again, a reminder, this is a REALLY rough draft.
If I can't stand it, I just might toss it in the
trash.  Wouldn't be the first time.

hope ya like.


-rpm


tpoh act 2 part 0

-------------------------
Kings of Nerima - Prelude
-------------------------


   She had no idea what to say. 

   What do you tell someone when you unexpectedly wake up in the same
bed with him?  Especially when you might've been kissing him?  Ukyou
certainly had no idea.  Her mind was a mess after the realization of
the situation settled in. 

   Before they could talk about it, Ryouga got lost.  He was stumbling
around one moment, gone and probably off to Siberia the next.  For
better or worse, that's just how he was.

   She didn't know whether to be mad or thankful. 

   What were they going to do?  How did he feel about her?  She wasn't
even entirely sure how she felt about him.  All she knew was that she
missed him when he wasn't around. 

   Why did things have to get complicated?  She didn't want this.
Things were simple before, and that's the way she liked it.

   Hey, wait a minute...

   This was Ranma's fault.  Definitely.  If he'd just let her go home
like she wanted to, this mess wouldn't happen.

   He was joking about her and Ryouga being romantically involved all
the time.  Could he have... on purpose...

   Of course he could have.  He was GENMA'S son.  Maybe he thought he
was doing his old friend a favor, but she TOLD him to keep his nose
out, didn't she?  She'd have to give him a good swift kick in the ass
the next time she saw him.  The jerk.

   And so there she was, standing there at the crack of dawn,
polishing her grill, staring at the sun.

   And she still had no idea what to say. 

*

   Ryoga had no idea what to do. 

   This... absolutely nothing prepared him for the disaster that THIS
might be.  What was she thinking?  Was she mad at him?  Did she think
he was a pervert?  Was he a pervert?  What if... what if he DID do
something?! 

   He stopped where he was (in some urban street, he didn't even care
where anymore) and leaned warily against the lamp post.  Things were
simple before.  She was there.  He worked for her.  They kept each
other company.  She was his friend.  He was her friend.  Although
sometimes, just sometimes, she made him feel light-headed and a bit
self-conscious, and when she smiled it was just... 

   No.  Nononono.  That was the same line of thought that probably got
him into this mess to start with. 

   *Sigh*

   If only she-

   No. 

   He didn't want to lose what he had, even if the reward might've
been something better.  The posibility of being alone again was
something he couldn't bear to even think about. 

   With that inner conflict temporarily resolved, he had one thing
left to worry about. 

   "What am I gonna say to her?" 

   "Say to who?" 

   Ryouga froze. 

   The voice was young, a bit sharp, and definitely female. 

   Surely, he thought, that couldn't be Ukyou. 

   He turned around. 

   It was. 

   "Um... er... nothing, never mind," said Ryouga.  He laughed
nervously, scratching the back of his head, and laughed nervously yet
again.

   Ukyou didn't seem amused. 

   "Just in time to be late to school," she said with a frown. 

   She was clearly upset.  He hated it when she was upset, and right
now he was too tired to deal with it. 

   "Just... go ahead without me, okay?" 

   "Don't be stupid.  You'll get lost again without me," she snapped. 

   "If you wait for me you'll just be late," argued Ryouga.

   "I'm just trying to be nice, you jerk!" snapped Ukyou.

   Ryouga threw his hands in the air.  "THIS is what I was trying to
avoid!  Now you're late AND you're mad!"

   "I wouldn't be mad if you weren't being stupid about this!" 

   "You're the one that's being stupid about this!"

   "Just go and change already!" bellowed Ukyou.  Without waiting for
any more arguements, she grabbed him by the ear, stormed back into
Ucchan's, and tossed him in his room.

   The door slammed.  Both liked to believe it was them that slammed
it.  Ukyou took a few steps away from the door then leaned against the
wall.

   Well.  Things were back to usual.

   Thank goodness.

   There was a part of her, a small part, that was disappointed.  She
managed to ignore it.

   Ukyou smiled, ever so slightly, and sighed in relief.

   Were she able to see through walls, she'd see that Ryouga was too.

