Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Hitomi ❯ Prologue & The New Arrival ( Chapter 1 )

Prologue

Kasumi sat at the kitchen table sorting the mail. Her eyes narrow slightly upon finding a postcard within. They widened considerably as she saw that it was addressed to her. She began to read it and she gasped softly, smiling happily. She arose from the chair and hurried to her father.

“Father!” she called as she knelt beside him card in hand.

He set his paper down at her call, looking at her curiously. “What is it, Kasumi-chan?”

“I received a postcard today, father.”

Soun was immediately nervous about what it could be. Was someone after Kasumi? She seemed happy, so that can't be it. “Oh?” was his intelligent response.

“It's from my old friend, Hitomi. Do you remember her, father?” Kasumi asked hopefully.

“Oh, and what did she have to say, Kasumichan?” Soun responded trying to think of who Hitomi might be.

“She's coming to visit for awhile. Oh, please say she can, father.” Kasumi pleaded.

Soun made a show of considering it before nodding sagely. “Yes, I think that would be fine.”

“Oh thank you father!” she exclaimed and hugged him before raising to return to the kitchen. “Oh, she should be arriving tomorrow.” She added before disappearing into the kitchen once more.

She sat down again, a bright smile on her face. She was really looking forward to seeing her friend again. Hitomi was a bit eccentric back in school and it always made for a fun time. I wonder what she'll think of Ranma and all the changes around here. Akane was only a child the last time she was hear. I wonder what Hitomi's been up to… Kasumi soon lost herself in her thoughts so dinner was almost late that night, no one noticed however.

 

The New Arrival

Soun sat at the dining room table eying the shogi board longingly. He was beginning to miss having his shogi partner around. Nodoka had dragged him home with her so as to minimize his contact with Ranma so as not to interfere with his life anymore then he already had. Soun was pulled out of his thoughts by a persistant knock on the door. Kasumi had run an errand and had yet to return. He rose to get the door as no one else seemed to have heard it.

He opened the door and looked on curiously.

“Hello, how may help you young lady?” he asked hoping it wasn't another fiancee for Ranma.

Meanwhile said boy had appeared behind Soun near the stairs and was worried about the same thing after hearing Soun's words. A passing though of where Akane was crossed his mind. She might decide to get mad at him for this. He just didn't understand that girl sometimes… okay, most of the time.

The girl bowed respectively and Soun nodded in return.

“Hello. I'm Hitomi.” She smiled brightly.

“Oh, come on in, we've been expecting you.” Soun replied stepping out of the way. The name Hitomi had clicked in his head and he remembered his conversation with Kasumi the day before.

We have? Ranma thought confused and highly suspicious. He followed them into the dining room where Soun sat and Hitomi followed suit. Ranma walked in about the time Akane happened by.

“Dad? Who's this?” Akane asked, equally suspicious of the newcomer as Ranma.

“Ah…” Soun began.

“Hi, I'm Hitomi.” She replied brightly with a small smile. “You must be Akane!” she added in surprise.

“How do you know who I am? Are you another fiancee?” Akane asked unnerved by this strange girl.

“Fiancee? I don't understand?” she said looking around panicky.

“If you're not another fiance then why are you here?” Ranma asked confused.

However, before Hitomi could reply Kasumi came in somewhat hurriedly after seeing Hitomi's bags by the door.

“Hitomi-chan!” Kasumi very nearly squeeled and the two girls embraced happily. “You're here!”

“Yes, Sumi-chan, I'm here!” Hitomi replied cheerily.

“I'm so happy!” Kasumi replied.

“Me too!” Hitomi answered.

Meanwhile the other occupants of the room where looking on nervously unable to fathom what they were seeing. It was simply too much jubilance and childish kawaiiness. Nabiki, who had been watching from the door finally broke the moment, thankfully.

“So she's Kasumi's friend?” Nabiki asked in confirmation of what was witnessed.

“Oh yes! She's going to be staying with us for awhile. Isn't that great?” Kasumi asked seeming more happy than any of them could remember.

“Where is she going to stay? We already have two other freeloaders.” Nabiki glared at her father.

“She will share Kasumi's room.” Soun responded.

“I'm no freeloader, don't you worry about that.” Hitomi smiled a slight hint of mischief on her eyes.

“I don't remember Kasumi having a friend named Hitomi.” The ever suspicious Akane stated.

“Well, you were quite young the last I saw of Hitomi.” Kasumi replied sounding more like herself.

“Why is there a young man here? Is he one you two's boyfriend?” Hitomi asked looking between Nabiki and Akane.

“He's Akane's fiance.” Kasumi replied softly, “I'll explain later, okay Hitomi?”

Hitomi nodded, “That's going to be some story.” She smiled.

There was some silence for a few minutes while everyone decided who would speak first.

