Max-chan
29th December 2002, 11:25 PM
Sides Of The Palace
Prologue, History Of Hatred
Author's Notes: Okay, this is not even in the 'maybe' section. I am
making a full page for this story, it is so stuck in my mind and I
have a feeling it won't be leaving anytime soon. Okay, this is going
to take on a much, much more serious note with angst then my other
stories. It's Alternate Universe (I think that's what you call it) and
I guess you could say that it's 'almost' like The Royal Servant, but
it's not. It's a whole different, serious story by itself. At first it
may not seem all that angsty, but believe me, it will be. Just to set
the record straight though, all in all I like Shampoo...I just don't
like her with Ranma so in this story you might see some Shampoo
bashing *even though* I do like the spunky purple-haired Amazon. And I
believe Shampoo's character is better then how I describe her in this
story, it's just that for the sake of the story...it won't be. Now
without further ado (did I spell ado right?), my story...Oh yeah, in
this story King and Emperor mean the same thing. (It helps serve my
purpose)
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Jurai came from
Tenchi Muyo but I just love that name so much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, I guess this is...good-bye?" he asked her awkwardly.
"Let's just call this...smell-ya-later," she smiled back.
{-Nelson Muntz and Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a time of turmoil and change for our land. A time when the
things that we all knew and expected to know was altered. A time when
our own tradition and beliefs were shaken and questioned by our very
selves.
It was a time when a child with no royal blood became a Ruler.
It was a time when a King's illegitimate daughter rocked the
foundations of life.
It was a time when one of our greatest Emperors' went missing.
It was a time when a girl lost the boy that she loved...
Yes, it was a time of disbelief for our country...but do not take my
word for it...hear it yourself...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is the tradition of the country of Jurai to allow it's King and the
males of the country to have as many wives or concubines as they find
fit. The Royals' first wife however was chosen by their parents and so
was the King's. When the Enperor of Jurai was 18, he was forced by his
parents to marry a Princess from a near-by Kingdom...the Princess,
named Kimiko, loved the 18-year old Emperor very much...but he was
youthful and he did not love her. She gave him no children and on
those grounds, the Emperor married another wife when he turned the age
of 20. This girl was a beautiful, purple-haired Amazon Princess named
Washu.
And so the Palace was separated into two sections...the East and West
side. The first wife Kimiko lived in the West side and in the East
side resided the second Queen Washu. The differences in the wives
shown in the differences of the gardens. Washu was an exotic,
violet-eyed, purple-haired Amazon with a body that could kill and so
her garden grew to be illustrious and beautiful and everything that
she was. Kimiko was a plain and simple girl with thick long brown hair
and large champagne brown eyes so her garden was a simple dirt yard
with no designs or flowers and just rocks...many, many rocks.
The King spent all of his time in the East Garden but the first Queen
got pregnant around the same time as the second Queen. Nine months
later on the exact same day, Washu gave birth to a healthy baby boy
while Kimiko gave birth to a whining, crying pale baby girl. That
sealed her fate. The King never set eyes on the first Queen or her
daughter or entered the West Garden again.
The Queen Washu named her son Mu Tsu, or Mousse, and Mousse
unofficially became the next in line for the throne. Kimiko loved her
baby daughter to pieces even though the baby girl doomed her forever
and she named the darling Princess Urlasea.
Everyone in the Kingdom and country knew the difference in which the
Princess Urlasea and the Crown Prince Mousse was treated. The Emperor
would visit his son everyday and dress him in finery. Mousse slept in
a golden crib and wore the best silk and was watched over by 100
nurses. Urlasea slept in a specially designed wooden crib and wore
good silks while she was cared over for her mother.
The next year, Washu and Kimiko were pregnant again.
Many speculated on Kimiko's pregnancy since it seemed as though the
Emperor hasn't visited her for many years. This time Washu gave birth
to a magnificently beautiful daughter with her exotic purple-hair and
violet eyes. The Kingdom rejoiced over the 'Perfect Princess' but then
2 hours later...Kimiko gave birth to a baby boy.
A mentally challenged baby boy named Joni.
If anyone had any question about who was to be the future King...they
didn't have it now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet, let's go back from this tragic scene...let's go back to the day
that Washu gave birth to her Crown Prince and Kimiko gave birth to her
drab Princess. Now, on this very day...in a village town called
Nerima...two best friends were giving birth also...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Soun! You bastard! I'm going to chop
you up and put you in my special stew when I'm through! You did this
to me!" a very shrill female voice shouted out from the bedroom.
