No, I'm not on the list anymore, but I thought I'd leave these last 
few postings as a going-away present of sorts. This is the first chapter 
of the first (and only) fanfic I wrote while on the list. Boy... has it 
really been more than a year since that day?

Noriko: (from off-camera) Yes, it _has_!!

    (grumbling) Yeah, yeah... Anyway, here it is. It never really got 
completed past chapter six, and it's not a masterpiece, but... 

    Oh, and for you guys that might have been around the first time this 
was posted, please, stay tuned anyway. There're enough changes and 
revisions to still make it interesting a second time through (I hope). 

    Enjoy the show. Chapter Two to come tomorrow. C&C of any sort, of 
course, is still craved like nothing else (and might help me with a 
conclusion, too!).

-----
Scoop of the Day

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
-----


Disclaimer: Ranma and company are the property of Rumiko Takahashi (like 
I'd be able to come up with anything that crazy on my own!). This fanfic 
was written because I didn't have anything else I really wanted to do at 
the time and because I like Ranma 1/2. No profit was gained from this 
writing, no glory was won, and no animals were harmed in the production 
of this story.



Special thanks to Mike W. Loader for his ideas and support, and for 
convincing me that my idea was worth writing about after all.

Also, thanks to Mike Noakes and Krista Perry who helped extensively with 
the latest revision. More credits when all's said and done. :)


Chapter One: Here's Noriko



	Noriko Hirauchi held her head in her hands and sighed as she 
looked out at the chaos around her.

	The journalism room of Furinkan High was always in some state of 
disorder, but this afternoon, entropy levels were at an all-time high. It 
was deadline day, and just about everyone in the room scrambled about, 
each dealing with their own little crises. For instance, the guy in the 
corner -- he had lost the floppy that contained the soccer article that 
was due today. The girl over there with the ribbon in her hair -- she was 
supposed to have met the principal this afternoon to interview him about 
his latest truancy policy, but he was currently unavailable, something 
that had to do with a pineapple bomb going haywire, landing him in the 
infirmary. And as for the guy way in the back sprawled on the 
floor...well, one of the teachers had caught him sneaking around the 
faculty lounge trying to overhear the latest details on the bomb 
explosion and decided to drain him of his chi, yammering something about 
"delinquency."

	And the list went on and on. And Noriko was responsible for them 
all. "Hey, where's that story on last week's softball game??" she 
hollered, trying to make herself heard in the already maddening racket.

	"Sorry, Noriko, the printer in here went blooey and I had to 
search the school to get it out!" A sheet of paper was thrust in her 
face. "Here you are!"

	Noriko glanced over it quickly to make sure it was actually an 
article about softball and not last night's math homework. The printer 
was broken? Well, she could deal with that later. After a quick "thanks" 
to the reporter, Noriko redirected her gaze towards the maelstrom of 
journalists. "Okay, now how about those photos I asked for?" No response. 
"Hey! Gosunkugi! Drop that silly doll and get over here!"

	A rather sheepish, baggy-eyed freshman quickly made his way over 
to Noriko's desk. "Sorry, here they are," he stammered as he handed an 
envelope over. She opened it and examined its contents. Ah, here was a 
good photo of the team captain (Akane, wasn't it?) catching a pop fly. 
And another of Akane at bat. And Akane sitting in the dugout. And Akane 
chasing some pig-tailed girl with a bat, and Akane getting some water, 
and waitaminute were these all pictures of...?

	"Gosunkugi no BAKA!!" Noriko shouted. "You wasted an entire roll 
taking pictures of AKANE??"

	Gosunkugi blanched (no mean feat, either). "S-s-sorry! Th-that's 
the roll I bought for myself." After a brief, frantic search in his book 
bag, he produced an identical envelope and shoved it across the table. 
"H-here're the real pictures!" Noriko snatched it up and quickly looked 
inside.

	"Okay, that's better. I'd better not catch you wasting our film, 
you know!" Noriko waggled her index finger pointedly. "That film costs 
money, and we're rather tight on funds as it is!"

