Well this just sorta came out of nowhere the night just before exams.
Couldn't sleep and all.  I can imediately see three directions in which
I sorta want this to go and you know what I think I might even write two
of them as I am not really sure on the third.  Anyway without further
ado  part one of
<> Indicates thought  ex:  <Thought>  got it

			RANMA 1/2:  The Path Not Taken

		I shall be telling this with a sigh
		Somewhere ages and ages hence:
		Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
		I took the one less traveled by,
		And that had made all the difference.
				-Robert Frost


	"RANMA!  Where are you.  It's time for breakfast.  So wake up
already!"  Akane waited for a few moments before getting the oft used
bucket out of the bathroom.  <Ha!  So he won't wake up, well I know a 
way to fix that.>  Returning to the "guests" room she threw open the
door and splashed the bucketfull of water on...nothing.  He wasn't
there.

	<Ok. Ok.  Don't panic.  He is probably just out doing some sort
of weird training with his father.>  But there the old fool of a man was.
A panda slightly stirring upon the floor.  For the first time in her life
Akane was truly worried aout someone.

	It had all started a couple of weeks ago when that damned "Ucchan"
had finally caught up with Ranma.  Not that she was all that bad of a
person really, she just happened to like the wrong man, HER man.

	<...Oh my.  Now where did that come from.  Oh come on now Akane
you already knew that you loved him didn't you.  You weren't really all
that suprised by all that were you now, you just haven't been able to
admit it to yourself.>

	Akane collected her scattered thoughts.  Ever since that girl
came to town Ranma had been brooding over something, even lost in thought
at times.  Which everyone had to admit wasn't like him at all.  <He has
just been acting so unlike himself lately.>

	Which was truth be told a fact.  Why last week alone he had
snapped at Kasumi, ignored that moron Kuno completely, and he had even
skipped a number of meals completely.  Before that he had not fought
with Ryouga, he just doged the boy untill he got lost, and when Shampoo
glomped him he had quietly pushed her away and asked her to leave him
alone.  <Not that it worked or anything.>  And there had been numerous 
such incidents over the last couple of weeks that everyone had started
to worry.  And now...now he was gone.

	...Or was he.  Her heart lifted at the thought.  <Mabey I am
just overreacting to this, after all Kasumi wis the only one who has
asked me where Ranma was.  Not that I have really talked to anyone
else this morning.  Well I guess I should start asking around.>

	"Mr Saotome, Mr Saotome.  WAKE UP!"  When this earned her no
response, as she had expected, she kicked him so hard that he flew
into the wall.

	"Grouf."  The dazed panda turned over and held up one of his
signs "What is it?"

	"Do you know where Ranma is, I can't seem to find him."

	"No.  Now let me go back to bed, it's Sunday."

	Well no help there, not that she had really expected any.
<Well on to the next person.  I suppose Nabiki might know.>

	"Nabiki, it's me Akane can I come in?"

	"Sure sis, I'm awake."

	As soon as she entered the room Nabiki turned to her, "Well
what is it you want to talk about?  Ranma I'd guess.  Hmm?"

	"Um...well...you see...I.  Yes...do you know where he is?
Kasumi is looking for him, it's time for breakfast and she can't
find him.  I already checked in his room and it didn't sound like
there was anyone in the dojo when I checked."

	"Well...I don't know where he is off the top of my head.
But I would guess that he is either on the roof thinking, or in the
dojo meditating.  You really should check inside you know he does
meditate, if infrequently you know."

	As she turned to leave Nabiki stopped her, "Sis, I hope you
find him.  We have all been worrying about him lately"

	"Th..thank you Nabiki.  Bye."

	<Well I think I will check the roof first.  I haven't really
ever been up there.>  Going to her window, she opened it and proceded
to very aquardly exit and climb onto the roof.  <Ack how does he do
this.  Yea, well I know he jumps.>  After a short survey of the roof
she determined that she was indeed alone up there.

	Well I guess it's the dojo next.  "Ooff!!"  She jumped, well
more of a fall, off the roof and headed towards the ominously quiet
dojo.  Her heart lept when she saw something she overlooked earlier.
The door to the dojo was partly open.  That meant that someone was
in there, and neither hers nor Ranmas fathers were out of the house
yet.  She practically ran up to the doors and flung them open...and
stopped, dead.  For there in the middle of the floor, was not Ranma,
but a letter with her name on it.  Written in Ranmas clumsy scrawl.


		<End chapter one base path>


Well what do you think all?  Please let me know would you.  I will add
this to my webpage sometime after exams.

Sir Olin 'Neplusultra' Petty

http://members.aol.com/HHDeNi/index.html