20-year old Tendo Soun looked up from his Go board game to stare
nervously at the wooden bedroom doorway that he himself had made a
couple months ago when he married his beautiful black-haired,
brown-eyed wife.
"Do you think I should be in there with her?" the young man asked his
long-time friend and ally in crime.
Genma Saotome just laughed and handed his best friend a cup of sake,
"Here, drink this. Don't worry about it, old friend. It'll past...you
just wait and see-"
Suddenly a scream erupted from the house next door, "Genma! You
dirtbag! I'm going to gut you out with my katana and feed you to the
fish in Nami's pond!" Genma winced and stared worriedly at his
doorway.
"Don't worry about it, Saotome," Soun laughed as he handed him a cup
of sake, "The fish in my wife's pond don't like to eat worried
soon-to-be fathers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two best friends sat beside each other, tired out but smiling
contently, two babies in their arms. Nodoka and Nami had been raised
side-by-side and were the best of friends. Nodoka was a quiet, recluse
dark red-haired girl whose family was very strict and traditional so
the kids picked on her. Nami was a dark, black-haired girl that was
exceptionally beautiful for a village girl. She was sort of a tomboy
even though she wore dresses and was very feminine in all her
activities. When they met, Nodoka was being picked on by some village
kids and the ever popular, extraordinary Nami came by and told them to
leave her alone.
Ever since then, Nami and Nodoka has been the closest of friends.
They even got married on the same day and had kids on the same
day...as though somebody had already pre-ordained it. Nodoka had made
her husband carry her over next to Nami so that they could be next to
each other when their first child was born. One minute after Nodoka
gave birth to her healthy baby boy, Nami's daughter came into the
world.
Now, the two women and best friends laid beside each other, two
wonderful babies in their arms.
"She's beautiful," Nodoka whispered to Nami.
"He's beautiful," Nami smiled back at Nodoka.
Suddenly, two ecstatic fathers entered the room and sat next to their
wives as they took their children from them.
"What'll be her name?" Soun asked as he stared lovingly at the
wrinkled, wrapped up baby girl.
"Akane. Akane Tendo," Nami said and Nodoka burst out laughing.
######Flashback######
"What's your name?" the quiet girl asked the one that had just saved
her from a beating.
"The name's Nami," the smaller girl answered disgustingly.
"Don't you like your name?" Nodoka questioned Nami quizzically.
"It's okay," the other replied, "but I'd rather have a more exotic
name. One fit for an adventurer or a Queen. Scarlett! Redd! Akane!..."
#########End of Flashback######
"Isn't Akane a little too exotic? Shouldn't we name her something
more...more..." Soun protested but Nodoka cut him off, "I think
Akane's a wonderful name." Well, Soun was too happy at that moment to
put up a fight.
"And what is my manly son's name?" Genma asked gruffly trying to hide
the fact of how joyful he was inside. After all, manly men don't show
their emotions.
"Ranma Saotome," Nodoka replied and they all agreed that was a good
manly name just so Genma would shut up about how manly his tiny baby
son was.
Nami and Nodoka took their children back and leaned in closer so that
the two babies heads' were next to each other.
"Ranma..." Nodoka said smiling down at her son.
"Akane..." Nami whispered, tearing up at the sight of her daughter.
"Meet your fiancee," they both said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6 years later)
"Mousse! Mousse! Throw it over here!" the little Princess yelled.
Shampoo was magnificently beautiful, even more so then her mother at
the young age of five. With long purple hair and large violet eyes,
she fit the role of the country's 'Perfect Princess'.
The little 6-year old Crown Prince with long black hair and deep
black-brown eyes laughed as he threw the rare, one-of-a-kind Ancient
Zhu Dynasty priceless vase over to his sister.
Suddenly, the King's voice could be heard outside of the doorway and
Shampoo dropped the priceless vase, it's pieces shattering into the
floor. Mousse and his baby sister stared in wide-eyed horror as the
Emperor entered the room followed by his row of advisors and servants.
Looking at his broken vase, the Emperor turned thunderous eyes to the
two children, "Who did this?!"
"Um...daddy, i-it...w-was that retard Joni," Mousse stuttered and
Shampoo joined in, "Yeah. We saw him play in here and we told him he
wasn't supposed to but he just laughed at us and broke your vase.
Punish him, daddy." The King's eyes narrowed. He knew it couldn't be
his two favorite children. It had to be that Joni.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...and then you throw the ball like this-" Urlasea stopped in
mid-sentence and instinctively moved closer to her laughing brother.
