All About Akane
Chapter One: Just A Slight Change
Author's Notes: I know, I really shouldn't do anymore new series before I finished the others but this one begged and called (more like yelled) to be written and I could not ignore it.
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
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Soun and Genma stumbled drunkenly along the dark street, ignorant to the fate that was to become of them. If they had known, they probably would have stayed home and locked their doors as they cowered under their beds...but knowing them, it was more likely they wouldn't have. This was to be quite an eventful night for these two young men and they had absolutely no idea. How absolutely delicious.
"You know, Saotome," the long-haired one said as he clutched the other man's shoulder with one arm and the front of his shirt with the other, "I am quite proud of myself tonight. Three girls! Think of it!"
Genma gave a sneering laugh.
"That's nothing, Tendo!" he exclaimed. "As of tonight, I am the father of a brilliant baby boy."
In response to that, Soun gave a snort and said, "Don't you get too full of yourself. Soon, my wife's going to give me hundreds of sons and they will all carry on the Art." After saying this,, the young man laugh and so hard was his laugh that he stumbled forward (backward was more like it since he was walking backwards). He moved his arms slightly to gain balance but ended up falling on his butt anyway.
Genma was about to say something to Soun when a squeaky voice shouted out, "Get off of me! Get off, you fool!" With wide eyes, the long-haired man did as he was told and standing, the two Martial Artists stared at the little green man that Soun had sat on. It was quite an odd little creature, with blue eyes that had no pupils and seven arms, and had the two men not been so drunk, they would have ran off in fright. As they were so drunk, they just stared at the furious little creature in curiosity.
"You fool!" the creature shrieked but as it was so short, it did not know which one of the fools had sat on it. Naturally to get the answer it needed, the creature questioned suspiciously, "Which one of you sat on me?"
Now, if this had gone on as it was supposed to, Soun would have pushed Genma to the front, all the while whispering in his friend's ear that he would house and feed him his entire life if Genma took the fall. If this had gone on normally, Genma would have agreed and told the creature that it was he that sat and fell on him. If it had gone on as it should, the creature would have cursed Genma's son and everything would have gone on as it was supposed to.
However, everything did not go as it was supposed to.
The moment before Soun pushed Genma to the front and begged him to take the fall, he had an inkling of conscience. It wasn't a very big conscience and it didn't take more than a moment for him to squash it, but that moment was what had decided everything.
The creature's face turned a dark purple and in outrage it shouted, "Well, if you will not tell me, I shall curse you both!" Both men, realizing their predicament and the full situation (or part of it, whatever, it really does not matter now), started pointing fingers at the other. The creature took no heed to their words. It had decided and reaching inside it's coat, it pulled out what looked like a willow branch.
Walking over it took both the men's hands and smacked each once lightly with the stick.
Through narrowed eyes, the creature said as it back away and disappeared, "The child born this night will have an awfully interesting life."
When the creature had finished fading, Genma and Soun looked at each other...than at their hands before bursting into laughter. That was it?! Grinning, both men clapped a hand around the other's shoulder and strolled down the rest of the walk.
Jeeze, you meet the weirdest people in Nerima.
* * *
An age three Akane hopped down the stairs with her arms outstretched like an airplane as she shouted, "Kasumi!" At the foot of the stairs, the said sister looked up with innocent eyes.
"Yes, Akane?" she asked. The little three-year old girl laughed as she jumped down the last couple of steps into her older sister's arms. Kasumi gasped in shock for a second before pushing Akane off her.
"Akane-chan!" she cried out, but she could not keep the smile from gracing her lips.
"Bye, bye, Kasumi!" the dark haired girl shouted as she ran off yet once again. Kasumi shook her head slightly before wandering off again.
Akane dodged into this room and that before making her way into the kitchen. Seeing her father and some strangers out in the garden deep in their conversation, she ducked behind one of the sliding doors and looked out the square doorway.
Her father was talking to a strange couple with a little boy between them that looked about her age. The little boy had his hair in a little pony-tail and the woman had a large bundle behind her back. Her hand was placed like granite on the young boy's shoulder. Akane saw her father say something more to the couple before bending down and saying something to the little boy. The little boy nodded but his attention wasn't really on her father. It kept darting around the yard. Soun gave another sigh before standing back up again and saying something more to the man. The man nodded and without a word to the woman, took the little boy's hand and dragged him away, out of the yard. The little boy looked back as he was being dragged and waved to the woman. A tear glittered in the sun as it found its way down her cheek. She and Soun waved good-bye and soon, Akane could no longer see the man and the little boy, no matter how much she strained her neck.
