A/N- Argh. I almost forgot the darn disclaimer! I don't own Ranma, but who wouldn't like to! And this is my first fanfic, so plz give criticism as you see fit. Read on!
Chapter One ~
It was another quiet day in the city of Nerima. From his elevated view, Kuno could watch the few merchants that were outside hastily walk the streets, desperate to sell their merchandise. It was a strange sight. Nerima was widely acknowledged as the center of trade and commerce of Japan and until twelve months ago it still was. Instead of the normal scene of bustling markets filled with sellers and buyers and most importantly profits, Nerima became a ghost town. It effectively shut down after the last bit of supplies trickled in. Trade was the lifeline of Nerima and with the year old war still raging there was little hope the trade routes would reopen. *Perfect,* Kuno thought as he sat down to look at the man across from him who was busily sweating out of nervousness.
"Time to pay now, Tendo" The youth repeated to the older man. He gingerly sipped his tea as he waited for the expected excuse. No one was going to ruin his plan. It was too perfect and took to much time and money to not succeed.
"But Kuno, it's been such a bad year. We've hardly had any students and that means no money. How am I supposed to pay you back?" Kuno rolled his eyes. How predictable.
"You needed money to repair the dojo and I lent it to you without any conditions other than that you pay me back in full, one year to the day. It's been a year Tendo. You know what will happen if you don't." Tendo was trapped and both men knew it.
"But Kuno--"
"And since you can't pay me, I demand my collateral. Have her ready by the week's end. I'll be waiting." Kuno spoke even-handedly as he left from the sobbing Soun Tendo in the tea room.
Soun was left alone to ponder his daughter's fate. End of the week. Only five days left. Only five days to prepare her to be wed to the most hateful man she could imagine.
Back in the haven of his home, Kuno's soft snickering soon grew to maniacal laughter. Echoes of MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA reverberated in the cold hallways of the Kuno mansion as Kuno congratulated himself on the impending success of his careful planning. Tatewaki Kuno is getting married.
****
Meanwhile Tendo was busy weeping for the imminent lost of his youngest child, Akane. "Oh Akane, why did I promise him your hand?" Soun sobbed as his oldest daughter, Kasumi, tried to soothe him.
"There, there father. Do try to cheer up. Have some tea and maybe you'll think of something," Kasumi said cheerfully as she handed her father his cup. Her father did have a tendency to make such messes. This incident was only one of many. She shook her head,*Maybe things will work out for the best.* she thought with her usual cheerfulness.
"I can't marry Kuno. Why did you promise me to him anyways?" Akane grumbled. Getting married to any Kuno, especially Lord Kuno Tatewaki, was undesirable. The man was an annoying idiot who besieged her daily with flowers and professions of love. Just because he was rich, he thought all the available (and some who were not) females of Nerima should fawn over him. *I'll be damned before I get married to a man like that!*
"I borrowed the money so we could repair the dojo and I hoped that the future students would more than pay off the debt. But, who could have guessed that war would erupt and cause the trade routes to dry up and kill the economy?"
This was one of few plans Soun actually thought over carefully and expected to succeed before he executed it. Perhaps it was poor luck that Clan's war had broken out and cut the trade route that used to control the majority the city's economy. With the trade routes closed, Nerima would inevitably starve, only the extremely wealthy would survive. Soun only hoped that the war would end soon.
"And what does this have to do with Akane?" Nabiki inquired.
Soun looked very hard as his middle child, Nabiki was always cunning and witty, border lining manipulative. Did she have an idea?
"Kuno said he would only accept Akane's hand as collateral. I really didn't think it would come to this! Please forgive your foolish father." His tears started to flow again at the thought of giving Akane away.*How could I have been so stupid? I thought at the time, this agreement would be the best of both worlds. If Akane were to marry Kuno, she would never want for anything more in life. That is except love.*
"Calm down, daddy. I'm sure there's some kind of loophole out of this." Nabiki spoke with her honey tongue, as the gears in her head started turning.
"Oh Nabiki, how can you be so calm at a time like this?"
"How can I not be? Just think of something to get Akane out of this engagement and it'll be fine." Nabiki's brow furrowed in a moment's of concentration. Her slight frown changed quickly into a smirk, "I think I've got a plan. Now gather round my dear family."
****
Day One
The next morning, the people of Nerima gathered around a sign that was mysteriously put up during the night. The men read the sign, written in bold letters, with growing interest.
::Hear ye, hear ye. Whosoever frees Tendo Akane from Kuno Tatewaki by beating said person in a fair mano-e-mano combat, meaning a man to man fight, will win the hand and willing consent of the fair Akane. The rules of combat are: The last one standing wins. Contestants must register at the Tendo dojo before competing. Good luck to all!::
Crowds of men, young and old, married and single started to rampage toward the Tendo dojo. The sound of the hundreds of feet beating mercilessly against the ground was deafening as each man, neighbors shoving one another aside and old friends fought amongst each other, tried to be the first to sign up to win the heart and hand of Tendo Akane.
****
Day Two
Tendo Soun positioned Nabiki at the entrance of the Tendo dojo. She was to help anyone who came to register for the fight with Kuno.
Nabiki sighed out of boredom. The hours passed by slowly, painfully slowly. She had originally planned to charge a small fee as a handling fee on any volunteer. However, in the first two hours Nabiki was forced to slash her prices over and over until she finally took off the fee. No one came to sign up. There was hardly a shadow of a human at the lane where the quiet Tendo house resided.
****
Day Four
"What's wrong, father?" Kasumi asked at the sight of her father's heavy sighs while he sat and stared at the saffron horizon.
