Chapter Text
“No time for pleasantries, I’m bringing Ranma back with me from China.
Lots of Love,
Genma”
Few things brought Soun Tendo joy like this since his wife had passed.
Finally!
Ranma was finally being brought over to his home! The schools will finally be joined!
Soun needed to tell his children wonderful news! He sprinted up the stairs of his home and rapped his knuckles on the second bedroom door, “Nabiki!”
He rushed downstairs and out to the back where his eldest was hanging the laundry, “Kasumi!”
He headed to the dojo where he figured his youngest would be, “Akane!” Yet there was no response. He stepped fully inside, “Akane?” he called yet again.
Akane Tendo was not in the best mood right now. He was wearing his pink tank top and shorts before he went out to jog and now that he was in fact, a HE, it was way too embarrassing to be seen out right now.
He sprinted like HELL to get home and immediately switched into his Gi and rushed out to the dojo to finish his routine. He stacked bricks on bricks on bricks before he had a sizable tower of them. Letting out a loud, “Hi-Yah!” he smashed the massive tower of bricks with practiced ease. This wasn’t any real practice per se, but it helped him deal with some of his frustration. With that done, now he can start his actual warmup. Today he’d do some Kenpo. He’d start with the Tiger and Crane kata and-
“You know, if you keep this up, you’re gonna have an easier time finding a GIRLfriend than a boyfriend,” Nabiki taunted. She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face as she teased the youngest Tendo.
“Not everyone’s lives revolve around stupid stuff like people pleasing Nabiki. I don’t want a stupid boyfriend anyway.” He adjusted his Gi before beginning to go through the forms.
“Well tough luck ‘cause it seems like daddy has something important to tell you.” She started before starting back towards the house.
A confused noise escaped the dark-haired boy’s throat as he dropped out of the kata completely. He started towards the house, now curious as to what was so important.
With everyone present at the table, Soun cleared his throat and began to speak.
“As I’m sure you are aware of, the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts was formed after me and a dear old friend sealed away our old master. We took his scrolls and split them between us, creating two branches of the Anything Goes style. The Tendo School was originally all about controlling the earth, while the Saotome School focused on soaring through the heavens. That is, until we began to seek out and further evolve our schools. Taking on different martial arts over the years and training to create the best versions of Anything Goes we could. However, me and Saotome had always intended to unite the schools once more when the time was right,” Soun took a second to stare intently at each of his children’s faces especially Akane’s, “Now is that time.”
Akane couldn’t help but vibrate with excitement. There was a whole other side to Anything Goes that he hadn’t learned yet and he’d finally be able to do so! Though he wondered why wait so long to rejoin the schools.
That was when he noticed the stare boring into him from his father.
“Akane. Saotome…has a son. His only heir. While originally, it didn’t matter who was to take up this task, as the sole practitioner of the Tendo School of Anything Goes, I wish to have you be the one to carry out this honor.”
Akane could feel a sudden suffocating sensation creeping up on him. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. Surely, he wasn’t about to-
“In order to rejoin the schools. Genma is currently on his way with his son, Ranma, from China. The two of you are to marry and restore the Anything Goes School to its former glory.”
Akane was FURIOUS. He slammed his hands down on the table and shot up in anger, “No! What!? Back everything up! Do you even hear yourself? I’m not going along with this!”
Soun flinched in response, he honestly expected this reaction from his youngest. She wasn’t going to take too kindly to someone supposedly coming in and taking her life’s work away from her. Though he would assure her that they would be equal in inheriting the dojo she still didn’t take to the idea.
“I’ve spent my entire life traveling the world to perfect my martial arts and now you expect me to just hand it over to some brat? Not to mention, how the hell am I supposed to marry ANY man when I AM one half the time?” The half-boy, half-girl jabbed her finger into her father’s chest.
“I understand the curse is something of a concern, but I explained to Saotome over my letters that this had happened. Besides, I’m sure he and his son must know of Jusenkyo themselves seeing as they were just in China! I assure you there is nothing to worry about!” Soun tried to reason with his daughter, but she wasn’t having it.
