Heart of the Cards
==================
(working title)

Settings
========
	Ranma 1/2, pre-manga/manga setting
	Yu-Gi-Oh!, concept, pre-manga

Background
==========

	A year before Ranma and Genma set out for their ten-year training
trip, the Duel Monsters card game is introduce world-wide, becoming an
instant hit with children and adults.

	A few months after Ranma and Genma leave for the ten-year
training trip, Nodoka Saotome learns of Duel Monsters and becomes a
very successful, professional Duelist, under the name of Ranko Motou.
The psudeoname is hide from Genma, who old-fashion that he doesn't
like his wife outside the house, and avoid any problems Genma might
create. Motou is Nodoka's maiden name. (Here, at least, Nodoka married
into the Saotome Clan) 

	Nodoka's winning are more then enough to live on and take care of
Saotome-te, several times over (even with Genma and Ranma there).
Ranko Motou is an international recognized Champion of Duel Monsters.
She has both skill and beauty, and uses both in duelist (like Mia
Valetine, who modelled herself after Ranko Motou).

	Nodoka has her own line of successful game stores which has rooms
for Duel Monsters games. She runs the Nerima store herself, when she's
not dueling.

	While on the ten-year training trip, Ranma discovers Duel
Monsters game, which stirs something in him. Ranma enjoys games,
puzzles, and martial arts. Ranma quickly learns and masters Duel
Monsters and gets his own deck.

	To hide from Genma's attention, Ranma duels under the name Yugi
Motou. He knows his mother's maiden name and the name that Nodoka's
fahter wished his grandson to have. Ranma, mostly, duels when Genma is
drunk or away on "business", which happens often. Ranma brings the
same dedication to Duel Monsters as he does to Martial Arts. As Yugi,
Ranma makes friends with Seto Kaiba, and helped him out with his
holographic Duel Monster game system. From Seto, Ranma learns about
computers and holography. From Ranma, Seto learns compassion/heart and
friendship. Seto is the only one that knows that Yugi Motou is
actually Ranma Saotome. Although, at first, Seto was envious of Ranma
for having a father, until he founds what Genma is like. After which,
Seto prefers being an orphan to a parent like Genma.

	In Ranma's last duel before heading to China, Ranma duels an
gaijin and wins the gaijin's golden eye pendant. Upon touching the
dormant Millennium Eye, it awakes and attaches itself to Ranma. He
quickly learns to use his own ki and the Eye's magic to hide it.

	Ranma quickly learns and explores the Millennium Eye's power to
read others mind, enter the Shadow Realm and Punishment Shadow Games,
as well as the weakness on relying solely upon the Eye instead of on
his heart and skills. There are some types of people and situations
in which reading another person's mind is bad and dangerious he finds.

	Ranma does use the Eye to learn the local languages and customs.

	Genma takes Ranma to Jusenkyou as canon.

	The Millennium Eye allows Ranma to sense the magic of Jusenkyou,
but Genma ignores both the Guide and Ranma's warning. Genma is cursed
with Spring of Drown Rat. Ranma is uncursed. Ranma using the Eye to
read the Guide's mind to learn as much of Jusenkyou as he can.

	The Guide leads Genma and Ranma to the Amazon Village. while
watching the challenge fights, Ranma uses the Eye to scan the Village
to learn its languages and customs. Cologne notes the magic being
used, but can't identify it or block it. 

	Meanwhile, Genma is splashed with water, activating his Jusenkyou
curse, and begins, unnoticed to eat the First Prize Meal. Utnil he
manages to eat a good size portion. Upon discovering, rat-Genma
freaks many Amazon Warriors out, and creates a mass-panic.

	Not understanding what is happening around her, but noting the
stranger holding off several Amazon Warriors, Shampoo charges at
Ranma. Ranma panics as he's barely holding his own against multiple
Amazon Warriors, and can't deal with another one. The Eye response to
Ranma's panic and transforms Shampoo into the Duel Monsters card,
Amazon Warrior (Atk 1000/Def 500/Level 3). This surprises and shocks
the Amazons, giving Ranma the opputunity to escape with rat-Genma and
an card-Shampoo. 

	The Ranma that arrives at the Tendo, is basically like canon, but
with better social skills because of his dueling as Yugi Motou.

	Akane is distrustful of any mere boy, especially one so far advanced
beyond her.

	Nabiki is a Duelist, and Champion of Nerima, and a finalist in the
Greater Tokyo tournaments.

	Akane and Nabiki have sibling rivalry going, between Akane's martial
arts and Nabiki's Dueling. Nabiki brings home most of her winnings from her
duels.