Yes!  I've returned to wholesome stories, I hope.  Anyhow, here is my beta
for Alternative Reality #4, which still needs a name.  Oh yeah, comments
are worshipped as usual. :)

Ranma 1/2: Alternative Reality #4.1
by Michael Chen

Notes.
#4.0 Was just a test version.  Just to see if the story was
feasible.


Part I: Faith Lost

Chapter 1

    "These are for you."  Akane heard a lisping voice, and she
looked up from her toy trucks to find a rather messily picked and
semicrushed bundle of flowers shoved into her face.  Akane looked
at Ranma's red face.  He wasn't looking directly at her.

    Akane smiled as she stood up and accepted the flowers. 
"Thank you, Ran-chan."  She giggled as she took the flowers and
arranged them into her hair.  "They're very pretty."  Well, in
reality, Ranma had managed to mangle the flowers pretty good. 
But to Akane, she seemed to like the thought more than the actual
object.

    Ranma laughed nervously.  Perking his ears up, Ranma turned
his head at the gate to the Saotome Dojo.  In ran Nabiki sobbing. 
Ranma ran up to the girl he thought of as his own sister. 
"Nabiki-oneechan!  What's wrong?"

    Nabiki sniffed for a bit before she could finally control her
spasms of crying.  "Some older kids threatened me for my lunch
money.  And when I didn't give it to them, they started to pick
on me."  She just gave up and started bawling her eyes out,
attracting the attention of the two mothers who had been talking
in the kitchen.

    Nodoka Saotome was the first out the door.  "Nabiki, what's
wrong?"  Nabiki ran into Nodoka's arms.  Both mothers whispered
soothing words to Nabiki as they carried her into the Dojo.

    Ranma shouted at Nabiki.  "Don't worry Nabiki, I'll get them
for you!"  Nodoka handed Nabiki over to Mrs. Tendo before she
turned around to give Ranma a stern lecturing on the evils of
seeking revenge.

    "Now Ranma,"  However by then, all that remained of Ranma was
the open gate, which someone did not thoughtfully close.  "Oh
great, when will he learn that muscle isn't the way to solve
every problem.  I guess once he gets banged up enough, he'll
learn."

    Mrs. Tendo nodded as she wiped Nabiki's face free of the
dried tears.  "So, Nabiki.  Who tried to take your money?  I'm
going to call up everyone of their parents right now and make
sure they get what they deserve."

* * *

    Some twenty minutes later, a breathless Ranma made his way
into the Dojo, sporting a black eye, some bruises, and a few
scrapes.  Nodoka clucked her tongue as she grabbed Ranma and the
bottle of peroxide.  Ranma hadn't been crying at all when he came
home, but as soon as his eyes landed on the dreaded bottle he
started to cry.

    "No Mommie!  I don't want that stuff!  No!"  But Ranma was so
intent on getting his mother to throw away the bottle, that he
didn't notice that his mother had pulled a little magic by
cleaning all of his scrapes without him noticing it.

    "There Ranma, see, it didn't hurt.  Let me see that black
eye."  Nodoka kneeled down, and looked at the respectable bruise
around Ranma's eye.

    Much later, after Nodoka and Mrs. Tendo had taken turns
inspecting every inch of Ranma's body, Ranma was finally free and
watching television.  Nabiki walked into the room with a lollipop
in her mouth, no doubt a rather useful device to quiet her
crying.  "Nabiki-oneechan!  I gave all of them bloody noses, just
for you!"  Ranma smiled briefly, before his attention was grabbed
by the crudely drawn children's cartoon.

    Nabiki's eyes opened slightly.  "You did?  But they're all
bigger than us."

    Ranma looked smug.  "Yeah, that's why after I punched all of
them in the face, they caught me and dragged me from their bikes
for a block, until I tore my shirt."  Ranma raised his hands to
reveal the torn sleeves.  Not that it was a bad addition to
Ranma's clothing.  He had the distinction of being a rather
hyperactive child, and his clothing showed it.  There were
infinite amounts of patches and needlework that kept his wardrobe
together.

    Nabiki shot Ranma a weird glance.  "I'm telling you, when I'm
older, I'm going to make everyone of those idiots pay me back
1000 fold!"  Nabiki gripped her fist together as she made her
pledge to no one in particular.

    Ranma sighed as he looked at the television. "That's great. 
And when you need someone to knock the stuffing out of them, just
ask me."  Nabiki had to laugh.

