A Ranma ½ fanfict by Tangent

Pre-reading and editing assistance by:

Lord Talon;

Nevrmore;

And some guy named Steve

DISCLAIMER: ‘Ranma ½’ and all characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogagukan, Kitty and Viz Video. This fanfict has been produced for my own enjoyment and to pass on without profit. Other characters that come into play in this fanfict may or may not be pulled from other sources (including other fanficts, RPGs, manga, anime, literature, or possibly even *GASP* American comic books!).

A WORD FROM TANGENT: By now, some of you may be wondering why Ranma seems to be more ‘wordy’ as Lord Talon put it. If you remember from the beginning of the manga and the anime versions, Ranma started off as unusually subdued and polite after his curse, and remained polite and shy around strangers until his first misunderstanding with Akane. As Ranma seems to be naturally brash, this may have been another effect of the curse, or at least a response to it.

Anyway, as Ranma believes, in this time line, that Jusenkyo has had more than just a physical effect on Genma, it would make sense if Ranma were also so effected by his curse. Of course, it could all be psychosomatic…

In either case, it would explain why Ranma is more prone towards fainting in this timeline, as was depicted in the previous chapter.

Ranma wasn’t particularly happy at the moment. While the day had started out well enough, with the sparring match that he and his father engaged in nearly every morning, things had taken a slow trend for the worse since then. Oh, he hadn’t minded walking to school with Nabiki, and had to admit that she was probably right about needing an education if he wanted to support a family no matter what he chose to do with his life. He even promised, on his own initiative, to try to do well in school, which Nabiki seemed to like. It wasn’t until after he had gotten to school that things began to go sour.

He was just settling in to the room he would be in while he was attending Furinkan, when everyone had been called to the windows. Upon investigating what was up, he saw his fiancée’s sister, Akane, being attacked by a horde of twenty or thirty boys, all of which declaring their love for her right before they tried to hit her. This in itself seemed flat out wrong to him, as did the mass assault against her, and he had been about to jump out and assist her before he noticed that she didn’t need help after all. Heck, Akane could probably teach Ranma a thing or two about fighting large groups. He’d have to ask her later.

That Kuno guy was another story. Ranma could tell that the guy was holding back during his fight with Akane. Ranma didn’t know how much the jerk was holding back, or even if the guy was as good as he seemed to think he was, but he was playing with Akane. Given the apparent motive for the duel, this struck Ranma as a dishonorable way to handle the situation. Akane may just be able to surprise the moron if Kuno decided to drop his pretense and get serious, but Ranma had already decided to make sure that Akane could take the jerk down.

Which meant that Ranma had to fight with a girl. Well, spar actually, but it still wasn’t an idea that he felt comfortable with. Unlike his father, Ranma had acknowledged that girls could be good fighters. Personal experience and the situation with his curse forced him to take that standpoint just for his own peace of mind. Granted, he probably would have denied it if anyone tried to tell him that before his latest decision. Admitting it to himself was one thing, but admitting it to others was another. No, the real reason he felt uncomfortable with the idea of fighting girls had more to do with the end result of the one time he had fought a girl.

Shampoo literally wanted him dead. Well, ‘her’ actually, since Ranma had fought her as a girl, but it amounted to the same thing. Someone hated Ranma enough that she had vowed to track ‘her’ to the ends of the earth and kill ‘her’. Just because Ranma had fought her and won. Ranma knew that he would have to resort to lethal force to defend himself eventually, and the whole idea sickened him to the core of his being as he couldn’t really say that he hated her that much in return.

In an effort to drive the unwanted memories from his mind, Ranma had asked Akane what was going on. What he received was an account of Kuno’s stupid proclamation at the end of the last school year when he had made some speech about how no one could date Akane unless they could beat her in combat…

"That has got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!" Ranma said in disgust. "What kind of Martial Artist does he think he is?"

"I don’t know," Akane replied. "But I’ve been able to beat him every morning even though he’s the best fighter in the school…"

"Hold it right there!" Ranma retorted. "If you’re going to take that attitude, you’ve lost already. Kuno’s holding back when he fights you," Ranma pointed out, holding up a hand to stop her angry objection. "I don’t know how much, or if he could beat you when he goes all out, but if you take that attitude, he will win when he does." He gave her a moment to absorb this information rationally.

