21
And now for something completely different: Nabiki's first loop. She is the only one aware of the repeat, but she didn't expect the butterfly effect…
This doesn't really fit with the rest of the loops, since it's a first loop, but it was inspired by those and I think it doesn't need its own entry.
"Fiancée?" The question echoed through the living room of the Tendo Dojo, startling Nabiki whose last memory was of going to bed after a profitable weekend with yet another guy both stupid and rich enough to date her. After glances to her left and particularly to her right, her suspicions were confirmed.
'Akane still has her long hair. I've been sent into the past.' She took a deep breath, disguised by her glass of juice. 'Oh well, something like that had to happen sooner or later. Someone has tried to attack Ranma somehow and accidentally got me. It's a miracle they didn't get me earlier, considering the level of competence among Ranma's enemies. Now the only question left is how to profit from this.
'First there are Ranma's fights. I know which ones he will win and which ones he won't, so I ought to be able to make quite a bit of money with that knowledge.
'Then there are his rivals. Some of them will pay a pretty penny, if I could tell them where to find to Saotomes before they find them by themselves. Ah, but where to find the rivals? Hibiki is a lost cause. Shampoo, too. I should be able to locate Kuonji – but there is bound to be a couple of guys and girls with that name. It will probably cost too much to find her and she isn't rich enough to recoup the costs. Pantyhose Taro is only after Happosai and I doubt he has got an address. Might be nice to get rid of that old goat somehow. Mrs. Saotome would like to know the truth about her family somewhat earlier, but she doesn't have much money. And Kumon is the same as Hibiki. Well, there went that plan.'
Musing about possible avenues of future income, she had missed her father's 'introduction' of the Saotomes and only reacted when she heard a familiar voice and the sounds of violence which usually accompanied that voice.
"Leggo, y'ol' fool!"
'Seems like he doesn't remember like everyone else in here.' Nabiki thought a bit disappointed. 'It would have been far more interesting with someone who would try and counter me. Well, this just means more profit for me.'
Ranma's introduction went about the same way that Nabiki remembered (and it was a very memorable scene in her opinion) except that she had much more fun with it. After Akane had taken the cursed boy to the training hall, Nabiki smiled and said: "Well, this engagement business was a bust. Nearly literally. I am in my room if anybody needs me."
Once there, she started to write down dates of important events and many rumors and facts that she had learned about her classmates in the following year, including which ones would be good for a date and which ones were total flops. 'If I am somehow recalled to the future or forget this stuff because of one of these time paradox thingies, then my past self should be able to use this and make a small fortune.'
She was interrupted, when Kasumi called her down for yet another family meeting. This time her father sat to their side, while the Saotomes sat opposite of them.
"I'll explain it once more." Soun Tendo tried to explain the situation again. "This is my dear old friend…"
"Genma Saotome." The part-time panda took it from there. "And this is my son…"
"Ranma." The pig-tailed boy finished.
Nabiki didn't really listen to the tale of Jusenkyo and the idiocy of the two martial artists. She wondered how she had missed Akane's scream when her little sister had met Ranma in the bathroom and why Akane – who was still in her gi – wasn't angrily staring at the boy. She was so distracted thinking about this, she nearly missed her cue when it came to pass along the engagement
"Your problem isn't so terrible after all!" Soun Tendo said, patting the back of the female Ranma. "Pick the one you want. She's your fiancée."
"Oh, he wants Akane." Kasumi moved behind her youngest sister.
"Definitely." Nabiki added enthusiastically.
"You must be joking! Why would I be-" Akane protested.
"Well, you hate boys, don't you?" Nabiki interrupted her, knowing that Akane only hated immature boys. Too bad they only had that kind in Nerima.
"So you're in luck! He's a half-girl!" Kasumi finished that argument.
"Me? Marry that boy?! Never!" Akane shot her down.
"Say, whaddya mean, half-girl?!" Ranma asked Kasumi.