* * *

    Genma's chest puffed out proudly as Nodoka told him what
happened to Ranma that day.  With relish, as Genma brushed back
his amply hair and sampled the excellent cuisine, he patted Ranma
on the shoulder, only to be surprised when Ranma winced.  "That's
my boy, a born fighter."

    Soun had to smile, and Kasumi grabbed Ranma to seat him on
her lap.  There was one thing that everyone had to admit,
everyone loved to lavish attention on Ranma.  Not that Akane
minded, of course, Ranma was a really nice boy, quite possibly
the only nice boy she knew.  Most boys their age believed in the
idea that girls were some evil force.

    Genma cleared his throat, and he looked at Nodoka who gave
him a quick smile.  "Well, I'm sorry to say, that Nodoka and I
have made a decision.  It was a hard decision, but nevertheless,
for our son, we felt that it was a good decision.  Of course,
don't take our decision the wrong way, we all love you and I
wanted to let you know that this decision was in no way
influenced by you."

    Genma would have gone on and on about the decision, if it had
not been for Nodoka's interfering.  "Genma, why don't you cut to
the point?"

    Genma sighed, and then said what he had been meaning to say. 
"Nodoka, Ranma and I are leaving Nerima tomorrow on a long
training trip.  This is going to be good for our boy's future in
martial arts.  I can't teach him enough, and I feel it was time
that we took Ranma to the many masters."

    Everyone was silent.  Silence so long and hanging that Akane
and the others sat uncomfortable.  Soun was first to speak.  "We,
my friend, I respect your decision, and I hope the best for you." 
And that was that.

    Of course, Akane didn't seem to like the idea of Ranma
leaving.  That night, while tossing and turning in bed, AKane
finally gave up the prospects of sleeping, and turned to her
sister, who shared her room.  "Nabiki?  Don't you think it's
wrong for Ranma to go on a training trip?  What would happen if
he never got back?  I mean, it'll be bad.  He's one of the best
friends that I will ever have."

    Nabiki sighed, as she tried to get some sleep.  "I have to
agree.  Once Ranma's gone, I'm sure those boys will be back to
pick on me.  I'll miss not having him around anymore.  Akane,
just go to sleep.  Nothing's going to happen."  With a yawn,
Nabiki buried her head into the bed just in case Akane tried to
ask anymore questions.

* * *

    The next day, when both Nabiki and Akane woke up, they found
Ranma in their room, already dressed up as if ready to travel. 
Akane and Nabiki had to wonder how Ranma had managed to sneak
into their room without waking them at all.  It also seemed that
Ranma had waited there for sometime, possible just watching the
two of them sleep.

    He smiled as he looked at both of them.  "Good morning!  It
was about time you two woke up!  I must have been sitting her for
30 minutes."  Ranma seemed a little peeved, but he still had his
good mood.  "I just wanted to say bye before I go."  Surprising
enough, Ranma seemed cheerful, as if the entire training trip was
some glorious adventure.

    His emotions were a stark contrast to Akane's and Nabiki's. 
Ranma was their solid friend, dependable and willing to go out on
a limb for either of them, literally.  What came to mind was the
time Akane's cat got stuck in the tree.  Ranma had a hell of a
time trying to get it.

    Ranma looked at Akane, and was somewhat surprised to find
that she had kept his terrible example of flower arranging.  "I
can't believe that you kept these."  

    A voice snaked in from downstairs.  It was Ranma's father
announcing their departure.  "Ranma!  Get your butt down here! 
We don't want to miss the boat to China!"

    Ranma turned to Akane and Nabiki, the cheerfulness on his
face faded temporarily.  "I guess this is where we say goodbye." 
Ranma hugged Akane, making sure to whisper something into her
ear.  Akane didn't quite understand what Ranma said.

    Ranma then gave his attention to Nabiki, who had been like
his favorite older sister.  He hugged her, before leaving. 
Nabiki too heard Ranma whisper something into her ear as he
pulled away.

    His sudden solemness gave way to childish impulses, and he
stuck his tongue out at both girls before running out of the room
at breakneck speed.

    And that was the last that anyone had ever seen of Ranma or
the Saotomes.  And as the years passed, the Saotome's gradually
faded slowly like dust into the wind, all of the fond memories
fading away into the far past.  Well, not all of the memories.

    Akane, she still thought about Ranma, and found herself
disappointed that he hadn't returned.  Year after year, as she
walked home from elementary school, from middle school, and from
high school, she'd stare at the old, rundown, empty house, the
Saotome Dojo, always empty and silent without signs of life.

