Ranma, Reborn!

Prologue & Chapter 1

Pixel - "Oi, oi, I don't own Ranma ½! Nor do I own any other mangas or stories I may or may not have referenced or will reference in this story! Ranma ½ and the other story I have so far intentionally referenced are both owned by Rumiko Takahashi."

Ranma - "Of course you don't own me! I'm no one's slave!"

Pixel - "Not what I meant…" -Cough- "Anyway, thank you Richard Ryley for your suggestions, they were very helpful when I rewrote the chapter, and although you were a bit rude about it, I should also thank the guest who reminded by that having the story seemingly bash Akane and then end the chapter there isn't a very good way to start a story with a RanmaxAkane pairing."

Akane - "I'll never marry that pervert!"

Pixel - -Sarcasm- "Yeah, sure, totally, we all know that you absolutely despise Ranma, and don't love him at all."

Akane & Ranma - -Blush-

Ranma's Martial Arts attacks - Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken / Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique (Allows the user to move their hands much much faster than ordinary.), Hiryu Shoten Ha / Heavy Blast of the Dragon (Using the Soul of Ice, and the enemy's battle aura, this technique creates a twister of varying size depending on the enemy's strength. The stronger the enemy, the stronger the twister.), Moko Takabisha / Pride of the Fierce Tiger (A Ki attack powered by the user's confidence.), Umi-Sen Ken / Way of the Silent Thief (An Anything Goes technique create by Genma, it's a forbidden technique, it's a stealth based technique that allows the user to erase their aura and go invisible).

Other Martial Arts attacks (Ryoga's in the canon story) - Bakusai Tenketsu / Breaking Point (An attack that allows the user to destroy any non-living object with just a finger or two. It's training has to do with swinging boulders at the student leaving only their hand free until they learn how to do it.), Shishi Hokodan / Lion's Roaring Bullet (A depression fueled Ki attack, similar to Moko Takabisha), Shin Shishi Hokodan / True Lion's Roaring Bullet (A stronger verison of Shishi Hokodan. It requires the user to be EXTREMELY depressed.)

In the story I go by the Japanese versions of the names, so you should familiarize yourself with them. I read the manga, and haven't watched much of the anime, so I don't really know most of the English Names for the techniques. And the little of the anime I did watch, I watched the subs.

This chapter was rewritten and edited. No major changes were written in until Ranma got back to Japan from Joketsuzoku, which was completely changed.

Prologue...

Ranma, 17 y/o

"Well, you see, Xian-Pu, Ukyo, Kodachi, Akane. I've gathered you all here today to choose who I'm gonna marry." Saotome Ranma, a black haired Japanese with blue eyes, a red silk chinese shirt, black pants, and a pigtail, 17 years of age, and among the best martial artists in the world, though if you asked him, the best, explained to the four girls he had gathered in the Tendo living room. He was currently engaged by his father to the youngest daughter living there, Tendo Akane. Then why has he gathered three others? His father also engaged him to Ukyo, his childhood best friend. By Amazonian law he has been engaged to, or in fact, already married to, Xian-Pu because he defeated her in combat, and she gave him the 'Kiss of Marriage' in return. And Kodachi was just insane and thought Ranma was in love with her.

Akane was a girl of Ranma's age, as were all the other girls gathered, with short natural dark blue hair, clad in a blue dress with a white blouse undeath, and a skilled martial artist, though the second weakest in the room, superior only to Kodachi.

Ukyo, Ranma's childhood best friend, who he thought was a guy at the time, was in fact a girl, who was also an amazing (Okonomiyaki) chef, unlike Akane who couldn't cook for the life of her, had long brown hair with a pink bow in it, and was clad in a traditional Japanese looking short blue garment with long black pants. On her back was her iconic giant spatula.

Shampoo, a Chinese Amazon who had once sought to kill Ranma, with long purple hair and large breasts, who was now head over heals, and perhaps the most obvious about her feelings, for Ranma.

Why had she gone from wanting to kill Ranma to being over the moon for him?

Not long before he met Shampoo, he had gone on a training trip to Jusenkyo with his father, and it just happened that the springs of Jusenkyo were home to curses springs. Ranma's father had fallen into the spring of drowned panda, while Ranma the spring of drowned girl. Afterwards they went to the Amazonian tribe to see if they perhaps knew of a cure. They happened to find a pile of food while there, and ate as they were starving. It happened that it was the prize for a fighting competition, so in order for it not to be theft, Ranma defeated their top fighter in combat. Apparently, it is considered a dishonor to be defeated by a foreign woman in the tribe, and to make up for it the defeated must kill the one who defeated them. Since Ranma was in girl-form when he defeated her, Shampoo gave him the Kiss of Death and chased him all the way to Japan in order to kill him. When there she found that she was a he and gave him the Kiss of Marriage instead. Since then Shampoo has been head over heels for him.

Then there was Kodachi. She had long purplish-black hair, and was a master in Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts. The only one of the females who doesn't know of Ranma's curse, and in fact, hates his female form, thinking that she was Ranma's secret lover. She is the sister to Kuno Tatewaki, which should have been obvious at first glance due to their shared… eccentricity.

"First, Kodachi, I will not choose you. You are insane, have tried to assault me sexually on many occasions, even using paralysis powder just to get a kiss, and I can only assume you've done it to others, whether for similar or different reasons. For trying to force yourself upon another, and likely worse, I cannot forgive you." Kodachi was now sobbing, a dark aura enveloping her as she sat still.

"Second, Shampoo, I will not choose you. You have also tried to force yourself upon me, using magic, blackmailing, and threats to force me to choose you. Though, since you've never actually forced me to kiss you, I can forgive you, I will never love you." Shampoo too was now sobbing, and a dark crimson aura began to envelope her, as she too sat still.

"Thirdly, Ukyo, I will not choose you either. Although on less occasions, you have tried to use magic to make me fall in love with you. Another reason is that I think of you as a sister, not a lover. I'm sorry." Ukyo too began to sob, as a greenish aura began to envelope her. She too sat still, he then turned to the other two he 'broke up with' along with Ukyo, "Also, you all ruined my wedding with Akane, and that angers me even to think about."

"Finally, Akane, I… I- I lo-" Suddenly, three Ki attacks, similar to the Shin Shishi Hokodan, were blasted at him, no, not the Shin Shishi Hokodan, the Perfect Shin Shish Hokodan, it was far too powerful for an ordinary one.

Ranma was no more, and he couldn't finish his confession.

