Disclaimer: All series belong to respective owners. (And if you haven't guessed it already I am not one of them)
Changing Path
Chapter 1 Reckoning
Ranma was sitting at the breakfast table.
He had managed to wake up before Akane and his father this morning, being able to avoid Akanes bucket of water and his father throwing him out of the window.
He had then helped Kasumi to bring out the breakfast, earning himself a cold glare from Akane. Well Ranma didn't care the slightest. He was tired of her temper problems and just didn't give her any attention.
She looked pissed because he ignored her, and he thought, that she didn't get the chance to drench him or mallet him.
He sat and ate slowly, savouring every flavour of the great meal Kasumi had made. This made the entire table gap at him, since when did a Saotome eat slowly and with manners?
Genma was so shocked he didn't even try to take his sons food this morning.
Soun was trying to seem like he didn't care, but the fact that the newspaper he was reading was upside down gave him away.
Kasumis surprise was quickly replaced with a cheery smile.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow but didn't do anything more, trying to understand the mood Ranma was in to best earn some cash from it.
The only one not surprised was the youngest Tendo daughter, who instead was growing angrier and angrier by the second. She didn't know how but she knew that the baka was trying something perverted, and at the first sign she would give him an air-trip via mallet-sama.
The reason Ranma was quiet was that he was thinking of an honourable way out of the fiancée mess. However much he twisted and turned the problem he couldn't find a solution.
He didn't even think of marrying one of them as a solution, the little love he had for Akane was soon beaten out of him, Shampoo had used ever dirty trick in the book to get him, love potions, spells, kidnapping, and the list would go on forever. Ukyo was another problem, he had loved her a little but that was more of a brother/sister love and that had soon disappeared when she began to act like Shampoo. And Kodachi... may god have mercy on his soul.
He was treated as prize to be won, everybody proclaimed they loved him, but he was still treated as dirt.
When problems turned up he was expected to solve it alone, but instead of a thank you he was thrown aside and then berated for being so useless.
Two years of his life was wasted here, two years of pain, sufferings and trials. Then it had peeked at the Jusendo incident, where he saved Akane and killed the Phoenix God Saffron, then the failed wedding.
He had been attacked by the fathers and dressed up in a white tuxedo. He the was forced to partake in the wedding, to tired to do anything. Akane was beautiful in her wedding, almost so he would have married her. But only almost.
Then the Nerima Wrecking Crew had crashed the wedding. He didn't know if he should be grateful or angry that they did that.
After the failed wedding the rivals and fiancées became even more desperate. Strangely enough the old pervert Happosai had stopped to attack him, even going so far as to be serious and teach him some martial arts techniques. He was grateful for that, and now understood Happosai a little better.
That didn't change the fact that he thought Happosai was a pervert, but he also had great experience and knowledge after over three centuries alive, and once he became serious he could show him a little respect.
Even though Happosai had been treating him better he knew that he was breaking under the constant pressure and it wouldn't take much more before he finally snapped. He needed a way out of the engagements and soon. He flexed his shoulders as he sighed a little.
He had a tired, sad look in his eyes, which was not missed by the eldest daughter.
"Ranma-kun are you felling alright?" She asked with a soft concerned voice.
"Yes Kasumi, I am alright, don't worry" He said with a tired voice as he stood up from the breakfast table and brought his platter to the kitchen. He returned and walked towards the door to the yard.
He turned around and looked Kasumi straight in the eyes.
"Thank you for the breakfast, it was delicious as always" He said with a smile and then turned towards the door.
Akane heard as he said it and took it as a slight upon her cooking skills and then yelled.
"Ranma no BAKA" And threw the table towards Ranma.
Unfortunately for the youngest Tendo, Ranma had already made it out the door and the table flew through the air and landed in the koi-pond with a splash.
Four pairs of eyes locked onto the youngest daughter. Nabiki was disgusted with her younger siblings short temper, which had led to her covered in the food that had been lying on the table. Nabiki muttered darkly and shoot her sister a glare. Now she would have to change clothes and probably come late to collage.
"What? He was acting perverted towards Kasumi" Akane said defensively.
"No Akane, that was called thanking someone" Nabiki said as she made her way towards her room.
"Now, Akane that wasn't very nice" Kasumi said with a small frown.
Akane sat down and grumbled loud to herself, thinking on how to repay the baka for her discomfort.
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07.27
He could run to the school in less then a minute, so he decided to wait another ten minutes. He didn't want to go with Akane, so he would leave the dojo after her and hopefully avoid Kuno, then he would be to school on time for a change.
He had decided to just don't care about the NWC today, trying to get to school on time and maybe stay awake in class for once, and generally stay out of trouble. Tomorrow the exams would be done and the teachers would have a short rehearsal about the different things they had learned during the year. He just wanted one day of rest and relaxation and hopefully the rest would just not bug him today.
