R1/2 -- Chris Collins (1clc0772@unixstew.tstc.edu)

After wasting my time on and eventually abandoning a bad movie spoof with
the Ranma characters called HALFMAN STANDING, I decided to work on an idea
I'd had for a few months, and hence, here it is.  It's more of a Tendofic
than a Ranmafic, since it takes place years before Ranma ever shows up at
the dojo. (CHEF'S NOTE: Well, I'm going home.) (CUTE VOICE: Me too.) Hey
you two!  Get back here!

(CUTE VOICE: Why we stay if story about stupid violent girl?) (CHEF'S
NOTE: Yeah.  If Ranchan's not in it, why bother?  What could be so
interesting about the uncute, sexless ogre anyway?) The story is about ALL
of the Tendos--not just Akane--and you'll just have to wait and see what
happens.

(CHEF'S NOTE: *groan* Ok.  But I'm only sticking around for a little
while.) (CUTE VOICE: Hmph.  I stay too, but this better be good.)  Now
that's more like it.

Now, before I start, I would like to let you know that since Takahashi was
vague on many things, more specifically: dates (not to diminish her
credibility as a writer in the least), I am going to make the outrageous
assumption that all of the Tendos have their birthdays immediately before
the Spring season begins (right before school starts).  Throughout the
entire manga, no one gets any older, but given everything that Ranma had
gone through, nearly a year must have passed; so the placement of their
birthdays seems reasonable enough to me if the school year was just
starting.  Oh, hell, none of this is very important to the story... it's
just something I thought through for the story's sake.  (CHEF'S NOTE: Well
sir, you think too much.) (CUTE VOICE: Can we get on with stupid story?)

Ok.  You're right.  Happy!  Pull the curtain!

[Hold on, you dumb bastard!] (OLD VOICE: Me or him?) [Both of yas.  I
have't read this friggin disclaimer yet!  You're just itchin ta get sued,
aren't ya, Mister High-and-Mighty Author?]

....

[That's what I thought.  Now....  *clear throat* Even though some of these
people in this story were created by a writer ten times better than HE'LL
ever hope to be, he's not into stealin stuff for profit (or BORROWING as we
disembodied voices like to say), so have pity on the son-of-a-bitch and
don't give him any trouble because he's harmless... well, almost.] (CUTE
VOICE: Ai-ya.  That was so... vague.) (CHEF'S NOTE: She's right.  You
shouldn't get fancy with disclaimers.  Just keep it simple.) [*growl* FINE!
 This story in no way infringes on the rights of Rumiko Takahashi.  The
author is using some of her characters to tell a story, not make money.
Any other characters in this story that the author creates can go to hell.]
(CUTE VOICE: Much better.)

*groan* Happy.  Just pull the curtain.

(OLD VOICE: Akane dear, I'll always pull the curtain for you!  Hnngh!)

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              |       An Iron Dagger Production        |
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Young Kasumi and Akane Tendou were solemnly sitting next to each other on
a couch in the empty waiting room of what would one day be Dr. Tofu's
clinic, each with her head down, neither ready to look at the other just yet.
Kasumi was wearing a dark blue school uniform (girl's dress of course)
over a white shirt; her long, sienna brown hair fell gracefully past her
shoulders and was decorated with a bright yellow ribbon.  Resting by her
feet was a dark blue briefcase, which adequately held all the school
supplies and homework she ever needed to bring back and forth to school.
In her hand she held two folded notes, which she slowly and habitually
rubbed together as she thought about what Nabiki had told her.
Akane was wearing a red-and-white horizontally-striped shirt and a pair of
yellow trousers with suspenders; a rice colored, fedora-style bowl hat sat
forward atop her short-cropped blue hair, shading her downturned eyes and
part of her face.  She clutched a blue schoolbag in her lap, holding it as
she would a teddybear in bed.
Kasumi pursed her lips, then said slowly, without looking up, "You know I
can't look out for you like I use to now that I've started junior high."
Akane said nothing.  Kasumi paused, then continued, "You're small for your
age, Akane, and that only makes you an easy target."  Akane stirred in her
seat, but still remained silent.
Kasumi, frustrated, sputtered, "You really need to learn how to defend
yourself, Akane!"  Even though excited, her statement was little more than
a whisper.  But still, she hoped no one had heard her.  She calmed herself,
then said, "You can always practice with me."
Akane tilted her head just enough so that her brown eyes shone in the
room's light, then she whimpered quietly, "But I don't wanna fight."

