For entertainment purposes only. No infringement intended. Ranma ½ is owned by Takahashi Rumiko. Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Author's Note: This isn't canon Ranma or Kenshin; you really don't need any previous knowledge of either to read this fanfiction, though it is helpful. Some ideas were also taken from Samurai X, a prequel of sorts to Rurouni Kenshin.

Any C&C is welcome at: fxffects@hotmail.com

Reviews are appreciated. So is constructive criticism.

Chapter One: Introductions

"Here you go, ma'am," the waitress said, as she set the bottle of sake onto the table, smiling brightly at the brooding redhead before her.

"Thanks," the redhead mumbled, as she reached out and poured herself a small shot full of the alcohol, downing the liquid in one gulp. The waitress nodded curtly, and bustled off towards another table with another bottle of sake. The redhead continued to down shots of sake, hiccupping slightly as the alcohol began to take effect…

After her seventh shot, the redhead wearily reached into her hakama, withdrawing a well-worn leather-bound book. She sat there for several minutes, merely staring at the book, as tears began to well in her eyes. Shaking her head slightly, the redhead quickly tucked the book away inside her hakama, patting it reassuringly. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms over her chest, as she stared up at the fan spinning lazily above her head. "Tomoe…"

China
Summer
15 years ago

<<<"What are you thinking?" Kenshin asked, as he gently tightened his arms about Tomoe's slim waist. Tomoe sighed, and leaned into the embrace, lightly nuzzling the base of Kenshin's neck as she wrapped her arms about his neck.

"I was thinking… you could've been happy," she whispered, as the two slowly walked over to the sofa, still in each other's arms.

"Oh?" Kenshin murmured into Tomoe's ear, as he gently laid her onto the sofa, brushing aside a stray hair from her angelic face. Tomoe nodded, smiling, as she reached down and began to untie her obi, tugging Kenshin down for a kiss with her other hand.

"I saw you in the garden today," she continued, gently caressing the scar on Kenshin's cheek. "You could've lived like this, if you hadn't picked up a sword. You could've been happy with some land, some seeds to plant…">>>

The redhead downed another bottle of sake, and glanced at the wall clock, idly wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Check…"

"Yes, Ms. Himura. Is there anything else I can do for you?" the bellhop asked, as he slowly straightened from his bow. The redhead slowly shook her head, as she pressed a few yen notes into the bellhop's hand.

"No, thank you, Ataru," she replied with a soft smile, as Ataru pocketed the yen. "Just some privacy. I need time to think…"

"Hello, Saotome residence," the voice greeted cheerfully over the line. The redhead grimaced slightly, as she shifted her grip on the phone.

"Y-yes, may I please speak to Saotome Genma?" she stammered out, as she began twirling the phone cord about her finger idly.

"May I ask who's calling?" the voice asked, causing the redhead to sweat slightly.

"Ah… Kenshin," the redhead finally answered, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Wait a sec," the voice replied curtly, leaving the redhead to fidget slightly during the ensuing silence…

"Genma," a voice finally replied over the line, startling the redhead a bit, before she regained her composure.

"Hello, father…"

~~~~~ Interlude ~~~~~

"Battousai strikes again. Ha." The concealed figure laughed humorlessly, as he crumpled the newspaper in his hands and tossed it aside, sighing as the wad of paper bounced off the rim of the wastebasket. "I need a drink…"

The door in the far corner of the room slid open, revealing an orderly young butler, with a bottle in one hand, a telephone in the other. "A call from Kyoto, sir," the butler announced, as he set the bottle down on a nearby table, handing the phone over.

"I thought the line was to be held open in case—" the man started, clearly irritated at the interruption.

"The operator insisted," the butler cut in, nervously shuffling about in place. The man grumbled lightly under his breath as he took the phone, quickly reaching over towards the bottle.

"What?" he snapped into the phone, as he sloppily poured himself a cup of the pungent liquid, the red contents spilling onto the tabletop. He sighed softly to himself, as he leaned back and sipped at his drink, smiling, as he downed the red concoction. He nodded lazily, as he listened to the caller, idly staring into the roaring fireplace, the flames casting long shadows throughout the room. After a long silence, the man nodded, as he slipped into the only seat in the room, and reclined back, sighing as he heard his bones pop and groan.

"Take care of him, then," he finally replied, before handing off the phone to his butler, who bowed, and quickly shuffled out the door.

"So you're still alive," he muttered under his breath, as he poured himself another cup, spilling a bit more of the red liquid onto the table. "Himura…"

The other line was silent for a long while, causing Kenshin to fidget slightly in her seat, as she waited for her father to answer.

"R-Ranma?" Genma finally asked, shock plain in his tone. Kenshin chuckled slightly at the name, as she leaned back in her chair slowly.

"I do not go by the name of Saotome Ranma anymore, father. It's—"

"Himura Kenshin," Genma finished Kenshin's train of thought, a bit of disdain filtering through the line.

Kenshin scoffed lightly at the obvious distaste, and plopped onto her bed softly.

"I see you read the letters Khu Lon sent you," Kenshin whispered, as she stared up at the slowly rotating fan blades overhead. There was another long pause, as the breathing on the other end became a bit more relaxed.

"You disappeared after the war, son—"

"Daughter," Kenshin corrected, smirking as Genma sputtered for words at the statement.

The sputtering eventually stopped, and Genma laughed humorlessly over the line. "You actually did it," he stated more than asked, drawing a light chuckle from Kenshin.

"Was there any other way, father?" Kenshin asked incredulously, fiddling with her long bangs.

"No, I guess not. I was just worried when the key player in the Chinese-Musk War seemingly vanished from the face of the earth without a trace," Genma said after another pause. "So it seemed."

There was another lull in the conversation, as Kenshin idly scratched her head, trying to think of some small talk. "Sooo…. Who was the girl who answered the phone?" she asked timidly, twining the phone cord about her finger nervously.

Genma sighed at the comment, and muttered slightly under his breath. Kenshin blinked, sitting up on the bed, as she strained to hear the mumbled words. "She's what?"

To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007