He wasn't attacked in the sleep this night so he wouldn't have any problems staying awake today.
He felt tense, even the meditation techniques he learned by Doc Tofu was beginning to fail.
Without thinking he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He put one into his mouth and lit the end with a little of his ki.
He knew that if Doc Tofu would have seen him know he would have had a fit. He knew that the cigarettes were bad for his health, but he needed something to lift the stress and he couldn't come to school drunk.
That didn't mean that didn't drink, he usually took a glass of liquor to calm his nerves before going to bed. He had begun to drink and smoke a after the failed wedding. If booze was good enough to dull the two father's sorrows, then it would be good enough to dull his to.
He also knew that with the life he was living now the chances of him to actually live long enough to get cancer was, well... slim.
He could feel as the dangerous nicotine spread out trough his body, making him feel a little air-headed, and making him a little bit more relaxed.
He took a long drag before blowing three small smoke rings, looking as they blew away and disappeared.
He just continued to star of into the distance, not even noticing as three people shocked closed the door to the porch.
To see Ranma Saotome, the greatest martial artist in the world, and probably the only person with enough good health to actually become older than Happosai or Cologne, smoking a cigarette was quite the shock.
They didn't say a word as they pulled back into the house, hoping that Ranma wouldn't see them.
Nabiki couldn't believe what she saw and the shock was evident, her mouth silently opening and closing.
The two fathers on the other hand just shrugged it of and went to play a game of shoji.
Akane had been on her way upstairs to get her bag, so she didn't see the event. Nabiki just shrugged and thought of ways the get some money from all this and then remembered she would be late for school.
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Akane ran down the stairs and looked for Ranma, but couldn't find him. She saw as Nabiki walked towards the front gate."Nabiki where is Ranma?" She asked.
Instead of getting an answer from Nabiki she could hear Ranmas voice from somewhere in the yard.
"I am in the backyard. And if you don't want to be late to school you should probably go now. I will catch up later."
Akane looked down on her watch and saw the time. She then took of a full speed towards the school. Nabiki did the same only she didn't run as fast.
Ranma stood concealed in the shadows, the only thing seen the red glow of his cigarette. He flicked the cigarette way and then put his foot on it to extinguish it.
He looked down on his watch again, a tired smile coming to his lips.
He leaned his head to the right, a loud crack was heard and he then took off up on the roofs, running with speed and agility no mortal should be able to achieve. He jumped a distance of thirty feet landing without a sound. The process repeated, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
He jumped over the wall surrounding the school and quickly scanned the area for any of his rivals/fiancées.
The area was clear except for some regular students.
He slowly made his way towards the backside of the building, making sure to avoid Kuno and the Hentai Horde.
A window in third floor was opened a quick jump later he was in the building. He really didn't want to see anything of Kuno or the rest of the goon squad so a stealthy entrance was needed.
Even though Kuno had finished going to school, the collage he and Nabiki was going to was lying just hundred meters from Furikan High School.
He walked trough the floor and then stopped at his classroom. The door was closed so he just leaned his back toward the door and closed his eyes. He let his mind drift until he heard someone clear her throat.
He opened his right eye and could see Miss Hinako in her adult form standing before him.
"Mr Saotome, would you please move aside so I can unlock the door"
He just shrugged his shoulders indifferently and took a step to the side, allowing Miss Hinako to unlock the door. She turned towards him with an interested expression.
"And may I ask why you are here so early Mr Saotome?" She asked as she studied the boy closely.
"Last week here at the school, might as well give you the satisfaction at seeing me come to school early for a change" He said indifferent.
Miss Hinako only nodded unlocking the door and opening it.
Ranma calmly let Miss Hinako walk in first the followed her slowly into the classroom. He then walked to the rows at the back at took his place at the desk nearest the window.
He leaned backwards in his chair, putting his hands behind his head in a lazy manner.
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He looked at the clock at the wall. The class would begin in another fifteen minutes. Already some students were arriving. Outside he could hear the screams of pain from the gathered male population of Furikan High School and an angry yell coming from the Akane.He didn't even bother to look out, knowing full well how it would end.
Soon he could hear the voice of Kuno proclaiming his undying love for the fierce tigress Akane and his pig-tailed goddess. He then began to recite some crapy poetry which was abruptly stopped in mid sentence.
He only shock his head, did Kuno never learn.
He could hear the late signal sound and he looked around and could see every one in his class except Akane.
"Now class today we will have a general repetition of the major parts of English we did this year to make you..."
He could hear as someone ran down the halls and opened the door with a loud slam. There was Akane standing out of breath with a slightly dirty school uniform. She began to walk towards her seat.
