A lot of the C&C that i've recieved on this story so far have told me the 
same thing:  the prologue doesn't hold thier interest very well.  Looking 
back at it, i now have to agree.  So in order to show people that there is 
more to the story than just Ranma vs. Ginami Ryujin, i have added a new 
scene, which i hope does a little better job of catching your interest.  And 
if not, then i'll just have to lock myself in my room and cry for a few 
hours and then come back and try harder. :)

Anyway, for the LAST time, here's the new prologue for Just Another Day. (I 
also think i should change the title, as a few people have mentioned.  I'll 
get back to you on that.)

Just Another Day
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Dragonboy

Disclaimer:  Most of these characters don't belong to me; though I wish I
could take credit for them.  They belong to the amazingly brilliant
Rumiko Takahashi and whoever she sold the rights to, except for the
ones that I made up.  I also made up the names for Ryoga's parents
and Ukyo's father.  There are also several cameos from other manga,
anime and video games in this story.  I'll try to have all of their
respective owners by the end of the story.  Now, without further ado-
Please enjoy!


Prologue--Same Thing Only Different

It was a place of nothingness.  As far as the eye could see, there was
only darkness.  As far as the ear could hear, there was only silence.  All
around, there was no smell, no feeling, no movement, and no presence
of any sort.  It was neither hot nor cold, and time ceased to flow.
Basically, the dark world was a place of non-existence.

Except for one area.  In one area of the eternal darkness, a tiny source
of light could be seen.  The light was coming from a three-foot tall metal
basin, which was filled to the brim with a liquid that was too thick and
shiny to be water.  On the surface of the liquid, several different images
could be seen.

And standing around the basin were seven black figures, all of whom
were gazing with interest at the images on the surface.

One figure dipped a finger into the liquid, temporarily distorting the
images on it.  "It appears that things are going to start getting 
interesting
again, wouldn't you all agree?"

The figure next to the first leaned in closer.  "Indeed, but I wonder..."
The images slowly changed to show a pigtailed boy running along a
fence with a short-haired girl running below him on the ground.  "This
one seems to be growing at a substantial rate.  We all saw what he did
to that Bird-man not too long ago.  I only wonder if when the time comes
how much of a problem he might cause."

A third figure placed its hand on the second figure's shoulder.  "You
needn't bother yourself with such trifle matters.  Just remember, no
matter how strong he or any of the others become, it will do them no
good."

The fourth figure gave a disturbing chuckle.  "Very true, my friend."
Several new images appeared in the basin.  One showed a boy walking
down the street, staring in confusion at a map in his hands.  Another
showed a purple-haired girl riding at high speed down the street on her
bike, with a long-haired boy with glasses trying to keep up with her.
Many more images came and vanished.  "They will all fall, just like all the
others." the figure said quietly.

The fifth figure slowly moved closer and stared intently into the basin.
"So tell me again," He said in a slow, dragging voice.  "Why is it that we
have only been watching this one particular area of the whole planet?"

The other figures sighed.  "It's because for the last year and a half, this
one area of the planet has been supplying us with more energy than
anywhere else."  Figure one said.  "Do try to remember that for more
than one earth week this time."

Figure five nodded and stepped back again.

Figure four let out a low growl.  "My patience with this hellhole grows
thin!  How much longer until we can leave it?"

The sixth figure smiled.  "Very soon, my friend.  We currently stand at
eighty-seven percent of our full power.  Once we reach one hundred
percent, we'll be able to rip our way out of here, then we can do as we
please with these worthless mortals.  But until then, what do you said
we...play with these humans a little?"

"How so?"  Figure five asked.

"Simple.  All we have to do is expend some of our collective energy to
manipulate the goings-on in this area, do whatever we can to bring as
much pain as possible to these humans.  Even though we'll have to use
some of our own energy, I believe the results will more than make up for
it."

The seventh figure finally stepped forward to join the others.  "I truly 
love
the way you think, my friend.  After all, what's more entertaining than
crushing a human's spirits into dust?"

The seven figures gazed back into the basin, each laughing their own
evil laugh.
**********

A boy stood outside the outer walls of the Furinkan High School.  The
gentle breeze of the autumn air caused his long silvery hair and long
white cape to billow out behind him.  He was dressed in a green
sleeveless vest with gold trim, white pants with a gold belt, green boots
and green wristbands.

Several kids were walking past, staring at him and muttering between
themselves.  No one knew who he was, but one thing they knew for
sure: anyone who looked and dressed the way he did had to be a
martial artist, a fact that made the male students grumble.

The boy barely noticed them.  His emerald-green eyes slowly scanned
the school grounds as he felt the aura in the air around him.  So far he
was disappointed, only one person, a shaggy-haired boy who was
swinging around a wooden sword, was giving out any battle aura, and it
wasn't even very much.

What a waste of time, the boy thought.

Sighing, the boy gave a last fleeting look at the school, then turned
around to leave-

POW!

