Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Letter To A Friend ❯ Letter to a Friend ( One-Shot )

My dearest friend,

So much has happened here. As I have told you our home's story throughout the years, I feel inclined to fill in the gaps. A little over three years ago, the young man who was staying with us left. It was a blow for us all, but mostly for my youngest sister.

As you know this boy had several fiancées. The first one, a beautiful Chinese girl, came to realized that she cared nothing for the boy, contrary to what she had been showing the past years. She returned to China, only to find that she'd been exiled by her tribe. They did nothing to her physically, but psychologically she was a wreck. She stayed in the hospital for quite some time. Her great-grandmother's death was also a blow to her, and only worsened her condition. About eight months ago, she finally left the hospital. She re-opened the Nekohanten, and runs it with her old childhood friend, (who as far as I know was and is hopelessly in love with her). She currently is dating him, after deciding to "give him a chance", and taking Japanese lessons at the local city college.

The second one, a young Japanese cook, stayed in Nerima, contrary to what she led us all to believe she would do. She's become a quite pretty young lady, (prettier than she already was) and is very popular among the boys of Furinkan High School, from which she just graduated. As far as I know, she has no plans for going to college, and is content with running her business with her help-cook.

The third one went mad shortly after he left, and was locked up in an institution, where I'm sorry to say she committed suicide a little over a year ago. Her brother, a young Kendoist, suffered his sister's death very much, and nearly lost what little was left of his mind. He was well cared for, and regained his mental sanity. He intensified his training, and last year he won the National Kendo Championship, and married, surprisingly, my younger sister.

My younger sister, the one who I heard her classmates referred to as "The Ice Queen of Furinkan High School", started to become more, how shall I put this, "human" after the boy who was staying with us left. She applied to several universities, and got into a very prestigious one on the other side of Japan. She was glad to leave this city. From what she tells me, the Kendo National Championships were near her university, and she saw her ex "source of cash", on television. After he won the Nationals, he took her out to dinner, and, how does it go again? One thing led to another, and pretty soon they were dating regularly. It was six months ago he proposed to her. She, after thinking it over for some time (she didn't want to put any stress on her education) accepted. She is currently taking law and economy classes, and plans on opening up her own firm.

The one we all knew as the lost boy, (as far as I know) found his pig-loving girl's farm, and surprisingly never got lost again. We receive his letters regularly.

Now I come to my youngest sister. When the boy left, she closed herself to all of us, and it was a long time before she grew to trust anyone again. When she started to recover, she decided to dedicate herself to perfecting her womanly arts, something the boy had always claimed she was devoid of. She began taking cooking lessons from me, and I have to say that she has improved immensely, and has learned to cook edible dishes. She slowly learned to control her temper and to be more patient. She's grown up a great deal, and looks more and more like her mother. She graduated from Furinkan High School with a scholarship to a university near her sister's, when something completely unexpected happened.

I remember it as though it were yesterday; it must have been mid-summer, one of those days when the heat seeps into every corner it can find, but there was a light breeze blowing. It was late afternoon; she was cooking curry, one of her best dishes, when the doorbell rang. She called to me that she would open it, and I went on stitching a sleeve on the shirt I was mending. I heard the familiar creak of the door, and then a long silence. After a few minutes I began to get worried, so I put down my sewing basket and went to the door. And there he was. With a worn and heavy backpack on his back, wearing that sly smile that had always been his trademark, his blue-gray eyes looking deep into my sister's who had a mixed look of joy and sadness on her face. He said something I could not hear, and my sister threw her arms around him, sending him flying backwards into the dust. I went back into the dining room. After a few hours it began to get dark, and I heard the door open again. My sister came in with the boy, and asked about her curry, laughing; I answered, also laughing, that I'd turned off the stove.

In case you're wondering, yes, they did decide to get married the following spring, after making up for lost time and resolving all their unsolved problems. It seemed that all was running smoothly between them. On the day of the wedding (a cool, clear day in May), it seemed that they had a little argument, but they decided to go on with the ceremony anyways. After all, they had waited so long. I cannot tell you how beautiful my sister looked in our mother's wedding kimono. I adjusted it just the tiniest bit when she wasn't looking (she wouldn't admit it, but the waist was too small). I still remember his expression: completely and utterly dumbstruck. My sister's blush became her pale feature's; I've never seen her look so happy.

It was then I took the liberty of looking among the guests; so many of them ex lovers or rivals. My younger sister was there, leaning ever so slightly against her husband's muscular figure, her hand against the smooth hilt of his bokken (which he still refused to go anywhere without). The Chinese girl was there with her "friend". I noticed with satisfaction the joyous look on the Chinese boy's face as she took his hand, causing him to blush profusely with a silly grin on his face. A dark-haired girl was there, staring lovingly at the man next to her, who was sporting a pig-patterned tie. A somewhat handsome ninja stared nervously at the brunette next to him, who was staring solemnly ahead. I saw her expression soften as she caught the ninja looking at her, blushing.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and they were on the verge of saying `I do' when, (as it is a usual custom in this town) something completely unexpected happened. There was a deafening explosion; I vaguely remember the boy's father muttering a curse under his breath, and through the dust I could just see the outline of a female figure. A very angry looking red-haired girl holding a wooden axe shouted something to the boy, who was looking miffed.

From what I gathered, the girl was the heir to a prominent school of martial arts, and as usual, the boy's father had engaged them. The boy was absolutely contrary, but the girl fell in love with him. As soon as he had a chance the boy ran away, and she began the long chase to make him hers again. (Was he ever, I wonder.)

It was then that the wedding guests went into action. Someone threw spatulas, someone else sliced at her with his sword, and pretty soon she was knocked out on the living room floor. Then, a red-haired man and his team of about twenty or so ninjas came in and started to fight with the guests. I hid behind a table with my younger sister. I remember her smirking and commenting that "It always goes like this."

In the end, the wedding guests won, and the remaining ninjas were scared off by a huge ghost cat, come to the wedding with his recent bride, a lovely pink kitty. After everyone composed themselves, the bride and groom went back to the front of the room, pulling the priest along with them. After a few glares from the boy, the priest cleared his throat and declared them man and wife. Everybody cheered, it was finally over. My sister and her husband are now living in southern Nerima, attending the local college and teaching martial arts classes when they aren't studying or going to class.

And me? Well, I did send you an invitation, but I assume it never got to your home. After a long and difficult start to our relationship, the man I'd loved for a long while finally overcame his shyness and proposed to me. We were married last year, and I am very happy. And I hope you are too, my dear friend, I wish you all the happiness in the world.

With love,

Kasumi

AN: I think I didn't forget anyone, did I? I got a few complaints that I always have characters "resolve things" to easily, and so I decided to write this shortfic for all those people that like a more realistic approach at the Ranma universe. That's all for now!! Love ya all, Midnightwitch.