Chapter 2: What?  The Saotomes?

      Nabiki shook her head as she walked home, almost feeling her purse
float along side her.  She bitterly thought about all of the money she had
lost.  '100,000 yen!  All because of the kendo match'  For some reason,
Nabiki managed to cheer herself up.  'Well, I can always make up my losses.
I still have plenty of cash.'  Nabiki continued walking, and seeing her
sister a ways ahead, she shouted.  "Hey Akane!  Wait up!"  Akane looked back
over her shoulder, and patiently stood.

      Akane had been walking home from Dr. Tofu, and a lot of things were
floating in her mind.  As she watched Nabiki slowly approaching her, she
thought about her impressions about Ranma Saotome.  He was rather polite,
since he did not dare strike Akane or Kodachi.  He was amazingly skilled in
martial arts, as shown by his easy victory over Akane, Kuno, and Kodachi.
He did have some manners, not like the brutes she knew in school.  She
sighed inaudibly to herself.

      "Hey Akane, what are you thinking about?"  Akane's eyes focused back
on the real world, and found Nabiki staring at her.  Akane rapidly combed
her fingers through her hair.

      "Nothing, nothing at all."  Akane said briefly.  However within
Nabiki's mind, klaxons were screaming, and Nabiki immediately felt
suspicious.  Akane turned and quickly walked of.  Nabiki shrugged her
shoulders, and walked quickly, trying to catch up with Akane.

      Eventually, Nabiki caught up with Akane, and both walked home
side-by-side.  Nabiki felt the sudden urge to break the silence.  "I was
wondering.  Ranma said that he was a student of the Anything Goes School of
Martial Arts.  I always thought that Father was the only one in that
school."  Akane shrugged her shoulders.

       "I don't know.  Maybe he is one of dad's students.  Maybe someone
else knows Anything Goes.  I don't know. We probably can ask Father when we
get home."

* * *

      Soun Tendo was standing in his backyard, his eyes closed, breathing
fully, focusing on the giant boulder that laid in front of him.  He pictured
the grey splotched with white color.  He visualized on the rough texture,
and imagined his hands feeling them.  Pausing for a moment, Soun did not
feel anything, and despite his preparations, felt unfocused as ever.  He
stared at the rock, as if it were some obstacle that blocked his success.
He tapped into his huge reservoir of fury.  He thought about his life, the
emotional pain that he had suffered.  He thought about his first love.  He
thought about the accursed man who had stolen her away from him for ever.
He thought about his dead wife.  

      Suddenly, Soun's eyes openned up.  With a loud, cold cry, he whipped
his right hand down the head of the rock, and it passed through, leaving a
clean split.  Soun Tendo was a motivated man, he was motivated to be the
master of the Anything Goes School, and his entire life had been devoted to
training, and perfecting his skills.  He exhaled slowly, allowing his anger
to die down.  After a brief moment, he stepped back and admired his handiwork.

       "Father!  We're home."  Soun smiled as he heard Akane shout out.  For
a man who carried a hidden bitterness, Soun always managed to hide this from
his daughters.  He loved his three daughters, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane,
very dearly.  He paused in his smile, thinking about his wife.  Fighting
back a tear, Soun maintained his front of cheerfulness.

       "So Nabiki, Akane.  How was the Kendo match?  I trust it was very
interesting."  Soun clapped his hands to remove the dust, and then hugged
Akane and Nabiki.  Akane didn't mind her father's display of affection.
Nabiki on the other hand, rolled her eyes.

       "Really father, I hope no one sees this!  It would ruin my
reputation, you know.  Hey Akane!"  Akane frowned, and immediately elbowed
Nabiki lightly in the gut.  It still had the desired effect of preventing
Nabiki from ranting about her aversion to public displays.  Nabiki jovially
glared back at Akane, and decided to recount what happened at the Kendo match.

       Soun silently played shogi by himself as he heard Akane and Nabiki
retell the Kendo match.  He truly wasn't paying attention, but he
automatically nodded and said "uh huh," to pretend he was paying attention.
He didn't fool Nabiki.

      "Well, father, Kuno in the middle of the match, jumped on Akane, and
both had wild sex in front of the entire school."  Nabiki could barely keep
her straight face, while Akane started to turn red.

