Once again, this is a Ranma fanfic, so if you don't like Ranma, 
you probably don't want to read it.  If you've got any suggestions, I'm 
at rmckenzi@euclid.ucsd.edu .
	If this story seems repetitive, there is a reason.  If it seems 
hastily written, that's only 'cuz it is.  School calls, y'know.

	It was a normal morning in Nerima, if such a thing can be said to 
exist.  Three boys, all of them students at Furinkan High, were late for 
school.  They started jogging to make up for lost time.  Every so often 
the boy in the yellow sweater would make a wrong turn.  Whenever this 
happened the boy with the pig-tail braid would chase him down and 
correct his mistake.  Then they would run even faster, which meant that 
the pig-tailed boy would have a harder time catching his friend the next 
time he went the wrong way.
	The third boy just watched.  "You know, had we tied a string to 
his wrist as I suggested, this would not have happened."
	The pig-tailed boy panted, trying to catch his breath.  "That's 
mean, Tachi.  Godai-kun can't help it if he gets lost."
	Tachi brushed at the dust on his fine clothes.  "Mean?  Who cares 
about mean?  We have money riding on our promt arrival at school, 
Ryo-kun, or had the fact slipped your mind?"
	Godai frowned, sweat beading up on his forehead.  Ryo saw how 
uncomfortable his friend was, and turned on Tachi.  "Give it up, 
'Shooting Star.'  This isn't about money."
	Tachi stood up straight.  "Everything is about money," he declared.
	Godai glared at the well-dressed boy,  his fangs showing.  "Tachi-kun, 
sometimes I think you'd sell your own mother if the price was right."
	Tachi frowned, and Ryo laughed.  "Not his mother," said the 
pig-tailed boy.  "She'd find away to come back and sell _him_.  No, Tachi 
wouldn't sell his mother.  A girlfriend, maybe, or a fiancee."
	"You need not flaunt the fact that you and Bell-chan are to be 
married,"  Tachi accused.
	Ryo sobered immediately.  "I didn't mean to rub it in, Tachi-kun."
	"What's it like, being engaged?" asked Godai.
	"Pig-tail boy engaged?  That cause problems," said a perky voice.
	The three boys looked around for the speaker.  Ryo and Tachi 
looked up at the same time; there was a girl standing on the fence beside 
them.  She was Chinese, with long, purple hair she wore in a braid.
	"What do you mean by that?" asked Ryo.  He seemed suddenly defensive.
	The girl didn't answer right away.  Instead she studied the three 
boys for a moment, then jumped down.  "Why cute slow boy run away?" she 
asked Godai.  He just stared at her blankly.  Then he blushed.
	Tachi coudn't help but needle his friend.  "Godai-kun, why did you 
not tell us you knew such a vision of loveliness?"
	Ryo would not be put off.  "Who are you, and why is my Bell-chan 
a problem?"  He spoke with a cold intensity that boded ill for the 
strange girl.
	"Fiancee usually get in way of marriage," the Chinese girl answered.
	"I have no intention of marrying you," Ryo said slowly.
	"I would marry you," declared Tachi.
	The girl stared at the well dressed boy.  "Boy look like nosey 
cousin.  Hope boy fight better than nosey cousin."
	"I, Tendo Tachi, the Shooting Star of Furinkan High, have never 
been defeated!"  Thunder rolled in a clodless sky.
	"Spring hope star boy live up to boast."  She bowed to him, her 
hands pressed together in front of her chest.  Then she jump-kicked him.  
Tachi went flying.
	That act of violence snapped Godai out of his blissful funk.  He 
roared wordlessly, swinging a fist at Spring.  She ducked under his blow 
with ease and threw him across the street.  "Spring already beat cute 
slow boy."
	Ryo slowly made his hands into fists.  "I don't know who you are, but I 
won't let you beat up my friends."
	"Nay, Ryo!  This battle belongs to me," cried Tachi.  The boy had 
pushed himself to his feet and taken off his jacket, revealing a bokken 
strapped to his back.  He drew his wooden blade and extended it towards 
the purple-haired girl.  "You caught me by surprise once, oh treacherous 
goddess, but you shall not do so again."  His soliloquy was spoiled only 
by the footprint across his face.
