A Wish Come True: A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction (With Urd)
By Brian

Part 1: With this ring...

	Akane Tendo sat by the water's edge, the park near her home providing 
some form of solace.  Absently, she picked up a flat rock and skipped it across 
the surface.  She watched the ripples, almost hypnotic in their regularity.
	
	Akane stared out across the lake.  The silence was overwhelming, and she 
wanted nothing more than to just become of part of it.  To calm herself, for 
once.  That was the one thing she hadn't been, in the entire range of emotions 
from love to hate.  She run the gamut but hadn't once felt peace since Ranma's 
arrival at the dojo.  She hadn't felt it very often before he'd shown up, but 
it had still been there, on occasion.  Now she never felt it.  Always something
went wrong, always fate intervened, always someone or something came between
them. 
	This latest incident hadn't been anything special, or at least it
shouldn't have been.  
	She hadn't actually been better, of course, it was just the suit giving
her a power boost, and she knew that.  It hadn't been fair to beat up on Ranma
like that.  Fun, yes, but she hadn't actually beaten him.  Then he had to go
and make it personal.
	Standing up, Akane took a deep breath and began the long walk back 
toward the dojo.  Where Ranma waited with, undoubtedly, every problem in her 
life, but she wasn't sure that she could live without the constant bickering, 
the multiple fiancees, Nabiki's money-grubbing ways, or even continuously 
beating on Kuno.  She tried imagining her life without these things, it just 
didn't feel right.  After being a participant for so long, to be a spectator, 
or to have it entirely absent, would just be wrong.
	She was Akane Tendo, the one true fiancee to Ranma Saotome, and she
wasn't about to let that slip away.  A sane life was not what she needed or
what she truly desired.
	As the short-haired girl walked, she spotted a young couple sitting at 
the water's edge, just enjoying being with each other.  Both looked 
extraordinarily nervous.  One, a college boy from the look of him, kept sending 
nervous glances toward the other, a foreign woman who, Akane had to admit, 
reminded her of Kasumi.  The woman's only response to anything the young man 
did was to blush and look down at her feet.  The man stopped walking and the 
woman continued on, staring at her feet.  Keichii, Akane had caught his name 
while eavesdropping, just hung his head in despair.
	"Why can't I just tell her?" He asked himself.  The quiet desperation in
his voice reminded her of Ryoga for some reason.  Her own friendly nature getting
the best of her, Akane couldn't help but answer him.
	"I give up, why not?" Keichii jumped almost a five feet in the air, 
impressive, for someone so obviously a non-combatant.
	"Who are you?"
	"My name is Akane Tendo, and you haven't answered my question." She
laughed lightly at his nervousness.  The poor guy was obviously a wreck where this 
girl was involved.
	Keichii seemed to accept this as a fitting response, if she could help him 
with his love life, it didn't really matter who she was.
	"Because I don't think she feels the same way.  How could she, I mean, I'm 
just a normal guy, and Belldandy's well... she's Belldandy."
	"She feels the same way.  Didn't you notice how much she was blushing 
whenever she looked at you, or whenever she caught you looking at her?"
	"Do you really think so?"
	"Of course I do, it's the truth.  Sometimes things like this are just more
visible to people on the outside."  She gave him a pat on the back and pointed him 
in the direction of Belldandy.  Who had stopped to wait for him, far enough away that 
she couldn't hear what was being said.  She was watching him talk to Akane, and 
appeared somewhat apprehensive at the short-haired girl's proximity.
	Leaning close, Akane whispered a few lines of poetry from Ms. Hinako's 
class into Keichii's ear.  If Akane was any judge of character, Belldandy was 
just the kind of girl that would appreciate something like that.
	"I hope you're right about this."
	"Of course I am."
	With that, Keichii walked off.  Akane watched as he caught up with 
Belldandy and began to sputter out the cheesy lines.  She turned to leave but 
