Ah'ight, lets get it on!  Oh yeah, characters ain't mine, Ranma and co
are property of Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan Inc. and other people.
Perfume and Altered Destinies are Wade Tritschler's.  You can sue, but
you got all my money anyway.

 Yeah, first fanfic.  Be gruesome, I mean gentle.
 "speech"
 (thoughts)
 *sound effects*
 <panda signs>
 {other languages}
 -chan and -kun used to indicate what sex the person is at the time.


  Two halves make one? Alternate.  Part 2
     or
 The only way you would each get what you wanted, huh?




 Despite all of the weirdness of the day before, Nabiki slept soundly
that night.  She always had a busy schedule, and it was usually worst in
the mornings.  She hated mornings.  Only the lure of food and new
opportunities managed to rouse her at all, and even then she preferred
to sleep as long as she could before hurriedly jumping up and getting
ready.  Having lost a good bit of sleep to the noise of fighting, it's
no real surprise that she wasn't happy to wake up to the same situation.

 *SMASH*
 "AAAHHH!!"
 *SPLASH*
 "DAMN PANDA!  DIE!"
 "OYAJI NO BAKA!"
 "A true martial URRK!"
 "How's that for a 'True Martial Artist'?"
 "Whoa!"
 *THUMP*
 "To slow by far boy!"
 "I'm a girl!  GRRR!"
 Nabiki's pillow once again proved to be less than effective in the face
of such... enthusiasm.  She finally gave it up and got up, mentally
figuring up ways to make them pay.
 Kasumi was humming a cheerful, if slightly tired tune and she went
about fixing breakfast.  She was happy to have houseguests, and she had
missed her sister.  She made certain that she cooked more than usual, as
everyone was sure to be hungry after such a workout.  A nagging worry
tugged at her.  With this many new people she was going to have to work
a little harder to keep the house in good order.  Not that she minded
having to do a little extra work to accommodate the increase in family
size; nice, well-behaved girls never minded helping, and she did have an
image to maintain, but she was worried that she wouldn't have enough
time to finish her other work.  She was setting the bowls on the table
when Nabiki stumbled down the stairs.
 Nabiki was wearing pajamas with little yen signs all over them.  She
had the level, cross-eyed stare of the involuntarily awake.  She eased
down the stairs with one hand against the wall to prop herself up and
would occasionally give forth a jaw-cracking yawn.  Never a morning
person, Nabiki was in fine form this morning.
 "Good morning, Nabiki."  Kasumi greeted.
 "Morning."  Nabiki mumbled.  She froze as she walked across the room,
staring out at a somewhat surreal scene.  She watched mesmerized as the
boy she knew to be her sister teamed up with the girl that was to be her
husband to beat the crap out of a panda.  (Wow, this is weird even for
this neighborhood.)  She shook her head and concentrated on making it to
the table.  A feminine scream of pain distracted her.  She jerked back
around to see her sister laying into Ranma-chan like she was a mortal
enemy before picking her up and hitting the panda again.
 "Have they been at this all night?" she said in disbelief.
 Kasumi finished setting out breakfast and went to the door.  "Come in!
Breakfast is ready!" she called.
 Ranma instantly broke off attack and made a beeline for the door.
Akane stayed long enough to deliver a few more blows and then headed
that way as well.
Kasumi held out a kettle of hot water to Ranma-chan who was considerate
enough to only use half before dumping the rest onto Akane as she came
in.  Than they both sat at the table, where Soun was just arriving as
well.
 Genma picked up the kettle and attempted to pour it on himself.  When
nothing came out he simply shrugged and went to the table anyway.
Kasumi looked up and said, "Oh, I thought you might like something
else." holding up a plate full of bamboo shoots.
 Everyone else just blinked.  Genma went to the kitchen to change back.
Nabiki was somewhat shocked to discover what Akane and Ranma considered
normal behavior at the table, as they settled in for a fight over the
food.  It really escalated when Genma returned and dug in too.  What was
more amazing was the speed they used in snatching food from each other.