Her father was at the head of the group of guards and she knew that he
was very angry for some reason.
When they were upon the two children, the Emperor ordered the guards
to take Joni and hold him down to give him 50 hits by the wooden
sticks. At first the guards hesitated, even the most horrible of
persons only got 20 hits and they were adults that screamed in agony
throughout it all. This was a 5-year-old child they were about to hit.
But the King's sharp demand of 'Now!' left them no choice.
Urlasea watched as the first long stick whipped through the air so
sharp that it whistled before coming down to land on her brother. Joni
screamed out in pain as blood rushed through the part that he was hit.
The little brown-haired Princess screamed as she cried and latched
onto her father's arm screaming, "Daddy! Please! Please! Stop! You're
killing him!" But the Emperor just shot a contempt-filled look at the
pathetic little girl before flinging her away from him.
Urlasea cried and ran towards her brother to shield him from the hits.
Even the tough guards closed their eyes as they regretfully slapped
the sticks down on the screaming girl who loved her brother so. After
5 hits, the Emperor saw that Joni wasn't getting hit anymore so he
told the guards to pull and hold Urlasea away. Urlasea screamed and
cried and begged as she watched in horror at her brother's pain. The
little 5-year-old boy was bleeding all over and barely conscious after
the 25th hit. By the time the last hit was over, Joni was bearly
alive.
With a regal sweep of his Royal Head, the Emperor led his guards away.
The West Garden Princess scopped her brother up in her arms, not
minding the cuts she hearself had and with a cry she heaved him up in
her tiny arms and ran to the Palace medic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What do you mean you can't treat him?" Kimiko screamed at the 60-year
old something doctor who just shook his head in pity.
"His Royal Highness has made it a command that nobody treat the young
Prince. If I wish to keep my head on my shoulders I can not do
anything unless the King retract his order and at this moment his
Highness is at a party in the East Garden," the old doctor said.
Nobody noticed that the little Princess left her brother's side and
ran out into the yard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let me in! Please! I need to see him! Just tell him that his son is
dying and needs his royal command to live! Please!" she cried and the
King's servant had to give the little child his respect for her
courage.
"I told you already, Princess. The King said he only has one son and
that son is inside the party with him at that moment. He said he does
not care what happens to the little boy Joni and that he would punish
you if you deserve his party and fun once again."
"Then tell him I shall not leave this doorstep until he agrees to let
the doctor treat his son!" Urlasea cried and kneeled down at the foot
of the door, her head held high.
"If you will not do that then at least move back," the servant said
and Urlasea shot him a glare as she moved back till she was out in the
garden, a few feet from the doorstep.
"Tell him!" the Princess screamed again and the servant just shook his
head as he thought to himself, *He doesn't care, Princess. When will
you understand that? The King doesn't care about you or your stupid
brother no matter how much you beg*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is she still out there, daddy?" Shampoo asked from her father's lap
as she ate a mouthful of expensive fruit.
Looking out the window at the kneeling girl, the Emperor laughed,
"Yeah, she is."
"Stupid girl, it's already been 4 hours," Mousse laughed and everyone
else at the party laughed also because Mousse was the Crown Prince and
whatever the Crown Prince said was hilarious if he wanted it to be.
Yet, everybody else at the party looked outside at the kneeling
Princess and all of their hearts opened up to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seemed that whoever was upstairs didn't like Urlasea for it started
to rain...no, make that pour. It was raining cold hard ice and
sharp-edged raindrops that ripped at Urlasea's cheeks and skin and
clothes, making it bleed...but never once did she move from her spot.
Over the hours, as the guests left they went over to the little girl
and told her to get up...that she wouldn't survive...but she wouldn't
and she would tell all of them, "Joni needs me. If I won't protect
him, nobody will." They all loved her a little more for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, the King left the East Palace and stared in surprise
at the little girl still kneeling there.
"You're still here?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes your highness," she replied stiffly and it seemed as though the
little girl had aged 40 years in one night. Not daddy, not
father...your highness...
"Fine then, tell the doctor that I give the command for him to help
your brother," he said distractedly. Not 'my son'...'your brother'...
"Thank you, your highness," Urlasea replied before using the last bit
of her strength to stand up and run to the medic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ranma Saotome, you give me back my necklace this instant!" the little
village girl yelled. The girl's face was covered with dirt and so were
her old clothes.
The little boy stuck his tongue out at her, "Nyah! Nyah! Come and get
it, tomboy! Maybe if you weren't so-ahhhhhhh!" Ranma ran as the 6-year
old girl chased after him, a mallet in her hand.
