A Son's Duty, Chapter Six [FanFic]
Hitomi Ichinohei
A Son's Duty.
A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's ongoing Manga series, Ranma 1/2
Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Tendo Ranko, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga,
P-chan, Shampoo, Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Kurenai Tsubasa,
Tofu Sensei and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 1995 by Takahashi
Rumiko.
Publishing rights:
Japan: Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong: Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America: Viz Inc.
Chapter Six:
The sky shone blue with a silvery shimmer striking off of the clouds. If
one could look down from above, one could believe the Kami had covered the
entire District in small diamonds as the dew drops which lightly coated
every surface gave off a rainbow of colours and precisely sharp points of
light. The small miracles of life were obvious in every shaft of light
that hit the ground with a delightful warmth.
Of course, Ranma wasn't concerned with the mornings beauty, much less what
the deities had to offer.
She sighed wearily as she looked into her small closet. Hanging inside
was a long sleeved blouse, blue jumper, and a matching blue jacket. The
new school uniform her mother bought for her.
Although she had tried to think of someway to avoid it, there was no
getting around the fact that Ranma would have to wear it, probably for the
next few days. She didn't really mind wearing it anymore, after all, she
had two others. It was more that Ranma was uncomfortable with appearing
as a girl anytime she did not absolutely have to.
Or that is what she would have claimed.
If forced to, Ranma would admit to almost becoming comfortable appearing
as a girl. Not because she wanted to be a girl, but because it provided
certain insights and advantages. Something that not many others had the
opportunity to experience or understand.
The insights that were there for her was in that she was beginning to
understand a little bit more about girls. Her female classmates trusted
Ranma enough to start letting her in on some small secrets now and then,
small gossip that seemed to occupy their time. What had really made the
difference to her was that she had experienced some of the thrills as well
as the fears of being a teenage girl.
Enough so that she would always be kinder, better than most men. Enough
so that she would always protect the rights of other women. She was one
of the few men who truly understood how women were treated and the
feelings of helplessness it engendered.
The advantages came in terms of combat.
In battle, her female form provided two advantages. The first being that
her opponents underestimated her and the second being that Ranma could
infiltrate places that others could not go. It made it easier to combat
those who would try and fight her.
This did not help the fact that Ranma's mother would want to help her be a
proper young girl, and that meant lying to Nodoka yet again.
"How do I get into these things?" she said to herself.
It was then that Nodoka came in to check on Ranko.
***
Ukyou sighed.
He lay on his futon, looking at the ceiling, tired and a bit bleary eyed.
Groaning, Ukyou seriously considered staying where he was. In fact, all
he wanted to do was lie on his futon and forget about everything that was
happening.
Unfortunately, he couldn't and had spent the night tossing and turning,
small dreams, almost like nightmares, running through his mind. At times
like this, Ukyou's training was the worst thing possible. The study of
the arts of battle made his mind a very sharp, very advanced battle
computer, running through situations, possibilities and strategies, even
when sleeping.
It had not been a good night for Ukyou.
His mind kept replaying everything that happened the night before.
Placing a hand behind his head, Ukyou concentrated on the one scene that
refused to be left alone, the scene which had caused a thousand different
endings to go through his head over the night - the beautiful young woman
that he saw and his confused feeling about her.
*This is crazy. If I marry Ran-chan is this how we will have to live?
Could we live like that for the rest of our lives?* he wondered as he
pushed aside his quilt, *I want him as my husband, _not_ my wife, so what
are we going to do?*
Stretching a bit, he got up. *If I do end up marrying Ran-chan, I might
have to support us, especially since our families would probably be
visiting a lot during the first few years.* Frowning a little, Ukyou
folded up the quilt and rolled up his futon, placing them against the
wall. *Of course, Ran-chan's father would probably move in with us. Come
to think of it, that would be pretty bad...*
He sighed again as he went into the washroom.
***
Nodoka shook her head as she looked at Ranko. The child hadn't looked up
when she came in but spent the time looking in her closet, lost in
thought. Considering Ranko's usual mode of dress, Nodoka decided that her
daughter was trying to decide what to wear in order to catch and hold onto
her suitor.
Nodoka wondered how much she was going to have to teach Ranko about
catching and keeping a man.
She remembered how it was when she was young, how it still was. If the
young girl in front of her was to catch Ukyou-kun, then Nodoka would have
to teach her all the little tricks, all the things that she would have to
do to catch him. Ranko was going to have to learn how to be a proper
young lady.
"Ranko-chan, it's time to get dressed for school," Nodoka smiled, "let us
see how pretty we can make you for that gentleman who was here last
night."
Ranko looked up suddenly, startled more by the fact that someone could get
close to her than by the fact that her mother was there. The only person
she knew of that could do that on a consistent basis was Tofu Sensei. *Am
I really that bad off? Or is it because I've gotten used to her
presence?* she wondered.
