Ok, you can kill me for working n this instead of aofa. :)
But I'd advice that you don't, or you'll have to write the rest
to this fanfic if you wan to see it end. :)

        'And Life goes On'
                Side Story 1, chapter 2: Those Obnoxious Fiancees
 
 
        "Easy, I tell you. Easy!" Ranma defended hotly. In the past
 few days his all ready low reputation had dropped to an all time low.
 
        "Easy, huh? It's been five days all ready! You WANT them to
 rule over us?" Akane, a kind and sweet girl at heart, was easily bought
 to higher levels of anger, and watching the dope she was forced to call
 her fiancee slack off was not helping her calmness. "If you liked to be
 watched over by some horned aliens, then do the whole world a favor
 and win for the rest of us sane people!"
 
        "Quiet, Akane! All you have to do is watch me; Lum's really
 good. Who would have ever thought she can fly?"
 
        "She's an alien! You're lucky she doesn't melt gold with the look
 of her eyeballs."
 
        "She shoots lightning bolts." He pointed out.
 
        "So does Kuno."
 
        "They're just for show, not real electric bolts."
 
        "Hi, Ran-chan." Ukyou entered the room, sounding less than
 ethesiastic. She found out the hard way that Ranma didn't like to be tutored,
 not even when the whole world was at stake. *Guess I'm going to
 have to pound this into your head, Ran-chan*
 
        "Ukyou, what are you doing here?" Akane occasionally
 respected Ukyou, she had the courage to do what she used to want
 to. Long ago, Akane once considered dressing and acting like a boy
 herself; she found nothing attractive about being a woman. But she
 gave up on the idea after her father had flooded her bedroom with
 tears when he heard her decision.
 
        But when Ukyou was around 'her' Ran-chan, she pretty much
 threw away all that she knew about dignity. "'K, Ran-chan, let's discuss
 your strategy for tomorrow." Ranma inwardly groaned.
 
        "What do you mean by that, Ukyou?" 
 
        "Simple, Akane-chan. Ran-chan and I are planning on how to
 beat Lum."
 
        "Oh, no wonder he's loosing!"
 
        "Take that back, Akane! I'm a better martial artist than you, and
 we both know it it!" As the two bickered, Ranma took this opportunity
 to sneak out. Not that Ukyou was a bad person, just that she was determined.
 He wouldn't mind if she was only being determined about guarding the
 world from those aliens, but he could tell she was using this as another
 opportunity to marry her love. Namely, him.
 
        Sighing with relief once he had entered the safety of his room, he
 flopped onto his futon, arms and legs spread out. Ukyou was right about
 one thing, he did have to use strategy against Lum. For a brief moment he
 considered tearing off her bikini top, but not only would that be dirty, but
 it would also make his fiancees furious. And making his fiancees furious
 was not the smartest thing to do.
 
        "Ranma." Sighing again, he turned to see who was in his room. and
 surprisingly enough, no one was there. *What, is God or something giving
 me advice?* Ranma would have burst out laughing at the thought if he
 hadn't been in such a bad mood. "Er, Ranma, why is it so dark in here?
 And what's all this clothing hanging from the ceiling?...." Ranma got up
 and opened his closet to find a confused Ryoga holding one of Ranma's
 shirts. "Where are you, anyway?" Ryoga looked to the new source of
 light, blinked, and then blushed.
 
        "Yo, Ryoga. Came to fight me again?"
 
        "I would do no such thing!"
 
        "Oh, of course not. How could I forget? Ryoga's the little
 peacemak-" Ranma was forced to sur press his words after his
 jaw had stopped moving my Ryoga's fist.
 
        "Not while the whole world is at war! Ranma.... on this
 planet is Akane..."
 
        "Wow, that's good Ryoga! Maybe your sense of direction
 is getting better! I mean, you actually knew what planet Akane is on!"
 Ranma patted Ryoga's back. "I'm so proud of you, man!" With a glare,
 Ryoga pushed Ranma's hand away.
 
        "As I was saying, if the aliens take over the planet, then Akane
 will... Akane will... oh, poor, sweet Akane! She's be forced to work
 for those horrid monsters! Ranma, for Akane's and everyone else's sake,
 you must win!"
 
        "Ryoga..." Ranma took on a soft look, and took a seat next to
 him. "What do you think I've been hearing for the past five days?!
 'You must win' 'Victory has to be yours'! Don't you come and start too!"
 
        "I understand you're under a lot of pressure Ranma, but it's all fo
r a good reason. And don't worry, I'll help you win!" Ranma just stared
 at Ryoga.
 
        "And how will you help me?"
 
        "First, you have to figure out how to get Lum to fly to you-"
 
        "'I"? Didn't you say you were going to help me?"
 
        "Shut up! You're the one that has to do it! I'll give some
 suggestions, but otherwise, you're on your own."
 