“How could you marry me off to some guy I’ve never met anyway dad! I don’t recall you ever saying anything about him either! If we were all in China recently then why didn’t we meet them there!?”
“That’s because…I’ve never met him.” Soun stated dryly.
All two and a half Tendo girls stared at him in complete silence after that.
“You’ve never…”
“Met…”
“The guy?” all three sisters spoke in shock.
Soun shook his head hard.
They face planted in response.
Before he could get grilled too hard though, loud rowdy voices came from the genkan. Soun immediately stood up and rushed towards the commotion, “That must be them!”
Kasumi shook her head but quickly followed.
“Well, time to see who your new husband is.” Nabiki followed the others without even glancing at her baby sister.
“He is NOT going to be my husband!” Akane stomped off after her.
When they rounded the corner though they almost ran into Kasumi and their father who had been frantically retreating from…was that a panda?
“Let me go you old bastard! You’re scaring them all spitless!” A Sakura-haired girl wearing red Chinese silks was currently screaming for her…pet? To put her down as she thrashed about. Akane was about to help her, but the panda actually listened and set her down in front of her family.
Soun stared at the girl intensely before shakily raising a finger, "Y-You wouldn't be...?"
“R-Ranma…Saotome. Sorry about this.” Ranma played with his pigtail as he awkwardly introduced himself.
Soun wasted no time embracing the pigtailed beauty with all his might, “I can’t believe you’re finally here!” he cried. However, there was a small point of concern Soun has noticed. Well, two points of concern he’d noticed actually.
“W-wait…are you?” He backed away slowly as realization dawned on him.
Nabiki stepped up and began poking at the newcomer’s very generous chest.
"Yo, can you stop it please?" Ranma requested through gritted teeth.
“Daddy, Ranma’s a girl!” Nabiki exclaimed.
Soun Tendo couldn’t believe it.
“A girl? It…It simply cannot…”
There he goes.
“Well, little BRO, you got yourself a pretty little fiancée rather than a fiancé. How’s it feel?” A shit eating grin snuck its way onto Nabiki’s face as she poked fun at Akane.
“Cut it out Nabiki! You know exactly why that won’t work!”
“Why not? Even better, as the man in the relationship you won’t be giving away your precious dojo after all.”
Akane opened her mouth to rebut her sister but froze. It’s true, if she were to have a fiancée instead of a fiancé, she’d be given the respect she deserved running the dojo. But surely this other girl would have a problem too, right?
“No girl should have to give up their place to a man, even if I’m not really a man, but still!”
“I can’t do that to her Nabiki. It’s clear she was dragged here against her will anyway! I doubt she wants to hand over her place as the heir to her school of Anything Goes either!”
The short pink-haired martial artist couldn’t help but scoff, tossing her tightly braided pigtail over her shoulder as she stared the boy up and down. “Ya damn right I ain’t giving up my heritage to the school! Martial Arts are my life! I don’t give a damn about the dojo, but Anything Goes is what I’ve spent my whole life training for. I’d rather die than lose it to some chump like you.” She glared at the boy.
“Chump!?” Akane didn’t take to that insult too kindly. “I’ve spent my entire life traveling and perfecting the art too! I’ve sacrificed everything for the art! I doubt you even know what real dedication to the art looks like anyway!” She taunted.
It was true. She’d forsaken her womanhood for the sake of martial arts. Who does this pink-haired little brat think she is calling her a chump? She’ll show her!
Ranma felt just as insulted! He’d sacrificed his manhood for the sake of martial arts! Who does this blue-haired stocky dork think he is saying he doesn’t know dedication to the art? He’ll show him!
Akane’s expression seemed to soften though, which caught Ranma off guard. She saw the tall boy shake his head a bit seemingly to cool his head.
“Look, I think this whole engagement thing is stupid. I’m not letting that keep me from making friends with the only Anything Goes Practitioner my age. So…” Akane extended her hand out to the small girl, “Friends?” A radiant smile shone causing Ranma to fluster a bit as she took his hand and shook it. “Y-yeah. I guess I can do that.”
She wasn’t sure why, but this “chump” was making her feel funny. It must be because of his endearing offer of friendship. After all, Ranma’s never had any friends for long. They were scarce, and honestly? She hated how lonely it felt.
