- Saotome

"Oh how I've waited for this day," Soun Tendo said as he clutched the postcard from his old friend, tears of joy flowing from his eyes.  "The School will be secure!"  He quickly stood up and ran off to call his daughters.

Meanwhile, in the pouring rain, a certain pony tailed figure slowly walked along side a larger figure covered in a black cloak thus making it impossible to tell what was through it, though one could see its feet which in reality weren't feet at all but fairly sharp looking talons.  The two didn't seem to care what people thought of them.

"Damn it Pop," the figure yelled.  "How could you pick out a fiancée for me without asking?"

"[It was you mother's idea]" the panda wrote on a wooden sign. 

"You expect me to believe that?"  The figured demanded.

"[Okay, maybe it was my idea]" the sign said.  The mysterious figure turned it over to reveal more writing.  "[But it's still a matter of family honor]"

"Whatever," the figure muttered.  "At least let me meet this chick."

"[I'm sure you two will fall in love]," the next sign said.

"Just like you were sure about the Neko-ken, right?" the figure stated.

"[He learned it, didn't he]?" the next sign said.

"You have a lunatic's logic, pop," was the response.

The rain soon stopped, giving the smaller figure to find some hot water.  None for Genma of course.  He deserved to be stuck in his cursed form for a while longer.

"Fiancé?"

"That's right," Soun assured his daughters.  "To the son of a very good friend of mine."

The Tendo sisters all remained silent for several minutes; however their various expressions did the talking for them.  Kasumi's face was filled with annoyance.  She was obviously disappointed that her father would make a decision this large without them, though it didn't surprise her one bit.  Her younger sister Nabiki expressed curiosity.  She was the only one who seemed to look forward to this at all.  Perhaps she wanted a little love in her life, or perhaps she hoped that the boy in question had a large bank account.  Akane, however, was furious beyond belief.

The youngest daughter in question angrily stood up.  "How could you, dad?!?  Picking a fiancé without even asking us first?!" 

"Calm down, sis," Nabiki requested.  "He may be real cute.  Right, daddy?"

"How old is he father?"  Kasumi asked.  "Younger men bore me."

"Now that you mention it, I have no idea," Soun realized.  "I've only met him once while he and his family were passing through Tokyo during his training mission.  Though I thought he was very cute for ten-year old boy."

His daughters remained silent for they did not know how to react to their father's confession that he thought that a ten-year-old boy was cute.  Luckily the awkward silence was broken by the sound of the doorbell.

Soun leapt happily toward door.   "That must be him."  Upon opening it, he came face to face with a pony tailed boy, wearing a long sleeve red Chinese shirt and black pants.  His blues eyes and handsome smile would have any female melting in the palm of his hands.  He was followed by the hulking cloaked figure.

"You wouldn't be...?"

"Ranma Saotome," the boy greeted.  "Heir of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."  He gave a bow.  Soun respond with a large hug that nearly killed the boy.

"I'm so happy to see you," Soun cried as he blocked Ranma's air passage.

"Can't.....breathe...." Ranma tried to say.

"I've waited so long for your arrival," Soun added, not hearing, or maybe even not caring to hear, Ranma's pleas.

At this point the young martial artist had begun to turn blue.  "World…going…black…"

Kasumi put a hand on her father's shoulder.  "I think you're killing him, father."

"Oops," Soun yelped as he dropped the boy.

"[Hello old friend]" the near giant wrote on a sign.

"Ah, Saotome my friend," He examined Genma more closely.  "You've been working out a bit over the years it seems."

The cloaked visitor responded by removing his hood, revealing a vicious looking falcon head, complete with evil looking bloodshot eyes.

"Holy shit!" Nabiki screamed totally dropping her Ice Queen exterior.  It was understandable.  It was a monster after all.

"He's so cute," Kasumi commented.

"What the hell is that thing!?"  Akane demanded at Ranma.

"Don't mind him, he's just some pet I got while I was training in China," Ranma assured them.

