Chapter Text
Genma Saotome never gambled unless he could help it. Even with his well-honed lightning quick reflexes and excellent situational awareness, if he put money down and bet he could win, he was always guaranteed to fail at even the simplest of challenges, with it being an unfunny joke at how badly he could fail at even the simple cup-and-ball trick, either doing it or winning it. Any time he put anything to chance, it fell apart immediately. However, in hindsight, he had to say that the gamble he was dealing with right now was his most disastrous failure, and the one that threatened to break him entirely. The gamble in question had started, much like many of his other problems, at the bottom of a glass, this time being when he’d been celebrating his wife finally getting pregnant.
He couldn’t remember much of the celebration, but what he could remember was that one of them had pitched the idea of a way to unite the schools, namely that they’d marry their two youngest children to each other, which, in practice, would have been a great idea. At the time, His wife was only a few weeks pregnant, so things like the gender of his child were unknown, but that hadn’t stopped them from speculating, as they contemplated the fact Soun had two daughters, pregnancies that had been anything but healthy for her, with the added outlier that Soun had little chance of a son. A third pregnancy would be the straw that broke the horse’s back, so Genma’s assurance that he’d ‘definitely’ have a son was something that reassured both of them.
Of course, Genma should have considered how only two things he’d done ended up successful, and both of them hadn’t involved odds, with his marriage to Nodoka, at the time a beautiful swords mistress who captured his heart easily, ranking as highly in his eyes as the time the both of them had sealed their old master away in a deep dark cave with nothing but a lit bundle of dynamite for company. When they heard the dull boom, they’d celebrated his death and went on with their lives. The fact he’d pretty much made a sure bet with Soun about having a son was the dumbest idea possible, since the whole fact he rolled the metaphorical dice on his child’s gender should have told him how much it wouldn’t work out, and it didn’t… in spades .
As soon as he heard he had a daughter , and it had been a difficult birth, he considered sending an impolite missive to the hospital’s maternity ward for how many ‘difficult’ births they’d had recently, while contemplating his misfortune. He had little chance of the needed son, and a later message told him that Soun had ‘slipped up’ and now had a third daughter.When the hospital announced both their wives had days to live, It was understandable then that he became somewhat depressed. He couldn’t very well have the schools be joined if they both had only daughters, and with the death of both of their wives, any hope of a son was practically untenable. It was akin to getting 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in a 5-card stud hand… and Genma had got plenty of those.
He was thankful that Ranma was a tomboy, and had a fierce interest in martial arts. He’d not need to change that at all, he’d just not be able to help the struggling Tendos. Nodoka even suggested on her deathbed, misunderstanding the problem, that he take their daughter on a training journey to make her the best martial artist he could manage. She’d reasoned that it would take her husband’s mind off the perceived failure of the engagement contract, not realizing what she’d effectively allowed him free reign to do, but considering she married him willingly… Maybe it wasn’t just Genma that wasn’t right in the head.
And so far, most of the training had gone well, but he wasn’t sure what had gone wrong with the Neko Ken training. After what seemed like a success, he found that his daughter was constantly attracting cats, which wanted her attention almost constantly. But he refused to let her get a cat, only capitulating on letting her get a cat eared jacket if she didn’t keep trying to adopt stray cats. The training said she was meant to end up terrified of cats and not wanting to go near them… not that they’d end up becoming akin to catnip for them! His last chance had been the cursed springs of Jusenkyo, which he’d researched as much as he could, with what he heard sounding plausible, but he needed some way to guarantee that he got what he needed, and didn’t want to guess.
Thankfully, A particularly disreputable young woman offered him a map that was ‘accurate as it can be’ of the springs allowing him to figure out how to fudge the situation.
He privately smiled as exactly what he wanted came spluttering, and very very furious, out of one of the springs, and not just because he got that damn jacket wet. As he celebrated his good fortune, at finally having the son he needed for completing the engagement, he also ended up beaten and sore when his daughter-turned-son turned on him, furious at what he’d done to her. He’d got out of China as soon as he could, despite her cries for a permanent cure, ignoring all attempts by the guide to help him meet with the overseers of the springs, in order to help him. He didn’t need help or a cure. He needed everything to go as planned. Right now, despite his earlier gamble, everything was going perfectly, and hopefully it would continue to do so…
Back in Japan, Soun looked at the postcard he’d got apprehensively, reluctant to accept what was said on it. Genma claimed this time to have a son with him, even had proof and was heading there as soon as possible. But the man had cried wolf so many times, since either the women he attempted to woo weren’t that dumb, or the children he attempted to adopt walked out on him. Or even, once or twice, both . Those had been the worst moments for his formerly best friend, a relationship that was near breaking point. But here it was, proof that he’d finally managed it, a son to carry on the engagement between the two families. He’d humor him for the length of time it took for it all to fall apart, then he’d let him down lightly with the truth.