Akane listened, having seen the level of skill Ranma had when he had sparred with his father earlier. While she hadn’t wanted to admit it, she could tell that Ranma was much better that she was. If he had some sort of advice to give, Akane decided that it would be in her best interest to listen to it. She nodded, indicating for him to go on.

"Look, I honestly don’t know enough about either of you in order to tell you who the better fighter is, but this guy is being dishonorable by harassing you in this manner," Ranma stated. "What I’m offering is a chance to train with me if you want to, regardless of what my pop might say. That way, when Kuno does get serious, he will definitely be in for a surprise."

"Thank you," Akane said meekly. Granted, a part of her was very exited at the opportunity to train with someone better than she was (even if he was a boy), but Ranma had burst one of the little bubbles of her world. On the other hand, he had done so for the best of reasons, pointing out a flaw in her world-view that could have gotten her in trouble later. "I think I’ll take you up on that."

"While we’re at it, you can show me how you do that group fighting that you do," Ranma said, hoping to cheer her up a little. "I’ve only ever fought one-on-one or against small groups myself."

"Deal," Akane replied, indeed feeling better that she knew something about fighting that Ranma valued and wanted to learn from her. Then a thought occurred to her. "Why would your father object?"

"Ah, he’s got some dumb idea that girls are too weak to be good fighters," Ranma explained, hoping that his tone conveyed his contempt for this particular opinion of his father’s. He tried to tell himself that the situation would work itself out, but images of a murderous Shampoo were haunting his memories again…

Another thing that was beginning to get on his nerves was all the gossip and ‘advice’ that he was getting from his classmates about Nabiki. It started out innocently enough, with just a couple of guys who wanted to warn the new kid about the various hazards involved with associating with Akane Tendo. Granted, they were trying to scare off yet another potential rival, but the threat of Kuno’s wrath or the large group of guys that thought that fighting was the way to her heart didn’t put out Ranma. He thought he had put the matter to rest when he explained that Akane was going to be his sister-in-law due to his engagement to Nabiki Tendo.

Unfortunately, this had sparked a round of, of all things, sympathy from his classmates. The general consensus seemed to be that Nabiki, while attractive enough, was something less than an ideal catch for anyone. To Ranma’s classmates, at least, Nabiki was either a money hungry mercenary just shy of being a yakuza, a control freak, or an emotionless cold fish without a heart. They seemed to think that the only way anyone would marry her was if it was an arranged marriage or if the groom was being paid a lot of money. Since they knew it was an arranged marriage, Ranma got all of the condolences, pity, and sympathetic advice about his ‘unfortunate’ situation he could stand.

More than enough, really. He would have to do something about this…

Akane looked worriedly at her future brother-in-law. She could tell that their classmates’ unexpected reaction to his engagement to her sister was upsetting him greatly. She hoped that he wasn’t going to do anything rash, and that Nabiki would be all right. Even though she didn’t always see eye to eye with Nabiki, she didn’t wish her to end up in a loveless marriage or with a broken heart. Ranma had gotten closer to Nabiki than anyone outside the immediate family ever had since their mother’s death. Akane could tell that Nabiki had opened herself to him, even if she didn’t know quite why her sister chose to do so. Ranma seemed to respond in kind to Nabiki, or at least he had yesterday and this morning.

Akane silently prayed that her older sister’s world didn’t come crashing down around her ears…

Nabiki was feeling pretty miserable. She had expected congratulations, or perhaps a little envy, from her friends and peers. While she did receive some congratulations from a precious few, whom Nabiki now counted as her true friends, the bulk of the reaction she got was disbelief. Even among those whom she had once considered as friends, no one thought that anyone would willingly marry Nabiki unless money was involved or there was no other choice.

Nabiki knew she had withdrawn into herself after her mother had died, making few friends and creating an image of herself as an ‘ice queen’. Just last week, she had been proud of that very image and the control over her own life that it represented. No one could take advantage of her; no one could hurt her. No one, outside of her own family, could get close to her either…no one could care for her…love her…

What if Ranma was going along with the engagement because he had to? What if he didn’t love her? What if he didn’t even like her? What if he…hated…her?

Nabiki sat down under a tree with those precious few friends who chose to support her. They could tell that she was distraught over everyone else’s reactions, but were at a loss as to what to do about it. They just picked at their lunches and remained by their friend as she began to silently fall apart.

Rescue came from an unexpected, but entirely welcome source as Ranma walked up to the group. He coughed quietly into his fist to clear his throat before he spoke.

