Another one lying in my notebook...

	Hera was often referred to, behind her back, as the "goddess of 
jealousy."  This wasn't quite fair, given that her ne'er-do-well husband 
Zeus really was constantly running off to sport with other women, but the 
mores of the ancient Greeks had been rather different than the ones of 
current Japan.  Her actual portfolio was marriage and childbirth, and it 
was in that aspect that she was visiting Toltiir.
	"I have consulted with Aescaplius," she said in that grating 
voice so perfect for nagging, and that no amount of ambrosia had ever 
been able to smooth, "and the change I want is here."

	A test tube tipped over, and a chemical reaction began.
	Four years later, in a Japanese clinic...
	"I'm going to breach the usual custom, and come straight out with 
it, Mrs. Tendou.  It's cancer, and you prognosis is not at all good.  
Under the currently available treatments, you have perhaps a year to 
live, at the very outside."  The doctor paused, and Hanabi gave him the 
opening he wanted.
	"You said...'currently available'?"
	"There's a new experimental chemotherapy that looks very 
promising, but even if you agreed to try it, there's only a small chance 
it will work.  It might even shorten your life."
	Hanabi nodded.  "I see.  But even a slim chance to see my 
daughters grow up sounds better than nothing.  Tell me more about this 
treatment."
	"I thought you might say that.  You're a brave woman, Mrs. Tendou."

	"I take it she lives?" Toltiir asked, for the record.
	"That is the plan," assured Hera.  The Queen of the Gods 
(Olympian Branch) settled down on the divan as the new story unfolded.


				FLOWER OF FIRE
				(Takahashi disclaimer)

