This is the last segment so far written of this line.
I decided to post it anyway, since I mentioned it
already.

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.

All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.



Junko's Legacy - Part 3
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	Akane lay on the couch staring at the ceiling, her mind
full of the events of the day.  It had been an emotional whirlwind,
one that had thrown her almost 20 years into the past.
	During the production meeting, she had been unable to
totally concentrate on the business at hand, so shaken was she
by all that had happened.  In the space of an hour, her life had
been completely turned over, and it was all because of a red-haired
girl.
	Abruptly, she smirked at the irony of that... it had been
a red-haired girl showing up slung over the shoulder of a panda
that had started the course her life had taken, and now, history
was looking to repeat itself.
	As well, there was the additional aspect of what she had
seen in the eyes of her son when he first met Junko.  It was
apparent that he found her attractive, and admittedly, he would
have to have been dead not to.  Akane couldn't decide how she felt
about that, knowing from painful experience what getting involved
with a Saotome could mean.
	Her son was everything to her, his presence in her life
having helped her endure her divorce and the subsequent lonliness.
He was her child, her best friend, her confidant and probably the
only reason she was as successful as she was today.  Wanting to
provide him with a good life was her primary motivation in her
early career, and it had paid dividends she hadn't anticipated.
	The more she thought about it, the more she became
convinced that she didn't want to risk her son getting involved
with Junko, fearful that it would take him away from his promising
future as a computer technician.  Listening to her describe her
life had done nothing to assure Akane that the girl was any
different than her father, and that meant that the Art was a big
part of her life.
	Kito knew very little about the Art, a choice Akane made
when he was young.  After witnessing what devotion to it had done
to the Saotomes and her own family, she wanted to spare Kito the
price.  Her son would go to university and get a good job, marry
a *nice* girl, and have a house full of kids.  In short, a normal
life.
	A smile crossed her face as images of her covered with
grandchildren wafted through her mind, giving her a happy, warm
feeling.
	Looking up at the clock, she noted that Kito should be
home soon, having gone to a friend's home to study for an exam.
He hadn't yet said much about their guest, but Akane knew from
experience that he would eventually, and all she had to do was
wait him out.
	Drawing a breath and letting it out slowly, she rose from
the couch and headed for the kitchen, intent on making up a light
snack for the two of them.  Just as she opened the fridge, she
heard a vehicle pull up to the end of her driveway, and walked to
the window to see who it was.
	Pulling the curtain aside, she gasped quietly as she saw
the same Miyata, and her son stepping out of it with a smile
on his face.
	As she watched with mixed emotions, Kito stepped back from
the car and waved happily, and Junko returned the wave with a
bright smile before roaring off up the road.
	Closing the curtain quickly, Akane composed herself as
best she could, then went back to the fridge to finish her
preparations.  Within a few moments, Kito sauntered into the room,
a silly grin pasted on his face.
        "Konbanwa, okaasan!" he greeted happily, draping his coat
over a chair and swinging himself into it.
	"Konbanwa yourself... where did you end up tonight?  I
don't see any books under your arm," Akane responded, suspiciously.
	"Ano... I went to Ken's place for a while, but we got
finished quick.  I decided to catch the train and go see if I could
watch that Junko girl ride her horses."
        "Hm," Akane replied, her face darkening slightly.  "I
assume you found her," she continued, her voice controlled.
	"Hai.  She's incredible... she took four firsts out of five
events, and would have got them all if her horse hadn't stumbled,"
he responded, excitedly.
	Akane shuddered inwardly.  The glint in her son's eyes as
he spoke of Junko, and the excitement he felt for her
accomplishments spoke volumes about his feelings... and they were
exactly what she feared they would be.  Her next task had suddenly
become an order of magnitude more difficult.  Steeling herself,
she looked back at Kito evenly.
	Kito's smile faded quickly as he looked up at her,
wondering what was wrong.
	Taking a deep breath, Akane took her son's hand and held
it, then dropped what she knew was going to be a major bomb.  "I...
don't think I want you to see her anymore, Kito-chan," she stated,
bracing for the repercussions.
	Kito blinked once, then regarded his mother questioningly.
After a moment, his face darkened.  "Why...?" he finally asked, his
voice sounding slightly panicked.
	"I have... my reasons, Kito-chan.  I'll have to ask you
to trust me,"  she replied, lowering her eyes.
	"But, Mom..."
        "Kito... please.  Don't see her again!  I don't want you
to..." she began angrily, but clamped off the sentence.
	Kito continued look up at her expectantly, searching for
some logic to her statement.  Akane opened her mouth again to
speak, but found that words failed her.  Shaking her head, she
growled and left the room, feeling Kito's eyes burning into her
back.


