The schoolyard became quiet as the words of the small pig-tailed
girl still lingered in the air.
	It had started with Kuno spouting off at the mouth again, usually
of no consequence since only a few ever really listened to what came out
of his mouth.  Still he did command a grudging respect, if only for the
fact that he was admittedly one of the best martial artists in the school. 
It was for these reasons that it was thought Kuno's monologue would have
no effect.
	Everyone was wrong.
	The girl who had arrived in the schoolyard with Tendo Akane was
somewhat interesting to all the students.  Her hair was black with red
highlights done up in a pigtail that reached down to her shoulder blades. 
Large, expressive turquoise eyes shone forth in anger at Kuno as she stood
there in a relaxed stance that signified danger to those watching.  Of
course, everything about her signaled danger, from the Chinese outfit she
wore that looked faintly like a kung-fu outfit seen on movies from Hong
Kong, to the way her body moved.  The boys who had been watching had
become entranced with her while the girls started to get a little jealous.
	That was when they heard her exclamation about being engaged and
who she was engaged to.
	Almost immediately everyone was stunned, the rumours that had been
going around the school having nothing at all to do with the reality of
the situation.
	You could almost hear the breaking of hearts as the boys suddenly
realized why the object of their desire for the past two months wasn't
interested in them.  The girl they had pursued had always claimed that she
didn't like, and could not stand boys.  When Kuno had come up with this
silly claim that only one stronger than Tendo Akane could even consider
taking her out, all the boys in the school attempted to defeat her.  It
had been a matter of pride.
	As for the girls in the yard, many of them had raised eyebrows,
some of them having thought that Akane having been engaged to a boy was
too ridiculous to be believed.  That Saotome Ranma had charmed the one
girl in the school least likely to be engaged had started rumours that he
had to have been some kind of Kami, or at least superhuman.  it was a nice
romantic notion, and a number of the girls who thought it was possible had
quietly decided to pursue someone who could romance the school's ice
queen.
	All of the students, however, had the same thought running through
their head consciously or unconsciously as they watched the confrontation. 
*Somehow, this all makes sense...*
	As for Kuno, he stared in wonder at the girl in front of him, the
one who called in the insults he had flung out earlier.  To say that he
was in disbelief over her words would have been an understatement.  He
unconsciously repeated the name he heard, still unable to believe what his
ears told him.  "S..Sa...Saotome Ranma?!?" 

An Alternate History of Ranma 1/2:

Chapter Five:

The way everyone is looking at me...

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2

Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Mousse, Kuno Tatewaki, Kuno Kodachi, Tofu-Sensei, and Hinako Sensei are
copyright 1987, 1996 by Takahashi Rumiko. 

Morisato Keiko, and Natsume Sayoko are copyright 1996 by Ichinohei Hitomi

Publishing rights:

Japan:              Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong:          Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America:      Viz Inc.

By Ichinohei Hitomi

	Ranma's eye's narrowed as she looked at the man before her.  She
had not believed Akane earlier when she had told her what an idiot he was,
but the proof was before her.  All in all, even though his comments
deserved it, she wasn't going to kill him.
	"Kuno Tatewaki," she began, her voice holding contempt and scorn in
it, "By your own comments and actions you have created a rift between us
beyond any that was necessary.  You have gone beyond the area of a
challenge, beyond that of adversaries, even beyond that of a blood-debt."
	Ranma started shifting around, her guard kept light, and ready to
take off into the air.  "Even were you speaking out of term, your words
held both the tone of superiority, and the words of death, clearly thought
and clearly stated.  Your words go beyond that of even a generational
debt.  For your words of contempt for the Saotome family alone I should
call upon the death-debt.  You had not even met me and yet you let go
viciousness that any of Samurai descent would find contemptible.  Yet that
is only part of the reason I would call the death-debt."
	She began to close in slowly towards Kuno, allowing his automatic
reactions to start to bring the blade to bare.  She noted that his
movements went automatically towards that of Kendo, which meant that he
was not prepared to take her on in proper combat.  "The other reason that
I would call that debt is for your treatment of Akane-chan.  You have
disregarded her feelings, treating her as though she was property. 
Inducing attacks by saying that only one who could strike her and hurt her
would have the privilege of going out with her.  A Samurai would not do
so, and _that_ is why I call a death debt, for which you now have to pay."
	Ranma ran in quickly, using her left hand to do an outside whip to
Kuno's left wrist before he could begin to react.  Automatically, Kuno
twisted back, letting his right hand push the Boken around in a low arc
designed to hit his opponents legs, still too stunned to use conscious
control over his muscles.  Taking the opportunity, Ranma leapt up, coming
down behind the startled Kendo practitioner and awaited his turning
around.
	As soon as he turned, Ranma reached in, using a form of spin
practiced in Akijutsu to get inside Kuno's armspace, letting her right arm
gram his, and spinning the would be warrior off balance and on to the
ground.  Kuno's autonomic system responded, allowing him to spin up and
face Ranma once more.  Unfortunately he was too late.
	Ranma had taken the opportunity to let her sash fall from her
waist, spinning it in a double circle which duplicated the movements of a
tri-staff.  Allowing Kuno to strike, she used the soft cloth to trap the
boken while allowing the weighted ends to wrap around her opponents
wrists.  Pulling back, which forced the boken straight to her chest, she
dropped below his outstretched arms and slipped through his legs, spun,
and held the teenage swordsman to the ground.  Kuno was defeated.
	Ranma continued to hold him there, face on his hands, knees
together as though he was apologizing for a great wrong.  She knelt close
to his head and in a deathly quiet voice told him, "I will not take your
life, for you are not worth the effort of a true warrior.  However, I will
insist on you fulfilling a part of your debt upon your word of honour. 
You are facing Akane, and you will now beg her forgiveness and promise to
never go after her again.  You will also tell everyone that you were wrong
and beg the forgiveness of everyone in the school for threatening one whom
you were supposed to protect."
	Kuno Tatewaki looked up to see Akane standing before him not too
far away, "I, Kuno Tatewaki, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School do
humbly offer you my apologies for causing you such pain Tendo-san.  You
have been wronged by me in my foolish quest for your heart, and I have set
an example unworthy of a Samurai.  Let everyone bear witness to my
deserved humiliation for being the cause of such pain."
	Ranma let her sash go, allowing the tension to cease.  Quickly,
she pushed Kuno's body up and removed her sash from his wrists.  "Good. 
An excellent beginning.  You only have to continue to prove yourself
worthy of the name Samurai.  Remember, under the death-debt I could have
easily demanded not only your life, but that of your family.  Learn and do
not do this again."
	Ranma got up and went to Akane who gave her back her schoolbag,
although there was a strange look in her eyes.  Her fiancee looked as
though she was angry, amazed, and wanted to laugh at the same time.  Not
saying a word, they went on towards the school, a pathway clearing before
them.
	Kuno, still on his knees looked at the departing pig-tailed girl,
*I have, by honour, given up my quest for Akane, but now I know that the
one I should chose should be you.  Saotome Ranma, my pig-tailed girl, I
promise to be faithful to you and to prove my worth, no matter how long it
takes.  I shall one day marry you.*
	Morisato-Keiko looked at Ranma as she was reattaching her belt. 
*She will definitely make a good student.*

***

Hitomi

Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."