Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, nor do I take any repsonsibility for the OOC acting in my story. So, if you so much as blink at me... I'll slap you upside the head.
AN: I'm so sad... not even one review yet... well I guess that's to be expected :P Happy travels :D
Chapter 1
I woke up with a start... my attention was inexplicitly drawn to the wall where the katana hung... I tried to focus on my surroundings but everything was a blur. I felt a small pain in my head and I touched it lightly, my hand came away with a sticky red. I pushed off the floor, leaving a small red print there. Dizzily I walked to the kitchen sink to get myself some water, hoping it would make me feel better. When I reached the counter I was surprised and shocked to find that it was too high for me to reach. Still in a dream like daze I tried climbing up but I just fell flat on my butt. Suddenly a man came into the room. "Ukyou? Hun, where-", he stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened when he saw the blood. "Honey!", he cried as he rushed over...I was surprised when I was easily picked up and lifted high. It made me feel even worse, like I was about to toss my lunch...
All I really noticed was green blurs that appeared to be trees and sky. "Doctor Kisho! Come quick! Ukyou got hurt!" In seconds there was a man in a white doctor's coat next to us and we were quickly lead to the examination room. After I was checked over the doc spoke to the man. "Don't worry about it... She should be fine... just a minor concussion that would have meant nothing if she were a bit older... all the blood's just from a small cut on her head..." "She'll be okay?", asked the man in a strained voice. "She'll be fine, nothing to worry about. I suggest you start training her in your style of martial arts through... she needs to build up some resistance to damage...she's such a wild child, she'll get hurt more often than not.
Something in my mind clicked that they were talking about me but I was still to disoriented to notice... "I gave her a little something to help her sleep...We shouldn't move her too far right now so I suggest she sleep here...she'll be right as rain when she wakes up." Dizzily I closed my eyes and nodded off... keeping my eyes focusing on my surroundings was too much effort. "You should take some of these... It'll help lower your blood pressure...If your not careful..." I slept...
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When I woke up I found myself wrapped up tightly in a blanket. My head hurt like hell and throbbed in sync with my heartbeat but at least I wasn't dizzy anymore. I looked around myself and my eyes widened a bit in shock...The world seemed to be larger than I remembered. Like I'd suddenly appeared in the land of the giants... There was a large framed decorating mirror on the wall above me in the waiting room. Slowly I tried to stand on the couch I'd been sleeping on... When I was finally able to stay upright I looked in front of me... into the mirror.
I almost jumped away when a curious little three year old face came into view... a three year old girl, for that matter. My mind vaguely played the voices I'd heard before I'd fallen asleep but trying to remember hurt my head too much so I pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on my current situation... 'Ukyou, he called me Ukyou, didn't he?' I raised my hand and placed it against the mirror, surprised at how small it seemed...I wanted to scream, shout and cry that I'm wasn't a little girl... But I couldn't deny the proof in front of me. 'This isn't all that bad, is it? I mean, it's a second chance at life. This time I won't make the same mistakes twice.' I nodded to myself confidently. I'd do it...I'd be a better person than I'd been the last time around...
The man from before walked into the room. "Ukyou! You're awake." "Hello...", I said hesitantly... "Are you my dad?" The man pushed me back and held me out in front of him. "You don't remember me?" I shook my head with a small frown on my face, making my chestnut locks sway...
It was a while later that I escaped that annoying over-sterilized place. I really hate hospitals and clinics... Nothing good ever happens there. Dad had to go talk to the doctor about my supposed amnesia. The doc told him it was nothing to worry about since most people only started forming physical memories at age four. It was probably just an effect of the trauma...
As soon as I'd healed fully, Dad started training me in our family style of martial arts... And to my surprise I finally realized where exactly I was... the name was a clue but it still didn't prove anything... the giant spatula though, was a dead giveaway. I later learnt that he, well actually we ,since it was in my name as well, owned a string of restaurants called Kounji family restaurant. Even though we had more than enough money, Dad still kept on cooking, it was part of his way of life.
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When I turned five Dad brought me my own yattai with some money he'd saved to further my training. It was also a way for him to spend more time with me. Together we'd stand in the streets, handing out okonamiyaki left and right. As a street vendors the two of us were the most popular in town and our restaurants weren't all that far behind on the favorites list either.
I made few friends my age since I felt they were too childish or bratty. But I loved talking to the older people that came around... they always complimented me on how smart I was. I did of course have a college level education but I didn't show off at all... I kept it toned down since I didn't really want to be the center of attention in that category.
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It was on my sixth birthday that I found myself alone at my stall. My dad's weak heart was catching up to him... I knew he didn't have long, I could see it in his eyes and I'd heard what the doctor had said to him. Every day when I'd go to talk to him he'd chase me out to work at the yattai but my heart wasn't really in my work anymore... Without dad it seemed so meaningless. No more fun and laughter... it was just work and I hate work.
