Author: Sam and Merrianna

Story: Sibling Rivalry: 4 of ?

Series: n/a

Characters Intro'd: Kasumi

Competition Teams: Nabiki and Akane Tendo; Lin Lin and Ran Ran; Kodachi and Tatewaki Kuno; Ranma (as Ranko) Saotome and Ryoga (as Ranma) Hibiki

Note: In this chapter, all references to Ranma really mean Ryoga in disguise. All references to Ranko mean the real Ranma in female form.

Second Note: I am very deprived, and have only gotten to read up to Ryo Kumon in the Manga and see up to Herb in the video's, so if you find contradictions, please chalk it up to my lack of Ranma 1/2 accessibility, and call it AU problems.

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

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

Finally, all of the competitors were signed in, numbered, and costumed in either running gear or swimsuits. The runners were off to the side, waiting for the swimmers to start before being allowed to crowd back onto the sand to wait for their part in the race. Those who would be swimming stood at one end of the pool, the length stretching before them. Jostling among the swimmers was inevitable, as this was a martial arts competition, and no barriers between pairs had been erected. Instead, they were allowed to do anything it took to get to the other side of the swimming pool and get their batons. When they swam back, they would have to find their partner, hand over the baton, and hope to goodness that the partners weren't killed while attempting to run across the hot sand, cool grass, and even hotter parking lot to the judges. This competition, as all of them would be, was held on Furinken High School's large grounds, and the principal had taken the opportunity to turn the swimming pool into his version of a beach.

Restless, standing ready in her one-piece suit with the word BOY embroidered across the breasts, was Ranko. She eyed her competitors, knowing that Kodachi Kuno and whichever Chinese Amazon twin was swimming would try their best to kill everyone else. Somehow, Ranko found herself sidling closer to Nabiki Tendo, knowing the girl probably wouldn't survive an all out attack by those other two. Not only would Ranko have to swim fast, she'd have to defend Nabiki... she couldn't allow her fiancée's sister to be hurt in this. The older girl might be the daughter of a Dojo owner, but that didn't make her a martial artist.

One of the judges stepped forward, holding up her hands. When silence fell across the competitors and the onlookers she spoke in a ringing voice. "The top ten teams will be the only ones to receive points. Finishing first doesn't necessarily mean winning, though it can help. We are looking for knowledge and skill in addition to your speed in the water or on the field." She glanced around and gestured to her male counterpart.

He stepped forward, cleared his throat, and tore his eyes from the sight of so many girls in skimpy bathing suits. "The top ten pairs will be judged separately... that is to say, each team member will be given her or his own score. When the score is totaled, the team with the highest points wins the event. A score of zero means that the competitor is not up to expected martial arts standards. A one means that the competitor has performed at an expected level for a martial artist. If the competitor gets two points in a single event, it means that person has exceeded our expectations and impressed us greatly. We do not often hand out a score of two. If at anytime a team does not make the top ten for three events consecutively, it will be eliminated completely, unless we only have ten teams remaining, naturally."

Clearing his throat again, the man finished with a flourish of both hands, nearly knocking Kodachi into the pool, much to the glee of many onlookers. "Thus, at the end of Sibling Rivalry, we will only have a fraction of the teams we started with. Oh... sorry my dear." He helped Kodachi to balance, copping a feel while he was at it and receiving a stinging blow to the cheek. He looked stunned as the audience started to whisper. Akane snorted and murmured, "pervert."

For her part, Kodachi turned her nose in the air and strode to a different area, closer to Nabiki. Ranko threw a glare at the Kuno girl. A whistle sounded, preventing tensions from rising further. A splash sounded, drenching people who stood too close.

Fortunately, Ranma had managed to jump out of the way, using reflexes honed from months of trying to avoid turning into something he'd rather not be. Casting a quick, nervous glance towards Akane, he noticed with relief that she was more intent on cheering her sister on. That reminded him... he was supposed to support his sibling in this. The teen tore his gaze away from the object of his affections to scan the water for the tell-a-tale red hair of his teammate.