Confused and pretty bored by this time, she turned away and ran out of the kitchen. She made her way out of the house and out to her front gate. Akane looked this way and that down the street, but she couldn't see the man or little boy. With a child's logic, she decided they went down the street to the right and so she started her way there.
Not looking where she was going, the little girl bumped into someone and fell onto her butt. How like her father. Akane's mouth curled up and the next second, she let out a blood-curdling cry. Her hands went to her face and she wiped dirt and dust to her eyes, causing her to cry all the more. The man she had bumped into bent down and took her hands from her face to make her look at him.
Akane did so and in front of her was the face of a man with hazel eyes and dark greenish-looking hair.
"Are you all right?" he asked her.
The little girl just shot him a glare before stumbling back up again. The man eyed her slightly before questioning, "What is your name?"
"Akane Tendo," she replied tartly and he just nodded without smiling.
"Come on, Akane, I'll take you home," the man said without offering her hand and expecting her to follow him. The child considered defying him for a second, but decided better of it. She was getting awfully hungry.
When they reached her home, the lady was gone and her father was sitting on the front steps.
Soun stood up when he saw his daughter and the tall man in front of her.
Akane stood between the two grown-ups and watched as the green-haired man put his hand out and said, "Tye Blue." Soun shook the man's hand solemnly and gave his name.
"Can we speak in private?" the man asked Akane's father and Akane thought of telling the man that she wasn't going anywhere but Soun commanded, "Go inside, Akane."
"But, dad-" she started but when Soun continued to look at the man, Akane decided to drop it and do as she was told...well partly. Once inside, she did as before and hid behind the door to watch her father and the man.
"Yes?" Soun questioned and the man replied impassively, "I wish to train your daughter, Mr. Tendo."
"Why?"
The man's hazel eyes seemed to splash like paint on a canvas.
"There is something in her that calls out to me. My instinct never lies to me, Mr. Tendo. I must train your daughter and you must allow me this. It is the way things are supposed to be," the man said slowly with razor steel beneath his voice.
Soun brushed his hand through the air.
"Akane is too young for training."
"Nobody is too young for the Art."
"She is not strong enough."
"That is not for you to judge."
"She must learn her family's Art," Soun said as a final argument.
Sensing victory at hand, the man smoothed things over for the father.
"You may teach her her family's Art, but I will teach her everything else. Have no fear, Mr. Tendo, I will not train your daughter every day. I shall only come by here when the time calls for it. I will only come by and stay for the three months of Spring and then I shall be gone. However, during the three months that I train your daughter, you must give me command to do as I please."
"No, no, not my little girl," the father denied but the man named Tye just answered, "You are the one that has placed the curse on your daughter, Mr. Tendo. Now, it's just your choice if you want her to be able to protect herself."
Soun was not a stupid man. He knew that the man would not lie and he knew that the man would be able to teach his daughter ways of the Art that he could never dream of. The curse was definitely there. With what little experience he had in the Art, Soun could sense the bind in Akane. He felt it, but he never spoke of it. Neither did Genma.
"Yes, I give you three months each year until Akane's eighteenth year. By then, she should have learned all that she needs from you."
"That's all I'm asking for," the man said. Soun turned around in resignation to walk back inside his house, but halfway there he stopped.
Without turning around, he asked, "Why are you doing this?"
"I answered that question, Mr. Tendo. I come to those who call to me," Tye answered. Akane ducked and ran from the door as her father started inside. She didn't exactly understand what just happened but from that day onward, from March to May, that green-haired man was her sensei.
* * *
The four-year old Akane stood in the dojo in her little gi. Her stomach was pounding with giant, monster movie butterflies. A green-haired man had appeared at her doorstep yesterday and although her father looked pale, he told her she was to begin her 'outside' training today. Sure, dad's training was great but he never really fought her. He just trained her to master her strength and Akane couldn't help wanting more. There was something at the bottom of her stomach sort of like hunger and a little bit of pain. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that the feeling disappeared a wonderful exultation replaced it whenever she trained. She never told her father this, though. She didn't think he would understand.
Her sensei entered in a dark green gi and he planted himself a few yards in front of her with his feet apart.
"I assume you know the basic moves?" he asked her and Akane yelled happily, "Yeah!"