"[I resent that!]," stated a sign the birdman was suddenly holding

"That's a well trained pet," Nabiki commented, once again in her cool demeanor.

The moment of fear passed once the newly arrived Ranma assured them there was no danger.  Soun once again hugged the boy and expressed his happiness at Ranma's arrival.  The pony tailed youth seemed a bit annoyed with the Soun's "advances" but still acted as polite as he could.  Kasumi silently fumed over discovering Ranma was a bit younger then her.  She would of course fulfill family honor if it come down to it, but hopefully one of her sisters would step up to the plate and agree to marry the boy.  Nabiki had noted that in fact he was very cute, however she wasn't about to marry a guy based something as shallow as looks.  It all depended on his the size of his wallet. 

Akane was just plain pissed.

"So Ranma, when will your father be joining us?"  Soun asked.  Before Ranma had a chance to respond, the elder Tendo added, "Oh that's right.  Your mother also traveled with you, did she not?  Will she be joining us as well?"

Ranma's face darkened.  He slightly lowered his head.  "No, she won't," he said simply.  Soun nodded.  He wasn't sure what the boy had meant by that but he did note the bitter and slightly sad tone of his voice.

Akane was still upset about this whole situation, however if there was one thing that helped vent her anger it was practicing in the dojo.  And since this Ranma person was suppose to be a fighter perhaps she could show him why they call her the best martial artiest in Nerima. 

"Hey, wanna spar?" Akane asked the boy.  He stared at her with a confused look.  Annoyed at this boy's obvious stupidity Akane added "You study karate, right?  Let's go into the dojo and have a little match."

Ranma still looked confused, but nodded and followed her toward the dojo.

Once they were out of the room the "Well Trained Pet" turned to Kasumi.

"[Hot water please.]"

The two teens soon found themselves opposite sides of the Tendo dojo about five-minutes later.

"I should warn you," Akane stated, "I'm considered the best martial artist in Nerima, but don't worry.  I'll go easy on you."  Sure it was easy to say that, but trying to hold back on a boy was hard.  It just felt so good to beat on those immature idiots.  She simply silently promised not to kill him.   Maybe.

Ranma quickly identified that the stance Akane was taking was of the Anything Goes Style; however it was a bit different from his own school.  Not surprising.  When his father told him this family practiced their style he had assumed it would be slightly diverse.  Probably inferior as well.

"Are you ready?"  Akane asked.

"Yeah, attack me from any angle," Ranma replied smiling.

"Cocky bastard," Akane thought to herself.  "He's not even taking a stance.  Oh well, I'll teach him not to take me seriously."

The Tendo girl dashed at the pig tail boy with her fist however she noticed that he had hit only air.  Turning around quickly she saw the boy behind her, standing smugly.  How could that be?  No one's that fast.

Once again she charged at the boy, this time concentrating on his position.  She attempted a kick to his head, however she misses.  Ranma in fact had only slightly tilted his head to the left to avoid it.  If he had been an inch more to the right she would have connected.  She repeatedly tried to land a blow, but the pony-tailed boy effortlessly avoided every time.

"Damn, is he reading my moves?" Akane wondered.

Ranma smiled slightly "She's got a lot stamina," he thought to himself.

"This time for real!"  Akane yelled as she charged the pony tailed martial artiest.  Direct hit!  She punched right through his head.  Wait a minute, right through his head?  Akane nearly tripped when she saw the Ranma she punched began to blur, and then fade away.  Was it an illusion?  Before she could react she found herself being thrown from behind landing and denting a wall of the dojo.  She fell to ground in a painful thump. 

Ranma bowed to his opponent.  A large grin appeared on his face.  "Victory!"  He acknowledged.  "That was my Zanzouken technique."

"Y-y-you," was all Akane could say.  Ranma was so fast he had left an after image of himself.  But that wasn't possible, right?

