Some one pointed out a few errors to me so I'm reposting an update now.  C&C
 are invited.  Enjoy

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 Cologne touched one of her
 pressure points and dropped her like a rock.  As Cologne 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 Cologne was called to the kitchen.  When she found
 there made her blanch.  At once she grabbed for the nearest male, who happened
 to be the boy named Mousse.  She had already decided upon a course of action.
 "Boy, go to all the Elders and inform them that I am calling an immediate
 council meeting.  Then announce to the village that the tournament feast is
 postponed until tomorrow night.  I also want you to get two other males, big
 ones and send them to me.  I have a couple of bags in the kitchen that need to
 be disposed of."

"Yes Elder" was Mousse's reply, just before he departed to do her bidding.  

"This is an evil night, no good can come from this."  Cologne said to herself
 as she turned and walked towards the hut in which the strange girl was
 sleeping.  Later as Cologne stood looking at the still sleeping stranger she
 thought about what had occurred this night and she felt sorrow.  If only we
 had�.

She turned and went to the council chambers.  It wasn't very long before
 Cologne called the assembly to order.  "First let me explain why I called
 everyone here tonight.  We cannot have the feast tonight.  The panda we were
 going to have as a main course for the feast, was not a panda."  This caused
 an uproar within the council chambers.  Raising her voice over the uproar
 Cologne continued.  "The panda was probably a victim of Jusenkyo.  We won't
 know for sure until we question either the girl or the Jusenkyo guide.  The
 canceling of the feast is not the reason I called everyone here tonight.  I
 called the meeting due to the girl that was chasing the panda."  She paused,
 took a drink of water and continued.  "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 did
 say it in Japanese, we have enough knowledge of that language to have
 understood the word father."

The council meeting continued late into the night.  In the end they had come
 to a decision that Cologne had predicted to herself before the meeting had
 begun.  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 how or
 why.

The next day dawned with a red, fiery glow.  Cologne looked at the sky and
 knew it was a warning of a storm coming.  Cologne looked over at the strange
 girl, her eyes were red rimed and she showed all the signs of having recently
 cried.  Cologne did not blame the girl, she had told the girl herself a short
 while before of her father's untimely demise.  Of course not how he had died.
 She would not call the girl weak for her tears.  The girl look up at Cologne
 and asked, "Is  uh , can I go see my father's body."  
Cologne quickly thought and replied. "I'm sorry little one, have you been
 crying?  We've already sent a burial party to bury him.  But tell us what do
 you intend to do?  You can stay here and I'll raise you like my own daughter
 if you want?  The girl shuddered and replied "Elder Cologne, I know my father
 was intending to go to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima, Japan.  He sent them a
 postcard announcing our intention to visit just last week.  I intend to
 fulfill his wishes and go there.  If nothing else I can let them know what
 happened to him.  And no I ain't been, I mean I haven't been crying.  My
 father would've said crying was a sign of weakness and I ain't weak."  She
 replied with red rimmed eyes.    

Elder Cologne was impressed with the strength of character the young girl
 displayed.  And since she felt guilty about her own role in the affair, 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.  "I wonder why Shampoo's trying to kill
 me?"  She said to herself.  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 Cologne 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; she wasn't trying to
 kill Ranma, just make her hurry up.  Shampoo wanted to return to the village
 and couldn't until Ranma was safe with her friends or family.  *Stupid girl,
 if Shampoo really want you dead, you dead by now,* she thought to herself.
 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.

A RanmaFan
(Leader of the Worshippers of the Pig Tailed Goddess)
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