	[Bringing Ranma from China.  Saotome.]
	A frail-looking woman lowered the postcard and smiled.  She 
walked to the dojo where her husband Souun was leading a class of 
beginning martial artists.
	When she caught his eye, the tall man directed the class to do 
stretching exercises and went to her side.
	"What is it, Hanabi?"
	"Your friend Genma is coming!  And he's bringing Ranma!"
	Souun's stern face broke into a wide grin.  "Splendid!  At last 
our families will be joined."
	"I'll go tell Akane."  She touched his hand and left.  The man 
returned to his class with new vigor.
			*			*
	As it happened, Akane was not in her room, but in her sister 
Nabiki's, where they were listening to wall-shakingly loud rock music.  
	"Smashing Pumpkins is def!" shouted Nabiki.
	"Your pumpkins are deaf?" shouted Akane.  "At this volume, I'm 
not surprised!"
	"No, no, I mean they're phat!"
	"Honestly, Nabiki, you don't need to lose weight!  You look just 
fine!" 
	The door opened, and Hanabi staggered in, holding her ears.  She 
moved to the stereo and stabbed the "off" button with a finger.  The 
silence would have been deafening if anyone in the room had hearing 
left.  
	As soon as her ears stopped ringing, Hanabi said, "Nabiki, how 
many times have I asked you not to play that...that *noise* in the 
house?" 
	"Waay too many times, Ma."  The middle Tendou sister fidgeted 
with her baby doll t-shirt, trying to make it show more of her midriff.  
	Hanabi rolled her eyes.  "You'll be the death of me yet.  Akane, 
I have good news!  Ranma is coming!"
	"What?  When!?"
	"Today, sometime, I think."
	"Aagh!  I'm not ready!"  Akane started running her fingers 
through her long hair.  Why didn't you tell me before?!"
	"I just got the news now, dear."  Hanabi gave a tired smile.
	Nabiki began humming a death march.
	"And none of your lip, young lady!  This is an important moment 
for our family."  Hanabi swept out of the room.
	"I can't believe how inconsiderate Ranma is, not giving me time 
to prepare!"  Akane tried to reassemble her homework.
	"Hey, I thought you didn't *want* to get engaged," pointed out 
her sister.
	"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to look like a wreck the 
first time he sees me."  Her books gathered, Akane headed out.
	"'Spose I should get dressed for Prince Charming's appearance 
too," Nabiki mumbled.  "But first I gotta have a smoke."  she reached 
below her mattress and fished out a pack of Silk Cuts and the lighter.  
			*			*
	Hanabi called Nodoka, Ranma's mother, to coordinate.
	"Genma's bringing him there first?" asked Nodoka.
	"I guess so, didn't he tell you?"
	"I haven't gotten a letter from him in weeks!"
	"Well, maybe it got lost, you know how bad the Chinese postal 
system is."  Both women laughed.
	"I'll be right over," Nodoka decided.  "I don't like it, but I'll 
stop by 7-11 and pick up some snacks."
	"Thanks, Nodoka.  I'm so excited!"
	"Don't overexert yourself Hanabi, think of your health.  Be 
there soon.  Bye now."
	"I will.  Bye."
			*			*
	An hour and a half later, there was a gathering in the Tendou 
living room.  Akane had done a respectable job of prettying herself up, 
given the short lead time; most of the boys at school would have been 
drooling (not that they didn't have that tendency anyway.)  She was 
wearing an emerald green blouse with a white skirt, and a red ribbon 
threaded through her hair.
	Nabiki had chosen a large white man's shirt and dark blue slacks, 
which got her some dark looks from her mother.
	Hanabi and Nodoka were wearing their good kimonos, Nodoka 
carrying the long white bundle she took everywhere.  Even Souun had been 
convinced to wear a dark formal kimono, despite his marked preference for 
his gi.  Sometimes Hanabi thought the only reason Souun had become a 
martial arts sensei was to avoid wearing a tie.
	The atmosphere among the adults was festive, and even the girls 
were somewhat excited.
	"Where's Kasumi?" asked Nodoka.
	"The college is too far for her to come on such short notice.  
She says she's enjoying it."  Hanabi rearranged some of the snacks, and 
slapped Souun's hand lightly when he reached for them.
	"Not yet, dear."
	Nabiki looked out on the porch, seeing that the brief rain shower 
was breaking up.  "You do realize they might take hours yet, don't you?"  
	As if on cue, there was a commotion at the front door, someone 
yelling, "Put me down!"
	Souun said, "That must be them now!" and rushed into the hall, 
followed by Nabiki.
	They almost immediately came running back, followed by the rather 
bizarre sight of a giant panda walking on its hind legs, carrying a 
struggling person.  The human was shouting, "You idiot!  Can't you see 
that you're scaring them?"
	The panda set down the human, a rather short person in a dirty 
white gi, hair tied back in a pigtail.
	*Oh great,* thought Akane, *he didn't even bother to change from 
his workout uniform.  Must not be too concerned about making a good first 
impression.*
	Hanabi found her voice first.  "W-who are you?"
	The visitor looked at the floor.  "Ranma Saotome.  Sorry about 
this." 	
 	Souun was about to rush forward and embrace his friend's son, but 
Nodoka acted first, drawing her katana from its sheath and placing the 
point at the visitor's throat in one fluid motion.
	"Who are you *really* young lady, and where is my son?" she 
hissed. 
	The panda registered Nodoka's presence for the first time and 
softly backed out of the room.  No one noticed, as they were all 
realizing that Mrs. Saotome was right.  The person claiming to be Ranma 
was definitely female.
	"I'm Ranma!"  She looked angered by the question, then puzzled.  
"M-mom?" 
	"Don't play games with me!  My son is a *man*!"
	"I *AM* A MAN!" screamed the visitor, batting away the sword.  
She leapt to the table, grabbed the teakettle, dumping the contents over 
her head.  Except that the word "her" didn't apply anymore.
	"Ranma" was now very clearly a young man, nearly a head taller 
than he had been a moment before.  Nabiki and Akane registered that he 
was quite handsome.
	The general consensus at this point was a resounding "Huh?" 
	"I *knew* we shouldn't have come, Pop.  Pop?"  Ranma looked about 
in a confused manner.  "Where'd Pop go?"
	"That's what I'd like to know.  Perhaps you should explain 
yourself?" suggested Nodoka.
	"Okay, but I think you'd better be sitting down for this."  The 
others sat, and Ranma took his first real look at his audience.  *So 
she's my mother.  Gosh, she's pretty.  Those two over there must be Mr. 
and Mrs. Tendou then, she looks older than I'd expect.  And two girls.  
The one that's all dolled up must be the one Pop wants me to get married 
to.  Well sorry, sister, but I don't think so.*  He ignored the strange, 
almost electrical sensation he got looking in her eyes.
	"First off, yes I am the real Ranma Saotome, and I really am a 
guy.  Pop and I fell into some cursed springs in China that make you 
change shape in water.  I fell into the Girl Spring, and Pop fell into 
one that makes you a panda."
	"So the bear we saw--"  This was Akane, finally getting a word 
in. 
	"That was him, yep.  Can't believe he ran out on me."
	Nodoka stood up.  "I can."  She drew out a piece of paper.  
"Before he left, Genma made a vow to turn my son into a `man among men', 
and that both he and Ranma would commit seppuku if he failed."
	Ranma looked at the paper.  That's what it said, all right, with 
Genma's mark and a child's handprints.  He bigsweated.
	"I can't believe Pop did that to me!"  He briefly considered 
creating a distraction and fleeing, but where could he go?  "Well, if I 
have to, I have to.  I should probably change first into something 
clean." 
	Nodoka put up her sword.  "It seems you are indeed my son, and 
that Genma has not entirely failed.  Now, how does the curse operate?"
	"Cold water turns me into a girl."  Ranma demonstrated with a 
water glass.  "And hot water turns me back.  "Ow!  Too hot!"
	Hanabi wondered if she should have refilled the kettle quite so 
quickly. 
	"And why did you come here in female form?" asked Nodoka.
	"Pop sucker-punched me when I wanted to go back to China and look 
for a cure."
	"Hmm..."  Nodoka made it sound very irritated.  "Well, since it's 
not something you chose, the curse is less important than your behavior.  
I will reserve judgement; for now, my boy is home!"  Tears ran down her 
cheeks as she embraced Ranma.
	"So if Ranma's part girl, does that mean this engagement hoopla 
is invalid?" asked Nabiki.
	"Nabiki!  Ranma is my friend's son!  He is certainly man enough 
to marry Akane!" Souun roared.
	"Umm, who's Akane?"
	"Oh, right.  Son, these are our friends, the Tendou family.  
They're Souun, head of the Tendou School of Indiscriminate Grappling," 
the mustached man bowed, "his wife Hanabi," she smiled politely at Ranma, 
"their second daughter Nabiki, age 17," that girl gave a quick wave, "and 
Akane, age 16, who will be your wife."  Akane looked rather dubious, but 
bowed politely.
	"Don't *I* get some say in who I'm gonna marry?" asked Ranma.
	"No," replied Nodoka, Souun and Hanabi simultaneously.
	Akane swallowed hard.  She hated to do this to him, he seemed a 
nice enough fellow, weird curses aside, and there was something...special 
about him, but she had to put a stop to this right now.
	"Well *I* get a choice in who I'm going to marry, and it's not 
going to be a filthy, uncultured weirdo!"
	"'Weirdo?'" asked Ranma.
	"You change into a girl, for crying out loud!  How much weirder 
can you get!?"  That question was to come back to haunt Akane.  
Repeatedly. 
	"Well, I didn't ask for this!  I didn't even know about it until 
right now!"  Ranma and Akane glared at each other, refusing to blink.
	Finally, Nodoka broke the stalemate.  "This hasn't been the best 
circumstances for you to meet, has it?  Why don't we postpone the 
engagement for a few weeks while you get to know each other better.  
Let's eat now."
	"That's an excellent idea," Hanabi added.  She began portioning 
out the food.
	Akane and Ranma refused to look at each other for the duration of 
the meal...or at least that's what they intended.  In reality they were 
sneaking little peeks at each other, turning away as soon as the other 
seemed to be looking back.
	Nabiki observed carefully.  This could be fun.  For her, anyway.  
She'd have to step carefully around her mother, of course, but trouble 
could be made.  And perhaps a profit.
	The parents pretended nothing was wrong, but Nodoka at least was 
thinking of the absent one...and wondering if she had a recipe for panda 
steaks.

