Come to think of it, I'll probably be reposting this again after I edit
and revise it a bit, 
but this is the rough for my Alternatives... series first Alternative,
first Chapter. C&C is
much appreciated.

---

(saotome@micron.net)

Ranma 1/2: Alternatives...
Written by Mark Eymer

Alternative 1: "Childhood's Dilemmas"
Chapter 1: "Planting Seeds of Second Thought"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   "For nothing this wide universe I call,
                 Save thou, my rose; in it thou art my all."
                     -William Shakespeare's CIX sonnet-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The noonday sun shone on the Tendo koi pond as it made its way
across
the daytime sky.  A fish idly jumped above the surface to greet the
outside
air with a small splash that resounded around the general area of the
Tendo
home.  A silence had descended upon the surrounding grounds, something
that
all too rarely happened.  A stray cloud passed through the blue sky
overhead
and, for only a second or two, outlined the flight path of a familiar
pig-
tailed frequent flier.  An echoing shout broke through the serenity.

        "RANMA NO BAKA!"

        Sighing, Ranma decided rather belatedly that maybe that crack
about
Akane's cooking ability had been a little much...  But still, was that
any 
reason to punt him to... Ranma took a few seconds to consider something, 
"Flight trajectory, air speed, head wind... I should be landing
somewhere 
near the... Ucchan in a few seconds."  The cold, hard conrete of the
Nerima 
sidewalks quickly leapt up to meet Ranma as he plummeted to the Earth.

--------------------

        Ukyou was tending to the lunchtime rush as best she could,
serving
one customer to have another step up and order.  Her spatulas were a
blur as
they cleaned, cooked, and then flipped okonomiyaki after okonomiyaki to
one
customer and then another.  Her rythm and timing was perfect, as per
usual,
up until she heard an enormous crash right outside her restaurant and
also a
familiar person voice their dislike of the current landing area,
"Stupid, 
uncute, tomboy Akane..." Her heart leaped in her chest.

--------------------        

        Just outside of the Ucchan, a very battered and bruised Ranma
had
finished removing himself from a Ranma sized hole in the pavement.
'Well, at
least I didn't hit the restaurant itself,' Ranma though to himself.
'Might as
well get something to eat while I'm here.' 

        With a slight limp in his step, Ranma headed into the
restaurant.  
'And besides... I haven't seen Ucchan in a while, anyway.'  Ranma's mind
was
more focused on the food he could get, of course.

--------------------

        Ryouga trudged through... something.  He was currently lost in a
marsh somewhere.  But, for him, that was usual.  Not the fact that he
was in
a marsh, mind you, but the fact that he was lost.  Again.

        Coming across a small wooden shack, as there was no other way to
describe it, he asked the man on the porch the usual question asked to
innocent bystanders.  "Do you know the way to the Tendo Dojo, in Nerima,
Tokyo?"

        'Poor boy,' the man thought.  'This is the third time he's asked
me
that.  Before wandering off in a different direction, that is.' 
Nodding, the
man pointed towards Japan, presumably.  "That way, son.  Good luck."

        Ryouga nodded as he followed the line of the finger with his
eye.
"Thank you, sir.  I appreciate it."  Pulling a pineapple out of his
pack, he       
handed it to the surprised man.

        'Where the heck'd he get a pineapple... here?!'  Looking back up
to
the boy with a cabbage's senseof direction, the man blinkblinked as a
large 
bead of sweat made itself known on his head.  'What... that's the exact 
opposite direction of where I pointed!'

        Such things were lost on Ryouga as he wandered to who knows
where.
His only wish was to find the Tendo Dojo.

--------------------

        'Oh, I hate him!'  Akane sat in her room brooding over her last
encounter with Ranma.  "Kiyaa!"  A barbell embedded itself in the wall
of
Akane's room and slowly slid down to the bed, leaving a scar of it's
passing.
'Just wait until he gets home! I'll really give it to him then!'  Akane
cracked her knuckles as she rose from her desk, walked to the door and
exited
her room.  "Just you wait, Ranma."

        Heading to the kitchen of the Tendo home, Akane decided that
she'd
blow off some steam by cooking.  She had run the family out of cinder
blocks
yesterday when Ranma insulted her looks.  Strapping on an apron she set
to
work.

        Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome watched fearfully as Akane strode
into
the kitchen.  Both gulped.  Akane plus kitchen could only equal one
thing...
a biohazard.  Hefting twin backpacks, the pair looked at each other. 
"Well,
Saotome, it seems an opportune time to leave for our training trip."

        "Quite, Tendo.  I here Mt. Fuji is beautiful this time of year,"
the
shorter man answered.

        "Right, Saotome.  Let's go."

        Striding with purpose, both fathers left for an extended
training
excursion in the wilds of Japan.  A tear could be seen trailing down
Soun's
cheek as he left his humble home, yet again.  'I'm sorry Kasumi, Nabiki,
my
poor daughters, but this time you must fend for yourselves.'

        And that they did.  Kasumi suddenly remembered a book she just
had to
return the good Dr. Tofu.  Grabbing aforementioned book, Kasumi removed
the
apron she wore everywhere, except to Dr. Tofu's, and left.

        Nabiki, also, suddenly remember business plans of hers to meet
the 
sanest half of the male population of the Kuno family.  She ran out the
door, 
stopping only to grab a jacket and shout to Akane her plans for a
business 
dinner out with Tatewaki.

        Continuing to cook, Akane's ire only rose.  Her family had just
deserted her, and she had an inkling of why.  So maybe she wasn't the
best
cook in the world, but she'd show them.  Ranma would eat it.  She'd make
him.

--------------------

        "Ranchan!"  A voice that struck Ranma as honey sweet rang in his
ears
as he entered the Ucchan.  Then again, Ukyou's voice always sounded
sweet to
Ranma.  She had been his best friend in childhood and now again. 
Although,
he had been a tad surprised how quickly she forgave him for running out
on
her, be it Pop's fault or not.  But these were things of the past, you
should
not dawdle there should you retain enough focus for the here and the
now, 
Ranma reminded himself, and the now involved his best friend and free 
okonomiyaki.

        Turning to Ukyou, who was busy behind the counter, Ranma
returned her
greeting, "Heya, Ucchan.  What's cookin'?"  Ranma sniffed the air with 
meaning hoping to tip her off as to what he wanted.  He didn't have to
as his 
stomach did the talking for him with a gigantic rumble.

        "Okonomiyaki, sugar.  And it sounds like you could use one right
about now."  Ranma could only nod happily as his salivary glands went
into
overtime.  Pulling out some batter and putting off her other customers
for
the moment, Ukyou began crafting a Japanese pizza for her betrothed.

        Japanese pizza making wasn't just another restaurant career.  At
least not to Ukyou Kuonji, master of the combat and throwing spatulas
and
practitioner of a family method of okonomiyaki making.  To Ukyou, it was
an
art.  An art she had mastered yet still continued to perfect with new
cooking
methods and new sauce recipes.  Ukyou had revolutionized the Japanese
pizza.
Single handedly.

        As the round, pancake-like, perishable foodstuff was cooked to
perfection, Ranma took a seat at the counter area of the restaurant.  He
eyed
the okonomiyaki hungrily as he barely managed not to drool on the plate
in
front of him.  'Say your prayers, pizza.  You're mine.'  Amazingly,
Ranma
didn't sport a large gut, mainly because of the fact he trained in the
art
of Anything Goes Martial Arts so intensively.  One of his favorite
things in
the world to do was to eat.

        Ukyou hummed happily as she cooked for her love.  She truly
enjoyed
being able to produce things her fiance appreciated.  Shaking herself
out of
her reverie, Ukyou flipped the okonomiyaki a final time and launched it
to 
the plate in front of Ranma.  How that boy could eat!  With a muffled
"Thank
you!" Ranma dug in.  It took the whole of ten seconds before Ranma
calmly
sat, empty plate in front of him.  "Ah!  That was great, Ucchan!"

        Ukyou beamed both at the praise and also at the use of her
petname.
"Anytime, Ranma honey.  You know I love cooking for you."  She smiled at
him
rather disarmingly, causing one of the other patrons who had
inadvertantly 
looked to the cook to miss his seat and land with a thump on the ground.

        Ukyou and Ranma's heads turned to look at the beet red patron,
as
well as the rest of the Ucchan's customers.  The unfortunate guy stood 
quickly and sat down the right way.  In the chair.

