Ranma 1/2: The Mazoku Factor.

Part 1

A change of perspective...

The idea for this one isn't mine, but from a guy called Arkanfael
from the Fanfiction forum on Delphi. The story itself is mine though.
Enjoy. ^_^

++++++++++++++++++

Ranma Saotome sat in front of the television. He'd been where he
was for almost two weeks now. It was a pleasant and carefree time for
the boy; he was without his father, and in the care of a pair of
loving and nurturing parents. This was due to a deal Genma made with
the family a short while ago. Food for his son, not the first time
he'd done something like this, but Ranma was feeling pretty bad about
it. He didn't really want to leave, and knew his father would arrive
soon to take him back. It was just a matter of time.

The loving nurturing parents enjoyed having him around, and they
had bought him several things to keep himself busy. He was only nine
years old, but was enjoying the hospitality of the family.

His favorite things of all, were a box of manga, and a stack of
videos. There was a redhead on the cover with various others standing
around her. She was on every box and cover, but she didn't matter much
to him. There were a select few issues and videos that he watched
regularly anyway. He was only interested in one character. The word
'Slayers' was written across the top of all of the items. He'd watched
the tapes several times, and even managed to struggle through the
manga despite his poor reading skills.

Now he was sitting and enjoying one of the videos once again. The
Mazoku Xellos was currently teasing the flat chested tomboy Lina
Inverse. He was really enjoying himself.

"Boy!" Genma's quiet whisper floated into the room. Both of his
'parents' had gone shopping for a while and left him alone for an hour
or so. Ranma's attention was quickly diverted to his father. The man
was standing right outside the door watching the area carefully. "Come
on boy. It's time to go."

Ranma blinked, he didn't really want to move. "Um, sure pop. Lemme
just finish watchin this okay? I wanna see it one more time before I
go."

Genma looked slightly surprised at this and stared at his son for
a moment. "Fine boy."

Ranma smiled cheerfully and turned back towards the television.

Genma wasted no time; he jumped forward and clobbered his son on
the back of his head with his fist. Ranma crumpled to the ground out
cold in an instant. "Foolish boy."

Ranma didn't hear him though. The last thing he remembered was
seeing a cheerful looking grin on the screen, and the words that would
forever change his destiny. "Now that...is a secret!"

++++++++++++++++++

The Tendo dojo, seven years and some months later...

Soun Tendo blinked, his daughters were all standing behind him
staring at the newcomer. "Um, hello." Soun wasn't quite sure what to
make of the boy standing in front of him. He was a gangly looking lad
of about sixteen. The boy's hair was in a ponytail and he had a
gnarled looking staff in his grip with odd markings carved into the
wood. His clothes were unusual as well, rather than the dogi the man
had been expecting, or something more active looking. This boy was
wearing a cape and loose pants that were tied at his ankles. His shirt
was long sleeved and made of a thick fabric, and he also had a pair of
rather ornamental gloves on each hand.

"Hello," replied the newcomer. His pet panda was standing behind
him with a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

"You wouldn't be..." muttered Soun. He was a little uncomfortable
with the cheerful smile the boy had on his face. The boy's eyes were
squinted and his grin looked like it was a permanent feature on his
face.

"Ranma Saotome," said the boy cheerfully. "This is the Tendo
residence is it not?"

"Growf," muttered the panda as it nodded cheerfully behind the
boy.

"Um, yes," said Soun as he turned to look at his daughters. They
were silent so far; the boy didn't look very athletic at all.

"Oh! This is your friend father?" ventured Kasumi.

"Friend? I don't believe I've ever met the man actually,"
commented the boy as he seemed to think about it.

"I...uh..." Soun broke into a huge grin and wrapped his arms
around the boy. With tears in his eyes he hugged him. "At last! You've
come!"

Ranma looked slightly uncomfortable at this and his false looking
smile faltered for a moment.

Nabiki, the middle daughter, arched her eyebrow at this.

"I'm not marrying him!" declared Akane, the youngest, irritably.

"Where is your father?" asked Soun as he broke off the hug and held
the boy at arm's length.

The boy grinned at him. "Now that...is a secret."

"Huh?" muttered Soun as he stared at the boy for a moment.

"He'll be along soon enough, I'm curious though. This
arrangement..."