found herself face to chest with a very tan, very slim, very tall, very well-
built, and very Gorgeous woman with platinum-blond hair spilling down past her 
shoulders.  Akane didn't notice the woman's clothes past a sub-conscious level, 
probably because they gave the illusion of not being there at all.
	"I would've bet anything that that wouldn't have worked."
	Akane 'eeped' and jumped back, slightly startled at the woman's sudden 
appearance.
	"Sorry to startle you Akane-chan."
	"Y-y-you know my name?"
	"Of course I know your name."
	"How?"
	The woman looked slightly caught off-guard by the question.  "Um, I heard 
you talking to Keichii just now.  I must've heard it then."
	"Oh, okay, are you a friend of his?"
	"Yeah, I've been trying to get him and Belldandy together for awhile now."
Urd made a dismissive sound at the look on at Akane's face. "No, no, nothing like 
that, I'm just surprised that you were able to do something I couldn't.  Come,
Akane-chan, walk with me.  We'll leave the lovebirds alone."
	"Did you ever try what I just did?"
	"Well, my approach has always been a bit more, physical, or 
metaphysical, depending on how you look at it."
	Akane gave Urd a confused look, which became disapproving.  "Well, fate 
likes to mess with people who use love potions and such."  Thoughts of a certain
Amazon filled Akane's mind, for some reason coincedence had always intervened
when Shampoo tried something like that, often causing them to backfire.  She 
quashed a memory of Ryoga doing something similar.
	"Oh, do you know her well?"
	"Huh?"
	Urd caught herself before she could slip again, "Ahem, I mean, do you have 
experience with this sort of thing."
	"More than I would like."
	"Well, I'll tell you what kiddo, for taking away my matchmaking game by 
getting Keichii and Bell together.  I'll do you one back."
	"What do you mean?"
	"Well, have you ever had a wish, or maybe an unfulfilled dream.  Something
that seemed completely unattainable by normal means?  Maybe there's an unrequited
love in your life?"
	Akane nodded.  The knowing look she was recieving from the white-haired
woman would've been unnerving if she hadn't been so eerily correct.
	"Well, let's just say that I might be able to make that wish come true."
	"You promise?"
	"Of course."  And, caught up in the moment, Urd shook Akane's hand.  When 
she was done, her mind finally caught up with her, and it took all of her divine
willpower to keep from punching herself in the head.
	"Um, Akane, now that I think about it, maybe this isn't..." A bolt of 
energy struck the grass near Urd, leaving writing in its wake, it was in the 
divine language.  Reading 'Dear Urd, A promise is a promise is a promise is a 
promise, ha ha ha ha ha.  Skuld.'
	"Um, what does that say?"
	"Nothing of importance, Akane-chan, now as I was saying.." Another bolt 
struck the ground, this time leaving Kanji in its wake, with a message the 
same as the previous one, and Akane read it aloud.
	"...ha ha ha ha ha, Skuld.  Um, are these for you?"
	Urd nodded her head.
	"Then that would make you Urd right?"
	She nodded again.
	"What exactly does this mean?"  Having experienced more than enough 
weirdness in the last year, she was not about to dismiss this as an elaborate 
practical joke.  More than likely, she'd just gotten involved in something
she was sure to regret tomorrow.
	"Perhaps I should explain. Akane-chan, I'm a goddess."  The look Urd 
received from Akane said in no uncertain terms what she thought of that statement.
	"I'm serious, Akane-chan.  When a goddess grants a wish, it comes in the 
form of a contract.  Written, fulfilled, and stored, in heaven.  For a goddess, 
a promise and a wish are the same thing.  When I made that agreement just now, 
it had the same effect as me making a contract with you.  I cannot break it, and 
I have to fulfill it to the best of my ability, and as goddess of the past, 
that's quite an ability.  I do not know what the wish was exactly, as I do not 
know exactly how the contract was worded, I have to get to a phone before I can 
find that out."
	"Why's that?"
	"I have to call my father."
	"You mean..."
	"Yes, and I think we should use the phone at your house."
	"Why?"
	"I think Keichii and Bell may want to be alone."  Urd gave a wink and a 
crooked grin.  Akane blushed.
	