       "Uh huh," said Soun as he nodded thoughtfully.  He placed a white
stone on the game board.  Akane felt so angry, that she decided to get back
at her sister.

       "Well, father, that was the least of the problems.  Nabiki lost all
her money on one bet, and has resorted to selling her body.  On top of that,
she already sold all of us into slavery."  It was Nabiki's turn to turn red.
She glared at Akane.  Akane responded by sticking out her tongue.

       "That's very interesting, Nabiki."  Soun, after a moments thought,
placed a black stone on the shogi board.  Both Akane and Nabiki gave each
other an exasperated look.

       "You haven't been paying attention?"  Nabiki nudged her father with
her foot.

       Soun blinked innocently.  "Of course I have been paying attention.
By the way, who won the match?"   Soun picked up, a white shogi piece, and
moved to place it on the board.

       "St. Lawrence won, but it was a close tie, until Ranma Saotome
pounded Kuno."  Akane's eyes shined slightly as she savored the moment where
Kuno had his face smashed with Ranma's foot.  Kuno was such an insane
asshole, and he certainly deserved that.

       Soun froze slightly, his hand about to put the white shogi piece
down.  'Saotome?  Did Akane say Saotome?  Please do not be his son.  Please
do not be his son.'  Soun silently begged to the heavens.  

       "Father, he said that he was a student of Anything Goes Martial Arts.
Do you know anyone else who is in the school?  I always thought that you
were the only person who did Anything Goes."  Akane looked at her father
inquisitively, expecting an answer.  She never received an answer.  Instead,
she and Nabiki got a brief sample of the anger that laid suppressed with in
Soun.

       Soun dropped his shogi piece.  It dropped and bounced on the floor.
'How dare he move to Nerima!  How dare he!'  Soun stood up slowly, clenching
his fists, he shouted to the entire world.

       "Bastard!  I should have killed you years ago!  Saotome!  You will
pay for stealing my wife!  You will pay!"  Soun shouted so loud that his
voice echoed back.  Kasumi, who had been peacefully preparing dinner,
quickly walked out of the kitchen.  Her eyes showed her concern for her
father, and she layed her hands on his arm.

      "Father!  Father!  Are you alright?"  Somehow, Kasumi's presence
calmed Soun down from his anger, and he started to cry, ashamed of himself.
He hated himself.  He hated his world.  And of all of the things he hated,
he hated Genma Saotome the most.

      Looking at his concerned daughters, Soun felt a responsibility to tell
them his story.  The story about his hidden pain.  Drinking slowly from the
cup of tea that Kasumi miraculously pulled out of thin air, he began his tale.

      "It was a long time ago, when I was a young man and I roamed over
Japan searching for the mastery of martial arts.  My only companions were
'the master of Anything Goes' and my 'best' friend, a certain Genma
Saotome."  Soun's voice hardened slightly as soon as he mentioned Genma.

     "Well, Hap....."  Soun paled slightly, "ahem...our master had been
possessed by an evil demon, who made him do the most evil of acts.  By his
sheer power, he forced us to participate in these heinous crimes.  In the
beginning Genma rebelled, and sometimes attacked the old man.  However,
after many incidents with Master's Ultimate Technique, Genma reluctantly
participated in the old man's evil deeds."

      "While one of our master's raids, we came upon a hostile girl, no a
woman.  She was strikingly beautiful, and had a body that was comparable to
a goddess.  Besides, she did have some fire in her personality.  Without
much effort, she pulled out a katana, and struck me across the face with the
flat of the blade.  See tried to do the same with that accursed Saotome, and
he had the audacity to dodge!"  Akane stopped, and thought about her
coincidental encounter with Ranma.

       "She swung, she thrusted, and she never seemed able to hit Genma.
Meanwhile, Genma tore the clothes that Master had stolen, and tossed them
back at the girl.  He then said, 'Here, wear these!  You can scare someone
to death with a body like that....'"  Soun clenched his fists, and his eyes
narrowed down to slits.  "How dare he speak like that to Nodoka!  By then, I
had struggled to my feet, and run off.  Genma after his parting words,
turned and ran."

       "Then Nodoka did the most amazing thing.  She chased us.  She
constantly followed us across Japan, and whenever she saw us, she attacked
Genma, first.  And Genma, time after time, successfully defeated her,
whether by technique or by trickery.  However, in the end, something was
bound to happen, and it did."