	The voice on the other end of the phone had been quiet for
the last few seconds, making Junko very nervous.  It wasn't like
her Papa to ever be quiet, which made her heart sink to the bottom
of her stomach.
	"You did... what?" he finally said, startling Junko
slightly.
        "I... went to see Tendou Akane.  She lives here in Nagano,"
she repeated, hesitantly.
	"Omae ne... Junko-chan, you may have just opened some very
old wounds," he sighed, and she could tell from the sounds that he
was rubbing his forehead; like he did when he was choosing his words.
"Junko-chan... I've known where Akane lives for the past ten years.
As much as I would have liked to talk to her, I stayed away to
avoid dredging things up.  It was likely as painful for her as it
is for me,"  he stated, his disapproval evident.
        "I didn't get that feeling, Papa... in fact, she said
that she had moved on..."  Junko protested, but Ranma didn't let
her finish.
        "Junko, Akane may very well believe that, but she's
not one to forgive or forget easily.  You can bet that there'll be
shockwaves from this for a long time to come," he indicated,
remorsefully but still firmly.
	"There's something else, Papa... She has a son.  His name
is Kito, and he's into computers," she injected quickly, crossing
her fingers.
	"And...?" the voice in the phone prompted, apprehensively.
        Junko swallowed hard.  "And I think like him," she
blurted, grimacing.
	Again, the phone went quiet.
	"Papa...?"  Junko whispered, even more fearful of his
reaction to this development.
	"Junko... don't see him any more.  Stay away from Akane,
and stay away from her son.  I don't want this to go any further!"
he abruptly snapped, his voice full of tightly controlled anger.
	"H - Hai, Papa..."  Junko whispered haltingly, a catch in
her voice.  Her Papa was her entire world, and the thought of him
being angry or disappointed in her was devastating.  She felt like
breaking out in tears, and only a supreme effort of will held them
in check.
	Ranma heard it in her voice as well, and puffed out a long
breath.  "Gomen, Junko-chan... I didn't mean to bark at you.  Your
heart was in the right place, as always.  But please stay away
from them... it's much better that way," he sighed, his voice
still firm.  He drew another breath, then cleared his throat.
"You're back home when, now... two more days?" he redirected,
carefully.
        "Hai.  I took four out of five today, and I have Pole 
Bending, Horsemanship and Pleasure tomorrow.  There's one event 
Friday morning, then I'm done," Junko responded enthusiastically, 
glad to change the subject to something more palatable.
        "Good.  I'll have the sauna fired up and waiting.  Your
mother says Hi, Good Luck and she loves you."
	"I love her too, Papa... and I miss you both.  I can't wait
to get back home."
	"Then get out there, win, and get back here.  I love you,
Imotouchan... Oyasumi," he concluded, warmly.
        "Hai, Neechan," Junko smiled, happily.  She still loved
their little game of calling each other 'sister', which began when
they were first seen together after her Papa had gotten splashed.
The individual thought they were twins, and the idea had stuck.
"I'll see you by late Saturday afternoon... if the guys are on the
ball." she added, smirking.  "I love you, Papa... see you then."
she smiled, and closed her cell phone.  As soon as she lowered the
device from her ear however, her smile melted away to a sad frown.
	Stepping from her car, she tucked the phone in her pocket
and headed for the stable area, wanting to say goodnight to her
best friends in the hope that they would make her feel better.
        On the way to the stables, her mind reeled with worry.
She did like Kito, and they had enjoyed a pleasant evening together,
talking about each other and of course, horses.  After finishing at
the grounds, they had gone for a quiet coffee at a restaurant in
town, and by the time she had dropped him at home, she was more
than impressed.  He was smart, courteous, pleasant and
heart-stoppingly handsome; she knew she had to see him again.
	After making the rounds with her horses, she felt a bit
better but her heart was still heavy.  She loved her Papa with
everything she was, and it deeply hurt her that she had made him
upset.  However, now there was a part of her that needed to see
Kito again, damn the cost.
	Standing in the lane between the rows of stalls, Junko
lowered her head and sighed painfully, the anguish threatening to
overwhelm her.  Grunting, she took a stance and began a rigorous
kata, hoping to clear her mind; she had more events coming up, and
needed to get some sleep.



