Cursed Twins

By: Chmia

Note: So, I originally wrote this over a decade ago when I was 13. Recently I began watching Ranma ½ again and thought it would be interesting to rewrite these two chapters. I'm really not keen on Ranma having a sister, because the idea is rather cliché, but here's to seeing if I can rewrite these two chapters as a writing exercise.

Some things will have to change, because what made sense to the brain of a 13 year-old no longer make sense to a brain of someone much older. And, although the title says differently, Ranma and Ranko are no longer twins.

Years ago a man and a woman made a promise to each other. Their oldest child's future and their family honor would be secured if only that promise was met.

But, the father of the oldest child was a little worried the mother would make holding up his end of the promise more difficult. So, in the middle of the night, he grabbed his son and fled the house they shared with his wife.

Ranma, cradled in his father's arms, slept soundly as his father crept out of the house with a pack of supplies for a long journey. Unfortunately for Genma, his youngest child did not sleep as soundly as her older brother.

Earlier that day her father had said her brother would be soon going on a training mission and, if she behaved really well, maybe she could go with them. The excitement would not let her sleep, so when she heard movement in the house she was all too eager to see what was happening.

Peeking out the doorway to her room, the little girl could barely contain a squeal of despair as her father exited the hallway with her brother. He was going to leave without her! With a loud yell, she bolted forward to prevent his escape.

"Dad, don't go without me!" The little girl squealed.

The color drained from Genma's face as he felt his daughter throw herself at his legs. The weight of a four year-old was not too much to bear, but the impending doom represented by his now surely awake wife was a heavy burden. Cursing his luck, Genma tried to wrench the girl free while also trying to flee from the house before Nodoka awoke.

Ranma groaned in discomfort and squirmed in Genma's arms. Genma hushed his son, but it was too late. He could feel death in the air!

The little girl protested loudly at her father's decision to leave without her, but Genma ignored her. His sense of self-preservation quickly informed him of a much larger threat than an upset child.

There in the doorway stood his wife, Nodoka.

Because of that night, Nodoka and Genma agreed on a new promise. Well, Nodoka proposed a new promise and Genma agreed out of fear for his well-being, but that is not the point. This new promise was written as follows on a scroll, para-phrased by the author to omit the over-bearing details:

I, Genma Saotome, will promise to make my eldest son, Ranma, a man among men. And I, Nodoka Saotome, will assist my husband, Genma Saotome, while I make my daughter, Ranko, a lady.

At the bottom of the scroll were both Genma's and Nodoka's signatures, followed by the scribbles of both children.

Genma never again tried to remove Ranma from his mother's care for the purpose of an extended training mission between two men. Well, maybe he tried it only a few more times after that.

There was the one time he actually succeeded for a few weeks. That had been a very fruitful occasion and little Ranma had even managed to make a friend out of the daughter of an okonomiyaki chef. But, Nodoka had made him give the okonomiyaki cart back when she and Ranko caught up with them.

A little girl twisted her brown hair between her fingers shyly as she looked up at her future mother-in-law. The engagement had been called off as soon as Nodoka had heard Genma had broken his promise with the Tendo familu for some food and an okonomiyaki cart. But, Ukyou still wished to one day win Ranma's heart and become his wife.

"So, I can write to Ranma and you'll make sure he writes back to me?" Ukyou asked.

Nodoka, who knelt on the ground at the child's level, nodded in assent. "Yes, and, if you'd like, you may write to Ranko, as well. You can all be pen-pals. Your father will show you how to address the letters to our home. We will be traveling, but we will stop there on occasion."

The young okonomiyaki chef-in-training looked skeptical at this, because she only just met Ranko while she had known Ranma for several weeks. But, she nodded in agreement and stuck her hand out for a shake. "It's a deal!" She said happily.

Nodoka smiled, biting back a giggle, and gripped Ukyou's hand lightly.

Ukyou would not be coming with them and neither would the cart, but the three children would remain friends. Every so often, they would reunite for a short visit.

Eventually, as they grew older, it became more obvious that Ukyou wasn't quite who Ranma thought she was.

"Wait, you're a girl!"

Both Ranko and Ukyou stared at Ranma incredulously. Had he never noticed something so basic about Ukyou's appearance?

"How did you miss that last time, Ranma? You were here for several weeks before Mom and I caught up with you." Ranko said, failing to hold back her laughter as Ranma blushed at his obvious mistake.

"It never came up!" He said, poorly defending himself.

Ukyou blushed in embarrassment and was more than a little hurt. She had long ago developed a crush on Ranma and hoped to one day win his heart with her feminine charms. But… maybe she wasn't that pretty if he hadn't even noticed she was a girl.

"It is okay, Ranma," she said, trying to hide her shame and despair. "It was just a mistake."

Ranko had not stopped laughing, so Ranma glared nastily at her. "Stop it!" He hissed.

"I'll make it up to you, Ukyou! I swear it," he said. Ranma reached forward to grab Ukyou's hand and held it with passionate determination. The young girl blushed, but felt a little better about Ranma's mistake.

"You'll make a much prettier girl than a guy, Ukyou." He continued, letting go of her hand.

… What did that mean? Ukyou didn't know if that meant Ranma expected her to be prettier one day or if Ranma thought Ukyou had been a pretty guy. But, it felt like a compliment, sort of.

She smiled hesitatingly, "Sure, Ranma, thanks."

Nodoka called from afar for her two children. The visit with the Kounji family was over until the next time. As she watched Ranma and Ranko walk away from her, Ukyou decided she already felt prettier than yesterday.

Then, there was the second, and last time to date, that Genma had taken Ranma without Nodoka's permission. That time he and Ranma got away long enough to attempt the Cat Fist training. The results had been astounding, but the price had been steep. So far, he had succeeded in keeping both Nodoka and Ranko from finding out that training ever took place. Once Nodoka had found them, Genma had been too frightened to try again. If Nodoka ever found out about Ranma's silly fear of cats… and why that fear existed… Well, he didn't want to dwell on the details.

But, this time was different! Genma knew this newest opportunity was key to Ranma's training as a man amongst men. Nodoka would surely understand once Ranma showed her the results of his training. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up and they were supposed to be leaving China soon, so it would be their last chance. If he didn't seize the day now, then who knew when they would come back to this country.

In the back pocket of his pack was a guidebook to an exclusive training ground not too far from where they were staying for the night. He and Ranma would only need a few hours to themselves to make good use of Jusenkyo. And, if Ranko found out before Nodoka, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to bribe her secrecy by including her as well.

Yes, an excellent plan! Besides, Genma had done really well for the last three years or so. Nodoka wouldn't be quite as mad as last time… Maybe.

So, Genma grabbed Ranma, told him a lame excuse about how thoughtful it would be if they secretly bought a gift as a surprise for Nodoka. Then, he guaranteed Ranko's secrecy with a bribe and brought her along.

"So, Ranma, do you think we are getting a gift for Mom?"

Ranma laughed heartily at his sister's silly question. "Of course not! With what money? Mom does not let him hold on to the cash and he blows anything else he can get his hands on."

After a moment of thought, Ranko agreed, and then asked, "Where do you think we are going?"

He shrugged in response, "who knows? But, we aren't likely to get in trouble for it."

Ever since they were little, Ranma and Ranko had quickly learned to blame Genma for any wrong-doing. Most of the time, it was his fault and, when it wasn't, he was a convenient scape goat. But, honestly, he didn't need their help to get in trouble with Nodoka.

The longer the siblings followed their father, the more certain they were that the goal of the trip had nothing to do with surprising Nodoka. The village they were staying at was no longer in sight, which meant they weren't likely to be near any vendors.

The siblings trailed behind their father, who was quite distracted by an open guidebook in his hands. Neither were close enough to read it, but neither knew how to read Chinese. Then again, neither did Genma.

After an hour the unmarked trail they were following was replaced by a rocky outcropping. Genma stopped to consult his guidebook, comparing the map to his surroundings. With a proud smile, he indicated past the outcropping with a flourish of his hand. "And here we are, my boy! The fruits of your training developed here will be a wonderful surprise for your mother."