"You know, you have such a pretty face," he sad gently, "it’s a pity to cover it in tears." Ranma squatted on the balls of his toes before Nabiki. "Tell me, is it because of what everyone is saying about us?" he asked, concerned.

Nabiki could only nod slightly, unable to find her voice.

"Well, What do they know!?" Ranma declared contemptuously. "Have they ever tried to understand who you are? So you are a little distant. Who wouldn’t be after losing someone they loved? Trust me, Nabiki, I know what it’s like to lose a mother…I don’t even know if mine is still alive, we’ve been away so long. Everyone reacts differently to loss…Akane by throwing herself into the Art, Kasumi by becoming…well…Kasumi."

"And certain amazons by swearing to kill you?" Nabiki chided, finally beginning to come back to her center. Her friends could only look at each other in confusion – Nabiki would have to tell them what she meant by that later.

"Well, I hadn’t really expected that to happen, but yes," Ranma replied. "Even that. Just don’t remind me too often, I’ve been trying to forget about that all morning ever since that stupid brawl Kuno started over your sister."

"I thought that you didn’t get involved?" Nabiki wondered. "I didn’t see you there."

"I asked Akane about it afterwards," Ranma explained. "I even offered to help her train so that Kuno would have a nasty surprise waiting for him when he finally drops his pretense and fights her for real." He smirked once, before frowning again.

"How did she take it?" Nabiki wondered. Akane was one of the best fighters in the school, outside of Ranma and Kuno. Nabiki didn’t really know a lot about martial arts, despite living with her father and Akane, but knew that her sister was worried about Kuno. She also knew that Akane had a bit of an ego herself about her skills, and couldn’t be too happy about being considered less skilled than someone her own age that she had only just met. Especially a boy.

"She seemed to accept my offer, and really cheered up when I asked her to show me how to do that group fighting that she does," Ranma elaborated.

"So she gets to show you something," Nabiki smiled. That would go a long way towards placating her temperamental sister. "Still…I’m surprised that you didn’t learn that on your training journey. You seemed to learn every other kind of fighting, from what you told me."

"I only ever fought small groups at most," Ranma explained. "You’d be surprised how seldom large group brawls happen. It surprised me when I thought back on it," Ranma commented.

"Oh?" Nabiki prompted.

"Yeah," Ranma went on. "My pop can be a real idiot at times."

Nabiki chuckled at that. Ranma, it seemed, was still a long way from forgiving his father of his foibles.

"Now there’s the Nabiki I got to know yesterday!" Ranma declared happily. He sat down next to her and unwrapped his bento. This gave Nabiki some pause for thought, after the little war he and his father had over breakfast this morning. Food seemed to be very important to the Saotomes, and Ranma had put off eating until he knew that she was all right.

"Aren’t you worried?" Nabiki asked.

"About what?" Ranma queried between mouthfuls.

"About what everyone is saying about us?" Nabiki specified. "About me?"

"Ah, who cares what they think!" Ranma snorted. "I’d rather be introduced to your real friends," he said, indicating the group of girls who had remained with Nabiki through her troubles.

Nabiki decided that she wasn’t having such a bad day after all. In fact, by the time lunch was over, she was practically glowing…

Akane grinned from her hiding spot in some shrubs near where her sister sometimes sat (when she wasn’t doing ‘business’). She had expected the worst from Ranma, after what he had been hearing about Nabiki all morning, and had come to defend her sister if he decided to take it out on her. What she had witnessed instead was something that she knew she herself would cherish for some time to come.

Ranma, who had grown up alone on the road with only his father for company, could care less about popular opinion. Nabiki mattered to him. She was hurt, and he came to her aid. Just as Nabiki had reached out to the lonely boy who had shown up at their doorstep yesterday.

Akane had to admit that her sister had picked a winner (it certainly didn’t hurt her opinion any when she found out that Ranma really did want to learn how to fight large groups from her). She just hoped that she could find a boy like Ranma for herself someday.

Ranma and Akane were waiting for Nabiki after school so that they could stop for ice cream or something on the way home. This had been Akane’s suggestion after Ranma had asked her how to help Nabiki feel better. Akane was going to pay her own way, and Ranma had just enough to cover Nabiki and himself. He would have to see about getting a part time job of some sort (assuming he could even get a permit from the school allowing him to do so). Genma wasn’t likely to get a job himself if he didn’t have to, so was an unlikely source for an allowance.