"Good," the man replied. "Because all that I teach you has nothing to do with the average Martial Arts. You will not survive with the average. I want you to know that nothing I teach you will be easy and will require your full concentration..."
By this time, the man had lost Akane's interest and although her eyes were still planted on him, her mind started to wander. Where was Nabiki-chan right now? Kasumi sure was good at making sandwiches. Maybe she could get Kasumi-chan to make her lunch today instead of dad.
"...the neko-ken." Tye stopped talking and Akane looked at him in surprise. His hands were crossed and his sparkled with humor and amusement. The young girl was getting nervous. She had a feeling the amusement was going to be at her expense.
"The first training will be quite simple, Akane." Here, Akane's sensei pulled out a cat from behind him and placed it on the floor in front of Akane. The little kitty was so cute, the child bent down to pet it.
"Do you like the little kitten, Akane?" Tye asked and the girl nodded.
"Good," he said before placing a small bowl of last night's leftovers in front of the cat to eat.
"Do you still like the kitten, Akane?" he asked again and Akane's answer was the same as before.
"You wouldn't wish to hurt the kitten, would you, Akane? It's so harmless and it hasn't done anything to you."
The blue-haired girl shook her head as her eyebrows scrunched up. Of course she wouldn't want to hurt the poor kitty.
"Good," Tye said again.
"Is that it?" Akane questioned in a disappointed, childish way as she stood up.
"Oh no," Tye answered. "There is still one last part. The most difficult part for the beginning of the training."
"What is it?"
Tye's eyes looked straight at her and although the humor was still there, she knew he was deadly serious.
"You may drink water, but nothing else must enter your mouth for three straight days. You must not eat anything. Can you do that, Akane?" he asked her and Akane nodded. That should be easy. Kasumi and dad was always trying to get her to eat when she was playing. This should be a piece of cake.
"You are dismissed for the day."
* * *
It had been difficult, but every time she tried to eat something, Tye had taken the food from her. The next day in the dojo, when her sensei placed the cat and its food in front of her, Akane felt the most irrational anger at the kitten. Why did this animal get food while she was so hungry? She wanted to hit it and then the anger passed and Akane was angry at herself.
The next day, she was so hungry, she told Tye that she no longer wished to study Martial Arts, but he just replied that the matter was out of her hands. She cried and she begged her father but nobody helped her. Kasumi had gotten in trouble for trying to give her a piece of candy. When she saw the cat again that second day, the child lunged at it, but Tye held her back, saying that her three days were not yet over.
The third day had been the most difficult with a screaming Akane running around the house. Akane had been anticipating the moment when Tye would bring her the cat and its delicious leftovers. This time, however, when she ran to grab the cat's food, Tye did not stop her. It should have been easy for her to beat the cat and get its food, but Tye failed to mention that the cat w as no ordinary one. That the cat w as a special feline. In the end, when Akane woke up again on the dojo floor with bloody scratches all over her body and tears all over her face, she could not comprehend what happened.
She was still hungry too.
Tye loomed over her and with crossed arms, asked her, "Why did the cat beat you Akane?"
"I don't know!" she wailed.
"Why did the cat beat you, Akane?" he asked again.
Seeing she was not going to be able to get away from the questioning so easy, the child stammered, "I-It had claws?"
"Why else?"
"It was stronger."
"Why else?"
"It was thinner and...more...um...quick."
"Why else?"
"It was smoother."
Tye's eyes sparkled.
"Right you are, Akane. You may go inside and eat until you are full. After that, you will start the training anew until you defeat the cat and get its food."
With a last glare at her sensei, Akane slowly got up and walked out of the dojo.
* * *
What Akane learned after her second training was that in order to beat the cat, she had to have the same assets as the cat. With her quick, child mind, she imitated the movements of the cat until after two tries, she beat it. Akane had been so happy with herself, but Tye just presented her with two cats to defeat which was even more difficult. After she defeated the two cats, he presented her with three. What Akane learned was that the cats were just as hungry as she and their only meal each day was the one she fought for. At first she felt sorry for them but that feeling quickly disappeared. It was either them being hungry or her and she would rather it be them. Besides, this was part of her training.
The day finally came when Tye presented her with the last stage of the training. Akane was doing her cat stretches outside while Tye dug the hole and brought the bag of cats over. He dumped dozens of the screaming felines into the hole and asked Akane once more if she was ready for this. She said she was and jumped inside. He nodded once before dropping the long strip of fish sausage into the hole.
