1 Shampoo's Sister
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters; they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do own, however, Conditioner and Sasha.
Author's note: I am 100 % English, and so have only read the Viz translations of the manga, however sucky they may be. I also cannot help using fancy words when I type, so just bear with me.
2
3 Prologue
"Akane, meet me in the vacant lot at three."
"Who in the world would want me to come to a lot?" said Akane irritably. "I somehow don't think it's for a date."
Ranma kept his eyes on the road in front of him as he replied, "Sounds like a challenge to me. Too bad we don't know who sent it."
"Yeah," Akane agreed as they rounded to corner to their destined meeting place. "Someone who knows about me, but nothing else…" She trailed off as she saw an all-too-familiar purple-haired figure leaning on the wall ahead of them. She groaned, "Doesn't that girl ever know when to give up?"
But the girl waiting for them was not Shampoo. She was an older, and somehow colder, version of her. The hair in front of her ears was long, and braided so it reached her chest. She had no visible weapon except for a sword at her side, and was looking rather bored.
"Ah," she said upon their arrival, "you must be Akane." Her eyes traveled to Ranma with a strange look in them. Akane could have sworn it was contempt. Then her attention was caught by the girl again as she added, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Oh?" answered Akane.
The girl nodded. "And I decided to visit this place to see how good you are. How about it?" she asked slyly. "A little match."
"Okay," snapped Akane, who was annoyed by the tone of the other's voice. Sounds as though she's pretty confident in her abilities, she thought. "Get yourself ready!" she yelled, launching an immediate attack at her opponent's smug face.
Something grabbed her ankle and tossed her onto her back. Akane yelled with hurt surprise, and stared at the girl. She was holding a steel- tipped rod, from which hung a long ribbon. The ribbon sliced through the air with a sharp crack that startled Akane. The ribbon looked sharp enough to cut.
A…a rhythmic gymnast? thought Akane dazedly.
"Hm," said the girl with a sarcastic smile. "I thought you'd be better than that. Hmph. One flip and you're down."
"Who-who are you?" said Ranma, speaking for the first time since entering the lot. God help me if she knows Shampoo…
She gave another smug smile in his direction and said, "You'll find out. Just—when you see Shampoo, do me a favor, will you? Tell her Conditioner's back in town." Then she leaped away over the buildings with a catlike grace.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters; they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do own, however, Conditioner and Sasha.
Author's note: I am 100 % English, and so have only read the Viz translations of the manga, however sucky they may be. I also cannot help using fancy words when I type, so just bear with me.
2
3 Prologue
"Akane, meet me in the vacant lot at three."
"Who in the world would want me to come to a lot?" said Akane irritably. "I somehow don't think it's for a date."
Ranma kept his eyes on the road in front of him as he replied, "Sounds like a challenge to me. Too bad we don't know who sent it."
"Yeah," Akane agreed as they rounded to corner to their destined meeting place. "Someone who knows about me, but nothing else…" She trailed off as she saw an all-too-familiar purple-haired figure leaning on the wall ahead of them. She groaned, "Doesn't that girl ever know when to give up?"
But the girl waiting for them was not Shampoo. She was an older, and somehow colder, version of her. The hair in front of her ears was long, and braided so it reached her chest. She had no visible weapon except for a sword at her side, and was looking rather bored.
"Ah," she said upon their arrival, "you must be Akane." Her eyes traveled to Ranma with a strange look in them. Akane could have sworn it was contempt. Then her attention was caught by the girl again as she added, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Oh?" answered Akane.
The girl nodded. "And I decided to visit this place to see how good you are. How about it?" she asked slyly. "A little match."
"Okay," snapped Akane, who was annoyed by the tone of the other's voice. Sounds as though she's pretty confident in her abilities, she thought. "Get yourself ready!" she yelled, launching an immediate attack at her opponent's smug face.
Something grabbed her ankle and tossed her onto her back. Akane yelled with hurt surprise, and stared at the girl. She was holding a steel- tipped rod, from which hung a long ribbon. The ribbon sliced through the air with a sharp crack that startled Akane. The ribbon looked sharp enough to cut.
A…a rhythmic gymnast? thought Akane dazedly.
"Hm," said the girl with a sarcastic smile. "I thought you'd be better than that. Hmph. One flip and you're down."
"Who-who are you?" said Ranma, speaking for the first time since entering the lot. God help me if she knows Shampoo…
She gave another smug smile in his direction and said, "You'll find out. Just—when you see Shampoo, do me a favor, will you? Tell her Conditioner's back in town." Then she leaped away over the buildings with a catlike grace.