As he began to evaporate, his last thought, or so her thought, was, 'If only I could have finished my confession to Akane and marry her with a big ceremony, not ruined by the others, then I could've died in peace.'

Suddenly, a red haired human in a white cloak said next to him, "That'll cost 100 yen, can you afford that?"

"Yeah. That much should be under my futon in the other room." Ranma, now translucent like a spirit, nodded, already knowing how to go with the flow due to his past experience with the nonsensical.

The person, who Ranma could only assume was a Shinigami, floated through a wall and came back with 100 yen and the Nanban mirror. Suddenly, the yen disappeared and the Nanban mirror was repaired, good as new.

"Cry onto the mirror and you can go back to your infancy. If you touch your past self your spirits will fuse and you will find yourself back in your infancy." The Shinigami explained.

"Oooh. Alright." Ranma then tried to cry, but couldn't, so he got his finger really close to his eye, and got some of the liquid on the eye onto his finger and got it on the mirror, and found himself enveloped in a white light.

- 17 years ago -

Ranma found himself back in the house of his infancy, his mother's house, and looked around.

'Where the hell am I? Where's pops? Mom?" Ranma was frustrated, then realized something. The wish he had in mind when he used the mirror was to go back to his house the day he was born. He was still in the hospital.

So, not knowing the location of the hospital he was born in, nor the hospital's name, he decided to wait on the roof.

Later that night...

Ranma was asleep on the roof when a Shinigami in black robes with white hair spotted him.

When the Shinigami came close, he brought down his Shinigami Scythe upon the sleeping figure, only to have the sleeping spirit shift in his sleep and dodge it. Then when she brought the scythe upon him again, the figure shifted yet again, dodging the scythe. This continued until Ranma woke up and clapped his hands upon the sides of the scythe's blades, stopped it from continuing.

"H-how?" The Shinigami gasped.

"Go away. I have no plans of being exorcised." Ranma glared at the Shinigami, "Now shoo, unless you want to fight." "If the Shinigami continues and we fight, it could be the last fight I have for several years."

The Shinigami fell for the half-hearted taunt, and brought her scythe down upon the Spirit-Martial Artist, who did an upper-left diagonal slice with his hand, breaking the Scythe in two along the upper-middle of its handle.

"Tche-" The Shinigami growled, "I'll be back after my Scythe is repaired."

"Don't bother. I'll disappear once I see my relatives return." Strictly speaking, it wasn't a lie. His spirit would no longer be visible, as far as he knew, once he came in contact with his infant body. And he couldn't come into contact with his body until his relatives returned.

"Say so in the first place." The Shinigami spat out as it flew away.

'You were trying to kill- err, exorcise me, what d'ya expect?"

After a few more days of resting on the roof, Ranma's family returned, and Ranma floated up to his infant body, noted thankfully how neither of his parents could see his spirit body, and touched himself.

He could suddenly feel, though not very well, and what he felt the most was that he was weaker even than when he was under the effects of the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion.

He couldn't wait to age.

Less than a year later...

"Haha! Our boy's a genius!" Genma shouted gleefully, "He can already walk and talk, and he has already copied some of my Martial Arts moves! He'll be the ultimate heir of the Anything Goes Martial Arts!"

"And who says he'll be a practitioner of Anything Goes? If anything he should use his genius for humanity and become a scholar! Or, if he does want to go into martial arts, he should go into the noble school of Kendo!"

Sweating slightly, Genma thought up an idea that might work, and if he was sneaky he might be able to recover even if it doesn't, "How about we ask little Ranma-kun?"

"But he's only a ki-"

"But he's a genius, ehh?"

Nodoka hesitantly nodded, and found Ranma practicing Anything Goes, which made her even more hesitant, and said, "M-maybe we should wait until he's older?"

"No, no, I think this is the right age." Genma grinned, "We should ask now." Then after the two walked closer to Ranma, Genma said, "Ranma-kun, which would you rather do, practice the mostly hand-to-hand path of Anything Goes Martial Arts in all its honor, or…"

"Become a scholar and practice the noble art of Kendo, where you use awesome cool swords!"

"Anythwing Goesh, Anythwing Goesh!" Ranma screamed childishly, sounding exactly like a real excited child, all the while thinking, 'This makes me feel so sick.'

"W-well, he's only a child, I really think we should wait until he's older Genma-dear…"

"My dear Nochan, you did call him a genius yourself, did you not? Do you not believe a genius such as himself should be allowed to make his own choices, regardless of his age?"

"Th-that's not what I'm saying, of course he should be allowed to have freedom, what I'm saying is that we should wait until he's a little older! I mean, dear, he isn't even a year old!"

"Mama, Anythwing Goesh ish fung. Kenmo stich thwoing ish notch fung. Lernig even mo' boering." Ranma added in.

"Hah! The kid knows what's good and what's bad!" Genma then laughed, "Anyway, we agreed that we'd listen to his opinion, and we did, so we'll respect it and do what he wants, which is teach him Anything Goes. When it comes to teaching him Kendo in order to learn how to counterattack against it, I'll give you the honor, okay Nodoka-chan?"

"Yes dear, BUT, he will be taught, if not at a school, then we shall homeschool him." Nodoka sent a piercing pair of eyes at her husband…

Causing him to nod quickly and answer with, "Yes Nodoka-dear."

A little more than a year later...

"He's a prodigy! His movements are just right! But, he is weak! He needs to go on a training trip to increase his strength!" Genma shouted at his wife.

"No! I will not be separated from my child, my Ranma-kun!" Nodoka shouted back, her grief evident in her voice.

"But look at him! When you do that, say that he can't leave, he lets out a green ki-aura! Green is the aura of depression!" Genma replied in an equally loud volume.

It was true, Ranma, at his young age, had already gotten to the point where he had noticeable amounts of Ki, thanks to the cultivation techniques he remembered from his previous life. Not nearly the amount he had when he died, or even the the point when he first arrived at the Tendo's in his previous life, but definitely more than he had at two years old, his current age, or even six years old when he first met Ukyo. It was enough to exude an aura without much effort.

"I'll admit he's a prodigy, but that does not mean you need to take him on a long training trip when he is only two years old! You can teach him here!" Nodoka shouted back.

And the argument continued on for three days and three nights, until on the fourth day they came upon a compromise. Ranma could go with Genma on the training trip if Genma agreed to a couple agreements.

If Saotome Ranma were to die or become permanently disabled on the trip, Saotome Genma would commit seppuku with Saotome Nodoka as his second.

If Ranma's studies were neglected during the trip, Genma would commit seppuku with Nodoka as his second.

