Disclaimer: Ranma !/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. This story was inspired from the '80s movie "Red Dawn" which belongs to its respective owners.
AN: Okay, this chapter is a bit long so you have to bear with it if you want to read it through. As expected, comments and constructive criticism will be appreciated just so I know where I stand in my creative writing skills.
Chapter 1: October - The Longest Day, Part One
Tendo Residence, 6:29 A.M.
"Breakfast!" A young woman with an apron called out to the two individuals busily engaging in an early morning sparring match in the Tendo Residence's garden.
"Be right there." said the pigtailed-haired youth in a Chinese-style outfit: red shirt, black loose pants and sandals.
"Thanks KasumiIII!!!" added the older man in white gi and glasses, with a white bandana covering his bald head, as he and his sparring partner plunge into the koi pond after prematurely ending their match in mid-air.
Two new forms emerge from the body of water: one a gorgeous redhead with the same hairstyle and attire worn by the young man earlier and the other a large, hulking, grumbling panda. Both squelchy trudged toward a waiting Kasumi by the porch, a kettle of hot water in her hand. Both Ranma and Genma changed to their original forms before joining the rest of the Tendo household in the dinning area.
While enjoying their breakfast, all eyes were glued to the television by the corner, showing a live feed of the Japanese Prime Minister, stepping off the plane, from his diplomatic mission from Seoul, South Korea. A reporter's voice can be heard in the background, announcing the successful armistice treaty signed by both Japan and South Korea with the Communist Coalition in response with the fall of Taiwan and the annexation of the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea.
"Do you think the Communist Coalition would honor the armistice?" Akane started, asking no one in particular.
"Who knows? As long they don't bother Japan, it fine with me," responded Ranma in rather nonchalant manner before engaging in a fight with his father, Genma, over some morsel.
"Ranma! How can you be so unconcerned about this?" Akane retorted.
"Hey! What do you expect me to do about it, Akane? I'm not the freaking U.N. here, you know! Besides, if it happens, it happens! It would be beyond our control if does. But I'll tell you one thing, if they do come here in Nerima, I'll show them a thing or two with the Anything Goes!" finished Ranma finally pounding his silly father to submission, winning in their food fight.
"You know Ranma," Akane began, irritation building within her. "I almost believed your sensible choice words. But the last parts of it were just full of BULL!"
"Uncute Tomboy!" Ranma mumbled, gulping the last of his meal.
"Pervert!" shot back Akane
"Built like brick! Strong like a gorilla!"
"Ranma no Baka!"
"Oh my! Would you look at the time?" mocked Nabiki, Kasumi-style, within earshot while looking at her watch. "I better get going to school to avoid being caught late. Something a couple of people I know should be doing as well, instead of going through the usual, overrated tandem." Nabiki got up and left as the 'two' angrily avoided each others gaze. They both soon got out of the house, separately.
"Take care you two," cheerfully said Kasumi as brought the plates and utensils into the kitchen.
"Saotome-kun. What if the Communist Coalition does invade Japan?" Soun asked his best friend who was still stunned from the brawl with his son, while still watching the news. Five words went through Soun Tendo's mind, causing streams of moisture to overflow from his eyes: 'The schools won't be joined!'
The signal from the TV was suddenly lost, showing only static and 'snow'. Turning to other channels revealed that they're off the air as well. It would be later found out that other households throughout Japan experienced similar problems.
En route to Furinkin High, 7:15 A.M.
"Hey! Wait up, Akane!"
Ranma forgo his usual balance training on the fence this morning as he caught up with his fuming fiancé. But Akane didn't slowed down, not one bit, and not especially to that idiot, Ranma, she thought.
"Hey! Are you still upset about that back there?" huffed Ranma, speeding to close the gap between Akane and him and trying to sound considerate.
"I have no time to discuss with your stupid banters, Ranma! We're almost late for class, so excuse me!" Akane quickened her pace, trying to out distance the pig-tailed martial artist. Ranma shot an arm, grabbing Akane by the shoulder, pulling her to an abrupt halt. Surprise turns to rage as she fiercely faces the person she despises most of the time.
"WHAT, RANMA?" Akane said, at the top of her lungs. Ready to smack her fiancé silly.