	"H-h-hai, Noriko-san! Sorry!" Gosunkugi quickly scurried away.

	Noriko sighed once more, this time in relief. The chaos seemed to 
have dropped to manageable levels; the guy had found his floppy in the 
computer's drive, the girl had managed to contact the principal on the 
phone, and the other guy on the floor was even starting to come around. 
Sometimes her crew was a bit frustrating to work with, but they always 
managed to pull through somehow.

	Noriko paused for a moment to allow a brief wave of pride to wash 
over her. _Her_ crew. _Her_ paper. Noriko immediately began to silently 
chastise herself for thinking such prideful thoughts, but she couldn't 
help but feel a twinge of satisfaction nonetheless. After all, she was 
editor-in-chief of the "Furinkan Informer," and most of the people around 
credited her with nearly single-handedly rescuing the paper from the rut 
of mediocrity it was stuck in when she had arrived at Furinkan High just 
a little over a year and a half ago. To be editor-in-chief as a mere 
sophomore, that was unthinkable. And to be editor-in-chief as a relative 
newcomer to Furinkan, that was even more unthinkable. Nevertheless, after 
a stellar first year as a reporter (getting the scoop on the Oni invasion 
was a plus), everyone on the paper had agreed that editor-in-chief was 
where Noriko Hirauchi belonged. 

	"Hey, Chief! Got the layout for next week's edition right here!" 
Noriko broke out of her reverie and directed her attention towards 
Suzuki, the layout editor. Suzuki waved a sheaf of papers in front of 
her. "It's a real beaut, too! Okay, we've got the normal header for the 
front page, and the top headline is--"

	"Let me guess," Noriko interrupted. "'Student Brawl Causes Damage 
to School: Disagreement between martial artists becomes out of hand,'" 
she recited in the same tone as someone might rattling off multiplication 
tables. 

	Suzuki looked crestfallen. "Well, yeah, pretty much, except I 
used 'fight' instead of 'brawl.' Did you already get a look at the layout?"

	"No, but our headlines for the past four editions might as well 
have all been like that!" Noriko said, frustrated. "Just the same thing, 
week after week!"

	"Well, there're only so many ways I can rephrase it, you know," 
Suzuki said in mild defense. "How would _you_ have put it?"

	"No, I'm not blaming you; just the news itself. It's gotten so 
that nothing short of Nerima sinking into the ocean will even make the 
students turn their heads!"

	"Well, Chief, it _is_ rather important news," Suzuki remarked. 

	"Yeah, it was news the first time, all right, but then the 
disasters kept occurring over and over again!" She shook her head in 
frustration. "Why can't this be a normal high school like everywhere 
else? Somewhere where fights don't occur every single day and you don't 
have to worry about losing your head as you walk to your next class. 
Somewhere where when you walk to your next class, you can know for sure 
that the classroom will actually be there and not demolished by an 
'incident' that happened last hour! It's all those darned martial 
artists!" Noriko nearly spat out the word "artists." "Some 'art,' 
breaking everything in sight! In fact--"

	Just then, Mr. Watanabe, the advisor, poked his head into the 
doorway. "Noriko, could I talk to you for a moment?" He gestured towards 
his office. 



	Mr. Watanabe calmly sat down in his chair and studied the 
standing, slightly nervous editor-in-chief in front of him. Outside of 
the journalism room, most people would probably categorize her as "cute": 
slightly small for her age, with shoulder-length brown hair and round 
glasses that make her already expressive eyes appear even larger than 
they were, creating an impression of eager, albeit somewhat 
inexperienced, intelligence. Mr. Watanabe frowned slightly as he 
remembered why he had called her into his office. Still, although she 
didn't look it, she was a tough girl, and needed to hear what he needed 
to say, even if the news was unpleasant. 

	"Noriko, I couldn't help but overhearing what you were saying 
about martial arts in our school," Mr. Watanabe said carefully, fingering 
a letter opener in the shape of a katana.

