Chapter 3: The Best Laid Plans...
	Morning in Nerima. The birds were singing, the sky a perfect azure blue,
and Nabiki, Ranma and Akane were just about to turn the corner to the
school. They'd made a specific point to come early just to make sure
everything worked out in time for them to get to class.
	Nabiki looked rather annoyed, "I really, really don't see how this can
work... it's not even like he knows how to..."
	"He doesn't really have to know how," Akane replied, "But I'm pretty sure
he does. Besides, Ranma was drilling him all of last night to make this
look good. Now you just do what I told you to, and everything's going to be
just fine," she adjusted her glasses pointedly.
	Nabiki grumbled, "I still say this won't work."
	Ranma merely glanced in the direction of the school gates where the massed
ranks of the Nabiki Tendo suitors had gathered, decked out in their full
regalia, sports gear and all.
	Nabiki gave a sigh, then roared a battlecry, rushing forward to meet their
charge.
	Ranma looked to Akane, "You really think this'll work?"
	"Course it will." Akane grinned, "I mean, you were working with him..."
	"Yeah and he surprised me," Ranma said nodding.
	"Makes sense. I mean he IS the heir to the Kuno School of Anything Goes
Martial Arts, so logically he has to be a practitioner, right?" 
	The two jumped easily over the wall to the school, as the gate had been
rendered impassable by the unconscious bodies. Nabiki easily cut a swathe
through them, throwing people into each other, single strikes to their
vitals, flying kicks. Quite a number were tossed a good distance away from
the main battlefield.
	Ranma noticed Kodachi in the crowd watching and waved to her. She waved
back and gave him a thumbs up signal. Akane noticed it too and grinned. She
turned to Ranma, "You stay here, I'm going to circulate a bit."
	"Pick up some bets you mean." Ranma replied.
	"Precisely." Akane winked, giving Ranma a pat on the cheek. She handed him
a long brown paper bag, "Now you know what to do with this and make sure no
one sees you do it, okay?"
	"Gotcha."
	In fairly short order, Nabiki disposed of her attackers. She stood
triumphant among the unconscious boys and breathed heavily, relaxing
herself for what was going to happen next.
	There was a sudden blur of motion as something was hurled at Nabiki. She
ducked to the side and caught the object with no difficulty... it was a rose.
	The crowd of onlookers, some of whom had already drifted away all looked
at the rose in Nabiki's hand in surprise... murmurs began rising from the
crowd, wondering who had thrown it when a voice suddenly declared, "Nabiki
Tendo, I challenge you!"
	There was a shuffling movement in the crowd as it parted to reveal
Tatewaki Kuno. Ranma used the crowd's movements to cover up the wadded up
brown paper in his hand which he disposed of.
	Kuno's hands were in his pockets and he was looking straight at Nabiki. He
flinched unconsciously from the attention the crowd was giving him... more
loud mutterings arose as he strode boldly forward. Towards Nabiki.
	He hoped he was giving a good show. His knees were practically shaking and
his palms were sweating. This entire plan of Akane's did not bode all to
well for him. He was nervous and scared out of his wits. And worse was the
way Nabiki was looking at him... but it was odd... like she'd only seen him
for the first time today.
	He gave a nervous gulp which he covered up for by standing straighter. He
took his glasses off, putting them away safely into the breast pocket of
his school uniform and said, "I... um... I am Tatewaki Kuno of the Kuno
School of Anything Goes Martial Arts... and I challenge you, Nabiki Tendo."
	"Fine," Nabiki replied, dropping into a ready stance once more.
	Kuno took a deep breath, murmuring to himself, "It's now or never..." and
assumed a defensive stance.
	The muttering from the crowd was getting louder... "Kuno does martial
arts?", "Two hundred yen on Nabiki.", "Oh no... Nabiki's going to kill
him!", "A hundred yen on Tendo.", "He's a dead man... push him over, this
won't last a minute.", "Fifty yen on Nabiki!", "That wimp? Against... HER?
He's dead.", "Let go of me, we have to save Kuno-sempai!", "This is a
martial arts thing, they look dead serious.", "I thought he was her fianc�
already, so what's he trying to prove?", "Better call the infirmary, we'll
probably have to haul his poor carcass outta there."
	"A thousand yen on Tatewaki." Kodachi said to Akane calmly as she received
her claim stub. She smiled, untroubled. That shook people in the near
vicinity, a few of whom placed small bets on Kuno themselves.