*-*-*-*

	The streets of Nerima weren't as active as they usually were, so Akane
took the time to explain to Urd her current situation with Ranma.  Yes, she got
mad at him occasionally, and yes, he teased her far too much, but he was her
fiancee, and she was engaged to him.  They'd both fought for that engagement
often enough that Akane was sure neither of them wanted that to change.  To the
goddess at hand, the short-haired girl's feelings were an open book.  Luckily,
Urd didn't read aloud.
	Walking with the self-professed Goddess of Love to the dojo proved to 
be an interesting experience.  The males that they passed on the street nearly 
passed out from loss of blood, and the females were simply glaring daggers, 
knives, and other sharp objects at the both of them.  Urd didn't seem to notice, 
but Akane did, and the red on her face proved it.
	"Um, Urd?"
	"Yes, Akane-chan?"
	"Why do you wear clothes like that?"
	"Because they feel so good, and the looks that I get from the guys 
really make it worth it."  The goddess favored a nearby street vendor with a 
wink.  He passed out.
	"Oh."
	As they neared the dojo, Akane spotted a familiar bandoliered girl, 
mentally noting that Ukyo's giant spatula was absent.
	"Hi, Ukyo."  Akane's waved to her sometimes friend.
	"Hey, Akane-chan.  Who's your friend?"  Giving the Goddess a quick
glance with her eyes, Ukyo found herself unable to form a quick opinion of
the strange woman.
	"Ukyo Kuonji, meet Urd.  Urd, meet Ukyo Kuonji."
	"Urd, that's kind of a strange name... sounds Norwegian or something."
	"It is."
	"Oh, I guess that explains it then.  Sorry Urd-san, but I'm in a hurry.  
Akane have you seen Ranchan today?"
	Akane replied in the negative.  After they'd sold the battlesuit to
a secondhand store, she'd asked Ranma if he could have some time to herself.
He hadn't been happy about it, but he'd given her some space for the last
couple of days.  He could be considerate that way, even if it was infuriating.
	"Oh well, maybe I'll just wait here with you and your friend until he 
shows up.  So Urd, what's your business here at the Tendo's?"  Ukyo's experience
was that guests at the Tendo home were there to either take Ranma or force him
on Akane.  Either one was bad.
	"How'd you know I was going to the Tendo's?"
	"You're with Akane, and you are headed in this general direction.  It
doesn't take a Nabiki to figure this one out."
	Urd smiled at the chestnut-haired girl, her aura was teeming with 
lovesick desperation.  This town was obviously a goldmine of some kind.
"I'm here to help Akane-chan with something.  It's my job, you see."
	"And what job is that?"
	"Relationship counselor."  It wasn't exactly a lie, and she'd used
that description for her work before, so it rolled off the Goddess' tongue 
without difficulty. 
	"I see."  The chef pursed her lips in thought. "Urd-san, if I could 
have a word with you."
	"Of course, Ukyo-chan."
	Ukyo walked a few feet away with Urd, giving a backward glance to assure
herself that Akane wouldn't eavesdrop.  "Ahem, Urd-san.  When you say 
'relationship counselor' whose relationship do you mean exactly?  There are 
quite a few unrequited loves in Nerima." Ukyo paused to frown at this. "So 
whose relationship are you going to counsel?  You aren't trying to get 
Ranchan and Akane closer together are you?"
	A lecherous grin split Urd's face.  "Why would that be any of 
your business, Ukyo-chan?  Do you have a crush on Akane's fiancee?"
	Ranma's cute fiancee resisted the urge to slap the bronze-skinned
woman.  "Didn't you know?  Akane and I are both engaged to Ranma."  The 
look of surprise on Urd's face betrayed her, and Ukyo shook her head sadly.
"You didn't know.  Look, there are a lot of unrequited loves in this town,
and I think Akane has more options than she realizes. So maybe you'll decide 
to just let things go on as they are?"
	Urd directed a level gaze at the intense young woman.  "Ukyo-chan,
I make it a point in my business not to break people up when they're love,
okay?  I would never do that."
	The cook sighed, looking over the Goddess' shoulder at Akane.  The
short-haired girl looked pensive as she shuffled her feet in the background.
"Thanks, Urd-san, that's good to know."
	"You're welcome Ukyo-chan."
	With that, Ukyo headed toward her restaurant, and Urd walked back 
toward Akane, who seemed more than a little nervous at the friendly conversation
that the goddess had just shared with her rival.
	"So what were you two talking about?"  Akane suddenly found her hands
very fascinating.
	"Not much, Akane-chan.  Ukyo seems to be a nice girl, very sharp.  
She makes a convincing boy.  So, which way to the phone?"  Urd laughed 
coquettishly and gestured for the youngest Tendo to lead the way.
	Akane found herself laughing along with the Goddess as they went inside.