"Akane, before you hit me or anything, I just want to say," Standing with his head bowed and his eyes hidden by the bangs of his hair, Ranma struggled to say the rest of what's on his mind. Akane held at bay her wrath, lowering her good arm she intended to strike him with, puzzled but wary of Ranma's odd, if somewhat, humble demeanor at the moment. She knew Ranma for being insincere at times and even scheming, just to avoid her displeasure, but this time it felt different. She's got a gut feeling about it. She decided to give Ranma the benefit of the doubt.
"I just want to say," Ranma continued. "That I'm sorry for acting like a jerk earlier. Please will you forgive me, Akane," His head bowed lower upon finishing the last sentence.
"Ranma," Akane uttered in wonder. "Since when did you become the apologetic type?"
"Well, I guess just now," Ranma shrugged. Turning his head to a side, arms behind his back and his right foot making tracing motions on the ground – signs that he was uncomfortable with will all this, Ranma continued. "I've been thinking, about what Nabiki said earlier. We've been fighting, bickering, and generally misunderstanding each other for what, over a year now. Sometimes I wonder why we're still at it. Its this stupid engagement that our fathers concocted," Ranma turned his back from Akane, head still bowed and feeling mortified. "And this curse of mine."
The moment lasted like an eternity between the two who stood by the street, which they had for themselves at the time. Akane still couldn't believe what Ranma was telling her. She looked him over, trying to study his features, reading for any signs guile or falsehood in his actions.
"Akane. What would it been like, had I not gone to Jusenkyo and not gotten cursed? Or what if my father never made all those arranged marriages with those other girls; or just by having met you in more friendly circumstances, without the burden of the engagement and uniting the Schools." Ranma turned to look at Akane. She was almost taken aback by the sincere and pleading look, Ranma gave her. "What do you think, Akane? What could it have been like?" Ranma asked.
"Huh? Well, I don't know? Hmm. Let see." Akane playfully thought, holding a finger to her chin. "Well, I would probably still think you're a pervert, since that how I felt about all boys." Akane closed her eyes and smiled at him in response, spontaneously trying to be funny.
"Yeah," Ranma smiled, almost laughing at the joke. "And I would probably still think of you as an uncute tomboy."
Both laughed out loud at each other's jokes, which surprise both of them. Ranma was the first to recover.
"Friends," Ranma said, offering Akane his hand in friendship. Akane looked over the hand, then to Ranma's smiling, sincere face and then back to his hand again, unsure on how to proceed.
"Lets start all over again, Akane," Ranma began. "Forget about the engagement; forget about my other fiancés; forget about our stupid fathers. Lets start out as friends. Here, let me begin." Ranma cleared his throat, and brought the courage to continue. "Hi! My name is Saotome, Ranma. What's yours?"
Akane gingerly shook Ranma's hand. "Tendo. Tendo Akane. Nice to meet you, Ranma." Akane played along, giving him her best cheerful expression. This was definitely getting all too weird for her but she also couldn't help but feel content of the way things were turning out.
'Man, she can be cute when she wants to,' Ranma thought as his stared at the smiling face of his fiancé. Rarely does he see Akane giving him a smile, and when she does, it usually means she either mad or she really, really mad.
'Ranma. Why can't you be like this all the time.' But Akane mentally snorted at the notion, knowing him and the situation they're in. But a part of her mind that kept on questioning: What if such an intimate relationship could blossom between Ranma and her? The thought turned to possibilities, possibilities becoming options; and from these options Akane saw the uncertainties, the heartbreaks, the hurts, the compromises, all of these equated to one thing – fear. Akane was just not ready to trend that path with Ranma and not even honor or for the sake of uniting the School of Anything Goes would make her otherwise.
Returning to her mean disposition once more, Akane abruptly jerked her hand away from Ranma's – surprising him and feeling a bit hurt by the sudden act. Akane turned around, about to make a run. She knew that there was little time left before classes start.
"We're late, Ranma!" And she sped off, dust trailing in her wake, leaving a confused and shamed Ranma to collect his thoughts. For a time he just stood there, struggling with him self. He eventually looked forward to where Akane went and banished all nonsensical stuffs from his mind and followed on.
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Furinkan High, 10:33 A.M.
Ranma was emotionally exhausted. His 'talk' with Akane had left his interest levels spent, especially now in Ms. Hinako's Ninomiya's English class. He tried his best to remain awake and attentive but Ms. Hinako's lectures sounded all but droning noises in the ears of the pigtailed martial artist that it told his brain to temporarily shut down, soliciting sleepiness.