"Sorry I am late Miss Hinako" She said as she made her way between the rows of desks.
"For interrupting my class and coming late you will stand in the hall on bucket duty" She said and pointed towards the door.
Akane couldn't believe it, she never needed to stand in the hallway if she came late, it was always Ranma because he delayed her with his fight with Kuno. She then saw as Ranma sat at the back row looking completely uninterested.
"But Miss Hinako Ranma..." She tried to excuse herself and blame Ranma for her late arrival, but was interrupted by Miss Hinako.
"Was on time today and he has been here for the last twenty minutes, now stand in the hall Miss Tendo" Hinako said.
Akane was really angry now but wasn't stupid enough to attack Ranma while Hinako was around. She was the schools most popular girl, she shouldn't have to stand in the hall holding buckets, the pervert Ranma should. She was really fuming in anger now, slowly boiling the water in her buckets away with her battle aura.
Nobody noticed because the door was closed.
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Miss Hinako was having a really unusual day, first Ranma Saotome, the man that never got to class in time, arrived twenty minutes before the bell, and then he was NOT sleeping during her class. Will wonders never cease?She wrote a sentence in Japanese on the blackboard and then turned towards the class. She needed someone that would translate this sentence, she rested her eyes on Ranma.
Maybe now she would see how good Ranma was at English.
"Ranma translate this please" She said and pointed towards the black board.
Ranma just groaned and walked up to the front of the class. He took the piece of chalk Miss Hinako offered him and he stood before the board reading the sentence a few times.
Miss Hinako knew that he wouldn't be able to translate it, she knew no one in the entire room could do it, it was really advanced English and should be used as an example on proper sentence structure, not translating.
She was about to tell him to sit down on his desk when he began to write something under the text. She gawked in surprise, not only had he been able to translate it, but without a single error in spelling.
Ranma just handed her the chalk and walked back to his seat.
"Well done Saotome, you got it correct" She said with a little awe in her voice, even she would have had problems with that sentence.
He just shrugged.
During the next forty minutes she was giving the class and especially Ranma many difficult questions. Ranma answered every one correct.
She then walked to the door and opened it talking to Akane on the other side.
"Miss Tendo please come in, and don't interrupt class any more."
Akane made her way towards her seat, glaring daggers towards Ranma the entire time.
He either didn't notice or didn't care, because he was concentrating on the lesson.
This made Akane even angrier, the red battle aura making the students edge away from her.
Soon the entire area around Akane was vacated, leaving an angry Akane sitting in the middle alone. Akane just knew that Ranma had been a pervert again. And as Miss Hinako walked over to him she just snapped.
"Ranma, stop womanizing you pervert" She yelled out angrily.
"Eh? What are you talking about?" He asked out slightly bored, he had heard all her speeches before.
"That's why you didn't go to school with me, so you could hang around with that bimbo Shampoo isn't it?" She yelled out again.
"No Akane, I was here twenty minutes before school started" He explained like he was talking to a little child.
Now the entire class was staring at Akane, knowing this time that Ranma hadn't done anything wrong.
"Then you were being a pervert with Miss Hinako" Akane was now total furious, only hearing what she wanted to hear.
Miss Hinako and the rest of the class looked shocked at Akane.
Ranma just sighed, and then turned towards Miss Hinako.
"Miss Hinako? Are we having a secret love affair behind every ones back?" He asked the stunned teacher with a tired voice.
Miss Hinako shifted her gaze to Ranma, looking more shocked then she already was.
"N...NO" She said a little louder then necessary, shacking her head. The prospect of having an affair with a student and especially Ranma was laughable, he never got to school on time, he slept during classes, he always started fights... and he was kind, honourable and a real hunk.
Her thoughts took a 180 degrees turn, okay so maybe it wouldn't be too bad to have an affair with Ranma.
She cleared her mind of any hentai thoughts before they would interfere with her class.
Akane didn't calm down
"Well I don't remember anything like that" Ranma said with a calm expression.
Her stubbornness and pride wouldn't let her see that she was wrong.
"I know you're doing perverted things together, so just confess" Had she had a clear head she would have seen the danger in accusing a teacher of having an affair with a student.
Ranma just turned towards Miss Hinako again.
"Have we had wild passionate sex together?" Ranma asked in the calm voice again.
At the question Miss Hinako blushed, but answered.
"No" But a little bit of longing was heard in her voice.
Ranma muttered to himself a little louder than he wanted, but the only ones that heard it was Miss Hinako and the two perverts Hiroshi and Dagasuki.
"A shame really... definitely wouldn't have been a bad thing... stupid fiancées"
At those words Miss Hinako blushed and her head was filled with many different visions of her and Ranma doing the naughty.
Hiroshi and Dagasuki just gave him an approving smile.