"Go on?" muttered Soun as he frowned at the boy. He was beginning
to suspect that something was wrong.

"You say that it is between our families? From before when I was
born?" The boy frowned slightly at this and stared at the panda.

"That's correct," said Soun with a serious nod.

Ranma sighed and nodded his head. "I suppose, that I must play
along for the time being then."

"Excellent!" said Soun as his face brightened up. "But your
father..."

"He'll be along shortly," replied the boy calmly as he looked at
the trio of girls. "Hello."

"Hello!" said Kasumi cheerfully.

Nabiki gave him a silent nod, he noted that the look on her face
was very calculating and careful. She seemed to think he was up to
something.

"Well, I guess I can't keep that a secret all the time," he
thought to himself as he returned her cold glare with his usual smirk.

Akane merely frowned at him and growled slightly. She had her arms
crossed in front of her chest and didn't look like she had any
intention of speaking with him.

"This one could be interesting," noted the boy to himself as he
looked back at Soun. He took off his traveling pack and held it up in
front of him. "Is there a place I can put this until my father
arrives?"

"Oh my! How rude of us! Please follow me!" said Kasumi as she
blushed suddenly.

Ranma followed after her and his face flashed with a quick scowl
as soon as he was turned away from the family. He glared at Kasumi's
back for a moment and snorted.

"Excuse me?" said the girl as she turned to look at him. His face
was a cheerful grin once again as soon as she saw him behind her.

"Oh nothing, I just had something in my throat," replied the boy
cheerfully.

"I hope you're not coming down with something," replied the girl
sweetly.

"Yes, that would be rather inconvenient wouldn't it?" he replied
cheerfully as he walked after her after she started moving again.

Soun and his other two daughters merely watched the scene in
silence.

"That was...odd," commented Nabiki. She was expecting a hunk,
probably a stupid jock really. This boy was definitely not what she
had in mind.

"That's the fiancee? The one that went to China?" grumbled Akane
as she glanced at her father.

"You can stop scowling now, he's gone," said Nabiki.

"Don't look at daddy that way!" lamented Soun as he burst into
tears.

Akane hadn't even realized that she was still glaring at
everything and looked embarrassed. "Sorry."

++++++++++++++++++

Ranma found himself in the spare bedroom alone. Kasumi had left
him to settle himself in privacy and told him to call her if he needed
anything. The boy had just nodded cheerfully and let her go. As soon
as she had left he cocked his head to the side a little and frowned.

"So, the old man is still trying to control my future is he?" He
narrowed his eyes and reached into the small pouch that hung off his
waist. After a moment of searching, he took out a small crystal.
"Let's see what you're up to old man." He closed his eyes and an image
appeared before him in the air. He didn't need to open his eyes to see
it.

Genma was sitting on the porch of the home they were standing in
with a huge grin on his face. He had plates of food all around him,
little versions of Ranma were running around in the yard and he saw
himself standing in a dojo teaching a class with a woman with no clear
definitions kneeling on the wooden floor in a submissive position.

Ranma chuckled as he opened his eyes and made the image vanish.
"So, that's it is it? This is the one you really wanted for me." A
lazy grin formed on his face and he glanced back at the door. "I'll
just have to see what I can do about that."

++++++++++++++++

The giant panda lounged in the furo with a cloth over its head. It
sighed in contentment and relaxed in the hot water for a time.

++++++++++++++++

The boy walked down the stairs and smiled at the residents of the
home. Genma was still in the bathtub, and Soun was sitting on the
porch watching nature in his back yard silently.

"Hello again," said the ponytailed boy as he smiled at them all as
he strolled into the room.

"Ah yes," said Soun as he turned and smiled at the boy. "Ranma.
Your father has not yet arrived..."

"I'm right here Tendo," said Genma's voice as he emerged from the
bathroom behind the boy. Ranma's smile never faltered and he acted
like he hadn't even noticed his father was behind him.

"Saotome! My old friend! It has been so long!" cried Soun as his
eyes met with his best friend's cool gaze.

"Indeed it has Tendo, but we have some things to discuss," said
Genma as he nodded at the man and turned towards his son. "Boy. You
stay here and get to know the girls. One of them will be your wife one
day after all."

Ranma merely smiled at his father cheerfully. Both of the older
men wandered away to another part of the home. He merely walked over
to the table where the three girls were sitting and sat down. "Well,
it seems we are fated to meet again."

