Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video. I have no ownership to these characters, or names.

Ranma 1/2

Changes: Chapter VIII. Drake and Ranma's New Begginings!

Nabiki was laying on her bed trying to recall the events of the past two days, Ranma was back, and he fought Drake again. It had only been about an hour since it ended, but she was still in awe. She replayed the fight, as much of it as she could keep up with that is, in her mind. It was shorter that the last one. From what Nabiki could tell, Ranma really had improved, he was faster and stronger. Drake still seemed to have the upper hand though. Ranma didn't hold a thing back this time at all, he seemed to be fighting Drake the same way that Mousse had told her that he fought Saffron, minus the anger. He unleashed every attack that she knew he had, not to mention a few she didn't. At the end of this bout, both men were completly exausted. Nabiki was rather glad she had given up on martial arts, seeing as she was pretty sure that she couldn't ever be as good as those two. This time, it was Ranma who suggested that they call it a draw. Nabiki laughed, Ranma wanted to call it a draw, it was just so unlike him. But, after the fight, both of them dissapeared. Shampoo ran off looking for Ranma, but Nabiki knew that even Ranma could be clever enough to hide from the busty amazon. 'But not from me.' She thought.

Nabiki rolled over. She was still unsure about things. It took alot to rattle Nabiki Tendo, but right now she was completly out of whack. She knew something was up the night her father came rushing into the house. Coinsidently, that was the same night everyone discovered Ryouga's secret. Nabiki wondered how she could miss something like that. She knew everthing about everyone, at least she thought she did. Either way, her father made a big deal about Akane being able to marry Ranma again, seeing as she broke up with Ryouga. Akane protested, violently, 'Poor daddy.' She thought. Akane really let him have it this time. Nabiki had always wondered if her little sister would go nuts with all of the pressure Father put on her. Soun was fine though, no worse that what Ranma and Akane did to him and Genma that time they were fighting over a 'Do over'. But, it seemed Soun had a backup plan this time. Just last night, he had gone to see Nabiki, and tell her that it was for family honor that a Tendo girl had to marry Ranma, and that now Nabiki Tendo was to becoome Nabiki Saotome. She had laughed at her father, until she realized he was serious. So now she was engaged to Ranma. 'Oh what fun.' She thought.

Shampoo walked into Ucchan's. The lights were off and it seemed like the place was closed. Shampoo decided to lock the door, Ukyo had a key, so it didn't matter. 'Where she?' Shampoo thought. 'No is late enough for closing yet.' She wandered upstairs to Ukyo's apartment, and noticed that there was light shinning under the door. Shampoo knocked on the door and pushed it open. "Ukyo?"

Ukyo jumped and turned to see who had come in. "Shampoo? um, hi."

Shampoo looked around thr room a bit. She noticed Drake was laying on a futon with a bag of ice on his forehead. She walked in and knelt next to Drake. He was out cold. "Aiya, what happen?"

"Well, um, it's kind of embarrasing."

"Shampoo no mind, she no make fun."

"Okay. Well, Drake came by a little bit ago." Shampoo nodded. "He looked awful, like he'd been fighting all day." Ukyo looked over at Drake. "Well, he told me he was. He said he'd been fighting with Ranma. I still don't know why, but I got really upset with him, and, well, I kinda hit him over the head with my spatula." Ukyo looked down at the floor. "I didn't mean to hurt him. Geez, I feel like Akane, you know?"

Shampoo tried not to laugh, this was just too good. Shampoo had promised Ranma no more tricks, but scheming was still fair. She grined at Ukyo. "Drake tell you anything about self?"

"Yeah, he's told me a bit. Why?"

"He tell you that he banished from tribe?" Ukyo nodded. "You see, even though he banished, he still supposed to follow laws, if prove to be good, elders can bring them back."

"Okay, so where are you going with this Shampoo?"

"You just say you beat big-brother, right?"

Ukyo's eyes got as wide as saucers. "Wait, just wait a minute! Please tell me he's not gonna start chasing me like you chase Ranma!"

Shampoo kept grinning. "No, is different with amazon mens. Law say he is you property now, but Shampoo know big-brother, he probably ignore law. Shampoo just think you should know."

Ukyo sighed. 'Well, that was close, but he might not ignore the law. I really don't need another guy chasing me.' She looked back at Drake. 'Unless he is really interested. Not like Kontasu or Tsubasa who just blindly chase me around beause they have a crush on me.'

"Ukyo, you like Drake?" Shampoo asked.

Ukyo turned crimson. "I uh, um."

"Aiya, you do like him! This mean you stop chasing Airen?"

Ukyo's blush dissapeared. "Oh, I get it! You don't really care you just want Ranma all to yourself! I'm not giving up that easy."

"Of course Shampoo want Ranma, But she do care. Didn't in past, but Shampoo do now. Big-brother help Shampoo, he show her her mistakes." Shampoo looked down. "Shampoo sorry if she cause you trouble."

"Hey, you really mean that, don't you?" Shampoo nodded and Ukyo sighed. "Oh it's okay Shampoo. You and I have both done dumb things to win Ranma. I gotta admit though, he is worth it."

"Aiya, is true."

"Hey, Shampoo, what made you stop by here today?"

"Shampoo is looking for Airen. He make promise to come and see Shampoo when he get back so she could make him big bowl of ramen. But, he dissapear after fight, and Shampoo been looking for him since then."