Ranma looked skeptical at the unveiling of his father's 'surprise' for Nodoka. Nodoka and Genma would likely have differing opinions on the value of this 'surprise.' If his wife would have truly appreciated the value of whatever training Genma had in mind, then he wouldn't have lied to his children and hidden the excursion from her.

"Great, Dad!" Ranko cheered enthusiastically, hoping to participate in the training, too. Her mother had worked diligently over the years to transform Ranko into a lady. The training did include self-defense designed to protect Ranko's honor and virtue, but the martial arts training she had received was nothing like what Ranma had endured. If Nodoka wasn't here, then she couldn't complain about Ranko fighting.

"I don't know…" Ranma murmured, following his excited father and sister down the trail to the springs of water. As they neared, he saw the bamboo poles and assumed the training would focus on agility, ingenuity, and balance. "It's not that impressive," he said, kicking a rock into a nearby spring.

"Come now, Ranma," Genma said, dismissing his son's doubts with a wave of his hand. "This place is called the Legendary Springs of Jusenkyo for a reason." He set his pack on the ground and motioned for his children to do the same. "You'll see once we begin our training."

Ranko ran toward one of the springs and looked up to the top of the bamboo poles. Brimming with excitement, she clutched her hands in front of her chest and begged, "Please, can I spar with Ranma?"

Shaking his head, Genma refused and offered a compromise. "Let me begin his training, first, Ranko. Once I'm finished with him, then we'll see if he has any strength left for you."

Ranma laughed loudly and boasted, "As if, Pops! You haven't worn me out during a spar since elementary school." He tightened the belt around his pants and then leapt toward the top of a nearby bamboo pole.

Genma's face darkened and he muttered under his breath about his ungrateful son and his attitude. Ranko threw her hands down in a pout, pressing her lips together as she stalked toward their bags. With an ungraceful flop, she sat roughly on the ground and folded her arms over her chest.

Genma leapt into the air and followed his son.

"Sirs, good sirs!" A man shouted, waving his hands as he ran toward the small group. Ranma and Genma, who had already begun fighting, could not hear him or decided to ignore him. Ranko perked up in mild interest as the guide approached her.

"This is no good. They must come down now. The springs are very dangerous." The guide said, short of breath after his run. Ranko's eyes widened and she looked toward the springs to see what was so dangerous about them that she had missed the first time.

Not seeing it, she turned to the guide and asked, "What's so dangerous about the springs? I heard this was a legendary training ground." And, that's what they were here for, training.

"Yes, this is the Legendary Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo, but too, too dangerous for martial arts training." The guide explained, pointing to a nearby spring to tell the too, too tragic story of a drowned girl. As the guide told his story, Ranko began to worry that he was telling the truth.

"Oh, no" she murmured, holding one hand to her mouth. Quickly thanking the guide for his explanation, Ranko ran toward her father and brother. "Dad, Ranma, come down from there! It's dangerous!" She yelled, waving her hands. But, they were too occupied in the spar to pay her much attention.

After a few moments of being ignored, her short supply of patience ran dry. With a short, frustrated scream, Ranko leapt upwards toward her father. "Dad, pay attention to me!" She yelled, extending her leg to kick his chin.

Her foot connected with his jaw hard and forced him toward the nearest spring. With a loud splash and a yell, Genma fell into the water. Ranko landed on a bamboo pole while Ranma leaned forward to see what had happened. "Nice one, sis," he complimented. Ranko thrust her chest out, placed her hands on her hips, and beamed with pride. Too bad Mom had not been here to see that!

Both turned to look at the spring when the water gurgled. Then, a panda jumped from the springs with a loud roar. "Look out!" Ranma shouted, already leaping toward his sister to save her. Ranko screamed in fear, throwing her hands in front of her face in a futile attempt to protect herself from a fearsome beast. Just in time, Ranma threw his arms around his sister's waist and threw her toward the ground.

As Ranko tumbled safely to the ground, she screamed her brother's name when she saw the panda slam into him. The panda reached out with a giant paw to clutch itself to a bamboo pole, recovering its balance as Ranma fell into the water below. Ranko, yelling Ranma's name, raced to the pool of water on her hands and knees.

When he did not surface and she began to fear the worst, Ranko poised herself to jump into the water to save him. Before she could dive into the spring, someone burst from the water with a loud cry.

But, that person didn't look like Ranma at all.

"Are you okay, Ranko?" The young woman asked with some panic in her voice.

It was a young woman with red hair and she was wearing the same clothes as Ranma… Hadn't the guide said something about a person taking the form of whatever had last drowned in the springs?

Realization dawned across Ranko's face just as horror ran across the other girl's face. The red-head placed a hand to her throat and then opened her blouse to see she had a rather ample bosom. A high-pitched scream followed shortly thereafter as the worst of her fears were confirmed.

"If that's Ranma, then…" Ranko trailed off as she looked toward the large panda balancing on a bamboo pole.

"Oh, boy."

The guide shook his head and moaned, regret deep in his voice. None of the visitors ever listened to him about the dangers of Jusenkyo. Maybe he needed to change the name of the springs to something more menacing. The Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo, perhaps?

Screams of surprise and terror echoed in the streets of Nerima as a large panda chased two young women. A few people had already called the local authorities, another called the zoo, and one had even called a local dojo. Usually the martial artists in Nerima had one thing or another to do with all the crazy things that happened there, but at least it was never as bad as Tomobiki. That place was just downright crazy, aliens and demons and the like.

"I don't want a fiancée!" The red-head yelled. She leapt into the air as the panda tried to hit her with a furry paw.

"But I promised the Tendos!" Read the sign the panda held up.

The other girl ran nearby, but stayed a decent distance away from the fight between the panda and Ranma. She did not feel the need to get too involved, because no one had forced a fiancé on her, yet. But, knowing Genma, Ranko would not put it past him. He would probably give her hand to whoever had the most money or food.

The panda and girl battled fiercely, but seemed cognizant of avoiding getting passersby caught in their argument. Ranma shrugged off her pack and flung it toward Ranko, who caught it.

"I still say this whole thing sucks!" She said, striking Genma across the face. "Picking my fiancée without even asking me, again."

Genma was struck and flung backwards into a nearby street sign and he bent it under the weight of his bulk. With an annoyed roar, he pulled the mangled street sign from the concrete as Ranma walked away.

"I'm going back to China. Let's go, Ranko." She said, motioning toward her sister to hand the pack back over. Ranko held the pack out toward Ranma, but paused when she saw Genma rise from the ground with the street sign in hand.

Before she could say anything to Ranma, the panda swung the street sign at the red-head with a loud smack. The red-head slumped forward unconscious and Genma caught her before she struck the ground.

"That should not have been necessary, Dad." Ranko scolded, hefting Ranma's pack onto her shoulder as Genma slung his unconscious daughter over his shoulder. "Really, you could have started that conversation differently."

The crowd was beginning to thicken, because the panda was walking off with an unconscious girl. The panda paused and roared loudly at the crowd, which thinned appreciably. Ranko smiled brightly, "it is okay, he'll be fine." She said with a wave of her hand as the panda walked off unimpeded. "He's got a thick head, even when he's a girl."

That didn't seem to comfort the crowd, but stranger things had happened than a panda running through the streets of Nerima. At least an alien had not challenged them to an elaborate game of tag to determine the fate of the world.

The head of the Tendo family called for each of his three daughters to come to the dining room, but only the two eldest sisters responded. The youngest sister was not in either the Tendo home or the Tendo practice hall. Akane was finishing her morning jog several blocks away. She smiled contentedly. Her morning jog was an excellent way to wake her up in the morning before school, she got in a little bit of cardio, and she was warmed up for her morning tussle with the boys in her school. Even on weekends, she tried to stay in the habit of jogging early in the morning.

Today had been a particularly excellent jog. A neighbor had greeted her warmly with a small box of treats for her family and another neighbor had invited her to see the puppies that his family dog had given birth to just last week. All in all, it felt like today would be a wonderful day.