*

   It was a fine morning, with skies that had that certain perfect
balance of clouds and blue sky.  The pleasant nature of this morning
was lost to most, as they were busy rushing from point A to point B.
Two individuals ignored the morning rush.  They had a point A and a
point B, but unlike the others they just didn't have strict time
limits.  Therefore, they were enjoying the morning.

   At first glace, there were two young boys, both in suits, sitting
at a table in a recently opened western style cafe.  Upon closer
inspection, one would notice that one suit was somewhat baggy and a
little soot-stained, and the other was tailored to fit exactly and was
spotless.  After even further inspection, one would find out that the
one in the soot-stained suit was, in fact, a girl. 

   If anyone were to ask if the boy and girl were a couple, they'd
have been mauled (possibly to death) by both parties.

   As it stood, this was more of a negociation for peace than a
breakfast date.

   "Noori, how very... surprising to se you," said the boy, a touch of
acid in his voice. 

   The girl merely gave a one-eyed glare.  "Muhoshin, up yours."

   "Finally learned to say it in Japanese, I see."

   Now that the opening insults were traded, they settled in for the
morning meal.  A waitress arrived a few seconds later and they placed
their order.

   "Kyoto omelette for me," said Ryo.

   "Mt. Fuji special for me," said Noori.

   "Seperate checks," they said in unison.

   After a brief puzzled look from the waitress, she departed, leaving
the two to discuss current matters in peace.

   "I assume you've registered to be in the King of Nerima
tournament," said Ryo.

   Noori nodded.  "You?"

   "Hibiki will be there.  Can't pass up this opportunity."

   "So until then... cease fire?" asked Noori.

   "Unpleasant prospect," grumbled Ryo.

   "It is only a few days away now," said Noori.

   "Very true, very true."

   There was a moment of silence as the two sipped their tea in a
surprising moment of tranquility.  They watched impassively as the
people on the street buzzed back and forth in the 'rat race', not
envying them at all.

   "It is generally known," said Ryo, "why I'm out to skewer Hibiki.
Your motives, however, are a mystery.  Care to tell your tale?"

   Tanya thought about it, then shrugged.

   She took a deep breath, then told it.

   Ryo blinked.

   "That's... it?" he asked.

   Tanya scowled.  "What do you mean, 'that's it'?!"

   "That's it?  That is all?  Nothing else?"  Ryo was expecting
something rather earth-shattering, like, say, Ryouga being an
ex-boyfriend, or perhaps a bitter rival.  Neither was the case.

   "Is there nothing more?" he asked again, clearly mocking her.

   Noory 'hmph'ed, turned away from Muhoshin, and finished her tea.
<S'important to ME, an'that's enough.>

*

   "Sentaro, the time is coming soon."

   Sentaro Daimonji turned around solemnly at his grandmother's words. 
Next week was a very important time for the Daimonji School of Tea
Ceremony Martial Arts. 

   "Today you shall meditate, grandson.  Think on all the wisdom your
masters have given you.  Soon, very soon, we regain our lost honor." 

   "We will, grandmother, I swear it." 

   Soon after, Sentaro was once more alone with his thoughts and his
tea.

   But not for long. 

   His eyes, half-closed in meditation, opened slightly more at the
sound of feet approaching.

   "Darling... may I talk to you for a moment?" 

   "Satsuki, dearest, of course." 

   His fiancee scooted towards him in that odd sitting-down-yet-moving
manuver that the Tea Ceremony Martial Arts practitioners tended to do
all the time. 

   "About the tournament," said Satsuki. 

   "Don't worry about me," said Sentaro, holding her hands.  "This
time will be different than the last." 

   "I just... I..." 

   "Oh, Satsuki," said Sentaro, taking her into his arms.  "Don't
you worry." 

   "But Sentaro... I... I just remember the last time you fought him,"
she said quietly.  "I don't want to see you hurt like that again...
your face planted in the ground... with footprints on your... pants...
and an eyebrow missing... and graffiti on your face, and-" 

   "I get the idea, Satsuki," said Sentaro miserably. 

