Previous Arrangements
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
karaohki@snet.net
March 9, 2000
The characters in this story were created by Rumiko Takahashi. This
fanfic was written for entertainment purposes only, so enjoy.
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Ukyo Kuonji blinked back tears as she gazed through her shop window.
For the third time that week Ranma and Akane were passing by, holding
hands. They seemed totally oblivious to the fact that they were being
observed.
"How COULD he?" she muttered to herself. "He's my fiance! He belongs
to ME!"
She resolved to visit the Tendo home as soon as she could get the shop
closed for the night.
*****
Ukyo didn't waste any time on pleasantries. She marched up to Ranma
and planted her hands on her hips.
"I want to know what's going on."
"What do you mean?"
"Ha. Don't waste my time." Ukyo pointed at Akane, who was seated at
her usual place at the table. "How did SHE manage to wrap you around
her little finger, when you're engaged to ME?"
Ukyo expected Ranma's usual response, which was usually extreme
embarrassment, stuttering, or lame excuses. Instead, his eyes grew
hard.
"Sit down."
The look in Ranma's eyes made Ukyo gasp. She sank down to the floor,
holding onto the edge of the table. Ranma walked back around to
Akane's side, and sat down next to her. He reached for her hand and
held it, but before Akane's hand was engulfed by Ranma's Ukyo could
see the ring on her finger.
"No, you can't--"
"Yes I can. I asked Akane to marry me."
"You're MY fiance!"
"Nope. Pop's agreement with Mr. Tendo is before the one with your
father. Besides, I l-l"
Akane's let go of Ranma's hand and elbowed him in the ribs.
"love Akane."
"Ha! If you loved her you'd be able to say it without being hit!"
"Damn it, Ukyo! It's HARD for me to say this kinda stuff! Why do you
think it took me and Akane so long to get together?"
"It's not fair. It's just not fair."
Akane looked at Ranma before replying. She could see the pain on his
face.
"Not everything is fair, Ukyo. I'm sorry. We never meant to hurt
you."
Ukyo got up and shuffled towards the door. "Yeah, right." She
stopped and looked over shoulder. "Maybe things would have been
different if my claim had been first."
*****
Akane waited for Ukyo to shut the door before she grabbed Ranma's arm
and held onto him.
"Would that have made a difference, Ranma?"
"Yeah. I would have had to marry Ukyo."
Akane gasped, and Ranma pulled her into a rough embrace.
"Don't think about it. It didn't happen." He hugged her hard, and
kissed the top of her head. "Thank God it didn't happen."
*****
Ukyo kept thinking about why she had lost. It wasn't because Ranma
loved Akane. He couldn't possibly love her! It was strictly legal.
"If only Father had met Mr. Saotome earlier. If only..."
*****
Ukyo opened the front door of her shop the next morning, and began
sweeping the sidewalk. She was on her way inside when a man in a
business suit approached her.
"Miss Kuonji?"
"Yes?
"I'm from Attorney Kazuko's office. This letter is for you." He
handed Ukyo the letter as he spoke, and she opened it.
"Why would I be getting a letter from an attorney?"
The messenger waited patiently as Ukyo read.
"Dear Miss Kuonji,
Our client has asked us to send this note to prepare you for
his visit.
Our firm has been searching for you for the past few years in
order to inform you of your engagement to our client, which
was arranged between your fathers when you were born.
He was unaware of the arrangement until he became
engaged to another young woman. Although he has since
informed her of this prior commitment, she is unwilling to
accept it."
Ukyo couldn't help thinking that this sounded a little TOO familiar.
She read on.
"Our client is eager to honor this arrangement, and will be
visiting you this afternoon to discuss it with you.
Sincerely..."
Ukyo looked up from the letter to find the messenger waiting for her.
"Any response, Miss Kuonji?"
"Um, um...tell him I will be here."
After her visitor left, Ukyo spent the rest of her morning cleaning
the shop and preparing food for the lunch crowd. The place was nearly
empty when the door opened and a young man came in. He looked rather
familiar.
"Ukyo Kuonji?"
"Yes?"
"I'm your fiance. Wow, you're CUTE!"
Ukyo couldn't help but be flattered, but the disconcerting idea that
she knew who this young man was kept bothering her. Suddenly, he
leaped over the counter, grabbed her, and tried to pull her in for a
kiss.
"What do you think you're doing! You didn't even INTRODUCE yourself
yet!"
"Oh! Sorry! My names Ata-"
The front door of the shop burst into pieces. A very angry-looking
young woman in a tiger-striped bikini stood in the entryway.
"Darling! What do you think you're doing?"
Now Ukyo knew why her "fiance" looked so familiar. She tore herself
out of his arms, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Ataru Moroboshi! Not YOU!"
*****
Ranma and Akane sat on the steps, looking out at the sunset. It had
been a peaceful, lovely afternoon.
The peace was shattered when Ukyo came flying over the fence.
"Ran-chan, help me!"
"Huh?"
"Ukyo, come back! We have to discuss our wedding!"
Seconds later Ataru came bounding over the wall, reaching for Ukyo,
who was crying hysterically all over Ranma. Akane stood there,
unwilling to hit either of them. Ranma looked too confused, and Ukyo
too frightened.
"Help me, Ran-chan. My father engaged me to him."
"When did he do that?"
"When we were babies."
Ranma removed Ukyo's arms from around him, and stepped back.
"Then his claim is a legal one, isn't it?"
"Wha....?"
"Just like my engagement to Akane is the legal one. Right?"
"Oh. My. God."
Ukyo ran screaming from the Tendo yard, leaping over the fence. Ataru
followed, with Lum close behind. The smell of sulfur was strong in
the air as she zapped him again and again.
"Darling, come back!"
When they could no longer be heard, Akane turned to Ranma.
"Should we help her?"
"Maybe. But I think we should wait a while. It's about time she
understood what I've been going through."
Akane looked thoughtful.
"You know, I believe you may be right."
_________________
My thanks to PikaOhki for thinking of the basic idea for this story.
He gets worse all the time.
www.karaohki.com
"Karaoke? Sounds like a dessert." - Wakko "Or a disease." - Dot