	Ranma hung up the phone and crossed back into the family
room slowly, a pained look on his face.  Akiko, waiting for him
on the couch, noticed his mood and rose to meet him, concern
etched in her features.
	"Anata... what is it?" she asked, stepping up beside him
and touching his chest gently.
        "Ay... our daughter is being a Saotome," he moaned, looking
down at his wife's eyes with a sad smile.
	"What did she do...?" she responded, lowering her eyebrows.
        "She looked up Tendou Akane... and went to visit her," he
sighed, shaking his head.  "She stopped in earlier today, just
before her event.  And it gets better... she met Akane's son Kito,
too," he added, quietly.
	Akiko's face sobered.  "That's the otemba girl you lived
with, ne?" she asked at length, considering the implications.
        "Hai.  The same.  I told Junko to stay away, and forget
she met them, but I think it may already be too late," he
continued, looking back at her wearily.
	"Ano... why do you say that?"
        "She tells me that she *likes* Kito," he replied,
reaching up and kneading the bridge of his nose.  As he spoke,
he gestured Akiko back toward the couch, then went and sat heavily
in it.  Akiko curled up beside him and rested her head on his
shoulder, squeezing his arm supportively.
        He looked over at her and smiled sadly once more, then
kissed her forehead gently.
	"Incredible, ne?  We were so worried about her not showing
any interest in boys, then when she finally does, it's in the
worst possible one.  She's my daughter, all right," he groaned, and
looked back to Akiko with a resigned frown.
        "I don't know... I happen to think your taste in spouses
isn't that bad,"  Akiko piped up, jabbing him in the ribs with her
finger.  "She'll find someone else, Anata... you'll see.  She's far
too independant to want to tie herself down to a man right now
anyway... they don't have enough legs," she added, smiling
assuredly.
        "Feh... I hope you're right.  This is one problem we don't
need," he responded, glancing at his watch.  "Kuso, I need
a workout.  Coming?"  he stated, casting his wife a wry smile.
        "Need you ask?" she smiled, rising from the couch and
extending him a hand.


