Kuno Got Lucky-  1/1: a brief alterniverse look.
         possibility two: friends for life
Yes, folks, continued problems with the system.
This ain't nearly finished. All this was - an idea
that i thought would make an amusing albeit
twisted little story, except it went to 24K by the 
time i got to the morning after Ranma's return to 
the Tendo house. Rather than lose the whole
thing, it's here for general amusement only.
As i expect my system to be out of commision
real soon, don't expect immediate responses.

Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. fanfiction
is for noncommercial enjoyment only. All other
use voids warranty. If not completely satisfied
with this product delete and load another. This
has one dark point right at the beginning, but if
you worship Akane you might want to change
channels right now.
0----------------November 14, 1989--------------0
 Akane looked up from her Psych
textbook and thought about this. Were all 
those guys falling into the "Forbidden Fruit"
thing? She'd been mainly considered a tomboy
and cast in male roles in the school plays, but
ever since Kuno had started pursuing her she'd
been having to deal with really obnoxious boys.

 Why Kuno had suddenly taken an
interest in her when she'd just turned fourteen
was a mystery. It was like she hadn't existed, then
*boom* she was the center of attention.

 Her eyes went back to the book,
and a smile slowly came to her. Reverse 
Psychology. All she needed to do was let
that freak of nature, aka Tatewaki Kuno, 
take her out once and then the whole ordeal
would be over.

 Could it be THAT simple?
--0---------------January 12, 1990-------------0--
 Doctor Tofu sighed, looked at
Soun Tendo, looked to Nabiki, then finally
back at the patient. Nabiki had sent Kasumi
off on an errand, knowing what had been
happening whenever the doctor and Kasumi
were together.

 "Well, I'm afraid, Akane it's what
you thought it might have been. You're with
child."

 Soun went to demon head immediately,
but lacked a target. He then began bawling and
bewailing the heavens on this event. 

 Akane looked even more nauseated
then when she had come in.

 Nabiki merely nodded as if she had
expected no less. She'd extract vengeance upon
the Kunos in general and Tatewaki later, best she
remain calm now for Akane.

 "Uhm. Is the father..."

 Nabiki's voice was ice. "A few months
ago, Akane conceded to go out with a boy who
has been pursuing her. Tatewaki Kuno. During
the course of the evening, he somehow managed
to get most of the contents of a bottle of 'Old 
Fireball' brand sake into her.

 "When she finally woke up, it was
in Kuno's bedroom. She escaped, of course,
but was reluctant to press charges. After all,
she was still wearing most of her clothing and
she didn't remember a thing."

 Akane chose that moment to have
a breakdown, and Nabiki had to turn all of her
attention to trying to comfort her fourteen year
old sister.  
---0-------------January 13, 1990------------0---
 "Girls, it is time for decisions."
Soun, for the first time in years, was cried
out. A timely call to the police had intercepted
him on the Kuno estate, where he would 
likely have torn the Kuno Heir into bloody
little gobbets had he not been so restrained.
So, sitting in police custody, under observation,
he was meeting his three daughters under 
very controlled circumstances.

 Akane was almost sick again but
would do what was standard under the
circumstances. The child would be aborted, the
proper rituals observed, and she would relocate
to another area. Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen over
in Tanzania sounded like a good choice, and their
farm could handle Akane and give her some much
needed peace and quiet.

 Nabiki nodded. No matter what Akane
had chosen, she was ready to back her sister 100%.
Tatewaki, having had Akane, no longer found her
of any interest and had turned back to kendo for
satisfaction. Well, Nabiki was about to fix all that.
Once Akane couldn't be hurt by it, news of Kuno's
deed would reach the right ears and he'd never be
allowed in any official kendo club.

 Akane knew that, and this was part of
the reason for her decision.

 Kasumi merely looked slightly disapproving
and wondered if she ought to have a talk with Akane. The
idea of living in a foreign country was so... odd.

                         For not the first time since this nightmare 
had started, Soun Tendo was wishing that this were 
ancient times. All it would take was a few moments and the 
Kuno family tree would get trimmed.

                 "Kasumi, can you make the arrangements?"

                  Kasumi paused, then nodded. "The arrangements
are already being made for that."

                  "There is one other thing that I need to speak
to you of. Just in case anything happens to me.

                   "There were a couple of arrangements for marriages
that I made in my youth. One must be kept, the other I hope you
two can avoid." Soun's voice cracked but the tears refused to
come.

                   "An arranged marriage?" All three looked up at 
this, but were still too numb from Akane's ordeal to react that
much.