    Yet still, without the Saotomes, their dear friends, life
progressed.  The Tendo girls slowly grew up and then hit the
unsteady years of adolescence.  Kasumi, she was reserved. 
Nabiki, a little wanting for more and more money, and Akane, she
was the emotional one.

    As time passed on, Akane more and more dreaded the idea of
meeting Ranma again.  A constant factor gnawing away at her mind
was the possibility that Ranma had fallen in love with another
girl, or that Ranma would not be interested in her at all.

    She constantly worried about how Ranma could be different,
and she couldn't quite imagine Ranma acting in any other way. 
She had found his prideful demeanor something that she could
relate to.

    But then again, nothing prepared Akane for what was about to
happen.

* * *

    It was a clear day in Nerima, the sun just slightly past the
highest point in the sky giving everything a bright glow.  But
then again, not everything seemed bright, as the shadows were
beginning to appear again.

    Alone, Akane walked home from high school.  It was her first
day in high school and already it seemed overwhelming.  She had
the weirdest feeling that day.  And that was confirmed, when a
little boy, no more than 7 to 9 years old ran across her path.

    It seemed that he had struck a wall as soon as he stepped
across her path.  He skidded to a halt and gave Akane a strange
stare that made her uncomfortable.  His entire face was devoid of
emotion, something that scared Akane.  Off all the seven year
olds she knew, there was not a single one who even came close to
the seriousness that seemed to surround this boy.

    It was something weird and it scared her.  But then again, it
wasn't the last time she saw him.

    The next day was the same.  As Akane slowly walked home, she
felt a presence staring at her.  Whirling around, somewhat
unsure, she heard a mirthful laugh from above.  Looking upwards,
she found the same little boy sitting on the edge of the fence.

    He pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, and spoke mockingly. 
"Hi, old woman!"  He started chortling, and in a smooth motion,
stood up and ran away along the top of the fence, his scary
laughter stil audible as he moved farther and farther away.

    With each successive day, the boy seemed to appear at the
most inopportune moments.  She saw him once in the mall.  She
happened to bump into him at the tea shop.  And once, he even
showed up in her school.

    Everytime she saw the boy, she almost felt the strangest
feeling, a feeling that the boy was intrinsically interested in
her, that the little boy was focused on her.  And one day, she
managed to grab a hold of the boy, preventing him from running
off.

    "Hey!  Old lady!  Let go of me!  Akane!  Let go of me!"  The
boy struggled hard and was about to break free, but as soon as
Akane heard her name, her hands locked tight.

    "How do you know my name?  Who are you?"  Akane lifted up the
little boy, so he couldn't break free.

    The boy gave up struggling, and he looked down at the ground
for a moment, suddenly shy.  But his shyness existed for only
briefly, and he looked up at Akane with a silly grin on his face. 
"I'm Tadashi Saotome."

    Akane seemed shocked.  "Tadashi SAOTOME?  Your parents aren't
Genma and Nodoka Saotome?"  She didn't know what to expect.  Her
entire life she had wanted Ranma to return as soon as possible,
and right now, there was a huge possibility that he was back in
Nerima.

    But at the same time, she had to wonder, why didn't Ranma
visit her.  Immediately, all possible answers started to fill her
mind.  She could almost imagine Ranma with a really, really cute
girl.

    The boy stared at her.  "Yup.  My brother told me a lot about
you.  And Nabiki-oneechan, and Kasumi."  The boy winked at Akane
rather confidently.  This was a strange development, as only
moments ago, the same calm boy seemed very shy when cornered.

    Akane's hands suddenly lost their strength, and she allowed
the boy to worm himself free.  He ran off, constantly looking
back at her.  A few blocks away, he stopped to wave, and then he
disappeared around the corner.

    Akane didn't know how to react.

* * *

    Akane walked slowly into her house, still somewhat unsure how
to handle the appearance of a young boy, whose last name was
Saotome.  Nabiki looked up from her books to comment.  "Akane,
you look as if you've seen a ghost."

    "Funny you should mention that.  I think the Saotomes
returned a few days ago."  Akane muttered as she sat down at the
table.

    Nabiki had to laugh.  "They returned?  Are you sure.  Ranma
promised that he'd find us when he returned.  And for one thing,
unlike many people I know, Ranma never breaks his promises."

    Akane smirked as she sat down next to her sister.  "I'm not
joking.  I met this little boy, who called himself Tadashi
Saotome.  And his parents names are Genma and Nodoka."