      "While dueling in at night, Genma and Nodoka finally resorted to
aerial combat among trees at night.  By some quirk of fate, Nodoka lost her
footing, and fell.  Genma, who had some knack for aerial combat, saved her,
completely surprising all of us.  I mean, it was Genma who insulted her
first.  Genma who constantly beated her spoke such evil words to her.  Yet
he saved her."  Soun shook his head.

      "Well, after that, things calmed down slightly, and Nodoka started to
travel with us.  And as the days passed, we all tired of her constant
bickering with Genma.  And despite their constant fighting, those two were
inseparable.  I tried to voice my emotions to Nodoka, but as soon as I saw
her, my determination crumbled.  At the conclusion of our training, I
finally nerved my self up, and prepared to ask Nodoka.  She finally spoke
words that chilled my heart. 'Soun!  Genma finally proposed to me!'"  

     Soun sat silent, his tears streaming down his face.  Akane, Nabiki, and
Kasumi sat, stunned by the incident.  To them, their father had always
seemed so positive, the only times he cried were when he thought about their
mother.  Somehow, each decided to help their father.  Kasumi tried to
comfort her father, by treating him kindly and giving him extra support.
Akane chimmed in with Kasumi.  The only person left was Nabiki, and she had
her own methods.

     "Where are you going?" asked Akane, who left father's side to speak
privately with Nabiki.  "Are you planning to abandon Father?"

      For once, Nabiki's voice betrayed her anger.  "No!  I'm not.  I'm
going to go dig up some information of the Saotomes.  Maybe I can find
something to help Father."  Akane relaxed a bit when she heard this.  Akane
smiled briefly at Nabiki, and returned to Soun, who was lying on a makeshift
cot, his eyes wet with tears.

* * *

      Nabiki was satisfied with the preliminary information.  According to
her usual sources, Ranma Saotome was very active in a club that
coincidentally met on Saturdays.  Nabiki glanced at her watch, and right as
scheduled, Ranma Saotome burst out of the main gates of St. Lawrence
Academy, and took off down the street.  Nabiki ran after him.

      Ranma was humming to himself an old Chinese song he learned on one of
his mini-training trips.  As his legs settled into a rhythm, his mind went
over the various things that happened at the club.  Ranma was so focused,
that he didn't notice Kodachi appear right in front of him, carrying a
notebook and a couple other non-descript books.

      Ranma plowed straight into her, sending various materials flying all
over the place.  Ranma hastily started picking up stuff for Kodachi.  As
Ranma picked up and arranged some of the papers, he couldn't help but read a
couple lines.  It was beautiful poetry that evoked a smile.  Nabiki stopped
running, and ducked behind a corner.  

      "I'm sorry.  I should have been watching where I was running."  Ranma
stammered out.  Kodachi laughed to herself, 'Oh the pleasure was mine.'
Combing back her hair with her left hand, she graciously accepted the
hastily constructed pile of books and papers.  Ranma asked, "By the way, did
you write that?"

      Kodachi blushed slightly.  "Well, yes, but it's nothing really."
Ranma walked along side her, and both walked off carrying on a conversation.

      "Nothing?  I think it's absolutely great!  I sometimes feel that way!"
Ranma's comment, although he didn't see it, made Kodachi react, slightly.
For the first time in her life, here was a person who actually took her
poetry seriously.  She took a quick look at Ranma, not sure whether he was
really lying.  She could only see sincerity in his eyes.

       "Really?  I must know!  Sometimes I feel I am the only one who feels
this way.  How about dinner at the Nekohaten?  It's a new restaurant, and
they serve great ramen!  We can have a snack while we discuss this poem.
Maybe you can tell me what you think about my other poems."  Nabiki felt
slighly sickened by the closeness that these two had.  'Hmph, those two are
getting so mushy.  She must be trying to make a move on Ranma.'

       "My dear sister!  I burn with love for thee!"  Kodachi rolled her
eyes as soon as she heard the dreaded voice of her brother, who apparently
had no objection to making out with any girl.  "My sister!  Is this cur
trying to steal you away from me?"  Tatewaki Kuno got a brief, yet effective
response.  Kodachi without the slightest hesitation, slammed her foot into
Kuno's face, and threw him away.