"Shame, shame, shame, my manly boy is being chased by a little girl,"
Genma said as he shook his head in shame.
"Cheer up, Saotome," Soun laughed, "Ranma needs a woman that can
control him. Goodness knows Nodoka can't." For that, he got a slap in
the arm from Ranma's mother.
"Well, look on the bright side, Genma. Akane's the only girl that
Ranma pays attention to and runs from," Nami laughed and Nodoka
scowled at her friend.
"Hmph! Nami! My poor son tries so hard just to get Akane to notice
him. He's even willing to get hit just for that. I remember one
time..."
#####Flashback#####
"Oh, Ranma, how in the world did you get these bruises?" Nodoka
exclaimed as she bandaged her poor son up.
"Akane did it!" the boy with his two front teeth missing grinned.
"What? You mean, Nami's daughter?" Nodoka asked in horror.
"Yup," the little boy grinned happily at his mother.
Now Nodoka was really confused, "But Ranma! Why do you provoke her so
much? She tries so hard to be sweet and good-natured and you always
provoke her until she can think of nothing but beating you up."
"Because that's the only way she'll notice me," Ranma whispered sadly.
"What?"
The pig-tailed boy sighed, "Mom, listen. Don't ever tell Akane or
anybody this 'cause I'll deny it...but Akane...she's...she's really
pretty. She has that going for her. And if I let her be all feminine
*and* beautiful, she'll go to the village and she'll forget all about
me because she'll have other friends. I don't want that. I...I...don't
tell anyone because it's a secret...but I...I like Akane. A lot. She's
not like other girls...and she's one of those rare one of a kind
treasures the storyteller tells us about. And I found her first so I'm
not letting anyone have a chance to steal my treasure. Plus anyone can
be nice to her...she needs someone who can make her mad. And I can do
that."
########End of Flashback########
"That's so sweet," Nami sighed as she smiled at the laughing, cute
pig-tailed boy dodging the attacks of her own daughter.
"Hmph! See what you're daughter has done, Soun? She's made my son into
a lovesick puppy!" Genma growled and a round of laughter was followed
by his words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What you doin', tomboy?" Akane jumped in surprise from her position
under the oak tree, surrounded by a field of dandelions.
Looking up she scowled at the upside down boy hanging from the tree
limb, "Ranma! I'm trying to knit a flower design on this cloth. Now,
leave me alone, I'm busy."
"That's supposed to be a flower?" he asked jumping down so that he sat
next to her and snatched her cloth, "Look's more like a turtle to me.
Or an elephant."
"Ranma!" Akane cried as she snatched the cloth away from him and
smoothed it over her dress, "Go away, I'm busy."
"Why you tryin' to be feminine, Akane? You're a tomboy and you're
always going to be a tomboy," the 6-year old boy wrinkled his nose in
a cute fashion.
"Mommy said that if I want to make a good wife for some lucky
gentlemen one day, I have to practice this," she replied primly and
Ranma just replied innocently, "You don't have to do that, Akane. My
wife doesn't have to know how to do all that lady stuff."
"Who said I was going to marry you, Ranma?" Akane countered and the
little boy's eyes darkened as he scowled, "We're fiancees. My mom told
me so. You're not allowed to marry anybody but me."
Secretly, the little girl thought that being married to her best
friend would be fun. She didn't want to marry some stranger no matter
how cute he may be. She liked Ranma and wanted to spend the rest of
her life playing with him. Of course, she would never tell him that.
"Oh yeah? Well, *my* mom said I can marry anybody I want. That I'm not
a noble's daughter and a village girl so I get to decide who I want to
marry," she replied just to make him mad. Ranma always annoyed her
with his stupid pranks and any chance she got to annoy him back, Akane
always took.
"Well, nobody will want to marry you anyway," Ranma mumbled and Akane
turned angry eyes to his, "And why is that? Because I'm too much of a
tomboy?"
