Ok, I want to thank those of you who sent me c&c one the last fanfic I posted.
And you'll notice I corrected all the mistakes that were pointed out to me.
here's another that I hope you'll enjoy.


Counting Chickens
By Saotendo@aol.com

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2
I do not own these characters and do not use them to gain any profit from
them.  I only use them for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
Characters are copyright 1987, 1997 by Takahashi Rumiko.

Disclaimers copyright 1997 by Ichinohei Hitomi.
*  * are for thoughts
"  " are for spoken language


Akane was nervously waiting upstairs in her room.  She knew someone would do
something to stop the wedding this time.  They'd stopped the last attempt.
She listened hard for the first sound of something out of the ordinary.  Then
she heard the sounds she had been dreading to hear, the music to start the
ceremony.

Kasumi was happy.  She loved weddings especially when someone she knew was
involved.  She looked around.  The Dojo was full of people who had come to
witness this marriage.  There were many people she knew and still quite a few
she didn't.  She picked some out of the crowd.  Ukyo was one who stood out
simply because of the aura she was surrounded in.  It was easy to see that she
was very unhappy.  Kuno Kodatchi was another whom didn't seem pleased at the
ceremony taking place.  However this time, keeping in mind what had happened
at the last wedding held in this Dojo, steps had been taken to ensure the
safety of all present.  If some of the 'guests' were unhappy with those
measures, tough they had to live with it.  Kasumi sighed.  This was a
beautiful day for her.  It meant she wouldn't be tied down any longer, she
could now live her life again.  She looked around again.  *Maybe that cute
little Dr. Tofu is here,* she thought to herself.  *I think now is a good time
to spend a bit more time with him.*

	Ukyo was upset.  *Why didn't you pick me, Ranchan?* she wondered.  Wasn't she
the cute one?  He'd said so.  She knew that she must have looked a sight, she
hadn't been getting more than an hour or two of sleep a night since she had
heard of this farce.  And then they dared to take her spatulas at the door
when they checked for weapons.  Then they had provided an "ESCORT" to stay
with her to "ensure" her safety.  She sighed, she knew the escort was to make
sure she didn't cause trouble.  But then again, she remembered the last
wedding.  Still, she knew she should be the one up there in the wedding dress.
She had dreamed it so many times.

Nabiki was glowing.  Not only was there a wedding in the family but she was
making money, hand over fist.  She had never had a day so good on this type of
event.  The 'guests' were paying their fees with no complaint and some had
even tried to bribe her for better seats.  The main thing to Nabiki, and one
she could barely restrain herself from, was the opening of the gifts.  The
pile of gifts was huge, one of the largest she had ever seen.  She knew that
whatever happened, if anything, those gifts were staying right here.  Yes, she
loved weddings in the family.

	To say Kodachi was furious was an understatement.  She had never been treated
like this.  *Didn't they know who she was?*  She was not like the rest of
these, these commoners.  Actually she wouldn't have come except for the fact
her brother Tatewaki, had not only asked her but indeed had begged her to
come.  Still to be treated like this.

	*Well, it's not the way we planned, but finally our schools will be joined.*
Genma thought to himself.  Still he would've preferred another way, but he
knew nothing could be done to change today's outcome.  He waited impatiently
for the ceremony to finish.

	Mousse was happy.  This meant that Shampoo would soon be his.  Well, she
could soon be his.  This ended for all time the chance of any wedding between
Shampoo and that unspeakable Ranma Saotome.  He didn't even mind having to
remove all his weapons at the door.  Well, almost all his weapons.  He had
kept a few in order to ensure this wedding happened and no one would
interrupt.

Soun Tendo was happy.  He was so happy his tears were coming in a volume no
one had ever thought possible.  It looked like he had just come from taking a
shower.  He looked over at the bride.  She was so beautiful in white.

	Cologne was sad.  *It was her fault son-in-law had got away.  She should have
kept a closer eye on what was going on.  She had come so close.  But now it
was too late.  She would have to stop calling Ranma son-in-law.*

	Shampoo listened as the bride and groom said their vows.  There were a lot of
unhappy faces in the crowd.  Many of those faces were turned towards her.  She
felt their looks as an almost physical blow.  She knew what was on their
minds.  And they were right.  It was her fault indeed.  She thought back to
that fateful day.

	She had spent the morning making a special ramen for airen.  She had found a
new recipe in great grandmother's things and she had wanted to try it.  It was
for couples, it wasn't just for one person this time.  It guaranteed that
finally airen would be hers.  She remembered wondering why great grandmother
had never told her about this recipe.  After all, they had tried almost
everything else.  

	After the ramen had cooked she placed the bowl in a delivery box and rode out
to the Tendo Dojo.  Upon her arrival she had rung the bell.  Kasumi had
invited her inside.  In the yard airen was training with his father.  She had
entered the house with her ramen and set it down on the table.  Going to the
door she yelled to airen.  "Airen, I have ramen for you."  He turned his head
towards her and started to speak.  Then she had watched as his father took
advantage of his distraction and threw him into the pond.  She sighed and went
into the kitchen to heat up some water for him.  He had to be male for this to
work.  The recipe said that any man eating these noodles would marry the first
woman he saw while she would in turn, fall deeply in love with him.  Airen had
to be male.  

It was then that disaster had struck.  She remembered the voice that came from
the family room as she was heating the water.  "These noodles are good, thank
you Shampoo."  These were the words she had wanted to hear, however the person
speaking them was not airen.  Instead it was the crying man, Soun Tendo.  She
gasped.  It was not safe for any woman to go in that room now.  Then she heard
the other voice.  It was like a dagger had been plunged into her heart when
she heard it.  

Airen had entered the other room on his way to eat his special ramen she had
fixed him.  But he was in girl form.  She could almost feel the magic take
effect as Soun looked up at onna-Ranma.

She wrenched her attention back to what was going on in front of her.  Yes the
bride and groom made a cute couple.  She watched as the priest announced the
joining of Soun Tendo and Ranma Saotome.