Nabiki wasn't sure what to make of him. She was starting to
suspect that the boy wasn't really Ranma at all, but Genma's
appearance sort of killed that theory. She simply settled down to
watch him interact with her two sisters.

"Who are you? Why did you come here?" snapped Akane.

The boy blinked at her. "I thought we covered this already."

"Oh my, how awkward," muttered Kasumi as she blushed a little
under the boy's gaze.

"It is, isn't it?" said the boy cheerfully. "However, I'm more
inclined to find out what our parents are up too." With yet another
grin, the boy vanished in front of their eyes.

Kasumi nearly dropped her tea, Akane simply stared at the boy's
former spot dumbly, and Nabiki began to cough violently from spraying
her drink into the air.

"Where?" stammered Akane as she glanced around.

++++++++++++++++++++

Ranma snickered at the dumb looks the three girls had on their
faces. "That should keep them guessing for a little while. Now, on to
the two old farts..."

He floated over to the dojo and smirked as he heard the
conversation going on inside.

"After a time, finally found the training ground we where looking
for," said Genma with a serious tone in his voice. "It was a cursed
place, and I did not escape. The result of this, you have already
seen."

Soun nodded with a serious frown. "I see. So this cursed springs,
it changed you into that panda?"

Genma nodded once.

"The boy?"

"He is...unaffected by Jusenkyo," replied Genma.

Ranma smirked at this from his place just outside the door.

"Very well," said Soun with a small nod. "I see no reason we
should not continue our agreement."

"I agree, but be careful Soun, the boy is smarter than he lets
on," warned Genma calmly. "I am not certain what he makes of this
situation. He seems agreeable so far at least."

The ponytailed boy arched his eyebrow at this a little. Genma
actually seemed to be catching on a little. His grasp of the situation
was limited of course, his father knew he was intelligent of course.
What he didn't know, was just how much his son really knew. That was
probably his biggest joy in life, the fact that no one really knew
just how much he knew but himself. "Ah well, nothing interesting here.
I'd best check up on those girls." He faded out of view once again.

++++++++++++++++

When he arrived back in the living room, not even a half second
later. He found himself staring at the three girls once again. He
basically reappeared in the same sitting position he had been in
before.

The trio looked like they were discussing something when he had
come back. "Oh. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything!"

"Um, no, not really," muttered Akane.

The two older girls looked at her for a moment. Kasumi was
twitching her head towards him a little, as if trying to get Akane to
ask him something.

"We were wondering..." muttered the youngest uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

"Howdidyoudothat?" said the girl quickly.

"Huh? How did I do what?" said the boy dumbly.

"How did you just disappear that way?" cried Akane as she started
to grow frustrated.

"Oh, that," Ranma smiled cheerfully and sipped at his tea.

The girls leaned forward awaiting the explanation. Ranma simply
continued to sit in silence and drink.

"Well?" said Nabiki as she frowned at him.

"Well what?" he replied calmly.

"Aren't you going to explain?" said the middle girl with a slight
tension growing in her voice.

"Oh. Of course not," replied the boy cheerfully.

"Why not?" snapped Akane. "You think I can't do it?"

"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?" said the boy as he
glanced at her.

"Well why aren't you going to explain it? It's obvious that you
don't think any of us can do it anyway," replied Nabiki with a false
looking frown on her face.

"Oh! I suppose you're right," said Ranma cheerfully.

"Gotya!" thought the middle girl in triumph.

"However, if I told you, it wouldn't be a very good secret then
would it?" continued Ranma as he sipped at his tea again. "This is an
excellent cup of tea! Is that flavoring I taste lilac?"

Kasumi stared at the boy for a moment. "Um, yes..." No one had
ever figured that out before now. She doubted if anyone in the home
beside herself noticed the subtle flavoring before.

"Very nice," said the boy as he looked into his cup for a moment.
"In any case, I think our two parents should be back any time now. I'm
sure they'll want to explain things to us."

Nabiki spoke up. "So, who were you planning on marrying?"

Ranma looked at her and smiled. "Hmmm, that could take some
thought. You all have good qualities. I'm not in a hurry though, we
have lots of time to plan how things go."

The girls glanced at him as one.