 Genma grabbed something from Akane, Ranma did his best to intercept it
as it was heading toward Genma's mouth but wound up grabbing something
off of his plate instead.  Akane would use the distraction to grab food
out of Ranma's bowl and make up for what she lost.  It wasn't clear if
Ranma let her or not but she certainly held her own, sometimes grabbing
food out of Genma's chopsticks as he attempted to eat from his own
stock.
 "We certainly are energetic this morning aren't we?" commented Nabiki.
 "I guess they are always like this."  Kasumi said, watching chopsticks
duel and strike.  She started to say something as rice and vegetables
went flying but stopped as she saw them get plucked out of the air long
before they hit the floor.  "At least they are neat about it."
 "Mmm?"  Akane looked up, chopsticks in her mouth, then back down and
over to Genma in dismay.  He had used her momentary distraction to
relieve her of the rest of her food.  Akane elbowed Ranma.  "Gimme a
hand."
 Ranma sighed, then struck at the same instant as Akane.  Genma, unable
to deal with a two pronged attack, soon lost all of his ill-gotten
gains.  He looked at his empty bowl and then smiled where they couldn't
see it.  They had progressed far beyond his hopes, and that little
display proved it right before his old friend.  He had truly trained
them to work together as a team.  He just wished they had left him SOME.

 Soun had noticed the little display and wanted to cry.  Of course he
always wanted to cry, but he was happy with the job Genma had done
raising his daughter to carry on the Anything Goes school.  Big things
like the curses didn't cross his mind because he was still in denial.
 Ranma and Akane finished long before the others despite the larger
portions and left to clean up, Akane going upstairs and Ranma using the
downstairs bathroom.
 Genma took the opportunity to get in a little revenge.  "Oh
Nabiki-chan, would you please be sure and guide Ranma and Akane to
school today?  Neither of them know how to get there."  Genma said in
his best nonchalant voice.
 Nabiki's mind latched onto that idea like a starving chihuahua on a
porkchop.  Now here were some possibilities for fun and profit.  "Why
would I do a thing like that?  There's nothing in it for me."
 Genma flinched, not having considered that reaction.
 "I might be willing however, if you make it worth my while."  She held
her hand out.
 Genma looked at her in surprise.  "You mean you wouldn't take your own
sister to school?"
 "Not without a reward.  5000 yen please." she replied, trying to think
of something that would profit more than just be fun.
 Genma shook his head and coughed up.
     ****************
 "Whadaya mean school?"
 "Yeah, you ain't made us in a long time!"
 "Foolish kids, do you expect to run a dojo without so much as a high
school education?"
 "I bet you ain't got one."
 "And we ain't getting married just cause you and daddy decided it was a
good idea!"
 Kasumi spoke up, "Now Akane, you really should go to school.  Even if
you don't get married its still a good idea to be educated."
 "Yeah, I guess."  Akane paused thoughtfully. "But I ain't going as a
boy!"
 "Oh my.  Why would you go to school as a boy?"
 Ranma said, "Pops found a reason.  But we can't go to school, we don't
have any supplies."
 Akane reached and grabbed a bag right before it smacked into his
face.   They turned to regard Nabiki, dressed in a school uniform and
waving a second uniform at Akane.
 "You can pay me back later.  Here Akane, I think this one will fit
you."
 Akane bristled, "Ain't no way I'm wearing a dress!"
 Ranma nodded, "Yeah, she's way too macho to go feminine."
 *POW*
 "School rules say you have to wear a uniform," Nabiki pointed out,
ignoring the crumpled Ranma.
 "So?  I'll get in a lot more trouble if I get splashed wearing that
thing," Akane protested.  "I ain't wearing it.  'Sides, Ranma don't have
one neither."
     ****************
 Akane and Ranma were following Nabiki to school.  Ranma was wearing his
usual red silk shirt and black pants, where Akane was wearing her yellow
silk shirt and black pants.  They looked up in puzzlement.
 "Why are you doing that?" they both said at the same time.
 "Cool, stereo.  Doing what?"
 "Walking on the fence.  Why?" Akane asked again.
 We see that, indeed, Ranma and Akane were on the ground trudging along
side by side, where as Nabiki was walking along a narrow fence beside
the road.
"Oh, it's just balance practice." she replied.  (You know, for when you
have to tightrope walk to a hard to get to spot to hear profitable
things.)