On the way home, she noticed a familiar face. Her smile brightened even more and Akane waved enthusiastically. "Mrs. Saotome, over here! It's me, Akane." She called, picking up her pace to catch up with the older woman.

Nodoka looked a little startled, but warmed up quickly as her friend's youngest daughter approached. "Oh my, how you have grown since I last saw you, Akane." She greeted, gathering the girl for a hug. "Your hair has grown so long. It's quite becoming." Nodoka complimented Akane, who blushed in response to the flattery.

"I didn't know you were coming to visit. We would have set-up a guest room for you and your family, if we had only known." Akane said.

Nodoka apologized for the inconvenience, "My husband mailed you a postcard, but we were in China at the time. The mail may have been delayed. I'm afraid I lost both my husband and children after they had a small disagreement," she explained. She asked if Akane had seen them, but then paused and shook her head. "Oh, I suppose Ranma and Genma have changed a lot since you last saw them. You likely would not recognize them." Which was very true, because the last time Nodoka had seen them both Ranma and Genma were in their cursed forms. She doubted that they or Ranko had found hot water for them to change back into an appearance that Akane would recognize.

Shaking her head, her expression softened as she remembered the last time the Saotomes had visited Nerima. "How have you been since we last saw you?"

Akane's expression changed, but she managed to smile a little. The last time the Saotomes had been in Nerima was for her mother's funeral services. That had also been the first time, which she could remember, she had met Ranma and Ranko. They never really got the chance to speak to each other given the circumstances. "It's gotten a little easier, but we still miss her."

Nodoka nodded sympathetically, remembering the loss of her own parents. "The passage of time does not dampen the hurt, I know." She reached to give Akane another hug, "But if you need me for anything, please, never hesitate to ask. It's the least I can do for you and your family."

Akane thanked Nodoka for her offer, but said the Tendos didn't need anything at the moment. "So, what brings you and Mr. Saotome to Nerima?" Akane asked.

"We came to see you and the Tendo family. I do not know if your father has mentioned anything to you, yet, but long ago our families made a promise." Nodoka smiled, motioning that she would accompany Akane home.

"It would be most appropriate to have this discussion together, the Soatomes and the Tendos." Nodoka continued. "But, we wish for the Saotome and Tendo branches of Anything Goes Martial Arts to be joined. Let's go to your home and we can discuss the details and what happened during our trip to China. It was quite… eventful. Perhaps my husband and children are already waiting for us."

The distance to the Tendo home was not far from where Akane and Nodoka had run into each other. Their opportunity to talk was shortened, but Nodoka did have the opportunity to apologize for not visiting more often. Prior to the extended training trip, the Saotomes came fairly often to visit the Tendo family. The children, except for perhaps Kasumi, had been too young at the time and likely did not remember much more than scattered memories from those visits.

Because of the extended training trip, it had been difficult to visit. Genma had offered for Soun and his daughters to accompany them from time to time, but Soun's wife never agreed more than once. That experience had been more akin to a weekend camping trip. The families had drifted apart when Soun's wife died.

Akane and Nodoka could hear a loud commotion as they approached the Tendo family home and dojo. Knowing the craziness that was Nerima and how it was naturally attracted to her home, Akane assumed the worst. Bracing for a disaster that only her brute strength could solve, she tensed and motioned for Nodoka to stay where she was.

"Wait here, Mrs. Saotome. I should go see if everything is okay." Akane said.

Nodoka shook her head and grabbed Akane's hand to prevent her from running off too soon. "No, Akane, wait, I think I know what is happening at your home. My husband and children have arrived, but your family will not recognize Ranma and Genma."

Akane looked a little confused, even though Nodoka had mentioned earlier the pair may be difficult to recognize. But, she had assumed it was because Ranma had aged and, perhaps, Genma had lost some weight. Then again, Nodoka had never mentioned Ranko would be hard to recognize…

Noticing that Akane was hesitant and skeptical, Nodoka continued to explain. "Genma's probably scared them." Without pausing to say why, she pulled Akane forward. "Let us see what is the matter at your home. Ranko and I can explain what has happened, if it is indeed my family causing the ruckus."

Once the two crossed the threshold, they could immediately recognize the problem. One, a red-headed girl was fighting a large panda in the backyard. Two, Ranko was yelling loudly at them to stop fighting and occasionally she jumped in to show actions spoke louder than words. Three, Soun stood defensively in front of his two daughters and was also shouting at the visitors to leave, but he seemed reluctant to get involved in the battle.

Akane saw how her father was protecting her older sisters and immediately expected the worst. Before Nodoka could stop her, Akane jumped into the fray to disarm the panda and save the red-headed girl from danger. "Stand back, I'll save you!" She shouted valiantly.

Without pausing to consider how to proceed, for this happened quite frequently and Nodoka had several occasions on which to practice her approach, the mother of the Saotome family intervened with practiced movements. In a few moments, both the panda and the red-headed girl were kneeling on the ground in a contrite posture, apologizing profusely for their actions.

Ranko, a little miffed she had been able to do nothing to improve the situation, stood with her arms crossed. Akane was dismayed at how easily Mrs. Saotome had been able to make a wild animal behave her commands and wondered what they could have possibly been doing during their travels. Soun, Kasumi, and Nabiki looked no less alarmed and confused then they had been when the panda had first began fighting the red-headed girl.

"Now," Nodoka smiled sweetly, "let us settle this situation."

Both the Tendo and the Saotome families were gathered around the kitchen table with a cup of tea and some breakfast. The food was growing even colder as the Tendos sat slack-jawed after the recent demonstration of Jusenkyo curses. They had all just witnessed Nerima becoming a little weirder as a panda turned into Genma and Ranma changed from a female to a male.

Then, of all things, Genma and Soun sprung this on them!

"No, just no way!" Akane protested, waving her hands in front of herself. Ranma also had an angry look on his face, especially because he had talked with his Pops earlier about this. But, actions never spoke loud enough for Genma to hear, no matter how hard Ranma punched him.

"I've only met them twice and you want me to marry one of them?" Ranma asked, slamming his hand on the kitchen table.

"Actually," Genma began, "you played with them when you were little." He nodded his head to confirm his statement. "You were only… five, I think."

Ranko and Nabiki watched the show unfolding in front of them. They quietly whispered back and forth to each other.

"Akane hates boys, but she's lucky, Ranma is only a boy half of the time," Nabiki whispered, pointing a chopstick at the boy sitting across from her.

"More than that," Ranko whispered back, "You should see how often he uses his girl form to get free food."

Akane's and Ranma's protests increased in volume, although it had not yet been decided who Ranma would marry. Nabiki declined to comment on the situation and Kasumi already had a future position secured within the Tofu family line as a wife to Dr. Tofu Ono. Although the wedding date had not been decided upon, the commitment had been declared on the very same day as the agreement to join the Tendo and Saotome branches of Anything Goes Martial Arts.

"Pick the one you want, Ranma, and she's your fiancé," Soun said loudly.

Nabiki shook her head and Kasumi reached to pick up her father's plate before he was finished eating. "No, father, you can't be serious." Nabiki started.

Then, Kasumi finished for her, "Yes, father, it is obvious that he wants Akane."

Before either Ranma or Akane could say otherwise, Nabiki continued. "They are both martial artists and this is all about combining the Anything Goes Schools, right?"

The tension built between Ranma, Akane, Genma, and Soun, but Nodoka cut through it before the tension could boil over. "Yes, this is about combining the schools. Before combining the families, let us focus on combining the schools of martial arts, agreed?"

The tension began to dissipate slowly, but Ranma and Akane still were very uncertain about Nodoka's proposal. Genma and Soun began to interrupt, but Nodoka held up a hand and placed the family sword on the kitchen table. Both men wisely held their tongues until she finished.

She turned to Soun, "Who is your heir to the Tendo branch of Anything Goes?"

Akane beamed with pride as Soun explained that his youngest daughter was the heir to his school. Before Nodoka continued, she turned to both Kasumi and Nabiki.