"Well, you're a girl half of the time-" Kasumi started to explain her reasoning, while Nabiki looked in shock as Ranma yelled at Kasumi instead of Akane as she remembered.
"No, I am not! I am a guy! All of the time!"
"You really don't look like it now."
"I don't care what I look like!"
"They're already arguing like a perfect couple." Soun joked and both men burst out laughing.
"Us?" Kasumi asked her father surprised. "I don't think you should be so fast to joke about this sort of thing." Addressing Ranma she continued. "And maybe you shouldn't have to choose this fast…" She trailed off when Ranma turned around.
"Goodbye!" He said.
"Where are you going, boy?" Genma asked him.
"Back to China! To find a way to change back for good. This is no time for fiancées."
After that he gave Kasumi another angry look and left the room. His father followed him to explain why he couldn't leave now, while both Akane and Kasumi explained to their father why they couldn't be fiancées. Nabiki tuned out all three monologues. She had heard Akane's and Genma's rants before and Kasumi's would be both reasonable and boring. Nabiki had more important things to think about.
'Why did Ranma attack Kasumi instead of Akane? She had called him a half-girl but last time he only reacted to Akane. Akane has called him a boy. Why didn't she call him a pervert?
'This is worrying. Things have changed and now my perfect knowledge of the future is uncertain. On the other hand, Ranma will still stay here and given Akane's and Ranma's personalities, the old status quo should soon return.'
With that reassuring thought in mind she returned to her room to finish her preparations for the rest of the year. Thoughts of future profits and revenge against idiots like Kinnosuke soon calmed her down and she went to bed.
The next morning started just as she remembered it. When she left for school, she heard Genma telling Ranma that he would go to school starting today and his brilliant counter.
"School?"
"Well, we are going to be staying a while." Genma answered.
"It's the same school me and Akane go to." Nabiki cheerfully explained walking by the room. "We'll see you there."
"Nabiki, wait! I'll go with you!" Akane called from behind her.
"What're you talking about? Ranma's your fiancé, remember? You should walk him to school."
"Right now, he is nobody's fiancé. Kasumi could walk him there."
Nabiki blinked at that answer but decided to just go ahead. Akane stayed with her and soon they were joined by Ranma who had managed to catch up.
After a few minutes of terse silence, Nabiki decided to start a conversation. "So, when will you choose Akane?"
After a sideways glance to the youngest Tendo sister, he answered curtly. "I am not choosing anybody."
"Oh, so what were you two doing all alone?" Nabiki needled him.
Ranma hesitated only a second before answering. "We sparred. I won."
"I wonder what Kuno will-"
"That idiot has got nothing to do with it! I will never date him or any other of those stupid guys!" Akane interrupted her loudly.
"Who's Kuno?" Ranma asked the obvious question.
"He's just some idiot at school."
"Oh, please tell him the whole story."
"That stupid imbecile asked me out for a date. I told the arrogant ass "No" and that retarded son of a principal thought that I wanted to play hard to get and told the whole school that they had to defeat me before they could date me! And now each morning there is that mob of idiots trying to rush me! And after they're finished, Kuno tries his luck! I hate men!" Akane had talked herself into a rage telling the story.
"So, you can defeat them all? And they don't give up?" Ranma asked.
"Yes! Do you think I can't do that?"
"Nah. I just wonder if you only hit them in the head or something."
"Ha! That might actually make them smarter."
"A real clue by four, eh?" Ranma grinned.
"What?" Akane asked irritably.
"Oh, I guess they only make that joke in Osaka."
In the meantime they had arrived at school and the usual fight began. Nabiki went around it, while Ranma waited for Akane. She arrived in her classroom just in time to see Kuno attacking Ranma. One of her factors informed her of Kuno's new self-made nickname. "Do you think he will get another name soon?"
"No, this one's just melodramatic enough that he will keep it." She answered automatically, thinking about Ranma and Akane. 'Those two still get along better than they should, maybe I should do something about it. Hah, it's just a matter of time before Saotome screws up and they start fighting like always.'