“So, how does my new friend feel about showing me what she learned over in China with a little spar?” Akane smirked at her.
Ranma’s face returned to its confident state, a smirk on her lips. “You’re on. I won’t go easy on you though.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smiled, eliciting another blush out of the short girl.
The others decided to stay and keep an eye on Soun until he woke up. Deciding it was best to give them some room to work things out.
Ranma stood opposite Akane in the dojo, her form was loose and seemingly unguarded. Akane was just as loose but made more of an effort to look like he was taking it seriously. The rules were just as they’d always been in their families. Anything Goes. First one to go down loses.
Akane took the initiative and sent a few feints at the girl, trying to get a feel for just how practiced she was. And well practiced she indeed is. The girl effortlessly weaved at the last second to avoid all of Akane’s jabs and feints and kicks but never returned with any strikes of her own. It was…kind of frustrating.
“Guess I’ll stop holding back as much!” Akane moved faster now, much faster than what Ranma anticipated and now instead of getting to show off and make the boy look like a fool, she was actually having to block a few strikes, and God did blocking any of this guy’s punches hurt like hell. She decided she wasn’t having the most fun playing this game anymore. She’d go on the attack now.
Ranma lashed out with quick strikes as fast as she could, thinking the boy would be overwhelmed by her speed and while it was working, it wasn’t working as well as she expected. Sure, she was forcing him back now, but the boy was dodging and blocking pretty well! Ranma decided that enough was enough and flipped over the boy attempting to land an axe kick to the back of his head. She was sure she had him, until she felt her leg get snatched out of the sky and her body undergoing an uncontrolled weightlessness.
Akane swung the smaller girl around and tossed her, sending her flying through the air. He worried he’d used too much strength and might have seriously hurt the girl, but that was quickly proven wrong when the girl rebounded off the wall she was flung at and was heading straight at Akane with her elbow prepped to do some real damage. He made to grab her again, but Ranma was unlike anyone he’d ever faced. She’d somehow managed to completely contort and twist her body mid air so she was now summersaulting and the grab counter Akane had so confidently been expecting to connect whiffed, and he was punished with that axe kick to the back of his skull he was past due for.
Ranma watched as her axe kick connected and the boy’s face flew to the ground. With a satisfied smile she bounced off the boy’s back and landed opposite of him as he pulled himself off the ground. “Had enough dojo boy?” She taunted.
“I’m just getting started princess.” Akane smirked. If the girl across from her was anything like he was getting called princess when trying to be taken seriously was gonna get under her skin for sure.
He wasn’t wrong either. A resounding “I ain’t no stupid princess!” echoed throughout the dojo as Ranma shot off in a burst of speed even greater than before. Akane was admittedly shocked at how fast the girl was but recovered as he blocked the first punch and parried the kick she threw out with one of his own. Another block kept a fist from colliding with his side and he was finally able to catch her arm as she tried to throw a feint out at his face.
Ranma wasn’t exactly expecting anyone but her old man to be able to keep up with the speed she was putting out.
“I guess this guy really IS an Anything Goes heir,” she thought as she twisted around Akane’s body and wrapped her legs around his neck getting ready to slam him into the floor again. As she flipped him over Akane simply let the momentum carry him and using a back handspring in order to throw Ranma off balance and then in a split second grabbing the girl and pinning her to the ground.
“Geez what’s with this guy! He ain’t even hesitating to rough up a girl! I was raised in the wild mosta my life and I’ve got better sense than him! Guess I wouldn’t want him taking it easy anyway, but still…” Ranma shook her head as she wrestled the stronger boy on top of her currently. She couldn’t match his strength (the guy was a fucking tank!) but she knew of a few ways to get a stronger opponent off you. Her legs were currently being bent up in a pin she recognized from American Wrestling and so she used her inhumane flexibility to lift herself up and over the boy until their positions were reversed and he was forced to let go. The two separated again.
