Prologue: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

…Begin Transmission…

File: MI000

Date: Monday, March 1st

Time: 20:15

Location: Specifics Unknown, Tokyo, Nerima District, Japan

Objective: Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

Phase 001.01

"Okay so let's get straight to the point. After the wedding got ruined the other day by some unwanted guests, I was… a little upset. Oh honestly! You don't have to act so surprised. I know perfectly well I have a little bit of a temper. Hey come on! I'm being serious here! You don't have to laugh like that! Okay fine. I have a… rather large temper. You satisfied? Good. May I continue now? Thank you.

"Anyway, my point is, the wedding was a complete disaster. And I know I'm partially to blame for that. However, don't think for one minute that I'm letting you off the hook that easily. You most certainly did not help things! The whole situation with those other girls is way out of hand, and you just make things worse, egging them on like you do. I mean what did you think was going to happen if they showed up at the wedding? Did you think they were going to bring nice wedding gifts and congratulate us and wish us well? Of course not! But... That's not why I wanted to talk to you. I'm not here to lecture you, or anything. Sorry, my temper just… Ahem.

"Anyway, as I was saying… Things just can't go on the way they are, and I for one am tired of sitting back waiting for someone to fix things. It's about time I take matters into my own hands. See, as I was saying, after the wedding I was upset. Not just with you but with everyone. But then I kind of got to thinking and I realized I had been foolish. I let my guard down. I mean honestly, what was I expecting? A guy confesses his love to me and then I automatically get a perfect wedding and a happily ever after storybook ending complete with magical Jusenkyo spring water that makes everything in our lives perfect? Please. That's not how things work in the real world. At least not our real world. No, I didn't get any of that. Instead I get a fiancé that hesitates to marry me, even when he finds out that he gets his cure as a wedding gift, and to top things off he goes and takes back what he said to me before. Which is fine, whatever, I mean, it's not like I really… Care…

"Oh who am I kidding. Yes I do care. That's why this is so important to me. Those words meant a lot to me. I wanted to hold onto them. At least for a little while. And that's why I agreed to the wedding. I guess I thought if we went through with it quickly before anyone had a chance to interfere it would be over, and then no one could come between us again. But I was stupid. It was too fast. You don't just make important decisions like that based on a whim. Maybe it's good that everyone showed up like that and ruined it. Otherwise who knows? Maybe we would have gone through with it. Maybe that would've been a mistake…

"Maybe, maybe not, who knows. But one thing is clear. I was stupid and careless. I was stupid not to realize and expect that everyone else was bound to interfere. I didn't even stop to think about how they might feel about the wedding. And what they might do. I was just hoping that for once everything would turn out right.

"But right for whom? I mean even if it was the right thing for us, what about everyone else? I know that I haven't really considered the situation from anyone else's perspective before. But things change you know? Maybe I've matured a bit. Maybe I'm just desperate for some kind of solution. Whatever the reason, I've been thinking about how to make things right. Not just for me, but for everyone.

"Don't get me wrong. I still haven't completely forgiven everyone for what they did. I think that with everything that's happened now, it would be too much to ask for all of us to be good friends. But I don't really hate any of the other fiancé's, or anyone else for that matter. We've been through too much together. And everyone does deserve to be happy I suppose. And to find love.

"The problem is we're all caught up in this stupid love triangle. Octagon? Er, pentagon thing? Oh whatever. The point is it's blinded us to the potential happiness right in front of us. We're just too caught up in this stupid competition to win the heart of one guy. And it's ridiculous really. This competition is preventing us from seeing things as they really are. Maybe if everyone took a step back they'd find the person that was really right for them. And then who knows? Maybe we'd end up with several happy endings instead of just one.

"Thus we arrive at the whole point of my little speech here. I'll be blunt. I need your help. I decided to try my hand at some matchmaking. But I can't do it alone. Which is where you come in. I know it's a challenge. I know it's going to cost both of us considerably. And I know I'm going to be in your debt for a very long time. Both literally and figuratively speaking. But I also know you've never been one to back away from a challenge. And I'm sure that if you assist me in my little plan I can make it profitable for you in the end. So please, say you'll help me? You do kind of owe me after all. You were the one to invite all those crazies to the wedding in the first place. But more importantly, I ask because after all, Nabiki, we are sisters…"

Time: 20:30

End of Phase 001.01, Mission Status: Unknown

…End Transmission…

Chapter 1: Forming an Alliance

…Begin Transmission…

File: MI001

Date: Monday, March 1st

Time: 20:35

Location: Bedroom of Target 001, Tendo Compound, Nerima District, Tokyo Japan

Target 001: Tendo Nabiki

Objective: Form alliance…

Phase 001.02

After Akane had finished her proposal Nabiki sat still considering her younger sister for quite some time. Akane knew Nabiki had already made her decision, and that the pause was simply for effect, but she was determined to not let her sister's tactics influence her in any way. After all, she knew that compared to everything else she would be facing, Nabiki was the least of her problems.