The fight between Ranma and Kuno was as impressive as it was short. After Kuno had destroyed a wall and Ranma had scribbled on his forehead, there was a second exchange of blows and Kuno was unconscious on the ground. Akane touched Ranma at his torso, which made him visibly wince and then they walked inside. A couple of minutes later it began to rain, waking the unconscious boys on the ground.
After he returned from the nurse's office with a bandage covering his forehead, Kuno was again easily convinced of Akane's engagement and ran off just before the end of class. Just minutes afterwards, she heard glass shatter and when the students looked outside they saw Ranma standing on the court while Kuno was lying face-first in the dirt.
Akane told her later how they got there. "This is all your fault, Nabiki! If you hadn't told him about the stupid engagement, this never would have happened! We were just sitting in the classroom, when Kuno burst in and cried how he would never allow the engagement! As if he had any say in that! That arrogant ass! Then he throws some water at Ranma and nearly changes him! And then he attacks him with his bokken, destroys a window and he almost hit Sayuri! At least Ranma had some sense and jumped out of the window to lure him away." She hesitated for a second and yelled. "He jumped out of the window!"
"You realize that just now?" Nabiki asked her, sitting on Akane's bed.
"The whole thing was just so crazy! If anything had happened to Sayuri… I've got to stop this whole thing somehow. This has gone too far."
The following day, a challenge letter addressed at Ranma arrived at the Tendos.
"Kick his ass!" Akane demanded. "Make sure he can't walk for the rest of the week! No, the month! The rest of the year! Until we've left school!"
"You're getting really blood-thirsty there, sis." Nabiki commented with her usual smile.
"After what he nearly did to Sayuri, he has to be stopped."
"I would've thought that you would like to take care of revenge."
"Ranma is much better than me. And Kuno can still fight him. Only Ranma can take care of him before something else happens." Akane answered solemnly. "If only I had more time to train, then I could take him."
"That could take a couple of years." Ranma commented matter-of-factly.
"Well, it would take a couple of years for you to catch up on my notes in school." Akane answered snippily.
Inwardly, Nabiki rejoiced hearing that tone of voice. 'Ranma would never really cripple Kuno and afterwards they will continue to aggravate each other and in a month at the most, they will be just like before.'
Nabiki didn't bother to go to the duel at Sunday, she was busy developing the photos she had made of the 'shameless' female Ranma during the weekend. 'It shouldn't take long until Kuno meets the pig-tailed girl. It will be nice to have some photos ready.'
The next morning she saw the hentai horde telling Ranma and Akane that they would stop attacking her, while a mummy in a Kendo uniform tried to protest. 'Yes, everything is happening just like before.'
One week later, Ryoga arrived to challenge Ranma. True to form, he got lost again. Ranma remembered the tale of the bread feud at his old school and to Nabiki it still sounded as stupid as ever.
Another week later, they had their duel. Akane interfered again and Nabiki made a pretty penny by betting on that particular outcome. The only change was that Akane didn't get a new haircut.
Yet another week later they had one more guest during breakfast.
"What is he doing here?" Nabiki asked.
"Well, I owe him the chance for a rematch." Ranma answered.
"And why does he have to eat with us?"
"It would be impolite not to invite him." Kasumi explained.
"Hey, I could pay." Ryoga offered.
"I thought you want to make me pay, Ryoga." Ranma smirked.
"Hmpf. You only won this morning because you got lucky."
"How about I give you another chance during lunch break? You will just have to go to school with us."
Ryoga took the opportunity to fight him at lunchtime. And the next opportunity before dinner. And the next morning again. He followed Ranma to school, sat down in the classroom, listened and learned. Every day. For the next three months. And then it only ended because Ryoga got lost during the summer holidays.
It played real havoc with Nabiki's betting. At first people still thought Ryoga had a chance. Then they did only bet how long it would take Ranma to knock him out. Then they would just bet on the number of hits. And finally they would only bet how long it would take until Ryoga gave up.