	Tatewaki and Nabiki stood staring at each other for long seconds, both
maintaining their stances easily. Nabiki found herself surprised at
Tatewaki. She'd never really looked at him before, and when she did, he
looked nothing like this. He had a look of fierce determination on his
face, his eyes locked on her, his skin glistening slightly in the sunlight.
He was holding his stance perfectly. Low center of balance, no trace of
fatigue at all. What she didn't realize was that he had his teeth clenched
to keep them from chattering and he was sweating from fear.
	Nabiki surged forward charging recklessly at him, her arms and legs
lashing out in a complicated sequence of attacks. She was holding back, not
using her full strength in her strikes, so that at worst they would sting
rather than knock him out... but it looked very impressive to onlookers.
	To her shock, Kuno did not simply stand and block as she'd assumed he
would do, he began to duck and weave, his hands behind his back. She'd seen
Uncle Kuno do this to her father before, so she assumed that it was a Kuno
school move. Even more surprising was the fact that not a single blow
connected. 
	There were gasps of awe from the onlookers as he seemed to effortlessly
dodge each of her strikes. Akane looked to her brother and muttered, "You
didn't tell me he was THIS good."
	Ranma shrugged weakly while Kodachi smiled smugly, "Well, father did train
him. But mom always insisted that he not use it except in real emergencies."
	Tatewaki was beginning to relax into Nabiki's sequence, growing less
apprehensive by the moment as he realized he was holding his own. But the
gnawing worry returned as he realized that he would have to hit her sooner
or later in order for it to look credible... he just... could not do that.
	By this time, a number of the unconscious suitors had regained
consciousness, and were watching the fight with surprise... a thought
occurred to them that perhaps there was a very good reason why Nabiki was
engaged to Kuno...
	Nabiki meanwhile was beginning to grow frustrated. She was observing him
carefully and if anything he looked as if he could keep dodging all day.
She sent a blow towards his stomach, expecting him to sidestep, so she
could follow up with a side kick, but somehow, he grasped hold of her
wrist. With a movement almost too fast for her to see, he somehow managed
to intertwine his arm with hers, bringing her wrist up and over her
shoulder, locking it into place. 
	He held her like that, but without applying any pressure... she understood
instinctively that at any moment he could apply enough pressure to pop her
shoulder out of joint. She frowned, going over the possible ways to escape
such a hold as Kuno shouted, "Yield!"
	Nabiki's face burned with fury and embarrassment. She knew at least half a
dozen ways to escape the lock, and was about to throw him off when she
caught sight of Akane. Her younger sister gave a small smile and nodded
once. Nabiki gave a sigh. "A... alright... I surrender," she said with bad
grace.
	This was met with loud gasps of astonishment.
	Tatewaki whispered to her in a low voice, "I'm... r...really sorry about
this."
	"Just don't let it go to your head, I can still stomp you into the
ground," she growled back softly.
	"Um... yeah," he mumbled, releasing her.
	Nabiki rubbed her arm a little. It didn't hurt, but they had to maintain
appearances. She felt low... really low... not only did they just deceive
the entire campus... everyone believed that she lost to Tatewaki...
Tatewaki of all people... the wimp... she didn't know how she could've
allowed Akane to talk her into this... she gave Kuno a disgusted look. She
ran before the crowd of onlookers could gather around them... incidentally
trampling some of the still stunned former combatants.
	Tatewaki reached an arm out to Nabiki, but before he could chase after
her, the crowd had gathered around him, questions being shot rapid fire in
his direction. Kuno, unused to such attention was reduced to stammering
uncertain and vague replies. 
	Akane gave a self satisfied look, quietly counting her earnings. She
smiled as she pocketed them. Part one was completed. Everything was going
smoothly.
	Kodachi and Ranma both noticed Nabiki run off... they traded a glance
between them and gave chase. The chimes which signaled the start of school
sounded, but was soundly ignored.
- - -
	Kodachi and Ranma eventually found Nabiki a little before lunch. She was
sitting with her back against one of the trees which overlooked the soccer
field.
	Nabiki noticed them and smiled weakly, "Hi guys."
	Ranma smiled, "Hey. You okay?"
	Nabiki nodded, "Yeah... sorta. I guess."
	Kodachi smiled, kneeling down next to Nabiki, "Well, you'll be happy to
know that your suitors have given up. They talked it over among themselves
and decided that they were glad Kuno won. Actually I think they're just
scared they'd have to fight him."
	Nabiki gave a snort, "Great..."
	"They'll stop attacking you and won't attack him, wasn't that what we
wanted to do in the first place?" Kodachi pressed.