*-*-*-*

	"I have to what? Why? Why can't I just fulfill it like a normal one?"
	Belldandy's voice was gentle, yet firm, on the other end of the phone, 
as Kami-sama was indisposed at the moment. "Urd...  You made the agreement without 
the proper clearance.  While Akane Tendo is a good, kind, and self-sacrificing person, 
she would not have received a wish if not for you, very few people do, and the 
way it was worded makes this the most logical solution.  This way she can fulfill 
it in her own time and you won't have to worry about interfering in her life any 
longer than you have to."
	"But what if I..."
	"Let me rephrase, Father won't have to worry about you interfering in 
her life any longer than you have to."
	The Norn of the Past sighed, relenting in the face of her sister's
resolve.  "Okay, Belldandy."
	"Good, now go about your business, and Urd..."
	"Yes, Belldandy."
	"Thank Akane for me.  What she had Keichii say was really very sweet."
Crystalline laughter floated from the reciever in Urd's hands.
	Hanging up the phone, Urd looked around at the walls of the Tendo 
household.  Had she not known better, she would've assumed that this was where 
Belldandy was living with Keichii.  She had only spent a few minutes inside so 
far, so she had yet to met any of its unique residents.  Akane had shown her
where the phone was and gone upstairs to take a nice long soak in her furo.  
Leaving Urd by herself in an unknown house, with a request handed down from 
Kami-sama Himself which left her waiting until Akane finished in the bath to 
grant a wish.
	Urd wandered into the kitchen, thinking she had heard a familiar song.  To 
find that she had heard a familiar song, it was Belldandy's cooking song, and 
Belldandy's voice.  But it was not Belldandy.  It was a girl with brown hair, 
hanging over one shoulder, and tied with a yellow ribbon.
	"Oh, hello, I'm Kasumi Tendo, no one told me that we had a guest.  It is 
very nice to meet you Ms..."
	"Urd."
	"Ah, it is very nice to meet you Ms. Urd.  If you will excuse me, I'm 
afraid I must finish cooking dinner."
	Urd looked closely, it could just be a very basic disguise spell, but that 
was not Belldandy's style.  Or maybe Belldandy was trying to trick her into 
thinking that it wasn't her when really it was her.   Urd derailed that train of thought before her 
head began to hurt too much.
	

*-*-*-*

	Akane was in the furo, mulling over the last couple hours, She had just 
met a goddess, and apparently been granted a wish without even realizing it.
	
	The thought that she had unwittingly wasted a wish did not sit well with 
her at all.  Akane stepped out of the bath, grabbing a towel off the rack and 
folding it around her at her armpits she walked and opened the door to the changing 
room.
	She found herself face-to-face with a naked red haired girl with a pig-tail.

*-*-*-*

	
	Urd was sitting by the rocks on the pond when there was a large splash and
 she found herself covered with water.  Her clothes, which had been clingy before,
 were now both clingy and transparent.
	The only person Urd could find to blame was the red-head stepping out of
 the pond.
	"Did you jump in there for a reason, youngling?"
	The pig-tailed girl rose turned an indignant glare on the stranger.  "Hey! 
it's not my fault that tomboy is...?" Her eyes rolled up in her head and she fell 
flat on her back when the nosebleed started.  Urd's attire, and general aura of 
rampant sensuality, apparently did not mesh well with Ranma's rather naive sensibilities.
	A lecherous grin found it's way on the love goddess' face. "This could be fun."
	A steaming, and now dressed, Akane, tore her way out of the house.
	"Where is that pervert?  Ranma?  Ranma!  Get over here!"
	"Akane-chan, do you mean her?"  Akane looked over by the pond at the scantily
clad goddess who was kneeling over Ranma-chan, snapping her fingers over the 
martial-artist's eyes.
	"What happened to him?"
	"Him? Akane-chan, I may not know technology, but I know the difference 
between a boy and a girl, and this is most definitely a female."
	"You're a goddess, read his mind."
	Urd frowned, "I'm not exactly allowed to do that Akane-chan, unless the 
person has earned a wish or something similar."
	"Well that's good."
	"But if you insist, a simple probing spell should be sufficient."  The goddess 
concentrated for just a moment.  When a look of comprehension came on her face.  "Oooh.  
A Jusenkyo curse huh?  Poor guy."
	It was at this time that Akane finally noticed Ranma's nosebleed, and Urd's
attire.  "Would you mind changing into something a little bit less flattering Urd, 
or at least drying off.  I told you before, my fiancee is a pervert."
	"Of course I don't mind, Akane-chan."  Urd snapped her finger and was 
suddenly in a dry and well fitting business suit.  "This better?"
	Akane boggled at the Goddess' sudden shift in attire.  "I wish I could do that."
	Urd's eyes widened.  "Careful about your words, Akane-chan."
	The short-haired girl blushed hotly.  "Wow, that could've been awkward."
She shook the frightening thought from her mind.  "I've got to get this jerk inside.
Then we can talk about my wish."
	"Oh, right, of course." 