*

   [Furinkan High, lunch]

   As usual, the lunch crowds in Furinkan were segmented into the boys
and the girls, and further into their respective social circles.
Ranma, Ryouga, Daisuke, and Hiroshi were, as usual, observing the
daily Battle for the Bread.

   "Hey man, you ready for it?" asked Ranma.

   Ryouga blinked.  "Ready for what?"

   "The King of Nerima Tourney, man!" said Hiroshi.

   "Oh yeah, that," said Ryouga.

   "How could you forget, man!" exclaimed Daisuke.  "It's the event of
the year!  The show of shows!  And now that you guys are in it, it'll
be even better!"

   Ranma, in a statement that summarized his grand and supreme
confidence, simply asked, "You guys bet on me, right?"

   Ryouga scowled.  "Hey!"

   "Like you've beaten me yet?" teased Ranma.

   "If I run into you in this tournament, I will this time!" declared
Ryouga.

   "We'll see," said Ranma smugly.  "We'll just see about that."

   Coming up quickly behind Ranma was Ukyou.  She strode right behind
him silently, took a good, measured view of his posterior, and...

   *WHAP*

   "Ooooow!"

   Ranma hopped around clutching his rear.  "Hey!  What'd I do now?!"

   "That was for last night, you jackass!" snapped Ukyou.  Without
another word, she stormed off, leaving Ranma and his sore backside
wondering what on earth happened for him to deserve _that_.

   "So, what'd ya do to her last night?" asked Daisuke slyly.

   "Nothing!  I didn't do nothing!" protested Ranma.  He put his brain
to work, thinking on last night and what she could possibly be upset
about.

   This, of course, would take some time.  The thinking, that is.

   "She's been getting more violent since you started working for her,
y'know," said Hiroshi, elbowing Ryouga.

   "Hey, I don't have anything to do with that," said Ryouga
defensively.

   Meanwhile, Ranma's brain was tallying up some facts and figures.
Last night... last night... there was cards.  Could Ukyou be sore
about losing a few hands at the card table?  That was ruled impossible
a few seconds later, simply because Ranma only won once last night,
out of sheer luck, against Akane.  After that, she wanted to go home,
but instead Ranma talked her into staying in.  And then she fell
asleep.

   Oh.  Wait.

   The next morning she was with Ryouga.

   Hm.

   That would mean RYOUGA DID SOMETHING and Ukyou was blaming him for
it!  Why that...

   "RYOUGAAAA!"  Ranma grabbed him by the shirt angrily and shook him
around.  "What did you do to Ucchan?!"

   Ryouga, irritated by this odd reversal of roles, grabbed Ranma's
shirt in retaliation.  "I didn't do anything!"

   "Yeah, right!  You expect me to believe after last night you tw-"

   *WHAM*

   "Don't you dare bring that up!" roared Ryouga.  He heaved Ranma
up and tossed him over a nearby fence.  From there, Hiroshi could hear
the sounds of violence that was typical of those two.

   "Well, there they go again," said Daisuke.

   "Anyways," said Hiroshi, "It all starts up next week.  Man, I can't
wait!"

   In the distance, a stormcloud rumbled.  Had anyone been paying
attention, it would have surely been a harbinger of worse times.  As
things were, the moment was lost on them.

*

   [Furinkan High, after school]

   "So, is everything falling into place?" asked Nabiki. 

   "We've got 45% of the Nerima student body calling in to place their
bets, chief." 

   "The roster of fighters is shaping up as you predicted, boss.  Just
got confirmation Taro is on his way and someone claims to have seen
Ryu Kumon by the station." 

   "We've got the roster for at-site operations staff lined out,
chief." 

   "Good, good," said Nabiki, pacing back and forth at the front of
the classroom.  Meanwhile, her handful of henchwomen and associates
scurried about the room with papers, reports, and laptop computers. 

   "Just to confirm my beliefs," said Nabiki, "who's the favorite so
far?" 

   "Ranma Saotome, chief, getting 80% of the bets." 

   "Figures," she said with a smirk.  "So, are the matchups posted
yet?" 

   "Only a few, chief.  The full list hasn't been put out yet." 

   A frown appeared on Nabiki's face.  Something felt wrong. 

