Ranma 1/2: Siblings
Episode 2

All Ranma 1/2 characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  Viz owns the US
rights, and I'm using them without permission.  Don't sue me, I have no
money.

***

Night faded into daytime, and the sun rose on the Tendo household.  Kasumi
and Nodoka were in the kitchen, trying to minimize the damage caused by
Akane's culinary ambitions.  Nabiki sat at the table, drinking some tea and
reading the paper.  Soun watched Ranma and Genma spar in the yard.

Andrew came down from the second floor, rubbing his eyes.  "I hate
mornings," he muttered. He stopped upon seeing the combat outside.  "Do
they do that every morning?" he asked Nabiki.  She nodded, and he grinned. 
"Sounds like fun."  He walked outside.  "Hey, can I play?"  

Ranma shouted an affirmative and Andrew bounded into the combat, quickly
forming a three way combat.  By unconscious agreement, the two boys ganged
up on Genma, dumping him in the Koi pond.  They fought on for a few
minutes, until Ranma managed to throw Andrew into the pond, landing beside
Genma.  

Andrew-wolf growled to himself and dragged his clothes out of the pond in
his teeth.  He shook his fur, spraying water everywhere, and padded into
the house with his clothes in his teeth. 
He padded into the furo, and came out a few minutes later damp, but human. 
He sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, which he drank quietly.  Ranma
sat down beside him.

"When's breakfast," Ranma asked Nabiki, and then paled as he heard Akane's
battle cry from the kitchen.  "Oh no."  He turned to Andrew.  "Listen to
me, whatever you do, DON'T eat Akane's cooking.  I don't want to be an only
child again."

"RANMA!  I heard that!"  Ranma eeped at Akane's cry, and seemed to shrink
in on himself.  Nodoka and Kasumi walked in with some food, which the
others quickly pounced on.  Andrew soon discovered that eating in this
household was an action-packed event.  He watched as Ranma and Genma
sparred over food, and quickly ate his share before they turned their
attention on him.

"Excellent as always," Soun said.  Genma-panda growfed his agreement, and
the two went to play their shogi game.  

Ranma jumped up and started to head for the door, "Well, gotta go."  Andrew
stood and began to follow him.  Nabiki sighed and did the same.

"RANMA! FREEZE!"  Ranma slumped and walked back to the table.  Nabiki
touched Andrew's arm to stop him from following.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that," she told him.  "Just watch."

Akane came out of the kitchen with a plate of something indescribable. 
Andrew watched as Ranma took a bite, swallowed, said something noncomittal,
turned several rather interesting shades, and ran to the bathroom, where
retching sounds could be heard.  Akane's face darkened and then she sighed
as she returned to the kitchen.  She came out moments later.  "Lets go,"
she snarled.

Andrew looked after Ranma.  "Shouldn't we wait for Ranma?"  Akane growled
and walked on.

"Don't bother," Nabiki told him, and ran to catch up with her sister. 
Andrew shrugged and followed.

After a few minutes of walking, they came to the gate of Furinken High. 
Nabiki walked off into the school.  Akane sighed.  "Come on, lets get you
registered," she said.

"Ah, the beauteous Akane Tendo, I grace your presence once again," Akane
sighed in dismay as a young man wearing kendoist gear and wielding a bokken
strode up to them.

"Who's that?" Andrew asked Akane.

"YOU!"  The kendoist pointed his weapon at Andrew.  "You are being quite
familiar with Akane Tendo!!"  Akane rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Andrew asked, looking at the other in suprise.

"By what right do you associate with the fair Akane Tendo?"

"Well," Andrew began, confused, "Is there a reason I shouldn't talk to my
brother's fiancee?"

"Your brother's fiancee!" the kendoist screamed.  "You are kin to the foul
sorcerer Saotome?"

"Uhh..yeah.  Andrew Fu..er..Saotome, and you are?"

"I am Tatewaki Kuno.  Senior.  Captain of the Kendo Club.  My peers call
me...the Blue Thunder of Furinken High!"  He made a pose, and lightning
flashed.  "You, knave, shall call me Upperclassman."

"Uhh...Why would I do that?" Andrew asked, confused.  He looked up at the
clear sky. *Where did that lightning come from?*

"Boor! Do you know know it is customary to refer to your elders with
respect?"

"Listen, Tooty-Fruity, I'm in the same grade as you."  He narrowed his
eyes.  "Now go away, I have to register.  We can play later."

"Die Saotome!"  Kuno roared and attacked.