        Turning their attention back to each other, Ranma and Ukyou
suddenly
found each other looking eye to eye.  Something about the way Ukyou was
staring at Ranma made him not want to turn away from her gaze.  Ukyou
was,
likewise, searching the eyes of her childhood friend and love.

        Ranma simply couldn't tear his gaze away from his life-long
friend.
Her face shone with the warmth of friendship but in her gaze he saw a
passion
and... love?!  It is said that the eyes are a window to the soul.  Ranma
had
just looked into Ukyou's soul, and what it had shown was something so
strong
it befuddled even the mighty mental abilities of Ranma Saotome himself. 
What
he witnessed was not just and kind of love but true love.  Directed,
through 
Ukyou's gaze, at him.

        Ukyou stood awestruck by the emotions she saw battling inside
Ranma.
She could make out an internal struggle happening inside her friend. 
Over
what and why, she didn't know.  She simply bore her gaze further into
Ranma.
It was all in his eyes.  Her lifelong friend, her fiance, and her love.  
She couldn't tear her gaze away as she began to lose herself in the
depths of 
grey-blue that were Ranma's eyes.
        
        The grumble of Ranma's stomach spoiled the moment, and Ukyou and
Ranma both directed their attentions downwards.  "Well YOU obviously
need 
more food.  Let me cook you some, Ranchan," Ukyou said, turning her gaze
back
to Ranma's face.  The Ucchan suddenly seemed a lot louder as the pair
became 
aware of the other patrons conversing all around them.

        "Uh, thanks, Ucchan."  For the first time in his life, Ranma
didn't
know what to say past that.  The realization of the kind of feelings
Ukyou 
held for him, finally making itself known.  He had always known she
cared for
him as a friend and loved him.  Just not that much.  The realization
struck 
him like a piano dropped on a comatose hamster.

        'It's all in a person's gaze, Ranma,' Pop had said once.  'You
can
tell whatever they're thinking, whatever they're feeling, whether they
hold
hostility or friendship.  It's all in the eyes.'  Ranma, at the time,
being the typical student of a typical almost honorless, old man, had
taken 
the typical actions of aforementioned typical student.  He had
completely
blown off what Genma had said.  Now, though, he was forced to reassess
that
opinion.

        'Y'know, Pop.  Sometimes you almost make sense.'  Ranma was
pulled
out of his thoughts by a Japanese pizza landing on the plate in front of
him,
courtesy of Ukyou who was currently looking simply too cute in Ranma's
humble
opinion.

--------------------

        A conversation with Ukyou and twenty three okonomiyakis later,
Ranma 
was headed back to the Tendo Dojo.  He only hoped Kasumi and the others 
wouldn't be too sore at him for missing dinner.

        Come to think of it, since dinner was over he might be able to
pick
up some leftovers.  His earlier hunger renewed, his stomach growled in
joy as 
it anticipated what Kasumi might have prepared for dinner, tonight!  He
began 
to run as he continued homeward.
        
--------------------        

        Akane wasn't just mad.  She was in a rage.  She had gone to all
the
trouble of preparing dinner to find that her father and Mr. Saotome had
suddenly decided to take an extended training trip, Nabiki had a
business
matter to attend to, something like dinner with Kuno, and Kasumi had
gone to
return a book to Dr. Tofu.

        And, to top it all off, Ranma was late.  Still slightly miffed
from
before, Akane's blood boiled now.  'Wait'll I get my hands on him... Why
that 
sex changing, good for nothing, idiotic, pervert!  I'll kill him!'

        Akane had to take that thought back and squash it.  'No, I won't
kill
him... I'll just maim him.'  As she proceeded to storm around the
kitchen,
picking up "food" and carrying it down the hall and into the
living/dining
room, a thought came unbidden to her, 'I WAS the one who knocked him
through
the roof...' but she squashed that thought as well.  It was his fault. 
It
was ALWAYS his fault.

        Placing the food on the table, she stormed back to the kitchen
to get
the rest of her... biohazard.  Splinters fell from the bottom of the
table
from the force of the impact.  Akane was MAD...

--------------------

        "Shampoo!  Shampoo!... Wait for me!"  The leaves of the plant
Mousse
was currently talking to didn't answer him.  Pulling his glasses down
over
his eyes, Mousse saw Shampoo walk out of the Nekohanten.  He ran after
her.
"Shampoo!  Wait!"