"Wow, that was really easy," Ranma stated, still smiling.  "The standard of martial arts in this town must be pretty low."

"What did you say!?" Akane yelled angrily.  The nerve of this jerk.  How dare he insult her like that!

"I said your not that great of a martial artiest," Ranma repeated.  "Or at least your not nearly as good as I am, but then again, who is?"

He didn't even see the mallet that Akane used to hit him.  She stormed out of the dojo, muttering something about losing to a boy, leaving Ranma in a heap on the floor.

Picking himself up and dusting himself off Ranma sighed.  Akane was pretty easy to upset, though he did realize that he had been pretty mean to her.  "This will never work."

"Oh, hello Ranma," Kasumi said to the pony-tailed boy as walked into the kitchen.

"Hi," Ranma replied cheerfully.  He realized just then he didn't know her name.

          Seeing him begin to sweat, Kasumi gave a reassuring smile.  "My name is Kasumi."

Ranma nodded and extended his hand.  "Well, nice to meet you Kasumi.  Hey, do you think I could use your bathroom to wash up?"

"Of course Ranma," Kasumi answered, her friendly smile never leaving.  "As I understand it, you'll be staying here with us for a while, so please treat this as your home."

"Thanks Kasumi," Ranma acknowledged as he headed upstairs.

"What a nice boy," Kasumi said to her self as she continued doing dishes.

A bit later, Ranma found himself soaking in the bathtub, considering his options.  There had to be some way out of this engagement.  He wanted an adventurous life of training in the art.  Wandering down mysterious roads.  Testing his skill as well as the will to survive.   He didn't want to be stuck in some preadolescent marriage.  So what if the trip to China had just one disaster after another, it had been an adventure.  His skill had greatly improved in the two years he spent there.  He'd love to go back and face his old rivals there to prove his superiority (As if he needed to prove it, he was Ranma Saotome after all.  Of course he's superior). 

Sadly there didn't seem to be anything he could do.  He'd be damned if he were going to back out of family honor.  It simply wasn't manly, and he knew if his mother were there she'd kill him on the spot.  In fact she'd most likely force him to do it himself.  The pony tailed martial arts expert sighed to himself in a deep silence.  He could simply go with the flow, marry one of those girls, settle down and pretend to be fulfilled in life.  Or he could just say screw it, take off now and lose his honor.

Some choice.  Imprisonment or risk of being a ronin.

Oh well, things could be worse.  He had managed to meet the Tendos as himself and not his cursed form.  He'd simply explain about the curse later.  Maybe those girls would get disgusted and break the engagement.  Unless they were into to that perverted stuff.  That Akane may swing that way.  She seemed a bit too macho to be a regular boy-dating chick.  Realizing that he was just delaying the inedible, Ranma stood up from the bath.

Just as the door opened and a very naked Akane Tendo steeped through. 

"..."  Ranma said to the intruder.

"..." Akane wisely replied.  She quickly rushed out the door, slamming it behind her.

 The younger Saotome buried his face into his hands.  "That's just great."  The horrible scream he heard outside the door did nothing to calm his nerves.

Downstairs, two old friends (Both humans by the way) sat silently in the dark, though tears only flowing from one's eyes.

"So that's the story," Soun commented.  "My heart weeps for you, Saotome."

"Don't cry for me, Tendo," Genma responded.  "My curse does nothing save for increases my already large arsenal of fighting ability.  I can even fly now."

"But what of you son?"  Soun asked.

"Nothing seems to phase Ranma these days," Genma assured him.  "I believe his mother's death affected him in seemingly positive ways.  He is even more dedicated to the art, and holds honor above all else."

"He seems like a perfect husband for one of my girls," Soun sighed happily.  "The schools will be united at last."

"Indeed, Tendo," Genma agreed.

The sound of a screaming youth interrupted their friendly conversation.

The father of the Tendo sisters gasped.  "That's Akane!"

Some time later, each member of the Tendo clan and the Saotome clan sat around the dinning room table in order to discuss the engagement.

