Disclaimer: You guessed it! I don't own a thing of Ranma ½, nor will I ever. But hey, there isn't a rule against making a Fanfiction of it, so that's what I'll do.

Chapter 1: The Letter

"Ranma, Breakfast is ready!" Called Kasumi from downstairs.

Ranma sighed as he dried his hair. It seemed to him that his life had become on long and boring repeating sequence of events.

Let's see, there's Pop and Mr. Tendo's constant attempts to put me and Akane together, regular attacks from Kuno, Ryoga, and Mousse, Getting slammed in the face by Shampoo's bike, Ukyo's spatula, or Akane's mallet, and then there's the ghoul and the freak. My life really doesn't seem to have much variety.

"Ranma, Can you get the mail for us? Dad's sick right now."

"Sure thing, Nabiki."

Ranma walked down the stairs and out the door to the Tendo mailbox. Opening it, he flipped through it uninterestedly, until his eye caught something.

"What's this?" He said, pulling out a long sheet of paper. "Another challenge from Ryoga?"

He decided to give it a look, maybe this time Ryoga would last longer than five seconds. Delivering the rest of the letters to Kasumi, he opened the seal on the letter.

"What's that Ranma? Another Challenge letter?"

"Seems like it to me."

"What's it say? Is it from Ryoga? I wonder where he's been?"

Ranma scanned the letter for a name, but didn't find one, which meant it wasn't from Ryoga. Akane peered over his shoulder to read it.

Ranma,

So, you've been in Training all this time? I just want you to know that soon I will arrive to Challenge you, and bring you to your knees. Of course, you probably won't even know what hit you, and so I must tell you that once you have seen me things may become clear. If not, ask your dear old man, and you may have to use some… persuasion to get it all out of him. The match will be in a week, so you'd better be ready.

Ranma blinked a few times. "Is it a new opponent or something? It doesn't sound like I've fought this person before…" He said, scratching his head unconcernedly.

"Ranma, shouldn't you be a little afraid?"

"Akane, I'm too good to lose to some random challenger that comes out of no where." Ranma said, pointing at himself in a proud sort of way.

Akane shook her head; it was just like Ranma not to take things seriously until the actual fight began.

Well, at least I can put on a show for now. Truth is, I'm really interested about wht will come next. Maybe it's someone after Ukyo? Or Shampoo? Nah, they would've meantioned it in their letter...

Ranma, still lost in thought, ate his breakfast and went into the dojo to practice some dodging. Akane still hadn't managed to land a single kick.

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A crunch of gravel could be heard on the outskirts of town, as a sole solitary figure entered the town, his clothes whipping around him in the fierce wind that had arisen with the new day.

Ukyo was clearing out the trash, since it was Saturday; she had to be ready for the rush of customers sure to come. Glancing around, she saw the figure standing nearby.

"Who is that?" she said, in confusion and amazement.