When he spotted her, instant indignation swelled up. The Chinese twin in the water kept grabbing at Ranko's feet, tugging her under the water in an attempt to drown her. Ran Ran, on the tiles, was screaming her sister's name excitedly, taking the mystery out of which twin was which... at least for that day. Kodachi wasn't helping matters, flinging her arms out wildly: either she couldn't swim, or she was trying to knock unconscious anyone in reach. Suddenly, Nabiki reached out and grabbed the tie on Lin Lin's bikini top, letting it untie and expose her to the world. That forced the girl to let go her prey in an attempt to contain her bosom.

Ranko took advantage and dove under Nabiki, getting between her and Kodachi. On the way back up for water, she got knocked in the head, nearly choking on a sudden mouthful of the cold water. Before she could think of a minor retaliation against the annoying rich girl, Ranko's hair was viciously tugged. Her head jerked back and nearly gave her whiplash. She whirled around, the idea suddenly sinking in that she'd been deliberately singled out by these rivals. That was fine by her; Ranko wasn't the kind to back down from a fight.

Kasumi's voice rang through the crowd, causing Akane and Ranma to turn and glance over in surprise. "Oh, Nabiki, your form is perfect!" Akane blushed, knowing Kasumi wouldn't realize how the vulgar Furinken boys would take that. A sudden cheer from most of the male viewers only supported Akane's embarrassed conclusions. She looked at the teen next to her, reminding herself again that he was supposed to be Ranma this week. His cheeks were just as red as hers felt, but he was also determinedly watching the pool. At least he was being a gentleman.

With a twist, the redheaded competitor let loose a quick jab towards her attacker's face. Kodachi let her go and ducked to avoid the strike, which wouldn't have hit anyway. Ranko wasn't really into hitting girls if she could avoid it. The pain from her head throbbed with each movement, but the martial artist turned and started swimming once more towards the opposite end of the pool.

The Amazon had recovered by then, however, and the sensation of pain extended to Ranko's leg. Glancing back, the sixteen-year-old had to maneuver to get a good angle; there was a thin wire around one ankle and it was tightening into the flesh there. Blood was already starting to well up. With a speed due to intense training in the Amaguriken attack, the red-haired teen was able to untie the wire before Lin Lin was aware of the move. At the rate these attacks were going, she'd be lucky to make the final ten!

On the other hand Nabiki Tendo was making very good progress. She had taken the strategy, once free of Kodachi's attacks, to swim most of the way under water. Naturally she had to avoid the many fighting people, both male and female, in the pool, but most seemed more intent on beating each other silly rather than getting their baton. The thought that kept Nabiki going, despite the many random hits she suffered, was that all she needed was to win one event... come in the top ten of three events... The money that would be her prize would be enough to keep the creditors at bay and save her home.

Coming up for air, the brown-haired seventeen-year-old smiled. She gave one more stroke, reached over the edge of the pool, and grasped the cold metal baton tightly in one hand. With a deep breath, Nabiki slid under the water to navigate her way back across the pool and to Akane. She passed Lin Lin on the way and untied her strap again.

In rage, the Amazon screamed, twisting to see who had attacked. As Nabiki was under water, the only obvious target was either Ranko or Kodachi. Ranko wasn't even looking at her, but the Kuno girl had a self-satisfied air about her. Deciding to actually let her normal prey go, Lin Lin let out a battle cry and threw herself at the older girl, ignoring the still untied top. A gurgling was heard as Kodachi was violently pushed under the chlorine-laced cold water. Lin Lin followed, still hitting and kicking.

Relief washed over Ranko. She shot forward and grasped the baton, sliding backwards into the waters. With strong kicks, she barreled into the thick of the fighting teens, noting that several others were coming to their senses and breaking off from the free-for-all. Time to put on the old speed! If only she was in her male form; the training trip swimming to China would have really paid off for this. But this form was weaker than the other, not accustomed to a lot of swimming.