He then said to the rest of the class and especially Akane.
"Well I don't remember anything like that either, and even if I had it wouldn't be any off your goddamned business" Ranma said with a lazy smile.
Akanes battle aura was beginning to melt the floor, because of the immense heat that it generated. Now the students backed away from Akane, moving towards the door.
Miss Hinako was in her own little fantasy world, a small blush adorning her cheeks. But when she saw that everybody was beginning to move away from Akane and that she was moving towards her with a mallet in her hands she took out her yen coin.
"Happo-five-yen-yetsu" She said and drained the girl of her ki.
Ranma raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"Ms Tendo I warned you of interrupting my class again, now go to the hall and hold buckets" Miss Hinako said still, with the blush on her cheeks.
Akane groaned and stood up slowly, glaring daggers at Ranma as she slid the door shut.
The class continued like it should, Ms Hinako going trough the chapters they should read.
Nothing unusual happened until Kuno burst trough the door in his samurai garb and wooden bokken.
"Foul sorcerer Saotome, your grip in the fierce tigress Akane and the pig- tailed goddess end today. I will smite thee." Kuno said as he took up a heroic pose, or so he thought.
Ranma turned his gaze towards Ms Hinako.
"May I?" He asked tiredly.
"Uh... sure" was the reply.
Ranma nodded and walked out of the door followed closely by Kuno. He shut the door and the class just blinked their eyes in unison. They didn't expect Ranma to return to class now that he needed to fight Kuno, but was surprised as they could hear a single loud bang. The door opened and Ranma walked in and sat as his seat without a word.
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At the end of the class Ms Hinako asked Ranma to stay behind so she could talk to him.
"Mr Saotome could you please explain how you got so good at English, you have slept trough every lesson?" She asked as she gathered her books together.
"I have travelled around since I could walk, being to different countries. There aren't many that can talk Japanese outside of Japan, but you will always find someone that could talk English, so I picked it up during my travels." He said as he looked out of the window.
"So how good are you really?" She asked.
"Can speak and write it fluidly, without an accent" he said as he turned and walked trough the door.
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Ranma walked up and sat under the tree. Hiroshi and Dagasuki sat on each side of him, and the tree of them was talking idle. He relaxed a bit it was nice to just sit around and talk with a couple of friends.
Soon they were in on the topic of girls and instead of blushing and calling them both perverts like he usually did, he just laughed and answered their questions honestly. This made them accept him more, he was for the first time really able to enjoy life. He had understood that after the Jusendo incident, martial arts isn't everything, friends was what really mattered. Unfortunately his closest friend was a homicidal maniac with the name Ryoga.
So after awhile he began to hang around Hiroshi and Dagasuki more and more. They didn't blame him for anything and didn't demand anything from him, and after he stopped to talk about martial arts they quickly became friends.
He found it easier to be around people if he was a little more laid back and didn't criticise them all the time. When in a conversation before he always just talked about martial arts, but now he didn't even bring up the subject any more.
Instead they talked about the wonderful world of football.
They and a couple of other guys usually played some football in the evenings. But instead of playing for victory they played for the fun of the game. That was another thing he had learned, victory isn't everything. He didn't use his martial arts abilities, that would just ruin the fun.
He stopped talking as he felt the familiar ki signatures of Shampoo, Akane and Ukyo moving towards him.
"Gotta go" He said and then took of in the opposite direction managing to avoid being seen.
He ran up on the rooftops, managing to put a good distance between himself and school.
He really didn't want a confrontation with the fiancées now. He could return to the dojo in awhile, that would be the first place the fiancée brigade would look. He then began to roof-hop towards juban and his mothers' house.
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Ranma sighed as he left the school. He was wearing a school uniform today, his mother had insisted on it, it was his last day in Furikan High School. The exams where made and Ranma would love to see the shocked faces of the teachers when the graded the tests. He was pretty sure he would get top grades, those two months of studying with Hiroshi and Dagasuki had paid out.
The day had been normal, no pissed of fiancées, no blood thirsty rivals, and especially no magic at all, heck even the principal was dressed in a normal suit and held a good bye speech without the Hawaiian accent.
He had managed to finish his exam test without a single interference. But he knew as soon he made it back to the dojo he would have hell to pay. The last two days he had managed to avoid trouble. He would have to put up with the NWC the entire summer until he began the collage. But he knew that he would need to find someway out of the engagements soon.
As he left the gates of the school his danger senses went off to red alert. He jumped to the left and was able to avoid Ryoga as he landed where he was standing a second ago. A 5 feet crater was there where Ryoga had landed. He was snarling towards him.
"Ranma you hurt Akanes feelings, now prepare to die" The last he said as he threw a couple of ki charged bandanna shuriken. He leaned left and let the bandannas fly by his head, cutting trough a tree behind him.
