(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Changes in School

It was later that evening when the household prepared to turn in for the night. The youngest Tendo had cried herself to sleep shortly after having her actions exposed to the family by her older sister, Nabiki. Her dreams filed with visions of guns, hospitals and a stricken fiancé, Akane woke several times during the night, only to roll over and be tormented by more of the same.

Nabiki had gotten dressed for bed and was getting her things ready for school. Her book bag was similar to most student bags in that it contained books, school assignments and supplies. But unlike most students' bags, it also carried, accounting tablets, photo albums, a cell phone, and a compact camera. Nabiki Tendo was not just an ordinary student, she was a shrewd businesswoman and needed to carry the tools of her trade.

She held up the sheet of photos and shook her head. Each sheet contained six photos, one set of Ranma in his female form, and one set of her sister, Akane. On a normal day, Nabiki would sell these photos to Kuno for several thousand yen. Most of the money went to the household expense, yet she hesitated to pack up the photos for the morning. Shaking her head, she cursed under her breath, "Damn! I don't think I can do this anymore!"

Nabiki sighed and returned the photo sheet to its binder. She placed the binder in her desk drawer and was about to close it when she noticed something and picked it up. It was a pair of framed photos picturing Ranma and Ranma-chan doing a kata. Both were mirror images of each other in the same position. She smiled for a moment as she recalled the time and effort she spent on the photos and dual frame. It was one of her best works.

She smirked for a moment as she placed the photo frame on her desk, "You see what you've done, Saotome?

Nabiki pointed down at the drawer, "I can't even sell photos now without feeling guilty about what it might do to you."

She got into bed and just before turning off the lamp, looked once again at the framed photos now sitting on her desk and half grinned to herself, "I sure hope you know what you're getting me into, Saotome, because for once, I don't have a clue."

The next morning it was Kasumi, as usual, who was the first to awaken. Long before any of the other members of the household had even stirred, the oldest of the Tendo daughters had already done her stretching exercises, taken a bath, dressed and was about to make breakfast for the family. Today was to be a bit different for her as Kasumi discovered someone in the kitchen humming to herself as she prepared breakfast.

Kasumi chuckled, "Good morning Auntie. There's no need for you to do that sort of thing while you're here as our guest. That's my job."

The older woman turned towards Kasumi and smiled warmly as she continued to prepare the food, "Good morning to you as well, Kasumi. I came down earlier and noticed there was no one here, so I decided to give you a hand."

Kasumi smiled as she picked up her apron and with practiced hands, put it on, and began to help, "I can see I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"

Nodoka chuckled, "I'm afraid not, dear. You know, I really miss this. There's nothing more enjoyable for a mother than to cook for her family. Now that my son is nearly grown up, I relish every moment that I can cook and care for him."

She stopped her work for a moment and took a deep breath. Kasumi reached over and gave her a quick hug, "Its okay, Auntie. I also understand how enjoyable it is to cook for the ones you love and care for."

Nodoka smiled for a moment and nodded her head. After she finished chopping the vegetables, she turned to Kasumi, "Do you mind if I ask you a question? It is a personal one and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but it's something I need to know."

Kasumi turned towards the woman and answered, "You're like family to us, Auntie. Even if your question is personal, I'll try and answer it for you."

Nodoka smiled warmly as she continued, "I apologize if this embarrasses you, but I do wish to know. Kasumi, how do you feel about my son?"

Kasumi chuckled, "Well, he is honest, loyal, a bit-."

Nodoka interrupted, "I'm sorry dear, I meant what are your feelings for him. Do you like him? Do you hate him?"

"Oh…. Alright Auntie, I'll be honest with you. I've felt for a long time as if Ranma were my younger brother. Yes, I do like him very much, but I don't love him."

"I see…."

"I really care for your son, just not in that way. When the engagement was first revealed to us, I was very afraid that I was going to be forced to give up something very dear to me."

The older woman looked at Kasumi for a moment and after noting the blush forming on her cheeks, smiled, "You already had someone, didn't you?"

Kasumi nodded, "When it was agreed that Akane would take the engagement, I felt relived that I wasn't going to be forced into the engagement. At the same time, I also felt guilty that we had pushed it onto Akane at such a young age."