	"It is... it's just... I feel really rotten about throwing the fight like
that," Nabiki shrugged, "Feels like I lied to everybody... or like I
betrayed myself for not doing my best."
	"Well... if its any consolation, sis," Ranma replied, "Kuno-sempai is at
least as good as you are. I'm sure of it."
	"He's strong but he's not that strong..." Nabiki started to say, but Ranma
interrupted.
	"I was training with him last night, remember..? He's as fast as I am. In
a fair fight it would probably have gone either way."
	Kodachi smiled, "Try not to worry too much about it... if its any
consolation, he's just as distressed over this as you are. But everything's
going to be fine."
	Nabiki smiled tentatively at them, "Thanks guys..."
	Kodachi leaned closer to Nabiki and whispered, "Besides... if the rest of
Akane's plan works, you won't have to marry him... and I get Ranma."
	Nabiki blinked, then glanced over to Ranma who glanced back confused. She
giggled, "I don't think you would mind at all, huh?"
	"Nope." Kodachi confirmed.
	"What're you two talking about?!" Ranma demanded.
	Kodachi looked over her shoulder at him and winked playfully, "Nothing..."
as she joined Nabiki's giggling.
	Ranma pouted, sitting down next to them.
	As the two girls finally sobered... Nabiki looked off into the distance,
her expression thoughtful, "Look... can you guys keep a secret? There's
another reason why that fight earlier upset me so much when it was over...
I hadn't really thought much about it, but... it just kind of hit me
afterwards...
	"What is it?" Kodachi asked sympathetically.
	"There's... there's a guy I like..." Nabiki spoke slowly.
	Kodachi and Ranma both blinked in surprise, "Really?"
	Nabiki nodded, "Well... actually," she blushed, "I have no idea who it is..."
	The pair blinked again, "Wha?
	"He just leaves me these love letters in my locker... and..." she blushed
deeply, "You two probably think I'm crazy don't you?"
	Ranma withheld comment, but his face looked a great deal as if he wanted
to say something. Kodachi smiled, "I think that's very romantic... so what
kind of guy is he?"
	"Well... from the letters he seems pretty intelligent... he's sweet...
romantic... and he's kind of shy, that's why he just leaves the notes in my
locker."
	"So you have absolutely no idea what this guy looks like?" Ranma asked
slowly.
	"No." Nabiki admitted.
	"Now, now Ranma... looks aren't everything." Kodachi spoke.
	"Yeah, but you don't know anything about this guy..." Ranma said
worriedly, "He could be some crazy psycho lunatic or something! Or some
kind of stalker!"
	"He's not like that!" Nabiki shot back.
	"How would you know?!" Ranma replied.
	"I know enough okay?" Nabiki shot back, "I know he cares enough to write
to me every day... and I know he's in my class, he's said as much in his
letters..."
	"So you could probably figure out who it is, right?" Ranma pressed.
	Kodachi looked a bit sternly at Ranma, "Come on, Ran-chan... where's your
sense of romance?"
	Nabiki sighed, "I don't know who it is... I don't want to know... it would
just ruin the illusion..."
	"Romance is fine, I guess." Ranma mumbled, not wanting to argue, "but that
kinds sorta impersonal if you ask me..."
	"Anyway... I was just... worrying... about how he'd take the fight..."
Nabiki said after a while.
	Kodachi was silent a moment then said, "Well... if he really likes you, it
shouldn't matter to him right?"
	"Yeah, yeah... but Tatewaki's not only supposed to be engaged to me, he's
supposed to have beat me too... what if he can't wait for me? What if he
gives up?"
	"Who? Kuno-sempai?" Ranma asked, feeling a little left behind.
	"My secret admirer, Ranma. Pay attention." Nabiki said sternly. She sighed
and continued, "I wish he knew how much those letters mean to me..."
	Kodachi and Ranma traded glances... 
	"Haven't you ever written back?" Kodachi asked.
	Nabiki's eyes widened, "I... I don't think I can do that! I'm not very
good at expressing myself..."
	"Well how is he going to know what you feel if you two don't communicate?"
Kodachi asked, exasperated.
	"He's seen me smiling when I read his letters, isn't that enough?" Nabiki
asked half panicked.
	"Alright," Kodachi said slowly, "That's a start..."
	Ranma sighed, "This gets more complicated by the minute.
	Kodachi gave a snort, "This is the sort of situation I'd expect my brother
to get into."
	Nabiki sighed, "Let's please not talk about your brother right now,
Kodachi? Please?"