Ranma and Genma sat across the Tendos, Akane giving Ranma a dirty look every once and a while.  It wasn't her fault he had angered her so badly she didn't notice the occupied sign on the bathroom door.  She bet that pervert took a good long look at her body.

"As you may or may not have guessed, this man is my old friend," Soun started.

"Genma Saotome," the older Saotome introduced.  "You've already met my son, Ranma."

"As you know, one of you will marry Ranma to fulfill a promise made years ago in order to secure the Anything Goes Style of Martial Arts," Soun explained.  His face darkened.  "However..."

"...However," Genma picked up.  His face too was filled with pain and sorrow.  "Our experience in China has left Ranma different from other boys his age."

"Yeah, he's a lot more perverted," Akane mumbled.  No one seemed to hear her comment.

Genma rubbed his chin, seemingly in deep thought "How shall I explain?" He wondered aloud.  "I know!"

With that said, Genma attempted to toss Ranma into the koi pond in the back yard.  Too bad for him Ranma saw it coming and easily countered the attack.  It was Genma who ended up in the pond.  Then something a bit different rose from it.  An 8'0" foot tall monster with a falcon's head and a furry muscular body (Almost as if it were a lion's body complete with a tail), massive arms and legs with razor sharp claws and talons adding its dangerous nature.  It featured large wings on its back as well.

"It's that cute creature we saw earlier," Kasumi stated.

"I ask again: What the hell is that thing?" Akane again demanded of Ranma.

'I wonder how much those talons are worth on the black market,' Nabiki thought to herself.

"It's a griffin," Ranma explained to Akane. "A mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a bird."

"A Griffin?  Why is your father a griffin?" Akane asked.  She didn't even know Griffin's had been real.

"Cause he was dumb enough to go to Jusenkyo," Ranma mocked.  He was answered by being splashed by bucket of water that was obviously sent by Genma-Griffin.

"[Your one to talk, 'son']" Genma-Griffin responded.

Everyone was now staring at the cute red head girl who had replaced Ranma.

"He's a girl now," Kasumi noted.

"He's a bigger pervert then I realized!" Akane gasped, shocked at the change.

Nabiki gave her father a sarcastic look.  "You sure have some strange friends, daddy."

"They weren't always like this," Soun explain. "It was the result of a dangerous training exercise in China."

A kettle of hot water later...

"Ah yes, it was about two months ago," Genma began his tragic tale.

"The trip to China was to be the final stretch of a ten year training trip in which I was to teach Ranma the most advance styles of martial arts known to man. We spent two years there, during which, Nodoka was tragically taken away from us."  He paused for emphasis before continuing.  "In any case, we continued on, the path of martial arts being filled with pearl after all.  It was then we reached a place called Jusenkyo..."

Flashback

"Here sirs, is Cursed Ground of Jusenkyo," their Chinese guide explained to them.

"Hey pal, this wouldn't have happened to be the place where people turn into animals and stuff."

"That's nonsense Ranma," Genma remarked.  "Where did you pick up such rubbish?"

"Aiya, is very true," the guide stated.  "Most customer not listen to my tragic story though."

"Each spring is cursed.  If someone falls in the spring then they take the body of whatever drowned there last," Ranma interrupted.  He then surprised the guide by adding in almost perfect Chinese " Unlike that fat fool, I read the catalog."

With a look of relief the guide responded "You seem to be much wiser then the usual foreigner who comes here." The guide responded looking directly at Genma.  "It's not too often a customer actually knows anything about this evil place or even speaks half-decent Chinese."

"That's all a lot of foolishness," Genma said sternly.  He hadn't caught any of the Chinese but he did hear them mention the springs being cursed.  "There are no such things as curses."

"Sure pop, whatever," Ranma said lamely.  "I still ain't going up there to train."

Genma's eyes shifted.  "What's wrong boy, are you a coward?"

Annoyed, Ranma glared at his father.  "Pop, just forget about this place.  Let's just skip it and go back to Japan while we still can."

"Oh, I see now."  Genma gave his son a wicked smile.  "You're afraid if we spar here you'll be defeated easily.  Perhaps your skill isn't as unmatched as you'd like to think."

That did it.  No one questioned the skill of Ranma Saotome.

"Let's finish this once and for all," Ranma yelled, his eyes blazing with fury.  They both leapt onto the bamboo poles that were attached to the various springs. 

"Sirs, what you doing?" The guide was panicking.  These two knew the dangers, but had still gone on to test their luck.  Ranma noted the guides concern, so he gave him a confident smile.  Of course Ranma had no intention of falling into a spring, but it would certainly be fitting for his father to fall into one himself.  Like Spring of Drowned Panda or something. 

Genma attempted to get the first kick in, but the much faster Ranma easily countered and knocked his father into the spring below.

"Hey pop, did you change into a goat or what?" Ranma asked his father.  Genma responded by leaping out of the water, now with the form of a monstrous griffin.  It perched itself one the pole closest to Ranma.

The younger Saotome let out a fearful yelp at the sight of his father's new form.  "W-W-W-W-What is t- t-t-that?" Ranma demanded of the guide.  He certainly wasn't expecting something like that to come out of the water.

"That was spring of Drowned Griffin.  Very tragic tale of Griffin who drown there 2,800 year ago."  The guide paused before adding.  "Well, that Griffin attack many villages and kill many people.  I guess it not tragic that it drown there."

Ranma didn't hear the guide's story as the giant monster that used to be his father knocked the boy straight into another random spring. 

"Oh, too bad, you fall in spring of drowned young girl.  Very tragic tale of girl who drowned there 1,500 year ago.  Now you have body of young girl.  And you seemed so cautious too.  Oh well, I still get paid, yes?"

Again, it was doubtful that Ranma heard the guide as he was busy screaming due to his sudden change of gender.

End Flashback

"The cursed ground of Jesenkyo," Soun said once the story was completed.  "For years its true horror was shrouded in mystery, but now..."   Ranma shuddered at the memory.  One of several he wished he didn't have.

The pony tailed boy in question suddenly stood up.  "I warned you pop!" He angrily grabbed his father's collar.  He really felt like killing Genma right now.   "I told you it was cursed, but did you listen?   No! You just had to see for yourself, didn't you?"

Genma responded by tossing the off guard Ranma into the pond.

"Ranma, you sound like a girl!" The elder Saotome yelled.  "Weren't you prepared to lay down your life for the sake of the art?"

"My life yes," the now female Ranma yelled from the pond.  "My manhood is another story!"  She suppressed the urge to splash her father with some water.  Genma would only become much stronger and gain flight ability.  Ranma simply climbed out of the pond, raced back at her father and punched him extremely hard on the head.

Soun interrupted the fight between the Saotomes.  "So when doused with cold water you turn into a girl."  He added to his reasoning by pouring a kettle of hot water on Ranma-chan.  "But hot water changes you back into a boy."

The now male Ranma twitched in pain from the water he was given.  "H...Hot water, not boiling!"  Soun responded by chuckling at the whole situation.

"Your problem isn't so bad," Soun stated as he patted the boy on the back.  He turned to his three daughters.  "My oldest daughter Kasumi, she's 19.  My middle daughter Nabiki, she's 17.  And my youngest daughter Akane, she's 16.  Pick anyone you like, and she's your fiancée."

All three girls began to sweat.  True enough when the handsome boy who arrived at the Tendon's doorstep a few hours earlier the prospect of marriage didn't seem so outrageous.  However now that they learned he changed genders marriage with him seemed a bit....odd. 

"Akane would be the best choice," Kasumi mentioned.  Nabiki heartily agreed. 

"Sure, she's always talking about how she hates boys," the middle girl added.  She looked directly at her little sister.  "Well, you're in luck Akane, since Ranma's half girl."