"No," he laughed and their was a twinkle in his little boy eyes now,
"Because they'll be too afraid I'll beat them up if they do!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, like I said, it was a time of change for our land. A time of
turmoil and doubts... but for now...we'll leave these children
be...for they are the ones that shall rock our country's history. The
pain they will have to endure...the suffering they will have to
overcome...but in the end they shall make it...for they all hold a
core of strength that their parents never had...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A look into the future: "I'm sorry, Icki. I'm so sorry. All I wanted
was for someone to love me. I didn't think it would go this far."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: E-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue, History Of Hatred
Author's Notes: Okay, this is not even in the 'maybe' section. I am
making a full page for this story, it is so stuck in my mind and I
have a feeling it won't be leaving anytime soon. Okay, this is going
to take on a much, much more serious note with angst then my other
stories. It's Alternate Universe (I think that's what you call it) and
I guess you could say that it's 'almost' like The Royal Servant, but
it's not. It's a whole different, serious story by itself. At first it
may not seem all that angsty, but believe me, it will be. Just to set
the record straight though, all in all I like Shampoo...I just don't
like her with Ranma so in this story you might see some Shampoo
bashing *even though* I do like the spunky purple-haired Amazon. And I
believe Shampoo's character is better then how I describe her in this
story, it's just that for the sake of the story...it won't be. Now
without further ado (did I spell ado right?), my story...Oh yeah, in
this story King and Emperor mean the same thing. (It helps serve my
purpose)
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Jurai came from
Tenchi Muyo but I just love that name so much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, I guess this is...good-bye?" he asked her awkwardly.
"Let's just call this...smell-ya-later," she smiled back.
{-Nelson Muntz and Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a time of turmoil and change for our land. A time when the
things that we all knew and expected to know was altered. A time when
our own tradition and beliefs were shaken and questioned by our very
selves.
It was a time when a child with no royal blood became a Ruler.
It was a time when a King's illegitimate daughter rocked the
foundations of life.
It was a time when one of our greatest Emperors' went missing.
It was a time when a girl lost the boy that she loved...
Yes, it was a time of disbelief for our country...but do not take my
word for it...hear it yourself...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is the tradition of the country of Jurai to allow it's King and the
males of the country to have as many wives or concubines as they find
fit. The Royals' first wife however was chosen by their parents and so
was the King's. When the Enperor of Jurai was 18, he was forced by his
parents to marry a Princess from a near-by Kingdom...the Princess,
named Kimiko, loved the 18-year old Emperor very much...but he was
youthful and he did not love her. She gave him no children and on
those grounds, the Emperor married another wife when he turned the age
of 20. This girl was a beautiful, purple-haired Amazon Princess named
Washu.
And so the Palace was separated into two sections...the East and West
side. The first wife Kimiko lived in the West side and in the East
side resided the second Queen Washu. The differences in the wives
shown in the differences of the gardens. Washu was an exotic,
violet-eyed, purple-haired Amazon with a body that could kill and so
her garden grew to be illustrious and beautiful and everything that
she was. Kimiko was a plain and simple girl with thick long brown hair
and large champagne brown eyes so her garden was a simple dirt yard
with no designs or flowers and just rocks...many, many rocks.
The King spent all of his time in the East Garden but the first Queen
got pregnant around the same time as the second Queen. Nine months
later on the exact same day, Washu gave birth to a healthy baby boy
while Kimiko gave birth to a whining, crying pale baby girl. That
sealed her fate. The King never set eyes on the first Queen or her
daughter or entered the West Garden again.
The Queen Washu named her son Mu Tsu, or Mousse, and Mousse
unofficially became the next in line for the throne. Kimiko loved her
baby daughter to pieces even though the baby girl doomed her forever
and she named the darling Princess Urlasea.
Everyone in the Kingdom and country knew the difference in which the
Princess Urlasea and the Crown Prince Mousse was treated. The Emperor
would visit his son everyday and dress him in finery. Mousse slept in
a golden crib and wore the best silk and was watched over by 100
nurses. Urlasea slept in a specially designed wooden crib and wore
good silks while she was cared over for her mother.
The next year, Washu and Kimiko were pregnant again.
Many speculated on Kimiko's pregnancy since it seemed as though the
Emperor hasn't visited her for many years. This time Washu gave birth
to a magnificently beautiful daughter with her exotic purple-hair and
violet eyes. The Kingdom rejoiced over the 'Perfect Princess' but then
2 hours later...Kimiko gave birth to a baby boy.
A mentally challenged baby boy named Joni.
If anyone had any question about who was to be the future King...they
didn't have it now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet, let's go back from this tragic scene...let's go back to the day
that Washu gave birth to her Crown Prince and Kimiko gave birth to her
drab Princess. Now, on this very day...in a village town called
Nerima...two best friends were giving birth also...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Soun! You bastard! I'm going to chop
you up and put you in my special stew when I'm through! You did this
to me!" a very shrill female voice shouted out from the bedroom.
