Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's kiss ❯ A Strange old Man ( Chapter 1 )

Hey y'all fanfic readers!! This is midnightwitch speaking, author of this fanfic. You may be wondering what the heck I am doing. Well, I'm writing what they call an "AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!!!" Isn't this exciting???? Anyways. I am a humungo fan of the Ranmaverse, and in particular of Ranma and Akane. Their twisted love story is the major reason I started to watch the series. But of course, after a while I grew to love Ukyo, Ryoga, Happosai (not really, but hey!), Mousse, and the rest of that crazy bunch. I am an absolute sap, and I love to write way WAFFy one-shots, but this story is going to be a bit different. I am going to keep everyone in character (or at least I'll try), and it isn't going to be TOO waff-ish. (But I'm not promising anything.) ^_~. A note on Ranma and Akane: These two are obviously sooooooooo in love, (and anyone who dares contradict me is a complete baka) but I was very frustrated that they never openly admit their feelings. For all of those who don't think they're meant for each other, GET A GRIP!! Re-read manga #38. Ranma says he LOVES her. Note the word love. (Way to go Ranma, is it a new word in your vocab??) Anyway, I am soooooo blabbering. SO to make it short… read and review! Please! I beg of you! A young author needs support (and death threats occasionally.)

ON WITH THE DAMNED FIC!

Part One: A Strange Old Man

"Why'd you yell like that at Shampoo, Ranma?" Akane asked as Ranma poured a glass of hot water over his (her) head. "I've never seen you react like that."

"I'm just sick of her butting in all the time. I wish she'd just realize that I don't love her and I never will. WHY THE HECK DOESN'T SHE UNDERSTAND?" Ranma yelled, frustrated, and Akane handed him a towel.

"Maybe if you told her a little more clearly," Akane said under her breath. Ranma heard her and sighed.

"I wish I could, Akane, I swear. But…" he looked down. Akane started to get interested.

"But?" she inquired.

"I hate seeing girls cry," he muttered. Akane smiled.

"I don't think she really loves you anyway Ranma," Akane said as a matter-of-factly.

"Huh? Really?" Ranma's eyes lit up. Akane nodded her head.

"I think, from what I've heard from Mousse anyway, he was below her level or somethin according to the amazons, and so she was trained to hate him. She's just trying to shut him out, that's all, and plus, she wants to keep her honor intact," she said. He sighed.

"I hope so. Poor Mousse, he deserves to have her, for all he's done. And I don't even like her! It isn't fair," he said, leaning against the wall.

`What about Ukyo, Ranma? What about Kodachi? Well not Kodachi, but…. But… What about…' Akane blushed, and Ranma caught her train of thought.

"Kodachi is just a demented gymnast. She's even crazier than her brother, and she is way too obsessive. And she doesn't even know I'm a half girl! Why does every body have to think I'm so damn…" Ranma closed his eyes, staring at the cracks in the wall. Akane sensed the hidden anguish behind his words and chose hers carefully.

"I like you the way you are Ranma. Girl or not, you'll always be the same to me," she said, blushing. `The same Ranma I love,' she thought as Ranma turned towards her.

"Thanks Akane," he said, smiling. `Jeesh, she is gorgeous,' Ranma thought, staring into her big hazel eyes. Their quiet conversation was interrupted by a commotion downstairs. Ranma sighed and opened the bathroom door, towel over his shoulder. Akane followed him, listening to the light taps his bare feet made on the floor. They walked down the stairs, their shoulders bumping occasionally, causing them to blush and look at anything but each other. Ranma slid open the door to the kitchen. The cause of the commotion was an overly excited panda hitting his head against a wall, a bawling Soun, a hysterical Nabiki, who was clutching her sides laughing, and the usual Kasumi, who greeted them with a smile.

"Akane, Ranma. Won't you come and have some tea? We have a guest," Kasumi said in her usual manner.

"A guest?" Akane asked, sitting next to her sister. Nabiki started banging her fist on the table, she was laughing so hard, causing the cookies in the plate to shift.

"Yes, and father and Mr. Saotome seem to know him very well," Kasumi poured some green tea and handed it to Akane. Meanwhile, Ranma's father had knocked his head so hard against the wall that it cracked, making an ear-splitting creak.

"Oh my," Kasumi exclaimed.

Ranma walked over to the panda and yelled,

"Quit it old man, you're gonna knock the house down!" The Panda stopped, stared at Ranma and held up a sign. Ranma blinked, then punched him on the head.

"WHAD'YA MEAN `IF I DO IT'S FOR A GOOD REASON?'" Ranma yelled, frustrated. Akane sighed, and put down her tea. She gently put a hand on her father's shoulder, and in a manner that resembled Kasumi's, she asked,

"Daddy, what's wrong?" but Soun wouldn't stop bawling. She lost her patience, grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Oh come on Daddy, get a grip and tell me what's the matter!"

"He is distressed, Akane Tendo, because I have revealed to him that Kasumi will soon leave this house," Akane heard a voice say.

"Huh?" she let her father go and looked around, towards Kasumi, who smiled passively.

"Huh?" Ranma stopped beating up his father to see what was going on. Akane gasped, seeing a dark form in a corner, and screamed as it came nearer. Ranma leapt in front of her, taking a fighting stance, ready to fight whatever evil was threatening her.

"There is no need for defence, Ranma Saotome. You would only humiliate yourself," the black form slowly moved towards Ranma, who was taken aback.

"Do you know who you're talking to? I've never lost a fight! Come out and face me, coward!" Ranma clenched his fists. A chuckle came from the shadow.

"Of course. So young, so obstinate. For the lovely Akane Tendo, you have never lost. But I do not wish to fight you, Ranma Saotome," and the shadow moved even closer.

"Huh? What's Akane got to do with anything? Show yourself!" Ranma tensed his position. An old, white bearded and decrepit man leaning on a staff came close to Ranma. Ranma stepped back, and Akane got to her feet, using Ranma to pull her up.

"And who the heck are you?" Ranma slowly relaxed, hearing Akane's breaths behind him go regular again.

"I, Ranma Saotome, am what you call a seer. A fortuneteller," the old man whipped out a deck of fortunetelling cards and threw them on the ground in perfect order.

"And I am here, to reveal your destiny!" he waved his arms dramatically. Ranma raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Uh-huh. Right. Akane, you believe this kind of bull, why don't you talk to him?" he said, and promptly got a teatray smashed on his head.

"Forgive this stupid jerk, please," she bowed slightly. "Would you like some tea or something?"

"Ah, miss Tendo, you are too kind," he said, and with one swift move he sat next to her and began devouring the cookies.

"As I was saying…" he started to continue.

Nabiki screamed.

AN: Shall I go on with this or not?? Extremely short chapter, but in the next one… we find out what this man is to Shampoo, and why Nabiki is always so cynical, and what is she to Kuno? Please e-mail me, I need feedback, or I'm not gonna go on!! Midnightwitch33@yahoo.com