	Junko patted her horses' neck affectionately as she waited
for her turn at her first event of the day.  She was astride her
favorite, a 17hh Bay Quarter Horse named Akauma, one she had
hand-raised from a colt and trained meticulously for Gaming.
	Akauma's ears perked up as they heard the announcement for
the event, and Junko urged him over to the gate, smiling happily.
There was no better time for her than that which she spent on her
horses, as when she rode, the world seemed to simply move aside
until she was ready to deal with it again.  Preparing herself, she
leaned over and hugged the large animal's powerful neck.
	"Okay, Akauma... let's show 'em how it's done.  Those
Americans aren't that good,"  she remarked confidently, in
deference to the international scope of the event.  The horse
nickered in response, nodding it's head for emphasis.
	Finally, she was waved into ready position, and set
herself for the start signal.  She could feel Akauma building
energy for his blast from the start, the technique that had won
him almost every event he had been entered in.  An excited smile
crossed Junko's face as she watched the starter's hand rise.
	When it came down, she launched the huge horse off the
line, preparing for the first sharp turn.  Akauma handled it
expertly, remaining within inches of the pole and already setting
up for the next.  Her bright smile widened as she guided him
smoothly though the first pass, then cut him tight into the
turnback.  Upon nearing the last pole of the course, Junko
planted herself in the saddle, knowing that Akauma's Warp One
dash for home, the most exciting part of the ride, was next.
	Sure enough, Akauma dug in hard, lurching forward with
everything he had, scattering dirt almost thirty feet behind him.
Junko couldn't help but scream out loud from the thrill.  The
speed he picked up made her eyes water, and as she braked him to
a stop after passing her timing mark, she was still wiping them
clear.
	Junko was beyond ecstatic as she led her mount back to
his assigned stall, patting him and telling him how proud she
was of him.  She had taken the event, stunning the Americans.
She was even surprised at her time, having posted a new personal
best.
	As she untacked Akauma, she couldn't help but smile and
lavish praise on him, and she swore he was grinning smugly as
she did.  He was especially cooperative as she brushed him down,
which Junko attributed to some sense of ego.
	As the euphoria from the win faded slowly, Junko's
thoughts were back on Kito almost immediately.  They had already
arranged to see each other again that evening, but now she almost
dreaded it; so much so that her heart ached in her chest.
	After slipping Akauma a few choice apples for his efforts,
she led him into the open area near the stalls to cool him out,
at the same time hoping that she could find some way to ease her
dilemma.  Starting a long pattern of walking around the area, she
became so engrossed in her thoughts that the voice from behind
her startled her.
        "Konnichiwa, Saotome-san," it greeted, happily.  Junko's
eyes flew wide at the sound of it, and her heart actually skipped
a beat.  Turning, she broke out into a wide smile.
        "Kito...!  What... how can you be here?  I thought you
had school...?" she blurted, embarrassed by her 'enthusiastic'
greeting.
        "Ano... I cut class this afternoon," he admitted,
sheepishly.  "It feels weird, too... first time I've ever done
it," he followed, thoughtfully.
	"I hope... you didn't..." Junko started, but Kito nodded
his response.
	"Hai.  I did.  Saotome-san, ah... I had something happen...
can we talk someplace?" he added, abruptly looking very nervous.
        "Here is fine... I have to walk Akauma out," she indicated,
her chest suddenly feeling tight.
        "Okay," he smiled weakly, gesturing for her to lead off.
As she clucked at Akauma to start, Kito fell into pace beside her;
close, but still a respectable distance from her side.  "Eto...
you looked really good out there... I'm very happy you won," he
ventured, pleasantly.  Junko smiled at the compliment, her cheeks
flushing slightly.  Even so, it was apparent to her that he was
trying to work up the nerve for something big, and she couldn't
tell if it was good or bad news.  Kito seemed to have the ability
to maintain a carefully neutral face, a result, she assumed, of
living with his mother.
        "Arigato," she replied, her smile then leaving her face.
"Tendou-san, tell me.  What happened?" she prodded, unable to
stand the suspense.
	Kito sighed and stopped in his tracks, then surprised
Junko by reaching out and taking her shoulders.  "My mother...
told me not to see you anymore.  She demanded it, in fact.  I
couldn't get her to tell me why, but she was adamant.  She'd kill
me if she knew I was here, but I had to come... I don't want to
stop seeing you," he stated quickly, as if trying to get it all
out before his nerve left him.
	Junko was stunned.  Kito noticed her reaction instantly
and took his hands from her shoulders, thinking he had come on
too strong.  "Gomen, Saotome-san... I didn't mean... " he
stammered, but stopped as he saw a strange expression wash over
Junko's face.
	"Tendou-san... My father said the same thing.  And... I
felt the same... as you," she stated softly, lowering her eyes.  
All at once she was ecstatically happy and profoundly sad, and 
unable to decide which emotion was stronger.  Her body trembled 
slightly as she stared at the ground, literally paralysed by 
her conflict.
	Kito meantime, hearing what she said and then seeing her
reaction, couldn't tell what was going though her mind.  Taking
a chance, he reached out to her again, placing his hand gently on
her shoulder.  Junko gasped as she felt his touch, then raised her
gaze to meet his.  Their eyes locked for a few long moments, each
searching the other's soul.  Then, with no warning, Junko abruptly
broke the trance.
	"I... have to put Akauma away..." she stammered, then
twisted out from under Kito's hand and started to lead the horse
back to the stable.
	Kito blinked in surprise, then shook his head to restart
his brain.  "Saotom - Junko-chan!" he called out, freezing the
girl in her tracks.
	Junko again shuddered, then turned to look at him over
her shoulder.  "Please... don't call me that, Tendou-san," she
stated, her voice wavering slightly.  "Not... yet," she added,
then turned and walked away.



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END - Junko's Legacy Part 3             A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extingushed!
coutuva@vecdev.com