 Akane looked at him and shrugged.
 *SPLASH*
 "Hey!"  Ranma and Akane chorused.
 "Oh I'm sorry!  I didn't see you there!"  The old woman who's only
purpose in life is to throw water on the sidewalk apologized.
 Ranma and Akane had been walking close together and the single
scoopfull was enough to get both.
 "Great!  Now we need a hot bath."
 "It will take too long to go back and get hot water."  Nabiki pointed
out.
 "Why?  We're pretty early."  Ranma replied.
 "I have things to do that take time, and you need me to guide you, but
for a price I can get you some."  Nabiki said.
 Akane looked somewhat shocked.  (My own sister is scamming me.)  "Ah, I
don't have any money with me."
 Ranma looked disgusted, then pulled out a few bills.  "This enough?"
 "Yeah, Dr. Tofu's clinic is this way.  I'll take you there," she
answered.
     ****************
 Akane-kun and Ranma-chan were standing inside the clinic watching
Nabiki get hot water for free.  Ranma was kind of looking blankly around
while Akane fumed slightly.  (I'm going to have to have a little talk
with Nabiki about our cash problem.)
 The clinic was slightly busy; a few patients sit idly by, waiting their
turn.  One was an old woman, shrunken with age.  Another wass a young
woman holding a small boy with a cast around his leg.  And the last one
was a tall young man wearing a red bandanna, with a large bump on his
head and a vertical cut running down the right side of his face.  The
old woman seemed about to fall asleep in her chair, while the young
woman was hugging her child.  The kid laughed as the man attempted card
tricks, hampered by only being able to see out one eye, thus showing the
boy how it was done.
 Akane noticed a man wearing a white gi and glasses, pulling a skeleton
around with him walk up behind Ranma.  Ranma didn't notice until he
picked the skeleton's hand up and laid it on Ranma's shoulder.
 "AAHH!"  Ranma yelled and jumped in front of Akane.
 "Oh, I'm sorry, that's just Betty-chan, my skeleton.  Say hi to the
nice folks Betty-chan," the man said, clearly not very sorry at all.
 In a high falsetto voice and a bad ventriloquism attempt, "Hi!  Don't
mind me, I'm just a skeleton.  This is Dr. Tofu.  He he."
 Ranma said, "Um, hi."  (He must be some sort of martial artist to sneak
up on me like that.)
 Akane was more friendly, especially after seeing someone make Ranma
lose his cool like that.  "Hi, I'm Akane Tendo.  It's nice to meet you.
The baka here is Ranma."
 "Tendo?  Any relationship to Kasumi and Nabiki?"  The doctor's glasses
glinted in the morning light.
 "Yeah, I'm their youngest sister."  Akane replied.
 The doctor's eyes bulge out slightly before returning to normal.  Ranma
looked at her and said, "Smooth move Akane-kun."
Akane blushed.
Tofu's eyes once more nearly popped out of their sockets as Nabiki
simply threw hot water on them both.
Nabiki proceeded to explain in a cool, professional manner to Dr. Tofu
about the Jusenkyo curses.  They left as he started mangling patients,
leaving those patients to feeling a strange sense of deja vu.
"So, he's a good doctor?"  Akane asked Nabiki.
"Yes, very good.  He has treated my, I mean our family for a long time
now."  Struggling to conceal her blush at such a slip, she hurriedly
continued.  "Just don't, I mean do not, ever ever get near Kasumi if he
is around.  She goes crazy.  You'll regret it, if you're lucky."
"Why?  What happens?"
"She goes nuts."
Both of the others boggled.  "She can't be that bad.  I mean, why would
she start acting weird?"  Akane asked.
Nabiki shook her head and said sadly  "I'm not exaggerating.  Kasumi is
head over heels in love with Tofu.  It's a shame to see Kasumi turn into
mindless fool that dances with brooms."
Ranma looked at Nabiki carefully.  "Thanks for the advice, here's some
in return.  Don't.  Ever.  Eat.  Akane's cooking.  You won't live to
regret it, and that's the best thing you can say."
"Ranma!"