	Kodachi's brow furrowed as a thought occurred to her, "Nabiki... could I
see one of those letters?"
	Nabiki blushed, "Um... sure... I keep them at home... but I'm sure he'll
leave me one later today..."	
	Kodachi nodded slowly, "Sure."
	Ranma simply glanced at Kodachi, feeling as he usually did with Akane,
that he'd walked into the movie halfway and no one would tell him what had
happened.
- - -
	At lunch, Akane found Tatewaki sitting alone at a cafeteria table, which
was surprising considering how crowded the cafeteria was, and at the same
time, not surprising because of the events earlier in the day. He was
jotting something down into his journal. She was pretty happy everything
had worked according to plan so far, now that she'd dropped off the
information at the principal's office... sharing a little gossip with the
people who worked there, part two would be underway at any moment...
	She slipped quietly into the seat opposite him and said cheerily, "Hi."
	Tatewaki looked up in surprise, snapping the journal shut, "Oh... um...
hello, Akane."
	"How're you doing?" she asked.
	"I am fine... your plan seems to have worked thus far... although no one
has seen Nabiki all day."
	"She's fine, I saw her, Ranma and your sister talking with her out near
the soccer field."
	"That's good... she looked pretty upset this morning."
	"I guess she's just not used to the idea of losing." Akane ventured, "Or
looking like she lost."
	"That could be so," he replied.
	"Aside from that, why do you look so worried?"
	"It's... well... I'm just not entirely certain how my mother will take it
if she hears about this morning's incident. It made perfect sense earlier,
but now that I've had time to think about it, there are a number of
consequences which were not taken into consideration."
	Akane pushed her glasses up, "Such as?"
	"My mother is rather vehemently opposed to the violent use of martial
arts... and especially towards a man fighting with a woman... er... she may
take this news amiss... I'm certain Kodachi would cover for me... but
there's father who may be in another of his moods..."
	"I see," Akane nodded, "What's the worst she could do to you?"
	"A reprimand and a grounding I suppose."
	"That doesn't sound so bad..."
	"You've not been reprimanded by my mother," he replied with a sardonic smile.
	"Tatchi!!" the principal's voice bellowed on the speakers, "Will my son
please report to my office immediately?"
	Once more the normal buzz of rumor increased.
	"Ahh..." Tatewaki said, rising to his feet, "I believe news of this
morning's events have finally reached my father." 
	"I'll come with you," Akane said firmly.
	Tatewaki glanced at Akane then smiled, "Alright. I am certain I could use
whatever moral support I can muster. This way."
	The two walked out of the cafeteria. It was a short walk to the
principal's office which was also on the ground floor. As they reached the
secretary's desk, she nodded to them and waved Tatewaki in, "He's been
waiting..." she said.
	Tatewaki took a deep breath to steel himself and opened the door slowly.
	The room was unimpressive enough. A fairly normal one for a distinguished
educator and administrator of many years. The only thing setting it apart
from the norm was the opulence and style of the furniture.
	The chair at his father's desk was turned away from the door, facing the
window.
	"Come in and shut the door." The elder Kuno's voice said gravely.
	Akane took it to mean herself as well and stepped in after Tatewaki... who
it must be noted was steeling himself for what was coming.
	"I heard about what you did today, son..." the principal's voice said slowly.
	"Er... yes, father I can explain."
	"Fighting Nabiki? Defeating her in front of the whole student body?" the
principal rumbled, "Making her other suitors surrender to you?"
	"Honestly father there's a perfectly rational..." Tatewaki tried to get a
word in edgewise.
	The elder Kuno whirled his chair around suddenly to face him. On his face
was a huge grin, "A stroke of brilliance my son! I congratulate you! Now
there's no one else to oppose your engagement to her!"
	Tatewaki took a step back, "You... you are not angry?"
	"Angry?" the principal asked bemused, "Why should I be? I know perfectly
well about her announcement at the start of the term and I couldn't think
of a better way for you to cement your claim for her than with that single
gesture! Well done!"
	"Ahh... thank you... father..." Tatewaki responded weakly... he thanked
his lucky stars that his father was in a jovial mood. For now at least.
	"What I would like to know though is how you came up with such a brilliant
plan? Also, I know how skilled you are, son, I have been training you after
all... and I know you aren't THAT good... so tell me... did you and she
cook this up together? She's in on it too isn't she? You really do want
your engagement to her to work don't you?!" he smiled happily, tears
starting to fall from his eyes.
	"Erhm... ah... that is..."