Other things happened during these three months, too.
'Looks like P-chan is looking for Akane.' Thought Nabiki as she saw the black piglet walking through the corridors of the Tendo mansion. 'A good chance to play nice.' She picked up the piglet by its yellow neckerchief and knocked at Akane's door.
"Yes, what is it, Nabiki?" Akane asked as she opened the door.
"I found your little pet pig." Nabiki answered and Akane's eyes widened at the sight of it.
"My… pet? Ah, of course, my pet pig! Haha! Thank you, Nabiki." Akane stammered, grabbed the piglet and closed the door.
'How very odd.' Nabiki thought to herself. 'But not my problem.'
During dinner that evening she noticed that Akane and Ranma gave her odd looks and snickered sometimes, while Ryoga seemed to be ashamed of something.
CRASH! Came the noise from Akane's room. Nabiki looked up to see somebody flying out of the window. Ranma and Ryoga had been in the garden making some cool-down exercises after they had finished their martial arts rhythmic gymnastics training with Akane. She had been asked to defeat the honor of Furinkan by the team that had fallen to Kodachi's ambushes. Nabiki had been watching the exercises in the hope of making a couple of photos showing both boys without their shirts that some of her costumers had been asking for. And for photos of both boys fighting shirtless.
Ranma jumped up to catch the victim of Akane's wrath, but the combined movements of his jump and the victim's flight made them land in the pond. Nabiki went closer seeing that apparently Ranma had managed to catch Kodachi in a bridal carry.
'Looks like Akane got a lucky hit in.' Nabiki thought. 'Well, with Kodachi's hate of Ranma-chan this should at least lead to a couple of amusing photos. In a couple of days she will be defeated by her in the fight and photos that prove that she owes her should make some good blackmail material.'
"Oh, uh, hi, Kodachi." Said Ranma in his, or rather in the moment her, usual eloquent manner.
"Ah, you are the one who stopped me from punishing those naughty girls from Furinkan." Kodachi observed. "It seems that I owe you for saving me from injuries by the fall."
"Looks like Akane aimed for the pond, so ya should have been safe." Ranma paused for a second. "I mean as safe as you can be flying through a window."
"But I owe you at least for saving me from falling into this dirty pond water." Kodachi insisted looking straight into Ranma's eyes.
"It was nothing." Ranma blushed and started to walk out of the pond with Kodachi still in her arms. Ryoga watched in fascination, while Nabiki shot a photo of the scene.
"Still, such gallantry deserves to be rewarded." Kodachi cupped Ranma's face with both hands and moved from Ranma's motionless arms and stood in front of the slightly smaller girl. Ranma blinked at her and made unintelligible sounds.
"Indeed." Kodachi answered those sounds and kissed the female Ranma full on the mouth. Ryoga fell unconscious from sudden nasal bloodloss.
Nabiki frantically shot photos. 'These should sell like hotcakes after the fight!' She thought with Yen-signs in her eyes.
Disturbed by the flashlights, Kodachi stepped back from Ranma and scrutinized Nabiki. Then she smiled and jumped on the wall around the mansion. "Let us meet again, my dear! Ohohoho!"
Ranma still hadn't moved when Akane arrived.
"What is it with you! How could you let her kiss you!" Akane berated the cursed boy.
"But we were both girls." Ranma said still as wide-eyed as before.
"I think this was her first kiss." Nabiki smirked. She knew it was Ranma's first kiss since they hadn't met Sanzennin yet.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Akane protested and hesitated. "It wasn't, was it?"
"And it looks like she hasn't heard of yuri before." Nabiki wasn't surprised at the lack of sexual knowledge. Ranma had been raised by Genma Saotome, who had left his very attractive wife for more than ten years.
Meanwhile a recovered Ryoga had stepped in front of Ranma and waved his hand in front of the still stunned girl's eyes. "Hey! Somebody in there?"