Finally Nabiki stood and walked over to her desk, where she pulled out a file and began leafing through various documents within it. "You know it's not going to be easy, right?"

"I know," Akane said, her voice steady, betraying no signs of the eagerness she felt.

"And you're sure you're not going to back out half way through?"

"I'm sure."

"What about your temper? You think you can keep it in check long enough for us to pull this off?"

"Yes," she said resisting the urge to react to the insult. She was willing now to admit it was a problem she had to deal with.

Nabiki considered her younger sister for a few moments and then nodded. "Alright. I'll help you."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, really. But I do have a few conditions."

Akane sighed realizing that there would have to be a catch. "Very well. How much is it going to cost me?"

"Who said anything about money? I only said there would be a few conditions."

"Oh," Akane said slightly confused. "Um, okay then. What are they?"

"Rule number one, you always listen to what I say and do exactly what I tell you to do. I can see that you've been putting a lot of thought into this whole thing, and I'm guessing you've probably already devised a few schemes to set some people up. Am I right?"

"Well, yeah," Akane said with a smile. She was actually rather proud of the plans she had put together. "I did have a few ideas," she began.

"Well forget them. If we're going to do this we're going to do it my way. No offense Sis, but I'm a lot more experienced in these matters than you are. Are we clear?"

Akane sighed, putting aside her disappointment. "Yes, we're clear."

"Good. Moving right along. Now, obviously this is going to cut back on my income considerably. A great deal of my profit is made off of you and Ranma. However, at the same time, the two of you are my greatest expense what with all the property damage you cause around here. So rule number two, no more fights on the compound. I know you can't really help other people showing up and causing problems, but if you send Ranma through that roof one more time and I have to call those contractors back out here to fix it the deal's off. Okay?"

Akane nodded again. "Okay," she agreed. "I need to stop beating him up so much anyway. It'll be difficult but I think I can do it."

"Okay then. Rule number three, you don't ask questions. And that rule starts now," Nabiki rushed the last part out quickly fidgeting ever so slightly and suddenly breaking eye contact with Akane to look to the side.

"Um, okay," Akane said, sounding slightly confused.

Nabiki then took a deep breath and for a brief moment she actually looked nervous. But then the moment passed and the look was gone. "Rule number four. In exchange for my assistance," she paused. "You help train me in martial arts."

"You want me to train you?" Akane asked in surprise.

"Just a refresher. When we were younger we all used to train together, remember?"

"Yeah, until you started junior high and became too preoccupied with your money making schemes to really devote any time to it anymore."

Nabiki glared at her sister. "You used to beat me all the time when we were sparing. It was obvious I was never going to be anywhere near as good as you, so I simply decided to find something else I was good at. 'Money making schemes,' as you so eloquently put it, just happen to be my own cup of tea. However, I realize now giving up martial arts completely was a little short sighted. I hardly even remember the basics anymore. All I'm asking is for a little refresher. Train me for a month or so and then I should be fine on my own."

"But why are you suddenly…"

Nabiki stopped Akane before she could finish with a finger ticking side to side. "Ah, ah, ah! Remember? No questions?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"So, do we have a deal?"

Akane blinked at her in surprise. "What, you mean that's it? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else."

"But why? Why are you helping me?"

"Isn't that what big sisters are for?" Akane merely raised an eyebrow at her showing she wasn't going to buy that excuse and Nabiki simply sighed. "Think what you want but believe it or not I do want you to be happy. Besides, I think we're all starting to get a little tired of all the shenanigans going on around here. Things can't go on like this forever. Eventually it all has to end. So I might as well get what I can out of the whole situation and make sure things end on my own terms."

"If you say so," Akane said skeptically. She still had a sneaking suspicion that Nabiki had something else in mind that she wasn't letting on to.

"So we have a deal?" Nabiki asked, pulling Akane away from her thoughts.

For a moment Akane simply stared at her sister's outstretched hand, attempting to ignore the voices in her head telling her she was making a huge mistake. Then finally she took a deep breath and cautiously reached out to shake Nabiki's hand, hoping that she wouldn't regret teaming up with her conniving older sister. "Deal," she said, reluctantly sealing her fate.

"Good," Nabiki said as she went to plop back down on her bed. She crossed her long legs and went into full business mode. "Now, let's get to the point. I need to know, what is it you want to get out of this?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Little Sister. You've always had an altruistic streak, and it's not too unbelievable that you would want to help everyone out, but I know perfectly well you wouldn't be going through all of this if you weren't hoping to get something out of it yourself. Now from your little speech before I get the idea that Ranma must've finally confessed his feelings to you, which by the way was news to me. I had my suspicions, especially when you agreed to the wedding, but I didn't know anything for sure until now. But you still haven't made things completely clear. What is it you want for yourself, Akane?"

Akane blushed brightly and immediately looked down at her feet, pretending to find her shoes incredibly interesting. "I uh… Want Ranma to be happy first of all. I want him to be with the girl he really loves…"

"Easy to say considering he already said he loved you."