There were screams and even Akane could not tell which ones were her and which ones were the cats, but one thought stayed in her mind. That no matter how much she acted like a feline, she was a human being. That was the thought that kept her sane, conscious and helped her master the neko-ken.
When it was over, Akane jumped up on all fours and with a smirk on her face, meowed at Tye. Slowly, however, she stood up on her two legs and with a whoop of joy, ran inside to tell Kasumi and Nabiki.
She did not see Tye's sigh of relief.
* * *
A six-year old Akane was skipping merrily home from Dr. Tofu's one day when she heard crying. She wandered around in curiosity before finding the most oddest sight. A little boy was sitting by the curve and sobbing in quite a pathetic fashion. The little girl did not hesitate before walking over and putting her arm around the other kid. The little boy pushed at her quite hard and Akane ended up sprawled in the street.
"Go away!" the kid screamed. Akane stumbled up as she shook with indignant fury.
"Well, fine!" she said before starting to march off.
A wail came after her.
"Ran-chan!"
The little girl rolled her eyes to the sky once before turning around and asking, "Who's Ran-chan?"
"Go away!" the kid yelled again. Akane didn't need to be told a third time.
She turned around and started to leave when she heard, "Why did you lie?"
Akane flung around as she gave a groan.
"If you aren't going to tell me anything, you should stop sending curious screams like that my way! Now, tell me or shut up!" The kid hesitated a second before looking up at Akane with large brown eyes and soft features. It was a girl!
"I'll tell you," the kid mumbled and Akane nodded once before planting herself next to the other girl.
"Good," she said solemnly, saying it in a way that Tye would say it. "Now, why are you crying?"
"Ran-chan lied and he left me," the other girl pouted.
"Who's Ran-chan?" Akane asked curiously.
"He used to be my best friend and he was supposed to marry me, but he and his father took my dad's cart and ran off. He didn't want me! I thought he would take care of me forever!" the wailing was starting to begin again and Akane had to do something to divert it.
"Um...where's your dad now?" she asked.
"Somewhere in the park, I guess. I ran away from him so I don't really know. sI can't go back now. I'm a disgrace to the Kounji name! You don't know how awful that is, being a disgrace. It's awful!" the Kounji girl nodded her head and emphasized on the word awful.
Akane scratched her head.
"Well, I guess it would be awful..."
"It is!" the other girl exclaimed. "Try to imagine the thing you love the absolute best and imagine it being taken away." Akane thought about someone telling her that she wouldn't be able to practice the Art anymore and shuddered.
"I understand now," she said.
"Good," the Kounji girl said in a way that would have made Tye proud.
Akane thought some more about the other girl's situation before saying, "Well, you aren't happy now, are you? I say you stop being sad and be happy again."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"If it was me, I would go and give this Ran-chan a good butt-kicking. That would make me happy and it'll make my family proud." Before Akane had finished, the other girl had already jumped up. The blue haired child noted the other had a rather large spatula attached to her back.
"You know? You're right! If it takes my entire life, I'm going to get Ran-chan back for what he did to me. Thanks," saying this the girl was about to run off, but then stopped.
"What's your name?" she asked Akane.
"Akane Tendo. What's yours?"
"Ukyo Kounji, but you can call me Ucchan. Do you want to be my new best friend, Akane?"
Akane jumped up and laughed.
"Yeah! Since I'm going to call you Uccha, I guess you can call me, Ak...Ac...Acchan."
"Great," Ukyo giggled but then her small face became sober. "But you have to promise me one thing, Acchan."
"What?"
"Whenever you come across a boy by the name of Ranma Saotome, you must hit him as often as possible because he might be that traitor Ran-chan."
Akane agreed and with a last, "Thanks, Acchan!" Ukyo left.
* * *
"Now, Akane, you are going to master the Art of dodging."
The seven-year old girl looked up at her sensei skeptically.
"Dodging?" she asked.
"Yes. Dodging is one of the best techniques in Martial Arts. If you dodge, you can not get hit. If you don't get hit, you can not be injured. If you don't get injured, you can not be defeated. Understand?" Tye said in a tone that meant it wasn't important if she understood or not.
"I think I understand," Akane said.
"Good. In the first lesson, I will throw some stones for you to dodge. In the second, the stones will come faster and I will have your father and sisters assist me in throwing them so that you learn to dodge more than one area. In the third lesson, I will tie your hands, feet and place a blindfold over your eyes. How do you feel about that?" his tone pretty much said that what she answered would not matter in the training.