Andrew avoided.  "If you" duck "don't" hop "stop" jump back "this, I'll
have" roll "to take" jump, roll, weave "your little toy away."  Weave,
duck, sidestep, jump.  "THAT'S IT!"  He ran at Kuno, hitting him several
times.  Kuno fell to the ground, unconcious.  Andrew picked up his bokken. 
"You can have this back when you learn to play nice."  He turned to Akane. 
"So, where do I register?"

***

Andrew stood in the hall with Akane and a rather pale Ranma.  "Sorry about
this," he said to her apologetically.   Akane laughed slightly and Ranma
grinned.

"Don't worry about it," Ranma told him.  "Happens to us all the time."  He
chuckled.  "I hear you met Kuno."

"What is with that idiot, anyway?  And what's with the 'foul sorceror
Saotome' bit?"

Ranma started to explain the story, and soon Andrew's laughter could be
heard ringing down the halls.  "He hasn't figured it out?" he gasped
between laughs.

"Nope.  Thinks I have some spell on his precious pig-tailed girl."

"What a dolt."  Andrew frowned, then suddenly grinned.  "I wonder what
he'll call me in wolf form."

Akane couldn't help but join in the laughter.  "Saotome's familiar?" she
guessed.  "How about Saotome's demon-spawned hellhound?"

Soon the three were all laughing so hard a teacher had to come out and
silence them.

***

Later that day at lunch Andrew met up with Ranma and Akane.  He seemed very
uncomfortable.  "Uhh...guys?  Can I talk to you about something?  It's
about Nabiki."  Ranma and Akane exchanged a glance and sighed.

"What is it?" Akane asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well," he looked at the ground.  "I've been hearing some really bad things
about your sister, Akane.  The guys in class are saying she's a big
money-loving mercenary, and they say she sells dirty pictures of you and
Ranma's girl side."  He looked up.  "I wanted to know if I should be angry
about that."

"What, that she sells the pictures, or what the people are saying?" Ranma
said sarcastically.

"Umm..both."  He rushed on to explain, seeing their suprised expressions. 
"Hey, I know I'm new to this and all, but you two are engaged, and that
makes her almost my sister."  He suddenly looked grim.  "I may not have had
any family before, but I have one now, and NO ONE talks that way about my
family."

Ranma placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder.  "Cool it," he scolded
the other gently.  "Nabiki's been selling pics of us for ages.  It's OK by
me, and I don't think Akane minds that much."  He glanced over at Akane,
who nodded.  "As for what the people are saying, it may be mean, but it's
mostly true.  Until Mom moved in and Dad and Mr. Tendo started teaching
classes again, she helped us stay afloat."  He patted his new brother's
shoulder, and let his hand drop.  "Just worry if they say anything ELSE
about her."  He grinned.  "And remember to save some for me."

Andrew grinned back.  "Get your own."  His eyes widened as he noticed
something behind Ranma.  "Heads up, here's the clown!"

"AHA!  I spy both the sorceror Saotome and the thief Saotome!"  He
brandished his bokken again.  "You dare accost the fair Akane Tendo?"

"'Thief Saotome?'" Andrew asked Akane, who shrugged.

"Return my property, fiend!"

"Aww, shaddup, Kuno."  Ranma groused.  "I've beat you up, Akane's beat you
up, even my bro's beat you up."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?"  Andrew demanded of Ranma, who shot a grin
at him.  He turned to Kuno.  "So, Tooty-Fruity, I see you got a new
bokken."  He grinned as Kuno charged him.

"DIE, THIEF!"  Ranma and Akane watched from the sidelines as Andrew
disarmed Kuno.

"What did I say about you and your toys?"  Andrew asked him.

Kuno glared at him.  "So, you steal from me again, thief."  He raised his
chin.  "SASUKE! BOKKEN!"  A little ninja appeared on the school wall and
tossed a bokken to Kuno.  "I will punish you!"  He attacked Andrew again,
who decided to play with him a little, and avoided his strikes, taking
opportune moments to make soft, insulting hits on Kuno.

Hiroshi and Daisuke walked up to Ranma.  "Hey Ranma," Hiroshi asked.  "Is
that guy really your brother?  He doesn't look like you."

"Adopted," Ranma said through a mouthful of food. "Long story."

"He looks like he's as good as you," Daisuke said.

"Nah, I'm better, I beat him in spar this morning."  Ranma ducked as a
bokken flew threw the air at him.

"It was a lucky shot!"  Andrew yelled.  He disarmed Kuno again, and tossed
the bokken over to Ranma.  "Hold those for me."