                   "The one that must be kept is to an old friend and
training partner of mine. Genma Saotome. His son Ranma has
been training intensively in the martial arts since he was six.
Genma and I went to Hell and back, training under a martial
arts master who was a demon from the Pit itself. After Ranma
turns sixteen, they are supposed to come to the dojo. We 
had agreed not to reveal the arrangement before the day you
were to meet, after all the training is dangerous and rigorous
and Ranma may not survive to marry.

                  "The other is to the Chardin family. They, ahem,
have some rather disgusting habits and it would be best if
you were already engaged or married before they decide to
call in THAT old debt."

 A wind seemed to swirl through the cellblock.
 
 "Father," Kasumi began softly. "The Police
have found your old friend and contacted him. He is
supposedly coming to our home as we have no available
relatives. Aunt Beru's resources will be quite strained
with some boy they already have _and_ Akane, therefore 
accompanying Akane is out of the question."

 "He's coming? Oh, joyous day. Still you
won't be able to marry until after his sixteenth birthday,
which would be in March of '92."

 "I see," said three daughters as they considered
this information, though they were still mainly in shock.
-------------------
 Kasumi sat at the table and looked thoughtful.
Akane looked resigned. Nabiki had her "figuring things out"
expression on.

 "You know, Kasumi," Nabiki broke the awkward
silence after a few minutes, "there's a way out of this. This 
Ranma guy *might* be trainable. I figure from Daddy's 
description, most likely the boy's been training in the martial
arts and nothing else. If we offer to be his friends..."

 "Well, if we can be his friend, that *would* simplify
things." Kasumi said in a quiet voice, hoping that it would all
turn out for the best somehow.

 "You really think he's going to be any different from
Kuno?" Akane snorted. "He's a boy, they're all the same."

 "Maybe. But we *do* have some advantages here.
We know about the arranged marriage ahead of time. We can
double team this Ranma if necessary. Besides, there's this Chardin
to worry about later. If necessary, well, we've got time to arrange
safe places to get to and get away from this whole mess."

----0-------------January 19, 1990------------0----
 The house seemed empty without
Akane, but now the two new guests had arrived.

 The large man sighed and spoke of
how they'd have to open the dojo to students.
Every other statement seemed to be a complaint
about how this was taking time away from the
boy's training.

 The boy looked sullen and lonely,
though, so Kasumi met Nabiki's glance and
nodded. Time to begin the rest of the Plan.

 "Uhm, Ranma," Nabiki spoke but
Kasumi was there at her elbow. "Hi, I'm 
Nabiki and this is my sister, Kasumi. Do you
want to be friends?"

 Seeing the way the boy's face 
immediately brightened, Nabiki knew that 
they had made the right choice.

 Genma grumbled about little
repairs that needed to be made before
students could be taken in, but suppressed
a smile as he watched the three sitting down
and talking.

 Ranma had never had any real
friends, it might have distracted him from the
Art, but one of these two girls would eventually
be his daughter-in-law. If they became friends
before the engagement was mentioned, then it
might even be smoother than his own marriage.
Genma allowed himself a private moment of
satisfaction at the thought of his son's marriage
being a happy one.

 If only Soun were around, then Genma
would know who to engage Ranma to and the
marriage could be set for Ranma's sixteenth 
birthday. Genma really thought he needed Soun's
input on this as it impacted both families.

 Genma watched out of the corner
of his eye. The younger of the two sisters 
was slowly drawing his son out, while the
other seemed a little shy and was content to
make little corrections and murmur agreement.

 Genma shrugged and turned his
full attention back to the list he was making.
Who knows, this might work out after all.
------0------------January 10, 1992-------0-----
 Kasumi blushed and turned her
gaze downwards. It had been rocky going,
but Ranma had become a good friend to the
two daughters. Except that his sixteenth 
birthday, when Ranma would be told of the
engagement, was coming up soon.

 Kasumi had watched as a good
diet and plenty of food and exercise had 
filled the boy out and he'd shot up in height.
She'd watched as the sullen and awkward
boy who'd arrived two years ago had become
a more thoughtful and refined young man.

 A number of girls at school had
taken an interest in Ranma, only to find 
either Kasumi or Nabiki indicating that the
boy was already taken. No details were ever
given, but the sight of Nabiki "buddying
around" with Ranma provided plenty of 
rumors, as did Kasumi taking Ranma out
for shopping expeditions and the like.

 Then there were the odd challenges
and martial arts styles that were thrown against
Ranma on a regular basis. Nabiki usually pulling
the strings in the background, making it look
like she was just making a profit of the bets.
Martial Arts Cooking, Martial Arts Housekeeping,
Martial Arts Kissing, Tao Philosophy Martial Arts,
and all the other little challenges that Ranma had
risen to meet.