      "Tatewaki you jerk!  I will never even think about having a
relationship with you!  Sick bastard!"  Tatewaki flew over a few houses, and
crashed into a heap next to Nabiki, who was completely surprised by his
sudden appearance.

      Kuno's eyes fluttered for a moment.  "Oh Nabiki!  I must buy pictures
of my dear sister and Akane from you."  Nabiki smirked, and openned her
purse.  Always be prepared for the impossible, that was Nabiki's motto.  She
hauled out her collection of photographs.  His eyes glowing in anticipation,
Kuno pulled out his wallet, and openned it.  His hope turned into dismay,
the wallet was already empty.

       "Curses!  The Fates must be conspiring against me!"  Tatewaki looked
depressed for a moment, but he was struck by inspiration (Ow, heh heh :)  ),
and he sat up straight.  "Nabiki!  I shall not pay you in cash this time.
However, I will allow you to caress and enjoy my manly body.  For I shall
allow you to experience pleas...."  Kuno never finished for Nabiki, who was
enraged with the idea of making love to that fool Kuno, had plowed her foot
into Kuno's head.  Kuno fell backwards completely knocked out.

       'Damn you Kuno!  You've insulted me.  Attempted to swindle me.  And
on top of that, now I have to catch up with Ranma!'  Nabiki ran off.

* * *

      Ranma stared at the cute waitress with long flowing, purple hair, and
a funny accent.  'I can't remember, but have I seen this girl before?'
Ranma could not recall, but a tiny voice within him was constantly warning
him.  He decided not to heed the voice.

      "So what does cute man and woman want?"  The waitress stood, her huge
eyes that seemed to convey perpetual joy.  Ranma coughed, and Kodachi stared
elsewhere.

      Ranma quickly flipped through the menu, and came across something that
piqued his interest.  Ranma then made his order in fluent Chinese, which
completely surprised Kodachi as well as the waitress.

     "You know Chinese?"  The waitressed looked at Ranma, rather impressed
with his proper enunciation.

     Ranma looked around, surprised that people would be interested in his
understanding of the Chinese language.  It was so obvious to him, especially
since he had spent a lot of time in China training and plus, his mother made
him learn the language.  Ranma almost chuckled when he recalled his mother's
little tricks which motivated him to learn Chinese.  Mother had said that
"There is a very old school of Martial Arts, the Linguisitic School of
Martial Arts..."  Ranma shook his head slightly as he thought of the
motivation that surged through him.  'Mother sure knows how to push the
buttons.'

     "Well, it's nothing, really."  Ranma shrugged his shoulders.  Kodachi
made her order.

     "Hiya!  Order ready in five minute."  The waitress turned to a wizened
old lady who was cooking in the kitchen.  "Great grandmother!  Two orders
for Deluxe Ramen!"  Ranma froze when he saw the old lady.  His mind quickly
thought about his adventures in China with his father when he was only 10.
While he had faintly remembered seeing the waitress some where, there was no
mistake with the old woman.  'How can I forget, Cologne..... Ugh!'  The old
lady looked up, and saw Ranma's eyes.  Both seemed to be locked in a gaze,
as the world faded away from each other.  Ranma panicked, especially when
Cologne's eyes flashed with recognition of Ranma.  'She saw me!'

     Cologne chuckled to herself quietly.  'So Ranma lives in Nerima.  All
the better for Shampoo, she can finally save her honor and the honor of the
Amazons by wooing Ranma, and making him marry her.'  Her face made the
slightest of smiles to Ranma.  'He must know that it is inevitable that
Shampoo will marry him.'

     Finally Ranma's memory flashed back like water gushing out of a broken
damn.  'Shampoo!  No!  I've got to get out of here!'  Ranma's face paled, as
he felt his heart begin convulsions.      

      "Ranma?  Are you alright?"  Ranma turned his head to Kodachi, and
tried to say something meaningful.  However, his mind wanted him to get as
far away from Shampoo as possible.

      "I'm fine, but I need to go right now.  I'm really sorry."  Ranma
openned his wallet, and left a five hundred yen bill on the table.  "That
should cover the meal.  Excuse me, I have to hurry home."  Ranma quickly
stood up, and ran out the door.