"SASUKE! BOKKEN!"  Kuno charged Andrew again.

Andrew lept away, and got a funny look on his face.  He raised his chin and
yelled "SASUKE! BOKKEN!"  He laughed as the ninja appeared on the wall and
tossed a bokken to him.  "Good man you have there," he remarked to Kuno.

"You fiend!  You dare subvert my faithful servant, you dog!"  Kuno ranted
at him.

Andrew's face twitched, and his eyes hardened.  "WHAT did you call me?" he
seethed.

"Cur," Kuno sneered, recognizing the effect the insult had on Andrew. 
Andrew's face turned red, and he snapped his bokken over his knee.

"Enough play," he growled, and lept at Kuno.  "KONTON IRICHEN SEME!!!"  He
struck Kuno a few dozen times, disarming him in the process.  He finished
with an uppercut that knocked the kendoist out.  "Next time, I'm going to
do that from the start."

Hiroshi and Daisuke exchanged a glance.  "I think we should tell the rest
of the student body never to call Andrew a dog," Daisuke said nervously.

"Good plan, my friend," Hiroshi told him, and paled slightly as a very
angry Andrew stormed over to where they stood.  "I think we better be
going."  The two beat a hastly departure.  Andrew sat down and tore into
his lunch.

"Touchy about that, aren't ya?"  Ranma asked.  Andrew gave him a nasty
glare.

"Oh, I don't know," Akane mused.  "He reacts alot like a certain someone
does to being called a girl."

"I do not!" Ranma protested.  Akane stuck her tongue out at him.  "You are
SO uncute!"  They exchanged glares, while Andrew ate his lunch.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but do you two always fight?"  Andrew
asked.  He gulped as they glared at him.  "Nevermind.  Forget I asked." 
*I'll take that as a 'yes'.*

Ranma picked up one of the three bokken Andrew had collected.  "What are
you gonna do with these?"

"I don't know, start a collection?" he offered.  "Nah, I'd have my own
warehouse in a no time.  Maybe I'll donate them to the Kendo Club."

"Have Nabiki sell them," Ranma suggested.  "She'll get you good money."  He
and Andrew exchanged a grin.

***

Ranma, Akane, and Andrew walked home from school.  Andrew watched Ranma
walking along the fence and hopped up beside him.  "Balance practice?" he
asked.  "Good idea."

Ranma nodded, and Akane scowled.  "Great, you're BOTH show offs!"

Andrew hopped off the fence.  "Nah, I'll let Ranma be the show off.  I'm
too mature."

Ranma snorted.  "Yeah, right."  He lept off the fence.  "You just know
you'd fall off."

"Oh yeah?"  Andrew challenged, and jumped back on the fence.  "Fine, race
you home."  He sped off.

"YOU CHEATER!" Ranma yelled, as he raced off after Andrew on the fence. 
"No fair getting a head start!"

Akane sighed as she watched the two run into the distance.  "Two of them,"
she said in dismay.  "I've got to deal with two of them now."  She watched
Ranma's receeding back.  *Well, at least Ranma's happier.*  She walked on
for a few more minutes, and spied a familiar black pig.

"P-chan!" she exclaimed, as she ran to the pig and swept it up.  P-chan
sqealed a hello and snuggled up to her.  "Where have you been, baby?"  The
pig bweed softly.  "Come on P-chan, there's someone you should meet!"  She
picked up her pace, and in a few minutes she was home.

"I'm home!" she called as she walked in the door.

"Welcome home Akane," Kasumi greeted.  "Andrew and Ranma are in the back. 
It's nice to see them get along."  She spied P-chan.  "Oh, I see you found
P-chan!"  Akane nodded and walked into the back, just in time to see Ranma
go spashing into the Koi pond.

"HA!  I win," Andrew gloated over the petite redhead, and yelled in suprise
as he was tripped in the pond, changing him into a wolf.  Andrew-wolf
growled in dismay and dragged his clothes out of the pond.  He barked once
at Ranma-chan, the single sound sending buckets of displeasure.

"You let your guard down," Ranma-chan told him.  Andrew-chan growled
softly, and shook off his fur, soaking Ranma again.  "HEY!  Stop that!" 
She wiped the water off her face.  "Feh, wet wolf.  Almost as bad as wet
panda."