	"Hai, sensei," she answered glumly, looking at the ground. They 
had been through this conversation before. A reminder from 
Watanabe-sensei, a reluctant agreement from Noriko, and...

	Without warning, Mr. Watanabe hurled the letter opener in 
Noriko's direction. Before she could even gasp in surprise, reflexes took 
over her body and Noriko caught the blade just a few centimeters to the 
left of her face. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off. "What 
did you that for?? You could have killed me!"

	Mr. Watanabe smiled inwardly. "No, I couldn't have, and you know 
it as much as I do." *Just when you think you've got it all figured out, 
Noriko, I'll just do something else to catch you off-guard,* he thought 
as he readjusted himself in his chair. "Noriko, I know you didn't mean 
what you were saying in there about the martial arts." A statement, not a 
question.

	Noriko was indignant. "Not mean it? Of course I did. They cause 
nothing but trouble, and property damage, and..." She trailed off, 
realizing that she had been down this path many times before. 

	"You'll have to realize someday, Noriko, that it's often useless 
trying to fight being what you really are. Haven't I said that to you 
before?"

	"Hai, sensei," Noriko said with an air of resignation. Silently, 
she handed Mr. Watanabe's letter opener back to him. 

	"I'm not convincing you, am I? Well, no matter," Mr. Watanabe 
said, dismissing his last thought with a wave of his hand. "That's not 
the reason I brought you in here. I went to the faculty meeting today 
over at the infirmary since Principal Kuno couldn't make it back to the 
school this afternoon."

	"Oh? What happened?"

	"As you know, maintenance costs for Furinkan this year have been, 
shall we say, somewhat higher than they have been in the past." Mr. 
Watanabe pulled out a packet and handed it to her. "Now, you understand 
that what you are about to look at must not leave this office."

	Noriko scanned the page of numbers. "It looks like a budget for 
next year," she remarked. "Maintenance costs, improvements, funds to 
various programs: rugby, gymnastics, Hawaii Club, softball, 
yearbook...hey! Where're funds for the 'Informer?'"

	Mr. Watanabe nodded gravely. "Since costs for repair and 
maintenance have been so high this year, Principal Kuno has decided to 
eliminate all of what he deems non-essential programs."

	"Non-essential!? _Us_? What about Hawaii Club? Or Chemistry Club? 
Or that awful Akane Tendo Fan Club?"

	"Hawaii Club is Principal Kuno's pet club; he won't be getting 
rid of that anytime soon. And the others you mentioned don't receive 
funding in the first place. We're actually one of the few non-athletic 
programs that receive funding." Mr. Watanabe paused. "I know this must be 
tough for you, especially considering all you've done for the 'Informer.' 
No one on the paper has ever put in the time and effort you've done in 
the last year alone. In fact, some of your peers have even credited you 
as the reason the 'Informer' still exists today."

	Tears threatened to well up in Noriko's eyes. "Existing just so 
it can be axed by the principal!" she said bitterness creeping into her 
voice.

	"Not necessarily so. This budget you're looking at isn't a final 
one, and is subject to change with Principal Kuno's fancy, such as it is. 
I will do my best to try and convince Principal Kuno's mind in the 
meantime. But, unless we can find some funds soon..." Mr. Watanabe's eyes 
glittered darkly. "...I'm afraid what you're looking at is going to be 
very close to what will be passed for next year."

	"But...but our advertising and fund-raisers barely cover our 
extra costs as it is," Noriko said weakly. "It's not fair!"

	Mr. Watanabe gave her a sympathetic look. "Yes, I know," he said. 
"But life can often be that way, and it's just the truth of the matter. 
I'll help you best as I can for fund-raisers, but I just want you to know 
in advance that saving the 'Informer' may be a very difficult task 
indeed. I'm very sorry, Noriko, but there just isn't any other way to 
look at it. I'll make a formal announcement next week when the next 
edition of the 'Informer' gets out. Until then, I'd appreciate silence in 
this matter."