"Oh Kasumi, no one signed up to free Akane! How can this be? I suppose I must give her to Kuno tomorrow." He paused and continued with a slight smile, "Still my baby girl will look beautiful in her mother's dress. I am glad I saved it." Remembering his wedding night and how his bride looked her lily white silken kimono. She looked so breathe-taking in that dress. *Akane will look just as lovely* Soun mused to himself.
"Don't worry father, I'm sure someone will sign up." Kasumi patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.
"We'll see won't we." Soun smiled gratefully at his daughter as he turned his attention back to the setting sun, staining the sky with a brilliant red ribbon of clouds. A goldfish leaped gracefully out of the water in the pond as Kasumi busied herself with preparing the family's dinner.
****
Meanwhile, a masked red-headed girl riding a panda walked slowly into Nerima. Their hungry stomachs growled again, begging for some food and rest. Still the two rode on.
"Pop, I would kill for some food and a bed."
The panda held up a sign,{Me too. Share the food when you do.}
"Where are we anyways?" The girl asked tiredly as she observed the neighborhood. There was a small crowd a few feet away. *Maybe there's something interesting, like hot, steamy and filling food.* She leaped off the panda and ran toward the crowd.
The people parted before this strange masked girl wearing a black cloak and fencing foil. "Oh," she said disappointedly as she saw only a sign and nothing edible. Her face fell as she read the sign only to brighten as she came to the end where some words were recently scribbled on.
:: Come one, come all. Not only will you gain beautiful Akane's hand, but you can be married to her as soon as you defeat Kuno Tatewaki at the wedding banquet that is already set up.::
*This looks promising. So I just need to defeat this Kuno guy and I can go to the banquet. I wonder if they'll allow me to keep the food but not the bride. Still...* Glancing at the addition of Akane's portrait by a local artist which obviously embellished, the girl could not help but overhear someone say that Akane Tendo's beauty surpassed even the lifelike portrait.*Now all I need is some hot water.*
****
"What's going on?" A guy called out to his neighbor who was running by.
"I heard someone's finally challenged Kuno!"
"Really? Who is it?" He started following him.
"Dunno."
"I heard it was some masked guy. Dressed up really weird." Another person joined the group to see the fight.
"Who cares? Let's just get there!" A friend dropped by.
"Yeah, I'm not gonna miss this!" Another neighbor joined the group.
"Hey, wait up for me!"
****
"So you are the cretin who signed up. First I must know your name. I am Kuno Tatewaki, the singularly wealthiest man in Nerima and also the most talented, handsome and sought after by the ladies." Kuno boasted as he pointed his trusty bokken at the masked man with a black pigtail.
"Name's Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."
"Prepare to feel the wrath of Heaven, Saotome!" Kuno screamed as he charged at the masked man at increasing speeds.
However before he could even strike the masked man, he disappeared.
"Huh?" Kuno halted and searched at the empty space before him.*Where did his opponent go?*
A cry from the crowds and a voice from above caused him to look up and see the flying foot of Saotome land on his face. *This is no ordinary human I fight against.* Kuno thought as he hit the ground hard.
"Give up yet?" A cocky voice asked.
"You arrogant man! How dare you touch the face of Kuno Tatewaki with your shoe?! You will pay for this injurious insult!"
Kuno rose and charged again as the skies grew darker with the approach of threateningly ominous rain clouds. The first rain drops fell on his nose as he neared Saotome. *He will not get away so easily again!* Kuno swore as he swung at the masked man who disappeared in a blur of black and white. Kuno searched the area as the rain continued to fall heavily. No sign of the masked man anywhere. "Curse you Saotome! Come back here and fight me like a man! Show your face, you coward!" Kuno shouted at the heavens.
****
"You know, if it didn't rain, I could have beaten him." The girl spoke to no one in general, more to herself. It was still raining hard outside. No where to go but stay put and wait.
{I'm sure of that.}The panda rolled onto his side to sleep again. Soft snores were soon heard. The girl took the kettle of hot water and poured it over herself and the sleeping panda.
*And you didn't need to get me just because I changed.* She thought to herself, *Although it would be awkward to explain how a guy you're fighting suddenly changes into a girl. That stupid curse.*
"Where are we anyways Pop?" He squeezed the water out of his shirt and got up to observe the surroundings. The smell of incense permeated the atmosphere as the boy walked around. "Looks like some kind of temple. At least it's quiet."
He squinted his eyes to decipher the words written on the wall. *Ten-do,* He read, *Tendo? Could it be the same Tendo family? The one that Tendo Akane belonged to?* He shrugged to himself, "Anything's possible I guess." He did not notice the blurred shadow dart stealthy from the roof to the bushes and into the city as he settled down to sleep.
****
"Lord Kuno, Saotome has been spotted in the vicinity of the Tendo shrine."
"Is this confirmed?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, prepare the men and the horses. I set out as soon as everything's ready."
"Done." The swift ninja disappeared in a brown blur.
Kuno meditated on the events of that day.*That Saotome was pretty strong. I thought getting Akane's hand would be easy especially after I--never mind. So getting the hand of my beloved will be a bit harder than I thought it would be. Ah, love knows no boundaries. Still, that villain is no match for the shining pillar of Nerima! Kuno Tatewaki will not accept defeat so easily!* Kuno rose with a glowing white aura surrounding him to challenge the man who dared to come between him and his true love.
"Fear not Tendo Akane, no one will stand in the way of our fated marriage! I will defeat this masked man and marry you!" Kuno proclaimed as he rushed out of his home toward the Tendo shire.
____________________________________________________________
End of chapter one
A/N: So this is the edited version of chapter one- thanks to Roja-Cyd and those holes you mentioned were deliberate. The explanations will come soon.