Before The Story Began

This is an introduction to changes that have occurred before my stories
have begun. All the changes listed in this introduction will eventually get
their own stories, but my first Fanfic is the culmination of all the events
that you will read about below.

I welcome any comments or criticisms that you may have. My email address
is: ShadowsLady@goplay.com. If you would like to see my homepage, the URL
is mypage.goplay.com/Shadows Lady/. Please check it out. Thanks for the
interest.

Ranma and Ryoga have often been bitter rivals, but no one ever suspected
that Ryoga had a nemesis in the past as well. This young man, Akima
Torenshito, was the son of a dojo owner near the area where Ryoga lived as
a young boy. Naturally, as soon as he was able to go out on his own, Ryoga
started getting lost, and since his parents were just as bad as he was,
they often got lost looking for him. Thus, as he was still so young,
neighbors began taking the little boy in and taking care of him until his
parents' return: walking him to and from school, etc. He wandered in and
out of their lives for a while, very much like he has been doing with the
Tendo Dojo crowd, until his parents found him again, and then it would
start all over with someone new, but it was pretty much an understanding in
that community. Like their neighbors, the Torenshito family got their turn,
and the two boys struck up an aquaintance.

Well, this was fine for a while, until both boys hit adolescence. Ryoga was
already studying the Martial Arts at the time, and was really quite
skilled. During the times that he stayed at the Torenshitos, Mr. Torenshito
trained both boys in Kempo, as Akima was interested too. On this
unfortunate day, the boys were having a training match, and Ryoga defeated
Akima with ease. This really bothered Akima, and he immediatly requested a
rematch. Ryoga beat him again. This continued for several years, but no
matter how hard Akima trained, and how skilled he became, Ryoga continued
to outstrip him in skill, strength and ability. Akima became vengeful; how
was this boy, who couldn't even find his way around the block, so skilled
at the Martial Arts? How could he be so damn good? Then Akima reached his
highest skill yet, and was determined to seek out and take on Ryoga once
more. Then he learned that he had gone to China. Furious, he got his
parents' permission to go on a long training trip and followed. He caught
up with him at Josenkyo. Unfortunately, it was just after Ryoga had been
cursed and nearly eaten by Genma and the Josenkyo Guide; Ryoga was running
for his life. In his mad flight, naked and terrified, Ryoga knocked into
Akima and sent him on a header into another spring; "The Spring of the
Drowned Pekinese." Like Ranma, he didn't realize what he had done, but
Akima sure did.

Since then Akima has learned of Ryoga's curse as well, but that does not
satisfye him. A few months before my current story begins, he has tracked
Ryoga to Narima and has come to settle the double score. In their first
meeting, Ryoga is already heading towards victory, so Akima tries to use a
new technique that he picked up to telekenetically dowse Ryoga with cold
water. Ranma and Akane have come in on the fight, so Ranma nobly
"Sacrafices" himself to keep Ryoga's secret from Akane. The unexpected
break gives Ryoga an opening to deliver a stunning kick to his enemy, so
Akima does not know about Ranma's curse. He thinks the hot red-head is a
girlfriend of Ryoga's which infuriates him even more; he begins plotting to
steal the "Vixon" (Ranma-chan) from Ryoga, and declares Ranma-kun an enemy
as well. If that isn't enough, circumstances lead him right to Kodachi "The
Black Rose" Kuno, who ends up teaming up with him, as she sees him as an
instrument to get rid of Akane and her brother's wretched "Pig-tail Girl"
and win her "Ranma Darling" for herself.

Other important events: Ranma finally manages to convince Ryoga to tell
Akane about P-chan, and though this momentous event starts out getting both
boys severely beat-up by an infuriated Akane, the end result is a new, much
closer relationship and friendship between all three of them, because Akane
finally realizes how much Ryoga loves her, and how "honourable" Ranma can
actually be. In response to the sudden new friendliness between the three
young people, Genma begins to speculate that perhaps Ryoga and Ranma-chan
have something going on between them, and begins to wonder if it would be
legal to marry Ranma to Akane as planned, and Ryoga to Ranma-chan. That way
Soun could have two teachers to carry on the Dojo, and Genma could have
another son to work for him. They might even have children; more people to
take care of the two men in their old age. Naturally, Soun is rather
skeptical about such an arrangement, and the two boys want nothing to do
with such a sick scheme, but everyone knows that Genma does not often
consider other people's objections when it threatens something that could
benefit him. He "takes-in" Ryoga, and often tries to force him together
with Ranma-chan through guilt-trips and underhanded tricks. As far as Soun
is concerned, he has no objections to something that could benefit the Dojo
in the future, as long as it does not threaten his plans for Ranma and
Akane. Ryoga is delighted for a valid excuse to hang around Akane, as well
as grateful for a home-base, so he does not object to the arrangement
either. Unfortunately, that does cause him to feel some sense of duty
towards Genma, so he can sometimes be convinced to go along with the
determined man's wishes, to a certain extent.

Meanwhile, Tsubasa Kurunai, who had disappeared for a long time, returns.
He has a new "masculine" image and new skills in the art of Ninjitsu;
there's a rumor that Sasuke trained him at a secret dojo, and he's come
back to once again court his long-loved Ukiyo. Ranma has new compatition.
Hinako Hinomiyo (Hino-Chan Sensai) also reappears. She and Ranma have
another confrontation, but the end result is that he stumbles upon a way to
help her deal more effectively with her deformity, (being a little girl
unless she sucks up massive amounts of Chi). Hinako goes on the approbriate
quest, gets new knowledge and abilities, and ends up saving Soun from some
dangerous circumstances. She returns as a crusader for Furinkan
Highschool's students against the dreaded Principal Kuno, and begins to
earn the favor of the Tendo girls, especially when Nabiki and Akane
discover Kasumi's silent longing to eventually take care of her own house
and raise her own family. Perhaps they need to begin to prepare themselves
for a stepmother after all.

The final important development, is something that happens quite by
accident. Ranma and Akane decide to teach Ryoga how to ice-skate more
effectively. During their visit to the local sports center, Ranma
transforms to Ranma-chan to help Ryoga learn some partner-skating moves. If
he practiced with Akane and his lack of skill caused an accident, Akane
might get hurt. Ryoga actually does quite well, but just before Ranma is
about to turn back and allow Ryoga to practice with Akane, The "Golden
Pair" appears to challange her and Ryoga to a re-match. In the following
confrontation, Azusa comes onto Ryoga calling him "My Charlotte," and
Senzanine tries to kiss Ranma again. Ranma, due to anger, and Ryoga, for
self-preservation, agree to the match. Unfortunately, there's a problem. In
a formal, public match, both partners need a name, and "Ranma" just does
not work. The resourceful trio comes up with the perfect name: "Ranoka" in
honour of Nodoka, Ranma's mother, as Ranma was named for his father. I know
very little of the Japanese language, but I saw one source that translated
the name "Nodoka" as "Calm breeze," and "Ranma" as "Wild horse." I did a
little fudging and said that the name "Ranoka" would mean "Wild breeze," a
very good name for Ranma's female personality. I know that it's not really
true, but I like it, so let's just say that in this alternate world, that's
what it means. Thus, we now have a new name for Ranma-chan; Ranoka Saotome.
Hmmm, I wonder why we would give her a seperate name? You'll just have to
read my stories and find out. Heh heh heh.

These have been the changes that you ought to be aware of before you read
the story. To begin the story, simply return to The Fanfiction Title Page,
and click on Part One in the "PRICE OF HONOUR" selection. I hope that you
enjoy it.

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