Before much more time could pass, the swimmers were reaching the end of the pool. Nabiki reached up and handed the slippery wet baton to her sister, who nearly fumbled it. Fortunately, her months of jogging and running helped Akane keep the lead the older Tendo sister had gained during the first half of the marathon. She sprinted over the hot sands, her bare feet burning but gaining better purchase than they would have had she been wearing shoes.

For his part, Ranma squatted down and held out a hand for Ranko's baton. He had cleverly wrapped it in his own shirttail, preventing the cold water from touching his skin. As he wasn't using a towel or other foreign object, the judges ruled that he wasn't cheating and let it go. The teen turned and sprinted after Akane. Blinking in confusion, though, he did a double-take. She's going the wrong way! His inner radar screamed at him that to follow Akane would be to lose this match... and bring down the wrath of his teammate. The right way was off to the left; he was certain.

Moving towards the left, abandoning the field of runners now catching up to the leaders, Ranma was surprised to be the only one going the right way. He blinked as he nearly toppled over a rope barrier marking the path. What was that doing there? Shouting sunk into his confusion and he looked up to see Ukyo right in front of where he stood.

"Get a move on, Jack Ass! You're going the wrong way. Back there!" She gestured wildly, anger in her voice. "Don't just stand there, Ranma, move your ass!"

He blinked, glanced over his shoulder at the other runners who were ahead of him now, and frowned. That couldn't be right. It... it just felt off! However, Ukyo's shouts couldn't be ignored and he turned around and headed off towards the clearly marked finish line. Ranma was convinced there was going to be some sort of hell to pay for this. Fortunately, after months of fighting Ranko and years of traveling and training, his speed made up for his lapse. He was able to catch up to the other runners.

This was no real triumph, actually, as the majority of the runners were in the process of beating the stuffing out of each other. Kuno had tripped a burly blond boy and was now busy defending himself from a flurry of attacks by a brunet. Ran Ran had tried to jump on Akane's back, drawing the lead runner out of stance and into the crazy battle. It was the very wrong turn he'd taken that had kept Ranma from being targeted at all. He ran past the conglomerate and towards the finish line.

Once more, the dark-haired boy let instinct get the better of him, this time veering to the right. Instead of Ukyo's reprimands to guide him, however, he distinctly heard the sound of Kasumi's gentle voice calling out to him. "Oh, Ranma! They're gaining. Go back, go back!" He glanced over his shoulder and saw he really had been traveling in the wrong direction. Humiliation washed over him and the teen corrected his course yet again.

Akane Tendo struggled to escape the furious kicks of her Chinese Amazon attacker. She had been in the lead thanks to Nabiki, but the nutty younger girl had erased that boon. With a yell of force, the black-haired girl turned on her lighter-haired opponent and let her fist fly through the air, plenty of strength backing it up.

She didn't connect.

Ran Ran, sensing the danger and gloating over the anger she'd caused in the other girl, lightly flipped out of the way. She was congratulating herself on making Akane expend so much time and energy when she suddenly slammed into a very hard, very tall body. With a grunt, the Amazon fell and was nearly trampled.

The teen she'd hit barely registered it as he continued to block the blows of his own opponent. Kuno dodge as he tried to run, throwing a block or a punch when he could. Kodachi had been one of the last swimmers to shore, and the male Kuno twin was determined to make up for her sloppy performance.

He could see Akane pulling ahead, but there was no sign of his normal rival, Ranma. With a frown, knowing it was foolish to look but unable to deny the urge, Kuno glanced around for the Saotome boy. Way off on the right, far out of the pack of fighting runners, Saotome ran towards the finish line. He was staying quite close to the ropes. A frown tugged at Kuno's lips. Why hadn't he thought to move off out of the fray? He had to dodge another attack, this one by a thin rather ugly girl in a tutu, and forgot all about Ranma.

The chaos had been bad in the water, but somehow it seemed worse on land. Dust rose quickly, mixed with sand and flying appendages. Grunts, yells, and the occasional scream of pain or triumph rang through the air. The judges began to wonder if bringing the competition to Furinken had been a good idea... at no other school had the competition degraded so far.