    Nabiki stopped her work as these facts did not seem to add up
correctly.  "They why didn't Ranma try to meet us?"

    Akane shrugged her shoulders.  "Maybe has a new girlfriend? 
Maybe he forgot about us?  I'm going to ask Father."

    Soun likewise was totally surprised that the Saotome's had
returned without even telling him.  At first he seemed upset as
he and Genma shared a rather close bond as good friends.  But
eventually he melloed out.  Tugging on his moustache, Soun picked
up the telephone.

    "Well, if they don't make the first move, I guess I'll invite
them over for dinner tonight."  Quickly dialing in the number,
Soun waited for a short while before speaking.  "Hello, is this
Nodoka?  Hello, it's Soun Tendo."

    All of the girls leaned close, listening to the sound of
exclamation on the other end of the phone.  Mr. Tendo smiled, and
he continued.  "Akane just told me you all returned from the
training trip.  I was wondering whether your family would come
over for dinner?"

    There was a short pause as Soun's face changed from happy to
slightly perplexed.  "What do you mean you're not sure?  Genma
doesn't want to really come right now?"  Soun cleared his throat. 
"Well, tell him, that if he's not coming over, I'm going to be at
his house in a few minutes."

    There was a loud audible sigh from the other end.  And Soun
smiled.  "Most excellent!  Please be here around 6.  That should
give us enough time to get reacquainted."

* * *

    From that point on, the Tendo household became a blur of
activity as they prepared for the particular occasion.  Kasumi
worked hard in the kitchen preparing food.  Soun and Akane had
taken upon themselves to clean out the dojo, and Nabiki, well,
she helped in her own way.

    Come six o'clock, everyone sat unsteady in the living room,
somewhat giddy with the thought of reuniting with old friends.  A
few minutes past the hour, they was a gentle knock on the door,
and in seconds the Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane were at the
door greeting the guests.

    Akane had reached the door first, and pulled it open quickly. 
Instantly, she came face to face with a young boy, the very same
young boy whom had been hanging around her for the past few days. 
"Hi Akane!" he exclaimed while giving Genma a hard time.

    "Tadashi!  Stop squeezing my neck!" gasped Genma as he tried
his best to maintain consciousness.  Struggling with his son, he
managed to drop the young boy on the floor.

    Akane was at best totally surprised.  She looked at the three
people standing calmly outside.  "So where's Ranma?"  Akane asked
innocently.  Tadashi frowned slightly as he looked at her, and
Genma and Nodoka exchanged uneasy glances.

    Tadashi answered.  "Well, he couldn't come."  Akane almost
grimaced, but she managed to keep a cheerful face.  In her mind,
her worst fears seem justified.  She thought Ranma was elsewhere,
most likely with a girlfriend.

    Nodoka gently slapped Tadashi's shoulder.  "Tadashi!"  She
then turned to Akane, to offer an explanation, as Akane had a
rather confused look on her face.  "You see, Ranma is no longer
with us.  He died in a tragic incident."

    Akane felt her world start to crumble, just as everyone else
made it to the doorway.  Tadashi looked at Akane and gave her a
sickly sweet smile, a smile so cutish that Akane knew that he had
to be mocking her and only her.

    Kasumi, who was wiping her hands on her apron, saw Tadashi in
a different light.  "What a cute boy!"  She and Soun immediately
preyed onto Tadashi.

    Nabiki on the other hand watched the blank expression on
Akane's face.  She leaned over and asked quietly.  "So Akane,
what happened?  Aren't you going to invite them in?"  Akane
gestured awkwardly, and the rest of the Saotome family entered.

    Akane pulled Nabiki to the side.  "Did you hear them? 
Ranma's dead."

    Nabiki immediately became serious.  "You're joking?  How
could have Ranma died?"

    That was the exact same sentiment that the rest of the Tendo
family felt as Soun asked that same question again at the dinner
table.  Everyone sat silently, unsure of what to do.  Tadashi on
the other hand was making weird faces.

    Nodoka had to reprimand him.  "Tadashi, stop making faces"
she whispered.  With the slightest reluctance, he stopped, his
face immediately becoming solemn.

    Soun looked around for a bit, and trying to ease the tension,
he talked.  Unfortunately, with Genma, Soun only could talk about
few things, and besides shogi, the only other thing he could
really talk about was martial arts.  "So Genma, have you been
training your son in the martial arts?"

    Genma shrugged his shoulders.  "Not really.  Nodoka hasn't
been keen on letting Tadashi practicing Anything Goes.  He's into
traditional kenpo.  Mostly swords."