Ryoga charged him, his umbrella in his hand like a club. Ryoga gripped the umbrella with both hands and then brought it down to crush Ranmas head. Ranma dodged the strike and was able to get behind Ryoga and delivered a kick to his back. He was about to follow up with a punch but his danger senses went off again. He jumped back and away from Ryoga and he saw as a couple of chains passed where he had been only moments before. He looked at the faces of Ryoga and Mousse and could see that both where after blood. He could fell a third battle aura behind him and didn't even need to look to know it was Kuno.
So Ryoga, Mousse and Kuno are after me. This is bad. He knew that he could take them down, but that it would be a though fight.
If they had paid attention they would have seen that he didn't have his cocky grin but an emotionless mask.
"Let's dance" he said in a voice that made the entire student body get a cold shiver of fear up their spine.
Ranma wasn't happy and he was out after blood.
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"Stupid assholes, can't leave me alone for even a day" He muttered as he staggered towards the Tendo Dojo.After the fight with his rivals Akane had come out of school and had hit him with her goddamned mallet for picking on poor little Ryoga. His temper with the youngest Tendo was a bad as it could get, heck if Saffron came and kidnapped her again he would hold open the door for him, and probably give him a big thanks.
He arrived at the Dojo, opened the door and was greeted with Nabiki standing there with her hands open, waiting for money.
"Give me 5000 yen and I will tell you how to make up to Akane" She said with a smug expression.
"Read my lips Nabiki, NO. Do you understand a NO?" He hissed out and moved past a shocked Nabiki. Since when had Saotome grown a spine?
Ranma made his way towards the stairs, he would get his backpack and then leave for his moms' house. It had taken almost all his ki reserves to heal the wounds from his fight earlier. Especially the slash across his chest where Kuno had got lucky and hit him with his family katana. Or the five broken ribs he had sustained after a perfect Shi Shi Houkodan. Or all those small cuts and bruises after Mousse egg bombs.
He wasn't completely recovered yet, but most of the injuries had begun to heal, and he was sore over the entire body. And it would take some time before his ki reserves refilled.
As he was about to leave the Dojo he heard his pops voice from the porch.
"Ranma would you please come here for a moment."
Ranma mentally argued if he should do as he was told or just leave. As he entered the room he could see Soun, Genma and Akane sitting at the table every one having a serious expression.
He took seat opposite the tree, nearest the door.
"Ranma, Akane says you have betrayed her with your teacher." Soun said, anger evident in his voice.
"No, I haven't" He said a little angry.
"Are you saying that I am lying" Akane said with a death glare.
"No, I am saying that I haven't done anything with Ms Hinako." He said, his voice colder than ice.
"Don't lie boy" Genma scolded him.
"We now you have done it, Akane told us so" Soun continued.
"Well okay, I have seduced Ms Hinako and we had wild passionate sex and now I am planning to run away with her and marry her" He said his voice full of sarcasm.
"I knew it, you pervert" Akane screamed.
"To restore the Saotome honour you will marry Akane today" Soun said.
"I will NOT marry that bastard" Akane screeched and stood up.
"Do what you want, I am out off here" Ranma said as he stood up and turned towards the door.
He didn't get there because Akane smashed the table over his head knocking him down to the floor.
"YOU BASTARD, I WILL NOT MARRY YOU" She said as she continued to hit him over the head with the table.
He could hear a loud crash and Ukyo and Shampoo entered the room through the newly made door.
"Ayia, What is kitchen destroyer doing with Shampoos airen?" She said and withdrew her bon bori from stuff space.
"Sugar, let my Ran-chan go immediately or else" She had her giant spatula in her hands.
The tree fiancées attacked each other, and after awhile Mousse, Kuno, Ryoga and Kodachi joining into the fight. Ranma was still lying on the ground, being hit by stray kicks and weapons from all the combatants.
Ryoga calmly walked over to him and the stood and looked down on him.
"I will promise to take care of Akane Ranma" He said with a sadistic grin.
He lifted his foot and then tried to break Ranmas neck. Ranma managed to roll to the side, and Ryogas foot just hit dirt.
Ryoga became angry and then lifted Ranma with one hand around his neck.
"You just don't know when to give up Ranma" he said with a hiss.
Ranma just spit on his face, the blood and saliva running down Ryogas right eye.
Ryoga became furious and threw Ranma at the wall. He slowly slumped down to the ground, breathing hard. Ranma was really angry now, his face became twisted in an evil grin and his hands clenched into fists.
"I have had enough" Those four words made Ryoga freeze in his tracks.
A completely black aura of hate surrounded Ranma as he stood up. With a quick jump he was standing before Ryoga, and with a single punch he knocked Ryoga down to the ground, blood and a couple of teeth flying through the air. Ryogas jaw was broken and he was clutching his face and whimpering.