20-year old Tendo Soun looked up from his Go board game to stare
nervously at the wooden bedroom doorway that he himself had made a
couple months ago when he married his beautiful black-haired,
brown-eyed wife.
"Do you think I should be in there with her?" the young man asked his
long-time friend and ally in crime.
Genma Saotome just laughed and handed his best friend a cup of sake,
"Here, drink this. Don't worry about it, old friend. It'll past...you
just wait and see-"
Suddenly a scream erupted from the house next door, "Genma! You
dirtbag! I'm going to gut you out with my katana and feed you to the
fish in Nami's pond!" Genma winced and stared worriedly at his
doorway.
"Don't worry about it, Saotome," Soun laughed as he handed him a cup
of sake, "The fish in my wife's pond don't like to eat worried
soon-to-be fathers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two best friends sat beside each other, tired out but smiling
contently, two babies in their arms. Nodoka and Nami had been raised
side-by-side and were the best of friends. Nodoka was a quiet, recluse
dark red-haired girl whose family was very strict and traditional so
the kids picked on her. Nami was a dark, black-haired girl that was
exceptionally beautiful for a village girl. She was sort of a tomboy
even though she wore dresses and was very feminine in all her
activities. When they met, Nodoka was being picked on by some village
kids and the ever popular, extraordinary Nami came by and told them to
leave her alone.
Ever since then, Nami and Nodoka has been the closest of friends.
They even got married on the same day and had kids on the same
day...as though somebody had already pre-ordained it. Nodoka had made
her husband carry her over next to Nami so that they could be next to
each other when their first child was born. One minute after Nodoka
gave birth to her healthy baby boy, Nami's daughter came into the
world.
Now, the two women and best friends laid beside each other, two
wonderful babies in their arms.
"She's beautiful," Nodoka whispered to Nami.
"He's beautiful," Nami smiled back at Nodoka.
Suddenly, two ecstatic fathers entered the room and sat next to their
wives as they took their children from them.
"What'll be her name?" Soun asked as he stared lovingly at the
wrinkled, wrapped up baby girl.
"Akane. Akane Tendo," Nami said and Nodoka burst out laughing.
######Flashback######
"What's your name?" the quiet girl asked the one that had just saved
her from a beating.
"The name's Nami," the smaller girl answered disgustingly.
"Don't you like your name?" Nodoka questioned Nami quizzically.
"It's okay," the other replied, "but I'd rather have a more exotic
name. One fit for an adventurer or a Queen. Scarlett! Redd! Akane!..."
#########End of Flashback######
"Isn't Akane a little too exotic? Shouldn't we name her something
more...more..." Soun protested but Nodoka cut him off, "I think
Akane's a wonderful name." Well, Soun was too happy at that moment to
put up a fight.
"And what is my manly son's name?" Genma asked gruffly trying to hide
the fact of how joyful he was inside. After all, manly men don't show
their emotions.
"Ranma Saotome," Nodoka replied and they all agreed that was a good
manly name just so Genma would shut up about how manly his tiny baby
son was.
Nami and Nodoka took their children back and leaned in closer so that
the two babies heads' were next to each other.
"Ranma..." Nodoka said smiling down at her son.
"Akane..." Nami whispered, tearing up at the sight of her daughter.
"Meet your fiancee," they both said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6 years later)
"Mousse! Mousse! Throw it over here!" the little Princess yelled.
Shampoo was magnificently beautiful, even more so then her mother at
the young age of five. With long purple hair and large violet eyes,
she fit the role of the country's 'Perfect Princess'.
The little 6-year old Crown Prince with long black hair and deep
black-brown eyes laughed as he threw the rare, one-of-a-kind Ancient
Zhu Dynasty priceless vase over to his sister.
Suddenly, the King's voice could be heard outside of the doorway and
Shampoo dropped the priceless vase, it's pieces shattering into the
floor. Mousse and his baby sister stared in wide-eyed horror as the
Emperor entered the room followed by his row of advisors and servants.
Looking at his broken vase, the Emperor turned thunderous eyes to the
two children, "Who did this?!"
"Um...daddy, i-it...w-was that retard Joni," Mousse stuttered and
Shampoo joined in, "Yeah. We saw him play in here and we told him he
wasn't supposed to but he just laughed at us and broke your vase.
Punish him, daddy." The King's eyes narrowed. He knew it couldn't be
his two favorite children. It had to be that Joni.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...and then you throw the ball like this-" Urlasea stopped in
mid-sentence and instinctively moved closer to her laughing brother.