Andrew-wolf trotted over to Akane and barked a hello.  "Hi Andrew," she
said.  "Meet P-chan!"  She started to hold the pig out to Andrew-wolf, but
P-chan squealed and squirmed. "P-chan! Andrew won't hurt you, will he?" 
Andrew-wolf barked once in affirmative, and P-chan calmed down. 
Andrew-wolf gave him a quick snuffle in greeting.  His furry face narrowed,
and he snarled.  Akane pulled P-chan quickly away from him.  "Andrew!  I
won't have you fighting with P-chan!  Ranma already picks on him!"

Andrew-wolf looked at her in dismay and ran into the kitchen.  He looked up
at Kasumi with big puppy-dog eyes and yelped when she poured the hot water
on him.  He quickly ducked into the pantry to put on his clothes, and
stormed out to the living room, only to be blocked by Ranma-chan.  "Out of
my way, Ranma.  That's no pig!"

"You smelled it?"  Ranma-chan asked, shooting a quick thank-you to Kasumi
the girl poured hot water on the redhead.

Andrew nodded.  "Wolves have an excellent sense of smell.  He doesn't smell
like pig, he smells like man."  He looked in shock at Ranma.  "You knew,"
he accused.  Ranma sighed.

"Get P-chan from Akane, and we'll explain."  At Andrew's questioning gaze,
he explained.  "She knows I hate him, she won't let me touch him."  Andrew
nodded and started to walk to Akane's room.  "And DON'T tell her!"

Andrew walked up to Akane's room, and knocked on the door.  "Hey, Akane."

"Come in," she said.  Andrew opened the door and walked in the room.  "Are
you here to apologise to P-chan?"

Andrew's face tightened, but he bent down and patted the pig.  "Sorry."  He
looked up at Akane.  "I smelled...something bad on him.  Can I wake him and
wash it off?"  Akane looked at him suspiciously, and slowly nodded.

"OK, but don't hurt him!  Ranma already picks on him."  Akane handed the
piglet to Andrew, who held it by the bandana.  P-chan squirmed and twisted.

"I won't hurt him," Andrew promised. "I'm nice to animals."  He lifted the
pig up to his face.  "Stop it or I tell her right now."  The pig suddenly
was still.  "We'll be right back."

He went to Ranma and his room, where Ranma was waiting with some clothes
and kettle.  Ranma poured the watter on P-chan, who quickly changed into a
naked boy, who grabbed the clothes and dressed.  "Damn you, Ranma!" the boy
cursed.

"Shut up."  Andrew said softly, steel in his voice.  "Why the hell are you
posing as Akane's pet?"  He turned to Ranma.  "What is this?  You LIKE
having him as your fiancee's pet?  He probably sleeps in her bed like
that!"

"I DON'T LIKE IT!" Ranma yelled back.  He and Ryoga quickly told the story
of how Ryoga was cursed, and why Ranma can't tell Akane.  "So what can I
do?"

Andrew looked at Ryoga in disgust.  "How can you live with yourself?"  He
stood.  "Well I haven't sworn any oath, I'll tell her."  He started to exit
the room, but Ranma lept up and blocked him.

"No, you can't!"  Ranma insisted.  "I promised to help him protect his
secret!"  He got into a battle stance.  "Don't make me do this, Andrew, I
don't want to fight you."  Andrew looked at his sibling, the determination
and need there shocking him.  *He hates it,* he realized.  *But he's
honor-bound to protect it.*  Andrew sighed and nodded.

"Fine.  I won't tell her."  He turned to Ryoga.  "Watch it, pig boy.  You
may be a pig, but I expect you to act like a gentleman.  I see one wrong
act out of you, and I tell her."  Andrew looked at Ranma.  "Even if I have
to fight you, Ranma."  The two brothers locked gazes and Ranma slowly
nodded.  He picked up the bucket Ranma brought, and poured it on Ryoga. 
"Come on, P-chan, Akane will be wondering where you went."  He picked up
the pig and walked to Akane's room.  Before entering he lifted P-chan up to
his face.  "Remember, piggy.  You're a pig, I'm a wolf.  Wolves EAT pigs." 
He nodded in satisfaction as the pig seemed to pale.  Andrew knocked,
entered Akane's room, and handed her the pig.

"He's as clean as I can get him, Akane," Andrew said, and exited the room,
shaking his head in disgust.


Notes:

Andrew's Attacks: Yes, they're alot like Ranma's, they're supposed to be.
Konton Irichen Seme = chaos series attack
-it's a bunch of very fast attacks where the attacker telegraphs one move
but strikes with another

Ookami Takabisha = Wolf Domineering
-Moko Takabisha with a wolf motif

Ookami Gufuu = Wolf Tornado
-Hiryu Shoten Ha