Here's the Intro in a multi-parter.  I shared this idea with my friend Carly-
chan so we decided to both write it.  This way you can see how two people
staring with the same premise can wind up with vastly different stories.  This
story is based on the idea that when Ranma first met the Tendos, he decided he
would rather have a willing friend instead of an unwilling fiancee.  I hope
you enjoy the story.
and please C&C.

A RanmaFan
(Leader of the Defenders of the Pig Tailed Goddess)
web page at http://members.xoom.com/bellchan/saotendo.html (courtesy of
nausicaa@sprynet.com

Just A Friend
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.

Chapter 1
Every one in the village was present.  This was THE fight of the year.  The
two best fighters in the village were facing off against each other.  On one
side was Sec Ret.  Her style was simple, strong enough to be a man, yet she
was a woman.  On the other side stood Shampoo.  Her style was grace, silky
smooth were her moves.  The fight promised to be a contrast in styles.
Strength versus grace.  Which would win, who could say at this stage?  However
at the end of the fight the village would know.  This fight would set the
style to be used in the warriors training for the year if not the decade.
Everyone was waiting the outcome of the annual Amazon tournament.

The fight was soon to start; the contestants were warming up on the sidelines.
The Elders were all in attendance.  Yet, just before the fight was to begin
one of the daily guards was seen talking to one of the Elders.  Those around
them heard the guard describing an incident at one of the entrances to the
village.  A stranger, a young girl had run by the guards while chasing a
panda.  This caused a stir.  A panda, they hadn't been seen around here in
ages.  Yet this was nothing to cause concern enough to delay the tournament.  

The fight lived up to all expectations.  In the end it was Shampoo who was
crowned the victor, overcoming her opponent and sending her off the battle log
in defeat.  However when everyone turned to watch the victor claim her prize,
they beheld a panda sitting at the table steadily devouring the victor's
feast.  In a surge the crowd prevented the panda's escape and subdued the wild
beast.  The panda would pay for his crime by replacing what he had took.  He
would be the replacement feast.  As it was being led away a strange girl came
running into the village.  As soon as she saw the panda, she emitted a roar of
anger and shouted a word as she charged the crowd heading straight for the
panda.  She didn't get too far before Elder Khu lon touched one of her
pressure points and dropped her like a rock.  As Khu Lon stood over the girl
looking down, she told the stranger, "don't worry child, I don't know what the
panda did to you to cause such anger, but it won't do anything after tonight."

Later that evening, Elder Khu Lon was called to the kitchen.  When she saw
what the cooks had discovered in the soup she immediately canceled the feast.
She gave no reason yet it was rumored that the cooks had found the panda's
meat was unusable.  Other rumors said it hadn't even been a panda.

Later Khu Lon stood looking at the still sleeping stranger.  "In our haste we
have committed a great crime against this girl.  We owe her.  If we had taken
time to understand what she had yelled when we saw her, this wouldn't have
happened.  Even if she said it in Japanese we have enough knowledge of that
language to have understood the word father."

The council met later that night.  They decided that they would offer the girl
the chance to join the village, if she declined, a guardian would be sent to
help her to overcome the absence of her father.  To safeguard both the girl
and guardian neither would be told why.

The next day the girl looked at Elder Khu Lon with red rimmed eyes and
announced her intention to continue her journey.  She told Khu Lon that her
father had told her of their next stop.  The Tendo Dojo, Nerima, Japan.  Elder
Khu Lon was impressed with the strength of character the young girl displayed
so she assigned her heir, Shampoo as the girl's guardian.  She was to make
sure the girl got to the Dojo safely and found her father's friends or family
to take care of the young girl, this Ranma Saotome.  Unfortunately she didn't
tell Shampoo what shape the girl had to be in or how quick she had to go.  And
Shampoo was upset at the chore she was given.  She wanted it to be finished
quickly so she could return to the village.

Ranma was tired, it seemed everytime she had even slowed down on her way to
Japan, Shampoo had showed up.  It was bad enough being stuck as a girl but to
have a homicidal manic on your tail.  She had managed to avoid death by inches
not just once but several times.  It made her think that maybe his father, she
still had trouble referring to herself in the feminine style, hadn't had an
accident after all.  But Elder Khu Lon had seemed so.. so.. truthful.  She
didn't know what to think any more, it seemed that ever since leaving the
Amazon village she had done nothing but run, run, run.  She hadn't even had
time to take a hot bath since well before that disaster at Jusenkyo.  And hot
meals were something that was grabbed on the run or not at all.  She wished
she had enough time for a complete night's sleep but knowing that witch
Shampoo she'd show up in the middle of the night.  At least his/her body was
still warning him and waking her up in time to save her life.  With that she
fell asleep.  Shampoo looked down from the roof at the red headed girl;
tonight Shampoo would let her sleep.  She'd made a fast trip towards the
coast.  At this rate, soon they'd be in Japan and Shampoo's job would be
finished.