Panting and sweating heavily, it seemed like there’d be no end to this match. Ranma was quick, creative, flexible and no slouch when it came to power. Akane was long, powerful, a quick thinker, and not exactly a sloth. That wouldn’t stop these two though. There was a score to settle, and they both sought out to prove their superiority over the other. Though, outside of the initial beef there was something else too. Both combatants were smiling. The idea of someone their age being able to give them such a fun fight was a dream come true for the Anything Goes heirs. They might not like the idea of getting married all that much, but they agreed on one thing.
Ranma relaxed her stance and put her hands behind her head smiling at the dark-haired boy.
“Thanks.”
“Huh?” Akane froze for a second.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a friend that I can share my love of Martial Arts with.” She smiled a strangely sweet smile. It was dazzling. So much so, that Akane almost thought he was going blind, and he was sure his face was heating up now too. Surely it’s only because she was being so kind mid-spar. Nothing else.
“M-Me too! I’m glad you’re stronger than you look! It’s nice having someone other than dad to push me.” He stammered out while giving his own smile.
In the other room, Soun Tendo finally awoke. The sound of the whistling kettle snapped him out of his dreamland and brought him to reality. The only people in his presence were his eldest and the panda who’d brought in…the young lady. Right. Ranma was a girl. The engagement would be cancelled and there was nothing he could do about it. How could Genma not even be here to break the news to him personally. This is truly an unforgivable trave-
“Oh my.”
While Soun was internally grieving the inability to join the schools the panda had taken the boiling water Kasumi had gone to fetch and poured it on himself revealing none other than one Genma Saotome who’d quickly threw on his Gi while the steam covered him.
“S-Saotome? Old friend?” Soun stuttered.
“In the flesh Tendo. Old friend.” Genma nodded.
“You- You have a Jusenkyo curse?” Soun blinked.
“As does my son. The boy was supposed to explain it and change us back, but I guess he got too caught up arguing with your boy about the marriage,” He nodded thoughtfully. He then opened his eye to fix his best friend with a glare, “Why didn’t you tell me Akane was a boy, Tendo! You said you’d been training your youngest daughter to help take over the schools! You never even mentioned having a son! I’m not marrying my son off to some other man!”
Now it was Souun’s turn to explain the messy situation. “Ah, Saotome. You see, the boy Ranma got into an argument with is my youngest daughter. I told you over the letters I sent!”
Genma’s face paled, “You don’t mean…”
Soun nodded, “We were also cursed at Jusenkyo. She becomes a boy, and I, a Red Panda.”
Genma couldn’t help but drop to the floor in shock. Not because his oldest friend and the fiancée of his son were Jusenkyo cursed, but because there was a spring of drowned man! He and Ranma could’ve been cured! If only that blind Amazon boy hadn’t confused Ranma for some Shampoo and caused them to leave China early!
Speaking of which, Genma was curious as to why Akane and Soun hadn’t gotten cured before they left. “Surely, you knew of the Spring of Drowned Girl Tendo. Why didn’t you have your girl cured then and there?” He asked.
Soun hung his head, “Well, after we got cursed the girl was so angry she chased me all over the mountain area and beyond. We eventually ended up so far away from the springs the guide had to help us get back there. We ran into some trouble during one of our stops and had to come back to Japan ahead of schedule.” He winced. He did not feel like thinking about their Shampoo problem right now. Hopefully never again.
Just then a loud crash could be heard coming from the dojo. It practically shook the house as the grunts of a boy and girl locked in combat traveled all the way to where the two masters sat.
“Ah, right. Kasumi. Could you fetch Ranma and Akane. I think reintroductions are an order. Nabiki too, wherever she might have gone off too.” Soun instructed.
“Right away.” Kasumi nodded and hurried off towards the dojo.
*CLICK*
“Nabiki! What are you doing!” Akane shouted as he tried to free himself from the tangle he and their guest had gotten themselves into.
Nabiki waved her camera around in the air with a smile. “Getting some prime-time photos to help with Business my dear brother. The mysterious guy Akane wrestling with some pretty young thing? You’re gonna make me a rich rich girl sis.”
“You can’t just go around selling stuff of me without my permission!” Ranma was the one to protest this time.
“Can’t I? You and your panda broke the door to our home, you know? Someone has to pay for it.” Nabiki raised a callous eyebrow at the Sakura-haired girl.