If Ranma were to go on the trip, Genma would make sure that Ranma became a man among men, and if he were to fail, both Genma and Ranma were to commit Seppuku with Nodoka as their second.

If Ranma were to go on the trip, along with Anything Goes, Genma must make sure that Ranma is at least a Dan at Kendo before he is 16. If Ranma is not a Dan in kendo by the time he is age 16, then Saotome Nodoka is given custody over Ranma.

Genma looked over the agreement and paled over the first three. But, he didn't think it was much of a price to pay. Ranma seemed smart enough when it came to educational stuff, even if he found it boring as hell, so studies should be fine. As long as he had a B average in everything that portion of the agreement should be fine. The man among men thing should be fine. After all, Nodoka saw himself as a man among men, and he was a petty criminal at times. He was already planning on having his son be more honorable, so it should be fine. It was the first part that he was worried about. But, Genma could be considered to be somewhat superhuman, and he could always sweep in at the last moment and save Ranma. Besides, if Ranma actually died, Genma would run away, making it seem as if they had both died to Nodoka. And Genma knew where Happosai was, and he knew that Happosai knew of a technique that could heal even those at the edge of death. After thinking it all through, Genma signed.

Now was the hard part, getting the child to sign.

Genma handed the paper to Ranma who looked it over. He then pointed at the part where it said, 'both Genma and Ranma were to commit seppuku' and said, "Why chood(should) I be punitched(punished) for yer(your) failyer(failure)?"

Genma whispered in his ear, "Son, she sees me as a man among men, so as long as you're more manly than me, it should be fine."

Still hesitant, Ranma thought, 'Like hell am I gonna let myself fall into the Jusenkyo Springs again!' Ranma then took Genma's pen and signed his name as best he could, 'Saotome Ranma' it was very messy, but readable.

"We will leave next Saturday, in the meantime we will build up your strength and speed so you can survive the trip.

Ranma nodded.

After a week of intense training...

Ranma hugged his mom as he left and as he walked away he shouted, "Bye~ Mama~~!"

And when he was out of view Genma said, "Run down the steps to the bottom, every time you trip you will do 100 pushups when you reach the bottom."

Ranma nodded.

Four years later...

Ranma, whose Ki was now equivalent to his reserves when he was 12 years old in his previous life, and his father Genma had stopped in a small town where they planned to spend the year.

Ranma's skill in his current body was near his skill when he was 12, as it was much harder to control a child's body that doesn't like to move how you want it to. Ranma's strength and speed were about equivalent to when he was 10, which Ranma thought was pretty amazing.

Ranma was currently on an evening stroll when he found an Okonomiyaki stand.

'The Kuonji Okonomiyaki stand. This time I'll make sure my father doesn't engage me to Ukyo, and if he does, I'll make sure to explain to Ukyo that I think of her as a sibling, not at all romantically.' Ranma decided, then walked up to the stand, 500 yen in his pocket. As he walked over to the stand, a young girl his physical age appeared in front of him and stated, "No children without their parents are allowed at the stand!"

"But you're here." Ranma's eye twitched slightly. He had become a good actor due to the fact he had to do it a lot constantly.

"I'm the child of the owner of the Okonomiyaki stand!" She answered proudly.

Ignoring the child he walked around her, and she then got out one of her spatula and threw it at him. Ranma easily sidestepped it, and when Ukyo threw a flour-bomb at him, he easily caught it, preventing it from reaching the ground, and threw it back at her, causing her to cough into her arm repeatedly. Ranma then closed in on Ukyo and while covering his mouth to help with his breathing, he swung his other hand to Ukyo's neck and said, "Game, set, match. Winner, Ranma."

When the cloud of smoke cleared up, he saw a teary-eyed Ukyo, who then ran away sobbing.

"Ahh~~, I might have used a bit too much skill…" lamented Ranma.

"Oi, kid, do you want some Okonomiyaki?" The adult who Ranma remembered to be Ukyo's father asked.

"But your err… child." Ranma hesitated remembering not to use a gender specific pronoun due to him supposedly not knowing her gender. The adult took it as not knowing for sure whether or not Ukyo was his child.

"Don't worry. Ukyo'll be fine!" Mr. Kuonji waved it off dismissively, then handed him an Okonomiyaki on a plate.

"How much?" Ranma asked.

"Huh?"

"For the Okonomiyaki?" Ranma asked.

"Ahh, don't worry, it's on the house."

Ranma grinned and ate the Okonomiyaki at record speed, despite the fact he was in actuality savoring each bite.

"Woah, slow down there boy, you might choke!"

"Eating it training. Sleep is training. Everything is training. Even bathing is training, I have to make sure I'm not bit by the piranhas that pops puts in the ponds." Ranma explained, "So it's become a force of habit to eat quickly."

It soon became habit to defeat Ukyo every day and to get free Okonomiyaki from her father. All three of them also made a habit of using gender-neutral pronouns when describing Ukyo.

A few months later...

"Ranchan!" A desperate Ukyo ran up to him, "Please! I gambled away my dad's Okonomiyaki cart! Get it back! Get him for me!"

"No problem Ucchan." Ranma nodded, following Ukyo, who currently considered him a rival, though they were also friends, if not particularly close ones.

When he arrived he shouted at the Gambling King, "Gambling King, Prepare to meet your match!"

Each time Ranma spotted the Gambling King cheat, he pointed it out and continued playing, but in the end he lost due to the fact that the Gambling King could spot his tells, though it was a close match thanks to the fact that Ranma could spot the Gambling King's tells as well.

After giving the Gambling King what he won, 500 yen, he turned to Ukyo and said, "Get a bunch of bandages, a face mask, and some sunglasses. He won't be able to spot my tells if I do that."

Ukyo nodded and did so, getting them to Ranma is less than ten minutes. Ranma then applied the bandages to his face, put on the face mask and sunglasses, and went back up to the gambling king.

"I challenge you! I bet 500 yen for Ucchan's Okonomiyaki cart!" Ranma won thanks to the fact his tells couldn't be spotted, and he continued winning, betting the 500 yen over and over again until he'd won everything back. He and Ukyo then wrapped the Gambling King up like Sushi and threw him into the sea.

Later...

"And sealed…" Ukyo had just sealed the sauce of ten years that she had learned how to make from her father's secret recipe that she had stolen, err… 'borrowed'. "Hey, Ranchan, if the sauce is yummy could you always take care of me?"

"Ahh. Ucchan, I don't think of you romantically. Heck, I don't even know what your gender is, so, no, I can't say yes to that." Ranma answered, not looking at her face, but to the side.