Nodoka smiled, "He must be someone very special. Will I get to meet this gentleman?"

Kasumi took a deep breath, "I haven't seen him for quite some time, Auntie."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's hard to be separated from someone you care for."

She was about to continue when Nabiki stumbled into the kitchen. Mumbling something about mornings, she picked up a mug of strong coffee that Kasumi had made early that morning. She took a deep sip and nodded to the two women before walking out the door and into the dining room.

Kasumi chuckled, "Now that Nabiki is awake, we had better hurry. The rest of the family will be up soon."

Breakfast was very calm for once. With Ranma in the hospital, Genma had no one to toss out the window and into the koi pond. There was no morning practice today and because Ranma wasn't there to dunk him, the stench of wet panda, for once, did not fill the dining room with its unappetizing odor.

When breakfast was finished, Nabiki and Akane grabbed their book bags and lunches before heading off to school. The first half of the walk was strangely quiet as they made their way through the cool morning air. Nabiki looked over at her sister a few times and wondered how she felt after what happened last night. Akane was somewhat quiet and a bit withdrawn this morning.

Wondering what was on her sister's mind, Nabiki asked, "Hey Akane. Are you still coming with me to the hospital to visit Ranma after school?"

Akane's head shot up, "Y-yes. Why wouldn't I?"

Nabiki shook her head slightly, "Look, I'll meet you at the school gate right after the last class. The hospital is only a couple of blocks away from there, so if I miss you or one of us can't go right away, we can both meet there. Okay?"

"Yeah…Okay."

Akane was not in a good mood. Her normal trip-wire temper was on the verge of exploding and without her fiancé to take it out on, she was a pressure cooker with no release valve. Fortunately for the youngest Tendo, a different sort of release was patiently awaiting for her arrival at the school gate.

As the Tendo girls approached the school gate, a lone student stood several yards from the inside steps and waited. With his bokken in one hand, and his other hand on his waist, Tatewaki Kuno attempted to strike an impressive pose. Unfortunately for the kendoist, it was these very same antics that earned him considerably more ridicule than respect from his fellow students.

Kuno spread his arms wide as the two girls entered the school grounds, "What's this? The fair Akane Tendo unaccompanied by the villainous Saotome? Surely the gods themselves have smiled upon me this day! Come to my waiting arms, lovely maiden!"

Nabiki called out, "This isn't a good time, Kuno-baby"

Kuno, of course was not listening, "Be gone, mercenary one! Leave now, so that the fair Akane and I may embrace and share in our passionate love for each other!"

Akane, in the meantime was reaching new heights of anger. Her battle aura was glowing so brightly that it was visible to nearly everyone. Everyone that is, except for Kuno. He on the other hand took the youngest Tendo's movement towards him as an invitation and charged her with his arms spread wide apart. Akane didn't even slow down. When Kuno was almost upon her, she bent her knees slightly and pulled back her fist to her waist. A moment later, a sickening thud was heard as well as felt as Akane's fist impacted the kendoist's groin. While half the school's male population groaned, Kuno fell to the ground and curled up in excruciating pain. Akane didn't give him a second look as she continued to walk to class.

Nabiki smirked at Kuno as she walked past him, "I told you it wasn't a good time, Kuno-baby"

The upper classman could only whimper in reply.

It wasn't until lunch time that Kuno was eventually able to make a reappearance. Nabiki was sitting at a table eating her lunch while she went over her accounting books. As she quickly checked off her balance sheet, she heard a strained voice just above her, "Nabiki Tendo? A word with you."

Nabiki looked up and smirked, "Well, well. I didn't expect you to be up and about so soon."

"Your sister did seem a bit testy today. But that is not why I have come to you. I wish to do business."

Nabiki smiled sweetly, "Well then. Have a seat, Kuno-baby. Business is what I'm all about."

The kendoist eased himself slowly into the chair across from her, "I have come to purchase images of my fiery love, the pigtailed girl."

Nabiki smirked, "So, you've given up on my little sister?"

"Nabiki Tendo…It is not your business what I wish to purchase. It is only the merchandise itself that is your concern."

"Everything is my business, Kuno-baby. But if it's photos of your pigtailed girl that you are looking for, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"And why not?"