-and was knocked flat on his back.

As he lay on the ground letting his eyes readjust, a girl knelt down
beside him.

"Ranma, you idiot!  Why don't you watch where you're going?"  the girl
shouted.  Then she turned to the boy.  "Are you alright?"

The boy took a moment to study the girl.  Short dark hair, beautiful eyes,
and most importantly, an aura about her that nearly matched the boy
with the wooden sword.

"Yes, thank you."  Then the boy sat up and started looking around for
the one who ran him down.  He saw him instantly; a slightly muscular
boy with black pants, a red Chinese shirt and a long pigtail.  Ranma, the
girl had called him, was being confronted by the wooden-sword boy.

"Sorry about Ranma, he's a total jerk sometimes!"  the girl told him.

The boy's face gave no indication as to whether or not he agreed.
"Would that Ranma happen to be a friend of yours, miss?"

The girl looked surprised, then frowned.  "Well, we're kind of engaged,
but..."

"Well then," The boy said.  "I shall apologize to you now, ma'am, for
having to kill him."

"Wha?"  Was all the girl got out before the silver-haired boy jumped up
and ran toward Ranma, leaving her behind.  The boy named Ranma
had defeated the sword-wielding boy by the time the silver-haired boy
reached him.

"Turn and face your executioner, coward!"

Ranma looked around in confusion.  "You talking to me?"

"Of course!  You think you can sneak-attack Ginami Ryujin like that
without a reprisal?"

Ranma scratched his head awkwardly.  "Oh yeah, sorry about that.  I
didn't see you there and I was in a hurry and-"

"No excuses!"  Ginami interrupted.  "Feel my wrath, Ran-OOF!"

Ginami's speech was cut off when a bicycle suddenly dropped onto his
head and knocked him to the ground again.

"Nihao, Ranma."  A purple-haired girl on the bike said.

"Hey Shampoo."  Ranma said.

"Ranma, you come and date with Shampoo now, yes?"  The girl asked.

"Sorry Shampoo, but I have school right now."  Ranma said in a voice
that subtly said 'I wouldn't do it even if I didn't have school'.

Ginami, still under Shampoo's bike, was little impressed.  With a growl,
he stood up and flung the bike away, taking great satisfaction in hearing
it smash into the stone wall.

"Aiya, you break Shampoo's bike!  Shampoo make mean boy pay for
that!"

Ginami casually brushed himself off and swept his hair back over his
shoulder before acknowledging Shampoo's statement.

"I suggest you feel grateful that I took my aggression out on your bike
rather than you, Amazon woman.  But if you're that eager to get your life
shortened, I'll be happy to fight you when I'm done with this coward."  he
said as he gestured towards Ranma.

Ranma frowned.  "Ya know, I think you're kinda blowing this whole thing
out of proportion.  But if you want a fight, that's fine with me.  Just try 
to
last a little longer than Kuno did."

A large crowd of students started gathering around to watch the
impending fight.  Akane sighed in frustration.  "Why does he always
have to cause trouble?"

Ranma and Ginami both took fighting stances, but neither moved to
attack.  After about ten seconds of staring at each other, Ginami
smirked.  "Feel free to start us off, coward."

"Quit calling me a coward!"  Ranma leaped at Ginami and swung at him.
Ginami spun past the punch and was behind Ranma before anyone
could see it.  A quick kick to the back sent Ranma sprawling onto the
ground.

Ginami smirked.  "By the way, I'll thank you to not insult me by
comparing my strength with that amateur swordsman ever again."

Ranma got back to his feet and brushed the dirt off his face.  "So you're
good.  That's fine, because I've been looking for someone who could
give me a decent workout."

Ginami smiled menacingly.  "If you want a workout, I'll work your arms
out of their sockets."

Ginami and Ranma charged each other, but at the last second, just as
Ranma threw another punch, Ginami pulled his cape in front of him and
Ranma punched it instead of him.  There was a loud 'clang' and Ranma
cried out in pain and began rubbing his injured hand.

"What happened?" Akane gasped.

"Aiya!" Shampoo shouted.

"What the heck is that thing made of?" Ranma demanded.

Ginami grinned smugly and flung his cape dramatically to the side.
"Tempered dragon skin.  Light and flexible to the wearer, hard as steel
to anyone else.  Sorry you had to find out the hard way, coward."

"How is Ranma supposed to beat him if he can't get through that cape?"
Akane wondered out loud.

Ranma quickly shot back at Ginami.  But when Ginami pulled the cape
up again, Ranma grabbed onto it and started to swing him around.
When he let go, Ginami flew across the schoolyard.  Several kids
scattered out of the way, but Akane didn't move in time and Ginami
crashed into her and they both tumbled to the ground, with him ending
up on top of her.

"Akane!"  Ranma shouted.

Ginami shook his head and tried to climb to his feet.  "Are you alright,
Miss...Akane, was it?"