	Noriko slowly walked back to the journalism room. Somehow, 
deadline day didn't seem quite as urgent anymore. Not when she knew that 
the paper probably wouldn't even last another year...!

	*All right, none of that,* Noriko chided herself. *You can worry 
about that in a week. For now, you should concentrate on making the 
'Informer' the best darn school paper in Nerima!* Still, she didn't feel 
too much better. It was all the fault of those darned martial artists, 
breaking the walls and equipment and such...

	*Wait a minute,* Noriko thought to herself, an idea beginning to 
form in her head. *Maybe I can do both at once...* She quickened her pace 
towards the journalism room.



	By the time Noriko arrived at the room, most of the chaos had 
sorted itself out and the room was much quieter. She absently waved "hi" 
to her crew as she headed for the photograph file cabinet. Opening a 
drawer, she scanned the rows of envelopes and folders. *Hmmm... 
Academics... Akane (boy, that's a thick file)... Community... Aha!* She 
pulled out a manila envelope marked "DISASTERS AND DAMAGE -- NO 
NEGATIVES" and laid out the enclosed photos on the desk in front of her.

	*These are photos of almost all the major disasters that have 
struck Furinkan in the last year and a half,* Noriko thought to herself. 
The first photo showed a pig-tailed boy wearing Chinese clothes and 
another bandanna-clad boy locked in combat, a good-sized crater in the 
sidewalk. *That pig-tailed boy is... Ranma Saotome, right? And I don't 
think the other one goes to Furinkan.*

	A photo of Ranma still in combat with the other boy, this time 
destroying a water fountain. The next series of photos were continuations 
of that fight, only there was something strange about Ranma... *Oh, yeah, 
he's got that strange curse of his that changes him into a girl 
sometimes.* Another photo of a ramada being destroyed with Ranma 
clutching a girl in his (her?) arms. *Hmmm...Akane, right? The captain of 
the softball team. And...his fiancee?*

	Another shot of Ranma in a battle pose as a girl, but his shirt 
was damaged in the fight, leaving certain areas of the body exposed. *I 
had to pay quite a pretty yen for this picture,* Noriko thought, 
recalling the transaction with a junior with short brown hair. *But it 
was such a good picture; it's a shame I couldn't use it for the article. 
Of course, back then, no one knew that she and Ranma were the same person.*

	More pictures. A shot of Furinkan's rhythmic gymnastics team in 
bandages, the victims of a mugging. Another shot of Ranma in a leotard at 
St. Hebereke's arena fighting Kodachi Kuno, St. Hebereke's then-champion. 
*Ranma was involved in that one, too?* Another photo of an ice-skating 
competition at Kolkhoz High's rink, but the rink was in shambles, the ice 
having been completely shattered. *That skater...that's Ranma again!* A 
post-game shot of the infirmary's wall being destroyed by some Chinese 
girl (what was her name? Shellac? Shaving Cream?) apparently after Ranma 
as well. Another photo of that same Chinese girl (Shampoo, that was it!) 
breaking down the cafeteria wall, this time to bring Ranma lunch.

	A photo of the multi-purpose room being demolished by an enraged 
Ranma. What were all those cats doing there? Another photo of Shampoo 
breaking down a wall with her bicycle in the gym. Another one of Akane 
punting Ranma through the school roof. A photo of Ranma destroying the 
plumbing system underneath the girls' locker room, a small black pig in 
hand. A photo of Ranma "molesting" Ms. Hinako. And on and on and on, each 
photo somehow or another involving Ranma in the destruction.

	Noriko put down the stack of photos. *So, Ranma, you're the cause 
of all this chaos at Furinkan, eh? And you're the reason my paper might 
not survive until the next year.* She clenched her fist. *Ranma, you'll 
pay for all that you've done to this school!*



end part one

    Part two to come tomorrow...!

---
Raphael See