        He never even saw it coming.  The cold water washed over him,
also
washing away his humanity.  The duck left in the puddle of water could
only
quack in rebellion as he was harshly placed into a small cage by the
woman he
loved.

        "Shampoo have very special delivery.  Ranma eat Shampoo's ramen
with
Mousse not there.  Stupid Mousse no spoil delivery for Shampoo."  That
said,
almost, Shampoo left the Nekohanten, enroute to the Tendo Dojo.

--------------------

        Upon arriving home, Ranma found that a few things had happened
that
he didn't much care for since he had "left."  For one, Akane was madder
than
ever.  Now that usually would have been enough to make Ranma leave, but
being 
seen by Akane hadn't helped that impulse any.  "Ranma!  Where have you 
been?!"

        "Uh..." Ranma replied intelligently.

        "Oh!  Nevermind that!  I made dinner.  Come on in and have
some."

        Now that was something to fear.  Akane, mad, and in the kitchen.
Usually her food just made you sick.  But then again, cooking is like
driving
in the respect that anger can cloud the judgment.  Put Akane in the
driver's
seat to a culinary catastrophe and add the fact that she was mad and you 
could come up with a biohazard that was sure to put you under... six
feet
under, that is.

        Ranma decided to take his chances with her anger rather than
with her
food.  "Um, actually Akane, I already ate."  Akane stopped, her back to
Ranma
as a bead of sweat made itself visible on Ranma's head.  'Uh oh.'

        "You WHAT?! WHERE?!"  Akane slowly turned around, baring fangs
and
also doing that blue aura thing.  Ranma took a step backwards and put
his
hands up to ward off any attacks forthcoming.

        "U-Ukyou's..."  Ranma's gut instincts said run.  He stood his
ground
hoping to avert the storm, or at least weather it with some well placed
'My,
aren't you looking CUTE today...' comments.  Of course, this was the
exact
moment that Shampoo chose to enter.

        "Aiyah!  Wo da Airen!"  Ranma paled as he realized, too late,
what,
or rather who, had just glomped onto him.  He looked quickly to Akane to
see
her really freak.  A hammer appeard in her hands.

        "Shampoo!  You have to go, NOW!"  Ranma sounded panicked.  He
tried
his best to push the bouncy Amazon off of his person but she had an iron
grip
and would not let go.  Ranma started to fear for his life.

--------------------

        Shampoo saw the frenzied look in her love's eyes and then looked
to
the violent girl who was currently closing the gap to Ranma, mallet in
hand.
Shampoo decided that this would be an opportune time to drive the stake
into
the wound already opening between the couple.

        Putting on her best cute look she stared into Ranma's eyes when
he
wasn't looking to Akane in terror as she stalked closer, cupped his head
in
a hand, the other keeping a good glomp on him, and kissed him full on
the
lips intending for Akane to see.

--------------------

        Ranma's head exploded.  There was no other way to describe it. 
Of
course, on the other end of the yard Akane did likewise and charged the
comatose martial artist and his cute Chinese companion.  She was seeing
red
as she made a mighty swing shouting out, "Ranma!  I hate you!"

        Ranma looked up, caught off guard by the statement.  He was
greeted
by the sight of a mallet streaking towards him.  In desperation he
shoved
Shampoo off of himself, taking the brunt of the blow, even though
Shampoo
probably deserved to take some of it.  He landed in the pond.  Shaking
her
head of the water that always seemed to find her in times like this,
Ranma
found his hands suddenly filled with a traveling pack.

        Looking up to the teary eyed Akane who stood before the pond,
her
heart broke.  She reached out to comfort the girl whom she was pretty
sure
she loved, all other things forgotten.  "Akane..."

        "Get out.  Now." was the only reply she got, as Akane's tears
dried
up as suddenly as they had been there.  Turning her back to the soaked
red
head Akane continued, "I NEVER want to see you again.  First you go to
Ukyou's to get dinner, even though I went to all that trouble.  Then you
come
back and tell me that you don't want dinner.  And on top of that you
start
flirting with Shampoo and even kiss her.  I _hate_ you, Ranma."  Ranma
shrank
under the impact of Akane's words, and shuddered slightly.  "Our
engagement 
is off. For good."  Ranma could do nothing but stare, slack jawed, as
his 
fiancee, now ex-fiancee, stormed into the Tendo home.