"Ranma stop picking on poor Ryoga" Akane sad as she turned towards them. Ranma shifted his gaze from Ryoga to Akane and he began to slowly walk towards her.
"You shut the fuck up. I have had it with you, you fucking bitch. I will not marry you or any other one here. I don't care how or why the engagements where created, but they are all off." He screamed at her face.
Everybody was quiet, nobody had seen Ranma really mad before and the sight was scary. Then Genma, who never had much intelligence, decided to open his mouth.
"But it is a matter of honour that you marry a Tendo"
Ranma turned towards his father.
"You can take your honour and shove it where the sun doesn't shine for all I care. THE ENGAGEMENTS ARE OFF AND I AM OUT OF HERE."
He turned towards the door.
"RANMA NO BAK..." Akane wasn't allowed to finish because she had Ranmas fist buried deep in her gut. Akane dropped the mallet to the ground trying to regain her breath.
"I never want to see any of you again." He said with a voice cold as death.
Ranma walked trough the door and picked up his backpack and then he left, leaving a group of stunned people behind him.
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Ranma walked up the steps leading up to his mothers' home. He put the backpack on the ground and knocked on the door. He waited awhile before his mother Nodoka opened the door.
"What happened?" She said as she saw her sons dirty, torn and bloody clothes.
"Broke off from Nerima" Was all he said.
Nodoka pushed him inside, taking his backpack and closing the door. He took a seat at the kitchen table and was about to tell her what happened when it knocked on the door. Nodoka walked to the door closely followed by Ranma. Ranma hoped it wasn't the NWC, they couldn't have found him this quick. He prepared to fight, but when Nodoka opened the door he was shocked to see the person standing there.
It was Happosai, grandmaster of the anything goes school and biggest pervert in Japan. He looked around and the stepped in.
"We must talk Ranma"He said in a very serious voice.
They walked into the kitchen and took a coup of tea.
"What happened to you Ranma" Nodoka said again.
Ranma sighed and then began to tell what had happened, the training trip, Nerima, the curse, everything. He was interrupted sometimes by Happosai who confirmed Ranmas tail.
Nodoka looked shocked, she had known about the curse, but the rest...
"GENMAAAAAA!" Was heard over most of Tokyo.
"So what are you going to do now?" She asked seriously.
"Don't know, I can't stay here though, they would soon find me and all the madness would begin again." He said.
"So you are leaving?" She asked a little sad.
"I love you mom, but I don't want you to be hurt, these fight will sooner or later kill someone and I don't want it to be you." He said
"Where are you going then?" She asked.
"Don't know, but I will make it don't worry" He said and shrugged his shoulders.
Nodoka sat in her chair quietly, she was looking down in her tee. It looked like she was thinking something over. She finally looked up at Ranma.
"Ranma there is something I need to tell you, it is about Genma, and my family. And from what you told me I can't keep it secret anymore." She said and sighed.
"What is it mom?"
She left the room and came back with a small box and her katana. She placed them in front of her on the table.
"First I need to tell you how it all started. My mother was a traditional Japanese, a member of the Takeda clan. She was working as a translator and secretary for the government when she met my father. He was from Great Britain and was here in Japan on business when he met my mother during his work. He fell in love and they married and tree years later I was born. My mother... she died in childbirth and after that my father and I moved to Great Britain." She took a pause in her story and looked up at Ranma.
"I was raised in England, but usually visited Japan on my holidays. Three years after my mothers' death my father remarried and one year later my younger sister was born. My stepmother was a kind woman, and together with my younger sister I had a good childhood."
"When I became older I began to work for the British secret service, and during my work I met a man named James, and he was also working for the government, we got engaged and was about to marry when my father and stepmother died. James was then needed in other countries, and we became more and more separated." She sighed at the memory
"After some time I moved back to Japan, because James work was becoming more and more dangerous and he didn't want to see me a young widow. We left on good conditions, but as soon I came home I found out my grand parents had engaged me to another man, Genma Saotome. I was furious of course, who had heard of arranged marriages in these modern times?"
Ranma smiled a little at that, his mother was in the same both as him.
"In the end I married Genma, not willingly of course. But I still hear from James and my younger sister from time to time."
"That is quite an exciting life mom. But was has this to do with the fiancées problems? If you will tell me to marry one I am out the door in a second" Ranma said.
"The point of my story is I was already pregnant when I returned to Japan. You aren't Genmas son, you are James. And now that I know what kind of people your fiancées are I would NEVER let you marry one of them" She said.
Ranma only blinked.
"Hah ha ha ha! Man I always knew that Ranma couldn't be Genmas son, the fat fool would never ever be able to get a son like Ranma." Came from Happosai.