"As long as you don't pick me!" said Akane as she scowled at him.

"I wouldn't worry about that, you remind me of someone a little. I
doubt if it'd work out anyway," replied Ranma calmly. He could easily
see her with long red hair and a sorceress's outfit on with the way
she'd been acting since his arrival.

+++++++++++++++

Genma Saotome sat with his son beside him in front of the Tendo
family within ten minutes. "I am Genma Saotome, and this is my son..."

"Ranma," said the boy as he continued to smile cheerfully.

Genma looked thoughtful. "Hmmm, where to begin? I know! We'll
start with this!" He took a glass off the table and doused himself
with it. His form changed to that of a panda and the girls all gasped.

Soun handed the man a kettle of hot water and the panda poured it
over his head, becoming human once more.

"Ah yes, it was a fateful four months ago. My son and I were
traveling through China..."

++++++++++++++++++++++

Ranma smirked as he looked out over the valley of Jusenkyo. Bamboo
poles could be seen rising from hundreds of springs. The guide looked
back at them nervously. The boy seemed to watch the springs cautiously
as he grinned to himself.

"I can feel...power. There is a force in those springs..." He
glanced over at his father for a moment.

"Are you ready boy?" said the old man gruffly.

"No. There is something odd about those springs," replied the boy
calmly as he watched them for a moment.

"Foolish boy! Quit stalling and start training!" cried Genma as he
jumped into a kick that sent the boy towards the springs.

"No! Sirs! Very bad you fall in spring!" cried the guide as he
moved after them.

Ranma landed on the ground lightly about three yards ahead of the
first spring. He grit his teeth in frustration and jumped into the air
and onto one of the poles. "All right old man, we'll just see what
happens then!"

Genma charged him and the pair began to fight over the springs.
Within a half a minute, Ranma had sent him tumbling into one of the
pools.

The ponytailed boy jumped down and away from the water quickly as
the pool bubbled. He landed near to the guide and turned to watch what
would happen.

A few seconds later, a large panda bounded from the spring and
glanced around the bamboo poles for his target.

"I thought as much," muttered Ranma under his breath. He turned
towards the guide. "These springs are cursed?"

The man nodded slowly. "I try to say, but Mr. Customer not
listen!"

"Old man! Take a look at yourself," called Ranma as he waved his
arm into the air.

Genma blinked and turned towards the sound of his son's voice. He
cocked his head in confusion and glanced down at his body. "GROWF!"
After nearly tumbling into the springs again from his shock, the
animal bounded away from the pools and landed next to his son.

"Well, I did try to warn you," said Ranma as he smiled at the
panda cheerfully. "Do you have any information on these curses?" The
boy glanced at the guide with his cheerful expression never changing.

"Um, yes sir. Jusenkyo have library," replied the guide calmly.
"Not worry sir, curse not permanent. Hot water turn back to normal,
but cold water change back again."

Ranma actually looked somewhat disappointed by this. He glanced at
his father again and turned towards the guide's hut. "Let's have a
look then, I might be able to find out more about this."

+++++++++++++++++

"Did you find anything?" said Nabiki as she stared at the boy for
a moment. He had taken over his father's story about halfway through.
The old man didn't look happy with this, but wasn't too upset.

"Oh yes. I discovered a lot of interesting things about Jusenkyo,"
said the boy cheerfully. "Quite a bit indeed."

"But no cure," muttered Genma irritably.

"Sadly, no," agreed Ranma. He had found a cure actually, but
didn't see any point to mentioning it to the old man. It might be kind
of funny to see the old fart jump into the spring of drowned man and
complicate his curse a bit more if he ever managed to get his hands on
some of the water. "It seems that Jusenkyo is a training ground all
right, but not a martial arts training ground. It's actually for
honing magical powers by learning about the mana connections that bind
the springs, and how to manipulate them. The main spring is 'spring of
drowned bird' or something along those lines. It's on the top of a
mountain near to the valley."

The girls looked at the boy as if he'd grown an extra head.

Ranma continued to sip his tea cheerfully.

"It is a relief that you managed to escape intact," commented Soun
as he nodded at Ranma.

"Yes, it is isn't it?" agreed the boy.

"My daughter Kasumi, nineteen, Nabiki, seventeen, and Akane, she's
sixteen. Pick the one you want, and she'll be your fiancee!" said Soun
as he pat the boy on his shoulder.

