Part One: A Meeting And A Victory

Ranma slung her child’s bokken over her shoulder as she stepped out of the car, trying not to show any nervousness on her face. Recently, her mother had decided to stop training her at home and get her formal lessons. She didn’t quite know what she thought of the idea. It could be fun, she liked to make friends, but on the other hand the dojo that they had picked was nothing like her home, or the Tendo’s, where she trained sometimes with her friend Akane. This one was in a modern building, nothing like the traditional style of the others; it was somewhat intimidating.

Tugging on her long ponytail of shockingly red hair nervously, she refused to give into the temptation to hold her mother’s hand as the walked into the building.

Everything was a blur. Ranma could tell that everything wasn’t quite adult sized, but she was pretty short for her age, so it was still too large. Her mother signed something on a clipboard, a woman with short brown hair babbled stupid child-talk at her that she didn’t bother to commit to memory, and she was ushered into a large room where several children her age were gathered, most of them boys. Ranma noticed somewhat smugly that all the other girls had short hair, straight and black – none had anything even approaching her vibrant color and length, although a few of the boys’ was light brown approaching blonde. She was quite proud of her hair. It made up for the fact that most other girls her were considerably taller than her, as well as the boys.

For a moment she just took in the layout of the room, still ignoring that annoying lady who hadn’t stopped talking. She looked at the other children as well, noticing that the girls seemed a bit suspicious of her, whereas the boys looked disinterested. A couple of them, however, a small group of taller boys huddled at a discreet distance from the rest of the children, looked at her critically and whispered amongst themselves. One boy looked at her in particular, seeming disdainful, but she paid no attention. She didn’t know how she measured up against them, but was confident enough.

“… Saotome Ranma.”

All she heard was her name, it was all she cared about. She looked up at the woman, then back to the class and bowed to them respectfully. The woman seemed pleased at that. She must not have noticed that fact that Ranma was smiling smugly the entire time.

***

Their teacher’s name was Tatsuzawa-sensei. He was reasonably tall, at least compared to the preteens in the class, and broad but not fat. His hair was still raven black, with only a slight dusting of silver at the temples; it made him look slightly distinguished but he hardly looked the part of the venerable old master. But Ranma could sense something about him. Maybe it was in the easy way he carried his bokken at his side, maybe it was in the way his eyes were wide open, taking in the whole class equally rather than narrowed, inspecting it critically.

Or maybe it was just a feeling Ranma had.

He made note of the new student briefly, then started the class without any fanfare. She was simply accepted, part of the group now, at least to the teacher. The other students… she knew she was on her own.

They started off with simple exercises, nothing very difficult. And although she kept her attention fully on the teacher at all times, she couldn’t help but notice that her form was a little better than some of the others’. Some were just as good, a few even better at the exercises that were, after all, partially unfamiliar to her, but she modestly placed herself in the top quarter of the class, easily.

She wasn’t quite surprised when at the end of the class they were paired off for short sparring matches. She was a little surprised, however, to be paired against the tall boy who had been looking at her earlier. He seemed a bit older than her, but then again so did most of the class. His name was announced, but she didn’t bother to commit it to memory. She’d wait for him to introduce himself for that.

She examined him as they faced each other. He seemed disdainful of her, arrogant. She took it as a personal challenge even as they bowed to each other.

One, two.

He was fast. Ranma knew that she was agile, faster than most of the others she had sparred with in the past, but he was better than them, it seemed. But her opponent hadn’t been serious that time; rather, he was testing. She was impressed that he respected her that much; he certainly didn’t seem the type.

Three, four.

Stupid mistake, and she nearly paid for it. If her shoulder had been a little squarer… he wasn’t striking with much force, but she knew it probably would’ve hurt.

Five, six, seven.

Her eyes narrowed. The switch to three had almost caught her off-guard. He was good. But there had been a slight flaw… maybe…

Eight, nine, ten.

He wasn’t quite as comfortable with the triple pattern, she could tell. He had probably been expecting to catch her with the change, and was now bound to the new rhythm. Well, that is, unless…

Eleven…

Twelve . But somehow, Ranma didn’t feel very proud. It hadn’t been for any particular skill on her part, merely luck. But she had touched him with the tip of the bokken, barely, on the side, and that ended it.

He felt it, and was stunned for a moment. Then he collected himself, bowed, and turned to find another partner among the others who had already finished their first match; apparently it was how things were done, but Ranma didn’t feel right simply going on like that, so she walked around him until he was facing her. But he didn’t look at her, instead scanning the other children for another fight.

“It was luck, you know.”

That got his attention. He looked at her, having to look down because she was so much shorter, and tilted his head to one side in acknowledgement. “Certainly.”

“My name’s Saotome Ranma, by the way.” She knew that he already knew her name, but she always preferred to introduce herself. She held out one hand, which he looked at incredulously.

She simply waited, expectantly.

Finally he shook her hand. “Kuno Tatewaki.”

“Nice to meet you, Tatewaki.”

***

~Mordain

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