   "That's odd.  I was told it'd be done today by noon," she said,
rubbing her chin. 

   "We tried calling, but they keep on saying the schedule maker is
out on his break or busy." 

   "Somebody give me a phone, I'll get to the bottom of this."  One of
her assistants handed Nabiki a cellular phone, which she flipped open
casually then dialed. 

   It rang. 

   And rang. 

   And rang.

   Nabiki started tapping her foot on the floor.  She hated waiting on
the phone.

   "Ah, hello.  Is Noriamo in?" 

   //I'm sorry// said a voice, probably a secretary, //he's busy at
the moment.//  The voice seemed a little familiar to Nabiki, but she
dismissed that as insignificant at the moment.

   "Tell him it's Miss N." 

   //Could you hold please?//

   "Okay." 

   Soft music was piped through the phone, making Nabiki somewhat ill. 
She never did take to being put on hold very well, but in the business
world it happened all too often. 

   //N-Noriamo speaking.//

   "Ah, Noriamo-san, so good to hear you." 

   //T-Tendo-san!  What can I do for you today?//

   "The matchups for the first round.  Why are they not in my hands
yet?" 

   //B-but I sent you-//

   "An incomplete list.  You know how I hate incomplete work." 

   //I'm sorry but we've had a few snags.  It will be done in an hour,
I assure you!//

   "I hope so, Noriamo-san," said Nabiki with a hint of menace.  "You
know my e-mail address, I'll be waiting on it."  With a frown, she
hung up and put the phone aside. 

   "Things got settled, boss?" wondered one of her underlings. 

   "Seems to be," said Nabiki.  "Expect something in an hour." 

   "What's wrong, chief?  You don't look happy." 

   "If I didn't know better, I'd think Noriamo was up to something...
but he isn't intelligent enough to pull off a scheme on his own."  She
looked out the window, thinking for a moment, then shrugged.  "Maybe
I'm just getting paranoid." 

*

   "Back to work, Noriamo-san." 

   "Y-yessir," stammered Noriamo.  He breathed a sigh of relief after
the feel of a cold blade was removed from the back of his neck.

*

   Tarou stared at the envalope with great suspicion.

   It wasn't often that the old freak wrote to anyone, and it was even
more unusual that Happosai wrote a letter to him.   Life was either
about to become a little more interesting or a lot more aggrivating.
He began to read the letter, mumbling some parts aloud out of habit.

   "Hrm.... Dearest Pant-"  Tarou took a moment to grit his teeth. 
"Hm... mm-hmm... Change of heart... change of name.... only if you win
the King of Nerima tournament."

   So, the old man was willing to change his name if he won this
tournament, eh?  Nerima... Nerima... fem-boy oughta be there... along
with all those other jokers.  Heheh, a little entertainment and a cool
new name at the end of it all.  Should be a good time.

*

   A bandanna-clad figure stood in an empty rural road, under a tree. 
In the distance the sun was beginning to set.  The light breeze lifted
his hair in a nicely dramatic fashion. 

   Wandering from town to town, he started anew the process he began
so many years ago.  He trained in the Art.  He traveled all across
Japan, fighting, studying, growing stronger, recovering from the
defeat that had forced him to start all over again.

   Then he got a letter.

   It was rather puzzling how he got it.  It was just there one day
when he woke up.  It was an invitation to a martial arts tournament.

   It was going to be in Nerima.

   That, of course, meant that _he_ was going to be there.  The one
that had caused his fall.

   Ranma.

   Ryu Kumon stood up dramatically, the invitation gripped tightly in
his fist.  This would be a good test of his skills, definitely.  He
needed to prove, if only to himself, that he was once again a
formidable martial artist.

   And a small measure of revenge wouldn't hurt either.

*

   As was typical of the Hibiki line, Ryouga was... well... you know.

   "Could've sworn Ucchan's was down the corner."

   He frowned as the skies rumbled.  If the weather was any indication
he wouldn't be staying a he for long.  The rumbling sky and sudden
gust of rain had him suddenly stumbling down the street, struggling to
keep the rain at bay with his umbrella.