"T-tha-that's not what I meant!" Ukyo screamed in complete and utter embarrassment, "I- I just- I only meant…"

"What other situations would allow me to take care of you? Bodyguard? By the time you're 16 you'll be stronger than most grandmasters of martial arts. As your brother? Landlord? Economic supervisor? And if you just meant that as your friend I look after you, then I already plan to do that. Or if you mean like a sibling who cares for you, I already do."

"O-Oniichan?" Ukyo said in a hushed and cracking voice, as if she were testing it out, or as if tasting it, and she had to admit that it 'tasted' nice, and then louder she repeated, "Oniichan?"

"Okay, then I'll do my best to get our parents to allow you to come with us when we leave for our training trip… Ucchan."

Later...

"Pops, when we leave to continue on our training trip, I want to bring Ucchan with us!" Ranma told Genma, but it was more of a command than a statement.

"No, it's already tough enough to feed us two when on the road, why should we need to feed another mouth?" He answered without hesitation.

"Ucchan's like a little sis-bling" He managed to correct himself, not gaining any suspicion from his father, "to me! 'Sides, Ucchan knows how to cook." Ranma knew that was the deal breaker right there. Ranma was a decent cook, but nowhere near the level of Ukyo, or even Shampoo.

"She can come." Genma answered immediately, "But she'll have to join in on the training."

"So Ucchan's a girl?" Ranma asked.

Genma's eyebrow twitched, "You didn't even know that?"

"To be fair, she does look fairly androgynous." Ranma added, "And I've never seen her without clothing,"

Genma shrugged.

The next day...

"Imoto-chan! I managed to convince Pops to allow you to come! But you have to join in on the training if that's fine with you." Ranma added. He felt nice using the word imoto.

Ukyo nodded, then asked, "So you finally figured out my gender? What clued you in?" Ukyo smirked at this.

"Pops called you a she." Ranma explained.

"Ahh." Ukyo nodded, "Also, my dad agreed as well. Though I think he might have an alternative motive."

"Well, I'll make sure to keep an eye on my father when he's around your father just in case." Ranma assured her.

About to leave the town...

"Hey, Saotome, let's make a deal. Since our children like each other so much, how about we engage them to each other!" Kuonji said.

"I don't know… I already engaged Ranma to a friend's daughter… and 'sides, Ranma told me that they think of eachother like siblings. He's even mentioned that it would be like incest if they were married."

"The dowry will be my Okonomiyaki cart." Kuonji added.

"De-" Genma began, but was interrupted by a foot in the face.

It was Ranma, carrying Ukyo on his back, "We don't want to be married!" They both shouted at their parents.

"Alright, alright," Their parents agreed not to engage them to each other.

Junior High, First day of school… Ranma - 12 y/o, Ukyo - 12 y/o

"Ucchan, since we're going to an all-boy's school, you're going to have to hide your…" Ranma waved his hands towards Ukyo's breasts, although small, still somewhat noticeable should someone be looking, then finding the right word, "Femininity."

Ukyo nodded, "Right Oniichan, I'll wrap my breasts to my body tightly, and I'll borrow a pair of your boxers just in case."

After around a quarter-hour of Ukyo preparing, the pair of siblings left with their school supplies.

On the way to school...

"Where is it!" A boy, walking antiparallel to the brother-sister pair, shouted, "Where is the Junior High?"

"Dude, you're going the wrong way. Follow us, we'll show you." Ranma sighed, feigning exasperation.

"Ahh, Domo Arigato!" The lost boy, the same age as the other two middle schoolers, with black hair and a yellow bandana with black speckles, thanked them.

"No prob, I'm Saotome Ranma by the way, and this is my s- brother Ukyo." Ranma gestured towards Ukyo, who to the lost boy just looked like a nice-looking guy with a slightly feminine face.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hibiki Ryoga." The boy, now identified as Ryoga, introduced himself.

"Saotome-Kuonji Ukyo." Ukyo introduced 'himself.'

"Adopted?" Ryoga asked.

Ukyo nodded, "Not officially, but they're planning on adopting me when our training trip is over. Only reason we're stopping here is because we heard there were some skilled martial arts prodigies in the area that Ranma and I can train with. Mostly me as Ranma is already amazingly skilled."

"Martial Arts prodigies? I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in the area." Neither Ranma nor Ukyo were sure if he said that just to brag, or if he was genuinely confused.

"Oh, then after school would you like to duel?" Ranma then pulled on the collar of Ryoga's shirt as he was about to take a wrong turn, "I'll bring you to the empty lot as it seems you'll just get lost."

"Hai, thanks." Ryoga bowed slightly, "And sure, but don't cry when you lose!"

Ranma couldn't wait to beat Ryoga up. He needed to vent all the anger he'd been holding in for the last twelve years, and now was the perfect time. After all, even if he wasn't planning on holding grudges (for the most part), this still was the guy who had disguised as a pig to get into the bed of HIS Akane.

Lunch

"Okay! Last curry bread of the day!" The chef shouted, and threw it towards the center of a large crowd of boys, only for Ranma to jump over the crowd, his eventually-trademarked pigtail tailing behind him, and to catch the curry bread, landing on the other side of the crowd.

Curry bread in hand, he walked over to his 'brother' Ukyo, and offered it to 'him.'

"Want it?"

"Ahh, thanks!" Ukyo smiled towards 'his' brother, when Ranma knocked her on the head.

"Yer a guy, so act like one." Ranma reminded her, then jumped back into the crowd in order to get a sweet bean bread.

As he jumped back he found Ryoga giving him a heated scowl, "You! Saotome! I shall get my revenge for this offense of the curry bread!"

"Aww, but c'mon, I just wanted to give my lil' s- s- sibling some decent food!" Ranma complained, "And what's with your wording? What, are you some delusional samurai-family descendent who thinks it's still the feudal times?" Seriously, if Ryoga ended up turning into a Kuno, Ranma might just lose control.

Ryoga was seething, wanting his fight with Ranma to happen sooner and sooner.

Meanwhile Ranma was thinking, 'Hehe, taunting is sooo~~~ much fun.'

The fight after school...

Ryoga rushed in close to Ranma, sending a fist towards his face, but Ranma only dodged, angering Ryoga further, which was to Ranma's satisfaction.

Since Ranma's honor wouldn't allow him to hurt Ryoga too much, his only way to vent was to anger Ryoga, which was working. Ranma was feeling the best he had since he had first become siblings with Ukyo.