He’d given up trying on the agreement, since it had been broken over a decade ago due to Genma jumping the gun, and his daughters had already begun looking further afield. Which meant damage control, and hoping that his daughters would accept that duty and honor, even if he barely practiced what he preached, would win out. “So, That is the basics, my daughters. He will be around with his son later today, so one of you can marry him and honor the agreement made years ago, and our schools will be forever joined with your union…” Soun finished, after giving them a heavily abridged version of the Tendo/Saotome agreement, omitting the fact that, up until a few days ago, the agreement had been lost at the bottom of a drawer, along with several other things he didn’t want to approach with a ten foot pole.
“So, what’s this Ranma like, Daddy? Is he cute?” Nabiki asked. Soun contemplated how to answer.
‘ Oh, yes, she is adorable, a real eye-turner… But that’s not what you want to know… ’ He mused, before answering with a non-committal “I don’t know!”
“You don’t know?!?” Kasumi echoed, “Father, even in your most…”
“I’ve never met the guy! Genma’s been away training him since he was out of diapers!” Soun declared, trying to make light of the situation with a small white lie. Clearly however it hadn’t completely worked. Kasumi looked at him in bemusement, Nabiki in annoyance and Akane… Oh, she was likely to break something very shortly, and that was if Genma came through. If he didn’t, he’d not want to see the fallout. He then heard the front gate, Kasumi getting up.
“I just don’t see why ya gotta push this, old man,” a faint but boyish voice spoke in the distance. “Besides, don’t ya think you’d scare ‘em comin’ in lookin’ like that?”
“Wonderful! That must be Ranma!” Soun exclaimed, running for the door. The fact that his daughters kept up with him was a testament to his training regime, Nabiki not even winded despite the fact she was in her best kimono. Indeed, there stood a tall (but not too tall), handsome black-haired young man in a pink hooded coat, the front open to reveal a Chinese silk shirt, the shirt befitting a martial warrior in much the same ways the hoodie did not. There was a growl, then the boy looked at a large form behind him, and the hooded coat ended up tied around his waist.
“You must be…” Soun tried.
“I’m Ranma Saotome. Sorry ‘bout this,” the youth introduced himself, ignoring the ‘Eugh, boys’ from Akane, and smiling at the ‘Oh my god, he is cute…’ from Nabiki. Soun meanwhile was quietly thankful that, somehow , Genma had done it.
“Ah, it’s so good you came! But sorry about what, my boy?” Soun asked, not noticing Ranma’s mild cringe. Ranma stopped to ponder for a second, then pointed at the giant mess of black and white fur behind her.
“For that. Say hi, Pops.” Ranma growled, in a close approximation of the panda.
To Soun’s surprise, the panda bear produced a sign: Hi, Soun. “Genma? Is that you? How are you a panda?!”
“It’s a long story that you’ll probably have a hard time believing without a kettle of hot water.” Ranma offered.
“Well, please. Come in regardless,” Soun offered back. And five minutes later, was passed out under the table.
When Soun woke up from his fainting spell after watching the panda turn into his old friend, he figured it was about time they’d discuss what had been on his mind ever since that postcard came. Which of his daughters would be engaged to Ranma Saotome, to eventually marry him and join their schools. Both him and Genma had put their hopes on Akane,, because while Soun Tendo was certainly a master of his art, he was not the sharpest crayon in the box by far. That dubious honor went to Nabiki, or perhaps Kasumi. It was probably a good thing then that Nabiki did all the household finances. That Akane had stormed off in a huff halfway through the explanation she’d heard before anyway to work off her frustration at (potentially) having to marry some boy barely registered in his mind.
“Marry one of ‘em, Mr. Tendo?” Ranma spoke up. “I… I barely know ‘em! Shouldn’t we at least get to know each other a bit before talkin’ about somethin’ like engagement and marriage?”
Ranma felt rather horrible disguising the truth like she’d done, listening to the two fathers consider her words, shrugging and nodding in concession to the misleading point. She was only playing along with the idea because her father had almost pleaded with him to do so, invoking duty and family honor. Now, Ranma knew Genma and honor had a troublesome relationship but she felt she could and should do better. So she pulled the groveling man up from the street and agreed to play along. Sooner or later, though… Of course, the rain basically forced the issue not even halfway down the street. Before Ranma could decide her sense of honor had enough of the charade, Kasumi tapped her on the shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Would you like to take a bath before dinner?” Kasumi suggested. “You just came in from the rain, after all.”
So did Genma, but she wasn’t going to argue with Kasumi. There was something about her that said do not argue with me. “I guess I should,” Ranma agreed, pulling a bit of her shirt off her (broad, flat) chest that was until then stuck to her from the rainwater.