* * *

      "Damn that sicko Kuno,"  muttered Nabiki as she panted, running down
the street.  Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. she
scanned the entire street.  'Ah hah!  Nekohaten, that has got to be the
right place.'  She picked up her, pace and decided that she should enter.  

      However, when she was a block away from the restaurant, Ranma came
bursting out of the door, and he ran very quickly.  And by some weird
chance, he ran straight into Nabiki, and both tumbled to the ground.  'Damn!
Why do I keep doing this?'  Ranma shouted to himself, as he helped Nabiki to
her feet.

      His voice immediately softened.  "Are you alright?"  Nabiki nodded,
and Ranma pulled her to her feet.  "I'm really sorry.  I should be more
careful.  Hey, you're Akane's sister?  Right?"

      Nabiki replied in a business like manner.  "Yes, I'm Nabiki."

      'Nabiki Tendo... I've heard that name before.'  Ranma thought about
the rumors the had been circulating around Nerima, about a skinflinted,
blackmailing, evil person named Nabiki Tendo who had finally lost a bet.
'That's weird.  Nabiki looks like a nice person.'

      "So you're Nabiki?  You wouldn't happen to be the Nabiki Tendo who
lost a lot of money betting on the kendo match this morning?"  Nabiki stood
still and her heart stopped.  She glanced at Ranma, and for once, she felt
uncertain, not knowing what to do.  'Ranma's already heard about me...'

      Nabiki gripped Ranma's arm rather tightly.  "What else did they say
about me?"

      Ranma coughed, and he recited the long list of epithets normally
associated with Nabiki ranging from cold-hearted to mercenary to blood
sucking leech.  Nabiki stumbled a bit, for she suddenly realized the extent
of her notoriety.  'I mean, I know my reputation in Furinken High, but other
schools in Nerima!  I never thought that people would learn about me!'
Ranma steadied her with his hand.

     "Come on!  Don't listen to what people say."  Ranma smiled at her.
"You seem really nice, and I don't believe a word what others say about
you."  Nabiki managed to smile a bit, and she felt her heart begin to stir.
Ranma patted Nabiki lightly on the shoulder.  "Well, I'd better be going
home.  My mom is going to throw a fit if I'm late.  Bye!"

     Nabiki paused for a moment, and ran after him.  Her mind was still
reeling and trying to keep her emotions from bursting out of their normal
confinement. 'Finally a person who really doesn't care what I do.'  With the
slightest of smiles on her face, she ran down the street after Ranma, a
little more eager to spy on him than before.

* * *

     "Hey Pop!  Mom!  I'm home!"  Ranma ran through the gate, and ended up
in the yard.  "Hey where are you?"  Ranma warily scanned the yard, looking
for anything suspicious.  He began to analyse the situation.  'Mom's
probably out getting groceries...  Dad must be...'

      "Ranma!"  '...waiting to ambush me.'  Ranma thought of the only
direction he did not check, straight up.  He immediately dodged backwards,
and lashed out with his foot in a high kick, which caught Genma in the
chest, and sent him flying into the fence.  Ranma shook his head as he
walked toward his father, who was stuck to the fence, his face slightly
imbedded into the wood.

      "Father!  You shouldn't give me any warnings like that!"  Ranma calmly
peeled his father off the fence  Genma only managed to groan, but he
immediately swung his arms, grabbed Ranma in a bear hug, and tossed him into
the pond.  

      "Ranma!  Never expect the unexpected!"  Genma stood by the edge of the
pond gloating at his surprise victory.  'I still haven't lost my touch.'
Those were Genma's last thoughts as Ranma's arm swung low, catching Genma's
legs.  Genma found himself in the pond, soaked to the skin, sitting next to
Ranma. 

      "Well, there!"  Ranma lifted his father out of the pond, and dumped
him on the ground.  Ranma looked at the mud that clung to his body and
clothing, and wrinkled his nose in distaste.  "I'm going to go take a shower."  

      Nabiki had seen the entire incident.  She was outside, peeking in
through a small hole in the fence.  She grinned at the fortune that she was
on a quiet abandoned street, and that there was not a single door on this
side of the Saotome home.