	"Oh, my son!" the principal cried happily, leaping over his desk to
embrace his son. "You make your father so very proud!"
	Tatewaki could only reply with a vague muffled, "Thang yuu..."
	"And don't worry about your mother, I won't say a thing to her! Ahh... and
here I was worrying that you would be too timid... but you've made me so
proud! Such a plan! I cannot wait to tell Soun!"
	"Erghk," was the extent of Tatewaki's reply.
	The elder Kuno continued to hug his son for long moments before he blinked
and realized something. He turned his head to look at Akane who was smiling
sheepishly from the corner, "Er... Akane... how long have you been there?"
	"A while." She replied passively.
	"Er... I see," The elder Kuno spoke.
	"Aheh..." Tatewaki said as his father loosened the death grip hug on him,
"It was Akane actually father who..."
	"Helped talk Nabiki to go with the plan." Akane interrupted him.
	"Ahh... well, I am glad Tatchi had your assistance then." The principal
nodded solemnly, "Well... erhm..." he said gathering his dignity visibly,
"Now back to lunch, children, I'm certain I must've interrupted. I still
have work to do..."
	And with that, the principal hustled them out of his office, followed by
their being ushered by the secretary into the hall.
	Akane turned to Kuno, smiling slightly, "Let me guess... your father isn't
very good at public displays of affection?"
	"He's not very good at public displays of any sort. We are much alike in
that sense," Tatewaki replied.
	"I don't know, you did okay earlier."
	"I was under a great deal of strain. I fear for my blood pressure."
	Akane giggled.
	"One thing I am not entirely clear on however, Akane..." Tatewaki said as
they walked down the corridor, "Why did you allow my father to believe that
it was my plan?"
	"Well that's obvious enough..." Akane smiled warmly at him, "If he thought
it was your idea, he'd be under the impression that you and Nabiki want the
engagement to work out. So that when we show them later on how incompatible
you two are, they won't be able to assign blame. Simple."
	"I suppose." Kuno replied warily, "Nevertheless it sits ill with me to lie
to anyone, especially my father." 
	"You didn't say a thing." Akane grinned, "He convinced himself. Making it
all the easier. And here I thought I was going to have to talk him into it..."
	"So we are not lying... merely not correcting his misapprehensions?" Kuno
said after a moment.
	"Precisely. It's a lot less difficult to get caught in THAT." 
	"You sound as if you've had a great deal of experience in these matters."
Kuno ventured.
	"You'd be surprised at what you learn on the road." Akane replied vaguely.
	"Ahh."
	"Say... Kuno-sempai..." Akane said tentatively after a few moments of
silence, "Is there any girl you feel strongly for? Aside from Nabiki of
course, since you two obviously strongly dislike each other... Someone you
like?"
	"Erhm... why do you ask, Akane Tendo?" Kuno asked nervously.
	"Well it would be easier all around for us to do part three of the plan if
you haven't got anyone else you're interested in... you know..." she
blushed slightly.
	"Oh... well... the way you phrased the question... no. There's no girl in
particular." Kuno replied in a level voice.
	Akane sighed in relief, then grinned at him, "That's good, sempai." She
glanced around as they stepped out of the building into the populated
courtyard. She waited to make certain that people could and would see the
two of them.
	Akane lightly kissed her fingertips, then reached up and pressed those
fingertips to Tatewaki's lips. She smiled sweetly at him, the playful gleam
in her eye back and a slight flush on her cheeks. "I'll see you around
then, sempai." She said before dashing off.
	Tatewaki, wide eyed with surprise, couldn't help but notice the attention
Akane's act had garnered. Akane was either a very convincing actress... or
she genuinely liked him. Well... he leaned more towards the actress
hypothesis... she seemed far too practical for it to be the other. He
sighed... well, he hoped that part three worked out well... and at the same
time... he hoped it wouldn't.
	He picked a private place and sat down, as far away from everyone as
possible, then he opened his journal and resumed writing the letter which
had been interrupted earlier.
- - -

=====
TimeRunner's Page:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7482

icq: 7153134 (Keiichi)
=====

"The story grew in the most convoluted way, as many people will be
surprised to learn. Writing episodically meant that when I finished one
episode I had no idea about what the next one would contain. When, in the
twists and turns of the plot, some event su
ddenly seemed to illuminate things that had gone before, I was as surprised
as anyone else."

--- Douglas Adams, "A Guide to the Guide"

"Mos people who want to be writers don't really want to be writers. They
want to HAVE BEEN  writers."

--- James A. Michener