After around 15 minutes of nonstop dodging of Ryoga's moves, Ranma had noticed that Ukyo was getting bored watching the two 'fight,' so Ranma let out a 'weak' (Compared to his full power) punch into Ryoga's stomach, knocking him out.

"Hey, Ucchan, can you go get the harness and boulders? I'm gonna continue practicing Bakusai Tenketsu."

"Alright Ran-niichan." Ukyo rolled her eyes. Despite all the training Ranma had either been through, or Genma had considered putting Ranma through, this was definitely among the worst, save perhaps the Neko-ken which Ukyo managed to get Ranma out of due to his already phobic fear of cats. [Author's Note: Although Ranma is phobic towards cat, the Neko-ken was conditioned into the Ki, so this Ranma doesn't have the Neko form due to the fact none of his Ki was carried over to his current body. Also, his fear of cats is not quite as debilitating.] Ukyo still didn't know why Ranma was phobic towards cats, and neither did Genma, but apparently he had always been phobic of them, ever since he first saw a cat when he was three.

Ranma or Ukyo snatching a food that Ryoga wanted became a daily occurrence at that point, and then Ryoga swearing revenge, and then after school the person who snatched the food getting into a duel with Ryoga. Ukyo managed to defeat Ryoga most of the time, though still lost on occasion, though Ranma had not lost even once to the Lost Boy.

First day of the second semester...

"Ryoga-kun! I have a favor to ask…" It was Ukyo, so Ryoga turned toward the 'boy' and asked…

"Yeah, what is it?"

Ukyo, with Ranma, who was next to Ukyo, then explained the situation to Ryoga.

Ukyo was actually a girl, and since gym started for them this semester, they would need to make sure no one saw her while she changed, as if that happened then they'd realize he was really a she, and she'd be either kicked out or harassed. So, as both Ranma and Ryoga were in her gym class, in order to hide her real gender, she was going to change in the corner, while Ryoga and Ranma changed beside her so no one could really see her as she changed. Or, at least that's what they were requesting.

So, Ukyo, using puppy-dog eyes with a single tear, that always seemed to work on Ranma, asked, "So… will you do it for me?"

Ryoga was a natural sucker for girls, even if he had thought they were a guy until that moment, so he really had no choice but to answer with, "H-hai!"

Then Ranma walked up to him and picked him up by the collar, "And you better not get any funny ideas, Hibiki." Ranma, a piercing glare on his face, seethed out, his inner-older brother leaking into his demeanor.

Ryoga, for once, was frightened. He'd never seen Ranma like this. And, as a naive and innocent twelve year old boy, he really didn't understand what Ranma was talking about. So, he answered the only way he could in his frightened state, "H-h-hai!"

Then, after letting Ryoga go, they continued on to school, but Ranma added, "I'd make sure not to act too embarrassed around Ukyo, or else people will start to think you're gay."

Ryoga's face turned a bright crimson, and steam burst out of his ears.

Three years later, October. Ranma, Ukyo, and Ryoga - 15 y/o, a little less than a year before the start of the story...

Blushing, Ukyo, who currently was wearing her hair long, her breasts in an ordinary bra rather than bound with bandages, and feminine clothing, turned to Ryoga and said nervously, "Ry- Ryo-chan, I know we won't be able to see each other for a while, as Ranma and I are continuing our trip through China, b- but… I… Uh- hope that when we return to Japan… that we can see each other again!"

Ryoga nodded dumbly, also blushing, and looking away from Ukyo's face nervously, "H-hai, Ucchan, I- I agree. When you return from your training trip I will make sure to find you…" Tears were streaming down his face as he imagined the heart wrenching journey that he would need to partake in in order to locate Ukyo.

From an observer's perspective it was fairly obvious the two were in love with each other. From an observer who had known both of the participants for multiple years, namely Ranma, it was extremely obvious that the two were over the moon for each other. Even more so than Ryoga had ever been for either Akane or Akari in his previous life.

But, before they left, Ranma had one thing to say to Ryoga in private.

After Ukyo walked away from Ryoga, Ranma came forward and grabbed Ryoga by his shoulder.

"I give you my blessing to ask out my sister…" Ranma told him solemnly. It honestly hurt to do this, as she was his sister and he felt the need to protect her, but he knew Ryoga well, and knew that he would never hurt them, though do perverted things, maybe, so Ranma felt he needed to add, "But if you do anything perverted without her permission, then, well, I'm sure you can imagine what I'd do to you."

Ryoga paled, and nodded dumbly. He recalled something that happened a little over a year ago, and continued to nod until Ranma was out of sight.

A little under a day after Ranma, Ukyo, and Genma left, Ryoga packed his stuff and went after them. He just couldn't stand being away from Ukyo for so long!

The day of Jusenkyo, Ranma, Ukyo, Ryoga - 16 y/o

Ranma was now as strong and durable as Ryoga was in his previous life at 16, nearly as fast as his female form, much more skilled than he was in his previous life when he died, and with a little more Ki than when he had died. Overall he's a little weaker and slower than when he died, but he has more skill and more Ki.

"Pops, can you even read Chinese?" Ranma asked, "Because if you can't, I know a little…"

"Of course I can read Chinese you ungrateful brat!" Genma lied, "Follow me, it's this way."

"Don't worry Ranchan, he hasn't had us do any overly-stupid training exercises in weeks!" Ukyo assured Ranma, though Ranma wasn't convinced, seeing as how he knew what this would lead to.

"Yeah, so it's only a matter of time before he does have us do one." He grumbled back to Ukyo.

"What's wrong Oniichan?" Ukyo asked, "Usually you aren't this hesitant even with Pop's stupid ideas? Well, save the Neko-ken, but that's because you have Ailurophobia."

"It's… nothing… just a bad feeling." Ranma lied.

After reaching the Springs of Jusenkyo...

"Here sirs and ma'am, is legendary training ground of accursed springs." The legendary guide of the Jusenkyo Springs explained, "You are very strange one, no, sirs? This place very dangerous. Nobody use now. Is more than 100 springs here, and every one have tragic legend!"

"Ranma, follow me. Ukyo, stay here." Genma ordered, causing both of the children to roll their eyes.

"Maybe we should listen to what the guide has to say. There is probably some special way we're supposed to train here tha~~~~~t!" Ranma was cut off by Genma throwing him into the nearest spring, the spring of drowned girl.

"That is spring of drowned girl! There is a tragic lesson, very tragic of girl who drown in spring. One thousand and five hundred years ago! Now whoever fall in that spring, take body of young girl!"