****************
It didn't take them much longer to reach the school, and they managed to
dodge the four or five times water nearly got them.  Nabiki wasn't as
careful, and got splashed from above by some old lady watering plants.
She looked at the others, who were doing their best not to laugh.
"From now on, I'm going alone."
"Aw, don't take it too bad.  Now you know what we have ta go through
every day."  Ranma smirked.
When they got to school, they were quite surprised to find a large crowd
of people, mixed boys and girls, gathered around the gate.  Nabiki gave
them a warning look as she strode forward to meet with two younger girls
who had separated from the crowd.  The girls handed Nabiki something, it
was hard to be sure what it was, and pointed at someone in the crowd.
Nabiki walked forward to the boy, grabbed him, then kicked him over the
wall.
Ranma looked at Akane and asked, "What's goin' on?"
"How should I know?  I just got here too ya know."
Nabiki stepped back from the crowd, looked them over, then yelled,
"Begin!"
The crowd lined up in an orderly fashion, and one by one, looking like a
scene out of a bad ninja action movie, they attacked her.  Akane looked
worried, but Ranma pointed something out.
Nabiki was very precise, holding back until the last minute then
flashing in with a disabler.  Then she would back off to circle them and
knock them out with a few lightning kicks to the head, motioning for the
next in line.  There was no wasted motion, and she had a detached
expression on her face, like she was examining a bug that happened to be
annoying her.  She rarely punched, unless a large opening was seen,
preferring instead to block with her arms.
"She's pretty good," he commented, as Nabiki planted her left foot in
one boys stomach, then when he doubled over, she kneed him in the face
with her right knee.
"Yeah, not bad.  She's taking it easy on them though. Weird school,"
Akane replied.
"Tell me about it."
Nabiki soon finished her morning exercise, and turned to face the last
one, a tall boy about her age wearing kendoist clothes and carrying a
bokken.
Akane gestured at him.  "See?  I knew we wouldn't have any trouble with
the dress code."
Ranma made shushing motions with his hands.  "I wanna hear what he's
saying."
"Truly a boorish lot.  Halt fair sorceress!  You may have defeated the
unworthy but I shall bring about your defeat on this field of battle!"
he ranted.
"Still mad about losing the kendo championship eh Kuno-chan?  That's
fine with me, as long as you put your money where your mouth is."
Nabiki replied calmly.
Ranma glanced at Akane.  "Is this guy for real?  I ain't never seen
anyone like this."
Akane just glanced back in irritation.  "He must have been dropped on
his head as a kid a few hundred times.  Now shaddup and watch, this
should be good.  He's better than the others."
The kendoist darted forward, swinging his big stick in a short
horizontal strike.  Nabiki wasn't there, however, she had ducked the
swing and kicked him in the knee.  He hobbled back slightly.
"Come on Kuno-chan.  You need to learn to accept defeat.  Or at least
get good enough to actually win," she taunted.
"Admit defeat!?  Never!  Have at thee!"
Kuno feinted at Nabiki's head and brought his bokken down to jab at her
leg instead.  Nabiki moved quick enough that it just grazed her but she
didn't seem to happy that he had touched her at all.
"Okay Kuno-chan.  Looks like you beat the points spread.  Can you back
it up?"
Kuno's reply was to once again attack her, but Nabiki countered and the
brawl continued.  It ended when Nabiki stepped in close and tripped him
with one leg and grabbed the bokken in both hands.  With a sharp twist
and a pull it was hers.  Rather than throw it away or reverse it and
attack she simply rapped him over the head with the handle, leaving him
down for the count.
Dropping the bokken she stood up and held out her hand.  One of the
girls from earlier ran forward and placed a wad of cash in her palm.
Ranma and Akane went forward to talk to her.
"What was that all about?"  Akane wanted to know.
Nabiki, looking down at Kuno, "That much money and he still can't buy a
clue."  She looked up.  "Oh, nothing much.  You know, I beat most of
them in their various clubs and now they want revenge, that kind of
thing.  Kuno came up with the bright idea of challenging me everyday
before school.  The rest wanted to see me beat too, so I let them try.
Just morning exercise."
"That's your idea of morning exercise?  I guess violence runs in this
family, huh?"  Ranma said.
