Disclaimer: Reika is mine, but everything else is not

Reika…?

Chapter 1

********************

As the mysterious smiling fanfic author sat in front of her computer, something happened. She, of course, didn't know about it, but as she sat plotting evilly, the hourglass of fate was turning its Eye to look at her and smirk, with a smirk almost as evil as the one on her own face.

"Whose life should I mess up next?" The author grinned as her hands twitched above the keyboard in anticipation of her next scheme. Then she spotted a manga on her desk. Perfect. The next victim of her hand would be…

"Saotome Ranma, prepare to meet… (dramatic pause)… the girl of your nightmares!" She laughed manically for a few moments, then got to work writing her story. It began typically…

It was a normal day in the Tendo dojo, except for the fact that Soun Tendo had just received the postcard which he had long since been awaiting.

"Hi. Bringing Ranma from China. Saotome." It stated. Tears of joy dripped down the man's face as he read the postcard again, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Ranma? Coming here? Oh, how I've waited for this day!" Soun sobbed as he went in search of his daughters, "Kasumi! Nabiki! Akane! Reika!"

****************

Somewhere in the darkness of a bedroom, staring at her computer in shock sat the fanfic author.

"Reika?" She wondered, "Who is this girl? She was not meant to have appeared yet." Who was she? What was wrong? The author felt a pain in her chest and she fell foreword, off her chair to the floor.

The Eye watched with pleasure. Things were going well indeed. At the computer, the fafic continued to be written.

***************

"Kasumi!"

"Yes, father?"

"Nabiki!"

"Hmm?"

"Akane!" Soun yelled out, "Where is that girl? Oh well. Reika!"

"How odd. I can practically hear the voice of Soun Tendo saying the name of Reika." The young girl muttered to herself as she picked herself off the bedroom floor.

"Reika! Come on, Father wants to talk to us." Kasumi looked into the room as she walked by her youngest sister's room.

"Coming!" The black haired girl said automatically, then took a double take of the situation, "Wait a minute! Reika? Father? Kasumi? What is going on here?"

She rushed to the doorway of the room to the hallway, where she made a stunning invention.

"I'm…. in the Tendo dojo?" She was stunned. Never in all her years of fanfic writing had anything ever remotely resembled this experience. She knew what was going to be said and what was going to happen, but until she could uncover what had occurred to make her a part of this world, she did not wish to risk altering events that were meant to take place.

"Reika", as she was called, went to the living room of the dojo, where sat Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane. They all looked at her as she came into the room.

"Forgive my late appearance." She apologized as she sat by Akane. She had no prior experience that told her what her age was, so she could judge where to sit.

Soun nodded as Reika sat with her sisters, then made the life-altering announcement.

"Fiancée?" Akane asked, with a incredulous look on her face.

"Yes. The son of a very good friend of mine." Soun smiled as he announced the news.

"Not that I'd know why you two are friends." Reika muttered below her breath. No one heard her as Soun continued.

"The son's name is Ranma Saotome." He said, "If one of you four girls were to marry him and carry on this dojo, then the Tendo family legacy would be secure."

"Wait a minute!" Akane protested loudly.

"Don't we have some say in who we marry?" Reika quoted snidely, before Akane could get the words out.

"They're right, Daddy." Kasumi agreed, "We've never even met Ranma."

"That's easily fixed." He said, smiling.

"Considering that they're on their way here, I would certainly hope so, 'father'." Reika said, grimly.

"How did you know?" Soun asked. Reika shrugged off the question, so he continued. "Ranma and his father have been on a voyage of training. Recently, it seems they crossed into China."

"Wow! China!" Nabiki said, leaning foreword in interest. Reika could practically see the intense greed gathering in the girl's eyes.

""What's so great about walking to China?" Akane scoffed.

"Akane," Reika smiled unnervingly, "I am afraid that I must correct you in this matter. One simply cannot walk to China when Japan is where the journey is begun."

"Hmph." Akane looked away from the girl.

"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked, hopefully.

"How old is he?" Kasumi asked, with a doubtful look on her face, "Younger men bore me."

"What kind of a guy is this Ranma?" Nabiki finally asked outright.

Soun cleared his throat, "No idea. I've never met him."

"I'll get the door." Reika said, standing.

"But, the doorbell hasn't-" Kasumi started. Then they heard a voice yelling near the front door. The words which were said were not the kindest, but announced unpleasant arrival.

"Oooo! It must be Ranma!" Nabiki said, running with her father past Reika to the front door. Reika smiled and stepped back as they disappeared from sight and came running back.

"Leggo, Pop!" The figure of Ranma Saotome, who was draped over the shoulder of a panda, who Reika knew to be 'her' father, yelled. "You're scaring 'em spitless!"

"Daddy…" Kasumi asked, standing slightly behind her father, "Is this your friend?"

Soun shook his head violently.

"Oh. So this panda just decided to visit! Happens all the time!" Nabiki shouted sarcastically.

Reika smiled as the panda set the red haired girl down in front of Soun. He stared intently at her for a few moment, then pointed.

"You… wouldn't be…." He said, rather questioningly.

"Ranma Saotome." The red-head twirled her pigtail in her fingers, "Sorry about this."