Seething in anger, having wanted to avoid this fate, asked the guide, "Where is the spring of drowned blobfish?"

"I sorry sir, there is no spring of drowned blobfish."

"Mudfish? Mule? Zombie? Sea Cucumber? Caecilian? Coconut Crab? Oyster Toadfish? Chinese Crested Hairless Dog? Giant Isopod? Star Nosed Mole?" Ranma-chan listed, trying to imagine all the ugliest animals he'd seen.

"I sorry sir, no spring of drowned any of those."

"Drowned Panda?" Disappointed, he decided on the one he knew existed.

"Yes, right next to spring of drowned girl."

Ranma-chan got out of the pond, and chased after Genma who was still frozen in shock, and grabbed the back of his shirt, and threw the now flailing Genma into the spring of drowned panda.

A few moments later a wet panda came out of the spring, and began to chase after Ranma-chan, who then grabbed Ukyo and ran away.

As she ran away, she noticed that she stepped on something, despite not being on the ground, and when she looked down, she saw Ryoga flying towards the springs below.

Cursing, Ranma-chan dropped Ukyo down on the ground, and jumped towards Ryoga, trying to save him in time.

But, she was too slow, and barely managed to grab onto one of the reeds sticking out of the ground, stopping her descent into the spring of drowned piglet.

After Ryoga floated to the top of the pond, now P-chan, Ranma-chan picked him up, and continued running away from Genma in his panda form, and grabbed Ukyo when he got back over to her.

Ranma-chan, holding both Ukyo and P-chan, then ran all the way over to Joketsuzoku village.

After they reached the village, Ranma-chan noticed that the panda was no longer chasing him, but running towards a huge pile of food.

"Ucchan, stay here and make sure the piglet doesn't leave your sight!" Ranma-chan ordered.

The still confused Ukyo nodded dumbly and answered, "Hai?"

Ranma-chan then rocketed towards her father and punched him in the face, getting him away from the food, "Pops, it's not a good thing to steal the food of the people we're gonna ask for help!" She then turned away from her father and noticed a few Amazonians looking at her and her father, "Ahh, could one of you please get someone who knows about the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo?"

One of them nodded and came back with an old hag, "What would you like to know about the cursed spring, girl, or is it boy?"

"Boy. I fell in spring of drowned girl, the panda's my dad, and the piglet over with the girl over there is a friend who followed my sister all the way from Japan." Ranma-chan explained.

"I see. Well, as far as we know there is no permanent cure unless you can find the spring of drowned boy, and then it is only questionable whether or not it will work. But, the cure does not permanently leave you in the form of what drowned there, only when you've been splashed or soaked by cold water will you stay in that form, and hot water will reverse it." The old hag that Ranma-chan knew to be Kor-On / Cologne explained.

"Thank you Miss…"

"Kor-On, or Cologne in Japanese."

"Thank you Miss Cologne." Ranma bowed slightly forward, "Before we leave could we perhaps have some water hot enough to revert us to our original forms, and perhaps also three umbrellas?"

"Yes, that should be fine. Msu-Tsu! Please go get some hot water and four umbrellas!"

"Yes Old Ghoul," The young boy who wore thick glasses nodded, as was probably rolling his eyes under those thick glasses.

After Msu-Tsu aka Mousse brought the umbrellas and heated water, the three reverted to their human-male forms, and Ryoga had to explain to Ukyo what he was doing there. Although Ranma didn't understand how, Ryoga was for some reason dressed with all his stuff.

"I can explain! Ucchan, I just missed you so much, and… I couldn't stand the thought of being away from you for a year! It was too terrible a prospect to bear!" Ryoga explained.

"Basically, he's saying he's in love with you." Ranma translated, "And couldn't stand the thought of being away from you for more than a day or two."

Ukyo blushed and admitted to Ryoga, "Ryochan… I feel the same way!" And then she gave Ryoga a peck on the cheek and they both blushed, Ryoga more than Ukyo. A LOT more than Ukyo. In fact, he fell unconscious.

[Author's Note: Don't hate by saying that it was too quick or anything. [1] they had around three years. [2] Ukyo didn't really have any other choice for a boyfriend, Ranma being like her brother, and everyone else thinking she was a boy. [3] I will have flashbacks about some of the things that lead to this relationship [4] There will be troubles ahead like there were for Ranma, so don't worry, it'll be fun!]

"Well, lovebirds, I think it's time we head back to Japan." Ranma interrupted them, "Though I suppose you two will want to split up once we're there so Ryoga can meet your birth-father, right Ucchan?"

Ukyo blushed, but nodded.

"Well, I should have enough for four plane tickets…" Ranma then took a glance backwards and saw a purple haired amazonian staring at him with lustful eyes, and about to step forward. Imagining that it was probably for a duel, and as he didn't want the kiss of marriage in this life, Ranma said, "Well, we should go now! Time to go to Japan!" Ranma then grabbed Ukyo and Ryoga with one arm each and ran on in a full on sprint towards the nearest airport he knew the location of. Genma was barely able to keep up with Ranma's pace.

Meanwhile Shampoo had fallen in love, even more so when she saw how fast her future-airen could run.

"Great-grandmother, can I make the Boy-Girl my husband?" Shampoo asked the old ghoul known as Cologne in Chinese.

"Hmm… if you like, but I don't think he likes you very much. As soon as he saw your lustful stare towards him he hurried away. I suggest you duel him, lose, and give him the kiss of marriage to legitimize your claim over him." Cologne suggested.

Shampoo nodded enthusiastically, and after getting someone to bring her prize to her and her great-grandmother's house, she packed her stuff in order to follow him to Japan.

Over the next couple weeks… Start of Chapter 1…

Ranma's female form is about as strong as his male form when he first arrived at the Tendo's the first time, nearly as fast as his female form when he died, about as skilled as he was in either form when he died (as he's quite rusty in this form) and has the same amount of Ki as he does in his male form.

Immediately after he met Shampoo, he had snatched the Jusenkyo guide that his father had bought, and read over it. It mentioned the Kiss of Marriage and Kiss of Death, so he used that to explain why he hurried off whenever he met Shampoo after that point. He had, as of this point, managed to avoid Shampoo, and had managed to shake her off his tail for a time, and had now reached Nerima, Japan. Though, due to his efforts in keeping her away, he was both mentally and physically exhausted, and really wanted a nice nap as soon as possible.

When they reached the Tendo Dojo, Ranma had made sure that this time, they were in their original forms. 'After all, one of the reasons she hated me at first was because she felt I manipulated her by making her think I was a girl. Well, that, and seeing her naked.'