Akane turned and punched him in the stomach, folding him over and
proving his point.
"What was the deal with the money?  You ain't beating them up to take
their money are you?" Akane asked suspiciously.
"No!  No, I'm not.  I just don't see any point in fighting if I don't
stand to gain anything from it.   They pay me TO beat up on them.  At
least that's how it works out.  I get them to bet on themselves in the
fight and when I win I get the money."  Nabiki explained.
"Still sounds like mugging them to me.  *Crunch*  "That hurt you know."
Oh yeah, Kuno's awake."  Akane continued.
 They turned to see Kuno, nearly embedded in the wall where Akane picked
him up and threw him.  He looks at Akane first and goes starry-eyed.
Although that may well have been because Akane smashed him into the
wall, either way Akane made Kuno go starry-eyed, okay?
 "Now Kuno-chan.  Sneak attacking isn't very honorable now is it?"
Nabiki said, waving her finger at him.
 He ignored her.  "What vision of loveliness is this at your side?  Hark
fair maiden, we shall spar, and if you win I shall allow you to date
with me."
 Ranma stepped forward, cutting off his view.  "Her name is Akane Tendo,
sister to Nabiki Tendo, and if you try anything I'll shove your head
even further into that wall." he said menacingly.
 "Forget that!  If he tries anything with me I'LL punch his head through
the wall!"  Akane thundered.  "I don't need your help!"
 Kuno's eyes wobbled around and fixed on Ranma.  He showed amazing
endurance, not that many people can pry themselves off of a wall and not
stagger.  Much.
 "And who are you to be so fiercely protective of this fair lady, whom
you claim to be related to the mercenary Tendo?"
 Ranma opened his mouth, but rather predictably, Kuno beat him to it.
 "Nay, is it not the custom to give one's own name first?"
 Ranma blinked.  "Huh?  I guess if you wanna..."
 Kuno took up a bold stance.  "My name is Kuno-sempai.  Junior.  Group
E.  Captain of the Kendo club.  Rising new star of the high-school
fencing world.  But my peers call me... the Blue Thunder of Furinkan
High!"  Lightning flashed and the thunder rolled in the background to
punctuate his speech.
 Ranma was somewhat bored during the speech but the thunder impressed
him.  "Huh.  The lightning was a nice touch."
 "I thought so too."  Kuno seemed almost touched by this admission.
 "What's with this 'Blue Thunder bit, Kuno-chan?  Couldn't remember
'Shooting star'?  And unless you forgot, I'm the champion."  Nabiki said
snidely from off to the side.
Kuno ignored her.   He was only capable of following a few things at
once and they were taken up by the couple standing before him.
Ranma continued, "I'm a freshman, group F.  I'm Saotome Ranma, heir to
the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  Akane, well, she's
kinda, well, sorta, my fianc�e, so you better not try anything."
Kuno looked hard at Ranma, who was blushing a bright red, and Akane, who
had a tinge of pink but also looked slightly mad.
"Is this true?  Can so beauteous of a maiden be engaged to this, this
wastrel?"  he asked.
Akane just blushed a little more and nodded, while it was Ranma's turn
to get mad.  "Hey, just who are you calling a wastrel, jerk?"
Kuno's face darkened, "Come, let us fight to see if you are worthy of
this fair Tendo girl, if you have not lied about her relationship with
the foul sorceress that denied me the championship."
Akane wasn't paying too much attention to the altercation.  She was too
busy thinking.  (I can't believe he said that, the jerk!  We weren't
going to blab it to the whole school!  Does that mean he likes me enough
to want to go through with it?  Do I wanna go through with it?  Why is
the sky getting so dark all of a sudden?  Uh oh.)  She broke out of her
reverie in time to catch the tail end.  "Hey!  You two bakas can fight
later, we got class to go to and I for one don't want to get wet."
Ranma looked up at the mention of water and blanched.  "Uh, yeah!
Akane's right!  Don't want to be late on the first day.  Heh heh."
Nabiki looked back and forth.  (GREAT!  I can get them to put this off
and set up ticket sales and bets beforehand!)  Outwardly she was calm.
"So Kuno-chan, you two can put off your little fight until after
school.  How about the soccer field?"