Ranma blushed and growled angrily, knowing she couldn’t exactly argue that.
“Akane, Ranma, Nabiki. Our fathers are calling for you all to come back to the family room. There’s been...a bit of a mix-up.” Kasumi called them.
Ranma could only swallow the anxious lump that found it's way into his throat. Guess it was time to tell 'em the truth.
Once everyone was properly seated, Soun began to speak.
“Once again, I’d like to introduce my friend Genma and his son Ranma Saotome.”
“That’s a girl daddy.” Nabiki interjected.
“Yes, it seems that way, doesn’t it? However,” Soun slowly poured the hot water over Akane. Everyone watched as she shifted back into her birth form. Her tall, powerful, and sturdy build gave way to a much smaller, and softer form. One that remained just as firm but also made it obvious that this was a beautiful girl in place of the once handsome boy. A brief moment of relief overcame the baby Tendo as she returned to her birth form. The only ones that were surprised were the Saotomes. “We’re no strangers to how appearances can be deceiving.”
Ranma frantically pointed and sputtered as she tried to process what had just happened. “Th-there’s a Spring of Drowned Man! Seriously!? You’re a girl!?” She cried out. She knew there had to have been one! All the youngest Tendo could do was blush and nod in response. She hated revealing the curse to people. It was always embarrassing.
Soun folded his arms as he seemed to enter deep thought, "It all started a few months ago."
Soun and his three daughters had been in China for a few weeks now and while Kasumi and Nabiki were enjoying the more casual tourist spots. Soun had taken his youngest to every remote area of the nation in search of great martial wisdom and to further their school of Anything Goes Martial Arts.
They had made their way into the Bayankala Mountain range in the Qinghai Province in search of the legendary training ground, Jusenkyo.
Why would Soun bring his youngest daughter here you ask? Well, after the death of his dear wife he knew he had to do something. If he continued to sit around the dojo he would be subjected to the dreaded feelings that threatened to tear him away from reality and his daughters.
He knew young Akane had desperately wanted to further her skills as a martial artist and he'd heard from Nodoka how Genma had taken his son on a journey to do just that.
Now, Soun wasn't as foolish as to rip his daughters away from civilian life to run away from his problems and train the baby Tendo sister, so instead he made it a point to take every break in the school year to take his family on trips around the world where he and Akane would travel and train while Nabiki and Kasumi enjoyed the tourist life. It was an arrangement they all found more than agreeable.
That leads us to now. Soun had mentioned the training ground and Akane had been all too eager to visit it despite the unknown dangers of it.
When they got a little close Soun and Akane ran into the ever famous Jusenkyo guide and he led them through the mountains and guided them straight to Jusenkyo.
"Here we have Legendary Training Ground! Better known as Jusenkyo!" He announced with a practiced excitement. Akane was already shrugging off her decently sized traveling bag and stretching. Soun joined her soon after. The Jusenkyo guide was more than a little confused. "Sir, Ma'am, what you doing? Springs are very dangerous and-"
"Come on dad!" Akane lept up with ease onto the bamboo pole shooting up from the water as she completely drowned out the guide's voice.
She was determined to master this Jusenkyo Training, mysterious dangerous springs be damned. "Right behind you my girl!" Soun followed suit shortly after also leaving behind the cries of the guide.
Once they were both positioned and ready they leapt into the sky at each other. Akane's specialty had never been in aerial combat. She was better than most people sure, but her father was an Anything Goes Master and was far better than she was in the air. He blocked a strike coming at his face and springboarded off of the girl sending her flying into the pond below.
Akane was a terrible swimmer for sure, but the springs were small and Soun had more than enough confidence in her ability to float up to the surface after an intense month of training her ability to swim. She wasn't going to be swimming across oceans or anything, but she was able to swim well enough. Though the fearful shouts he heard snapped him out of his focused state.
"Oh no! This is very bad ma'am! You fall into Nannīchuan, Spring of Drowned Boy! It's a very tragic tale of boy who drowned in spring several thousand years ago! Now anyone who fall in is cursed to turn into a man!"