"I feel okay," Akane grinned. How hard could it be dodging some rocks?
Tye's eyes flashed.
"Good."
* * *
Her feet dangling, Akane sat munching happily on the ice cream cone that Kasumi bought her. The top of the plastic umbrella table was sticky with the droppings of her ice cream and every now and then, Akane would look over at her sister daintily eating her own frozen yogurt. Sometimes the little girl would wipe her mouth with her sleeve to be more clean but that would only result in a messy shirt and an even messier mouth.
The blue-haired child felt a tugging at her sleeve and looking down she saw a little boy.
"Do you know the way to Osaka?" the little boy asked her.
"Osaka?" Akane asked before turning to Kasumi.
"Oh dear," the oldest Tendo daughter said. "That's quite far from here. Are you lost?"
"Yes..." the little boy mumbled. "I sort of wandered off from my mom and dad."
"And ended up here?" Akane shrieked. The kid had to be kidding.
"Akane-chan!" Kasumi reprimanded and the little girl blushed before saying, "Sorry, Kasumi."
Satisfied, the older girl turned back to the boy.
"I think you better come home with us. We'll try to contact your parents," Kasumi said, orderly as ever as she stood up. Akane followed suit.
"What's your name?" she asked the little boy.
"Ryoga," he replied as the two trailed after Akane's older sister. His eyes asked her the same question.
"My name's Akane," she said and smiled. He gave her a semi-grin back.
When they got back to the Tendo household, Kasumi asked Ryoga for his phone number and luck of lucks, he remembered it! Efficient as always, Kasumi talked with his parents and planned a train ticket for him leaving that day. Akane followed Kasumi as she handed Ryoga to the conductor and told him that Ryoga's parents will be waiting for him at the station.
Leaving the train station, Akane thought she would never see that little boy again.
* * *
Two weeks later, it was raining when there came a knock upon the door. Akanr ran to open it and who should be standing there wet and cold, but the bandanna-clad boy from before!
"Achoo! Oh, hello again. I'm sorry but do you know where the direction to Osaka is? I got lost again," Ryoga said as he tried not to sneeze all over her.
Kasumi decided that it was too big of a storm to send anyone out so that night Ryoga slept in the guest room. The next day, Kasumi sent him back on the train again and Nabiki wryly noted that they were going to send themselves out into the streets buying this boy train tickets.
Akane waved good-bye to Ryoga, but somehow she knew, he was going to be coming back.
* * *
Sure enough he did three weeks later. Akane walked home from school when she saw Ryoga sitting on her front step. From then on he would appear every few days or every few weeks, depending on his travels. Ryoga told her that for some odd reason, he always found himself at the Tendo home. Of course, what he didn't know was that he crossed Tokyo just as many times as he crossed Nerima and he went by the Eiffel Tower just as many times as he went by the Tendo home. It just seemed as though he went by the Tendo home more because it was the only place that held any significance for him, maybe even more so than his own. His father and mother were always wandering and he would rarely catch them even if they did come home, but the Tendo family...they were always there.
Akane was no longer surprised when she saw Ryoga every couple of weeks or days, but it was in her thirteenth year that he stopped coming. She would not see him yet for another three years, but that is not to be told at this time.
* * *
Akane touched her left eyebrow to stop it from moving. It had been twitching all day which meant that something bad was supposed to happen. The girl wasn't one for superstitions, but it was really getting annoying. Instantly, the young girl's ears perked up at the sound of fighting. Smiling (for she hasn't seen a decent fight in quite a long time), Akane ran behind the houses and shrubberies to an empty lot. A crowd of people were watching a purple-haired girl beat up a little girl less than half her age. Well, Akane wasn't one to stand for injustice (but mostly because she needed a good fight).
The girl jumped in and quickly diverted the purple-haired girl's attention away from the little toddler. The purple-haired girl shot a few moves at Akane and happy, Akane ducked and toyed with her for awhile. Soon, however, it looked like the other was going to tire and so Akane made a few quick jabs and the purple-haired girl was flung a few feet away with her hands clutching the dirt. Hm...maybe she should have gone easier on her.
Trying to appease her guilt, the blue-haired Tendo girl said, "Well, you really shouldn't have beat up on someone so much smaller than you."
That was when the little toddler from before ran over to stand in front of Akane with fury in her eyes.