That was when what Nodoka had told her hit.
*Uh-oh...*
***
Kunou Tatewaki was not in a good mood.
Someone new was after one of the girls that he had declared to be his. A
girl that he, a Sempai, a descendant of Samurai, and the best of his
generation had every right to. For someone to flout his authority over
these matters was not to be tolerated.
Of course, Tatewaki still had not realized it was now the twentieth
century.
He also had not realized that most women, even in Asia, would not tolerate
his attitude unless they were thought that their only source of self
confidence came from being owned by a man.
For Tatewaki, he considered himself to be absolute master of everything he
surveyed. Every person, every being except for the gods had to bend to
his will, his whims and fancies. Even then, if he considered himself in
the right, The deities had to give way. He was the best person, one
without peer, one without rival, for he was the ultimate of men.
He was also a conceited pig.
That morning, Tatewaki had arrived at school earlier than usual,
practising harder, longer, and with greater precision that he ever had
before. For one to try to take his woman, the girl of great feminine
beauty and charisma, one who was above all others, was to court death. He
was sure that her namesake, the uncouth Saotome had something to do with
this. The man was a demon who had taken the girls maiden self and now
sent her off to another.
Tatewaki had, of course, bought the pictures that Nabiki had tempted him
with the night before.
*I shall wait for them both. I have already sworn that Saotome will
suffer for his enslaving of women, but this new boy will feel the wrath of
the Blue Thunder. I shall not tolerate any going after the Goddess of my
heart.*
He stood, waiting for the students to arrive, wanting nothing more than to
teach a hard physical lesson to the young man who dared approach Saotome
Ranma.
***
*Why can't things ever be easy around here.* Ukyou thought. *What deities
are dictating the course of our lives that we cannot even be who we really
are?
Ukyou checked himself in the mirror before he left the washroom. Looking
back at him was a young man, handsome, serious, and very much in charge of
himself. If, as the westerners said, a mirror reflects the soul of a
being, then Ukyou was every inch a man.
It did not matter in the least that he was really a woman or that the
person looking back at him was becoming a lie in a way.
"Am I really a woman?" he muttered to himself, "When I look at myself,
when I dress and act as myself, I do not seem to be very feminine."
Shaking his head, he went into the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast.
The number of questions that Ukyou had in his head were confusing, and he
had to wonder who he really was. A woman who loved a very special, very
singular man who radiated goodness and honour? A man who was in love with
another man despite the fact that he could become a woman?
He had never asked himself about this even when he had originally decided
to be a man, or later when he become a woman once more.
Starting the rice cooker, he turned to prepare some Shiro Miso. As he
looked down into the soup, he wondered at what was really happening with
him. Somehow, this was bringing more to the surface than he had
suspected, and admittedly, more than he wanted to acknowledge.
Absentmindedly, he swirled the soup, not even placing it into the
microwave.
It was ten minutes later when he realized that.
***
Akane was smirking at Ranko as they walked to school.
It had been a fun morning, with Ranko coming down the stairs in a sort of
daze while her mother had rushed her into the kitchen. She had laughed to
herself as Nabiki commented on how beautiful Ranko had looked and had
taken some pictures to remember, "The first time Ranko has been herself."
The sudden expression on Ranko's face had been so hilarious that Akane had
almost choked on her soup.
It was also very easy to get her out of the house that morning.
"Why are the two of you doing this Akane?", Ranma grumbled as she walked
on the ground, not being able to travel on the fence as she usually did,
"This is crazy!"
"Look Ranko', Ukyou has a bit of a problem, and this will help both of
you."
"Yeah? How's that? You going to let Ukyou marry me?"
Akane, without warning, hit Ranma hard over her head with her school bag
shouting, "RANMA NO BAKA!!!"
***
Kasumi came out of the kitchen with two finely lacquered bento boxes in
her hand. "Has Ranko left already?" she asked everyone still at the
table.
Nodoka looked up at Kasumi and saw the lunch boxes. They were the two
that she had helped Ranko to prepare. She sighed to herself. The girl
had forgotten the bento and that meant that not only would she not have
her own lunch, but that she would miss an opportunity to entice the
delightful young man that was here last night.
"She left already, but I will take them to her. I would like to meet her
teachers."
The panda, which was sitting out on the porch, started to sweat visibly...
***
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou arrived as group to the school.
Ukyou had run into them on the way, and had explained what was happening
to Ranma. He was surprised when Ranma actually listened to what he had to
say. Ukyou had expected her to be angry and screaming at the two of them.
Ranma was actually to stunned to react.
As they got in, Tatewaki stepped into their way.