   After a few more minutes of stomping around in the rain, Ryouga had
lost the battle to keep his gender.  She wiped the rain from her eyes
and found herself in a back alley of sorts, in front of a door.

   A rather familiar door.

   Could it be?  Could he actually have found Ucchan's?  It seemed too
good to be true!

   -click-

   "Uky.... oh."

   It was.

   He found himself in a very dark room, lit only by candles.  Arcane
and mystical items, figures, and drawings were set everywhere.  At the
center of the room, lit by a solitary candle, was a girl with long
brown hair clad in dark blue robes.  She was, at the moment, peering
in to an odd glass object with odd shapes swirling from within.

   "Welcome," said the girl.  "May I help you?"

   "Oh," said Ryouga-chan, "sorry, I thought I was somewhere else."

   "I see," said the girl.

   Ryouga-chan reached for the door, but hesitated.  Curiosity was
nagging at him.

   "Excuse me, what is this place?" she asked.

   "This is just a humble little shop of magicks," said the girl.
"And I am just a practicing fortune teller.  You can call me Mio."

   "Fortune telling?" asked Ryouga-chan.  "As in predicting the
future?"

   Mio nodded.

   Ryouga-chan had a feeling.  He wasn't sure what it was.  A nagging
feeling, a whispering suggestion in the back of his mind, a suspicion
that fate was giving him a big clue and he should really take the time
to listen.

   "I don't suppose you could... ah..."

   "Tell your fortune?" asked Mio, smiling slightly.  "Well... on a
cloudy and mysterious day like today, it would seem the fitting thing
to do, yes?  Please, have a seat."

   Ryouga-chan took a seat across from Mio and peered curiously into
the glass object at its center.

   "Hey, what is this?" she asked.

   "Oh, this?  Lava lamp."  With an embarrased smile, Mio took the
lamp away and pulled out a deck of cards.  She went through a process
of seperating the deck and shuffling the cards in a process that
Ryouga lost track of.

   "Now... concentrate on your question and tell me," said Mio.

   Question?  Ryouga-chan didn't think she'd have to think of a
question, just get an answer about her future.  Oh, that's a question.
Okay, good, now concentrate....

   "What does my future hold?" she asked.

   Mio blinked.  "That's it?"

   "Um... yeah, that's it," said Ryouga-chan.

   "Kind of general, but I guess it'll do," said Mio.  "Now
concentrate on that question, okay?"

   Ryouga-chan nodded, and Mio started to shuffle the deck in various
and complicated ways once more. 

   Finally, she laid down a card.  It depicted the moon in the sky,
with some creatures emerging from the ground below.

   "This is the moon," said Mio.  "It signifies your immediate
obstacles and concerns.  The moon symbolizes unseen perils around you
and trickery afoot.  There are anxieties that you cannot overcome as
well."

   She drew another card from the deck and placed it atop the first
one.  A picture of an angel holding two golden chalices was on it. 
"This is Temperance.  It symbolizes what influences you are under at
the moment.  There is a certain stability and harmony in your life at
the moment.  There is friendship that keeps you feeling secure in
things for the moment.  There is no desire for extremes, only a
longing for peace and a search for the middle ground." 

   She drew a third card and placed it below the two stacked cards. 
Mio smiled as she saw this card.  "Ah, the lovers.  This is the goal
you seek, a soul mate, perhaps for life"  Ryouga-chan blushed visibly,
but tried to pretend she wasn't.

   Mio drew a fourth card and placed it to the left side of the first
two.  This one, however, was upside-down. "Judgement, but reversed. 
This is the foundation of your past.  Indecision, procrastination,
seperation, and a failure to achieve your happiness."

   Ryouga-chan winced.  She couldn't help but think of Akane at that
moment.

   A fifth card was drawn and placed atop from the first two, across
from the third card.  A dark tower, crumbling to the ground was show. 
"The Tower.  This symbolizes the recent past.  There was a loss of
stability.  Things were undone.  You were subjected to ruin and
misery." 

   Again, thought Ryouga, she was disturbingly on target.