"The time and place of my glorious victory matter not to me, only that
it take place."  Kuno spat.
Ranma just shrugged and nodded assent, then sprinted for the door right
behind Akane.
****************
The sensei looked at the class and gestured to the side.  "As you can
see class, we have two new students today.  This is Saotome Ranma (Vague
wave.  Smile.  "Hi.")  and Tendo Akane (Bright smile.  Hands clasped.
"It's nice to meet you all.").  Both just came here from China, but that
still doesn't excuse them from being late.  Buckets.  Hall.  Now."
Akane turned and whapped Ranma.  As they went to get buckets she
whispered angrily, "Baka!  You're as bad as Ryoga at times."  They went
to the hall.
Most of the girls in the class nearly fainted when Ranma smiled, and
Akane had an even more pronounced effect on the boys.
"What a hunk!"
"Man was that girl a major babe!  I'd give my right arm to go out with
her."
A depressed voice cut through the din.  "It doesn't matter.  I heard
them talking with Kuno before class.  They're engaged."
"WHAT!?!?!?"
****************
The class burst forth through the doors and windows.
"Say it isn't so!  You're not engaged to each other are you?"  The last
was said in a slightly desperate wail.
Both Ranma and Akane, in the face of such a crowd, immediately got
defensive.  "Wait!  Wait!  It was our parents idea!"
"I mean, we never..."
The male mind is not really rational, especially in a group situation.
So with the discovery that the two were engaged, and the apparent
poaching on their territory, a few of the boys shouted something to the
effect of  "Kill him!".  Males also being more of a mob mentality, most
of the male population of the class, and part of the female portion,
leaped forward in an attempt to rend him limb from limb.  The rest of
the female part leaped forward just to get a part of him.   The rest of
the males (and a few girls) went after Akane for the same reason.  No
one noticed the sensei laid back in the classroom.  He decided to hit
the sake bottle early, a decision he was to repeat many times during his
tenure as a faculty member at Furinkan.
Neither Akane nor Ranma was in any danger from the angry mob.  They
dropped their buckets and started busting heads.  Unfortunately that
wasn't all that got busted.  During the fighting and repeated slamming
of people on the floor, someone hit the buckets.  No one really saw the
change, but both were quick to realize the problem.  They turned and
ran.
Another interesting thing about the mob mind in general is the effect
someone running has on it.  It's like waving a piece of string at a cat,
or running from a dog.  The running person, even if not the original
target, becomes the main one.  Half beaten victims have been known to
get up and chase alongside of the rest of the mob after someone who was
fleeing the horrible scene.
Kuno looked up as the door to the class slammed open then closed again.
His jaw dropped open as for the second time that day, he saw a girl that
made something go fluttery inside him.  Long red hair, done up in a
pigtail.  Chinese clothes like that boor Ranma.  In the company of a boy
with more than a passing resemblance to the fair Akane.
Nabiki also raised an eyebrow at the arrival of the two.  Their
breathing wasn't heavy, but they both scooted to opposite sides of the
door and Ranma peeked back through the window.  She then looked over the
rest of the class to gauge reactions.  Most were just overcoming initial
surprise and starting to talk among themselves.  Kuno was the most
transparent one of all.  You could almost see the little hearts in place
of his eyes as he stared at Ranma.
Kuno stood up and made some disjointed sentences that may have asked for
their names, definitely said something about Blue Thunder (Which
incidentally woke the teacher.), and involved the phrase 'date with'.
Ranma looked at Akane, who looked at Nabiki, who shrugged.
They both ran over to the window and jumped out.  Nabiki and several
other students yelled, "Hey!  This is the third floor!"  Then they ran
to the window and looked down.  Both had plummeted to the ground, but
instead of the usual SPLAT, they simply landed and looked back.
"Fear not my love!  I, the blue thunder, shall save thee!"  Kuno jumped
out the window.
Akane and Ranma looked up in time to see him plummet.  Akane shrugged,
but Ranma jumped to catch.  Ranma grabbed Kuno out of the air, rebounded
off the side of the building and landed back beside Akane.  Kuno
responded by going limp and drooling, onto Ranma-chan's shoulder.