    Soun seemed a little disappointed.  "And why is that?"

    Genma gave his friend a critical look, as he took off his
glasses and wiped them clean.  "The day Ranma died, a part of me
died with him.  He was the best that I had ever seen, and I doubt
I could even train Tadashi anywhere near Ranma's level of
ability."

    Genma smiled and placed Tadashi onto his lap.  "No, Tadashi
lacks the unpredictable nature that is needed for Anything Goes. 
He's a disciplinarian, like his mother."

    Soun smiled as he looked at Genma playing with the little
boy.  "Perhaps, your son would like to try sparring with Akane? 
It might prove to be interesting?"

    Tadashi then laughed eeriely as he looked at Akane.  "I doubt
I'd win at all.  I'm totally outclassed by her, at least right
now.  I immediately forfeit victory to Akane."  He leaped out of
his father's lap, and leaned against Akane whispering something
into her ear.

    Akane immediately choked on the piece of food in her mouth,
and when she finally hacked out the mish-mash that had gotten
stuck in her throat, she stared at Tadashi, with a weird look on
her face.

* * *

    Akane stood in the dojo, staring at Tadashi, who stood across
from her.  Without warning, Akane unleashed her attacks on
Tadashi, applying pressure to him.  As she constantly attacked,
she noticed that Tadashi had a distinct disadvantage as he had
short arms and legs, making it hard for him to attack her.

    But as they continued, Akane noticed one distressing thing. 
Tadashi had a formidable defense, every move she made was
instantly counteracted with one or multiple moves that Tadashi
made.  However, all in all, Akane knew that she would eventually
win as she had more power and had better reach.

    Sure enough, Tadashi grew tired, and Akane took advantage of
the small opening in his otherwise fortress-like defense. 
Tadashi crashed to the ground, breathing heavily.  But it came at
a cost to her as well as Tadashi's fast hands contacted with her
leg.

    At first Akane became worried.  "Oh, I'm so sorry!"  But her
worries proved to be baseless as Tadashi managed to get to his
feet again.

* * *

    Soun nodded as he looked out the window at the Dojo.  "Well,
Saotome, your son certainly has a lot of potential.  In a few
years, and he'll be a master of his art.  Already, I can see his
strengths.  He has phenominal speed."

    Genma nodded, somewhat but not too optimistically.  "Well, I
am not so sure.  I was hoping that Tadashi could find a goal that
was less hazardous.  Martial Arts killed Ranma, and I don't want
the same to happen to Tadashi."

    Soun shook his head.  "Nonsense.  I mean look at us, we're
still alive and well."

    Genma gave Soun a level look.  "I tell you old friend, Ranma
didn't die easily.  If it weren't for him, Tadashi wouldn't be
here today, and Nodoka and I could be dead as well.  Martial arts
killed him, and I'm going to make sure it doesn't do the same to
my only son."

    Genma continued.  "If you could just see the look on Ranma's
face when he died, then you would understand."  Genma shuddered
slightly, as he looked at the cup of tea in his hand.  He tried
his best to shift the topic to something else.  "So where is your
wife?  It has been awhile since we indulged in your wife's
excellent cooking."

    Soun sat silent for a moment, as a tear found its way down
his face.  "You're not the only ones who had a tragedy during
these years."

* * *

    Nabiki shook her head as she watched Akane easily knock
Tadashi to his knees.  "Come on Akane, what's the point in
proving that you can easily take care of a 6 year old boy?" 
Tadashi immediately got to his feet and marched over to Nabiki.

    "Nabiki-oneechan!  I'm 7 years old!"  Nabiki kneeled down and
gave Tadashi a good look in the eye.

    "And you're pretty small for a 7 year old boy."

    Tadashi immediately became indignant as he jumped onto
Nabiki.  "Take that back!  I'm not small!"  Nabiki grabbed a hold
of Tadashi, and swung him to his feet.

    "You're really cute."  Nabiki commented as she grabbed her
wallet back from Tadashi's hands.

    "And you're ticklish!"  Tadashi shouted out as he tried his
best to attack Nabiki.  Nabiki immediately fliched as she
wondered how someone could know something like that.  She had
made sure that no one but a select few knew.

    Fending off Tadashi as best as she could, Nabiki gave Akane,
who was laughing, and exasperated look.  "Akane!  You didn't tell
him?"  Akane shook her head vigorously, as Tadashi touched a
sensitive spot on Nabiki, making her spasm in laughter.