Her father was at the head of the group of guards and she knew that he
was very angry for some reason.
When they were upon the two children, the Emperor ordered the guards
to take Joni and hold him down to give him 50 hits by the wooden
sticks. At first the guards hesitated, even the most horrible of
persons only got 20 hits and they were adults that screamed in agony
throughout it all. This was a 5-year-old child they were about to hit.
But the King's sharp demand of 'Now!' left them no choice.
Urlasea watched as the first long stick whipped through the air so
sharp that it whistled before coming down to land on her brother. Joni
screamed out in pain as blood rushed through the part that he was hit.
The little brown-haired Princess screamed as she cried and latched
onto her father's arm screaming, "Daddy! Please! Please! Stop! You're
killing him!" But the Emperor just shot a contempt-filled look at the
pathetic little girl before flinging her away from him.
Urlasea cried and ran towards her brother to shield him from the hits.
Even the tough guards closed their eyes as they regretfully slapped
the sticks down on the screaming girl who loved her brother so. After
5 hits, the Emperor saw that Joni wasn't getting hit anymore so he
told the guards to pull and hold Urlasea away. Urlasea screamed and
cried and begged as she watched in horror at her brother's pain. The
little 5-year-old boy was bleeding all over and barely conscious after
the 25th hit. By the time the last hit was over, Joni was bearly
alive.
With a regal sweep of his Royal Head, the Emperor led his guards away.
The West Garden Princess scopped her brother up in her arms, not
minding the cuts she hearself had and with a cry she heaved him up in
her tiny arms and ran to the Palace medic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What do you mean you can't treat him?" Kimiko screamed at the 60-year
old something doctor who just shook his head in pity.
"His Royal Highness has made it a command that nobody treat the young
Prince. If I wish to keep my head on my shoulders I can not do
anything unless the King retract his order and at this moment his
Highness is at a party in the East Garden," the old doctor said.
Nobody noticed that the little Princess left her brother's side and
ran out into the yard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let me in! Please! I need to see him! Just tell him that his son is
dying and needs his royal command to live! Please!" she cried and the
King's servant had to give the little child his respect for her
courage.
"I told you already, Princess. The King said he only has one son and
that son is inside the party with him at that moment. He said he does
not care what happens to the little boy Joni and that he would punish
you if you deserve his party and fun once again."
"Then tell him I shall not leave this doorstep until he agrees to let
the doctor treat his son!" Urlasea cried and kneeled down at the foot
of the door, her head held high.
"If you will not do that then at least move back," the servant said
and Urlasea shot him a glare as she moved back till she was out in the
garden, a few feet from the doorstep.
"Tell him!" the Princess screamed again and the servant just shook his
head as he thought to himself, *He doesn't care, Princess. When will
you understand that? The King doesn't care about you or your stupid
brother no matter how much you beg*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is she still out there, daddy?" Shampoo asked from her father's lap
as she ate a mouthful of expensive fruit.
Looking out the window at the kneeling girl, the Emperor laughed,
"Yeah, she is."
"Stupid girl, it's already been 4 hours," Mousse laughed and everyone
else at the party laughed also because Mousse was the Crown Prince and
whatever the Crown Prince said was hilarious if he wanted it to be.
Yet, everybody else at the party looked outside at the kneeling
Princess and all of their hearts opened up to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seemed that whoever was upstairs didn't like Urlasea for it started
to rain...no, make that pour. It was raining cold hard ice and
sharp-edged raindrops that ripped at Urlasea's cheeks and skin and
clothes, making it bleed...but never once did she move from her spot.
Over the hours, as the guests left they went over to the little girl
and told her to get up...that she wouldn't survive...but she wouldn't
and she would tell all of them, "Joni needs me. If I won't protect
him, nobody will." They all loved her a little more for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, the King left the East Palace and stared in surprise
at the little girl still kneeling there.
"You're still here?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes your highness," she replied stiffly and it seemed as though the
little girl had aged 40 years in one night. Not daddy, not
father...your highness...
"Fine then, tell the doctor that I give the command for him to help
your brother," he said distractedly. Not 'my son'...'your brother'...
"Thank you, your highness," Urlasea replied before using the last bit
of her strength to stand up and run to the medic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ranma Saotome, you give me back my necklace this instant!" the little
village girl yelled. The girl's face was covered with dirt and so were
her old clothes.
The little boy stuck his tongue out at her, "Nyah! Nyah! Come and get
it, tomboy! Maybe if you weren't so-ahhhhhhh!" Ranma ran as the 6-year
old girl chased after him, a mallet in her hand.
