Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Leaving Nerima ❯ The announcement ( Chapter 1 )

Leaving Nerima
A Rena-Chan Effort

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, ain't doin' this for profit either! =P

Author's notes

Um, this is sort of like a first attempt at Ranma fanfiction for me. I've read lots and lots of very good Ranma fanfics, and while I could never live up to some of the great names in fanfiction, I hope everybody enjoys reading this. ^_^

I know the concept of Ranma actually taking initiative and going away has probably been done before but I'm gonna attempt it. I just looooove analysing people! (Just ask my friends) I'm hoping to keep this pretty short, so I can get this finished before I get writer's block^_^

Just a note on some of the info in this. It's probably not right. I have no idea how the education system in Japan works except their entrance exams are REAL hard so if I'm wrong, please forgive me. ^_^;;

ANY comments, criticism, tips are welcome. Just email them to black_angelwings@hotmail.com

Leaving Nerima
Part One
The Announcement

It was a nice day in Nerima; things were actually normal for a change. Well, as normal as they get in the hellhole called Nerima.

"RANMA NO BAKA!"

The shout could be heard from across town, but everyone was used to that, after all, it's been 3 years since the young lad called Ranma arrived and brought the chaos with him.

Picking himself up from the ground, Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, swore. Under his breath off course, if Akane, heir to the Tendo branch of the school and all around uncute tomboy, had heard, then let's just say things weren't going to be pretty.

As Akane stomped away to either smash some bricks or beat up the Ranma dummy, the real Ranma sighed. Making his way to the roof so he could be alone. Life sucked. It was that simple, he had no male friends, no female friends, no girlfriends, no one he could really talk to. Sure, there were plenty of people that knew him, they either wanted to kill him, marry him, sometimes both, or have him married or killed so they can live a comfortable life. He had thought he had two friends at least.

"Some friends they turned out to be." Grumbling to himself, he thought of his two 'friends'.

Ukyo, former crossdresser whom he had thought was a boy all those years ago. She was cute, pretty good fighter, and he had really wanted to be friends when she found him again. But as it turned out, she showed up first to kill him, and after some strange turn of events, declared herself the 'cute' fiancée and joined the husband hunt.

Ryoga, first friend he made in school, used to play around stealing each other's bread. How was he supposed to know Ryoga took his bread seriously? So serious that he followed him to China, and got cursed because of it. Now he's trying to kill him, ruin his life by taking Akane away from him.

"Yeah, like that'd ruin my life." Chuckling, his visage darkened when he thought about the curse. His curse.

Turning into a girl with a douse of cold water was perhaps the worst curse that could be placed upon someone who was taught Genma's 'Man amongst Men' philosophy. After years of been told that girls were weak and pretty darn useless in anything besides housework, getting turned into one was not Ranma's idea of fun. Add a seppuku pledge to the mix and Ranma's got every right to hate his curse.

Okay, so it was useful for getting free food, but still, getting hit on by boys were not exactly his idea of fun. But hitting them was. A small voice argued, but as usual, Ranma ignored that part.

All of this thinking brought him back to his current problem.

Akane.

The uncute, violent maniac he's got for a fiancée.

The 'oh-I-can-be-just-like-Kasumi-if-I-tried' macho tomboy.

Little Miss Martial Artist.

And what bothered Ranma the most, a proud member of the 'Blame-it-on-Ranma' Club.

While Ranma did not know much about relationships, he did know that to have one, there needed to be some trust. Something they did not have.

At first it was tolerable, after all, neither knew each other very well and with all the girls (and boys) that kept throwing themselves at Ranma, Akane had a right to be a little obsessive right?

But three years had passed. In which Ranma saved her from countless Princes, weirdoes and even killed a God for her. Shouldn't that earn him some trust? What was her problem???

True, Ranma had, at one stage, felt sure that he loved her. He was even willing to go through that wedding. But now, two years from the wedding disaster, he just felt tired.

Maybe he had felt it for a long time. But it only surfaced a few months ago, when the stupid idiots, Mr Tendo and his Pop, decided that they would be married as soon as they graduated. Akane had smashed him with the nearest object, which, unluckily, had not been blunt. He had dodged, knowing that it would probably give him some permanent damage and only escaped with a heavy pounding of Akane's fist and mallet.

Now, just a week from graduation, he was giving up hope.

"Guess I'll just get married with Akane and give up all my dreams." He mumbles to himself. He had had dreams. Dreams of travelling with a friend, becoming a great martial artist, learning a musical instrument, go to university and sharing a broken down house with some friends, teaching at a dojo full of kids and eventually settling down with a woman he loved and having kids and opening up a dojo of his own, or maybe some other small shop.

Off course, his father had denied all of his dreams unless martial arts were involved. But he knew that life wasn't just about the Art. Sure, he loved the Art, to some, he was the Art but he wanted other things as well.

"long time no see Saotome."

A smooth voice interrupted his thinking. It was Nabiki, back from university for the summer break. Eagerly, Ranma hopped off the roof and landed next to Nabiki.