***
Nodoka was just about to come around the corner when she heard Ranma's
name being called out. Suddenly, her heart burst with hope as she ran,
looking for her son, the person that she wanted, needed, to see. She was
startled to see a tall man, standing in front of Ukyou-kun and looking at
Ranko with longing.
As she looked on, it was obvious that Ranko wanted to get into the fight,
wanted to pound on the young man that was getting into an attack stance.
Nodoka was startled as she realized that Ranko had more than one suitor,
and that one of those suitors was not to the girls liking. It was then
she heard something that almost caused her a heart attack.
"No one approaches My pig-tailed goddess. I shall vanquish you as I shall
vanquish all who choose to go after the fair Ranma-chan. None shall dare
to touch her while I, Kunou Tatewaki, The Blue Thunder, exist to defend
such fair beauty!"
Ranko/Ranma looked ready to kill.
Akane's face had a look of utter frustration on it.
Ukyou slowly took his main weapon of his back and prepared several
spatula. This was a battle he could not lose. As he prepared himself for
the upcoming assault, he reflected that the idiot in front of him gave him
the opportunity to release his frustrations.
Kunou was in for a fight he would not soon forget.
Ukyou silently pondered why he was suddenly willing to fight Kunou. He
had never been very violent, in fact, he had only attacked when someone
decided to try and attack Ranma or capture his heart. This time however
was different. Not because of Kunou and his boasting, not even because of
the challenge, but because he had to prove something to himself. Ukyou
needed to prove to himself that he could take care of Ranma no matter what
form he...SHE may eventually be stuck in.
Kunou came in suddenly with an overhand blow going from right to left, the
end of his bokken having a slightly wavering motion.
Ukyou countered the blow easily, although the force set his hands ringing.
Quickly, he grabbed two of the spatula on his chest and threw them at
Kunou's feet. As expected, he leaped into the air and that was when Ukyou
hit him in the face with the flat of the blade.
Kunou was slightly stunned and was quickly finished with a speedy hook
kick to the side of his face near the ear.
Ukyou looked down at his opponent as Ranma came up next to him. He was
exilerated, having enjoyed the exercise and somehow glad that Ran-chan had
seen his prowess. He narrowed his eyes a moment in puzzlement over why he
should feel that way.
It was that moment that Ukyou, Ranma, and Akane heard a familiar voice,
and that voice held a question that filled all three of them with a sudden
fear...
"Why did that young man call you Ranma, Ranko?"
GLOSSARY
Ichiban Dashi
Ingredients:
2.5 quarts of cold water
3 inch square kombu
1 cup pre-flaked katsuobushi
optional: Roasted Kombu
How to prepare:
Bring water to a boil in a six quart pot. Drop in Kombu, and bring to a
boil. Remove Kombu and set aside for use in Niban Dashi. Stir in
Katsuobushi and turn off the heat. Let rest until Katsuobushi rest on the
bottom of the pot. Skim off any surface scum. Place some cheesecloth on
a bowl and pour soup through it. Reserve Katsuobushi for use in Niban
Dashi. The stock last about 8 hours at room temperature or can last for
two days in the refrigerator.
Niban Dashi
Ingredients:
Kombu reserved from Ichiban Dashi
Katsuobushi reserved from Ichiban Dashi
5 cups of cold water
1/4 cup pre-flaked katsuobushi
How to prepare:
Combine ingredients reserved from Ichiban Dashi with water. Bring to a
boil and add fresh katsuobushi. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five
minutes. Skim off any surface scum. Place some cheesecloth on a bowl and
pour soup through it. The stock last about 8 hours at room temperature or
can last for two days in the refrigerator.
Sumashi
Ingredients:
6 cups Ichiban Dashi
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon Shoyu
1 teaspoon Sake
1 pinch of msg
Optional: Fresh green onions
How to prepare:
Bring Ichiban Dashi to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce heat to low and
stir in salt, shoyu, sake, and msg. Stir until well mixed and remove from
heat.
Shiro Miso
6 cups Ichiban Dashi
1 1/2 cups of Shiro Miso (white soybean paste)
1 pinch of msg
2 cakes of cotton tofu finely chopped into small, even cubes
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 ounce of Wakame
How to prepare:
slowly push the miso through a sieve and then bring to a boil in the
Ichiban Dashi. Turn down to a simmer and add the MSG. Place the tofu
cubes, some green onions, and a bit of the softened Wakame into the bowls
and top with the warm soup.
This can all be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator to
microwave when you want. It last about four to five days before you have
to cook more.
QUESTIONS
1) You said that Akane did not find the fact that a _female_ Ranma was to
marry one of the Tendo girls. Are you implying that Akane is a lesbian?
No, I had not meant to imply that at all. Remember, Akane is a martial
artist, born to a martial artist. Her family would want that line of
martial arts to continue. Ranma was said to be a young man, and a martial
artist trained by another martial artist whom Soun knew to be as good as
himself. The amount of skill was what mattered to her at that point
instead of what sex Ranma was.