A few minutes later, when Ranma was long gone towards the bathroom, Akane finally came back from the dojo, her hands covered in concrete dust and the rest of her in sweat. She nodded at her sisters in passing, then went straight on in the general direction of the bathroom. “Ah, Akane?” Kasumi called out, “you might not want to… oh, she’s already gone.”
“This is gonna hurt,” Nabiki observed. “Maybe I should go after her, make sure she doesn’t…”
“Doesn’t kill him?” Kasumi replied, for Nabiki to look at her. Yes, more than likely so she won’t kill him.
“Ah, maaan… what should I do?” Ranma asked herself, looking at her fingers, slender yet hiding a strength you wouldn’t expect, and wisps of steam rising from the tips. “Ah well, they were gonna find out sooner or later anyway. After all, they already know ‘bout Pops. Might as well go out and face the music.”
The moment she got up from the bath and made to get out, the door slid open revealing Akane with only a towel to protect her modesty. The two girls spotted each other and held a mutual gaze for a few tense seconds, before Akane took a step back and closed the door again, as she thought about who the girl was. She looked kinda like Ranma but that couldn’t have… then again his dad turned into a panda. She couldn’t possibly be him, right? Akane’s thoughts spun right back round and decided she could. Amazing as the panda thing is, if that was Ranma then he barely changed at all. He was still the same species and everything, he looked basically the same… he was just a girl now. And if that was as hot as she thought it was, and it takes cold water to change his/her father into a panda, that meant…
Ranma was not a boy? Akane was feeling a lot better right then and there. “Hey sis, you look like you saw something shocking,” Nabiki said, snapping Akane out of her dazed thoughts and completely ignoring that her sister was naked and slumped against the wall.
“Yeah… I did,” Akane confirmed, staring blankly at or perhaps past her sister’s feet. “I guess… I guess there’s not gonna be an engagement after all.”
“Why, did the sight of him naked make you want to skip the formalities and find the nearest priest today?”
“Him… Right… no, no… I mean… We should probably leave,” Akane evaded as she grabbed the top part of her training gi and wore it like an impromptu bathrobe. Moments after the sisters did so, Ranma emerged from the bathroom, put her clothes back on, and retraced her steps to the living room. Everyone but Genma and to some degree Akane was surprised to find a short, shy girl in somewhat loose Chinese silks, most of her red hair covered by her hoodie. For some reason, the hood had decorative cat ears on it. Cute, but nobody seemed to care too much about that. “Hi… I’m Ranma Saotome. Sorry ‘bout all this.”
“Oh no, now she’s even more cute. Reminds me of that stray I saw once,” Nabiki muttered in shock as she and her sisters laid their eyes on Ranma’s true form, sitting back down at the table.
Soun broke out in tears at the sight. “Oh no, now the schools will never be joined!” he wailed, nearly transforming his old friend.
“Mr. Tendo? Please don’t cry,” Ranma interrupted. “I’ve had some time to think and ah… maybe they might.”
“But I have only daughters, and you’re not the son Genma promised.”
“It… It sounds a little weird, but I could be a son, kinda?”
Soun looked expectantly at the redhead, who gulped, took a deep breath, and pulled down her hoodie. “Mr. Tendo… regardless of what you might think of Pops, he is… not the most honorable person around,” Ranma considered, trying not to be too blunt about what she knew to be the truth. “He’s done things during our journey that makes me wonder what he did before I was born.”
“Girl,” Genma growled warningly, but Ranma was on a roll and undeterred.
“Ever since I was old enough to know about honor, I’ve known Pops didn’t have much to spare, so I strived to be better. I believe that this agreement between you and Pops was made in good faith, especially considering how badly he took it when I was born a girl.”
The room was as thick with anticipation as it was silent, Ranma’s audience waiting to hear where she was going with this. “For the sake of our schools… I’m willing to try an’ be a boy, an’ marry one of your daughters. I’ll admit all three of you are beautiful and I’d gladly date any of ya in better… I mean, Uhh, other circumstances,” Ranma sighed, “This is hard ya know…”
She pulled her hoodie back up, then held up two fingers. “I just have two simple requests,” she finished. “One, I don’t have to stay a boy all the time. Two, engagement’s fine but we ain’t gettin’ married ‘til we finish school.”
With that, Ranma stood and walked over to the dojo. “I’ll leave you girls to your side of this whole thing. This is a dojo and I haven’t had any proper exercise since I beat the truth outta Pops on the way here. If that’s a’ight with you, Mr. Tendo?”
“...Sure, sure. Help yourself, child,” Soun agreed while still half shocked. Yes, his good friend had managed to find a son, and in a way that didn’t involve a shotgun relationship or adoption. But there were clear signs that his good friend needed to stop gambling.