*-*-*-*

	With Ranma safely dried off and placed on a futon in the living room, Akane 
rounded on Urd and confronted the goddess with an almost predatory look.
	"So?  What happened, how'd the phone call go, what's my wish?"
	Urd looked at Akane rather sadly as she reached into her blouse and
removed a ring.  It was a small band of solid gold, completely unremarkable in every
way.  Urd turned it like a coin in her hand and flipped it to Akane.
	"Here."
	"What's this?"
	"Your wish."  Urd continued at the befuddled look on Akane's face.  "Wear that 
ring on your right hand.  Say 'I wish' and presto, wish granted.  It will be charged 
one day after I leave, my father says that that way you'll have time to think about 
what you want.  It will return to me when you've made your wish."
	"Um, okay.  I think I can handle that."
	Examining the prone redhead in the middle of the floor, Urd directed a
small smirk at Akane.  "You know, for as many times as you called him an idiot, you
sure take good care of him."
	Akane blushed.
	Chuckling, Urd turned towards the television and grabbed hold inside the 
screen with one hand, sliding one of her feet inside as well.  Halfway in, she turned
back to the youngest Tendo.  "Akane, take this."  Urd handed her a small business 
card. "It's the phone number of the temple I'll be staying at in case you need help."
	The goddess vanished into the television, leaving a giddy Akane behind.
	"I get a wish, I get a wish."  A giddy laugh bubbled out of her as she 
pranced about in triumph.  Subconciously checking Ranma to make certain he was okay, 
Akane slipped the card into her pocket and the ring onto her right hand, running up 
the stairs to her room.
	Ranma sat up a couple of seconds later.
	"What the hell...?  Why's the tv glowing?  Oh, it stopped.  Akane must've
hit me harder than I thought."  The despondent red-head trudged her way upstairs 
to try and sleep it off.  Thoughts of strange platinum haired women running rampant 
in her head.

*-*-*-*

	The next morning Akane woke up, and much to her dismay, discovered herself
still in her clothes.  She frantically reached for her hand and found the reassuring
weight of the small golden band she'd recieved yesterday.
	  The thought of 
having practically anything she wanted was a weighty one.  A plethora of ideas
passed through her mind, but all were dismissed as either flights of fancy or,
in her own opinion, rather childish.  If she was going to recieve a wish,
it needed to really count for something.
	
	Akane made her way to the bathroom to find it empty, where usually
she would encounter a naked Ranma.  
The sounds of battle made their way in from outside, ruining Akane's perfectly
good mood.
	Removing her clothes for a lightning fast scrub, Akane made certain
to keep the ring on, and not to drop it when she was soaping her hands.
Making quick work of her hair and the rest of her body.  the short-haired girl
fled before a certain pig-tailed martial artist could appear as he seemed to 
have a habit of doing.