A look by Akane in his direction bolted him awake. Ranma hoped to receive a friendly response from her; or perhaps even just a frown; anything, just to confirm her acknowledging him, hoping that their revelations earlier had gotten through her. But she just turned away, returning her attention back to the teacher's lessons. Ranma sighed. Not that he is being presumptuous or anything but maybe it was mistake to have told her all those things he said earlier She probably thinks of him more of a jerk than ever. Ranma sighed again. It was worth the try though, Ranma thought. He really wanted things to change between him and Akane for the better. But the fact that their situation is so complicated – with the fiancés and all – that it daunts any chance for a sincere relationship between the two. Ranma finally decided to have another talk with Akane later at lunchtime, no matter what the outcome would be. He just wants to straighten it out with her. Ranma turned to look outside the window entertaining the notion of perhaps finding the answers he needed from the heavens.
"Huh?" From outside the window, Ranma noticed something odd making a decent toward the ground, particularly toward the front yard of the school. He was about to have a closer look-see when something hard and painful struck him on his temple. "Ow!" Ranma cried out as he stood up. Reflex action dictated to him to rub the sore spot, which was swelling. He pinpointed the culprit of his emerging bump to that of an eraser that landed on his desk; and the source of the said projectile – an irritated child-form of Ms. Hinako.
"Whacha did that for, teach!" he snarled.
"OH, don't you DARE give me that kind of tone, Mr. Saotome! What were you doing back there, goofing off? Were you even listening to my lectures?"
"I was just checking out something that fell from sky, huh?" Ms. Hinako silenced him with an all too familiar and dreaded gesture – arm outstretched, 50-yen piece locked between a hand sign that resembled the Vulcan – "live long, and prosper" – farewell.
"No excuses, Mr. Saotome! Prepare to be disciplined!" Ms. Hinako exclaimed.
Ranma took on a fighting stance, readying his defenses. Great, and to thought my day would go on without a hitch, Ranma thought.
"Hey everyone! Check it out!" Hiroshi called out the attention of the entire class to the bizarre spectacle unfolding outside the school. Most of the students crowded toward the windows in order to have a better look of the scene. With the sudden turn of events, Ms. Hinako momentarily forgot about Ranma, instead she made a call for all the students to return to their seats and behave themselves but to no effect. Ranma in the meantime took his cue in mingling with of his classmates and to finally see what perked his curiosity earlier before being violently interrupted.
What Ranma saw amazed him and gave him a sense of foreboding. Dozens perhaps hundreds of parachutes as far as the eye can see descended on the city of Nerima like ominous snowflakes. Already a few were of the chutes have touched-down on the school premises. Some of them were attached to heavy metal containers but most bore men in military urban-fatigue uniforms with winter caps.
"Who do you think they are, Akane?" Yuka asked, who couldn't help but feel worried of the situation. Sayuki, another of Akane's closest friend had similar thoughts on her mind.
"I don't know?" Akane honestly answered. But like many others, she had a bad feeling about this whole thing.
The 'soldiers' began to set aside their chutes; a few were attending to the metal containers - proceeding in opening them.
"Ranchan, what's going on?" asked Ukoyou, her hand itching on her battle-spatula. But her childhood friend didn't answer, his attention fixed on the commotion below, the feeling of distress not leaving him.
"Look! The principal has gone out to meet them!" pointed Daisuke. Sure enough, the bizarre and obnoxious headmaster of Furinkan High rushed outside, waving his arms and acting like a complete lunatic, to greet the brazen visitors.
"OH! OH! OH! Oh my gosh! I didn't know that there was an exhibition scheduled here today in this school!? Heh Heh Heh Heh HAH!"
"Oh brother. There goes the neighborhood," lamented Nabiki, not knowing how true her words were going to be in the next few moments.
"Heyya! Heyya! Welcome to Furinkan High! In behalf of the school, I greet you all 'ALOHA'! And as a token of my appreciation, please accept this humble gift." The principal handed to one of the camouflaged garb men a pineapple that he seemed to pull out of somewhere. Curious and suspecting nothing, the man in particular closely examined the spiky fruit. What happened next, seemed to become surreal.
The pineapple suddenly exploded on the hands of the said soldier, stunning him with shock and surprise. Although the blast was small and not fatal, the man's hands and fingers would probably be maimed for life.