After Genma rang on the Tendo Dojo's doorbell, Genma said, "I'm surprised you agreed to this, I would've thought for sure you'd beat me up for sure!"

"I ain't 'agreeing' to nuthin! I just said that I'd meet the girls 'fore I decide!" Ranma growled, "'Sides, I really wanna sleep." And he finished that statement with a yawn.

"Father, is that your friend?" A girl with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing an apron, asked. Her name was Tendo Kasumi.

"Oh. So a dirty old man just happened to visit! Happens all the time! A girl with long dark blue hair tied back wearing a karate gi answered sarcastically. Her name was Tendo Akane.

"Daddy, is that the boy one of us is going to have to marry?" A girl with short black hair worn in a bowl-cut asked, looking like she might have been slightly interested, which surprised Ranma. Her name was Nabiki.

"You… wouldn't be…" A middle aged man with shoulder-length black hair, a small black mustache, and a bland green gi asked, pointing at Ranma. His name was Soun.

"Saotome Ranma, Sorry 'bout this." He gave Soun a small bow along with his iconic greeting. After all of these 16 years, that was still his favorite greeting.

Grabbing both of Ranma's arms, Soun shouted, "At last! You've come!" Soun then pulled Ranma in for a hug, "It's so good of you to come so-" Ranma then pushed him away, looking annoyed, and turned to his dad.

"Ahh, Pops, if we're gonna be staying with them as you said, we should probably tell them 'bout that."

Genma nodded slightly.

In the living room...

When they all sat down, Ranma grabbed his dad by the gi, and threw him in the Tendo's pond.

They all looked shocked, and thoroughly confused, even more so when they saw a panda wearing Genma's gi come out of the pond glaring at Ranma.

"Mister Tendo, could you please go get a kettle of some hot water?" Ranma asked.

"H-hai." The Tendo father nodded dumbly, left the room, and a couple minutes later came back with the kettle.

Ranma then took the kettle, and poured a little on his father, turning him back to a man. Ranma then placed the kettle back on the table, and leapt into the pond, turning into a girl. She then came back and poured some hot water on herself, turning herself back into a guy.

"As you see, both my father and I are cursed. When soaked with cold water, my father turns into a panda, while I turn into a girl. My one friend, my likely to be future brother in law, turns into a piglet. On the other hand, when soaked with warm to hot water, we turn back into our ordinary male forms." Ranma then continued on to explain Jusenkyo, "Also, could my father and I perhaps get some thermoses? It would really help to be able to revert to our normal forms whenever we needed."

"I'll make sure to have Kasumi, my eldest daughter, buy some for the two of you next time she goes to the store."

Meanwhile, the two elder daughters of the Tendo family were shouting at Genma, Kasumi shouting, "You just went too far, Mr. Saotome!" then Nabiki shouting, "Yeah! Even for martial arts training!" Then Kasumi again, "What ever made you do something so dangerous!"

"I'll tell you what, he obviously can't read Chinese, unlike what he said!" Ranma growled.

"Well, no sweat, your problem isn't that terrible! With the thermos added to it, it'll be a virtual non-problem! So, have your pick. My daughter Kasumi, 19 years old. My daughter Nabiki, 17 years old. And my daughter Akane, 16 years old. Pick one you want. She's your fiancee!" Ranma looked over them, as if thinking it over, and noted that Nabiki no longer looked interested in him.

'No wonder, she now knows I'm an aquatransexual!'

"Oh! He wants Akane!" interrupted Kasumi.

"Oh definitely!" Added Nabiki.

"Eh? You must be joking, why would I be-"

"Well you hate boys don't you?"

"So you're in luck. He's half-girl!"

"No! No way in hell! I- I don't even know him, and I- I'm too young to get married! Besides," She shouted at them, and with even more conviction in her tone, continued, "I'm not a lesbian!"

Having already pondered over the best way to get Akane to give him a chance, he attempted to calm the three down, "-Cough- Now ladies, maybe the three of yah should calm down? How about we don't name a fiancee 'til we get ta' know eachother a bit better?" He then snorted, "I'm not so desperate for romance that I'll force the first woman who is bound by honor ta' agree into marrying me."

The three Tendo girls looked away sheepishly, as if that were exactly what they'd thought. Meanwhile, Genma didn't look surprised, while the Tendo patriarch looked quite upset, but when he looked towards Genma, his friend's face told him that there was nothing he could do, and the feeling was only reinforced when Genma said, "The boy does whatever he'd like. I'm actually completely surprised he even agreed to follow me here."

"As, Akane-san was it? Would ya' like to spar?" He grinned. He knew that at least one of the reasons that he had relationship trouble with Akane was that he refused to actually fight her in a spar, and mostly just dodge, unless it was one of those cases where she had just gotten super strength, or just lost it. But, now, he knew better.

"Ah, sure. But, how'd you know I was a Martial Artist?" Akane asked, she was genuinely surprised. She couldn't tell if someone was a Martial Artist until she saw them in either combat or sport.

"Well, it's obvious that your oldest sister wasn't one, and the middle sister, although stronger than the oldest, definitely isn't anything more than a casual athlete, if even that. On the other hand I can tell just from your stance that you're a decent Martial Artist. I've met more skilled Artists if I go just by your stance, but if you were taught by a friend of pops, then I can only imagine you'd have to be tough to survive the rigorous trainings he'd make you survive. You're actually hiding your full strength on purpose, right?" Ranma knew this wasn't true, but he also knew that flattery would be better, in this case, than stating the plain facts that he knew would get him hit on the head with a hammer. Then again, Ranma wasn't even sure, thanks to it having been around 16 years ago, if she had the wooden mallet yet, "Also, you're wearing a Karate Gi, and have a black belt wrapped around your waist."

A sweat drop rolling down the side of her face, Akane nodded, thinking, 'I think he might be overestimating me. That's new, usually it's the other way around.' and, 'That was a stupid question to ask.'

Dojo

Ranma and Akane, for hours upon hours, sparred. Ranma won each round with definite ease, whether in male or female form, but nearing the early morning, Ranma began to slow down, and at one point, he eventually fell unconscious midair.

"Huh?" Akane saw as her opponent, who had been about to attack, suddenly just began falling onto her.

That's when, by complete coincidence, he fell straight onto her chest.

Acting more on instinct than rational thought, she punched him straight out of the building and headfirst into the ground, still unconscious.

"PERVERT!" She shouted, still not thinking rationally, and only began to process what happened when Nabiki, and her father, both ran into the room and asked what happened.