He and Akane were chatting lightly, talking about their common interest in martial arts, when Kuno approached and chose to confront Ranma.

"Who are you, to be associating so freely with Akane Tendo," Kuno demanded.

"I’m…" Ranma started, only to be interrupted by Kuno.

"Wait, is it not the custom to give one’s own name first? Fine then, mine I will give. It is I, the rising star of the kendo club, often called the ‘Blue Thunder’ of Furinken High, who stands before you. Tatewaki Kuno, age seventeen."

"Did he just call himself ‘Blue Thunder’?" inquired Noriko, one of Nabiki’s friends.

"First I’ve heard of it," commented Nabiki in her usual dry manner.

"Last I heard," started Tama, another of her friends, "he was still calling himself ‘The Shooting of the Stars’."

Ranma was less than impressed with Kuno’s pronouncement. Bravado was one thing, but interrupting someone whom you had just asked a question of was another. Besides, he already didn’t like Kuno for his apparent lack of honor while trying to claim to be a warrior.

"Well?" Kuno prompted, irritated that the interloper seemed to be unfazed by his pronouncement.

"Are ya done interrupting me yet?" Ranma asked sarcastically, not bothering to hide the contempt that he felt for the guy who was harassing his fiancée’s sister. "I’m Ranma Saotome," he continued tersely, barely nodding, let alone bowing. Not that it really mattered, as Kuno hadn’t bothered with such niceties at all himself. "Akane is my friend and future sister-in-law. Why shouldn’t I be talking with her?"

"So," Kuno declared, feeling insulted by the slight nod (and apparently holding Ranma to another standard than his own). "You are the scoundrel attempting to get close to Akane by becoming engaged to her sister!"

"Say what?" Ranma responded in a low tone, under his breath. His opinion of Kuno, not high to begin with, was rapidly dropping to new lows. Adding to his darkening mood was the twitch that he saw in Nabiki’s eyes as their classmates reacted to Kuno’s idea.

"Do not seek to fool me!" Kuno commanded. "Do you honestly think that anyone could not see through such an obvious ploy? Certainly no one could have any other reason for becoming engaged to Nabiki Tendo."

"You will apologize to my fiancée right now!" Ranma demanded, anger evident in his voice and in his eyes. "And you will apologize to her sister as well, for provoking those assaults that she has to go through every morning!"

"And why should I?" Kuno scoffed, oblivious to Ranma’s mounting hostility. "You have enlisted the aid of that money-grabbing wench in order to abscond with Akane Tendo." There was a collective gasp from the crowd as a blue ki aura sprang up around Ranma and he assumed an aggressive combat stance. "Akane’s challenge is a valid and honorable one. I see no need to apologize for either one."

"It would be honorable only if she had made the challenge herself, or set the terms, Kuno," stated Ranma, whose voice had become flat and cold like an arctic wind. "You have insulted my fiancée and me with your statements today, and your actions against her sister prove that you are sorely lacking in honor." Ranma paused briefly to let his statement sink in, and then let his contempt for Kuno drip back into his voice "It’s high time you acquired some." The gathered crowd slowly backed away to provide room for what they knew would happen next.

"You would dare challenge I, the Great Tatewaki Kuno?" exclaimed the incredulous practitioner of kendo.

"I thought I just did, moron," confirmed Ranma sardonically.

"I’ll not stand for this travesty!" Kuno shouted as he struck out with his boken.

"Fine them," Ranma replied, as he easily dodged to the side and closed in. "SIT!" With that, he struck Kuno’s chest with a powerful straight-armed palm strike, sending his opponent tumbling backwards. He continued his approach slowly. "I am Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. For insulting my fiancée and myself, and for harassing her sister, I will make you pay!"

Nabiki and Akane watched with the rest of the crowd as the fight escalated between Ranma and Kuno. It was soon obvious to everyone that the self proclaimed ‘Blue Thunder’ had finally bitten off more than he could chew. He could not get a solid strike in on the new boy due to the speed and skill with which Ranma dodged. Ranma, in turn, answered every failed strike with a lighting quick retaliation that hammered Kuno hard and mercilessly.