Ranma looked at him for a moment.

"Oh, I think he wants Akane," said Kasumi cheerfully.

"What? Why me?" snapped the girl irritably.

"What about Kasumi? She's a very good homemaker!" said Nabiki as
she pointed at the older girl.

"Or perhaps you Nabiki?" said the boy as he turned his head
towards her. "I could choose any one of you. I rather like having that
freedom."

"Nabiki it is then!" cried Soun.

"I never said that," replied Ranma as he looked up at the man.

"Good choice son!" agreed Genma.

"I haven't decided yet," muttered Ranma as he frowned at the pair.

Genma and Soun took out a bottle of sake and began to celebrate
the union.

"Well, good luck with him," said Akane as she pat her sister on
the shoulder.

Kasumi smiled cheerfully. "How sweet! Love at first sight!"

Ranma looked a little annoyed with her for a moment. Nabiki merely
glared at the boy in front of her with a barely hidden rage. Her eyes
seemed to say "I'll get you for this."

Ranma merely smiled back. His own eyes seeming to read this and
accept it in an instant. "Perhaps I should just leave things as they
are. This could be interesting if nothing else. For now anyway, no
point in rushing things."

++++++++++++++++++++++

Ranma Saotome looked up at the moon that evening with a sort of
thoughtful frown on his face. The light gave him a sort of pale tone
as he stood on the rooftop of the home and simply thought. "This
fiancee thing could be trouble, not that it's a bad thing. I'm in no
hurry though, I haven't mastered a few of these techniques yet
anyway."

He paused when he heard the sound of someone else climbing onto
the roof from inside. Turning his head he smiled as Akane climbed out
of her room. "Hello there. I wasn't expecting company."

The girl gasped as she noticed him. Guilt flooded onto her face
and she turned her head away.

"Feeling down about something?" he asked as he looked back up at
the sky.

"It's nothing," she grumbled as she looked down at the ground.
"You're not really marrying my sister."

"Not if she has any say in the matter," agreed Ranma with a small
nod.

"What about you?" snapped the girl angrily.

"I've got one focus in life, and marrying your sister isn't it,"
replied the boy as he shrugged.

"One focus?" muttered Akane in confusion.

Ranma nodded and glanced down at her again. She wasn't all that
bad looking, if a little underdeveloped.

"What focus? You don't want to get married?" said Akane as she
frowned at him.

"Now that...is a secret," he replied calmly.

The girl didn't look very satisfied with the answer and frowned at
him. She didn't press it though and moved on. "Why didn't you pick
me?"

"Pardon?" asked the boy as he glanced down at her again.

"They always pick me, no matter how much I hurt them. I was sure
you'd pick me," she muttered under her breath. "Why didn't you? I
mean, we're the same age, we're both martial artists, we have the most
in common. I would have pounded you if you had of course, but still. I
want to know why."

Ranma sighed as he stared into the moonlight. "Martial artist? I
suppose you're right in a way."

"Huh?" Akane found herself confused by those words.

"As for why didn't I pick you? Well, I try to avoid tomboys with
nasty tempers and no chest as a rule. They're nothing but trouble."
Ranma nodded to himself and seemed quite satisfied with his answer.

Akane's eyes went wide. "What?!"

+++++++++++++++++++

Ranma was sitting in the shattered remains of the roof tiles with
a contemplative frown on his face. His body was contorted and he was
covered in bruises. "Hmmm, perhaps I could have worded that a bit
differently?" He jumped to his feet as if nothing had happened to him
and dusted off his clothes. "Ah well."

+++++++++++++++++++

The next day...

"School?" Ranma was sitting with his father and cocked his head as
he thought about it.

"Well, we are going to be staying a while," said Genma as he
nodded to himself.

"Oh, all right then," replied his son with a small shrug.

"It's the same school Akane and I go to. See you there!" said
Nabiki as she dashed out the door with a false looking smile on her
face.

"Nabiki! Wait! I'll go..." Akane realized her sister was gone and
turned to glare at the girl's fiancee. "...with you."

Ranma smiled cheerfully at her and stood up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

They walked in silence. Ranma was just behind her in the same
clothes he'd been in since his arrival, unless he had several pairs of
the clothes. Akane assumed that was probably it, he didn't stink, and
the clothes looked neat and clean at the moment. He was also carrying
his unusual staff with him.