"Eew!"  Ranma exclaimed and dropped him.
Akane looked at Ranma, "Why'd you grab him?  He could have took it."
Ranma looked sheepish, and shrugged.
Kuno had recovered, and immediately opened his mouth, "My love!  You
have stolen my heart just as surely as you walked through the door!"
Ranma made a face.  Akane made a different face.  Neither was easily
identified as a certain emotion, but disgust was a part of Ranma's.
Ranma growled cutely, "Can it Kuno.  I'm not interested.  Go bother
someone else."
"What he means to say is that he's taken."  Akane-kun said.
Kuno looked angry, then puzzled.  "He?"
"Ah, she means she of course."  Ranma-chan replied quickly.
Kuno looked at her again.  "She?"
Ranma laughed nervously.
Akane interrupted, "Look Kuno, we're engaged.  Forget it."
Kuno looked at Akane and whipped up his bokken.  "Are all women of such
quality taken by such lowly pesants?  I will not allow these
travesties!"
"How about right after your other battle Kuno-chan?"  Nabiki's voice
broke through.  "We want everyone there to see these struggles after
all."
"Yes!  All of Furinkan High shall be there to see my glorious triumph!"
Kuno ranted.
Ranma turned to Akane.  "Let's get outta here.  I think I'm going crazy
from this place," she grabbed Akane and started walking.
"But its not even lunch yet..."
"Be sure and make it to the soccer field by four!"  Nabiki yelled at
them.
****************
Ranma, Akane-kun, and Kuno were all slightly surprised at the number of
people that showed up at the appointed time.  The announcer's booth was
also cause for a blink.
"AND HERE COME THE COMBATANTS!"  announced, who else?, the announcer, a
tall guy wearing a white shirt and a red bandanna.
"YES!  THERE THEY COME!  THIS IS A GRUDGE MATCH TO END ALLL GRUDGE
MATCHES!  FIGHTING TO PRESERVE THE HONOR OF TWO FAIR MAIDENS, TATEWAKI
KUNO!" screamed the enthusiastic announcer.
  "AND FIGHTING FOR THE HAND OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LOVES, RANMA SAOTOME
AND...," the announcer covered the mike and waved at Nabiki.  "Hey,
what's the other boys name?"
Nabiki sweated briefly.  "Uh, uh, Kensuke!"
"Kensuke what?"  the announcer asked.
"Uh, just Kensuke.  Don't worry about it,"  Nabiki hissed.
The announcer responded by screaming, "KENSUKE!" into his mike.  "WHO
WILL TRIUMPH?  THE CHALLENGER, WHO'S ONLY DEFEAT HAS BEEN AT THE HANDS
OF NABIKI TENDO?"
Kuno's face clouded at this.
"OR WILL IT BE THE TWO NEWCOMERS THAT NO ONE HAS SEEN FIGHT YET?  PLACE
YOUR BETS WITH TENDO-SAN NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"  he finished,
panting, and reached for a glass of water.
Nabiki was having the time of her life, herding the crowd like sheep and
shearing them of their money.  Ranma and Akane weren't enjoying
themselves quite as much, however.
Kuno, naturally, was the first to regain use of his voice.  "Although it
gives fire to my soul that mulitudes of people are here to see my
victory, it is a terrible omen that that sorceress doth gather them."
"We had better see a share of the profits," Akane-kun muttered.
"Cease thy mutterings knave!  I, the mighty Blue Thunder, shall prove
that you are not worthy of such women that you are engaged to!"  Kuno
yelled.
"YES!  A LITTLE PRE-FIGHT SHOUTING MATCH!" the loud announcer screamed.
"WILL HE ENRAGE HIS OPPONENTS SO THEY MAKE A FATAL MISTAKE?"
"Of course he's not worthy of Akane Tendo."  Akane-kun smirked.  "A girl
like that is VERY special."
Kuno turned to face Akane-kun.  "And what, pray tell, is your
relationship to the fierce tigress known as Akane Tendo?"
Akane-kun blinked a few times.  "Uhh..."
Ranma thought fast.  "He's her sister, Kuno.  Just like the redhead is
mine."  (Whew!  That was the best thought I've ever had!)