"It's not like that," Akane snapped, her embarrassment forgotten. "He thought I was dead! He could have just been confused. And I was… I don't know, it's possible I heard wrong. Maybe I heard what I wanted to hear. Regardless, he took it back later so it means nothing." Her face dropped slightly. "I know he cares about me, but whether or not he loves me, like he said, I'm not sure still."

Nabiki shifted slightly not completely immune to the awkwardness brought about by Akane's words. She hesitated slightly, knowing that it was very important to say the right thing. "What about you, Akane? How do you feel about him?"

Akane looked away again, this time not from embarrassment but from a lingering whimsical sadness, and a weariness that showed on her face. It was clear that events were truly starting to drag her down and her patience with everything was at an end. "I wanted to protect him. That's why I risked my life. For him. I wanted him to be safe. And even now, I'm doing this for him. Because I want him to be happy. And when he saved me, and said that he loved me, I was so relieved. So happy. I've never been so happy in my whole life. And when he said it, I just knew. I knew that I loved him and no one else," she shook her head side to side, trying to dispel the tears welling in the corners of her eyes, and choked back sobs before continuing. "I wanted to live for him, and be with him. That's why I didn't die. I came back for him."

As Akane struggled to put her emotions in check, Nabiki took in a sharp breath of air. Hearing her little sister talking about death so casually was a sobering experience, even for her. She didn't like to think about the fact that she had been so close to losing her baby sister forever. Time was short. No one knew when their final day would come. It was important not to waste the time you were given. Akane had realized that and it had given her the courage to come back home and bravely seize her chance at happiness, fighting against the hesitation she'd had before. "And what did I do? I invited all the people that would try and destroy that chance at happiness to her wedding." With a sigh she pushed aside a wave of guilt, silently vowing to do whatever it would take to help her sister get the happiness she deserved. She couldn't care less about the other girls, but they did stand in Akane's way, and if finding them a love of their own got them to back off and leave Ranma to Akane then she would be the best matchmaker the world had ever known.

"But first things first," she thought to herself, looking to her downcast sister. "Akane, don't worry. Ranma obviously cares for you a great deal more than he does those other twits."

Akane sniffled slightly and looked up at her sister with a weak smile, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes. "You really think so Nabiki?"

"Yes, I do. However, he could still change his mind. And besides, just because you're his favorite doesn't mean he's necessarily yours for the taking. He may like you, but does he like you enough to marry you? Besides, there are other girls in this world, not just the four of you. He could always find someone completely new. You understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I understand."

"But here's what I'm going to do. You say you want Ranma to be with someone he honestly loves. Well, I have the perfect opportunity in mind that will give him a chance to make an actual decision. Whether or not he actually follows through and makes a choice is another issue entirely. After all," she said with an obvious smirk. "You can lead a wild horse to water but you can't force him to actually be responsible and make a decision for once."

Akane rolled her eyes at the obvious pun her sister was clearly so proud of but didn't say anything, waiting as she continued.

"Anyway, I'm already in the process of putting together a side project that will fit in quite nicely with our plans for this little endeavor. It will be about a month before this event takes place though. I'll have some very specific instructions for you to carry out in the weeks beforehand, but for now, all you have to do my dear sister is not screw anything up. If you let people on to the fact that you're up to something none of my plans will work. So," she said lifting her arm and pointing at her sister dramatically. "Your first mission is to act natural. You got it?"

"No problem!" Akane said with a casual laugh. "Seriously, is that all I have to do? How hard could that be!?"

Time: 21:00

End of Phase 001.02, Mission Status: Complete

Target 001 henceforth to be referred to as Subject 002

Commencing Phase 002.01

…End Transmission…

Author Notes: This is something I started many years ago and had honestly given up on, mostly because Nabiki plays such a crucial role in it and I always considered her to be a complicated character and felt I couldn't quite get into her head. Whatever original plot I had in place has been completely forgotten, but that's okay, because I don't remember it being all that good. However, when I read over the basic concept I came up with an entire plot almost immediately and have a beginning middle and end all plotted out nicely! It's actually a really fun story, both humorous, waffy and full of happy resolutions for the majority of the Ranma 1/2 cast. So I hope you've enjoyed what I have up so far and will read more as it develops!

A few notes, this does take place after the end of the manga, and I plan on basing the history on the manga rather than the anime as there are some differences between the two storylines. This story starts up the same day the manga ends. I decided on March for reasons that will be clear with the last chapter. I also looked into Japanese school schedules and will be setting up the story accordingly, which means that from where the story starts they will have one week left before they graduate their first year of high school. Typically terms end the first or second week of March, and then there is a month long break before classes start again in April.

Coming Soon: Chapter 2: MI002 - Act Natural – The next part wasn't originally scripted, but kind of ended up taking over the storyline. Basically the next few chapter are supposed to involve Akane running around trying to not look suspicious and failing dramatically at each attempt. And of course as a result everyone else around her starts acting weird in response. Which always provides for amusing situations!

Please take some time to review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! Ja ne!

~ C ~