"I take it this place is a fair distance away?" asked the boy as
he moved up to her side.

"Something like that," muttered Akane irritably. It was obvious
she didn't want a conversation with the boy. "If he so much as touches
me, I'm gonna pound him!" she thought angrily.

Ranma ignored her and continued on his way as if he didn't even
notice her mood. In fact, he seemed to be a bit more cheerful because
of it. His mood darkened for a moment though. He stepped in front of
one of the gates in the wall, not realizing that it was open, or that
there was an old woman emptying out a bucket of water over the
entranceway. He took a ladle full of water right in his face and
frowned.

Akane giggled as Ranma hunched his shoulders forward and shivered
for a moment.

The boy stood upright again, his face was scrunched up slightly,
but he quickly relaxed and smiled at her. "Are we there yet?"

Akane's cheer was short lived and the pair kept going.

++++++++++++++++++

Twenty-five 'are we there yet' later...

Akane seethed with anger as she held the boy by his neck up
against the wall. "No! We're not there! Stop asking me or I'll break
your damn neck!"

"No need to get so hostile," replied the boy nervously. "I was
only curious."

"I'll tell you when we get there! All right?" she snapped at him
hatefully.

"That could work," agreed Ranma as she let him go and stepped
back.

The girl stopped and a huge grin suddenly formed on her face.
Ranma watched her face light up and frowned a little. He found himself
wondering what could have ruined all that work so quickly.

The answer came in the form of a young looking man who was walking
down the street with a skeleton held in his hands.

"Dr. Tofu!" cried Akane as she rushed up to meet him.

"Oh? Akane?" said the man as he smiled at the girl cheerfully as
she moved up to him.

Ranma snorted and walked up to the pair to watch the scene.

Tofu went silent as he stared at the boy in front of him.

Ranma merely smiled at him, his expression hadn't wavered once.

"Good morning to you," said Tofu calmly.

"Yes," said Ranma as he watched the man.

Akane glanced back and forth between the pair and frowned. "What's
going on?" she muttered to herself as she stepped back.

"Nice skeleton. It's been a while since I've seen a real one,"
commented Ranma as he nodded at the bones in the doctor's hands.

"Real?" muttered Akane as she stared at 'Betty' Dr. Tofu's
skeleton. It had been in his office for as long as she could remember.

"Thank you," said the doctor calmly. "You are?"

"I'm sure we'll meet again. Introductions can wait until then,"
replied Ranma as he started walking again. "It was nice meeting you
though."

Tofu froze as the boy walked by him just behind where Akane was
standing. When the boy was directly behind the girl Tofu saw his
expression change for the briefest of moments. So quickly it was
almost too fast to see, and he wasn't sure if it was real or not. The
boy's eyes opened all the way and stared at him, his smile changed
tone as well, becoming much more sinister. If he had blinked, he'd
have missed it.

"Are you all right Dr. Tofu?" asked Akane as she waved her hand in
front of the man's face.

Ranma was gone now and the man turned to look at her. "I'm fine
Akane. If you'll excuse me, I've got some work to do at the office
now." He gave her a reassuring smile and continued on his way.

"Okay. Maybe I'll come see you later then." Akane jogged after
Ranma with a scowl forming on her face. "That dope! Why'd he go ahead?
He doesn't know where he's going!"

+++++++++++++++++++

It didn't take very long for the pair to meet again. Ranma was
waiting on the next block. He was leaning against the wall and
watching people pass by all around him.

Akane didn't bother to speak as she walked by him, and he followed
her wordlessly as well.

The school building came into view and Akane started running
forward.

Ranma arched his eyebrow at the strange mantra she started and
followed closely behind her.

"Hate boys! Hate boys! Hate boys! Hate boys! HATE BOYS!"

He paused when the crowd of male students appeared on the horizon
and watched as Akane Tendo charged into them full force. The males
were all screaming declarations of love while she pounded them into
the dirt. It had barely started and Ranma could easily tell who was
going to win.

"Interesting," he commented as he closed his eyes and held his
staff forward. A few of the runes began to glow with a faint light and
his face contorted into concentration. "Let's see how good you really
are, Tendo."