"Do either of you contest this?" She asked.

Kasumi and Nabiki both shook their heads. "No, Auntie Saotome. I gave up the practice years ago and Nabiki never took an interest in martial arts," Kasumi explained. Both girls kept themselves fit in other ways; Kasumi with the housework and Nabiki with lighter pursuits than martial arts.

Nodoka then turned to her husband, although she already knew his answer. "Husband, am I correct in stating that Ranma is the heir to the Saotome branch of Anything Goes?"

Genma nodded in agreement while Ranma smirked. There was never any doubt in either of their minds. Ranko looked crestfallen, but she already knew she would never be named her father's heir. Nodoka asked Ranko if she contested her brother's status as heir. For a second, she appeared ready to argue, but Ranko quickly backed down under her mother's eyes. "No, I do not contest," she said sadly.

"Genma and Soun, you each have an heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Each needs to be trained in the other branch of the school in order for the Tendo branch to be combined with the Saotome branch. Genma, you must train Akane in the Saotome branch with Ranma's assistance. Soun, you must also train Ranma in the Tendo branch with Akane's assistance." She said, ending her piece with a sip from her cup and a cold, challenging stare directed at both fathers.

"If this is satisfactory," and the look she gave told them both that it would be, end of discussion. "Then I also offer to instruct Akane in my family's branch of martial arts. She will join Ranko in her lessons." Nodoka gave a passing look to Nabiki and Kasumi, "And, if either of you wish to partake, I will accept you as students and instruct you in the self-defense needed to protect your womanly virtues."

Nabiki blanched at the idea, but Kasumi looked thoughtful. "Thank you for the offer, Auntie Saotome. I will consider it," Kasumi said. "But, the housework may make it difficult to find enough spare time."

"That is okay, dear. We can make some arrangements if you wish to partake." Nodoka said. She gestured once more to Nabiki, but the middle daughter politely declined and said she was not interested. Nodoka smiled in approval of how she handled the entire situation. "Than this has been settled."

And, once the sword was removed from the kitchen table, the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts began to join at last.

Although they didn't really remember each other too well, Akane offered to spar with Ranko after breakfast. If anything, she needed to escape the awkward feeling in the air and she really didn't want to be around Ranma right now. It was too uncomfortable being around him, even if they weren't officially engaged right now… It was a little too obvious that was the result their parents wanted, even Mrs. Saotome.

Akane slid open the door to the practice hall and led Ranko inside. "So, you practice your mother's style of martial arts?" She asked.

Ranko shrugged and sighed, "Yeah, but I have been taught mostly for self-defense. But, Dad and Ranma train me in Anything Goes style, too, when they think Mom is not watching."

Akane cleared the practice hall of her own training equipment, so they would have room to spare. She thought that a little odd, but decided to not question it too deeply. "Oh, well, I guess she wants you to inherit her school. That's nice of her, I guess."

Genma had taught the foundation of Anything Goes martial arts to both of his children. But, once she learned of some of his questionable training methods, Nodoka did not allow Genma to teach Ranko the advanced style of Anything Goes. Besides, her main aim for Ranko was for her to be a lady and that was already difficult enough. Her daughter had always wanted to be just like her older brother, instead of being a proper lady. Once it became clear Ranko would not give up her interest in martial arts, Nodoka relented and began teaching her the ways of the sword.

Nodoka had only taken a passing interest in her family's martial arts style when she was growing up. She wasn't particularly adept in handling a sword herself, but she could teach the basics of her family's style. Traveling with her husband and their children on an extended training trip for the last ten years had served to improve her skill, but she did not train very often. Actually, Genma had proved to be of some help when Nodoka began to first train Ranko. He helped his wife to demonstrate her family's form and style until Nodoka could confidently correct the errors Ranko made.

After this many years, Nodoka had very little to teach Ranko about martial arts, so the majority of their training focused on more 'womanly' arts, such as flower arranging or the tea ceremony. Boy, had Nodoka been surprised when Ranko sought to create and perfect flower-arranging martial arts among other 'adaptations' of the womanly arts Nodoka taught her.

Ranko helped Akane clear the training equipment, then the two took fighting stances at either end of the practice hall. "This is just for fun. I don't want to hurt you." Akane said.

"I'm stronger than I look," Ranko giggled, motioning at Akane to make the first move.

Akane gave her battle cry as she dashed forward to throw a punch at Ranko's face. Ranko blocked the strike with her forearm and pushed Akane's hand to the side. Afterwards, Akane stepped to the left and re-evaluated her opponent. She seems capable of handling herself, Akane mused. With a grin, she decided to take their spar a little more seriously. Finally, maybe Ranko would be a challenge!

The younger girl gave Akane little time to plan a new attack strategy. Ranko crouched on the floor to avoid another punch and swung her leg to the side to knock Akane off her feet. With a cry of surprise, Akane fell on her butt. She recovered quickly and rolled to the side before Ranko could bring her leg down on top of Akane.

Jumping to her feet, Akane flipped over Ranko's head. She landed behind Ranko and then punched her fist forward, striking the girl in the back. Ranko yelped in pain, but went with the force of the blow. Rolling into a crouching position, her grin widened as she looked up at Akane. Finally, she had someone to spar with! Ranma was always afraid of hurting her and Nodoka wouldn't allow her to spar with him very often, anyway. Maybe, since Nodoka had agreed to train them both, her mom would let her and Akane spare more often?

The two continued for another ten minutes. They each tested each other's strengths and limits. As they tired, Akane and Ranko began to have more fun with the spar. Soon, the two girls began to get a little silly, tapping each other with a finger instead of hitting or kicking each other. Then, Ranko changed her tactics and began to tickle Akane, who proved to be very ticklish. It wasn't long before they were a heap of laughter and giggles on the floor of the practice hall.

Still red from exertion and too much laughing, Akane sat up and tried to smoother her laughter, but only succeed in quieting herself to a giggle. Ranko lounged on the floor with a smile on her face. "You know," Akane started, pausing until she had Ranko's attention. "I'm really glad you aren't a boy. I would hate to lose to a boy."

Ranko rolled onto her stomach, resting her head on her hands. "You'll have to get used to it if you train with Ranma. He's even better than me. But," she paused when Akane began to look a little angry. "You'll have to promise to land one on him when he deserves it. He has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, especially around cute girls."

Akane nodded in agreement. Already she felt a lot better after sparing with Ranko. It looked like the two of them would become friends. She offered Ranko a hand, "Let's go wash up. You can put your stuff in my room and I'll show you where the furo is."

Meanwhile, Ranma and Genma were already relaxing in the furo after a long and stressful day. Ranma was trying to not get in an argument with his father about the recent arrangement made to join the schools, but, as usual, Genma made that rather difficult.

"Oh, Pops, shut up. Mom already made her decision and we both know you aren't going to disagree with her." Ranma said, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking lower into the hot water.

Genma huffed, "Your mother doesn't understand the gravity of the promise Tendo and I made to each other. But, I'll talk to her, don't you worry, boy."

Ranma rolled his eyes. He wasn't worried about that. He didn't want to get married. He hadn't even finished high-school for Christ's sake! Not to mention he didn't even know the Tendo daughters, yet. Sure, none of them were bad-looking, but marriage wasn't only about looks and martial arts.

"Ranma, as my only son, it is your duty to fulfill this promise to unite the Anything Goes Schools." Genma began. As he continued his speech, his grew and Ranma's patience began to wane.

"Oh, forget it!" He shouted, rising from the furo. "I'm leaving."

Grabbing his things from the floor, Ranma left to the changing room. If he had stayed in the furo, he and his father would only have gotten into a physical argument. Pops might not care, but he knew Mom would look very unfavorably on any abuse of the Tendo's hospitality.

But, seriously, an arranged marriage? Ranma thought as he pulled on his pants in the changing room. He barely knew any of Soun Tendo's daughters. The last he had seen them was when Soun's wife died and you can't get to know someone in that type of situation. Of course, there had been a short visit here and there prior to that, but Ranma had been so young he didn't really remember those visits.