	"Star boy talk too much," complained Spring.  She rushed him, but 
Tachi managed to parry her initial attack.  Spring seemed impressed.  She 
launched a combination of punches at the swordsman, and smiled when Tachi 
blocked them all.  Then she sweep-kicked him.  Tachi lost his balance, 
and with it, the rythm of his defence.  Another combination of punches 
saw the Shooting Star of Furinkan High sprawled on the sidewalk.
	By this time Godai was back on his feet.  He rushed Spring a 
second time, with predictable results.  This time the sidewalk cracked 
when he landed on it.
	Ryo stared at the unmoving bodies of his friends.  He bent down 
to pick up Tachi's bokken.  He spun the blade in his hands to get the 
feel of the weapon, then paused, waiting for the purple-haired girl to 
make the first move.
	Spring advanced slowly.  "Pig-tail boy have patience."
	"I don't like to fight."
	Spring launched a roundhouse kick at Ryo's head.  He ducked under 
her foot, but she recovered before he could strike back.  Spring attacked 
again, launching a combination of punches and kicks that Ryo was 
hard-pressed to defend against.  She set up a foot-sweep like she had 
against Tachi, but Ryo was ready for it.  Spring's eyebrows shot up in 
surprise, and she jumped back to giver herself some room.  "Pig-tail boy 
best fighter Spring see so far.  Why he no attack?"
	"I told you, I don't like to fight.  Fighting never solves anything."
	"How pig-tail boy win fiancee if he no fight?"
	Ryo's eyes narrowed, and his face became grim.  "I told you to 
leave Bell-chan out of this," he snarled.
	The purple-haired girl perked up at that.  "Spring finally 
understand!  If Spring kill fiancee, Pig-Tail boy free to marry Spring."
	Ryo's knuckles grew white.  He opened his mouth, but his fury had 
taken him far beyond language.  With a wordless roar he hurled himself at 
Spring.
	Spring sighed.  There was no strategy to Ryo's attack; he was 
flying at her feet first.  It was an easy throw, and an easy win.  That 
was why she was so surprised by the sudden blow to the stomach.  Stunned, 
she could do nothing as Ryo's kick caught her in the face.
	Ryo landed hard.  He'd put a lot of rage into that attack, and he 
hadn't had much thought for what would happen after kicking his opponent 
in the head.  Truth be told, he hadn't been thinking, period.
	Picking himself up, Ryo wondered what had happened to Tachi's 
bokken.  As reason slowly returned, he remembered throwing it at the 
purple-haired girl.  He looked for his opponent, hoping he hadn't killed 
her in his momentary rage.  She was moving, which put her that far ahead 
of Tachi and Godai.  _Now what do I do?_ Ryo wondered.
	Spring felt her nose.  It didn't seem broken, for all the blood 
coming out of it.  *The boy with the pig-tail is a better fighter than I 
gave him credit for,* she muttered to herself.  *He might actually be a 
match for me*  That thought brought a smile to her face.  She jumped to 
her feet.  "Pig-Tail boy ready for round two?" she asked.
	"Round two?  Are you crazy?  If we keep this up, someone could 
end up dead!"
	"So?"  Spring jump-kicked him.  Ryo dodged out of the way, but 
the girl's attack had been a feint.  She twisted in mid-air and lashed 
out at the boy.  Her fist landed square on Ryo's jaw, and the pig-tailed 
boy slumped to the ground.
	Spring pouted when she saw Ryo wasn't about to get up.  "Spring 
never find husband at this rate.  Best fighter so far only have one good 
punch in him."  She reached into her jumpsuit and pulled out the locket.  
"Locket come closer this time, but not close enough.  Spring want to meet 
good fighter.  Now!  Stupid locket understand?"
	The charm in her hand began glowing.  Spring smiled.  The world 
spun around her.  As before, when it stopped, her opponents were gone.

* * * * *

	Ryo opened his eyes.  The purple-haired girl was fading away.  
_Where's she going?  She's dangerous... and she threatened Bell-chan!_  
Aloud he muttered, "I'd better keep an eye on her."  He staggered to his 
feet.  The girl was gone, but a ring of fading light marked where she had 
been standing.  Ryo jumped.