Ranma blinked some more, and then he did the only thing possible.
Fainted.
Ranma woke up after a short while.
"Man I had the strangest dream, I dreamt that Genma wasn't my father" he said as he rubbed the spot where he had hit his head on the table.
"That wasn't a dream Ranma" He heard Happosai say.
He then was really shocked. Genma wasn't his father. The man he had been raised by wasn't his father. He sat in shock for a couple of minutes trying to comprehend it. And after a while he asked in a low voice.
"What about the sepekku-contract?"
"I made that to keep Genma inline, but it backfired and he used it against me" She said now slightly angry.
"And what about the promises made by Genma?"
"Everyone stated "son of Genma Saotome, student of anything goes. They are invalid, you aren't Genmas son." She said calmly.
"And for the student part, well that is the reason I am here." Happosai said.
"What?"
"Ranma you are the best fighter I have ever met, and that isn't a small feat mind you. You also have a good heart, a little too prideful and noble, but still a good heart. I am growing old, it won't be many more years before it is my time to finally rest, and I don't want to leave my school, the only thing I really can take pride in from my life, to Genma and Soun. I have lived for over three hundred years, and my school is the only good thing I have left. I want to leave it in competent hands, and if I leave it to you I know you will not only master it, but perfect it as well. That is the reason I want to announce you the new grandmaster of the anything goes school of armed combat.
"Armed combat?" Ranma said slightly confused.
"Yes, anything goes wasn't meant to be a martial arts schools, it was meant to be a school of war. When you killed saffron you showed me that you would kill to protect other people, even if it was people that had made your life a hell. That is what I seek in my heir, the will to protect others, even if it means to kill." Happosai said.
"Thanks for the honour, but I still don't think that will be enough to stop the Nerima Wrecking Crew from trying to get me back.
"I know dear and I have an idea" Nodoka said.
--------------------------
They where now currently sitting in the yard, everyone clothed in ceremonial garb."I, Nodoka Saotome current head of the clan Takeda and Saotome, announce Ranma Saotome as the head of the clan Takeda" She said and handed him the family katana and the small box. She would remain head of the Saotome clan to keep Genma in check. He opened the box and found 14 small double edged throwing daggers.
"It is a part of our family tradition, but you will have to talk to my sister to understand why" Nodoka said.
Ranma bowed towards his mother, having placed the family katana to his right.
"And I Happo Sai, current grandmaster of the anything goes school of martial arts, recognises Ranma Saotome of the Saotome clan and Takeda clan as grandmaster of the anything goes school of armed combat." He then handed Ranma an additional katana, pulling it out from hidden weapons space.
Ranma made a deep bow towards Happosai, showing him the uttermost respect.
"Thank you Grandmaster Happosai" He said.
Happosai smiled a genuine smile, something he hadn't done in over a century.
"No thank you Grandmaster Saotome, for easing an old mans fears" He said and bowed back.
"Now gentlemen, how about some tee" Nodoka said and stood up and picked up a tray from the kitchen leaving the two men alone.
-----------------------
"Ranma I have taught you everything I can, but I still have one last thing to give you." He said and pulled out a thick old book."I have travelled this world for over three centuries, and this book contains all my gathered knowledge. Both when it goes to magic, martial arts, mythology, tails, songs, rumours, I mean everything. It is written in Chinese, my native language, so you will have to learn it first." He said with a smile.
"Thank you" he said.
"So when are you going to leave for England?" Nodoka asked as she came back with the tee.
"Tomorrow, I still need some new gear, most of my clothes left are only training gis, and the rest are too small."
"Well, as the head of the Takeda clan you have access to the clans bank account, so you shouldn't have any problem with money. And don't worry to spend it, we are the last two Takedas and I have my own account, so the money is all yours.
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He left them an hour later to go get some new clothes and maybe a haircut. The braid was a little bit childish and if someone got hold of it in a fight he would be in trouble.He went looking for clothes that were both practical in a fight, were looking good and didn't draw any attention. His red Chinese silk shirt was not directly inconspicuous.
When he went past a store he found exactly what he was looking for. When left the store thirty minutes later he had a pair of brown trousers, a simple white T-shirt, a grey sweater, a pair of boots and a black trench coat. The last was to give him some protection against rain and water, and would make it able to store more things with the hidden weapons style, much like mousse white robes, just a lot more inconspicuous.
He had bought more clothes, mostly the same clothes in different colours. He looked down on his watch and then headed toward the nearest barber to get his hair cut.
He defiantly knew that the NWC wouldn't stop bugging him so he decided to make it harder for them to find him, or rather for Nabiki to find him. The description would probably be along the lines of "red Chinese silk shirt, pigtail and blue eyes", and the change in hairstyle and clothing, together with a pair of black shades, would throw most off.