But, boy, had he teased Akane something fierce back then. That he could remember! Ranma began to laugh quietly as he recalled his brief childhood at the Tendo home.

Then, the door to the changing room opened. Akane had one brief moment to catch the smile on Ranma's face. Before it disappeared, she wondered what had made him smile like that. Ranma was really rather cute when he smiled.

"Oh, hey, Akane." He greeted, reaching for his shirt to slip it over his head. Ranma's muscles faintly rippled as he moved to finish dressing. Akane blushed pink as she stared for a bit too long at Ranma's half-clothed form. She hadn't really seen a boy like that before. But, the moment was quick, for soon he was fully clothed with his meager bathing supplies thrown over his shoulder.

"What is the matter, Akane?" Ranko asked, peering over Akane's shoulder from behind. She saw her brother, who waved back at her. Ranko smirked and smothered a giggle under her breath as she realized what had just happened. It did not seem right to tease Akane about the joining of the Anything Goes Schools of Martial Arts, but maybe she could poke Akane in good humor about a blossoming crush on her older brother.

"Oh, hey, wait right here. Pop's still in there," Ranma said, jerking a thumb back toward the door to the bathroom. "Let me tell him to get his ass out before it gets any more wrinkled."

Ranma turned to head back inside and thought it would also be good for him to clear the panda fur out of the drain, too.

During the rest of the day, Genma and Nodoka left to enroll Ranma and Ranko at Furinkan High School. Kasumi had recently graduated from Furinkan, but Nabiki and Akane both still attended. Although Ranko was younger than her brother, they were enrolled in the same grade, first year. It had been quite difficult, but Nodoka had privately schooled them both during their extended training trip. So, innate aptitude for learning aside, brother and sister were on similar levels when it came to their education.

While Genma and Nodoka were away, Soun tested Ranma's abilities in the Saotome branch of Anything Goes to see what techniques from the Tendo branch needed to be taught. Akane supervised and stepped in on occasion to test Ranma's abilities at Soun's request. Ranko, finding Soun as easy to manipulate as Genma if Nodoka was not around, joined in the training, too.

While Ranma's skills and abilities were without question, he had a difficult time taking Akane seriously as a sparring partner. This was a great impediment to the lessons unless Soun intervened with encouragement or to take it upon himself to be Ranma's sparring partner. This was suitable in some instances, but Soun also needed the opportunity to observe Ranma's technique.

With a frustrated sigh, he dismissed training for the day. Soun could not hide his frustration, but mostly he was disappointed with himself for not being as capable of a teacher as he had been in his younger days. This was not going to come quite as naturally as he thought after such a long absence from instructing. Mulling his thoughts in his his head, Soun left to discuss this problem with Genma, who had not given up teaching the art. Akane left to finish her assignments and study for an upcoming test and Ranko went to offer her help to Kasumi to make dinner.

Soun found Nodoka and Genma as they returned from enrolling their children in Furinkan High School. Still looking very frustrated, Soun approached Genma for advice. His friend's response was to prepare himself for anger, but then realized the frustration was not directed at him. Genma loosened up, and then eagerly offered his advice as a sage and excellent instructor in the martial arts. Some of his friend's advice, Soun planned on avoiding at all cost, but there were some good bits of wisdom.

As Soun described Ranma's reluctance to spar seriously with Akane, Nodoka realized how the problem could be dealt with and how she had a small part in creating it. Genma had been dealt the task of making their son a man among men, but Nodoka had promised to assist him. A small part of her assistance had been aiding Ranma with his interactions with girls his own age. Not all of the girls he had encountered over the years had been martial artists. Only a handful had been. When she instructed Ranma in the proper behavior to adopt around girls, she had stressed several cautions concerning his strength.

But, no, that was not the problem, Nodoka thought, shaking her head. Ranma had fought effectively with female martial artists in the past, so something else had to be bothering her son. He knew the difference between striking a defenseless girl out of anger and hitting a capable, female martial artist to improve herself and himself as fighters. She needed to find out what was going on.

She found him still in the practice hall. Ranma flowed through the motions for a kata taught to him by his father. Nodoka recognized the kata and waited for the proper moment to interrupt. "Ranma, I wish to speak with you," she said.

Flowing to a stop, Ranma nodded and walked to his mother. "What's up, Mom?"

"You have begun training with Soun and Akane, correct?" She asked. He nodded and wondered if she had seen any of their practice session.

"Soun has some concerns about how you have approached this training."

Ranma frowned and sighed, but he knew to stay silent instead of protest that he was doing fine.

"Ranma, in order for this training to be effective, you must treat Akane as your partner." Nodoka began. She paused to give her son time to tell her what he was thinking.

Ranma lowered his head with a sigh. He still was not entirely convinced, but maybe he could take Akane more seriously as a martial artist. But, she wasn't as good as him and he didn't want to hurt her. Ranma had already seen her cry once when her mother died and he didn't want to see her hurt again, especially not by his hand. "I don't want to hurt her," he admitted.

After her mother had died, Akane had suffered terribly from the pain of loss. Her father had stopped training her shortly thereafter, because he could not bring himself to hit one of the precious gifts his wife had left to him.

Martial arts did not seem as important back then as mourning did, but without Soun's guidance, Akane had used martial arts as a form of quelling anger, frustration, and despair.

"You are stronger than Akane, but that does not mean you cannot match her strength while you spar. Akane is a strong woman and a capable martial artist. You will hurt her pride if you do not treat her as such. In that instance, would you want to hurt her emotionally to avoid hurting her physically?" Nodoka asked, knowing the answer her son would eventually conclude. "You have sparred effectively with girls before, such as Ukyou. This should not be much different."

Ranma did not respond right away, but Nodoka knew that her son was thinking through his options.

"Let Soun know your thoughts on the matter when you are ready, preferably after school tomorrow and before you begin training with Soun and Akane."

The young martial artist nodded thanked his mother for the talk, who exited the practice hall. Ranma sat down to ponder his new situation, then blanched at a realization.

"School!" He said loudly in dismay. "Why do I have to go to school?"

Prior to bed, Akane spent some time describing Furinkan High School to both Ranma and Ranko. Nodoka had taken some interest in the subject as well, but left once she overheard Soun introduce his small stock pile of sake to Genma. If she was not there to supervise, Genma would drink Soun out of house and home.

Afterwards, the three continued to talk. Akane described what she was currently studying in her various classes, which she assumed would be similar enough to the classes Ranma and Ranko would be placed in. Soon the stories drifted away from school assignments to the juicy gossip. At that point, Nabiki gladly joined in at a discounted price for her family's new guests.

Of course, Nabiki could hardly keep it to herself and eagerly shared the ruckus the boys of the school caused every morning for Akane. While the story was told, Akane quietly fumed, but then it became too much.

"Oh, boys!" She said loudly, slamming her palm on the floor of her bedroom. Ranko's eyes widened as she saw the crack form in the floorboards, but no one else noticed. "They are despicable perverts, all of them," Akane continued, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ranma looked offended at the remark, but held his tongue. He still didn't quite believe the story, but he would see for himself tomorrow morning.

"Kuno started it all," Nabiki said. "And he is going to try and finish it by dating Akane."

Akane shook her head, "I won't let him. He's the worst one of them all!"

Ranko reached forward to grab Akane's hand to let her know she would have a friend there to protect her from unwanted advances. "If you want, I'll help you tomorrow."

Her anger deflated as she felt Ranko's hand slip into hers. "Oh, no, that's okay. It's my fault and I don't want you to get involved." Akane gave Ranko's hand a gentle squeeze and she smiled before letting go.

Ranma braced himself with his hands as he leaned backwards, one leg crossed over the other. "You know," he began, waiting until he caught the others' attention. "Maybe Kuno just needs another girl to distract him from you."

Nabiki's interests perked up, because that sounded like a money-making opportunity.

Ranko blanched when she saw her brother looking at her. She waved her hands in front of her and shook her head back and forth. "Don't you dare, Ranma!" She scolded. "If you say it Pops will hear and get another of his 'bright' ideas to marry me off, too!"