"At last!" Soun shouted, grabbing her shoulders.

"Oooo! He's so cute!" Nabiki said in a happy tone of voice.

"It's so good of you to come! So--!" He stopped, as he had captured Ranma in a frighteningly tight bear hug. And realized. He pulled her quickly back away from him and stared.

"Hmm?" Nabiki said, walking up and poking Ranma.

"Could you please stop that?" Ranma asked in a docile tone.

"'He' is a girl." Nabiki stated to her father, with a rude look on her face. Soun stood for a moment, then fell to the floor. He had fainted.

"Is this panda your…" Reika asked as Soun was moved into the living room and placed into a comfortable position, "pet?"

"Not exactly." Ranma muttered, just as Soun awoke.

"Poor Daddy. He's so disappointed." Kasumi said, getting a wet rag to put on his head.

"He's disappointed! Some fiancée this is!" Nabiki almost shouted sarcastically at her elder sister.

"Stop it, you two!" Akane scolded her sisters, "He… she… is our guest!"

From outside the room, Reika sat and smirked. This was very interesting. How very interesting indeed.

"This is all your fault, Daddy!" Nabiki groaned.

"When he said he had a son, I assumed that he meant a boy!" Soun protested, loudly.

"Do you see a boy here, Daddy?" Nabiki said, grabbing Ranma's chest.

"I really wish you'd stop that." Ranma said, even more docilely.

Akane looked at the two, annoyed for a moment, then stood and placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder.

"Hey. Join me in the practice hall?" She offered. Reika took this opportunity to start for the practice hall herself. She wanted to see Ranma whomp Akane as much as anyone.

Inside, Akane was smiling, "I'm Akane. Want to be friends?"

Ranma took this as a greeting of goodwill. The poor fool.

*************

"Oh, Reika!" Akane said as her and Ranma walked into the training hall, "You're here already? I was going to ask you if you wanted to train too."

"Were you?" Reika asked, although she didn't really care. She was in a pair of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt that said "I do jujitsu", and sitting on the floor, waiting to see the fight. Although she knew that Ranma didn't fight girls, she could always hope that her appearance had altered that little fact.

"Reika's the only one better than me here, Ranma." Akane explained. The news brought a flinch to Reika. Although she had taken some minor classes in the subject, she hadn't really gotten into it deeply. She found watching anime, reading manga, and writing fanfics more interesting. Here was this girl, now, who had supposedly trained her whole life in martial arts, saying that she was better than her.

"But don't worry." Akane smiled, "You can fight against me instead. I promise I won't hurt you."

"I'd worry about the opposite, if I were you." Reika observed as they prepared to spar.

Akane charged. Ranma easily dodged. Punch. Dodge. Kick. Dodge.

"Come on, Ranma! Fight that girl!" Reika found herself annoyed with the situation and agreed with Akane's frustration.

Akane let out a battle cry and threw her fist at Ranma and through the wall. Ranma flipped over her head and tapped Akane on the back of the head. Akane looked surprised. They proceeded to laugh about it for a moment.

"You're pretty good…" Akane was saying as Reika left the room.

"'It's just… I'd hate to lost to a boy.'" Reika rolled her eyes as she quoted. "But then…." She thought for a moment as a smile crept across her face, "Perhaps I need a bath myself." But first, she had some work to do.

****************

"Come on, Ranma." Kasumi offered, "Wouldn't you like to take a bath?"

"No!" Ranma shouted, eyes wide. Then she got a hold on herself, "That is, it's okay."

"No it isn't." Kasumi said, shoving the towel into Ranma's arm, "You must be all sweaty from your workout."

Ranma quietly complied.

***************

"Well, if it isn't Ranma Saotome." Reika said, walking out of the shadows fully clothed as Ranma climbed into the bath. Ranma looked at her with surprised eyes, speechless.

"You're a boy!" Reika stated in mock horror, "Isn't that interesting? Oh, don't worry about anyone coming in other than me. I locked the door and put up a 'do not disturb' sign." She said, walking foreword as Ranma tossed a worried glance to the door.

"I was gonna tell them." Ranma said, as though he was caught in the middle of a evil deed.

"No, my dear, Ranma. You shall not." Reika smiled evilly, "Although you don't think much of being a girl, I take the task upon myself to insure that you are able to leave without protest."

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked cautiously.

"What I mean is that if you are a female, no one will bar your door from returning to China and finding the spring of the drowned man." She explained, running her fingers through the warm water.

"But I've already changed back." Ranma protested.

"Would it kill you to douse yourself in cold water before leaving the bathroom?" Reika asked, standing up and turning to the door.

"One question!" Ranma asked, standing up quickly, "How did you know?"

"Hi~mi~tsu!" Reika laughed, "Douse yourself please so that we may leave and Akane can enter."

She heard the splashing of water and opened the door, to see Akane, face to face with her. Akane jumped back with a small yelp.

"Really, Akane. It is not good manners to enter a room upon which has been placed a 'do not enter' sign." Reika said, walking out of the room, "Please remember to behave yourself when we have guests."

"Wha..?" Akane asked as Ranma walked out of the bathroom, blushing terribly.

*********************************

Well? Is it good? Let's hope so! Let me know! Do you like the tone?