*-*-*-*

	Downstairs, Ranma and his father were engaged in a war over the rice and
broiled fish.
	"Will you two just knock it off?  It's just food, you don't need to war over it."
	"Jeez, Akane, what's gotten into you.  You never seemed to mind me and pop
quite that much before."
	"Yeah, well, I got tired of it, scoot over."  Ranma reluctantly complied
with her wishes to give her a little bit more room at the table.
	"Yo, Akane?"
	"What, Ranma?"
	"Where'd you get the ring?"
	"What ring?"
	"Sis, I believe Ranma is referring to the twenty-four karat gold ring
on the fourth finger of your right hand.
	Akane removed her hand from Nabiki's grasp, and then seized the jeweler's
loupe that her sister was using. "It was a gift from a friend, leave me alone Nabiki."
She suddenly became conscious of Ranma's intense gaze.  "And stop pestering me, 
pervert."  With a playful smack to the back of his head, Akane returned to her meal.
	Ranma's eyes followed the tiny band on his fiancee's finger, for some reason he
couldn't quite identify its presence really bothered him.
	Soun immediately burst into tears.  "My daughter is engaged to someone and it
isn't her fiancee!"  Kasumi set about the task of calming Soun while Nabiki ran off
to school.
	"Foolish boy!  Your horrible treatment of Akane has sent her into the arms
of another man.  This is all your fault!"
	"Now wait a second pop, this isn't my fault at all, is it, Akane?  Akane?"
All the response he got was the slamming of a door.  "Crap, I'm late for school old 
man, I gotta go."  Ranma burst out of the house, backpack in hand, leaving a trail 
of dust behind him.

*-*-*-*

	Jogging along the fence, it wasn't long before Ranma caught sight of Akane
running at her usual breakneck pace toward Furinkan.
	"Yo! Akane!" She ignored him.
	"Akane what's... oh hell."
	Ranma increased his speed just enough so that he could catch up to Akane.
When he did she took no notice of his presence.
	"C'mon Akane, it's too early to be mad at me, I haven't done anything wrong yet."
	The short-haired girl scoffed at her betrothed.  "So you admit that you're 
going to do something later is that it? huh?"  She was baiting him now, and they
both knew it.  That was part of the fun.
	"No Akane, that's not what I meant it's just that..."
	"What Ranma?"
	"You seemed so pissed off today, what'd I do?"
	She sighed at the obvious concern he was emitting.  Why did he have to be so cute 
when he was worried about her, it made staying mad at him that much harder. "You didn't 
do anything Ranma, I'm just nervous, that's all."
	"Oh, about what?  There a math test or something today?"
	"I just have to make a decision today and it could affect alot of people.
I don't want to blow it."
	Ranma didn't like the sound of that at all.  Whenever a serious decision was 
brought up like this it usually involved their engagement.  "Well, I can take your 
mind off it, if you want."
	"How can you do that?"
	"Why should I tell a tomboy like you?  You're uncute, unsexy, violent,
and I've seen five year-old girl's with bigger chests than yours."
	"Ranma!"  Akane leapt onto the fence, swinging her bookbag and chasing 
Ranma toward the schoolyard.  When they passed through the gates.  Ranma sidestepped 
an axe kick from his fiancee and allowed her heel to impact on the face of Tatewaki 
Kuno.  Akane didn't notice as she whirled to face Ranma.
	"So Akane, still nervous?"
	"Why you I... um... no."
	"Then it worked." He tapped her on the forehead.  "Gotcha!"
	Akane attempted to harness the rage she normally directed at her fiancee,
but found herself laughing along with him as they headed into the building.

*-*-*-*

	"...just had to make us late didn't you.  No, I can't be on time, not the 
great Ranma Saotome.  Oh nooo.  Now here we are in the hallway holding buckets, 
we're lucky Miss Hinako didn't drain us."
	"Look Akane, it wasn't my fault, I'm not the one who had to chase me through
the halls for half an hour.  Besides, Hinako likes you, she's never drained you 
before and something tells me she's not about to start."
	"Oh, so it's my fault now is it?  I can't believe you, you're always blaming 
other people for everything that goes wrong in your life.  You're just like your dad."
	"Now that was uncalled for."
	"What're you going to do, Ranma?"  She taunted him expectantly, grinning at
the pig-tailed boy.
	Ranma just sighed in response.  The silence that filled the air between the 
two was almost tangible.
	"Ranma?" Again, silence.  The smile vanished from Akane's face as she
realized she'd crossed a line that time. "Ranma, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said 
that.  You're nothing like your father."
	"It's okay Akane, I know you didn't mean it."