Akane finally rose to the surface only sputtering a little bit as the weird tingling sensation and added weight made it slightly harder to float to the surface. She patted her self and realized that she didn't just feel heavier, she was TALLER. She had more muscle, broader shoulders, her modest breasts had gone missing and there was a weird dangling feeling where her lady parts should have been. She patted her groin in confusion before freezing up. She swiftly pulled open her Gi and looked down and a frenzied screech tore through the mountains as Akane frantically panicked and freaked out about her body.
"Yup, there's the guy I said she'd turn into." The guide spoke as Akane continued to freak out.
Soun immediately rushed over in tears to comfort his child as he sobbed hysterically, "My beautiful baby girl! What have I done!?" he tried to wrap his arms around her but was met with a much stronger uppercut than he was used to sending him flying into another spring. "Get away from me!" she cried.
The guide winced, "Ohhhh no good sir! You fall into Nisī Shonmaonīchuan, Spring of Drowned Red Panda! Tragic tale of Red Panda who drown here fifteen hundred years ago! Now whoever fall in spring takes the body of red panda!"
Sure enough when Soun resurfaced he was a small cuddly red panda! He could only pull at his new furry flesh in disbelief as Akane's screams still piercing the skies.
Soun produced a mic from seemingly nowhere as he dramatically posed and sobbed, “How tragic! My sweet baby girl cursed to be in that wretched form!” Akane wasn’t having it from him though. She growled before grabbing him by his Gi collar and flinging him into the koi pond. “You’re one to talk! My dad turns into a cute itty bitty widdle Red Panda!” She spat.
Genma nodded his head as he seemed to be in his own deep train of thought. "Yes, your tale bears a lot of similarities to me and the boy's Tendo. That guide has to do a better job about warning people!"
Genma took the time to recount the tale of how Ranma and he ended up with their own curses: Shonmaonīchuan and Nyannīchuan respectively.
"Thinking back the guide had mentioned that a father daughter duo had done the same thing we had when he was speaking to us before we began our training. He must have meant the two of you. Meaning we only just missed each other by a few weeks it seems Tendo." Genma sweat dropped.
"Don't dump it all on the guide you lying cheat! We wouldn't have been there in the first place if you hadn't cheeped out and bought a guide in the one damn language you can actually speak!" Ranma pointed an accusing finger at his father.
In response Genma brought out his own mic from seemingly nowhere as he posed in dramatic fashion, "Just look at the boy! Forced into this disgraceful form by a little cold water! It pains me!" He sobbed.
“Kiss my ass you old bastard! It’s your fault I’m like this!” Said boy fussed. He grabbed the bastard by his Gi and flung him into the koi pong alongside his buddy. Genma sprung out the pond in his panda form and immediately started attacking Ranma the two fought as Soun shook off.
Akane had been standing pretty close to the engawa when her father shook all the water out and enough splashed to turn her back into the taller, more muscley version of herself. Angry with the transformation she took it out on her father and chased him around the yard.
Nabiki and Kasumi could only stare in pity (fascination in Nabiki’s case) as the four cursed household members fought outside. “Father, has already had enough of a scolding about his recklessness, but Mr. Saotome how could you take your son to those cursed springs like that?” Kasumi chastised. The panda handed her a pamphlet.
The panda pulled out a wooden sign, "Weren't you prepared to lay down your life for the art boy?"
Ranma snatched the sign and broke it over his head, :My life sure! My manhood is another story you jackass!"
Nabiki flipped through the Jusenkyo pamphlet. “It’s all in Chinese!”
Ranma smacked the back of her dad’s head. “The old fool can’t read a lick of Chinese. Not that I could either until recently.”
Once more seated, Kasumi had set about returning the cursed back into their normal forms. For the first time, everyone got to look at the much taller, sturdier, and black-haired Ranma. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he got to return to his birth form for the first time today. “Thanks, Kasumi. I've been stuck all day like that.”
“Well, with that all out of the way! It seems like things can proceed as planned, aye Saotome?” Soun leaned towards Genma.
“It’s as you say Tendo the schools can be joined!” Genma leaned towards Soun, and they both shared a hearty laugh.