The principal manically laughed, doubling over, and pointing at the scene, beaming at his latest prank. One of the men cocked and brought to bear his Klasnokov (AK-74) rifle toward the hilariously preoccupied headmaster.
Shots were fired. The principal was already dead before he hit the concrete ground in a bloody heap. A moment of shocked silence passed as the entire school campus was witness to the gruesome incident. Few screams broke the calm, which was answered with some of the men, already armed, opening fire at the classroom floors. All hell broke lose.
Ranma remained crouched, taking cover from the automatic fire, as bullets broke thought the windows, shattering glass and zipped into and punctured the walls and ceiling of the classroom. Most of his classmates were scrambling out into the hallway, panicking. Ms. Hinako was helpless in trying to bring calm and order.
"Akane!"
"Ranma! Over here!"
Turning to the sound of her voice, Ranma was glad to see Akane unhurt but his heart sank upon seeing a fallen student, sitting upright by the wall under the window, attended by both Akane and Yuka. It was Sayuri. She was bleeding profusely from a terrible bullet wound on the spot where her heart would be.
"Sayuri!" cried Yuka, tears freely flowing from her eyes. "Please hang on! Don't die!" Yuka choked the last sentence hoping against hope that her dear friend, Sayuri, would somehow come out of this okay.
Ranma felt powerless even when Akane gave him a pleading look, urgently implying from him to do some thing, a miracle perhaps, in saving Sayuri just like he saved her from Phoenix Mountain. Ranma could only take Sayuri in his arms and carry her up.
"Ranma, what are you doing? Where are you taking Sayuri? Is it even okay to move her?" Akane frantically asked the pig-tailed boy.
"Do you have a better idea, Akane?" Akane frowned a bit at his fiancés remark but knew there was very little she could do herself in helping her friend. "We've got to get out here, it's too dangerous!" Ranma motioned the girls to move toward the exit. Akane eyed the pigtailed boy with concern and indignation but steely complied indicating a tearful Yuka to follow her out. Ranma mentally gave a prayer of thanks for Akane's clear and opened mind of the situation and not blaming him or hitting him or generally make a fuss of the whole matter. He quickly followed the two girls who have exited, bearing a critically wounded Sayure in his arms. At the moment he stepped out of the door, an RPG round rocketed into the classroom engulfing it in an explosive blast.
Somewhere in Nerima 10:48A.M.
"Where am I?" Ryouga Hibiki's trail of thoughts - of confessing his love for Akane Tendo and beating his archrival, Ranma - were rudely interrupted by one – he realized that he was no longer in Hokkaido; and two – he found himself in a war zone. Gun shots and explosions were being heard and can be seen all around; fires and smoke raging out of control in the distance; foreign paratroopers were landing all over the place; and it was overall - mass hysteria as the populace scampered and fled for safety from the invaders.
"What the hell is going on here?"
[Halt!]
Ryouga recognized the shout being Russian as he learned a smarting of that Slavic language during in one of his eternal detours (no thanks to Ranma – at least in his point of view). Sure enough six Russian soldiers in urban military fatigues came into view and surrounded the lost boy, their automatic rifles trained at him. Ryouga didn't like odds, plus the fact they have guns didn't make his situation advantageous for him.
[Hands up!]
A plan was forming in Ryouga's mind as raised his hands, not all the way up as the soldiers expect but enough to see them in clear view and away from his sides. The plan had to be precise and fast.
[Easy comrades. What seems to be the problem?] Ryoga said in Russian.
As expected the Russians were amazed by Ryoga's response in their native language. 'Good. At least have lowered their guard a bit.' But the one who spoke, their squad leader, was unfazed.
[BE QUIET! Come with us without resistance and no harm will come to you!]
Ryoga remained cool despite the temptation of wanting to rip the throat off of what he presume to be a Russian officer. He proceeded to the next phase of this plan.
[Ah? Before I come along peacefully, you don't mind I retie my shoes.] Of course Ryoga was not wearing shoes but sandals – the kind martial artists' wear. The soldiers' focus didn't include that particular detail though, giving Ryoga the opportunity to execute one his special techniques. But not before the squad leader's jumpiness got to its toll.