+++++++++++++++++++

Half of the crowd was down and Akane was barely breathing hard
just yet. She took controlled breaths and spun into a flurry of
punches and kicks that tore through those that remained. She paused
suddenly when she realized that those left were not attacking.

"What? Did they finally figure it out?" she wondered out loud.

The boys were standing in a circle around her. They all looked
just as determined as before, but something seemed to be holding them
back. Akane gasped as one of the boys clutched the sides of his head
suddenly and gave out a low moan that sounded almost like he was in
pain. "What's going on?" she muttered to herself as she stepped back
as a few of the others began to fall victim as well.

When the group looked up at her again, she found herself shivering
from the gaze they were giving her. "What the?"

One of the boys spoke up, his eyes nothing more than white orbs in
his skull. "Akane Tendo...prepare to die!"

"Wha?" stammered the girl in shock as she stepped back into a
defensive stance again.

The remains of the mob charged her and she jumped into them. Her
fists tore through them as before, but something about them was
different. She gasped as she realized that they weren't falling like
before, the few that had were already staggering to their feet again.
"Oh shit!" She ducked as a baseball bat passed where her head had been
before and barely managed to parry a stabbing strike by a hockey
stick. "They're trying to kill me!" she realized in shock.

One of the karate club members growled animalistically as he
kicked her in the side. She staggered under the blow and grit her
teeth as she countered with a vicious uppercut. The others took
advantage of her lapse of concentration and charged forward again.
Akane pushed them back without too much trouble, but still found
herself actually taking hits. For a full minute this went on and the
girl was steadily pushed back toward the gates. She growled in
frustration as she felt her leg slip slightly against the ground as
her strength started to give out. "No!"

Ranma smiled as he watched this from a fair distance in front of
the school. The staff was now held lazily at his side and he moved it
forward again. "Not bad Tendo, not bad at all. Push it a bit harder
though, or you might get hurt a bit." He was about to raise his staff
and bring the crowd back to normal, when someone else decided to jump
in. "Eh?"

"Fools! You dare try to bring my tigress to her knees! Have at
thee!" A boy of about seventeen years in age jumped out from behind a
tree. He tossed a rose through the air and Akane caught it
reflexively. The boy landed in the crowd of male students and held a
wooden sword at the ready. "I, the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan
High, shall not allow this travesty to continue! Fear not Akane Tendo,
for I shall save you!"

Ranma blinked, Akane looked more than a little irritated.

"Kuno you jerk! I can handle this!"

"True as it may be, I cannot stand idly by while such brutes walk
free upon these hallowed halls," said Kuno boldly. He turned with his
sword held ready. "And so, I fight!"

Ranma walked onto the school grounds and glanced around at the now
unconscious boys. Once they were knocked out, the effects wore off
anyway. The boy with the wooden sword stood tall in the remains of the
crowd of boys and laughed out loud. "Akane Tendo, for the merit of
saving you from grievous harm, I shall date with you tonight!"

"Tendo, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," said Ranma as he
walked up to Akane's side and glanced at the boy who was still
laughing out loud.

"You there! You are being quite familiar with Akane!" said the
older boy as he took notice of Ranma finally.

"So I am," agreed Ranma cheerfully.

"Who are you boor! Ah, but it is the custom to give one's own name
first! Fine then! Mine I shall give! The sound of my voice sends fear
into the hearts of my peers, they call me, the Blue Thunder of
Furinkan High! Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, Junior, Group E. Captain
of the Kuno club and undefeated new star of the high school fencing
world!"

"Hmmm, that's quite a mouthful. Do you mind if I just call you
'Tachi'?" asked Ranma.

"No! You must call me Upperclassman Kuno!" said the older boy.

"Fine then, Kuno it is," said Ranma as he nodded. "Well, my name
is Ranma Saotome..."

Kuno's eyes narrowed. "You..."

"You know me?" muttered Ranma in confusion.

"What did you do this time?" grumbled Akane irritably.

"So, you are the one who toys with Nabiki Tendo's heart, in order
to steal the affections of her sister away? Cur! I shall not allow you
to use your evil manipulations to steal away Akane Tendo's heart!"

Even Ranma blinked at this one. "Pardon me?"

"Have at thee!" cried Kuno as he charged forward.

