroughly mercenary) sister.
Breakfast went smoothly, and soon after the Tendo sisters, Ranma, and Skuld
headed out the door and were on the way to school.
END