She folded her hands and answered coolly, "You bought all of the available sets. On top of that, my photographer is no longer under my employment, and unfortunately, that also means there will be no further photos."

He glared at her, "Surly you must have something."

She smirked at him for a moment before reaching down to her bag. Moments later she pulled out an envelope and placed it on the table. She covered the envelope with her hand as she spoke, "Alright, Kuno-baby, there is one last item. I must warn you, though, this is something special…something I've been saving."

"Oh?"

She smiled slyly, "This envelope contains a one-of-a-kind photo of you and your true love in a romantic embrace."

Kuno gasped, "Truly? Do you really have such a photo? I must have it!"

Before he could grab the photo, Nabiki pulled it close to her, "This is the last one, Kuno-baby. There will be no more photos for sale after this. Understand? No more. The price for this little gem is twenty thousand yen."

Kuno gasped, "Twenty thousand? That's robbery! I'll not pay it!"

She shrugged and picked up the envelope as if she was going to tear it in half, "As you wish."

"No! Don't! I'll pay it!"

Nabiki picked up the offered bills and handed him the envelope. While she placed the bills into her wallet, Kuno had already ripped the envelope open to gaze at his prize. It was not what he expected.

"Wha…? What is this travesty?!"

Nabiki smiled sweetly, "Whatever do you mean, Kuno-baby."

Kuno was furious as he turned the photo towards Nabiki, "You know very well what I mean, Nabiki Tendo! What is the meaning of this?"

The photo showed Kuno reaching around from behind and hugging a very male and very upset Ranma. Nabiki chuckled to herself as she remembered the hot cup of tea hitting Ranma-chan just as Kuno grabbed her, triggering the curse and giving Nabiki the golden opportunity to photograph Ranma stuck in Kuno's embrace.

She smirked at Kuno before turning and walking away, "That is exactly what I said it was. A one of a kind photo of you embracing your true love. Ta-ta."

As she left, Kuno tore up the photo and yelled, "I absolutely hate you, Nabiki!"

She was almost humming to herself as she walked to class, "You don't know how happy that makes me feel, Kuno-baby."

A half hour before class ended, Akane was having some problems. For most of the day, Ukyo had been passing notes onto her desk asking where Ranma was. Akane had pretty much ignored the occasional piece of paper that hit her desk, and so about fifteen minutes before school was to end, Ukyo began tossing notes every few seconds.

"Where's Ranma?"

"Is he on a training trip?"

"Did you poison him with your cooking?"

"Is he with Shampoo?"

Finally having enough, Akane grabbed one of the pieces of paper and quickly wrote a response, "Why should I tell you?"

"I'm his finance!"

"So!"

"What do you mean?!!"

"I am too!"

"All you do is hit him!"

"All you do is bribe him with food!"

"You poison him with your food!!"

Akane could stand no more and she jumped out of her seat and got into a battle stance and screamed, "That's it!"

Ukyo jumped out of her chair and faced off with Akane, "Let's go sugar, I've been waiting for this for a long time!"

They didn't get far though as the teacher tossed a pair of erasers at them both, "Ladies! We do not fight in class! Pick up your buckets of water and stand in the hall until class is over, then I want you both back here for detention!"

The two girls looked over at the teacher as they realized how far they had crossed the line. As he glared and pointed to the wall, they walked over and picked up the buckets of water. They then went outside and into the hall and waited for class to finish.

After a few minutes Akane spoke somewhat softly, "Ranma's in the hospital, Ukyo."

Ukyo turned sharply to her, "What?"

"It happened yesterday. Some punk was robbing a shop and threatening some little kids. Ranma jumped in and saved them, but…."

Ukyo hissed, "What happened to him?"

Akane sighed as her eyes watered, "He got shot, Ukyo. The bastard shot him."

Ukyo placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh my god! How bad was it?"

"Bad enough. But they were able to get him to the hospital in time and stop the bleeding. If he feels up to it, he'll be coming home tomorrow."

"Are you going to visit him?"

Akane lifted her buckets up a bit, "Yeah, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit late."

Ukyo smiled, "You and me both, Sugar. You do know I'm going with you to the hospital, right?"

Akane nodded as she waited for school to let out, "Yeah, I figured as much."