    Later that night, Akane sighed as she laid on her bed.  She
looked at her sister, who was in the bed across the room.  "So
Nabiki, what do you think about Tadashi?"

    Nabiki turned in bed so she faced Akane.  "Well, he is a cute
kid.  Pretty likeable I guess."  Nabiki rolled her eyes.  "He
definitely knows how to push someone's buttons."  She thought
about the small amount of money Tadashi convinced her to give
him.

    "There's something strange about him."  Akane said.  "A lot
of things strange about him.  I think it's his eyes.  Everytime
he sees me, there is something about his eyes."

    Nabiki snickered.  "Akane, you're dreaming."

    Akane sounded annoyed.  "No I'm not.  There is something
about that boy that doesn't seem right.  I mean, when he's in
front of anyone else, he's like a child, but there are moments
when he seems different."

    "By the way,"  Nabiki asked. "What did he whisper into your
ear at dinner time?"

    Akane shook her head.  "It didn't make sense.  He said
something like, 'I hear voices in my head whenever I see you,
chanting "Akane" over and over again.'"

    Nabiki had to admit that was somewhat weird.  "Weird.  And he
didn't seem that insane.  He is a very nice kid."  Nabiki yawned
and then buried her head into her pillow.  "Anyways, Akane, just
go to sleep.  Boys will be boys.  He's probably joking with you."

Chapter 2

    Tadashi cried out loud as he woke from an unsettling slumber. 
Whatever it was, his night had been one terrible dream after
another, everyone ending in his death.  He shivered slightly as
he tried his best to remember the intangible memory which faded
away like sand in the wind.

    His mouth as dry as paper, Tadashi groaned as he climbed out
of bed, walked over to the bathroom, and slowly brushed his
teeth, trying his best to shake the sleep off.  His hair was a
tangled mess, and his eyes were blood shot.

    His mother called out from the kitchen.  "Tadashi, are you up
yet?  It's important that you get to school today!"

    Spitting the toothpaste from his mouth, Tadashi wiped his
face with the sleeves of his shirt.  "I'm up!"  Satisfied that he
had a barely clean look, he leaped into his clothes and ran into
the kitchen.

    Nodoka had just about finished bagging his lunch, when took
her first look at Tadashi.  She wasn't happy.  "Now, you know the
first impression is very important.  Come here, your hair needs
to be combed, and you didn't button your uniform properly!"

    Against his wishes, the mother grabbed him and transformed
his almost barely clean look into a more acceptable "clean-cut"
look, perfectly engineered to make anyone point at him and
exclaim "How cute."

    Cocking her head to the side, Nodoka examined her handy work. 
"Now you're all dressed up proper.  Don't get dirty on the way to
school.  Here's your lunch and don't forget to work hard."

    She gently ushered Tadashi out the door, as if trying to make
him hurry a little.  "Remember, you're in room 1C."  Nodoka
shouted as Tadashi ran as fast as he could towards Redbird
Elementary School.

* * *

    Tadashi wasn't the only person getting up that morning. 
Akane yawned as Nabiki shook her.  "Get up now.  You're going to
be late if you sleep anymore."  Akane stretched hard, and sat up
slowly.

    "Nabiki, why are you up so early?"

    Nabiki replied as she carefully buttoned up her uniform and
checked her hair.  "Just getting ready for a hard day of work, of
course.  There's a profit to be made."

    Akane shook her head as she looked at Nabiki.  "Could you for
once not be motivated by money?  God, money just rules your
life."

    Nabiki winked as she grabbed her book bag.  "No comment,
Akane.  Besides, I want to be in school before all those hormone
crazed boys try to get their hands on you."  She had once gone to
school with Akane, and it turned out to be messy at best.

    Akane sighed.  "Yeah.  I mean, I didn't like it when Father
claimed that he would allow any man who was better than me in
martial arts to marry me.  It was pretty stupid on his part." 
She could remember that day, when her father joked to a group of
friends about the dowry he would give to the man who bested Akane
in combat.

    That meant that practically all of the boys in Furinken High
went on a murderous rampage every morning for Akane.  It also
meant that the nurse's office had been stuff packed everyday.

    Of course that also meant that Tatewaki Kuno, the most
verbose and long winded person in Nerima, constantly challenged
her with his flimsy wooden bokken.  Akane had to admit though,
that Tatewaki had been gradually improving every time he
challenged her.

* * *

    Fortunately for Tadashi, he was in the school and settled
down in his assigned seat way before the morning bell rang.  As
the bell rang, a wave of students piled into the classroom, most
of them breathless from running.  