Akane and Ranma took a glance at each other before simultaneously exploding up from their seats and pointing at the other. “I’m not marrying anybody!” They mirrored.
They glared at each other.
“I hate guys! I’m not marrying some punk trying to take my dojo!”
“Yeah well, I hate dorky tomboys! Especially ones that turn into guys!”
“Says the guy who turns into a girl! Pervert! I bet you’ve had all sorts of nasty thoughts running through that perverted head of yours about being a girl!”
“Like you weren’t getting all hot and bothered grappling me in the dojo?! Who’s really the pervert here!”
A laugh broke out again from the fathers.
“They’re getting along so well already!” Genma cheered.
“Indeed! The schools will be joined before we know it if we aren’t careful! Wahahaha!” Soun boasted.
“We are not getting along!” The betrothed teens snapped.
“Whatever,” Ranma grabbed his pack and started towards the genkan.
“Where are you going boy?” Genma called out to him.
“I’m going back to China to see if I can find a cure. I’ve got no time for fiancées or whatever,” he stops in place, “By the way, Akane. You’ve got another few years before you can come close to being anywhere near claiming you’re a more capable martial artist than me. You hit like a girl even as a guy!” Ranma cackled at his own misogynistic (and ironic) joke.
Cackled until Akane brained his dumbass with the table.
“Now that the boy had coming.” Genma shook his head.
Later that night, Akane sat in the furo with a heavy heart. She couldn’t help but think about the fight she had with Ranma in the dojo. While it had started out as a heated duel to prove she was better than him. It became more than that with every blow, every new form they showed off. They tested each other and pushed each other in a way nobody else aside from her father had been able to. It was fun! More importantly, she couldn’t get over what Ranma said to her during the match.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a friend that I can share my love of Martial Arts with.”
“Friends he says. Some friend he is trying to take my dojo from me.” She shook her head and with a sigh exits the furo and prepares to leave the bathroom.
Ranma Saotome had a massive headache and was sopping wet again. He shot up with a shout at the sensation of cold water being poured over him. Her eyes firstly laid upon the middle Tendo sister, “What the hell was that for!?” She hollered.
Nabiki simply gave him a shrug, “You weren’t waking up. Had to try something.”
Ranma shook her head and growled as she turned away from the middle sister and was met with the soft gaze of the oldest sister and a towel.
“Please don’t be too upset about Akane. She’s truly a sweet girl. She just has violent maniac tendencies that run deep within her soul.” She stated.
“Way to make her case sis.” Nabiki deadpanned.
Ranma toweled himself off and muttered a low thanks. “I’m gonna go and take a bath if that’s okay with you all?” Kasumi nodded.
As the pigtailed girl headed down the stairs towards the bathroom Kasumi couldn’t help but feel like she had forgot something. Though rare she couldn’t exactly place her finger on what though.
Meanwhile Ranma was replaying the days events in his mind. He'd been soaked in the rain, knocked unconscious twice, but the worst part of it all? He'd lost his new "friend" before the night was even over. He replayed Akane's words to him in his mind again.
“Look, I think this whole engagement thing is stupid. I’m not letting that keep me from making friends with the only Anything Goes Practitioner my age. So…” Akane extended her hand out to the small girl, “Friends?” A radiant smile shone causing Ranma to fluster a bit as she took his hand and shook it. “Y-yeah. I guess I can do that.”
"Tch. Some friend she turned out to be when she found out I'm a guy."
She stepped into the bathroom and undressed preparing to take a nice soak in the furo to change back and feel less gross.
Right as she went to open the door it suddenly slid open and she was face to face with a nude Akane.
"I...I uh..." Ranma stammered out.
A loud slap and scream echoed throughout the house, and everyone knew what had happened.
“But you were both girls when it happened so it’s okay right?” Nabiki asked, looking up from her magazine to her sister across the table.
Akane hmphed and fixed a glare at the table,
“Okay is not the word!”
Ranma sat on the engawa nursing a swollen cheek adorned with an Akane-sized handprint. His father sat beside him.
“Who cares if your fiancée has a little spunk. Makes her all the cuter, doesn’t it?”
Ranma hmphed and turned his head to look back at the girl in question.
“Cute is not the word.”