2) Why are you referring to Ukyou as he? Isn't Ukyou a girl?
Yes, Ukyou is a girl, but I am referring to her as he because this story
is taken from a different point of view. Basically, I am examining the
reasons behind Ukyou's acceptance of a new sex. She is the most flexible
of all the young people in the Ranma series and some people that I talked
to really did not understand her background.
There is also the fact that they really do not understand some of the
things that go on with her in the series. All I am trying to do is to
show how such a decision can affect a person later in their life.
3) You mention a coming of age ceremony. What is that?
The coming of age ceremony is just that. A ceremony that is held to show
that the young people are now ready to take their place as responsible
adults in Japanese society. It is a day of celebration as you share it
with your friends who are also going through the ceremony.
4) In the letter, you mention Ukyou having to go to see Temple Priests.
Why is that?
Fromthe Manga, Ukyou, as do most people in Japan, practices the Shinto
religion. Old family lines tend to have ceremonies that are tied into
certain inheritances. These are not money, properties, or other ordinary
objects, but something that must be passed on in safe keeping through the
family line. From what I have seen in the Manga, as well as certain other
things that happened, I am assuming that her family is one of those old
lines. There are other reasons, but I do not plan to elaborate on them in
this fiction.
5) Why do you have Nodoka thinking about Ranko as her daughter?
Before recent events, Nodoka, consciously or unconsciously thought about
her in that manner. Taking her to buy clothing, being there for her to
talk to, and trying to make her feel better. There are several things
that Nodoka has done that only a mother, or a very close older female
relative, and daughter do.
6) You seem to know a lot about Martial Arts. What do you study, and
where can I go to learn.
I do not know very much about Martial Arts. As a matter of fact, there is
more that I do not know than I know. Of course, I read, study, and
practice a lot, as does anyone else who is serious about the arts.
As for what I study, the art is known as Bujutsu. It is a study of all
the martial arts in terms of use in a real battle instead of a sport. The
sport form of this art is known as Budo. As to where you can learn, the
best thing is to check with the certified sports federation in your city.
They can provide information on places that do teach the arts and teach
them correctly. Since the growth of the arts in the movie business, there
have been several places that have opened up which advertise things that
they do not provide or actually teach things properly. I myself have seen
ads for things such as a Ninja School.
Be cautious about what you do and always trust information received form
many sources. Do not be influenced by fancy television ads, or flyers
that show things being done. Get the facts of the schools in your area
and interview the teacher. If you know someone who does have martial arts
experience, take them with you.
Above all, understand that martial arts, the true arts, require
dedication. For instance, I practice at least two to four hours a day
just to stay in shape. It is not an art to be taken lightly.
7) Aren't kimonos worn at festivals only? It is an old mode of dress.
It may be an old mode of dress, but what does that have to do with it?
Kimonos can be worn at any time. While you do not see it much today,
there are many people who prefer it. I myself waver between a kimono and
obi or work clothes. I find wearing a kimono much more comfortable than
some of the modern clothes.
8) Why would Ukyou react the way she did when Akane said she thought that
Ukyou got rid of her suits?
This is because Japan has few natural resources. Everything that can be
recycled, is recycled. We learned this lesson a long time ago.
9) Is a panda really an exotic pet?
Yes. They are an endangered species.
10) According to the fifth chapter, Ukyou and Ranma seem to be able to act
as the opposite sex. Why do you write as though that is normal?
According to an old maxim, "Only a male can be the perfect female; only a
female can be the perfect male." This is because they must depend totally
on learned actions, not on natural actions. At least this is what is
thought in the theatre.
Authors Note:
A lot of people liked the question and answer section and sent me a set of
questions. I will continue to answer them and appreciate being asked.
The only thing is that I feel I am undeserving of any compliments. Having
the work posted for people to read is already a big ego boast.
As for some of the recipes, I had nothing else to really put in the
glossary this time as pertains to the story. Any ways, I will explain
bento and provide a few recipes for it in the next chapter installment. I
hope people enjoy them.
Oh, and one more thing. I would prefer that for the best fan fictions of
the year, you vote for the good writers, such as Twister and his
Twisted-Path series, or Bert Van Vliet and his Bubblegum Zone series.
There are a lot of good writers out there, I just wish I was as good as
them.
For my own choices, the best stories are:
Twisted-Path Three and Twisted-Path Four
Bubblegum Zone one and Bubblegum Zone Seven
Akane
and
Nightshadow
Those are my choices.
As always, I want to thank my pre-readers as well as all the people on
the Fan Fiction Mailing List.
Especialy one very special person.
Until next chapter. ^_^
Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi_I...@MBnet.mb.ca