 Every so often, Genma would
declare a weekend or Sunday training 
journey where Ranma and his father would
go off for intensive training in the Martial
Arts. On occasion, one or both daughters
would come along.

 Both Kasumi and Nabiki had
received additional training in the martial arts.
Ranma's enthusiasm for the Art was quite
obvious, and somewhat contagious. Besides,
in order to give his "big sister" time to spend
studying, Ranma had taken over some of the
housecleaning duties. Those training journeys
mainly were mini-vacations for the two girls,
though Nabiki found the extra freedom to be a
plus.

 This was to be the biggest such
training journey. As it was to China, both
Kasumi and Nabiki wanted to go. Genma 
insisted though, this would be a harsh trip
and they'd be living off the land.

 Kasumi glanced at Nabiki
who was giving Ranma his goodbye.
All three of them had gotten closer in
the past two years. Kuno kept coming
by as a dojo destroyer, but would fall 
fairly quickly to Ranma or his father.

 The hatred Ranma held for
Kuno was considerable after holding
a crying Nabiki late one night, as she
related what Kuno had done to their family.

 "Ranma," Nabiki said, giving
her friend a quick hug, "you be sure to 
send those postcards!"

 Ranma's own smile was a 
little uncomfortable, something that 
amused both of the sisters. He'd become
aware of the certain tension between them,
but had NO idea of what to do or even if it
was proper for him to feel that way.

 Which had been part of the Plan
as well.

 "Have fun, you two." Kasumi
waved as they left the house.

 "Well, Kasumi," said Nabiki as
she took down the dojo shingle. "When
Ranma returns, he'll be sixteen. He'll know
about the engagement."

 "Yes, Nabiki." Kasumi smiled
at her sister. 

 "So what do you think he's
going to do?"

 "Honestly?" Kasumi smiled,
and it wasn't just a polite one. There was
a definite hint of amusement. "I think he'll
go into shock, followed shortly by denial,
followed by many sleepless nights as he 
tries to imagine it as being real, followed by
guilt about feeling that way about his two
friends."

 "In other words, you haven't
thought about it all." Nabiki smirked and
shook her head.

 "Knowing that this was coming
for the past two years? Why, of course not,
Nabiki. Why would I do something like that?"

 "I have no idea, dear sister. Must
just be my suspicious nature."
-------0------March 6, 1992------0-------
 Kasumi rushed in and Nabiki's
question about what her sister thought of
this new shade of nail polish was banished
the moment she saw her sister's face.

 "What is it, Kasumi?"

 Kasumi held up a postcard.

 Reluctantly, Nabiki took it,
noting that this was from some place
in the Bayankala Mountains. Not that
different from the once a week postcard
they'd been receiving from Ranma.

 Ranma's writing had gotten
tolerable recently, but this looked as if
it had just gone back to the Ranma who 
had first shown up at their door. Sloppy, 
with definite jerking motions in the strokes 
of each character.

"Dear Nabiki and Kasumi,
Something terrible has happened. Pop could
not read the information in his guidebook and
has taken me to a place of nightmare. Now I 
have been cursed, I am unclean and not fit to
associate with decent people again. I do not
know if I can write again, or should. I will not 
darken your presence until I have found a cure.
                                                  Ranma Saotome."

 Nabiki frowned, idly noting that
her sister was almost ready to cry. "What could
they have gotten into that would be THIS bad?
Maybe Ranma's just overreacting."

 Kasumi's face brightened by just a
fraction. "The script at the bottom is from 
some place called Jusenkyo. Do you think
you can..."

 "Research the area and see what I
come up with?" Nabiki smiled. "Come on, after
all, the boy's been like family. Even if he is a bit
of a jock. Consider it done."
--------0----March 12, 1992----0--------
 Nabiki watched as a panda dragged
a wet and bedraggled girl into the room. Apparently,
she had struggled so much that the panda had
been required to knock her out.

 "Mister Saotome?" Nabiki inquired.
She'd asked three pigeons, two dogs, a cat, and
some stray pig the same question today. The
previous day she'd used up three kettles of hot
water on every stray animal that had wandered
in the open gate.

 [You know?] read a sign that the
panda produced.

 Nabiki sighed in relief. At last.
"Kasumi, you can stop dialing for animal
control. This time it IS them." She put the
copy of  "Lawson's Guide to Cursed Springs 
of The Far East" down. She could look up
more details later.

 The section about the curse's nature
influencing the mental nature of the victim would
need to be carefully considered.