    As the day progressed as Tadashi got to know some of his
fellow students and teacher, school turned out to be an
experience that he really never had.  Ever since he could
remember, his life was constantly spent on the move.  The
"normal" grind of life on the road was a constant cycle.  It was
a cycle of constantly moving with brief periods of rest.

    However, school was different.  Instead of being alone,
Tadashi found that he had a classroom filled with other students
his age as well.  They talked about a lot of things.  Television
shows, the evils of the opposite gender, and eventually they
played various games.

    Classes quickly passed, and just as soon as school had
started, it ended.  Tadashi burst out the front door with the
other crazy students, all of them in one way or another way glad
that school was over.

    Turning just outside of the school's main gate, Tadashi
continued down the street, going right past the high school.  At
first, he ran none stop, but a peculiar feeling came over him.

    Skidding to a halt, he carefully sneaked into the perfectly
silent schoolyard, the only sounds were that of teachers teaching
in their classrooms.

    Guided almost by instinct, Tadashi walked to a tree and
climbed it.  Of course, for a nine year old a little on the small
side, it was not too hard.  But then again, it was funny that
Tadashi slowly walked from tree to tree, feeling a voice in his
head guide him to the perfect tree.

    Grabbing a hold of a branch and pushing himself up with his
legs, Ranma slowly climbed the tree, the task made easier by the
abundance of offshooting branches and handholds.  Eventually, but
after scuffing his uniform on the rough bark, Tadashi made his
way to a satisfactory height and looked into the classroom.

    The first thing he saw was her.  How ever did the voices in
his head guide him, he never knew, but there she was.  For a
moment he felt overwhelmed with emotions that he had never felt
before.  Tadashi stared at Akane, endlessly, satisfied in the
fact that he could just look at her without abandon.

    Akane yawned as she listened to her teacher explain Japanese
history in a monotone, droning, and soporific voice.  Her eyelids
began to droop, and in an attempt to find something interesting,
she looked out the window and found a branch of the closest tree
swaying on that windless day.

    "Akane Tendo!  What are you looking at?"  The teacher's
monotone had immediately risen to a loud warning tone.  Akane
pulled her attention immediately from the tree back to the
blackboard.

    "Nothing, sensai!"  Akane rattled off as she focused on the
teacher for the next twenty seconds before feeling bored again.

    But salvation was soon provided as she dismissal bell chimed. 
Without a single delay, the entire class picked up their stuff
and made their way to the door.  Of course, Ryoga Hibiki had to
stop by Akane's desk as usual.

    He smiled.  "Saw you going off during the lecture today? 
What's wrong?"

    Akane liked Ryoga sure enough.  He was practically the only
male student who didn't try to kill her everyday.  And he was
nice as well.  "Oh nothing," she answered.  "Just that I have a
lot on my mind."

    Ryoga kept right on smiling.  "So, could you tell me or give
me a hint about what's wrong?"

    Akane shook her head.  "No, if I told you, I'd have to kill
you."  Akane stuck her tongue out at Ryoga as both left the
classroom together.

    Outside, that brief display of friendship was resulting in an
unholy anger.  Tadashi fumed as he saw Akane joking around with
that boy.  Without word, he slid out of the tree, completely
surprising some people, attracting a crowd of older female
students fawning over the "cute little" boy, and walked away as
fast as he could.

* * *

    Nodoka heard the door open and slam shut forcefully. 
Carefully hanging the last of the laundry, she wiped her hands on
her apron as she walked into the house.  She found Tadashi
sitting in front of the television, sulking away.

    At first, Nodoka tried to speak to Tadashi, but he barely
seemed receptive, all of his responses more than hostile.  She
knew that unlike her first son, Tadashi was more impulsive at
times, and when angry, he was prone to shout away.

    Erring on the side of caution, Nodoka carefully left her son
alone, waiting for him to cool off.  Then again, Nodoka had
rarely ever seen her son so upset in his entire life.  The only
other time in his life she had seen him with such a fury in his
eyes was when he was two years old, and he saw his brother fall
dead in front of him.

    After an hour or two, Nodoka tried to speak to him. 
"Tadashi, so what made you so angry today?"

    "I don't know."  was Tadashi's reply.  It was true to. 
Normally, Tadashi wouldn't have cared much about what happen to
Akane Tendo.  In his childish mind, he thought that she was only
an older woman, who had practically no effect on his life.  But
ever since seeing her, weird things started to happen, and he was
experiencing emotions that were quite strange to him.