"Sorry Shampoo he didn't come here. Wasn't he at the dojo?" Shampoo shook her head. "Oh! That's right. Ranma's mother was here earlier this week, she told me that when Ranma got back that he'd be moving in with her."

"Aiya, but Shampoo no know where that is."

"Yeah, me either, sorry Shampoo."

"Is okay, Shampoo go now, you take good care of big-brother for Shampoo, yes?" And with that she ran off for home.

Akane was having another massive mood swing. She was so mad at Ryouga for what he did, but she felt awful for hitting him like that. 'Why? Why can't I just listen to people when their trying to reason with me?' She started crying again. Crying was something she'd done nearly everyday since then. She had spent hours trying to find him after Shampoo had told her that he left. She was so tired when she finally got home that night, only to have her father tell her that he was so happy because now she could marry Ranma again. Akane curled up on her bed. After he father said that, she just snapped, she took out all of her rage from the last month on her father. She screamed, she punched, and she kicked, over and over again. Then she disgusted her self by justifying what she'd just done saying, it was her father's own fault for interfearing. It made her sick to her stomache to hear herself say something like that after beating up her father. He ended up forgiving her though. She was still appologizing alot. Then she heard a familiar call from down stairs. She got up and ran down to the front door.

"Ranma! Welcome home!" Kasumi said.

"Hiya Kasumi, is everyone here?"

"Why yes, is something wrong?"

"Nah, but I got an anouncement to make."

"Alright, oh, I believe father has one too."

Ranma started to head into the main room when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He glanced over at the stairs to see Akane frozen in her tracks looking at him.

"Ranma?" She said.

"Hi Akane, how ya been?"

She slowly approached him. "Not so good. You just left you know. You hardley told anyone, we were worried."

"Yeah, sorry bout that. But, if you remember, the last time I tried to leave, you accused me of running off with Shampoo and attacked me with your shinai 8."

"I'm glad your back Ranma." He turned to walk into the main room. "Um, Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen Ryouga?"

"No, why?"

"Well, we kinda had a fight, and I kinda hit him really hard. I broke up with him three weeks ago, and I haven't seen him since."

"Why'd you have a fight?"

"He got splashed with water. You knew all along didn't you, Ranma?"

"Yeah I did. I made him a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone, and then you made him your pet. I'm sorry i didn't tell ya Akane, but I keep my word."

"I think I finally understand that Ranma."

"C'mon, let go in the main room."

Ranma and Akane walked into the main room and sat at the table. Soun, Nabiki, Kasumi, and Tofu were already there.

"Ah! Ranma, welcome back." Soun said.

"Hi, everyone." Ranma said.

"Well now. Seing That Akane and Ryouga were broken up, I thought it would be a good idea to renew your engagement to Akane. However, she made it violently clear that she wouldn't marry you. But there is still the honor of our two families to consider here. And that honor demands that you Ranma, marry one of my daughters. Seeing as Kasumi is already married, and Akane won't marry you, your parents and I decided that you fiancee shall be Nabiki." Soun said

"What!" Cried Akane and Ranma.

"You mean now I'm engaged to Nabiki?" Ranma asked.

"That's right Ranma-baby, I'm not so thrilled about the idea either, but what can you do?" Nabiki said

"That's not fair dad!" Akane cried.

"Oh! Does that mean you accually do want to be engaged to him?" Kasumi asked

"Me? Marry a pervert like him? NO WAY!" Akane yelled

"Oh, so now I'm a pervert again?" Ranma said

"YES, YOU ARE!" Akane screamed.

"NO I AIN'T!" Ranma screamed back.

Akane stood up and walked of in a huff.

"It don't matter. Anyways, I don't know if my mother told ya, but I'm movin in with her and pops. So, I gotta go now, thanks for everything." Ranma said

"Yes, Nodoka called us the other day. I had to agree with her. It has proven to be too stressful to have you living with your fiancee." Sound said

"Do visit Ranma." Kasumi said.

"You know I will, I'll cya all later." Ranma got up and ran for the door.

He was about to jump the gate when he heard Nabiki call for him. He turned around and said. "Yeah, what is it Nabiki?"

"Look, Ranma, I know that niether of us are thrilled about this. I don't want to marry you because they say I have to."

"Okay, what's your point?"

"Let's get along. Make them think we're doing good, let them assume that we are a couple."

"Huh?"

"If they think we like each other, they'll leave us alone."

"Hey, that's a good idea Nabiki."

"Well of course it is. Now, you go ahead and run off for now, okay 'honey'?"

Ranma laughed. "Yeah okay 'dear'."

Ranma jumped the gate and ran off. He was exausted and needed to get home.

Ukyo woke with a start. 'Damn, I must've fallen asleep.' "Drake?" she said. She looked around and found no trace of him. Then she realized she had been tucked in to her futon. 'He must have put me here, that's kinda sweet.' She thought, then she let herself drift back off to sleep.

Drake was laying on Ukyo's roof. 'Like hell I care about amazon laws!' He thought.

End Chapter 8.

8 I wasn't sure how to spell that. But I know how to say it. It's kinda funny, seeing as in the anime sometimes she accually had a boken.

dana-san: : Shudder : Drake and Ranma. That'd be creppy. LoL. Thanks for your Review, and it's true, Akane is a little OOC, but she is 19 in this story, so she's finally grown up a little.

Innortal: Thank you. It wasn't in chapter 7 because I'm trying to keep all of the Chapters around the same length (For now.)

Wonderbee31: I so agree with you on that one.