"Kodachi must be some kisser to get that effect. Don't get jealous, Akane." Nabiki commented.
"I am not jealous!" Akane protested and looked in the direction where Kodachi had vanished. "Pervert."
'Looks like Ranma will always get his first kiss as a girl.' Nabiki thought 'The fight between those two will be really interesting.'
The next day, after they had finally brought Ranma back from the land of the kissed, Akane was berating him for overreacting like that on the way to school. He didn't defend himself at all and only glanced at Akane, blushing like mad.
"You let her kiss you! What were you thinking?" Ranma didn't answer and Akane asked: "And what are you thinking about now?"
"About girls kissing girls, I'd bet." Nabiki threw in. Ranma became even redder.
Akane blushed too and looked at Ranma and Nabiki. "Oh, you… and you… Gah!" She turned and went ahead.
'These guys have it sooo bad.' Nabiki thought observing the two. 'It will never work out.'
When they arrived at the school Kodachi ambushed Akane with a mallet, but Akane grabbed it and used it to throw Kodachi away. Afterwards Kodachi didn't spare a second look for the male Ranma, when she noticed Nabiki and approached her.
"I remember you. You made some photographs of myself and that other girl."
"Yep. Would you like a set? 5,000 Yen for five photos."
"Indeed, I would like that. Deliver it to the Kuno mansion."
"Delivery is 5,000 yen extra." Nabiki was shocked but her business sense was able to operate her mouth independently from the rest of her brain.
"That does not matter. Since you were there, what is the name of the girl?"
"Ranma Saotome." Nabiki answered, trying to bait her asking and paying for more information.
"A rather uncouth name, but fitting I would say. Farewell. Ohohoho!" With that she jumped over the wall of the schoolyard, leaving the customary black rose petals in her wake.
'Yes, that will be a very interesting match when Ranma-chan replaces Akane. Never knew she swung that way, though. Maybe she's just experimenting. Or she likes to have some fun.'
At the day of the match Ranma hadn't replaced Akane, because her sister hadn't twisted her ankle as Nabiki remembered from the original training. She won by hitting Kodachi with a cooperative black piglet on a chain and...
"That was an awesome trick, Akane!" Ranma beamed as they walked home.
"Oh, shut up." Akane grumbled.
"No, really. I couldn't have feinted any better."
"I said, shut up."
"Stepping on the ball like that looked painful, though."
"You know that it wasn't a trick! Now help me walking!"
"Sure, sure. But if we practice that some, it could be a really good move."
"Idiot."
Nabiki had a lot of losses that day. At least Kodachi was interested in buying some of the more tasteful pictures of Ranma-chan.
"You gave up?" Nabiki asked her sister incredulously. She had seen the martial arts figure skating match against the Golden Pair of Kolkhoz High and still couldn't believe it.
"After the Goodbye Whirl? It sounded like Ranma had broken every bone in his body! It was terrible! Now help me looking for him! There was this Chinese girl and she broke into the locker room and…"
"Yes, but what about the cup? And your pet?"
"Ryoga can take care of himself. I bet that klepto has forgotten him already!" Akane looked around. "Hey! There he is!"
"Hey, Saotome. Why are you in your female form?"
"I went to the toilet and they had only cold water when I washed my hands. Who cares?" She answered while they walked to the Tendo mansion and jumped over a lampshade that someone had left on the street. "Have you seen Shampoo?"
"No. Who is she anyway?" Akane asked suspiciously. "She is cute."
"Are you blind? She was trying to kill me!"
On their way home, Ranma told them the sordid tale of the stolen first prize and the kiss of death.
A couple of days later, Nabiki listened to the couple discussing what had happened.
"That was kind of mean what you did to Shampoo." Akane complained.
"Well, I sure don't wanna marry into a village with those kind of traditions. Who knows what else they kill for."
"You were very convincing when you said that you are really a girl."
"Thanks!"