"Stupid girl no understand," she piped, her dark, red hair swaying in its loose buns. "It my test. Shampoo sister test me!"
"Huh?" Akane made the sound in puzzlement. By this time, the purple-haired girl had pushed her way up and made her way over to where Akane stood. She pushed the little pipsqueak of a kid out of the way so that she was directly in front of Akane. Her features were all cold except her lilac eyes which were dazzling with lightning. Akane felt nervous when the girl put her hands on either side of Akane's face. Was she going to snap her neck? Well, she better not. Kasumi would be angry if she didn't make it home for dinner.
The crowd gasped as the purple-haired girl placed a soft kiss on Akane's cheek and pulled back. Akane sighed. That was it?
"The Kiss of Death," the red-haired toddler from before mumbled with wide eyes.
"What?" the Tendo girl asked rather stupidly.
"Stupid girl," the toddler smirked. "Shampoo-sister give you Kiss of Death. Promise to hunt you to ends of Earth and kill you. Return honor to Shampoo-sister."
"K-kill me?" the ten-year old stammered. She suddenly noticed that most of the women (in fact, they were all women) in the crowd were staring at her with seriousness. She didn't want to die so soon.
"Does she have to kill me?"
"Yep," the kid answered with some satisfaction but Akane was no longer listening to her. SDhe was too busy dodging the purple-haired girl's attempts to maim and kill her.
Running away, Akane screamed, "Can't we talk about this?"
"Shampoo kill!" the purple-haired girl screamed in reply.
"Wait! You don't even know my name!" Akane yelled, beginning to get angry herself now.
Shampoo stopped her tirade and for a second looked quite innocent.
"Fine. What stupid girl name?" she asked, her voice childlike as it wasn't before.
Thinking it was over, Akane answered, "Akane Tendo."
Shampoo nodded once before jumping up and screaming, "Akane Shampoo kill!"
This time, however, Akane wasn't going to run away and so fought the purple-haired girl until she was unconscious (which was quite quick). Sighing, the Tendo girl carried Shampoo back to the lot where the crowd was and handed her back to the group. They said nothing to Akane, but simply nodded and took the girl.
Looking at the sun, Akane noted how late she was and quickly made her way home.
The next day, a purple-haired girl appeared at breakfast (how she found out the resident of the Tendo home, Nabiki claimed not to know) and tried to kill Akane. Akane beat her again and brought her back to the group from before. A few hours later, it started all over again. Pretty soon, it was getting tedious and Akane's temper was really being stretched the limit.
Finally angry, Akane issued an official challenge to Shampoo that would end all ties. They met at the lot from before and thunder rumbled in the sky without rain or lightening.
"Akane ready to die?" Shampoo asked politely.
"No," the other girl answered in frustration.
"Too too bad," Shampoo said before the smile shifted from her face and she jumped to attack-
-just to get pulled back by the collar. Akane stared at the writhing Amazon kick and scream as she was held up by her collar which was held by a wooden stick. An old woman was holding the other end of the stick.
"Shampoo, stop it," the old woman commanded and the girl quieted down with a pout.
The old woman turned to the ten-year old Japanese girl.
"Have no fear, child. Shampoo's kiss of death on you is now null and void. She is also banned by the tribe to make anymore Kiss of Deaths against you," the old woman said.
"Hiba-chan!" the girl screamed only to have the woman shoot a hard look her way. Akane watched as her rival withered under the stare.
"Yes, hiba-chan," she said with her eyes down.
"Now, come on, Shampoo," the old woman said as she placed the girl on the ground and started to walk out of the lot. Suddenly, she stopped.
"By the way, child," she said off her shoulder to Akane. "Say hello to my old student when you see him?"
"Who's that?" Akane asked.
The old woman grinned before starting to walk again.
"Tye Blue."
* * *
The eleven year old girl was walking to her first day in her new school. In the front yard of the school, she saw the students crowding around talking until the bell rung. Not really knowing anyone there and having no idea where Nabiki was, Akane leaned against the wall and waited. The crowd suddenly parted and between them walked a weird looking boy in a black and white traditional Japanese outfit.
"Who is this lovely creature thast my eyes behold?" he asked and Akane looked to her left and right to see who he was talking to. Seeing everyone's looks at her, she realized it was herself.
"Me?" she asked.