        Shampoo couldn't hide her grin of satisfaction.  Finally, Akane
and
Ranma had broken up.  One obstacle out of the way.  She would have
Ranma,
yet.

--------------------

        Ranma could do nothing but run.  It was all her body would let
her do
at this point.  Rounding a corner, she slipt in a puddle as the rain
poured
down around her.  Tears ran from the red-headed girl's eyes as she sat
in the
rain, and cried, her body too exhausted to move.

--------------------

        For the life of her, Shampoo couldn't find Ranma anywhere.  She
had
suddenly just stood, shouldered the pack, and run off.  Shampoo on her
best
day had no hope of catching Ranma.  That's when the rain started.  A
purple
cat sighed, if cats could, and made its way back to the Nekohanten.

        Maybe Cologne could provide her with some help in tracking down
her,
now, lost love.  A pang of guilt hit Shampoo over using Akane's jealousy
against her and Ranma like she had.  It was not an honorable way of
doing
things.  But then again, when it came to love, honor be damned.  Shampoo
brushed aside her feelings of guilt.  The purple cat continued on its
way to
the Nekohanten.

--------------------

        Ukyou hefted the umbrella, fending off the rain of the twilight,
Nerima showers.  She had almost reached the address of the delivery. 
Ukyou
planned to go home, slip out of her soggy clothes, and soak herself in a
warm
bath as soon as this order was out of the way.  Dinner rush be damned.

        Idly wondering if she should pay Ranchan a visit, Ukyou blew the
idea
off.  She was near the Tendo Dojo, yes, but she had already seen Ranma
today.
Granted, she would more than happily have seen him twice or all day, for
that
matter, but she absolutely couldn't wait any longer to get back home. 
Ukyou
needed a break!

        Immersed in her own thoughts, Ukyou almost missed the strangled
sob
that came from a nearby vacant lot.  Looking up, Ukyou decided to
investigate
the source of the sob.  'Come to think of it, this is the lot I fought
Genma
in.'  Ukyou's visage turned sour as she suddenly remembered all that
Ranma's  
father had put her through.  She might very well never forgive him, but
she
wouldn't show her distaste for him around her Ranchan.  For him. 
Another sob
came from the lot.  Interest peaked, Ukyou looked over the fence.

        There, in a muddy puddle of water, sat a familiar pigtailed,
red-
headed female.  She was soaked to the bone and wore, what looked to be,
an
immensly heavy traveling pack.  It was Ranma.  And he, more
appropriately
she, was in anguish.  Ukyou's heart broke.  She would show him how much
she
loved him!  She'd help him.

        Vaulting the fence and walking over to the redhead, Ukyou called
out
to hi... her.  "Ranma!"
        
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anime Vocabulary:
"Baka!"-          Fool/jerk/idiot
"Ranma no baka!"- Ranma you fool/jerk/idiot!
Bigsweat-         The big drop of sweat that appears on anime
characters,
                  usually descending from above when someone says or
does
                  something stupid, unexpected, etc.  Used in
conjunction
                  with the Blinkblink and the Facefault.
Blinkblink-       The double and triple quick blinks that an anime
character
                  does, making a "poik" sort of sound when the exact
same
                  conditions of the bigsweat are met.  Also used when
seeing
                  something "interesting" for the first time.  Used in
                  conjunction with the Bigsweat and the Facefault.
Facefault-        The action of, from a standing position, pitching onto
ones
                  side or face.  Usually happens when something stupid
is
                  said or done, or when something "unexpected" happens. 
Used
                  in conjunction with the Blinkblink and the Bigsweat.

Writer's Notes:

Well, I don't really have much to say about this chapter.  Other than
Zen'll
like this story, provided he reads it, of course.  Andrew Huang might
not,
for that matter, but that's how it goes.

This story (and series) is based on the idea and the happenings of a few
"what ifs".  Not ones from the past, but ones that could happen.  You'll
have
to read more to find out.

C&C is always welcome, and the next chapter is in the works.  If you've
made
it this far without tapping your [DELETE] key, thanks for reading, and
even
if you didn't, you won't be reading this. ^_^

Thanks again,

Mark Eymer
(saotome@micron.net)

Ranma 1/2 and it's characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi