Authors: Sam and Merrianna

Series: Sibling Rivalry: 2 of ?

Characters Intro'd: Nabiki, Ukyo, Ranma-female (Ranko)

Feedback: Yes, please? Especially constructive. samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

Webpage: http://www.geocities.com/samwise_baggins/index.html

Nabiki Tendo hung up the phone, a thoughtful look on her face. Biting the end of her pencil, she absently tapped her fingers against the message pad on her desk. Several minutes passed before the seventeen-year-old was interrupted by a knock at her door. She jerked up, yanking the pencil from her mouth and covering the open page before her.

"Who is it?" she called, masking her sudden irritation at being intruded upon. She'd only been home for half an hour, after all, and relished her privacy more now that she'd had to get a job.

"It's Akane. I think I found a way to save the Dojo, Nabiki. Let me in!"

Her sister's excited voice, after two weeks of misery, interested Nabiki as much as her hopeful words. "It's unlocked." The brunette straightened in her chair and let her expression turn to one of satisfaction, as if she hadn't just been on the phone trying to solve their money problems. Her satisfaction wavered towards delight as the younger teen hurried in with a wide smile.

Akane hugged Nabiki, her brown eyes dancing. "Have you heard about the martial arts competition?" Grinning, she clasped her hands to keep from shaking in her excitement.

"Martial arts? So, is Ranma going to compete, or were you thinking of yourself?" Nabiki stretched, feeling disappointment, but not letting it show. "And how will that help save our home?"

The words sunk in, bringing Akane up short. Her eyes widened and she sunk onto the bed, whispering, "it's gotten that bad, Nabiki?"

The older teen stood and walked towads her closet, opening it and looking through as if unconcerned. She had her pencil in her mouth, nibbling in her normal show of nervous energy. She didn't need to answer her sibling, Akane seemed to catch on without any more clues.

"Oh, Nabiki! But..." Akane smiled wide, this time the expression forced. "Yuka and Sayuri were talking about a large competition coming to Furinken. They mentioned that we could take in borders or rent the Dojo out. I thought maybe with Sibling Rivalry, we could save..."

"Sibling Rivalry?" Nabiki turned and pulled the writing utensil from her mouth. "Is that the competition?" A grin split her face, her eyes finally lighting up. "We're saved." Quickly, the trim girl hurried to her desk and picked up the phone, starting to dial and write on her notepad simultaneously.

Akane moved towards her sister's desk, tilting her head. "You mean this will work?"

Pulling her ear from the phone temporarily, Nabiki stared at her little sister in amusement. "Saved? I don't know what you've heard, but Sibling Rivalry is only the biggest competition in Asia. If it's truly coming to Furinken High School, we won't have enough room for all the people who'll need places."

"Good." Akane nodded and sat on the bed again. "I was thinking Ranma could take Dad's room, and we could..."

Nabiki's head shot up again and she shook her head decisively. "Oh, no, Akane. Daddy ditched us to deal with this ourselves. His room is biggest. We'll move Kasumi into my room and Ranma can crash in Happosai's room. We'll rent out Daddy's, Kasumi's, and Ranma's rooms. That will allow us to bring in more people. Renting out Dojo space is a good idea; those competitors will want the practice space. God, this job has kept me out of the loop!" Nabiki heard a click in the phone and grinned widely, covering the mouthpiece and turning fully to her sister. "Be a good girl and close the door on the way out. I need to arrange a renter's license."

It was a definite dismissal, and it angered Akane instantly. After all, she should be allowed to help with this idea. Why do they always treat me like a baby? First I'm not allowed to get a job, now I'm not allowed to help with this competition. She headed downstairs almost hoping Ranma would show up and pick a fight with her. She felt the need to hit something.

Before the black-haired girl could get to the steps, however, Nabiki's door opened and she was called back. "Akane! I've thought of something. It's a series of competitions, right? All we need to do is win one of the sub-categories to get a large prize."

Akane turned and nodded, still wanting to help and feeling left out. She hid her clenched fists in her skirts. "Yes, and the teams who score highest in each category compete in the finals."

"Good! Could you look into entering us? I'm busy here, and you can find out the rules and such." With that Nabiki shut her bedroom door.

Stunned, the sixteen-year-old couldn't absorb what had just happened, at least for a full minute or two. Then, suddenly, it sunk in. Nabiki wanted to enter Sibling Rivalry as her partner? Oh! We'll win, I'm sure of it. Nabiki wouldn't enter unless she could, would she? Tension flowed from the girl and she skipped down the steps, smiling once more.