"The sweet maiden speaks. How dost my ears stand the sweet sound of heaven's bells?" he asked. "But I must have the maiden know my name! I, sweet maiden, am Tatewaki Kuno, the burning comet of Furinkan Junior High!"
By now, lightening had come across the sky and Akane wished it would zap him. The skies instantly cleared.
"What is thy name?" he asked Akane and she shrugged before answering, "'kane Tendo."
"What? You are related to the money-hungry Nabiki? How can this be so?" he cried. Akane ground her teeth. Nobody insults her family and gets away with it, but she didn't want to get in trouble the first day of school.
"She's my sister."
"Ah, but that must torment you so. Come and I will comfort thee in my arms!" Kuno exclaimed as he rushed toward Akane with his arms outstretched.
What he got in turn was hard blows across his body. Usually, Akane would have just planted a foot on his face and walked off but this guy really bugged her.
Standing over Kuno's twitching form, Akane looked to the other girls and asked, "Does he harass all of you like that?" They all nodded. Akane's eyes flashed with fury and her knuckles whitened as she clenched her hands.
"Well, if he ever does it again, yell for me and I'll beat him up for you, okay?" she said and the other girl's nodded.
Thus, that was how throughout middle and high school, Akane was the girl's champion and they were hers. When Kuno made that announcement to the Kendo club about beating Akane Tendo to date her, all the other girls in the school threatened the boys if they touched one hair on Akane's head. Kuno, himself, was torn between love and hate of Akane. He was deeply infatuated with her but despised her for beating him so easily even when he tried his hardest. It was quite an odd situation for Tatewaki, but Nabiki was all to happy to make money off of his indecision.
So, pretty much, everything worked out for everyone.
* * *
It was soon after Akane's fifteenth birthday that Tye came to her with her destined curse.
It was Spring again and Akane was ready for her training, but instead of training her, he simply told her that some balance must be kept and some boy somewhere was about to get a curse.
"What does that have to do with me?" she asked.
"Everything that boy does has to do with you," Tye answered which made no sense at all. He just told her that since if he didn't give her a curse now, she will soon end up getting one that would harm her.
"...to keep the balance between you and him," Tye said and Akane wanted to ask more questions but did not. It would be useless.
"Now, I have to think of a curse that you would hate but would benefit you more than harm you. I, also, need to think of a trigger. Now, what do you hate?"
Akane just shrugged at the question.
Tye's eyes suddenly flashed again and Akane knew him good enough by now that whatever came next was not good for her.
"I have this curse that you would absolutely hate. Are you ready for it?"
Akane was always known for her stubbornness.
"Yes," she replied.
"Good."
* * *
"I'm home!" the girl yelled as she jogged inside and changed into her gi to train.
As she punched and destroyed the rocks, she heard some one behind her say, "There you go again, Akane. No wonder the boys think you're weird."
"So, why should I care? Not everybody thinks the world revolve around boys, Nabiki," the girl tartly answered.
"Really?" the second Tendo girl smirked. "Then, I guess you wouldn't be interested in-"
* * *
"-Fiancee?"
"Yes, the son of a very good friend of mine. His name is Ranma Saotome. If one of you would marry him and carry on the family Martial Arts, our future would be secure," he said and even though he said 'one of you', they were all looking at Akane.
"Hey!" she shouted. "Don't I get a say in who I marry?"
"No," was her father's simple answer and Akane considered the idea of becoming a wanderer.
"It's going to be okay, Akane," Soun said to soothe his daughter. "Ranma studies the same Martial Arts you do. You two will have so much in common and besides, Ranma will have much to tell you about his recent trip to China."
"Ooh, China..." Nabiki cooed, but Akane just looked away. So what! Shampoo had been from China too! Besides, she was probably better than him at Martial Arts anyway!
Near the house, the father and three daughters heard, "Let me go!"
"That must be Ranma now," Nabiki said and she ran out to meet him, followed by Soun. sAkane and Kasumi followed at a slower pace. All four of them stopped at the sight of a Panda holding a figure over its shoulder.
"Father? Is this your friend?" Kasumi asked as Soun shook his head.
"Oh really? Then, the panda just decided to drop by? Yeah, happens all the time!" Nabiki shouted to Soun's denial.
At that moment, the pandas placed the short figure in front of the Tendos.
"You wouldn't be..." Akane heard her father say.
"Ranma Saotome," the girl said as she looked away. "Sorry about this."
* * *
Author's Notes: There's more chapters to come, so just hold on. :) E-mail me!