[HALT! STOP!] He inadvertently squeezed the trigger of his weapon firing a round at the yellow-bandana boy, grazing him by his left cheek. The wound would heal soon and is of no consequence for the likes of Ryoga, but at the moment it left a scare that bled freely. Furious, more in indignation than in the pain of the wound, Ryoga went to overdrive and finally executed his move by hitting his outstretched finger on the concrete.
BAKUSAI TEKNETSU!
Hundreds of cracks snaked out and crisscrossed at the point of impact, encompassing where Ryoga and the soldiers stood. The concrete surface then exploded sending rubble and debris in every direction and forming a crater; to Ryoga it felt like pelting snow during a fierce blizzard, thanks to the intense training involved in the technique, but for the Russians it was a deadly cloud of projectiles that wrecked havoc. Two of the soldiers fell unconscious due to concussion while the rest were momentarily blinded and were struggling to recover. Ryoga took note of this and made his move. Going between two adjacent Russians he gave one a quick combo, sending him down, he immediately switched to the next kicking him on the gut and getting similar results.
'Thats four, only two left.' Ryoga closed in for the climax, easily felling the second to the last soldier, saving the squad leader for last.
The lone Russian left standing had finally recovered from his temporary vision impediment when he saw his last comrade take a fall from the extraordinary Japanese boy. He brought his weapon to bear hoping to take out his enemy before he could counter. But the lost boy was faster than he. Ryoga grab the neck of the gun's muzzle with one hand and easily jerked the rifle skyward as the soldier open fired a full round burst.
[Not this time, comrade!] Ryoga snarled, exposing his fanged teeth. With his free hand he delivered his coup de grace – an upper cut blow under the Russians chin sending him a couple of feet into air before crashing down to earth with a noisy thud. With the AK-74 in one hand, Ryoga tossed it aside with disgust. While collecting himself, Ryoga inspected the surroundings. He was still in a war zone, his directional curse withstanding, to the dismay of the eternal lost boy who would rather be where his beloved Akane would be than in this grim place.
'Wait a minute. This place looks familiar.' Ryoga could not put his finger to it but the place reminded him very much of some place he often visited in his travels. 'Maybe I should ask someone.' A civilian fleeing from the chaos made the mistake of passing by near Ryoga who grabbed him by the back his shirt collar.
"Tell me!" Ryoga forcefully asked, bringing the hapless man face to face with him. "What is this place?"
"Are you nuts? There's a war going on, can't you see?"
"I don't care! I won't let you go until you tell me where I am?!"
"Okay! You're in Nerima! Nerima I say! There, are you happy now? Now let me go!"
"Nerima… Then that means-"
The sound of incoming artillery ended with an explosion, sending dust and debris into the air just several meters away where Ryoga and the stranger stood. Both instinctively crouched for cover. Ryoga spotted the source of their predicament. A T-72 main battle tank was rumbling through the war-torn streets accompanied by several gray-white fatigued soldiers on either side of the tank or behind it.
"I'm getting out of here!" The man bolted off leaving the yellow-bandana boy to fend for himself. Ryoga stared back at the fleeing man with disdain, but he has bigger problems to attend to. "No! This can't be. If this war is here, then than means Akane's in danger." Ryoga contemplated, summoning dark visions of Akane in deep peril; fueling his rage. "No! I won't allow it! I won't allow anything bad to happen to Akane. Not as long as I live!" He began to glow green, his battle aura, powering up. The T-72 halted in its tracks and began to adjust its turret, locking on the lone glowing target while the men took flanking positions near the tank and conducted suppression fire. Ryoga ignored the bullets flying by or marginally missing him as his ki build-up reached its peak.
SHI SHI HOKKODAN!
With outstretched arms and hands cupped, a glowing green ball of pure ki, powered by the depression of the young martial artist, shot forth and hurtled toward the stationary tank hitting it squarely by its turret. The force of the blast that followed buckled the armored vehicle considerably but not enough to tip it over. The shockwave also tossed those soldiers near the tank causing them to reconsider their tactical positions. After a couple of moments that seemed forever, the T-72 remained unmoving, its crew probably stunned, Ryoga hoped. With no immediate threat opposing him, Ryoga frantically made for a run to the streets, his mind tuning back to concerns for the well-being of a girl he's hopelessly in love with; hoping he'll find her in time to protect her and to save her from the chaos going about.
'Ranma, I pray you kept Akane safe from harm until I get there. Otherwise…'
"RANMA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"