 Kasumi came back in, looked at
the panda, then when Nabiki pointed down
at the unconcious girl, sighed deeply.

 "He makes a cute girl," Kasumi
said after a few moments. "That's quite a bump
on the back of his, no, HER head. Oh my, what
pronoun should you use?"

 Nabiki knelt by Ranma and was
surprised by the wave of feelings that swept
over her. She didn't consider herself the maternal,
nurturing sort, but that was definitely how she
felt at the moment. Maybe it was that the short
girl lying on the floor looked so helpless.

 That both Kasumi and Nabiki had
changed during their association with Ranma 
was somehow never considered by either girl.

 "Poor Ranma," Nabiki checked the
clothing and found it fairly soaked through.
"Kasumi, we need to change her clothing before
she catches cold."

 "'She'?" Kasumi sighed. "I suppose
that's true. Oh, Mister Saotome, there's water
heating on the stove."
 
 After the panda had left, Nabiki looked
back to her sister. "Furo?"

 Kasumi hesitated. "No, let's try upstairs.
If she woke up in there with us..."

 "He'd die of embarrassment," finished
Nabiki.
------------------------
 Ranma was in the process of freaking
out, but quietly. Waking up in her own bed, in her
cursed form, wearing her own pajamas when the
last thing she remembered was getting into a fight
with her stupid father in the street.

 There was one more thing which contributed
to the freaking out, but mainly contributed to the silence.
Ranma wasn't alone.

 Her eyes gradually were able to make out
the details, Nabiki apparently having crawled onto
Ranma's bed. The empty chair nearby and Nabiki's
position indicated that she'd started falling asleep
and probably had just intended to rest "for a minute."

 A couple of years ago that had been odd,
but he'd learned that both sisters really missed the
presence of the third, and on lonely nights would 
bunk together. One or the other would make mistakes
on occasion and end up in Ranma's room, which had
once been Nabiki's until Nabiki had moved into what
had once been Akane's room.

 Ranma made a mental note that he hadn't
pounded on Tatewaki Kuno recently for the hell he'd
put his friends (and their sister) through. He'd have to
consider doing something about that.

 As it was, with Nabiki's taut curves a few
inches away, with only their pajamas separating them,
Ranma was way too conscious of the differences in
the feelings that had developed over the past two 
years.

 Nabiki had that secretive little smile on her
face that always seemed to fascinate Ranma somehow.

 Ranma stopped herself, realizing how she
had started to get drawn in by that smile. Blushing
furiously, she stared at the ceiling. This cursed body
was reacting to her thoughts, and it was different from
the feelings in the uncursed form.

 At least it was a familiar ceiling.
---------------------------------
 Nabiki was cautious not to react, studying
Ranma through eyes barely opened. Not for the first
time, Nabiki wondered about the boy who was so 
different from Tatewaki Kuno. They had the same
ego and drive for martial arts, but that was about 
where the similarities had ended.

 The problem was, did she want Ranma
as a brother or did she want him as a fiance? Very
likely, Mr. Saotome would insist on having the 
confrontation in the morning. Ranma would have
to choose one of them to be engaged to, or they
would have to choose one of themselves to be
engaged to Ranma.

 Or they could all simply flee. 

 After a long discussion, Kasumi and
Nabiki had reached a decision. Whether it would
have the intended effect remained to be seen.

 Nabiki looked at the nervous boy
nearby and wondered about a great many things.
---------------March 13, 1992------------------------
 Kasumi fixed the traditional Japanese
breakfast and seemed to be the only one left 
unaffected by the tension in the house that 
morning. 

 Genma Saotome was slightly put off,
though you'd have to know him to be able to 
tell. It was displayed in a few nervous gestures
and his eating just slightly slower than usual.

 Nabiki blinked blearily around and
wondered why mornings had to come so damn
early anyway.

 Ranma was still radiating angst. 
How could he deal with a curse that turned him
into a girl? How could he associate with decent
people like Kasumi and Nabiki when his body
was subject to uncontrolled transformations?
How could he be sitting here eating breakfast
when he should be looking for a cure?

 "I..." Ranma began.

 "Well, that's it then. Ranma, my son,
it is time for you to meet the obligations of family
honor and make a decision?"

 "More tea, Mister Saotome?"

 "Yeah, like what kinda decision?"

 "Uhm, thank you, Kasumi." Genma
paused. He wished that Soun were here to back
him up, but the Tendo patriarch would be facing his
parole board in a few days. Hopefully the news
that his youngest daughter was currently doing
quite well as a tournament winner in the InterSchool
Games Karate division would help him maintain his calm.