This Kuno did not sound at all like a great catch and she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Oh, Ranma, that's a horrible thing to do to your sister." Akane scolded, frowning.

Ranma held up his hands in defense. "I said nothing! I just looked at her."

"Besides, Ranma," Nabiki said, "Kuno is several years too old for your sister. But, I will tell you this," she said, leaning forward until she caught their attention. "For a small fee, I will see if I can find a more suitable girl to be Kuno's paramour." Although, she hardly thought any 'suitable' girl would willingly subject herself to such tortures. But, Nabiki would at least try if she was paid to do so.

"You never offered that to me," Akane dead-panned, but she was ignored by Nabiki.

"Pay you?" Ranko questioned, then leaned forward. "How much?" If this would help her new friend, then maybe a small fee would not be too bad.

Nabiki whispered an amount into Ranko's ear.

"Done!" Ranko cried, slapping the requested cash into Nabiki's hand with gusto.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Nabiki purred, flipping through the cash.

That night the sleeping arrangements in the Tendo family home were semi-permanently re-arranged to accommodate the new guests. Akane offered to share a room with Ranko, so they moved a spare futon to Akane's room. It was only proper for Genma and Nodoka to share a guest room downstairs, which left Ranma on his own in a much smaller spare room.

The Saotome family home was not a considerable distance away from Nerima and, indeed, they had not visited in quite some time. Next weekend they would travel to take care of matters at home, but it made practical sense for the joining of the Anything Goes Schools of Martial Arts to take place in the Tendo practice hall. The Saotome home did not have a practice hall and it was a bit too small for a semi-permanent visitor, Akane.

The two girls stayed up too late, but there was a lot to catch-up on. The extended training trip provided lots of good conversation and what had happened in Nerima made for pretty good tales, too. Eventually, Ranko and Akane surrendered to sleep.

Ranma had taken some time to place his valuables in the room he had been given. This did not take long, because a traveling martial artist did not accumulate much in the way of personal possessions. Whenever he and his family traveled home, they usually dropped off whatever they didn't truly need and restocked on the essentials.

The room did not feel empty, because the Tendos had furnished and decorated the spare room. But, it would be awhile before it felt like anything but borrowed. He wasn't entirely sure how long his family would stay as guests in the Tendo household.

All in all, the situation was weird and Ranma did not know how it would work out in the end. Learning another branch of his school of martial arts would not prove too difficult, because he picked up new techniques quickly. Akane was a decent martial artists in her own right, so it would take her longer. But, Ranma felt confident she'd learn the Saotome style, eventually.

But, that wasn't where this whole thing got unpredictable. The promise to join the Anything Goes Schools was originally going to be accomplished by marriage and, based on what his mother had said, that wasn't entirely off the table.

Ranma sighed in frustration. He had never thought about marriage before, because he often lived in the 'now', not the future. It was plainly obvious that he would inherit the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts as a grandmaster one day, but he had never really thought much past that. Ranma didn't have other life goals in mind and he hadn't planned on making any until after he graduated from high school.

Now he had a sinking suspicion that his parents and Akane's father were already planning his future for him without even asking. Thankfully, his mother had pushed it off for a little while, but…

Deciding this day needed to end already, Ranma flopped onto the futon for a good night's rest.

The sun had not yet risen in the morning sky and darkness still wrapped the city of Nerima in a blanket of darkness. But, some people are early risers, especially when she could catch someone off-guard. Ranko sat up in her futon and stretched. Not wanting to wake Akane, she tried to stifle her yawn. Crawling toward the bedside table near Akane, she peered to look at the clock.

Perfect, she thought, smiling to herself in self-satisfaction.

Time to wake up brother, she thought, smirking evilly. After taking a few moments to get ready for the day, Ranko crept out of Akane's room and stealthily made her way toward Ranma's new room.

She did not have to worry about waking him up when she entered the room. Ranma typically was a heavy sleeper if they were not sleeping outdoors, because he felt safer. They had slept in some unpredictable places over the years, so it never hurt to sleep cautiously. But, the Tendo home must have met his expectations for safety.

"Cannonball", she muttered, body slamming Ranma into the futon he was laying on.

Ranma cursed loudly as he felt a sudden weight fall onto his chest and lower torso. He reached up to brace the weight with one arm, then pushed to remove his attacker. Ranko rolled with the force of the push and off her older brother with a giggle.

Landing on her stomach, she propped up her head with both hands and smiled sweetly. "Got you," she said, reaching out to touch Ranma's nose with one finger.

Ranma made a face of disgust as he snorted in dismissal. "What the hell, Ranko? I thought you promised not to do that anymore." Ranko giggled, shrugging her shoulders.

"I want to keep you on your toes, big brother." She said. "I just want to help you become the best martial artist in the world."

Ranma groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh, god," he muttered. "What time is it, anyway? It's too early for this, Ranko." He said, turning to look at the digital clock near him.

"It's never too early for a spar," Ranko said. "Come on, let's hurry before Mom wakes up." She pleaded, reaching to pull Ranma toward the door.

"Alright, alright already," he said, pulling his hand away from her hand. "I'm up, I'm up."

As Ranko stood in the doorway, the window on the opposite wall caught Ranma's eye. "You know what, sis? I have a better idea." He said, a grin broadening on his face. He saluted his sister before jumping out of the window, "See ya."

He would not get away that easily, Ranko thought as she quietly closed the door to Ranma's room. She looked out the open window to see Ranma strut with pride in the backyard as he waited for his little sister to follow him. "Boys," she said under her breath with a giggle.

Ranko braced herself before she leapt out of the window to follow him. She landed gracefully on her feet and stuck her tongue out at her brother. "I'm ready."

At first, Ranko suggested the practice hall as the location of their morning spar, but Ranma worried they would be too close to the house and too loud. Instead, the pair went on a quick search for an abandoned lot or open space of some kind.

This was the time that Ranko was able to practice the more advanced techniques of martial arts without being subjected to the disapproving eyes of her mother. It also gave Ranma some practice at being a martial arts instructor. Their spars were more instructional, because Ranma usually incorporated some sort of over-arching lesson. He didn't always know the lesson ahead of time, so sometimes he just made up things as he went and came up with something by the end of their session.

This wasn't one of those days. Ranma hadn't told her, but the over-arching theme for this morning's session was 'teach Ranko a lesson for dive-bombing her older brother too early in the morning.'

Once she began to take on the duties of caring for the household, Kasumi became a natural early-riser. Typically she rose with the morning sun and took a few minutes out of her day to watch the sunset from the window of her room. This morning, she was woken up a little too early by Ranma and Ranko. They had not been very loud, so she was not going to complain. Instead, Kasumi began cooking breakfast earlier than usual, so her new house guests would have a snack ready for them when they came home.

Like most of the children in the household, she had contemplated the new living arrangements last night. Although the arrangement appeared, for now, to concern only Ranma and Akane, there was a possibility that she or Nabiki would become involved later on to join the Saotome and Tendo schools in marriage.

Ranma was far too young for her tastes and, although they had been delayed, she had her own aspirations for the future. A book about medical practices sat near the stove where she cooked. Kasumi smiled fondly as she thought about the owner of the book and how she would see him later today when she returned it. If she borrowed another book, and she would for they did truly interest her, then she would secure the need to see Doctor Tofu again.

She placed two bowls of rice and miso soup near the entrance for Ranko and Ranma, then returned to cooking breakfast. When they returned from the morning spar, they thanked Kasumi for thinking of them and apologized if they had woken her up.

"Oh, no, I usually wake up early. You are no trouble at all," Kasumi smiled, turning back to stir a pot. "Now, you best wash up before breakfast and get ready for school."

Awhile later, the Tendo and Saotome families sat down for a wonderful meal prepared by Kasumi. The eldest daughter busied herself by serving each person, then sat down to enjoy her own meal.

