Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma's Brother ❯ Prologe ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe. They belong to the great and powerful Takahashi-sama. If I did own them, this would be published in a proper format and I would be making tons of cash for it. Also, any reference to other anime or manga, are not mine either.

 

Ranma's Brother--Prologue:

In the area between time and space, located in the exact center of the multi-verse, a figure dressed in a red cloak, stood before a large pool. The pool was ten feet in diameter, and was a perfect circle. The figure stood on one of the stones that protected the pool. It's face's upper half was hidden by the cloak's hood, but one could guess the emotion it was feeling by the great frown.

 

“So, here you are Red-niisan,” said a voice from the red figure's right. “Kami-sama isn't very happy with you right now.”

 

Red turned his head to the new arrival. She was dressed in the same style as Red only a pink cloak adorned her body. Red's frown deepened.

 

“Is he still mad because of that little thing I--”

 

“LITTLE?!?! You ended up creating over two dozen new universes because you wanted to change the destiny of one!!!”

 

Red didn't even flinch at the outburst. “You're just POed because it didn't include you, Pink.”

 

Pink pulled the hood of her cloak back to reveal a girl no older than sixteen. She had bright pink eyes and long golden blond hair. “Alright. I'll admit, I was a little miffed...” Red snorted, a smirk edging it's way onto his face. “But I'm surprised that you only got banishment for what you did. And that you're still up to your old tricks is making the big guy wonder if it was the right thing to do.”

 

Red shook his head, his smile growing ever bigger. “You have to admit... everything worked out in the end, didn't it?”

 

The teen goddess sighed in frustration. “That one thing did, but it's what you've been doing lately that has even Belldandy-neesan worried.”

 

“I'm just going to do something that has yet to happen,” Red replied smiling like the Cheshire Cat. “When you have to spend several eternity's here, you think about the infinite `What if...? `s.” Red motioned to his counterpart to stand beside him. Pink obliged. “This is something I created when I had some extra time on my hands, before the great event.”

 

“What is this? Some sort of swimming pool?” she asked sarcastically.

 

Red laughed. “No, no, no. This allows one to see any of the universes in the multi-verse. Also, it can create a new branch off any major universe.”

 

“You're joking, right?” Pink interrupted.

 

Red frowned a moment, shrugged, then continued. “Well, I have been looking for one of my incarnations. Just the other day, I found him and decided to aid him.”

 

Pink's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “That's forbidden!!!! Only Kami-sama can choose who and what deserves heavenly help!!”

 

“I am banished, therefore any acts that go against the law can't be enforced, because I am no longer under the law. Chapter 12, section 6, paragraph Q,” he quoted from memory.

 

“Did you make a pact with the demons, or what?” She asked with a sense of nervousness in her voice.

 

Red's smile turned to a smirk. “That would be to easy and I have no need of their skill nor resources. As you know, I'm one of the greatest beings in existence. Only Shen-Long, Kami-sama, Belldandy, and maybe two or three others, have more power than me. But enough of that, you wanted to know what I was planning?”

 

“Yes, that was what I was sent here to find out,” she replied irritably.

 

Red pointed to the center of the pool. “Look.” Pink did so and saw an image slowly appear. “You should recognize this world, we saw it enough times back then.”

 

“So what are you gonna do to it?” Pink asked, honestly interested.

 

“It is already done,” Red stated simply.

 

“WHAT!?!?! This is the new `branch' as you called it?”

 

“Yes. Here my incarnation, my life in another dimension, will influence the main stream of time, and maybe make for a better world. ”

 

“So.... what do you want me to see?” she asked, getting more interested.

 

“Patience midget. You'll see...” Pink glared at the 6'1” figure, she called brother, and then turned her full attention on what was happening in the pool.

 

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Genma ran up and down the streets of the town he and his son were currently staying at. He thought he was lucky to find an abandon house to use for the neko-ken training. But, even though his son succeeded in learning it, he lost his sanity in the process. Why didn't he read the book all the way through?! He cursed himself over and over again, and wondered what he would have to tell his wife upon his return.