----------------------
He arrived back to his mother house and saw as both Happosai and his mother where drinking tee on the porch. He had a talk with both his mother and Happosai about his plans and he then checked with the Tokyo airport for any planes to London, he got his ticket with a flight 05.30, hoping that Nabikis goons wasn't up so early.After that he switched into a training gi and walked out to do some katas. He stood silently for a second and then moved with a fluid grace, punches and kicks flying towards an invisible opponent.
"Ranma may a see your skill with the sword" He heard Happosai and turned to see him sit on a rock.
"I don't really like to use weapons, if an opponent takes it from you you're at a severe disadvantage." He said.
"Only if you put all your strength and skill in the weapon. If you continue to train in unarmed combat your skill as a weapon user will still increase.
But don't forget that using a weapon means you have to train twice as hard, first with and then without the weapon. If you train with a weapon and then encounters one armed opponent while unarmed you have a better chance in defeating him. You will know the flaws of the weapons. Never rely on one, but use them to gain an advantage on a dangerous enemy."
"I understand sensei" Ranma said with a bow.
"And Ranma"
"Yes Sensei"
"NEVER enter a real fight with your weapon if you aren't prepared to kill your opponent."
"So I will only use a weapon against an opponent I intend to kill"
"No I didn't say that, only enter a fight with a weapon if you might need to kill, that doesn't mean you have to kill but you should be prepared to do it if the worst happens."
"Worst?"
"They threaten a life of an innocent, then kill immediately to end that threat:"
"I understand sensei"
"Ranma, you must understand that killing is not honourable."
"So I shouldn't kill?"
"Ranma a simple question, is your honour worth the life of an innocent"
"No"
"Remember that, killing is not honourable but letting an innocent die is even worse. Honour isn't gained trough killing, it is gained trough when you help people"
"I understand sensei"
"Now let me see your skill with the blade"
Ranma went and got the two katanas, unsheathing both from their scabbards. He went into a two hand weapon stance. He tried to remember every time he had seen Kuno with his bokken. He had to admit, Kuno was a skilled swordsman, but that didn't change the fact that he was a delusional fool. Ranma started slowly, striking and parried an invisible opponent: He went faster and faster, soon being only a blur dancing around in the yard, soon he was invisible to any one but a trained eye, the only thing seen was small glints from the blades and blurry afterimages.
"Impressive Ranma, you are almost as good with the blades as unarmed."
"Thank you sensei"
"Well I have to wish you good luck on you travels"
"Thanks."
"Oh and Ranma..."
"Yes?"
"Do get a girl in the sack soon"
"We aren't related are we?"
"Where did you get that from?"
"You sounded exactly like mom"
"Haa haa haa haa, humour you don't lack in any case at least"
Ranma turned towards Happosai with his trademark cocky smirk.
"I have the full intention on being around long enough to go your children on the nerve" Happosai said.
"If there is anything you need from me, just ask mom and she will contact me" Ranma said.
"Well see you later Ranma, I will go scare Genma and Soun now" Happosai said with a grin.
Ranma turned around and then felt as he was hit by cold water and the instantaneous change to a girl.
"SWEETO!" Came a yell and he could feel as something patted him on his butt, and then grabbed into his chest.
Ranmas left eye twitched violently and he then grabbed into the neck of the pervert and then threw him into LEO.
"You F-ing sonuva "#&%¤", I will rip your head of if you do that again" Ranma screamed towards the flying pervert.
Happosai just smirked, his heir became really pissed sometimes.
"Some things just never change" Ranma muttered darkly
-----------------------
Ranma whipped away a tear from his eye as he hugged his mother goodbye, he was standing at the Tokyo airport.
"Do call me Ranma" She said as she hugged him for dear life.
"I will mom" He said
"And met a girl, get married and give me a dozen or so grandchildren" She said jokingly.
"See what I can do. And if you see Happosai, please thank him from me" He replied.
He began to walk away towards the gate of his flight waving goodbye. He checked in his luggage and then walked trough the metal detector. Nothing happened. He was carrying four daggers in every sleeve, two in each boot and two under his shoulder blades, but in subspace of course. The two katanas was also in subspace. He was thankful for the technique, it would have been one hell of a problem to get the weapons past the custom.
He slumped into his seat in first class taking a look out the window. He was quite surprised to find out he was registered as both Japanese and British citizen, but his mother had told him she was born in Britain so what the heck.
He could feel as the plane took off and he leaned back in his seat falling asleep almost instantly.
On the ground a pair off eyes watched the plane as it took off. The figure wished his great grand son good luck, then slowly disappeared into the shadows.
Authors Notes
Okay, so Ranma is out of character. He had a fight with a god, survived it and killed the god. I think anyone would change after that.