    "But are you feeling better now?" asked his concerned mother
as she placed a bowl full of jello in front of him.

    Tadashi hungrily down the jello.  "Yes, I'm feeling better." 
He gave her a reassuring smile.  "Thanks, Mom."  Immediately
afterwards, he turned his attention to the cartoon that was on
television.

* * *

    Tadashi at heart, was a rather curious boy.  And right now,
he was suffering from a bout of a curious desire to find out.  He
wanted to know why Akane had such a strange effect on him.  He
wanted to know what was happening to him.

    And in conclusion, he decided that there was no better way,
other than to find Akane, and try to reexperience what had
happened to him earlier.  Silent as ever, he opened his window,
carefully climbed down the side of his home.  Landing on the
ground, he ran towards the Tendo Dojo.

    Coincidentally, perhaps for Tadashi's benefit, Akane was
returning home with Ryoga.  The two of them had gotten stuck in
the shopping mall, and that was the end of that story.

    Akane turned to Ryoga as they stood at the gate to the Tendo
Dojo.  "Well, Ryoga, thanks for accompaning me today, even though
you didn't have to."

    Ryoga smiled, his fangs flashing quickly for a bit.  "Well
Akane, don't mention it.  I had fun too.  Don't make it sound
like some sort of chore."

    Akane yawned, tired out from the active day.  "Well, goodbye
Ryoga, see you in class tomorrow."  Ryoga waved goodbye as he
walked away, the darkness of the night swallowing him up.

    As Ryoga disappeared into the distance, Tadashi appeared
around the corner, no more than thirty feet away from Akane.  As
soon as he saw her again, the strange force overcame him again.

    Akane thought she heard the sound of a shoe scraping against
the pavement, and turning around quickly she shouted.  "Hello? 
Anyone there?"

    Tadashi gasped and he ducked around the corner again, to
remain hidden from Akane's view.  Akane heard the sudden motion,
and she warily approached the source.

    Closer and closer she approached Tadashi's hidden position,
when there was a loud cry of joy.  "Oh Akane!  How it makes me
happy to see you!"  The was the sound of running feet, followed
by Akane struggling to break out of an iron grip.

    Tadashi watched Tatewaki Kuno clearly try his best to
overpower and attack Akane, his anger growing beyond bounds, the
voices in his head screaming with maddening anger.  Akane
struggled a bit before she got her hand free, and she punched
Kuno.

    More out of shock, Kuno let go of Akane, and she walked
briskly into her home, leaving Kuno on the ground to comtemplate. 
Kuno dashed to his feet and shouted.  "I shall prevail someday! 
I will not rest until you are mine!"  he shouted.

    But in a way, that proved to be bad as his shouting masked
the sound of an angry person charging him.

    Kuno felt a sharp blow the base of his legs that brought his
legs up and his body backwards.  In an instant, he crashed into
the ground supine.  His hand flashed to his belt to grab his
bokken, but he felt nimble hands flash past his, grab at his
weapon.

    Sitting up, Tatewaki groaned as the bokken crashed into his
unprotected stomach, making him fall back down and wheeze loudly. 
A young face, smiling like the boy was watching something amusing
appeared in front of him.

    Right now, Tadashi was undergoing such inner conflict, with
that same voice echoing in his head, arguing with itself, in a
garbled confusing.  Kuno found his voice, every spoken word
making his stomach cringe as if on fire.  "Who the hell are you?"

    Tadashi twirled the long bokken in his hands.  "I'm Tadashi
Saotome, and don't touch Akane again, or else."

    Kuno didn't seem to believe what was happening, and he kicked
Tadashi as he reached for his twirling wooden sword.  Tadashi
quickly back stepped and brought the sword down onto Tatewaki.

    In a way, that brought some immediately gratification to him,
and a smile surfaced on Tadashi's face.  Gripping the very long
sword tightly, he repetitively struck Kuno, laughing silently to
himself, feeling the anger and madness pent up within.

* * *

    Akane noted with amusement that she was going to school
rather early this morning.  Last night, she had gotten a
revelation that perhaps if she went to school early, she could
have the chance to finish her fighting early or even skip it
entirely.

    Turning on to the street, Akane ran the distance from the end
of the street to the still closed gates of her school.  She
almost coughed as she saw a battered Tatewaki hanging upside down
from a tree in the schoolyard, his feet tied to the branch by a
length of rope.


Ok, there are to be two more chapters for Part I, each part composed of 4
chapters with a different phase between Tadashi and Akane.