"Me!?!"  Akane gasped.  She suddenly became very angry.  "Marry that pervert freak!?"

"Who you calling a pervert!?"  Ranma bellowed.  He didn't like being insulted on things that weren't true.

"You saw me in the nude, you pervert!"

Ranma's anger calmed down.  This girl was obviously only insulted her because she was a bit confused.  He'd simple would have to explain the situation.  "But you walked in on me, right?"

"Yeah, well, its different then when a girl sees a guy," Akane responded.  She didn't really buy that excuse, but she'd be damned if a boy won an argument with her.

"This is all just a misunderstanding," Ranma replied.  "I saw you naked by mistake, you saw me naked by mistake.  No one's a pervert here"

"Oh yeah, well you're still a pervert," Akane growled.  "Normal people don't change genders."

Their fathers both laugh happily at their exchange of words.  "They're the perfect couple already."  Genma noted.

"He's a couple by himself," Akane replied.

Ranma eye twitched a bit at that comment, but he said nothing.

"I'm sure Ranma is a nice boy once you to know him," Kasumi assured Akane.

"He's a jerk, a pervert, and an egotistic bastard," Akane growled.

"Hey, I'm still here you know," Ranma said realizing he had been forgotten.  "You're not exactly a prize yourself you know!"

Akane at this point wasn't really thinking with her whole bran, just the parts that controlled anger.  "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Let's just say that tomboys with rage problems ain't exactly on my 'To Marry' list!"

Once again Ranma failed to notice the large object wielded by an angry Akane.  Had he paid attention the pony tailed boy might have just shut up instead of going on and on about Akane's bad qualities.  A good table shot to the head on courtesy of the youngest Tendo was enough to get him to finally stop.  And lose consciousness.

Genma just stared at the pile of flesh and wood that was once his son.  "He had that coming."  The others agreed.

Ranma awoke early the next morning in the guest room off the Tendo home.   The sun had not yet risen.  The pony tailed boy rubbed his head.  He was still in pain from the beating he had received from Akane.  Kasumi had later assured him that she was a sweet girl. She could be right.  Akane could have been the nicest girl in the world, but the fact was he didn't care.  He wasn't going to marry her or her sisters no matter what. 

The boy yawned as he began to stretch.  He didn't sleep well these days.  He's only get a few hours at night.  It was just as well; he hated sleeping.  His dreams were always nightmares.  Always the same one.  His mother coming back from the dead questioning his manhood, and it always ended with familiar face asking Ranma why he let him die.

The pony tailed martial artiest shrugged the feeling of dread off, and stood up from his futon.  He looked around his new room.  He hadn't decorated much, save for putting his mother's katana on a mantle.

"One day Ranma, this sword will be yours," she had told him often.  He'd seen many swords over the years, but his mother's "Fire Soul Blade" was the best made by far.  He had trained in the art of kendo almost all his life and had never seen a finer weapon.  He greatly respected this piece of metal.  True, he had learned to love un-armed combat, but in his heart he held a special place for swordplay.

Ranma sighed to himself as his thought's drifted of Akane again.  If she hadn't stared at his naked body for so long he'd swear she was some sort of lesbian.  Maybe she's just bi-sexual.  Yeah that's it.  She's just mostly into women.  That made sense.  In any case, if he ever wanted to go back to his nomadic lifestyle he'd have to honorably break the engagement.  But how?  This would take some time. 

Later that morning, Akane Tendo found herself practicing the routine she had for several years now: Jogging.  All her problems tend to wash away when she did this.  Those perverted boys at school, that fool Kuno, that...that freak Ranma who had just entered her life.  This was the one time of day where she could just forget about everything.  The only flaw was that she would have to return to everything at some point.  As she reached the street of the Tendo Dojo, her thoughts drifted to those of Dr. Tofu.  Now there was a real man, not like those immature boys at school, or any other boy she had met.