 

The image of a shining katana descending to his neck as he slit his belly, made him double his efforts to find his son. There was some hope: “to bring back someone under the neko-ken, a person the inflicted loved or trusted needed to be nearby.” He felt a little hope after reading that part in the book.

 

Genma stopped suddenly, and slapped his forehead. Of course! The old woman who lived at the corner. Ranma ran to her right after he first showed signs of the neko-ken, why didn't he look there first? He turned around and headed back in the direction of his and his son's temporary home.

 

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Genma Saotome watched in a mixture of anger, relief, and sadness as his son, still acting like a cat, played with a small boy. The boy was easily Ranma's elder by two or three years, he also showed great agility and grace as he chased Ranma-neko around the yard. He turned to the old woman who walked up to him.

 

“I see you've noticed my grandson,” said the old woman as she watched the scene, not looking at Genma.

 

“Ranma seems to trust him a great deal to act like that around him,” Genma stated while absently rubbing some scratches under his sleeve.

 

“Oh yes. Your boy will go nowhere near anyone else but me and my grandson,” she replied with a hint of sadness.

 

Genma frowned in thought. The old woman had a point. Ranma was still recovering and slipped into the neko-ken state at even the mention of the work “cat.” If Ranma acted like a cat out in the middle of nowhere, it could take days, if not weeks, to find him again. All that time that could be spent training, wasted. Unless...

 

“I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. I cannot accompany you on your journey, for I feel that I will pass on in a short time.” She turned to look at Genma. “However, once I am gone, my grandson will have no family. If you were to take him in, and raise him as your son, I will be eternally grateful.”

 

Genma decided to see why he should accept the woman's offer. “My son and I are sort on money as is. Having another mouth will reduce the amount of food we will be able to buy.” <Not to mention that I will have less to eat.>

 

The old lady turned her head back to the two children playing. “I saw you studying my grandson. He has potential to be great, but in my age I cannot bring it out,” she continued as though she hadn't heard Genma. “My estate and earnings have matured over the years. When I die, they will belong to whoever is in my family. And as I said earlier, he is my only family. He will receive a portion of his inheritance on his birthday each year, until he reaches twenty-one or marries. Then he will inherit whatever is left immediately. So if you take him in, you indirectly get an annual `salary' so to speak.”

 

Genma couldn't believe his ears. Not only would he gain a second son and a temporary cure to Ranma's neko-ken, but also he would get money for doing it. If the amounts where large enough, he wouldn't even need to sell Ranma off anymore.

 

“Pop, what are you doing here?” came a voice.

 

Genma turned to his son who just recovered and was now normal. He then focused on the old woman's grandson, his new meal ticket, and smiled. “Ranma, I am here to get you and your brother.”

 

Ranma blinked and looked at his father like he was an idiot (a look Genma was going to get a lot in the future). “Pop, I ain't got a brother.”

 

“Well, now you do.” Genma beckoned the other boy over. “Come over to your new father and tell me your name.”

 

The young boy looked at his grandmother for a second, and only moved after she nodded. The boy picked something off the ground and walked towards Genma. As the youth approached, Genma could see that the object was a sword. Not just any sword, a perfectly crafted katana. The sword was nearly as big as the boy, yet he carried it like it was nothing. Genma gulped involuntarily at the memory of his wife's own shining blade.

 

The boy stood in front of Genma with a slight look of displeasure on his face. “Shinta. Call me Shinta,” he stated simply.

 

The master of the Saotome branch of Anything-Goes Martial Arts recovered and smiled. “Welcome to the Saotome house, Shinta.”

 

“Yay!!! I've got an oniisan now!!” Ranma ran and gave Shinta a big bear hug. Shinta couldn't help but smile and retuned the hug.

 

The old woman smiled a knowing smile. She looked up to the sky and winked.

 

End for now

Next time: The Fateful Meeting

 

A/N: So what did you think? Also before anyone asks: NO Shinta is not going to be super powerful. He and Ranma are going to be equals in terms of skill and strength. Yes, Shinta will be stronger because he's older, but that's about the only difference. Also, Shinta will prefer to fight with a sword than un-armed, but that doesn't mean he can't kick butt without a sword.