Genma's chopsticks inched forward to slyly take a piece of pickled vegetable from Ranma's plate. Before he could get close enough to grab it, Nodoka slapped his hand. "Genma," she warned and then nodded meaningfully toward Kasumi, who sat near the containers holding extra servings.

"Yes, dear," he sighed. Holding his plate up, he forced a smile on his face and asked, "Kasumi, may I have some more?"

"Of course, Mr. Saotome," she said, accepting Genma's place before returning it to him with more food.

Ranko thanked Kasumi for a delicious meal, Ranma nodded in agreement, but his mouth was too full to say his thanks. Genma had tried to turn meals into a training exercise, but Nodoka had squashed that idea years ago. On occasion, her family did bargain, though.

"Hey, Ranma," Ranko started, pointing with her chopsticks at her brother's food. "I will give you my miso soup tomorrow if you give me that bacon now."

Ranma thought it over as he picked up one slice of bacon with his hands. "Hm, sure." He thrust the bacon at her, "here."

She wrinkled her nose and instead pulled his plate toward her. "Not that piece; you touched it." Then, she teased him. "Boys have cooties."

Nodoka placed a hand on Ranko's wrist to let her know she was being scolded for her un-ladylike behavior. "If you are still hungry, ask Kasumi for a second helping. Then, apologize to your brother."

Ranko apologized, and then glanced at the clock. "When does school start?"

Akane reached behind her for her school bag. "We should go now, so I can show you around before school starts."

Nabiki paused in the doorway before she left for school, "Make sure you leave a little extra time to fight off your admirers."

Nodoka passed a book bag to each of her children. "Take these, please. I packed your lunches and your father bought you both school supplies yesterday." Kasumi and Nodoka had worked out an agreement to ease the burden of additional house guests. Kasumi would cook the breakfast in the morning while Nodoka would prepare all of the children's lunches. The other chores would be worked out later today.

Ranko accepted both book bags while Ranma quickly stole a bun off Genma's plate while neither of his parents were looking. He quickly popped it into his mouth and left to follow Akane.

Ranko bowed and thanked Kasumi for breakfast before running to catch up with Akane and Ranma. When she caught up with her them, she threw her brother's book bag at him.

"Hey, stop stuffing your face!" She admonished him. Turning around, he caught the book bag. Sticking his tongue at her, he leapt onto the fence before she could catch him.

"You are so rude, Ranma," Akane remarked.

"She asked for it," he responded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Ranko sniffed and turned her nose in the air. "Show-off," she muttered.

"I'm not showing off if I am better than you." He said, blowing a raspberry at her. Ranko fumed, but Ranma interrupted her. "Besides, you can get up here, too. It's good for balance training."

Her anger was forgotten and her mood brightened at the mention of a training exercise. "Really?" She asked eagerly. Ranma nodded and offered a hand to help her up. After a short struggle to find her balance, Ranko proudly stood on top of the fence. "This isn't so bad," she said.

Akane had stopped to watch as Ranma helped his sister onto the fence. "Can I try?" She asked, hoping that Ranma or Ranko would offer to help her up.

Ranma looked skeptical, as if he was sizing up her ability. "Can you do it?"

Akane glowered and snorted, "of course I can! I'm a martial artist, too."

Ranma shrugged, but helped her up on the fence. Akane looked uneasy for a while, but she managed to find her balance. Ranma watched her and made sure neither she nor Ranko fell off. "Let's go, then," he said, walking forward.

Walking and maintaining balance at the same time was the tricky part, but Ranko and Akane were able to do so slowly. It also made traveling to school more interesting, because this was definitely a different point of view for both of them. But, it did take longer and Akane did not want to be late. "Oh, no!" She said, looking at her watch. "We should hurry up."

Akane prepared to jump off the fence, but she misjudged how she would come down from the thin wire. With a yell of surprise, Akane began to fall backwards toward the canal. She reached for Ranma at the same time he grabbed her hand. Ranko quickly clambered off the fence as it became too unstable under the shifting weight. Akane yelled again as they continued to pitch forward into the canal with a splash.

"Are you okay, Akane?" Ranma asked, lifting the wet hair from her eyes. The canal had not been full, but there was certainly enough water to trigger the change.

"I'm okay, thanks." Akane said, pushing herself up with one hand. "Oh, no! I'm soaked!" she cried, sitting upright in the canal where she had fallen. She turned to look for her book bag when she realized she was still holding Ranma's hand. They both turned to look at their hands and blushed a bright pink.

Ranma quickly pulled her hand away and looked away from the wet girl beside her. "Maybe you should change. It's a little see-through." She said, still not looking at Akane.

With a startled gasp, Akane looked down at herself and her blush intensified. "Pervert," she scolded, quickly standing up to get away from her. Akane covered her chest with her bookbag as she climbed out of the canal. Ranma's eyes were downcast as she stood up on her own.

Ranko offered to hold Akane's wet book bag and help her over the fence. Ranma managed fine on her own. "We can't show up to school looking like this," Akane said, a hint of a whine to her voice.

"Do we have time to go back?" Ranma asked, wringing her shirt and re-adjusting her pants.

Akane's watch no longer worked, but she assumed they had enough time to stop by Doctor Tofu's to dry off. "No, but I know where we can stop to dry off and change you back." Fussing with her book bag and clothing, she led the way to a nearby chiropractor's office.

Ranma laughed, but quickly hid her hand with her mouth when Akane looked back at her. The dirt and slime in the canal had covered Akane's rear in a brownish-green. Ranko glared at him, "that's not funny, shush." She rushed forward to walk beside Akane and strategically placed her own book bag to cover Akane's butt. "It's nothing," she said, reassuring Akane. The brunette looked back at Ranma with a confused expression, but accepted what Ranko said.

Without another incident, Akane led them to Doctor Tofu's office. Once inside, Doctor Tofu had the good grace not to laugh, but offered them each a towel instead. Akane blushed the whole while, because she was thoroughly embarrassed to show up as she was in front of Doctor Tofu, especially after Ranma had commented on her wet uniform.

Doctor Tofu asked who Akane's guests were and she explained that the Saotomes were staying at her home. Then, she sheepishly admitted they had fallen into the canal. As Ranma and Akane each began to clean themselves up the best they could, Akane asked Doctor Tofu a question.

"Do you have a cup of hot water?" She said, not quite sure how to explain the Jusenkyo curse to Doctor Tofu.

"Sure, I'll prepare a cup of tea. You need to warm up."

Akane was about to say she did not need tea, but stopped herself. She didn't need to burden Doctor Tofu with any of the craziness from her life. All she wanted to be for him was a normal girl, just like Kasumi.

"Oh no, we can't stay for very long. Just one cup of hot water will do, thank you."

She needed just enough time to change before school began. Akane had a spare uniform in her locker she could change into, but she didn't have one, of course, for Ranma. Once she turned into a guy, he'd just have to stay in his wet clothes until they dried. Serves him right, Akane thought. Although, she had to concede Ranma had prevented the fall from being worse than it could have been.

After thanking Doctor Tofu for the hot water, Akane handed the cup to Ranma. "Thank you, Doctor Tofu, but we must get going now. It was good to see you again." Akane smiled and waved as the trio exited.

Once they were out of eye-sight, for Akane said not to change in front of Doctor Tofu, Ranma poured the hot water over herself and triggered the change. "Who was that?" Ranma asked.

Akane blushed, "that is the local chiropractor. He's a very kind man that has watched over my family for many years."

Ranko hurried forward to stay a few steps ahead of Akane and then turned around so she could walk and face Akane at the same time. "You're blushing!" She said with a small squeal. "You like him."

Akane stammered out a reply and covered her face with her hand.

"I thought you didn't like men?" Ranma said.

"That's right," Akane said as they neared the front entrance to Furinkan High School. "I hate boys!" She yelled, throwing her bag to Ranko as she charged forward into a schoolyard full of boys. The boys were armed to the teeth in sports equipment and showed no fear in using it against Akane.