*-*-*-*

	Lunchtime rolled around and, as was often the case, Ranma found himself 
confronted by a horde of would-be suitors.  All of whom had food that could be
considered untrustworthy, except one.
	"Ranma-sama, I made this just for you. I promise you'll love me for it.
Please, it will only take one bite."  Not that one.
	"Get away from me you crazy chick."
	"Airen! Shampoo bring you special ramen.  Now you eat, and then take Shampoo 
to date yes?"  Probably not that one either.
	"AAAAHHHH!"
	Shampoo and Kodachi were separated from the activity of stuffing Ranma's 
face by a wall of slate-grey metal.
	"You girls had best stay away from my Ranchan."
	"Ah, so the pancake prostitute wishes to confront the Black Rose does she?
I accept your challenge."  Kodachi began twirling her ribbon at an ever increasing 
speed, but was caught off guard when it was trimmed cleanly at the handle by a thrown 
spatula. The haft itself was used to block a few more projectiles.
	"Very well, spatula slinging slut. I shall confront you another day." A mad
laugh, a shower of black rose petals, and the psychotic female Kuno was gone.
	Ukyo breathed a sigh of relief.  Then turned on the purple-haired amazon.
	"Shampoo no be as easy to beat as insane black lotus girl." Shampoo 
twirled her Bonbori and assumed a defensive stance, waiting for her rival to attack.
Ukyo swung her spatula in a downward arc, which Shampoo easily sidestepped.  Ukyo's 
aim proved true, the oversized cooking utensil cracking a water sprinkler buried
in the grass.  A brief torrent of cold liquid coated the purple-haired Amazon, and she
felt her world grow larger.  As the now transformed Shampoo struggled out of her 
clothing, Ukyo grabbed the small pink feline by the scruff of its neck, holding it in 
a position to stare into her eyes.
	"Go home, Shampoo," she said with stonefaced intensity.
	The cat nodded, but hissed to indicate that she would see the chef 
another day.
	As the cursed Amazon vanished from the schoolyard, Ukyo sat down on the 
grass next to her best friend and fiancee. "So, Ranchan, where were you yesterday?
You didn't stop by for your free okonomiyaki."
	"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry, Ucchan.  With the lech and my old man, and having
to worry about Kodachi and Kuno.  Did I mention that Ryoga was in town yesterday?
It just seemed like everything went to hell.  Otherwise, I would've stopped by,
you believe me, right?"
	"Of course I do Ran-chan."   "I brought you some
okonomiyaki."  Ukyo took a packet of sauce and scribbled, 'I love you Ran-chan',
on the Okonomiyaki.  He didn't bother to read it, he just started eating.
A pained look crossed Ukyo's features for a moment but was quickly replaced
with a smile when he turned to face her.
	"Thanks Ucchan, you're one of the few people I can always count on.
I gotta go sit with Akane now."  Ranma pointed over to the glowing girl on the
other side of the yard.
	"Why?"
	"What do you mean, why?  I always eat with Akane."
	"Can't you eat with me?"
	"Okay Ucchan...
	Mentally, Ukyo did a victory dance at Ranma's decision, her face sparkling.
	"...I guess you can eat with Akane and me."
	 Ukyo's face wasn't sparkling anymore.
	Ranma grabbed Ukyo by the wrist and began trudging off to where Akane
was eating with her friends and glaring at him.  The sight would have made a
normal man, or a more observant one, shudder.  But Ranma was neither of these
things, and so, didn't react to Akane current state of mind.
	"Hello, Akane-chan."
	"What're you doing here Ukyo?"
	"Oh, Ranchan invited me over to eat with him.  It was really very nice of him.
So how are things going with you Akane?"
	Akane shot Ranma a look that promised intense pain to come. Normally she
and Ukyo got along very well, but after the spectacle that Shampoo and Kodachi had
made of themselves the chef's presence was not high on her wishlist.
	"Akane?"
	"Oh, They're going just fine Ukyo.  Some things could be better, but 
it seems like that's always the way."  Her mouth moving on auto-pilot, Akane
began to relate the story of the cursed powersuit to Ukyo, carefully avoiding 
any references to Urd or their brief encounter yesterday. During the entire 
conversation she continued glaring at Ranma, who did his best to act like he was 
ignoring her.  Unfortunately, Ranma isn't all that great an actor. In the 
midst of this conversation.  A loud voice rang out across the courtyard.
	"Ranma Saotome! I would free the pig-tailed girl and Akane Ten-"
	Clang.
	The plate, which had once had an okonomiyaki on it, found itself with 
a new face-shaped imprint.  Tatewaki Kuno pitched backwards into unconsciousness.
	Snacking on the deluxe okonomiyaki in his hands, Ranma admired his
friend's skillful throw.  "Thanks, Ucchan.  That was even faster than usual."
	"Anytime, Ranchan."