Kuno did a doubletake.  "You are engaged to each others sisters?"
"KUNO SEEMS RATTLED!  BUT CAN HE MAKE A COMEBACK?"
Both nodded.
Kuno sighed, "I should have guessed.  It was the only way you would
allow the other to date the maidens, huh?"
Akane and Ranma facefaulted.
"YEEESSS!  A CLASSIC CUT DOWN BY KUNO!  HE MAY HAVE A CHANCE YET!" the
announcer screamed.  Nabiki kept waving at him to keep the crowds
attention.  They were already looking bored.
Ranma a sat up and put a hand behind his head.  "Well, sorta."  (As good
an explanation as any I guess.)
Akane got up and looked directly at Kuno.  "We were forced into this by
our families, so we have to make the best of it.  I'm gonna make sure my
sister don't have to marry if she don't wanna."
"Yeah, um, same here," Ranma agreed.
Kuno shook his head back and forth slowly, and sighed again.  "Each of
you has accepted the other's engagement, and that is your perogative.
Forgive me, although I disagree, I did not know of your situation."
Kuno bowed slightly, and turned away.  "I shall be going now."
Ranma and Akane exchanged a look, and blinked a few times for good
measure.
Ranma was the first to recover.  "That was... weird," he said.
Akane just nodded, and they both started to leave.  However, the crowd
roared.  They paid to see a fight, but nothing happened.  They were not
happy.
Nabiki sweated.  People were turning to glare at her, and mentioning
refunds in threatening voices.
She had angered crowds before, but not while she was IN the crowd.  She
waved franticly at the announcer.  "Do something!" she mouthed at him.
The announcer was as stunned as the rest of the crowd, but he soon
recovered.  "WASN'T THAT JUST INCREDIBLE FOLKS?  THE TWO NEWCOMERS WON!
KUNO HAS BOWED AND ADMITTED DEFEAT!  TO MY  KNOWLEDGE, HE DIDN"T EVEN
ADMIT DEFEAT TO NABIKI TENDO!"
The crowd looked around at each other.  Nabiki started easing her way
toward freedom.  The announcer continued.
"THAT WAS AN EXCITING MATCH!  I DON'T BELIEVE I'VE EVER SEEN A MATCH
QUITE LIKE THIS ONE!  LET'S THANK NABIKI TENDO FOR BRINGING US THIS FINE
QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT!" the announcer finished.
The crowd looked at Nabiki and a few voices were raised in
semi-approval.  Nabiki took a half-hearted bow.
The announcer leaned back in his chair.  "Fine quality entertainment,
hah.  That sucked so bad I would have had to been paid to see it.  Oh,
yeah, I am," he muttered to himself.  His words, however, carried to the
mike, where they were broadcast to the crowd.  He froze, realizing he
could be heard. "Oops."
Akane-kun watched in small satisfaction as the crowd mobbed Nabiki.
Ranma started to go help, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.  He
looked questioningly at Akane.
"She deserves this.  Let it go."
Ranma sat back and watched.  The crowd was quite brutal.  Some time in
the process of trying to get their money back they realized that this
was Nabiki, the same girl they had been trying to beat every morning.
Shrill screams echoed around the yard, as Nabiki found out that fighting
them one by one was a lot different from fighting them all at once.
The crowd had broken up into small groups, chatting happily about
violence, before the sheepish announcer walked over to the mangled form
of Nabiki.
"I guess now would be a bad time to discuss my pay, huh?"
"Kill... you," she replied.
He nodded to himself.  "Thought so."  He smiled wryly.  "I guess you
really don't want to see the equipment fee and setup charge the
contractors left."
*Sniff* "Waaahh!!!!!"


 Read the later chapters at
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/clockwork/416/anime.htm
Let me know what you think, I just love attention.  Thanks.   Send
comments, criticism, and copyright infringement lawsuits to
ballisticsausage@hotmail.com   Flame me!  I�m heat resistant!  Any MST3K
will cause the offending person to be put on my list of people I�d
donate a kidney to.  No liver, it probably won�t live anyway.
First created on 5/11/99.








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  Ragun P. Moody
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