   Mio drew forth a sixth card, placed to the right of the first two
cards.  It depicted a rather disturbing creature.  "Ah, the Devil.
This symbolizes what will influence you in the future.  There will be
strange experiences.  Black magic is afoot.  There will be disasters,
downfalls, violence, and shocks."

   Could this be the tournament? wondered Ryouga.  She couldn't
imagine what else could cause such events.

   A seventh card was drawn, placed to the right of the other cards
and by itself.  It depicted an old man with a lamp.  "The Hermit.
This represents you.  You seek answers from life.  You're cautious.
You're denying yourself something.... maybe love."

   The eight card was drawn and placed above the seventh.  "The Wheel
of Fortune.  This symbolizes what influences your future.  You have a
part to play in destiny, and luck will be on your side."

   A ninth card was drawn and placed above the eighth.  On it sat a
royal figure on a throne, holding a sword in one hand and weight
scales in the other.  "This is Justice.  It symbolizes your inner
emotions.  You've much integrity, honor, and a sense of justice."

   Ryouga's ego was swelling.  Badly.

   A tenth card was drawn and placed above the ninth.  It depicted a
man hung from his feet.  "The hanged man.  This is the final answer."

   Ryouga's ego was deflating.  Quickly.  'Hanged man' didn't sound
good.  No, not good at all.

   "The hanged man," explained Mio, "He symbolizes a moment of
transition.  There will be sacrifice, change, and rebirth.  You will
face a crossroads, and it will all be up to you whether or not your
goal is achieved.  The choice, in the end, is yours."

   Ryouga's mood was sombered by a great deal.  The future sounded
very... difficult.  Then again, nothing was easy.

   "Well, that's it," said Mio.  "I hope it helps you out."

   Ryouga-chan nodded absently, then looked outside.  "Say," she said,
"do you have any hot water?"

   "Yes, in the bathroom," said Mio, pointing to a nearby door.

   Mio watched the young girl enter the bathroom, then heard the sound
of water rushing from the sink.  A moment later, and much to her
surprise, a young man, dressed exactly like the girl that had entered
the bathroom, emerged and headed somberly for the door.

   "Thanks for the hot water and the reading," he said.  "I guess I'd
better go now."

   "Um... anytime," said Mio, clearly surprised.

   He headed out the door, leaving Mio there and utterly baffled.

   Mio shook her head, then put away the tarot cards.  "Strange days
we live in." 

*

   Up in the second floor of the Tendo household, generally bad
vibrations were being emitted.  Kasumi didn't notice, being surrounded
by a constant field of Very-Niceness.  In her room, Nabiki kept on
looking around, as if expecting to see something that was on the edge
of her vision.  Soun and Genma were downstairs playing shogi, as
usual.  They were used to this sort of thing.

   The Master was probably very, pardon the pun, Happy.

   Happosai cackled gleefully as he stared out into the stormy
horizon.  The invitations were sent, recieved, and now chaos was to
ensue.  Pantyhose was on his way, Happy was sure of it.  So was Prince
Toma.  And of course his old pal Lukosai [ednote: spelling?] was
coming in for the big tournament as well.  All those, and so many more
good 'friends' were on their way.

   Oh Happy day indeed.

   In the distance he heard a knocking at the door and grinned.

   Ah.  That would have to be....

*

   In the doorway stood two young girls.  One, Akane's age, was lean,
with sharp, serious features and long brown hair.  The other, a few
years younger, had a softer face and a generally happy disposition.

   Akane stood there, holding the door open, a look of utter surprise
on her face.  She wasn't expecting to see _them_.  A part of her was
still afraid of them, even though she'd proven herself their equal.

   "Kurumi!  Natsumi!  Um... hi!"

   Natsumi, the older girl, bowed respectfully.  "Akane, it is good to
see you again."

   "Hi Akane!" cheerfully said Kurumi, the younger one.

   "I, ah, guess you're here for the tournament?" asked Akane.

   Natsumi nodded.  "It is a perfect setting in which to test our
skills."

   "And we missed you too!" said Kurumi.

*

   "Heheheh, bingo."

   Happosai pulled out a clipboard, checked two names off, then
resumed watching Keiko's Aerobics Workout.  These were good days
indeed.

-end act 2 prelude-