“How old are you, Hitomi-san?” Nabiki asked a calculating look in her eyes.

“Twenty-two.” Hitomi replied easily.

Now, this was a bit surprising considering Hitomi's quite youthful appearance.

“How?” Akane started obviously confused.

“Hitomi lived down the street and we'd end up walking to school together.

We got to be good friends and she helped me greatly when we got older. Though, she was only at our house a very few times. We'd go shopping together and she would help me around the house. She taught me many more recipes and helped me improve my cooking skills. She would come by at odd times to help me clean up and we'd talk a lot. I really missed Hitomi when she was gone.” Kasumi spoke somewhat sadly, reminiscing.

“I missed you, too, Sumi-chan.” Hitomi added with misted eyes.

The two girls hugged briefly once more. Nabiki looked perturbed that she could have missed this but almost thought she could remember seeing a girl talking with Kasumi by the koi pond.

“Well, do you do martial arts?” Akane asked now looking for a perspevtive sparring partner.

“Do I? I don't know. I might know a little.” Hitomi replied looking genuinely confused.

“Oh, you do a little, Hitomi. Remember how you were able to frighten the boys away?” Kasumi replied plainly with her everpresent smile and was that a bit of mischief in her eyes?

“Oh yeah. That turned out to be a bad idea in the end, ne?” Hitomi answered with a little somewhat sad laugh.

Kasumi joined her with a small one of her own. “Yes, you should of seen how poor Tofu-san turned out after what you put him through.”

Three of the rooms occupants promptly face faulted.

“Well it was necessary then. I could try to fix it now that I'm here.” She added guiltily.

“I'm afraid he's disappeared.” Kasumi replied sadly.

“That baka! I guess that means I'm staying here longer than I thought. I have to wait for him to return now.” Hitomi grumbled not quite unhappily. “Oh well. That's all right, isn't it Soun-chan?” she beamed happily at him.

He sweatdropped, “S-s-sure.” He stammered trying to look away from her.

“Do you want to spar with me?” Akane asked hopefully.

“I suppose. Just don't try to hurt me, please.” She asked a tolerating look on her face.

“Akane, I don't know if you should-” Ranma began.

“No, Ranma, don't you even finish that. I am a martial artist and I can take care of myself. Besides, it's only a friendly spar.

Ranma sat there, looking doubtful and sure of himself at the same time.

Akane humphed and started to walk away. “ I just need to change into my gi. It'll only be a minute.” She smiled at Hitomi.

Nabiki was eying Soun suspiciously and Hitomi as equally suspiciously. She shrugged as if giving up but really was doing nothing of the sort. She walked away but was really finding a place to spy from inconspiculously.

Hitomi rose and looked where Akane went unsurely. “She sure is spirited, ne?”

“Yes, that's a way to put it, Hitomi-chan.” Kasumi said rising again to head to the kitchen.

“Oh, don't do too much without me! I'll be ready to help you in the kitchen real quick.” Hitomi replied and hurried off towards the stairs. Akane was running down and stopped at seeing Hitomi standing there in the kimono she wore when she arrived.

“Are you ready, Akane-san?” she asked coolly.

“I am, but are you sure you want to fight in a kimono?” Akane asked looking at her strangely.

“It is anything goes, dear. Do you think you'll always have a gi handy whenever you need to fight? Or that your opponent will give you time to?” Hitomi said giving her a look that said `come on'.

“Well, I suppose…” Akane mumbled drifting off.

“Well, let's go!” Hitomi urged.

Akane walked to the dojo and Hitomi followed resolutely behind. Once in the dojo Akane stretched and took up a stance. Hitomi stood there on the other side of the dojo. Akane's eye's narrowed. This reminded her too much of her first fight with Ranma. She looked at her opponent who merely smiled ever so slightly and waited patiently. She couldn't read anything that said this girl was there to fight. Akane smirked and Hitomi moved slightly. Akane did not catch that movement.

Akane ran towards her opponent and dodged right as if Hitomi had tried to attack. Hitomi merely cocked a brow from her still seemingly immobile position. She shifted again outside Akane's notice. Akane swung at Hitomi who looked to have just stood there, but Akane's fist never impacted. It fell short as a matter of fact, which shouldn't have happened if she was still in the same place. Akane looked really confused before attempting to attack again. Hitomi frowned at Akane's poor inability to observe anything. Hitomi sighed and slid to the side of Akane's latest attack, pulling Akane to be in front of her. She kicked the back of Akane's knee in the same movement and Akane went down with a yelp of pain.

Akane was about to cry, why was every new person better then her? Akane stood up again and turned angrily to Hitomi and stopped in her tracks. She watched in shock as a tear rolled down Hitomi's cheek. Hitomi hugged Akane before running from the dojo. Akane stood stunned, too stunned to think about the soreness in her legs.