Finally catching their breath, the swimmers raised their voices to join the audience in cheering their favorites or catcalling to their opponents. Someone would pull ahead yet, after only a few steps, would be tackled and dragged back into the mayhem. It wasn't clear just who'd be the top ten competitors in this madhouse.

Screaming, louder than before, broke through the eardrums of many a viewer. Someone had finished the race. The judges turned to see Akane bent double, breath heaving, Nabiki prancing around in abandon. They conversed, wrote something in their pad, and watched as several other martial artists finished the competition close behind the Tendo girl.

After the final competitor had crossed the finish line, the judges made one last mark and called for silence.

Ranma stood, head bowed, face infused with heat as he listened to Ranko's tirade about his stupidity. Ukyo wasn't even intervening, having figured out just which Saotome twin was being portrayed by whom. It wasn't hard when one nearly got lost twice in a clearly marked running field.

Sidling closer, Akane and Nabiki also let the tirade go unchecked. Both were flushed with victory, hoping the first place win would add to their total. In fact, having both girls finish first in each half of the race should count for something extra, right? The older sister eyed the judges in eager anticipation, her normal bored air gone with the glory of having beaten every martial arts team out there.

The female judge stepped forward and nodded, resorting to her clipboard. "Okay, I'll read the personal scores, then the team scores. Listen carefully. If you haven't reached the top ten, you have another shot tomorrow." And she read, in an unemotional voice.

Shock coursed over the Tendo sisters as they heard Nabiki's name linked with a score of one. Akane had been given two points. A total of three put them in the top ten, but they had been so sure they'd won that event... the near miss was almost physically painful.

Of course, being followed by the Kunos, the Chinese Amazons, and the Saotomes getting one point each, for a total of two per team, didn't help. Most teams had only gotten a total of one point. Each of the four fierce competitors had made the top ten... and each wondered privately why the Tendos hadn't beaten out some pair of blond boys for Event Winner. Those blondes had neither finished first, after all.

After the scoring, Nabiki, frowning fiercely, headed directly towards the judges and demanded to know how she had only gotten one point even after finishing first. She was put soundly in her place when the female judge coldly claimed, "It was a martial arts competition, Miss Tendo. You barely fought. Clever though it was to avoid the competition to finish quickly, you did not display the satisfactory amount of fighting skill needed. This balanced your amazing speed and cleverness and gave you a one."

She wanted to claw and bite. That was so totally unfair. But Nabiki Tendo had learned long ago that life was very unfair. Rather than protest, and risk making the judges turn against her in the future, she smiled and nodded as if that was the most ingenious thing she'd ever heard of. "And the Saotomes? Why did they score so low?"

As it was no big secret, the male judge informed her of the answer. "The female scored adequately, but the male seemed to deliberately avoid the fighting, as you had. Thus, we could not judge his fighting ability at all. He scored a one for that, despite cleverness in avoiding the brawl. His sister fought well, but was rather slow in the water."

"Their pass off of the baton was also a bit unorthodox. Not illegal to wrap it in cloth to accept it, but it slowed them down considerably. They were docked for that, as well." The female added with a slightly warmer tone for the inquisitive girl. After all, it seemed Nabiki wasn't angry, but that she wanted to improve her techniques... and had picked out a couple that might present a real challenge in the long run. Smart decision, actually. The redhead certainly was a fighter of extraordinary skill.

With a false smile, the Tendo girl turned away from the judges. She let the inane expression slip into a frown and went back to her sister and friends to tell them of the final results. This wasn't good! They couldn't afford to lose the Dojo because they merely made the top ten every time. They would simply have to do better tomorrow... or there would be heads rolling, as far as the brown-haired teen was concerned. Reaching into her purse, Nabiki unwrapped a stick of gum and shoved it unceremoniously into her mouth, for want of something more satisfying, then she led the small group to their waiting families... and hopes for another day.