*-*-*-*

	The gate into the Tendo grounds exploded inward, revealing an angry Akane
Tendo and a furious, though confused, Ranma Saotome.
	"I cannot believe you!  At lunch you were hanging all over Kodachi
and Shampoo, and then you have the nerve to grope Ms. Hinako in front of everybody!
You Pervert!"  Tiny events throughout the day had conspired, as they so often
did, to build the short-haired girl's anger up in increments as the hours wore on.
Now, safely away from their rivals, suitors, and other disruptive forces, Akane
could unleash her feelings on the pig-tailed boy.  
	Ranma, of course, couldn't understand what it was that had set his fiancee
into such a rage.  "Akane, I was not hanging all over Shampoo and Kodachi!"
	She launched a small series of punches and kicks at him. "Then what do 
you call it, pervert?"
	Weaving between Akane's fists, Ranma began to taunt the angry young woman,
adopting mocking poses as he avoided her attacks. "They were hanging all over me.
You know that they always do that."
	"Well, you don't have to act like you enjoy it all the time!"
	"What're you talking about?  I do everything I can to get them off me."
	"Yeah right!  You expect me to believe that, but I know you like to spend 
all your free time groping them.  You're as bad as Happosai."
	"Since when do I have any free time, tomboy?"
	"Who are you calling a tomboy!" Akane leapt into the air, lashing out with 
both fists and bringing them down with enough force to create a small crater, but 
Ranma was already running across the yard.
	Laughing a little too loudly, the pig-tailed boy ducked under a thrown cinder block.
	"Stand still and take your punishment."
	Akane was standing across the yard from Ranma.  He was gloating 
at how easily he outmatched her.
	"You are so Uncute!  I doubt that you could hit me if I was 
standing still."
	Akane screamed in frustration at her betrothed.  "Ranma Saotome, 
I wish I'd never met you!  You are such an arrogant self-centered bastard!  
I hope you..." there was a warm pulse of energy from Akane's hand.  The short-haired 
girl looked down in annoyance, and saw the ring she had recieved from Urd yesterday.
	It was glowing.
	
	A look of horror passed over her face as she fell to her knees in shock, 
looking with terrified understanding between the ring and Ranma.
	
	Ranma jetted to her side before either of them could blink.
	"Akane, what's wrong?"
	Akane looked up at her fiancee, abject horror painting her features,

	"Ranma don't leave, please don't go."  She latched her arms around him
with the desperation of a possessed woman.  "Please, tell me you won't go,
stay here, please don't go Ranma please please please."  The short-haired girl trailed 
off into harsh whispers, as the glowing band around her finger began releasing 
small flashes of brilliant golden lightning. Tears began to poor down the stricken 
girl's face as her grip tightened, clutching her fiancee with a fierceness that 
bordered on manic.
	"Ranma you can't leave me, please don't go."
	"Akane? What's going on... what are yo-"  The ring released a golden 
pulse of light, bathing the dojo and the surrounding area in a warm glow.
	When Akane opened her eyes, the featureless adornment had vanished 
from its position on her finger, and Ranma Saotome was gone.

*-*-*-*

	Urd was attempting to help Keichii with another one of his vehicular 
creations when she felt the magic of the ring activate.  Her excitement lasted 
only until she recieved a mental briefing on the wish and its ramifications.  
Urd dropped the parts that she had been holding in shock, a single tear sliding 
along her cheek, the enormity of what had just happened crashing down upon her.
	"Wish approved..."

*-*-*-*

	Akane looked around the yard.  Ranma wasn't there.
	"Ranma, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..." Wrapping her arms around her knees, 
the long-haired girl began to cry.  "I didn't mean it."
	"I love you," she whispered to the empty garden.

End chapter 1

    Source: geocities.com/brian_kun