"School?" Ranma questioned over breakfast when his father brought it up. "We're really hanging around long enough to enrol me somewhere?"

Genma nodded. "You'll be going to the same school as Nabiki and Akane."

Ranma sighed, but got up from the table, and went to find Akane. He checked the dojo first, then her room when she wasn't there – knocking first and calling her name.

"Akane?" he called.

"Ranma?"

Found her!

"May I come in?"

"Sure, I'm decent."

Ranma chuckled, but let himself in, closing the door behind him.

"Dad enrolled me at your school," he said. "Is that your uniform?" he asked, pointing at the sea-green dress and the white blouse that Akane was wearing.

Akane nodded. "Yeah, it is," she answered. "For the girls anyway. Boys can get away with wearing their sports uniforms to class sometimes, though mostly they wear a white shirt and grey pants."

Ranma sighed. "I should find part-time work, so I can buy things that I need," he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Kami knows, Dad's never gonna shape up."

Akane laughed lightly. "Or you could borrow one of my dresses," she suggested, teasing just a little. "Come to school as a girl."

Ranma's smile was definitely crooked. "I'm not sure Akane," he said. "I like being macho, wearing a dress really doesn't go with that."

Akane was grinning. "I'm teasing," she said. "The colour wouldn't go with your red hair anyway."

They both laughed a little.

"You'll be fine in what you're wearing," Akane assured.

Ranma was immensely relieved. "And you point out that idiot Kuno to me when we get to school. I promised to pound him for you, and I intend to fulfil that promise."

Akane smiled wryly and put her hands on her hips. "And if it rains?" she asked, gesturing to the clouds that were beginning to roll in.

Ranma looked out the window, then back to Akane. "I am the way I am. The whole school can know, I don't care, I'll kick all of their butts if they try anything with me."

Akane laughed. "Alright then," she said, smiling brightly.

~oOo~

"I'm your fiancé, and I'm your friend," Ranma said as they ran to school. "I'm helping clear out the bums who want to date you."

Akane smiled. "Thanks Ranma," she said. If they hadn't decided to be friends last night, she probably would have yelled at him to back off. She could handle this herself after all, but he was being very sweet about it, almost romantic even, if beating up other people could be romantic – besides, she'd told him she could handle it, and he believed her. It was just that he wanted to help defend her honour... or something like that anyway.

They rounded the corner.

"Akane! Date with me!" the cry went up.

The couple ploughed through the boys easily, until only one, wearing hakama and carrying a wooden sword was left standing. He threw a rose to Akane.

She caught it, stared at it for a moment, then frowned and stomped it underfoot.

"Let me guess," Ranma said quietly, hands on his hips as he stood with Akane and the boy recited poetry badly, that really had nothing to do with anything. "This is the idiot who started it?"

Akane nodded.

"I know you said the other night that you had this problem, but you're even more popular than I thought," Ranma said, looking at the carnage around them, smiling a little.

Kuno's attention was drawn then to Ranma. "You're being very familiar with Akane," he said with a scowl. "Who are you?"

"Saotome Ranma," he answered quickly.

"I am the rising new star of the kendo world, my strength is beyond measure! I am the captain of Furinkan High School Kendo Club! My voice alone can silence a crying child! I a junior in Class E. My peers call me... The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High! Kuno Tatewaki. Age seventeen."

Ranma rolled his eyes.

"He really is an idiot," Ranma said to Akane. "You go ahead inside to class, don't want you to be late because of this guy."

Akane giggled. "Oh fine, give me your bag."

Kuno frowned. "Why are you so familiar with each other?"

Ranma jumped up and landed both feet onto Kuno's face. "Because I'm a guest at her house," Ranma said as he stepped off Kuno's face.

The older boy recovered quickly. "You dare to hound Akane! I won't stand for it! I challenge you!"

"Ranma, don't be long," Akane called, having taken the opportunity while Kuno was beneath Ranma's feet to get past him and to the door.

"I won't," he answered her, then looked down at Kuno. "I accept your challenge," he said.

It started raining not long into the fight, and Kuno – as well as the entire population of the school who were watching – were surprised to see Ranma turn into a girl.

"Who are you?" Kuno asked. "What happened to the felon I was doing battle with?"

Ranma sighed and rolled her eyes. "You really are an idiot," she said. "You just saw me transform from a boy into a girl, and you think I'm a different person?" Ranma looked over her shoulder at the clock quickly, then grabbed hold of Kuno's shirt and threw him into the wall.

Ranma walked stopped by the nurse's office for some hot water on his way to class.

~oOo~

"Fiancé!" the class yelled when Ranma walked through the doors.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking for Akane in the crowd.

She appeared by his side soon enough. "Nabiki would have spilled the beans anyway," she pointed out in a whisper. "It was easier to say it up front."

He nodded his understanding.

Akane smiled, happily lacing her finger's through Ranma's. "Our fathers wanted the union of the two schools, so they arranged for their children to be married. Naturally, Nabiki and Kasumi didn't much care for marrying a someone younger or who could turn into a girl, but after what I get every morning, this arrangement suited me just fine," she explained.

Ranma smiled and blushed. It really wouldn't be so bad everyone knowing, or even coming to school. It helped Akane out, and she was being a really great friend – and fiancé. No, maybe not so bad.

"Class, we have a new student today, Saotome Ranma," the teacher introduced officially as he entered. "Though I think we all know who he is by now. Ranma, please take the seat beside Akane's – you were only just on time. The rest of you sit down too, we have class."

~oOo~