        "Oh, great help that is. And I bet this is one of your ideas: I dress
 up as Lum-"
 
        "That- that's it! Ranma, I hate to say this, but you're a genius!" 
 
        "And how is that supposed to help?"
 
        "You're the one that thought it up, Ranma, You ought to know."
 
        "Do you?"
 
        "Of course! Lum will get angry at you for dressing up
 like her, fly to take it off of you, and then you grab her horns!"
 Ranma considered it; like any other idea Ryoga felt was good,
 it was utterly ridiculous. But he was on the right track...
 
        "Uh, Ryoga, what're doing?" Ranma watched with
 fascination as Ryoga pulled out a large bolt of cloth with the
 same pattern as his bandanna, a needle, scissors, and began
 to sow. All with much more skill than Akane could ever muster;
 or any of his other fiancees, for that matter.
 
        "I'm making you the costume." 
 
        "I didn't know pigs could sow."
 
        "Shut up! Where do you think I get all my bandannas? I can't
 buy them outside of the city, so I make 'em myself. And I have yet
 to find a place that makes bandannas as good as mine."
 
        "And he's so modest!" Ranma muttered.
 
        "What was that, Saotome?"
 
        "I said that you're so modest!"
 
        "You did? Oh, thanks Ranma." Ranma was about to tell Ryoga
 it was an insult, but before he could, Ryoga held out the finished
 product. "Here, try it on."
 
        "I... I have to try on THAT?!" He looked at the outfit, and shook
 his head. True, Ranma had grown used to wearing bikinis, bathing suits
 and the like after he became cursed, but even Ranma had his limits.
 
        "What, is Ranma to shy?"
 
        "I am not! Anyway, let's see you try it on first."
 
        "I-I can't! What if Akane came in or something? And besides,
 it's your size, not mine!"
 
        "Ryoga, tell me... how on earth did you know my size?"  
 
        "I... er.... that is..." Ryoga grabbed one of Ranma's bathing
 suits from inside the closet. "I looked at your size on this bathing
 suit! Yeah, that's what I did... heh heh...." Ranma grabbed Ryoga
 by his collar, and pulled him up to the same level as his eyes.
 
        "C'mon, Ryoga. What did you do?"
 
        "Ranma!" The two boys froze at the familiar female voice at
 the door; Ranma quickly shoved the bikini into his pocket, and
 stuffed Ryoga into the closet before he could complain.
 "May I come in?"
 
        "Sure!" Kasumi opened the door, holding a tray with food on
 it. "I thought you might like some snacks, Ranma, since you're so
 hard at work."
 
        "Gee, thanks Kasumi." Kasumi gently set the tray on the floor,
 and left the room. Cautiously, Ranma opened the closet door, and a very
 angry Ryoga jumped out.
 
        "What was that for, Ranma?! Think you can shove me in the
 closet and get away with it, well, you'-" 
 
        "I thought it was Akane, and if she found out I'm fightin' with ya
 at a time like this, she'd get really pissed, and I'd probably be in the
 hospital or who knows how long... not a good thing." Ryoga, after
 consideration, lessened his anger. "And now we're even."
 
        "All right, all right! But you still need to try to try on the
 stupid thing."
 
        "But there's no cold water and I'm a gu-" Ryoga pulled out water
 from his backpack, and splashed onto Ranma.
 
        "Happy now?" Without a word, Ranma-chan pushed Ryoga
 back into the closet, slammed the door, then quickly put on the bikini.
  Sliding the door open again, Ryoga fell over at the sight of Ranma-chan's
 costume. "Wow! If I didn't know better, I'd think you're Lum!" 
 
        Ranma-chan inspected herself in the mirror; her build was different
 from that of Lum's, since Lum was a flyer and Ranma-chan a martial artist.
 Their hair arranged was not alike either, Ranma-chan's scarlet hair tied in
 a braid, and Lum's green hair flowed freely. Not even the bikini looked the
 same, the colors matched but the design differed. "What are you saying! I
 don't look a thing like her!"
 
        "Hhhmmm... then how about this...." Taking out some
 green dye and a brush, Ryoga started to work on Ranma-chan's hair,
 whistling a little.
 
        "Um.... Ryoga... izzat stuff permanent?"
 
        "I think it is." Ranma'chan froze; just as she was about to kill
 Ryoga for damaging her hair, "No, wait. This comes out with a
 washing." Ranma-chan sighed with relief, but still elbowed Ryoga for
 scaring her like that.
 
        "Where'd you get all this junk, anyway Ryoga?"  
 
        "I find it here and there. Ok, just one more drop... perfect!"
 Ryoga turned Ranma-chan to look in the mirror again. "So, what do
 you think?"
 
        Ranma-chan's scream could be heard many blocks away.


	
	I'm not sticking to the storyline of when Lum first came in;
if I wanted to see that again, I would just re-read the story. I
myself honestly don't think Ranma or any of the others are acting
[completly] on character, but it's more fun this way! :)


		Isabel Arantes
			terrin@netcom.com