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Huh? I don't get what ya mean."
"Do you really think you're a girl?"
"No! Sheesh, have you never heard of acting?"
"You… you jerk!" Akane screamed at him and left him clueless.
'Yep. It will never work between those two.' Nabiki thought once again. 'Looks like nearly everything is as it was. Now I only have to get rid of Hibiki.' She glanced at the lost boy at the table. 'Is that a metal choker? Kinky.'
"What is Ranma's weakness?" Asked the pale boy.
Nabiki thought about it. 'Can't remember seeing the guy before. But I think Kuno will try his cat attack the next couple of days.' In the original timeline Ranma's odd behavior and the kiss had been the talk of the school and Nabiki had gathered the truth from Kasumi and Akane, but she hadn't had a lot of opportunities to sell it, since the following day the rumor mill was busy with Shampoo's return. 'Looks like it's time to recoup my losses.'
"I'll tell you, but it'll cost you."
The pale boy shrunk back. "I… I am ready to pay any price."
"500,000 Yen."
"What?" He squeaked. It sounded like he wanted to protest, but his voice betrayed him.
Nabiki just smiled at him.
"I… I'll have to ask someone so he can give me the money."
"That is all right, but you will have to tell him that the prize just doubled."
Hikaru Gosunkugi stared at her in disbelief.
"If someone gives you the money he will want the information, too. Both of you will know Ranma's weakness and both of you have to pay for it." She answered the unspoken question. He just left and returned a short time later with the money. Nabiki made a big production of counting the money and thought that she should have asked for more.
'Finally Hibiki got lost.' Nabiki thought returning from the summer holiday at the beach. Betting on the final outcome in the melon race had earned her some cash. The pictures of Ranma-neko-chan were amusing to her but a lot of the boys would pay for photos of a female Ranma on Akane's lap. But now that the Chinese contingent had arrived and everything was predictable again, it was time to make some serious money.
Nabiki thought it was too bad that Kuno had never met Ranma-chan before the events surrounding the cat's tongue pressure point and since then he must have heard about the curse after Ranma had told the whole school. With the whole truth in the open, she hadn't been able to tell him some half-truths to trick him again and hadn't made one yen of him for pictures of Ranma. At least the rest of the school was still filled with hormone-crazed boys and she had more photos to sell this time.
Nabiki was irritated. Happosai was due today and there was no sign of him, despite all the silly omens that had predicted his arrival. She didn't miss the old goat but she missed the opportunity of looting his treasures, some of them were really useful like the love pearl bracelet – people would pay a fortune for the lifetime pill, the ancient moxibustion point chart – Ranma would do everything for a copy, and the recipe for the super-soba – there were a lot of men who wouldn't mind being super-strong and having a beard. Happosai would blame the parents and Ranma for his losses as he always did.
Also, Ryoga was back.
"Did something interesting happen today?" Asked Kasumi as she always did during dinner.
An irritated Akane answered: "There was this tiny old pervert grabbing girls when we were out running. I kicked him into orbit and he yelled my name. I wonder how he knew me."
"Really? That's strange, there was a tiny old pervert grabbing girls when I bought the fish for Kasumi-san in Osaka, too. I punched him and he flew south in direction of Hokkaido."
"They have a Nerima Fish Market in Osaka, too? How interesting." Kasumi added remembering the name on the wrapping.
"Looks like it." Ranma smirked. "Anyway, it looks like a plague of tiny old pervs, cause one tried and grabbed me when I was out getting some snacks and I punted him right into the Pacific."
"Is something wrong, father?" Kasumi asked. "You and Mr. Panda look so pale."
"How can you tell with pops?" Ranma asked looking at his panda-shaped father who was lying on his back and playing with a beach ball.
'Guess, the old goat will be a couple of weeks late.' Nabiki thought to herself. Happosai always came back.
'At least that stupid Dojo-Destroyer is on time and Shampoo offered the instant spring of drowned man powder again. Hmm. This kind of timing is suspicious. Well, it won't interfere with my plans.'