			TBC...maybe.

Notes:

	In this timeline, Hanabi Tendou has survived, with both good and 
ill effects.
	Souun is similar to TOS, but is much more vigorous and less prone 
to crying fits.  The dojo is an active concern that takes up much of his 
time.
	Hanabi survived the cancer, but has never fully recovered her 
health.  Overexertion easily tires her, and she has frequent small 
illnesses.  She's learned to use her condition to get her way, trading 
heavily on guilt.  She's also very tradition-bound, like her friend 
Nodoka.  they found out about the engagement 2 years ago, and immediately 
pegged Akane for the sacrifice.
	Akane has been subjected to "bridal training" for the last two 
years, with the result that she is...adequate...in most traditional wife 
skills.  Unfortunately, this has also meant that her martial arts 
training has been curtailed, so she is even less effective than her TOS 
counterpart.  She had good training for a couple of weeks when Kunou set 
up the challenge scenario, but Hanabi quashed that as soon as she found 
out.  Akane's temper is better in this world, but her jealousy is still a 
problem, and the other fiancees seeming to be better than her at 
*everything* doesn't help.
	Kasumi will barely appear.  She is similar to her TOS self, but 
has had the chance to go off to college, and absorb new ideas.  She may, 
for example, when she finally shows up, be a vegan.
	Nabiki has had a very difficult time with her traditional mother, 
and thoroughly resents Hanabi's attempts to make her fit a "proper" 
mode.  So she's become rebellious, cultivating a "bad girl" image to 
thumb her nose at her mother.  She's not quite as profit driven, though 
she does plan to make enough money to move out at the earliest 
opportunity. 
	Nodoka and Ranma are themselves, but living together soon changes 
them as she tries to teach Ranma some civilized behavior and he tries to 
get her to loosen up a bit.
	Genma remains an idiot.

SKJAM!