Akane held her head wearily.  "Y-yeah, I'm-"

"You scum!"  Ginami heard someone shout behind him.  He turned
around expecting it to be Ranma, but instead saw a boy with a yellow
and black bandanna carrying a backpack and an umbrella.

"How dare you try to take advantage of Akane Tendo like that?  And in
public no less!"

Ginami was rather surprised, not by the sudden appearance of the boy
or his ridiculous accusation, but of the amount of aura he was releasing.

Well, Ginami thought, maybe the rumors about this place were true after
all.

"Wait, Ryoga, you've got the wrong idea!"  Akane exclaimed as she tried
to get back up.

"Don't try to defend him, Akane.  I know what I saw.  This pervert forced
himself on you.  Well, if Ranma isn't man enough to do something about
it, then I will."  Ryoga dropped his pack and raised his umbrella.  But
before he could lunge at Ginami, Ranma pounded him on the head.

"Stay out of our fight, P-Chan."

Ryoga punched him back, "Who are you calling P-Chan, sissy boy?"

The two continued to pound and insult each other while Ginami watched
on in anger.

"Now he ignores me?  I won't tolerate these insults any further!"

The silver-haired warrior's eyes flashed red and he lunged forward and
kicked the unsuspecting Ryoga with so much force that he flew through
the air and smashed through the stone wall.  Ranma stared in stunned
silence.

"This humiliation will not continue!"  Ginami shouted.  "Now fight me
Ranma!"

Akane ran to help Ryoga as Ranma and Ginami resumed their fight.
Ginami threw punch after punch, but Ranma used his superhuman
speed to dodge them.  But every time Ranma tried to attack Ginami
would block with his cape.

Suddenly, just as Ginami was aiming a kick for Ranma's face, half a
dozen ropes and chains flew out and wrapped around his body, pulling
him ungracefully to the ground.

"Someone is about to die a very slow and painful death!"  he muttered
as he twisted himself around to see who was attacking him this time.

Finally he saw that the chains were coming from a boy wearing a white
robe with very large sleeves.

The boy laughed.  "Today Ranma, is the day I defeat you and win back
my darling Shampoo!"

"Mousse, you moron!  He looks nothing like me!"  Ranma shouted.

Ginami was about to obliterate the boy, when Shampoo poured a bucket
of water on him and turned him into a duck.

"You bother Ranma no more, Mousse.  Get brain and go back to China."
The duck-boy quacked angrily until Shampoo slammed the bucket on
his head.

Ginami stood up and freed himself from Mousse's chains.  "I'm growing
sick and tired of these interruptions."  He turned back to Ranma.  "Are
we going to finish this fight or not?"

"Saotome, I fight on!"  Kuno suddenly shouted as he lunged from out of
nowhere at Ranma.  "Your vile techniques shall never topple the might
of the great Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of-"

POW!

He didn't get to finish before receiving a double kick from both Ranma
and Ginami, sending him flying into the horizon.

Ginami's eyes flashed menacingly across the school ground, almost
daring someone else to interrupt them.  When he believed all was clear,
he prepared to lunge again when he heard-

"Hold it righ der, brudas!"  A loud voice rang out.  Ginami and Ranma
looked and saw the school principal, a muscular man with an unusually
dark tan.  "Fight'n on da school grounds is kapu!  Dat's a demerit an' a
head-shavin' fo' da both a ya!"

There was approximately 2.7 seconds of silence before Ginami roared
in anger and kicked the principal with enough velocity to make him catch
up, and collide in mid-air, with Kuno.

"Ranma, what do you say we try this again another time when there
could be fewer idiots to get in our way?"

Ranma shrugged.  "Whatever, just name a time."

"I think...five days should give you enough time to fulfill any lifetime 
goal
you may have always wanted to accomplish.  Show up then and maybe
I'll think twice about calling you a coward."

Ranma smiled.  "Fine, five days it is.  Just make sure your sense of
direction isn't as bad as Ryoga's so I don't have to wait for three weeks."
At hearing this, Ryoga ran up and punched Ranma in the head.

Ginami smirked at Ryoga.  "You can still move, huh?  Impressive, the
last person I kicked that hard is dead."

Ryoga glared back at Ginami.  "I will avenge Akane Tendo for what you
did to her."

Ginami only smiled.  "Don't worry, your time will come."  He turned back
to Ranma.  "Remember, five days until you meet your fate coward.
You'll learn what happens to those who insult a Dragon Master."  And
with a sweep of his cape, he walked off.

End of Prologue.


Next Chapter:  Find out the truth behind the mysterious Ginami Ryujin,
and meet his bubbly little sister. Shampoo and Mousse are sent on a
quest, and after a visit to Ucchan's, Ginami sets out on a mission to kill
Ranma Saotome.

If you have any C&C for me, you can send them to
dragonboy1098@hotmail.com and I will do my best to take them into
consideration and write back to you.

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