 "Pop?" Ranma wasn't sure why, but
the feeling of tension in the room had just risen
considerably.

 "Ahem. Years ago, Mister Tendo and
myself studied the Martial Arts under a sensei 
who has rightly been called a 'demon.' This sensei,
whose name should never be mentioned, put us
through many terrible trials."

 "Kinda like the training you put me
through, huh?"

 "That's right." Genma paused. "NO!
STUPID BOY! Anyway. There was an agreement
borne out of this terrible hardship, that eventually
the two Schools of Anything Goes would be 
united."

 "Oh? And I'm supposed to challenge
Nabiki or Kasumi to a dojo fight? Get real, old man."
Ranma snorted, then looked a little fearfully at 
Nabiki. "Not that you don't have your own strengths!"

 Nabiki smirked a little. The lessons he'd
been taught had taken hold. You couldn't force this
wild horse, but he could be led.

 "Oh my, Mister Saotome. You want Ranma
to fight us for the dojo? That wouldn't be proper at
all." Kasumi looked mildly disapproving, though Ranma
had trained her some in the past year.

 "Kasumi!" Nabiki acted scandalized, just as
they'd discussed it earlier. "What Mister Saotome here
is trying to say is that he's talking about marriage."

 "Pop? Aren't you a little old for Kasumi?"

 Ranma looked a little puzzled as his father
and his two sisters facefaulted.

 "Yeah, Mister Saotome! Besides, you 
never said what happened to Ranma's mother!"
Nabiki was rewarded with the familiar nervous
expression, plus Mr. Saotome turned two shades
paler than he usually did. Filing this away as a 
possible clue, Nabiki decided to pursue this angle
later.

 "I'm sorry, Mister Saotome. I don't
really think that would be a proper relationship."

 Genma groaned. "No. That is NOT 
what I meant. What I meant is that one of you
two will have to marry Ranma."

 "Oh, is that all?" Kasumi refilled
her own teacup as if this were of no concern
to her at all now.

 "Oh, you had me worried for a 
minute there." Nabiki smirked, studying
Ranma out of the corner of her eyes. Three,
two, one.

 "Well, I guess that....HEY!!"
Ranma's eyes went wide as the concept 
penetrated.

 "So, what do you think, Nabiki?"
Kasumi glanced over at her sister.

 "I could do worse, I s'pose."
Nabiki half-lowered her eyelids and quite
openly studied Ranma from across the table.

 "HEY!"

 "Agreed, though his grades in
math aren't terribly high. Still, you have helped
bring his other grades up." Kasumi looked 
quite thoughtful.

 "B-bu-but I..."

 Nabiki waved that off. "Oh, c'mon
Kasumi. Your coaching him in Japanese History
brought those grades up. He's learned a LOT
from you."

 "But I? Marriage? Too young!"

 Nabiki gave her best sultry look.
"Hmmmm. You know, he's not bad looking either.
Much better than most of the guys at school."

 "I am?" Pride started to undermine
embarassment.

 "So, Nabiki, how do we decide?"

 Genma's eyes were wide and his
head was bobbing around like he were at a
tennis match.

 "Jan pen? No, too simple."

                   "Cards, perhaps?"

 "How about this? We both get
engaged to him, and when we decide which
one is most compatible?"

 "A year or so, that would be
good." Kasumi nodded and gathered her
dishes up. "That sounds like a good plan."

 Nabiki gathered her own dishes
and got up too. "Yeah. Don't want to go into
anything rashly, after all."

 The two Saotomes, sitting still in
shock, took a few minutes to recover from the
way the two Tendos had taken control of the
situation and run with it.

 "Hey, I... I mean that I. Who says 
I'm gonna marry anybody?!"

 "Ranma-kun," said Nabiki, sticking
her head around the corner, "take some time
and get used to the idea. After last night, after
all..."

 Ranma audibly swallowed.

 Kasumi's voice wafted in from
the kitchen. "Fell asleep while watching him,
Nabiki? Poor Ranma. Getting all stressed out
like that."

 "Th-thanks, Kasumi," muttered
Ranma, feeling extremely confused.
-----------------------------------
OK, that's it for now. see what i mean, just
goes off on its own initiative!
         i can see a much more at-peace-with-
herself Akane eventually returning, if nothing
else just to visit her family when Soun is
finally released.
         i can see scenes where Kuno, barred
from Kendo for unsportsmanlike conduct,
attempts to avenge himself against Nabiki
only to repeatedly be stopped by Ranma.
        arrgghh. this is one i wanted to finish,
but i figure my available discs won't even
cover what i _need_ to backup.