Ranma stepped back and frowned as the kendoist slashed at him.
There was a collective gasp as the side of the staff in the boy's hand
stopped Kuno's blade cold. The pair stood motionless for a moment as a
large tree branch fell to the ground that had been in the path of
Kuno's wooden sword.

Ranma smirked at the boy as he easily held him at bay. "That's an
impressive trick."

"Fool! I won't allow your fiendish plot!" growled Kuno as he
jumped back and held his sword ready again.

"Which one?" asked Ranma with a completely serious look on his
face.

"You take me for a fool!?" roared Kuno as he jumped forward and
began to slash at the boy with his blade repeatedly.

Ranma blocked every blow without moving. He simply shifted his
staff into the way and smiled cheerfully. "You might hurt someone if
you keep this up."

"That is my intent!" growled Kuno angrily.

The entire school was either standing around the scene or watching
from the windows. Muttered whispers and gasps could be heard around
the entire campus.

Akane simply watched the scene in shock. "He's beating Kuno? He
looks like he's not even trying!"

Tatewaki Kuno jumped back away from the boy and held his bokkan
over his shoulder. "You fight well for a lowborn fool."

"Me? Lowborn? Heh. I suppose I am a bit of a wanderer aren't I?"
He twirled his staff around his hand and did something Akane had never
seen him do. He opened his eyes all the way and stared Kuno down. His
grin looked much more sinister when he did this and she stepped back
in surprise.

"What the? Who is this guy?" she muttered under her breath.

Ranma started walking. "Well, you're not bad yourself. Keep
practicing." He walked directly by Kuno and his normal expression
reappeared on his face as he moved towards the school.

"What?" gasped Akane in shock. Kuno was just letting the boy go?
There was no way!

At this point, Tatewaki Kuno fell forward onto the ground with a
mighty thud. He groaned in pain as the dust cloud from his landing
settled.

Akane's jaw dropped. "What? I didn't see an attack!" She rushed to
Kuno's side and flipped the boy over. Her eyes went wide at what she
saw, and she glanced up at Ranma as he walked into the school
building. "No way!"

At this point a light rain started to fall, sending the remainder
of the students into the building. Akane stood where she was and
ignored the water. "Ranma Saotome? Who, or what are you?"

Tatewaki Kuno had regained some of his senses by this point and he
sat up and looked around. "An odd place for myself to partake in a
nap." He noticed Akane and frowned to himself. "The tigress, she
awaits my waking moment, as to revive me with a kiss! So be it Akane
Tendo, because you have tended to me in my time of need, I shall kiss
you!" He promptly grabbed the girl around her waist.

Akane ignored him and elbowed his puckered lips, sending him
flying into a nearby tree. She jogged towards the building and growled
in frustration.

++++++++++++++++++++

"You don't remember him even touching you?" muttered Nabiki as she
looked at Kuno.

The pair was in their room inside the building. Kuno had a small
hand mirror in his grip and he was poking at the word that was now
written onto his forehead in bruises. "This boy...he is skilled."

"So it seems," muttered Nabiki sourly. Her plan of having Kuno
beat up and scare away Ranma Saotome hadn't gone very well at all. At
least he was still a viable tool in this mess. She'd just have to find
a more indirect way of using him. Ranma appeared pretty clueless so
far, and she doubted if she'd have to prod Kuno into annoying him
more. The boy didn't like to lose and would keep attacking him over
and over.

Kuno growled as he pulled the mirror away from his face.
"Unguarded" was written across his forehead now. "These markings will
become bothersome."

Nabiki blinked. Kuno was scratching something she'd never noticed
before on the back of his hand. She jumped forward and grabbed it away
and blinked. "Unguarded" was also written near his wrist. She pulled
up his sleeve a little and noticed it again on the inside of his
elbow. "What the?"

"What is it you seek Nabiki Tendo. My heart belongs to another!"
said Kuno as the girl ripped open his shirt to reveal five other
markings like the one on his forehead.

"No way!" muttered Nabiki as she ignored the odd stares she was
getting from her other classmates. "He's...that good?"

"Fear not Nabiki Tendo, I shall free Akane Tendo from this fool's
dark magics, and become her one true love once again," said Kuno
calmly.

Nabiki didn't really hear him, she simply sat down in her seat and
stared at the desktop for a long moment. "Ranma Saotome...who are
you?"