Making a betting pool for Akane's fight was easy, her parents had already made sure that everyone knew about the fight when they asked for Ranma's help. Her other scheme had needed a patsy to spread another rumor connected to Shampoo's demonstration earlier that day.
"I heard people say you can make sure that Ranma keeps his curse?" The patsy had asked her overly loud during one class of quiet study as she had ordered.
"What a nasty rumor. I wouldn't do that to my future brother-in-law even if people paid me a hundred thousand yen."
There were so many boys crazy for Ranma's girl-form that she found the money in her shoe locker at the end of the school day. 'Maybe I should repeat that I wouldn't do it even for that kind of money? Nah, they're too stupid to get it.'
Even without Happosai, Ranma and Akane's version of 'Romeo and Juliet' was still a hoot and a half. And people paid good money to meet China the actor in the Tendo Dojo.
'Another disappointment. Just because Ranma and Akane talk with her, Ukyo gives up on the idiot? At least I got some money for selling Genma's favorite tricks and his routine so she can beat him up regularly. I am not sure if he knows the hell's cradle already, though.'
'Mousse's back and Happosai isn't? Damn. I have already arranged an auction for a Lifetime Love Pearl and canceling that would cost me some of my reputation. And more important, money!'
"Wishing Sword, bring back Happosai."
"Granted."
'I believe I've just made the greatest mistake of my life.' Thought Nabiki.
'Getting rid of the old perv is just too easy. Simply sew that women-repelling herb patch to his clothes in the wash, wait until he keels over and mail him to Antarctica.' Nabiki smiled to herself. 'Who would've thought the dragon whisker would bring me more money than the love pearls and the umbrella of love?' Nabiki looked at the photo in her hand that was shot after Ranma had heard that his hair had stopped growing. 'Ranma's face is a picture for the gods. I wonder if Kuno would like to buy a copy? Too bad there wasn't enough time to wait for Happosai's revenge and the underwear photos Ranma has made because of that. But selling the original Moxibustion chart was just too profitable. At least I got some photos of Ranma-chan in her iron corset and lingerie from her time with the Chardins.'
'She saw him change when he fought Taro? And she accepts that it's just a curse? I've made so many plans to get money and photos from Ranma! And now she just accepts him? How can Mrs. Saotome do that to me? Why did Taro have to be so late?'
'Okay, it looks like Ranma missed Herb because he moved back to his family's house. There was no Mirror Clone to exploit, because they didn't train in the valley with the Mirror Mansion. Hibiki didn't find those age mushrooms. And they haven't met Kumon, because Mrs. Saotome didn't went shopping with Ranma-chan. Damn. So many profits lost. At least I've figured it out and things make sense again. And I got some money betting during his public fights with Akane while she had the magic dogi.'
"Welcome to the Tendo dojo. Please leave your gifts with me." Nabiki greeted the arriving guests who had hoped to see the marriage of the two teenagers. Instead they saw the remains of the fight between Genma, Ranma, Ryoga and Mousse for the water from the Spring of Drowned Man, the attacks from Kuno and Shampoo who wanted to stop the marriage and Ukyo's and Konatsu's latest ambush to punish the panda on the day of his son's marriage. Super-Taro and Rouge had come in fighting from above, destroying the roof, and Ryu Kumon had made a hole in the last undamaged wall searching for Genma.
'Looks like some things never change.' Nabiki smirked. 'All in all it this repeat has been nice enough. Not as profitable as I would have liked it, but who cares. Well, it won't happen again.'
Then she frowned. 'I guess I have to keep an eye on Ranma to make sure he won't do whatever he has done to send me back in time again.'
Why are things different? The last panel on page 24 of chapter 1 of the manga might give you the answer.
Well, this is more a "Character travels into the past to fix it" fic (without the "fix it" part) than a "time loop" fic, which deal with characters who've had at least a couple of hundred repeats.