"Shame, shame, shame, my manly boy is being chased by a little girl,"
Genma said as he shook his head in shame.
"Cheer up, Saotome," Soun laughed, "Ranma needs a woman that can
control him. Goodness knows Nodoka can't." For that, he got a slap in
the arm from Ranma's mother.
"Well, look on the bright side, Genma. Akane's the only girl that
Ranma pays attention to and runs from," Nami laughed and Nodoka
scowled at her friend.
"Hmph! Nami! My poor son tries so hard just to get Akane to notice
him. He's even willing to get hit just for that. I remember one
time..."
#####Flashback#####
"Oh, Ranma, how in the world did you get these bruises?" Nodoka
exclaimed as she bandaged her poor son up.
"Akane did it!" the boy with his two front teeth missing grinned.
"What? You mean, Nami's daughter?" Nodoka asked in horror.
"Yup," the little boy grinned happily at his mother.
Now Nodoka was really confused, "But Ranma! Why do you provoke her so
much? She tries so hard to be sweet and good-natured and you always
provoke her until she can think of nothing but beating you up."
"Because that's the only way she'll notice me," Ranma whispered sadly.
"What?"
The pig-tailed boy sighed, "Mom, listen. Don't ever tell Akane or
anybody this 'cause I'll deny it...but Akane...she's...she's really
pretty. She has that going for her. And if I let her be all feminine
*and* beautiful, she'll go to the village and she'll forget all about
me because she'll have other friends. I don't want that. I...I...don't
tell anyone because it's a secret...but I...I like Akane. A lot. She's
not like other girls...and she's one of those rare one of a kind
treasures the storyteller tells us about. And I found her first so I'm
not letting anyone have a chance to steal my treasure. Plus anyone can
be nice to her...she needs someone who can make her mad. And I can do
that."
########End of Flashback########
"That's so sweet," Nami sighed as she smiled at the laughing, cute
pig-tailed boy dodging the attacks of her own daughter.
"Hmph! See what you're daughter has done, Soun? She's made my son into
a lovesick puppy!" Genma growled and a round of laughter was followed
by his words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What you doin', tomboy?" Akane jumped in surprise from her position
under the oak tree, surrounded by a field of dandelions.
Looking up she scowled at the upside down boy hanging from the tree
limb, "Ranma! I'm trying to knit a flower design on this cloth. Now,
leave me alone, I'm busy."
"That's supposed to be a flower?" he asked jumping down so that he sat
next to her and snatched her cloth, "Look's more like a turtle to me.
Or an elephant."
"Ranma!" Akane cried as she snatched the cloth away from him and
smoothed it over her dress, "Go away, I'm busy."
"Why you tryin' to be feminine, Akane? You're a tomboy and you're
always going to be a tomboy," the 6-year old boy wrinkled his nose in
a cute fashion.
"Mommy said that if I want to make a good wife for some lucky
gentlemen one day, I have to practice this," she replied primly and
Ranma just replied innocently, "You don't have to do that, Akane. My
wife doesn't have to know how to do all that lady stuff."
"Who said I was going to marry you, Ranma?" Akane countered and the
little boy's eyes darkened as he scowled, "We're fiancees. My mom told
me so. You're not allowed to marry anybody but me."
Secretly, the little girl thought that being married to her best
friend would be fun. She didn't want to marry some stranger no matter
how cute he may be. She liked Ranma and wanted to spend the rest of
her life playing with him. Of course, she would never tell him that.
"Oh yeah? Well, *my* mom said I can marry anybody I want. That I'm not
a noble's daughter and a village girl so I get to decide who I want to
marry," she replied just to make him mad. Ranma always annoyed her
with his stupid pranks and any chance she got to annoy him back, Akane
always took.
"Well, nobody will want to marry you anyway," Ranma mumbled and Akane
turned angry eyes to his, "And why is that? Because I'm too much of a
tomboy?"
"No," he laughed and their was a twinkle in his little boy eyes now,
"Because they'll be too afraid I'll beat them up if they do!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, like I said, it was a time of change for our land. A time of
turmoil and doubts... but for now...we'll leave these children
be...for they are the ones that shall rock our country's history. The
pain they will have to endure...the suffering they will have to
overcome...but in the end they shall make it...for they all hold a
core of strength that their parents never had...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A look into the future: "I'm sorry, Icki. I'm so sorry. All I wanted
was for someone to love me. I didn't think it would go this far."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: E-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com
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