If she had seen where Ranma was at that moment, chances were that she wouldn't have been quite so pleased.

"Hey, Ucchan!" Ranma dragged Ryoga through the shop entrance of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki Shop. Behind the counter worked his childhood best friend,Ukyo Kuonji. The sixteen-year-old boy had to tighten his grasp on the other teenaged boy, as he tried to leave.

Ukyo looked up, long hair falling over one shoulder. She smiled, her eyes lighting up and turning her cute features prettier than Ranma would admit. "What is it, Ranchan? Hey, Ryoga."

Ryoga nodded, glaring at Ranma. "Hello." It wasn't that he disliked Ukyo, far from it. She was one of the people he often plotted with or talked to. However, when Ranma'd told the Kuno twins that he was going home, Ryoga had certainly thought that meant the Tendo's home.

The girl lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Hmmm... something's definitely up. Ryoga's usually the polite one.

Sinking onto a stool, Ranma tugged Ryoga to a seat next to him. "I need ta ask a favor, Ucchan. There's this big martial arts competition comin' up: Sibling Rivalry."

"Yeah, I heard." The chef slid a helping of Okonomyaki in front of each boy, out of habit really. "The entire school's buzzing about it. Wish I had a sibling, I'd jump in right away."

Ranma started happily chowing down, talking between bites. "Well, I need ya ta keep an eye on me." He gulped down the drink she offered. "This's great." He grinned at her, eating more.

Ukyo was flattered by his compliments, as always, but she didn't let that distract her. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and frowned severely. "And what do you mean by that, Ranchan?" Ryoga shrugged his confusion when she glanced to him for an explanation.

Sighing in pleasure, the teenaged boy merely grinned, blue eyes dancing with near-mischief. "Easy. All during Sibling Rivalry, if I'm not competin', I need ya with me constantly. If I try ta go anywhere I'm not s'posed ta be, I want ya ta stop me an' point me right back where I belong."

"That doesn't make any sense, Ranma Honey. You can't join Sibling Rivalry, and you certainly know where you should be during a competition." Ukyo crossed her arms, frowning.

Ryoga looked up at his friend, thinking Yup, he's lost his mind. First he mentions a brother and sister he doesn't have, and now he's planning on going someplace he's not allowed to be? The fanged boy shook his head and started eating his own dinner.

The grin never faded as Ranma nodded. "Trust me, Ucchan? I'm gonna enter. If ya see me as a girl, don't worry 'bout it. But if ya see me as a boy, stick ta me like glue." He stood and tugged Ryoga, who'd only finished half his food. "We gotta get back ta the Dojo, Ryoga. C'mon."

"And have Akane kill me? What are you up to?" The girl frowned and glared behind the retreating boys, then switched her glare to the plate of half-finished okonomoyaki. "What's that jackass think he's playing at now?"

Outside of the shop, Ryoga stopped short. His incredible strength even pulled Ranma to a halt. Crossing his arms, he frowned at the other teen. "Explain, Ranma. Why do you need Ukyo hanging around. What'll that do to Akane; she is your fiancee." His voice was filled with self-righteous anger.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "It ain't got nothin' ta do with Akane. I'm not lettin' Ukyo hang all over me. She's gonna make sure nothin' goes wrong. I'll explain when we get home. Can ya spend a bit at the Dojo?"

"How long?" He started walking with Ranma, careful to keep an eye on his companion. Ryoga was notorious for his lack of direction-sense. It went beyond getting mixed up with instructions or directions. It went as far as not being able to figure out where his house was if he was standing in front of it. He sure didn't want to wander off while Ranma was inviting him over to Akane's house.

The other boy tossed a grin at his rival and kept walking. "Well, it's like this..."

Time seemed to pass as the boys discussed their plans. Time equally passed for the Tendo sisters, as they'd even gotten Kasumi in on their plots and she had some good ideas, too. Thus, when dinner was served at the family table, the five teenagers were filled with plans and dreams and secrets. No one quite wanted to break the excited silence, as no one seemed to want to tell their ideas and possibly jinx them. The two sets of plotters, therefore, remained ignorant of each other's plans.

Finally, the first day of Sibling Rivalry arrived. Great crowds had poured into the neighboring districts, and it was tight quarters at the Tendo home. Nabiki and Kasumi were in the same room, were as Ryoga had moved into Happosai's room with Ranma, the outsider paying a rental fee upon his own insistance; the master wasn't there, so it made that a bit easier. Akane had her own room for the time being, but it was quite apparent that Nabiki would rent out that bedroom in a heartbeat, if she could get away with it.