Nabiki was fraught with mixed emotions. She was, of course, upset about Kuno’s accusations and the fact that many of her fellow students seemed to believe him. Added to this was fear for Ranma, who had just picked a fight with the school’s best fighter. However, as the fight went on, and it became evident that Ranma was in no danger, a fierce pride began to grow in her heart. Contrary to Kuno’s statements and accusations, if Ranma had wanted to get at Akane, he would hardly have needed to go through her. Ranma had already proven in this fight that he was the best qualified to meet Kuno's terms for dating her sister. Ranma’s only interest in this fight was answering the insult to the honor of Nabiki and Akane.

Given the fact that Nabiki knew that Ranma had already had other plans to allow Akane to defend her own honor, she knew that her sister’s defense had only been tossed in with hers because it was the right thing to do. Ranma was defending Nabiki’s honor in this fight, and this fight existed only for her sake. Somewhere deep in Nabiki’s psyche, a subconscious urge to become worthy of such high regard began to take seed and grow…

If Ranma had allowed his anger to get too far out of control, Kuno would have been crippled or worse within the first few blows. Even so, he hammered the kendoist hard with every strike, each punch and kick placed just shy of the vital areas in order to prolong the fight. As it was, Kuno was losing, and losing badly. Losing so badly, in fact, that even he realized it. Kuno saw only one way that he could get out of this fight with any trace of dignity or self-image intact. He just hoped that this ‘Ranma’ valued honor as much as it seemed he did.

"Enough!" Kuno announced. "I yield. I, the Great Tatewaki Kuno, ‘Blue Thunder’ of Furinken High, concede defeat at your hands, Ranma Saotome." Kuno swallowed his pride, and reluctantly continued. "What are your terms."

"As I said before the fight, Kuno," Ranma stated as he stood down and relaxed his aggressive stance. "You will apologize to Nabiki and me for the insult you have given to our engagement, and you will apologize to Akane for provoking the morning assaults she has to go through." Ranma then added something as an afterthought. "You should also probably apologize to the fools who believed your terms to win Akane’s heart for putting them at risk. Akane is a very skilled opponent. A practitioner of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts is not one to be challenged lightly. I should know. I am a student of that School as well."

"As you said," Kuno agreed. "Very well. I shall set about making proper amends immediately." With that, Kuno prostrated himself on his hands and knees facing Nabiki, with his forehead on the ground as if he had committed a great wrong and was truly sorry for it. Ranma thought it was a bit much and just put it down to more over acting on Kuno’s part, but Nabiki soaked it right up as if it was her due. As Ranma could hardly fault her for that, he let it stand. He just wished that Kuno hadn’t chosen to mangle so much poetry with his profound and deepest apologies and requests for forgiveness.

He was very grateful when Nabiki, finally growing tired of Kuno’s rotten prose herself (despite the novelty of getting an apology from Kuno), finally forgave him. Ranma was doubly grateful when Akane and the others added their forgiveness as well at this point, rather than have to listen to Kuno again. Before he turned to leave, he thought of some advice for his fallen opponent.

"Well, you seemed to have started well, Kuno-sempai," Ranma stated, bowing respectfully as one would do for a peer (a slight insult at best, but not one that Kuno chose to acknowledge). "You could try courting Akane like a normal person, you know. Who knows, she may just come to like you if you do." [As if!] "But you have to stand by her response! Akane’s decision is her own to make, no one else’s. Abide by it or face the consequences." With that he turned to leave, extending his arm for Nabiki to take as he did so.

Kuno was stunned. He had expected to be told to stay away from Akane, and would have been bound by his honor to do so. Instead, Ranma had placed the decision back in Akane’s hands, where Kuno should have left it in the first place. [Truly, you are a great man, Saotome,] he thought. [I am humbled to have met you.] He then chucked silently to himself. [Quite literally, in fact. I should think on how to thank you properly for setting me back on the path of honor. Would that I have never fallen off of it in the first place, and we could have met under more peaceable terms.]

As Ranma, Nabiki and Akane walked out of sight of the school, Ranma looked at his two companions and smiled. "So…who’s still up for ice-cream?" Just then, a passing car splashed him with a puddle, activating the curse and turning Ranma female.

"Tell you what, Ranma," Nabiki giggled. "It’ll be my treat, seeing as how you’re such a cute fiancée and all…" Akane laughed and Ranma could only chuckle ruefully at this turn of events. "We should probably try to think of another name for you to use while you’re in this form," Nabiki continued. "It looks like you’ll be spending a lot of time in it."

"Tell me about it," Ranma agreed as they walked on towards their destination…

END.