"A-ahh, I may have acted on instinct…" Even Akane in the midst of her personal problems, including Kuno and the rest of the Hentai Horde, had some amount of rationality when it came to whether or not a perverted act was purposeful or accidental, and this was obviously the latter of the two, "We were sparring… and he was really tired… and he might have fallen asleep in mid air, and might have fallen headfirst into my breasts. And then I might have punched him out of the building."

Genma, who had just rushed into the room, had apparently heard the whole thing, and said morosely, "You have just made a big mistake. Ranma, HATES perverts. He holds a personal grudge against them. Calling him one would typically just make him beat you up, but since he actually did something perverted, even by accident, who knows what'll happen." Genma told them about what had caused Ranma's hate of perverts.

Flashback...

"Ucchan! Where are you!" Ranma shouted. He and Ukyo, now 14 years old, had gone out shopping, Ukyo in her female dress, and while he had bought a new futon, as Pops had ruined his, Ukyo had gone missing.

Ranma then heard a faint noise in a nearby alley, a banging sound.

Thinking it may have been a mugging, Ranma hurried over to the alley, only to see an unconscious naked Ukyo being fondled by a man who with his free hand was taking his clothing off.

Seeing only red at that point, he punched a hole through the man's stomach, in a nonlethal place, assuming it was treated quickly enough, and turned to Ukyo.

He looked her over, and saw that she was more or less okay, but that her clothing was all torn up.

Flashback end...

"S- Since he was asleep, do you think we could just pretend this never happened?" Soun asked. Overnight Genma had told him how strong, and freakishly skilled, Ranma was, and how he had first learned to use Ki before he was even a toddler. He'd also been told about the fact that he would hit girls or the weak considering the circumstances, though he had also been assured that it was never in a case that was necessarily ethically wrong. For example, Ranma would attack a weak person or a girl if they were attempting murder or rape, but usually only if he didn't have any other choice. But, if he got too angry, for example if it was personal, then he might just go with what Genma and Soun would call 'too far against a non-martial artist.' On the other hand, Ranma does not discriminate against females at all, except for the fact that he prefers not to hurt them, but as said before, there were exceptions.

"I think if she apologized… it might be fine?" Genma answered, unsure, "He is rational and typically easy going, if ill tempered…"

"Isn't that an oxymoron?" Akane asked, "How can be both easy going and easily angered?"

"Err, well, he doesn't get angry easily until he knows what's happening or what happened for sure, but once he knows, if it's something to get angry about, he'll be pretty damn angry." Genma explained, "I recommend you apologize to him on all fours."

Soun nodded, "I've heard of his monstrous strength, speed, and ability. You will do as Genma has suggested."

Akane looked a bit disgruntled, but knowing it was her fault in the first place, both for forcing Ranma to keep dueling her throughout the night despite his incessant complaints about how he needed sleep, and for hitting him through the wall, she nodded in agreement.

Several hours later after Ranma wakes up...

"Hmm?" Ranma looked around in confusion, 'Okay, I'm in a room in a futon, both my head and stomach hurt, and it feels like I've just slept for the first time in days… No! Don't tell me she kidnapped me again!' Ranma cursed silently, hoping beyond anything else that that person hadn't kidnapped him again, 'I thought I got her off my trail!' Then he noticed that he wasn't chained, 'Okay, so not that person… Maybe Shampoo? No, this isn't her style. She'd probably sneak into my bed or something.' Then Ranma remembered about the previous day, 'Oh, Akane probably just gave me some of her cooking or something… My current stomach hasn't gained an immunity to it.' Then he realized that his stomach only hurt because he was hungry, and hit head hurt because of a wound, so not Akane's cooking…

That's when he noticed that someone was next to his bed… bowing to him on all fours. The position reminded him slightly of the 'Crouch of the Wild Tiger' technique, but seeing as it was Akane, and that she wasn't repeating apologies, it obviously wasn't that technique.

When he brought his head up to signify he was awake, she apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it when I called you a pervert, and I'm sorry for punching you through the wall and into the yard!"

For a moment, Ranma had begun to grow angry, likely due to his tiredness. It really wasn't the fact that she had accused him of being a pervert that got him angry, no, he had expected that, it was the fact that this was not going according to his plan. He'd been hoping for them to gain friendship at a steady rate, giving their relationship a firm foundation that would be hard to make, but harder to break, before he furthered it into a romantic relationship, and not to even give her reason to think of him as even slightly perverted.

But just as quickly, he'd calmed down, and thought of a way to turn this to his benefit. No, he was not trying to manipulate her, but trying to rationally think of a way to better their relation. After all, don't most people try to get into as best terms as possible with their crush before asking them out?

"I'll give you a chance to explain." Ranma offered, then gestured for her to continue.

"You fell asleep mid-spar, and fell face-first into my breasts. More on instincts than anything, I punched you through the dojo's wall, and shouted out that you were a pervert." She explained.

After blinking twice, he chuckled, "That's it? Really, I'm not so scary as to warrant apologizing over nothing!" He then wiped a tear of laughter out of his eye, and offered, "How about we be friends?" Then seeing her guilty face morph into one of suspicion, he explained, "I offered friendship, not marriage. You don't need to be so suspicious."

Still seeming a bit hesitant, she nodded, but also warned him, "We can be friends, but that's a two way street."

Ranma knew that all too well. After all, in his last life after Akane started acting like a jerk towards him despite her offered friendship, he acted the same way back. Not to mention the one time in his current life with… 'No, don't think about it…' So, pushing those thoughts out of his head, Ranma nodded, "Of course. You can't have a friendship with only one person."

Hearing that, Akane helped Ranma out of his futon, and showed him where his father had stored his stuff.

"Err… why are there female clothing in there?" Akane asked, almost accusingly.

Ranma paled, and answered in a dark voice, "I'd rather not think about that, none the less talk about it."

Realizing it was unlikely that he would speak of something perverted in such a tone, unless it was done against him, she nodded in understanding, and left the room so he could change.

'Hmm… As Ukyo likes Ryoga, and vice versa, Shampoo has no claim over me, Mousse has no reason to hate me, and Kodachi hasn't even met me yet… maybe I can have a somewhat-normal life this time around?' It was hopeful, but Ranma believed it, that is, until a stray thought entered his mind, 'Unless she finds me…' Ranma shuddered slightly in fear. That was one thing he hoped never occurred. He'd rather face Saffron again.

Next chapter…

Ranma meets the Hentai Horde!