Ranko gasped in panic, but relented when Akane seemed perfectly capable of defending herself in a crowd. Ranko strove forward to the edge of the fray as she prepared to step in to help her friend, but seemed unsure of herself. Akane had said yesterday that she didn't want Ranko to get involved. Ranma leapt upwards to the top of the stone fence surrounding the high school to get a better view of the action.

"Don't worry, Ranko. She seems to be handling herself alright." He reassured his sister, who didn't seem placated by his reassurances.

"I don't know," she murmured, holding a hand to her mouth in worry. "Shouldn't you help? I've never fought in a crowd like that."

But, Akane did seem to be fine. Nabiki called from a window not to worry, that she does this every morning.

The young girl flowed through the crowd with ferocity and was unforgiving as she turned away the advances of every boy. Before long, Akane stood amongst a pile of unconscious boys and those too hurt to move. Flipping her hair behind her and wiping away a bead of sweat from her forehead, she sighed in frustration. "What a drag," she muttered.

Ranko hurried forward to give Akane her book bag and to see if her friend was alright. Akane stood tall and prepared as she waited for the inevitable. As Ranko reached Akane's side, a gust of wind pushed rose petals in the air in front of them. A rose tore through the air until it was caught between Akane's fingertips.

"Truly, such a boorish lot. A woman's affection must be earned and not taken." An older boy dressed in a kendo outfit said as he approached them.

Akane growled under her breath, "Kuno."

Ranma perked up in interest, because this boy seemed different from the rest. He strode purposefully, rather than in desperation. From the looks of it, this upperclassman was accomplished in kendo.

"But, alas, Akane, I must seek your affections another time. Please accept my apologies."

What? Akane was very confused, because the same routine was played every morning and this was not part of it.

Kuno held up a picture between his fingers, as if this served as a sufficient explanation for his actions. "This photograph displays the façade of my betrothed, who has graced my unworthy self with her presence." Dramatically holding the photo to his heart, he continued. "It is true! I have been destined to give my heart unto her."

Turning his face to the side, he said "Weep not, Akane. I will be true to our passion."

Akane dead-panned. "Don't bother." If anything, she would be glad to get rid of Kuno or at least have someone else distract him. She turned to walk away when she heard the warning bell ring. She still needed to help Ranma and Ranko find their homeroom class. None of them knew their room placement, so she couldn't assume they would be in the same class as her. "Let's go, Ranma and Ranko."

"Kuno, we are going to be late. Please move," Akane demanded. Ranma heard this and jumped down from the wall, especially because this guy was proving to be troublesome.

"Nay, just a moment, Akane! You must be pained and wish to suffer in silence, but fear not, you still hold my heart. Let me speak for a moment with me betrothed." Kuno said, tossing another rose. This time, it was not directed at Akane.

Ranko stepped to the side and let the rose tumble harmlessly to the ground. "What?" She asked, staring down at it. This wasn't meant for her, was it? "I do not…" She began, but did not know what to say. The rose she stared at offered no explanation of its own.

Kuno stepped forward and grabbed Ranko's hands between his own. He reached to turn her face toward him. "It is I, Tatewaki Kuno, your intended."

Akane stopped in mid-stride and turned to look at the scene in shock. Nabiki leaned a little further out of the classroom window as she heard the most interesting gossip of the school day. Ranma's rage had begun building as soon as the rose landed on the ground next to his sister. This meant not only was a boy interested in his little sister, but their Pops must have engaged Ranko without her or Nodoka's permission! He acted dishonorably, again! Mom would hear this as soon as he got home.

The one whose hand was being held and whose heart had just been spoken for by a stranger, stayed silent as she stared mutely at the hand holding hers. Kuno continued to speak of the pure beauty of his love for her and the affection she would, without a doubt, return in time. Ranko tried to pull her hand away, but Kuno's grip remained strong, but gentle. He pulled her into his embrace and held her close.

"I do not know what you are saying," she said, turning away from him with a panicked look on her face. Struggling within his grip, Ranko tried to duck under his arms to flee. Then, she settled for slamming her heel into his foot. Ranko followed by jabbing her elbow into his stomach to loosen his grip on her. Kuno reacted with a cry, but was soon struck again.

"Let go of her!" Ranma yelled, striking Kuno in the face with his foot. Ranko quickly leapt away as soon as Kuno let go of her. Her book bag was quickly forgotten as she dropped it and ran toward Akane, who stepped in front of the younger girl protectively.

"Who demands I desist my affections toward my intended?" Kuno asked with fury in his voice. He ignored the pain in his face as he wielded his bokken. Ranma pressed forward and struck Kuno with several closed fists in the chest.

"Akane, get her inside!" Ranma yelled, looking back at his sister and Akane briefly before engaging with Kuno again.

"Who are you to speak with such familiarity to Akane?" Kuno demanded.

Akane moved to comply with Ranma's wish, because she heartily agreed, but Ranko stopped her.

"I'm okay. Let's wait for Ranma." She said. That's what she said, but Akane was worried that Ranko still looked anxious. It must have been quite a shock for the poor girl. Considering how she was raised, Akane doubted that Ranko had been given the opportunity to interact with many boys her age, much less one that was at least three years her senior.

Kuno stood his ground with his bokken held in front of him. "Who are you, boor?" Ranma was about to answer, but the upperclassman wasted no time in dismissing the younger student in front of him. "Ah, but it is custom to give one's own name, first. Fine, then! Mine I shall give!"

He posed with his bokken as thunder flashed dramatically behind him. Ranko briefly wondered why a storm was approaching when the weatherman said it would be a bright and sunny day.

"I am upperclassman Kuno, Junior, Group E, and captain of the kendo club. I am the undefeated star of the high school kendo world and the rising star of Furinkan High School, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!"

Ranko shivered as she realized she was somehow engaged, without her consent, to the boy that Akane had spent all of that time yesterday raging against. The pervert that challenged all of the boys at Furinkan to win a date with Akane by defeating her in battle! That was just sick. No way was she going to marry a boy like that!

"Beat his ass, Ranma!" Ranko yelled, cupping her hand over her mouth. "For both of us!" She said, referring to both her and Akane. "That's the guy Akane talked about yesterday!"

Realization dawned and Ranma's expression darkened. Thunder crashed in the background as he leapt toward Kuno. His hand was outstretched and his fingers struck Kuno's foreheard. The upperclassman had just enough time to hit Ranma near the throat as the rain began to pour.

Nabiki cried out in dismay as she saw a black and white form pound toward the school. She silently cheered as the panda struck Kuno unconscious, grabbed Ranma, and ran toward the back of the school with a teakettle in hand. Someone ought to retrieve the poor buffoon before he caught a cold lying unconscious on the ground, but it probably wouldn't hurt to leave him there for a few minutes.

With their book bags placed over their heads in a futile attempt to block the rain, Ranko and Akane ran after the panda. A few minutes later, Ranko and Akane walked in to see Genma handing a teakettle to Ranma. "I had it under control, Pops!" He said, wrenching the teakettle out of the panda's hands.

"You!" Ranko cried, running forward to poke her father's furry chest. "How could you?" She yelled, tears running down her cheeks. She looked offended and betrayed, which caused Genma to panic. "I never asked for this! Someone just assaulted me and I know it is your fault!"

Before she turned to run away in tears, Ranko swung her book bag at her father's head. He was struck, but not physically hurt. His eyes, however, still looked pained as he watched his daughter run into the rain.

Akane glared at Genma, "I can't believe you did that to your own daughter." Turning away, she called after Ranko and started running to catch up with her. "Ranko, wait!"

Genma sighed sadly as he poured the teakettle over his head. He looked upset, but he didn't even know what pain was in store for him. He paled when he heard the cracking of Ranma's knuckles.

"You have some explaining to do, Pops," Ranma growled.

Genma didn't even need to turn around to know he was being threatened. He ran.

Author's Note: Until I update the second and final chapter, I'm taking the old Chapter 2 down. The characters are being written differently and that old chapter no longer fits. I'm not wrapping up the story that quickly, but rather leaving it unfinished. I only wrote two chapters of Cursed Twins before discontinuing it, so that's all I plan to do now for the re-write.