Ranma Saotome sat on the roof of the Tendo home contemplating his life. He was involved in several engagements he had little to no say in, had several admirers; rivals; and challengers after him, had a curse that turned him into a girl with water, and had a father who felt hiding from his mother was the proper thing to do. Overall, Ranma’s life was far from ordinary. He was sick and tired of everything that went on around him. The last straw was the strange wedding ceremony he and Akane were put through. Ranma was glad the ceremony never happened but it still left him with issues of trust between quite a few people. Nabiki happened to be one of those people with the way she sold information about the wedding and the cask of Nannichuan to people like Kuno, Mousse, and Shampoo. Even his own father was not trusted now because of his reactions to the cask and the melee that started at the wedding. The one bright spot in the entire situation was Akane’s father announcing that Ranma and Akane did not have to get married before they were ready to do so. Ranma had to admit despite all the problems he and Akane encountered, he still stood by what he told her in the Jusendo caves. Yet at the same time, Ranma wished his life and Akane’s could be different. Ranma wanted to be free of everything and everyone who was involved in that sordid little incident the week before, save for Akane.
Looking up at the starry sky Ranma spotted a shooting star dancing across the sky. Recalling an old tale his mother used to tell him as a young child Ranma closed his eyes and made his wish, “I wish Akane and me could live better lives away from all of the problems being a Saotome and having this stupid curse bring me.”
Opening his eyes once more, Ranma let out a sigh and headed for bed. What he did not know was that his wish was going to be fulfilled and that he and Akane would each awake in the morning to new lives. Where those lives would be lived, was a mystery that would be solved the moment they woke in the morning.
Earth Kingdom, Gaoling, Bei Fong Estate
The snores that came from the room were typical of that time of the day. The sun had broken through the windows of the estate waking the guards and staff an hour ago but he remained asleep. As the snoring continued, the door to the room of the young man in the elaborate bed opened revealing a tiny figure dressed in a matching butter yellow silk bed outfit. The bare feet of the child no older than twelve silently and carefully made their way to the side of the large bed. The child, not even looking in the direction of the figure on the bed, tapped the young man several times trying to get him to wake up for the day.
“Come on wake up before dad sends the head of the household staff to wake you up with his gong again,” the taps had now turned into two delicate hands shaking the still sleeping figure.
The attempts to awaken the figure resulted in loud snores and the figure turning in his sleep signaling an unwillingness to get up for the day. A small smile danced its way across the face of the tiny figure as the bare feet steeped back several feet. With a raise of the foot the figure caused a large piece of the marble floor to pop out of the ground and proceed to lift the mattress into the air long enough to gain the attention of sleeping young man.
“Geeze Toph ya didn’t have to go and wake me up that way,” complaints continued in the form of small grumbles over the young girl’s method of waking him up as the young man rubbed his head in slight pain.
“I tried to get you up like any normal person would but you kept snoring way too loud,” Toph’s explanation was met by a loud yawn while the young man scratched his braided pigtailed head.
“Some sister you are,” came a mumbled reply.
Toph heard every word of her brother’s complaint “Is that any way to thank me for saving your hide again today? Don’t forget Ranma you’re helping me get to the Rumble this evening. If dad found out he’d have my hide.” Toph then left her brother’s room to get ready for the day. There were lessons to be had that morning with a private and well-paid tutor and an Earthbending competition later that afternoon. Ranma was amazed at everything his little sister had accomplished despite her handicap. Toph was blind for as long as he could remember and for one reason or another his parents kept her a secret from the rest of the world. Maybe they were ashamed of her or maybe they were ashamed of what other people might think. Lao Bei Fong and his wife treated their blind daughter as though she were helpless and could not do a thing for herself. Ranma, on the other hand, saw great potential in Toph and believed Master Yu had been holding his sister back for the last six years of her Earthbending lessons. The basic forms were all Toph learned from Yu and yet she mastered them by the time she was seven.
Although Ranma was the older of the two Bei Fong children, he did not dress as though he were a member of the wealthy family. Instead, Ranma opted for a simple green tunic and matching pants with a brown belt and shoes. Even his hair was different from that of his father and the other men of Gaoling. While they held some of their hair up in a bun, Ranma chose to keep his in a braided pigtail. Lao would make excuses with anyone who would inquire about his son saying it was only experimentation on Ranma’s part. Despite all his attempts to get Ranma to dress like a proper Bei Fong man, Lao was forced to resign himself to the fact that Ranma insisted on forging his own path in the world.
“Young master your father has requested you join the family for breakfast,” Ranma heard through the wooden doors.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Ranma called back.
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(Posted Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:45)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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