              -----------===================------------
              |        Writen and Directed by:         |
              |        Christopher Lee Collins         |
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A few minutes later, Akane and Kasumi looked up as the door to the
doctor's office opened.  A graying, middle-aged man with a cane slowly
limped into the waiting room.  He slowed and glanced over his shoulder,
sighing jovially, "Thanks again, Sato.  My trick knee has been killing me
lately."
A deep, resonant voice from within the other room replied, "Think nothing
of it, Toshi.  Anytime."
Toshi said, "I'll see you soon," then turned and began his slow, limping
pace forward.
The deep voice bellowed, "I sure hope not!  That would mean I'm not doing
my job right!"  Both man and voice broke out in friendly laughter, then
Toshi trudged forward more carefully, shaking his head, still chuckling to
himself.
"Oh!  Excuse me!  I don't know what I was thinking!"  Ono Tofu sprinted
out of the office and took Toshi by the elbow--he still seemed a bit
unsteady.  "Where are my manners?  Please, let me help you to the door."
The middle-aged man glanced at the young doctor's apprentice and smiled.
"Very kind of you, lad.  But I need to walk by myself as much as possible
to keep these old bones strong."
Tofu let go and watched as Toshi hobbled out the door and waved back
before he was out of sight.  Tofu shook his head and chuckled to himself,
marveling at the man's perserverance.
He heard Kasumi's sweet voice chime, "Hello, Doctor," and he froze for a
second before turning around.
"Why, hello Kasumi."  He managed to keep his voice from breaking, but his
pulse was steadily beating faster and his palms were already sweaty (and as
the years pass, his affliction would only get worse and worse).  He
adjusted his glasses so that he could better see how beautiful she was
today.  Holding his hands behind his back, he smiled and asked, "What may I
do for you this fine afternoon?"

              -----------===================------------
              |    Based on Characters Created by:     |
              |            Rumiko Takahashi            |
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Kasumi either didn't notice or chose to ignore Tofu's nervous glances.
Instead, she turned to Akane and, despite her younger sister's grumbling
protest, removed her hat to reveal a wide, reddened scrape running an inch
above her left eye, hardly bleeding but still serious.  Kasumi explained,
"She said she fell down on the sidewalk, but I think she was pushed.  And I
think she hit her head... here."  She brushed through Akane's hair until
she found a small lump just above the scape, past her hairline.
"Oh my!"  Tofu, crouching down to get a better look, looked greatly
worried--it was one of the worse injuries Akane had come in with in the
past two months (but certainly not the worst).  He gasped as he reached out
to inspect the scrape, "I'd better take a closer look at that...."
"No!"  Akane shrugged away from Tofu's hand and pulled herself closer to
her sister.  Pouting, she whined, "I want Mister Naorukawa!"
"But Akane, I think I should...."  Ono reached out again and started to
brush Akane's hair out of the way, but she all of the sudden slapped his
hand away, chirping louder, "I want Mister Naorukawa!"
"Akane!"  Kasumi lightly slapped Akane's hand and scolded, "That wasn't
very nice!"
Akane, ignoring her sister, called out, "Mister Naorukawa!"
From the doctor's office, a deep voice sighed and chuckled, "I'm coming.
I'm coming.  Don't worry, Akane."
A few seconds and a few footsteps later, a tall, muscular, bearded man in
a black and white Shaolin uniform stepped into the doorway.  Smiling, he
held out his arms and bellowed, "Akane, it's good to see you again!"
"Mister Naorukawa!"  Akane jumped up, rushed forward, and hugged his
waist.  "You'll make it stop hurting, won't you?"
Sato furrowed his brow in worry, but maintained his jovial attitude.  "Uh
oh.  This doesn't sound good.  I'd better take a look."
Sato got down on one knee while Akane brushed back her hair to give him a
good view of the nasty scrape on her forehead.  Rubbing his chin, he
breathed distantly, "Oh dear."  Then he smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Not a problem.  I'll have you fixed up and ready to go in no time."

              -----------===================------------
              |    Akane, Kasumi, and Nabiki Tendo     |
              |                  in:                   |
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Akane sat on the examining table with her feet hanging over the side and
her head tilted slightly upward while Dr. Naorukawa applied an herbal salve
to her wound; she giggled at the coldness of the cream, which dulled the
pain like throwing water on a fire.  Kasumi sat on a stool by the table,
her hands folded in her lap and her gaze downcast in thought, while Ono was
in the back making tea.
When the doctor started patching Akane's wound with a piece of padded
cloth, Kasumi sighed, "I'm really sorry, Doctor, if Akane bothers you too
much--and I know you're very busy.  But she always insists on seeing you."
Sato smiled, but didn't take his eyes off his task.  He assured her, "It's
no trouble at all.  I need patients like her to keep me on my toes so I
don't get lazy in my old age."
Kasumi smiled.  "You're not THAT old, Doctor."
Sato laughed and playfully wagged a finger at her, "I've lived for
fifty-five years, young lady--I'm not ashamed of it.  But that's old enough
to slow any man down, regardless of his training."  He continued taping the
patch to Akane's forehead and added, "And I've been a friend of the family
for nearly ten of those years, so you can call me Sato."
Kasumi nodded and joked, "Whatever you say, Doctor Sato."
The doctor sighed and shook his head, then finished securing the patch and
patted Akane on the shoulder.  "All fixed up now."  Akane nodded, smiling.
He grabbed her under the shoulders and hefted her to the floor, then patted
her back.  "Why don't you go help Mister Tofu bring the tea?"
"Okay!"  Akane hugged Sato and ran off to the back, calling back, "Thank
you, Mister Naorukawa!"  Sato smiled as he watched her go.
Kasumi sighed, "I just wish she'd learn to trust someone else besides you,
like Dr. Tofu--not that she should ever give up on you."
Sato held up a hand.  "Don't worry, I understand.  I won't be able to
patch her up forever."  He noticed that his statement had made Kasumi a
little worried, so casually added, "Tofu is a good lad.  She'll get use to
him soon enough."

              -----------===================------------
              |          ALL FOR THE BETTER?           |
              |                Part I                  |
              |         "Grow Up Little Girl"          |
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