      "What are you doing?"  Nabiki froze as she heard a voice behind her.
She turned around, and saw the smiling face of Nodoka, who had returned from
her afternoon of shopping.  Nabiki swallowed when she saw the sword that was
strapped to Nodoka's back.  Nabiki openned her mouth to answer, but she
could not.  She stood there for a moment, befuddled.  Nodoka, somehow felt
that this girl in front of her could be trusted.

      "You seem like a nice girl.  Will you help me carry in the groceries?"
Nabiki mutedly nodded, as she grabbed a couple bags, and followed Nodoka
into the Saotome Home.

      "So what's your name?"  Nodoka asked while she was placing various
vegetables into the refrigerator.

      "Nabiki Tendo."  Nadoka stopped putting away the groceries, and looked
at Nabiki seriously.

      "You wouldn't happen to be a daughter of Soun Tendo?"  

      "Yes, I am."  Nodoka's eyes lighted up, and she ushered Nabiki into
her seat, and began to rattle off quesions, making Nabiki work hard as she
attempted to answer.

      "So how is he?  Genma and I, we often think about him.  We do miss
him.  He is such a good friend of Genma."  Nabiki frowned slightly when she
heard this.  Obviously, the Saotomes had no clue of the hidden grudge that
her father had.  She tried to formulate what was best to say.  

     "Well, he isn't doing that well.  He's really angry right now...."
Nodoka grabbed Nabiki's hands.

     "Really?  It would be so terrible.  We always wanted the best for Soun.
He always seemed a bit depressed.  So who is making him angry?"  Nabiki
stared at Nodoka, and for a moment, she felt a certain dread in explaining
that Genma and she were Soun's source of pain.  She steeled herself, and
recounted the story that Soun had told her.

     Nodoka sat back in shock.  She could not believe the story that the
girl that sat across her had told her.  

     "Yo, Mom.  Do you think you could practice with me...  Nabiki?  What
are you doing here?"  Ranma's sudden presence drew Nodoka's attention away
from Soun to her son.

      "Ranma, you know this girl?"

      "Yeah, we've seen each other few times before."  Nodoka took a step
back, as she interpreted Ranma's words the way a parent would.  'So they've
been seeing each other.  They do make a nice couple.'  Nodoka stared at the
two for a bit.

      "So Ranma, you two have been dating, no?  Seems like you two are a
nice couple.  It's fine with me, but you should have asked first."  Nodoka
gave Ranma a reproving look.  Ranma, on the other hand, started to stutter,
and Nabiki gasped.

      "No no Mom, we..."  Ranma started to wave his hands wildly.  'How come
Mom always has to misread everything?'

      "Excuse me!"  Genma appeared, and shoved Ranma out of his way.
"Nodoka, so when's dinner?"  Nodoka sighed, and she stood up, and went to
the stove.

      "Always thinking with your stomach?  If I were smarter, I would have
never married you!"  Nodoka turned around, and started to cook a feast for
Genma.
Genma smirked, and openned his mouth to say something, but he closed it, and
went outside.

     "Ranma, my boy!  Let's spar again."  Ranma shrugged his shoulders, and
he went followed his father, leaving Nodoka and Nabiki alone.  

     Nodoka started her stir-fry.  "So, please tell me about Soun."

* * *

     Shampoo looked at her great-grandmother Cologne, as she closed the
shop.  "What do you want to tell Shampoo?"  Cologne smiled slightly, and she
paused in her cleanup.

     "Remember the boy who left his girlfriend behind?"  Shampoo nodded,
like it was hard to forget a cute looking boy who spoke impeccable Chinese
and Japanese.  

     "He's Ranma, your husband."  Suddenly Shampoo's eyes started to glow
with joy.  She pulled off her apron, and she ran to her room.  Deep within
her mind, she began to formulate a plan to charm Ranma.

     "Hiya!  Shampoo love Ranma!  Shampoo not know Ranma so cute!"

     Cologne tapped Shampoo's shoulder with her stick.  "Shampoo, just a
word of wisdom from your great grandmother.  Take it slowly.  True love
takes time to build."  Cologne put her pipe to her lips, inhaled, and
exhaled slowly, allowing the smoke to form a doughnut.  

      "Great grandmother right!  Shampoo will go slow!"  Shampoo smiled, as
she returned to her duties, humming a tune thinking about winning Ranma's love.


Chapter 3 coming in a few minutes.... i hope....