As Akane sat down at the table for breakfast, she frowned. Ranma and Ryoga weren't downstairs yet. That was highly unusual for her finacee, as he was a bottomless pit at all meals. She frowned and looked towards the steps, hearing someone coming down them.

The sight of the pretty, petitie redhead dressed for the competition sent anger through her. Baka! He's really going through with his stupid plots! She'd overheard a bit of Ranma's plans, as far as that he was entering himself twice as brother and sister. He'll never pull it off. Akane had read the rules and descriptions of the competitions, and knew there were a couple he'd have to be both siblings for... and that was impossible unless he'd found a way to split his halves.

Ranma, in female form, sat down and started eating. She was being neat, which was an extreme surprise, as she never acted in any way lady-like. Looking up, she tilted her head at Akane. "What?"

"Baka." Anger dripped from her voice, as the dark-haired teen turned her back on her fiancee. She blinked in shock as she saw Ranma in his male form coming down the steps. Something was wrong, it seemed... off. But there he was. Akane whirled to look next to her, blinking at seeing female Ranma. Her head swivelled back and forth, resembling a spectator at a tennis match. "How... okay, Ranma, what'd you do? Did you use Happosai's incense again?"

Kasumi walked in and dropped the bowl she'd been carrying. Nabiki, also entering, jumped out of the way of flying food. They both stared in shock and curiosity at the sight of both Ranmas in the room together. "Oh, my!" the voice of the eldest Tendo sister put words to the thoughts of all three girls.

"We're gonna be late, 'Kane. Ain't you an' Nabiki entered?" The red-haired girl bounced to her feet, grabbing a handful of pastries and her male form's wrist, tugging him out the door. "C'mon, Ranma... and don't forget. Call me Ranko."

The male Ranma merely blinked, flushed ever so slightly, and let himself be pulled away without protest.

Outside, Ranko pushed the food at her sibling. Eat those, but try not ta let anyone see ya doin' it. We gotta find Ucchan." She again started tugging Ranma's wrist, grinning as Ukyo came into view just around the corner. Hurrying over, ignoring the shocked, then displeased, look on her friend's face, Ranko finally let go Ranma's wrist. "Okay. Ya promised ta keep an eye on Ranma, Ucchan. Here he is. Don't let him do anythin' stupid, like forget a match or somethin'."

"What did you... Ranma Saotome, how in the world did you split yourself in two?" Ukyo crossed her arms, glaring at the smaller girl. She tapped her foot in a tattoo of displeasure.

The male Ranma merely looked to his female counterpart for the explanation, still holding the pastries, not having eaten a one.

The redhead slipped her arms behind her head, in a very old habitual move. "Look, Ukyo, we ain't got time. I'll explain later. Right now, I gotta get ta that competition." She turned, dropped her arms to her sides, sprang onto a nearby fence and raced off, leaving the other teens behind. Ranko called over her shoulder, "Don't lose him, Ucchan! I'm countin' on ya!"

Ukyo turned to Ranma, frowning. "So, you explain Ranma. What's going on? How'd you split up, and why do I have to babysit you?" Always one to take advantage of any situation, Ukyo laced her arm with that of her oldest friend. She'd always counted herself among his fiancees, and privately thought she was the best one for him. "Start talking."

When Ranma spoke, however, it was quite unlike his normal way. He barely opened his mouth, and his voice was a slow whisper, every word apparently weighed heavily before spoken. "I should... shouldn't say any... anythin'... Ran... ko'd get... mad."

His strange speech patterns and something unplaceable confused Ukyo as she studied him. After awhile, though, she decided that as long as he didn't start acting extremely weird, she could live with him being in her constant company. Smiling, Ukyo looked up into Ranma's beautiful brown eyes, thinking she'd never noticed how soulful they were before. Seemed she'd always thought them bright and alive, not deep and... well, the kind to draw one in and want to pet the troubles away. The teen flushed at that idea.

"Okay, Ranma Honey, don't explain. Let's get you to the competition, Sugar." She grinned, leading him directly past the Cat Cafe, imagining the indignation and anger of Shampoo, another girl who claimed to be Ranma's fiancee. Ukyo didn't know that Shampoo was already at the competition, so hadn't seen the pair passing by her grandmother's shop.

Ranma let himself be led, looking uncomfortable, but also determined.