During the second week of working alone a black haired boy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and snatched a half cooked okonamiyaki from the grill. "Ah!", I cried in astonishment as he sat in the nearby tree, gobbling it down. 'The nerve! Who does he think he is!?!' "Hey buddy! What do you think you're doing?!", I cried angrily. "Eating something disgusting.", he said with a scrunched up face. I gaped at him for a second before I started boiling with anger. 'How dare he insult my cooking! He didn't even ask if he could have some!' "Disgusting!?!", I cried "Why you little-" "Bet ya can't make anything better.", he said with a challenging smirk. I gaped at him for a second before growling. 'Ukyou Kounji never backs down from a challenge.', I thought to myself almost laughing at the irony of that thought... almost but not quite. "Fine! But if I win, you show me how you jumped that high.", I said. He nodded enthusiastically. I quickly started cooking, with practiced skill as I pour all my passion and confidence into what I was making. A few minutes later I threw the okonamiyaki at him with a confident smirk on my face. He snatched it out of the air and gobbled it down in three seconds flat.
He froze where he sat in the tree with a blank expression on his face. I waited for a few seconds and asked, "Um... are you okay?", I asked hesitantly... 'It couldn't be that bad, could it... I'm sure I did it right.' I blinked when he suddenly sighed deeply with a goofy smile on his face before floating to the ground like a autumn leaf. He lay there on the ground with a content look on his face and I quickly walked over to him, "Um... hey are you okay?", I asked hesitantly. "That was the best food I've ever had...", he sighed still not really focusing on his surroundings. I blushed lightly at the compliment. He suddenly jumped up and looked me closely in the eye... "Can I... haveanother?" I fell on my butt and started giggling. "Sure...", I smiled, "My names Ukyou... What's yours?" "Ranma...Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of anything goes martial arts." I just shook my head at his blatant arrogance, that's definitely the Ranma I knew. "Wanna be friends?", I asked him. His smile at that was almost blinding. "Sure!"
First I took my yattai home and stored it before we went off to explore the bamboo forest. I play fought for hours... dodging each other's attacks and tackling each other... I can't remember ever having so much fun in my entire life, this one and the last. When afternoon finally rolled around the heat exhausted us a bit so we rested next to the spring we'd discovered. When Ranma suddenly stripped down to his boxers and jumped into the pool with an excited yell I just smiled... I wanted to follow him but I didn't want to get my clothes wet nor was the panties I was wearing appropriate swimming wear.
"Come one in! The water's great!", cried Ranma happily... "Um... I don't think-" "Come on!", he urged... I sighed and gave in, "Fine." I quickly stripped down to my panties and dove in, tackling him in the process. We spent the entire afternoon in the spring, splashing and playing. When I finally noticed the sun was hanging low on the horizon I got worried. "Ranma... I should probably go home... my dad must be worried by now.", I said sadly. "Hey, no worries...We can just play again tomorrow.", he said with that arrogant smirk of his. I just sighed with a smile and shook my head... "Come on, let's head back.", I said smiling. We quickly dressed, wet underwear and all and headed away from our newfound playground.
As we walked towards home we talked... "You know Ranma...", I said as I gazed at the disappearing sun, "When it gets like this... With the sun already set and the last light gets captured by the clouds.... Doesn't it feel sort of unreal to you?" "Yeah...", he said sleepily, "It kinda reminds me of mom..."
We finally reached my house and as I jogged towards the entrance I called out,
"Bye Ranma! I'll see you tomorrow, right?!" "Yeah!", he called after me.
Inside the house I rushed to my dad's bedroom... I found him sitting up in bed waiting for me... "Where were you?", he asked coldly... I hesitated before replying, "I made a friend and we... well, we went playing in the bamboo forest." He raised an eyebrow at that but I cold see his ire disappearing and a small hidden smile gracing his face. "Tell me a bit about it.", he said, his smile growing with mine. "Well I met him when he stole some...", I proceeded to tell him all about my day.
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Meanwhile Ranma arrived back at his camp site and greeted his father who was still sleeping in the tent. "Did you bring food boy?!", cried out Genma with some pain lacing his voice... ever since those disgruntled shop owners finally tracked him down he'd been in a lot of pain. Who would've thought that stealing some food and clothing and maybe a few other things would be considered a crime. At least he'd been able to escape with his skin. "Yeah pop! Here you go!", cried Ranma as he threw some fruit and vegetables he'd taken off Ukyou's cart at his father...
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I lay in my bed that night thinking about the day that had passed even though I was exhausted, I was still awake since my excitement still hadn't really died down. 'He won't leave me behind... I'm sure Ranma'll take me with them when they leave town. I only met him today and we're already best friend. I wonder why dad wants to talk to Mr. Saotome...'... my thoughts finally blurred into incoherence and I fell asleep.
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Note: Please tell me if you spot any mistakes so I can fix them
End chapter