"Didja get that info for me?" he was nervous. He knew Nabiki wouldn't betray her clients but he was still nervous about what he was going to do.

"off course," Replying with a glare, Nabiki handed him an envelope. "they said that in your condition, you'd be more than eligible for one of their sport scholarships."

Truth be told, Nabiki was impressed. She hadn't expected Ranma to do this. Not this early anyway. She had always thought that Ranma would probably only get fed up with his current life some time after he married Akane. It was obvious that besides Akane, none of the others stood a chance. But I guess she ruined that by nearly stabbing him to death a few months ago. She thought dryly. A little sad that her little sister could blow her chance with a catch like Ranma.

Putting back her professional mask, she said coolly, "I expect you to pay me for keeping this quiet?"

Growling, Ranma took out some bills, "Only for a week Nabiki." And stuffed the bills in her hands. Walking towards the house, he mumbled, "thanks, I owe you one."

Smiling softly, she said sadly to herself, "just doing what I can to leave a good last impression Ranma."

It was about a week later when Ranma dropped the bombshell: right after graduation, just before the fathers announced yet another wedding plan. It wasn't intentional, as Ranma had planned to announce it when he called everyone together, but things never went as they planned. Especially for Ranma Saotome.

As everyone was enjoying dinner. The phone suddenly ran, not taking any notice, everybody, that is, the Tendos, Genma, Nodoka and Ranma, continued eating as Kasumi went to answer the phone. After a soft "oh my", Kasumi's voice carried into the dinning table, "Ranma-Kun, it's for you."

As he listened to the voice at the other end, he tried very hard to ignore his father and Mr Tendo pressing their ear on the door, trying to eavesdrop. He tried ignoring Akane's dark mutterings about perverts and mallets. And definitely tried not to hear his mother rambling on about her 'manly son' and his harem, one of which was phoning him. Perhaps to ask him out to dinner then some after dinner activities to work it off?

Okay, he tried, but trying and succeeding were very different things. And as Ranma got off the phone, he was suddenly very tired, tired and pissed. Probably not a good combination. His foul mood was probably enlarged by the graduation, if you could call it that. The usual mob showed up just as he was about to receive his certificate, T been after S, Akane had naturally been pissed at not having the spotlight and blamed it on Ranma by pounding him. Ryoga had taken great offence in seeing his "Akane-san" been treated so badly and let loose with a Shi Shi hokodan. Things went downhill from there, ending with the Kuno siblings, the Amazon squad, Ucchan and co, Ryoga, a pissed Akane, principal Kuno, the idiot fathers and Happaisou leveling the hall to nothing. Naturally, the whole thing had been blamed on Ranma and his current state, injured from head to toe, showed that.

As he made his way back to the table, the fathers quickly scramble to their own place. Nodoka stopped babbling and beamed proudly at her 'manly son' and Akane stopped muttering threats so she could question him.

"Well? Another fiancée Ranma?"

Before the fathers could go hysterical, Ranma took a deep breath and said, "Everyone, I have an announcement."

"What? You're seeing a girl behind my back? Is that it? I always knew you were a pervert." Screaming, Akane summoned her mallet and prepared to pound Ranma for being such a pervert.

#Wham!#

Everyone stared in shock as the mallet met Ranma's fist and fell into splinters. Blinking, they turned to Ranma, who looked angry.

Yes, Ranma was, as he rarely was, truly angry. Turning to Akane, he whispered harshly, "you're gonna sit down and listen to me girl." Turning his gaze on the rest of the family, he growled, "that means all of you too!"

As everyone continued to stare in shock, not quite grasping the fact that Ranma had not let Akane hit him, Ranma took a few deep breathes to calm himself.

"As I was about to say before I was interrupted, I have been accepted to Tokyo University on a sports scholarship for physical education. The year officially starts in September but since I never had any time to study," he paused, glaring at his father and Akane, "I gotta do some extra course during break."

Everyone looked shocked while Akane got even more pissed. She had not done as well as she had hoped for her entrance exams and probably would not get into the course or university of her choice. Seeing Ranma get what he wanted so easily made her want to scream. Why the hell did that pervert get all the luck anyway? She thought angrily. While everyone else thought that Ranma was a great martial artist, Akane knew that it was only luck. That's why he kept defeating those challengers, luck. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself.

Before anyone began to say anything, Ranma quickly continued on, silencing anyone with an angry glare. He might pay for it later, courtesy of Akane, but it was worth getting everything out in the open. "Anyway, that was just the school, saying everything's been arranged and I am to report on campus in a few days." Trying to avoid the gleam in his mother's eyes about something 'manly', he finally finished, "That means I'll probably leave tomorrow, just so I can get used to campus life."

With a look that said he'd finished. Ranma Saotome prepared for the biggest mess yet in his life.

There was silence for a minute, Kasumi smiled, somewhat sadly and said, "oh how nice." And that was when the chaos started.

End Part One

Yeah! First chapter done!!!
Hope you liked it! =^_^=

Rena-Chan