Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Japanese Amazon ❯ Return To Nerma ( Chapter 1 )

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Disclaimer: No, I do not own Ranma ½ or anything connected to it. pout wish I did though…
This is my first attempt a fan fiction so please be kind. C&C is appreciated but flames are not (they smell funny). Please e-mail me with any suggestions you may have for the plot (I’m kind of stuck). This is not a story about Shampoo, and I don’t particularly like her. Well here it goes…
Japanese Amazon
By: Odette821

Chapter 1- Return To Nerma
With a graceful leap Akane left her perch on the wall and landed softly of the lush grass of the lawn. The past year had changed her. Where before she had been strong in a chunky sort of way, she now possessed a flat wiry strength, and moved with an unconscious animal grace. Even her hair was different, having a reddish tinge instead of blue; her chocolate brown where also tinged red. She wore a pair of scuffed running shoes, cutoff jean shorts, and a red tank top that had the words ‘plays with fire’ across the chest in gold.

Above and behind her a second girl was still standing on the wall. She seemed to be the same age as Akane, though much shorter. She possessed long raven hair that unbound would reach her ankles, though it was in a braid at the moment, and hazel eyes. She wore a pair of worn army boots, kaki board shorts (AN: you know, the kind that come down to your knees) and a tight black t-shirt that had a drawing of a cartoon pigeon with the words ‘Mmmm...Tastes like chicken’ written beneath it in white. Both wore light backpacks, full of camping gear.

Ranma strode across the space separating him from his fiancé and pulled her into a crushing embrace, shocking the hell out of everyone, especially himself. Just as suddenly he pulled back, gripping her shoulders tight, to look deeply into her eyes. Searching for what? He didn’t know.

“What the hell do you think you where doing running away like that! Don’t you know how much you scared m-everyone!” he caught himself before he said something he wasn’t ready to admit.

“Getting away from you and the craziness that follows,” Akane said in a tone that dared him to deny it. Her answer obviously hurt him; he released his hold and turned away.

This seemed to release the rest of the family and friends, and they rushed in with hugs and questions.

“How are you Sugar?”

“Where violent-girl been?”

“Welcome home Tendo-san.”

“Oh my, yes, welcome home little sister.”

“Waaaa! My little girl is home!”

“Are you finally going to marry my son?”

“Who’s the other girl?”

The last was Nabiki, who was giving the stranger her most penetrating stare.

“Oh, that’s Fuu-chan our cousin,” Akane replied in an offhand manner. Fuu bowed, keeping her place on the wall.

“Our WHAT!” Nabiki was floored; she had thought that she had known all her relatives. She glared daggers at her father.

“Don’t blame Daddy Biki-chan Mum never told him about her twin. I would have left to train with her when I turned sixteen, but she died about two and a half years ago. So Fuu-chan had to finish her training before she could come and get me,” Akane shrugged, she had an entire year to get used to the idea.

Nabiki’s mind was whirling, trying to fit this new information into her view of her family. Suddenly Akane dropped her pack and rummaged around in it, finally pulling out two slightly battered manila folders. One was titled Akane’s Year Away and the other Hibiki Fuu.

“So you don’t have to interrogate us,” Akane said with a little smirk.

Blushing slightly, Nabiki glanced at the titles of the folders, then looked again, eyes widening at the sight of Fuu’s last name.

During the exchange Fuu had been looking around, and when she looked behind her face lit up in a smile, displaying the trademark Hibiki fangs. With a little squeal she said, “Twin! Get your butt up here and give me a hug!”

And lo and behold Ryoga appeared beside her and pulled the much smaller girl into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet. On the ground Akane wore a scowl that didn’t quite hide the grin that trying to fight its way out.

“And where is my hug?”

“Right here!” he mock roared as he swooped down to pull her into a crushing embrace.

“Oof! I’d like my ribs to be in one piece please!” Akane managed to gasp out.

“Hey! A guy cracks one rib and you never let it go.” He said with a grin.

Ranma started forward, ready to beat up Ryoga for ever having hurt Akane, but was stopped by a sharp glance from Akane.

“Oh my, I forgot dinner! It’s ready everyone!” when Kasumi said the magic word (dinner a.k.a. food) she had everyone’s undivided attention; then of course there was the usual rush to the table, and absolute silence as they waited for the aforementioned food to arrive.

It was an odd meal for the Tendo household, since Ranma was too busy staring at Akane to fend off his father’s attempts at stealing his food, and stealing food from his father (AN: Yes, I know that was an awful sentence but I couldn’t think of how else to say it.). Akane calmly ignored his stares and kept up a running whispered commentary to her cousin as everyone talked.

Afterward, Akane and Fuu went to Akane’s room to unpack. About fifteen minutes pass…

“GOD DAMN THEM!” it was Fuu’s voice. Her language noticeably deteriorated from there.

Ryoga shot up, and sprinted toward Akane’s room. A minute later her brother’s voice joined hers, but his yelling was more enlightening than hers.

“WHAT THE HELL DO THEY THINK THEY’RE DOING? USING YOU TO BUY A FUCKING TRADE AGREMENT! WELL I’LL KILL HIM BEFORE THEY CAN FORCE THEIR DAMN ‘MARRAGE’! WHO’S THE BASTARD WHO AGREED TO THIS? WHO?” a momentary pause, “MOUSSE PREPARE TO DIE!”

When Mousse when pale one could not tell whether it was from Ryoga’s imminent beating or the fact he had apparently been engaged.

“Stop this foolishness now! Mousse agreed to nothing, I did,” Cologne’s arrival during Ryoga’s tirade had gone unnoticed, but for once everyone was glad to see her. Especially Mousse. Ryoga was lifting him off the ground by his throat at the time.

“Old woman you better have a good explanation for this,” Fuu waved a scroll in Cologne’s general direction, looking deathly pale. Both girls had come downstairs with Ryoga, though at a more sedate pace.

For a moment the only sound in the room was Mousse gasping for air.

“There has been an undeclared, but very nasty war going on between our tribes for generations. As the last two Amazon tribes we cannot afford to continue this, or our people will be no more. This betrothal was only called a trade agreement to save face,” she gave Ryoga a sharp look, “If it had come sooner, your mother would not have died.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then…

“There’s no way I’m letting my sister be forced into-,”Ryoga was cut off by Fuu.

“She’s right Ryoga; Mother wouldn’t have died if we had been trading with Cologne’s tribe and if someone else dies because I wouldn’t agree, their death would be on my head,” Fuu’s voice was resigned and weary, “I’m going to bed; I’ll deal with this when I wake up… some time next year.”

Akane was not surprised by her cousin’s rapid change of emotion, having lived with them for the past year. She smiled weakly, unable to help her family and friends with their shock and confusion, then followed Fuu upstairs. Everyone else wandered off to their own beds, still trying to sort out the days events.