Well folks here's part two.  Have fun. C+C appreciated.



  "What!" Akane yelled. "What do you mean?  You engaged us
to some boy that you've never even met?!"  Akane's voice rose
in pitch dangerously towards the end.  Soun winced.

  "Calm down, Akane." Nabiki said.  "You never know. He
could be cute."

  "I don't CARE if he's the cutest guy I've ever seen, Nabiki.
Our wonderful father here engaged us without even asking our
opinion and you don't even seem to care about it.  And Kasumi
you're almost as bad as she is."

  Soun spoke up, "Well you see I never really had the chance
to meet Ranma.  And by the time I did find the chance, Ranma
and his father, my friend, Genma, had already disapeared on a
training trip.  One that took them out towards the Zone, and
later to China."

  "China!  What type of fool goes on a training trip to China?
Even though they are demon slayers, aren't there enough oni
here in Japan without them having to go on some fool trip to that
wreched, godsforsaken place?"

                       * * *

  Ranma, now fully covered, in his female form, Genma as a 
panda and Keiko stood outside a fairly large, traditional house
in the suburb of Nerima.  "Well, pops, you certainly have some
well off friends.  Do you want to ring the doorbell or shall
I?"

  As he pressed the doorbell, Genma growled at the boy's
insolent tone.  An act that earned him a hit on the head from
Keiko.

  "Stop that, Mr. Saotome.  Be nice.  You shouldn't hit your son."
She chided.  "Oh, Hello!" Keiko said, turning toward the door
as it opened.  Standing in the door was a girl, apparently in her
late teens.  She was of average height with brown hair cut in a
rather peculiarly businesslike style and yet, somehow, at the
same time a cute one.  Upon closer inspection one could tell
that she had a few cyber implants in her skull, well hidden of
course.

  "Hello, may I...,"  her fairly cheerful face registered shock
which quickly turned to fear when she saw the near ten foot panda
waving at her and growling.  She, rather quickly, turned and
ran back into the house after allowing a very short scream to
escape her lips.

  Apparently, Genma took that as an invitation to enter the house
and promptly did so.  With a glance at each other Ranma and
Keiko shrugged and followed after.

                       * * *

  Nabiki ran back into the hall, startling her family.  She just
looked scared, and it takes a lot to scare Nabiki.  "Nabiki,
what's wrong?"  Akane asked with evident concern.

  Nabiki pointed at the corner as Genma rounded it, "That!"
Everyone drew back in suprise.  "Is that one of your friends,
Daddy?" she asked, rather flustered.

  Soun, wide eyed, shook his head frenetically, looking in
horror at the giant panda that had just entered the room.

  "Oh my!  Who are you two?"  Kasumi's cheery voice broke
through the fear.  Everyone saw that they had overlooked the
two people who had entered the room after the panda.

  Keiko stepped forward grining slightly at the startled look
on their faces.  Stifling a giggle somewhat she introduced
herself, "I'm Keiko Saotome.  Adopted."

  Soun looked at Ranma hope welling in his eyes.  Apparently he
was blissfully unaware that the person standing there was a girl.
"And you are?"  He asked tentatively.

  Ranma bowed her head in shame.  A small voice you almost
had to strain to hear escaped her lips, "I'm Ranma Saotome.
Sorry 'bout this."

  She was immediately engulfed in the hug of the, now bawling,
Soun.  "Ranma, my boy I've waited for you to come for so long.
You have no idea what this means to me.  Eh?  What's this..."
Giving Ranma a little squeeze he apparently noticed the gender
of Ranma and rather promptly passed out.

  Akane caught him on his way to the ground.  "Dad!  You...
what did you do to him?"

  "Huh?  Me, I didn't do nothing, not a thing."  She noticed
Nabiki looking at him strangely, "Would you please stop looking
at me like that; your making me uncomfortable."

  Nabiki cocked her head do the side in curiosity, then slowly
said, "Hey, you're a girl, aren't you?"  Ranma flinched as if
slapped, "I knew that there was something funny about you."
Moving forward she reached up and touched one of Ranma's
breasts to further satisfy her curiosity.  This action elicited three
separate, and simultaneous, responses.

  Ranma cried out, "Stop that!" slapped Nabiki's hand, hard, and
skipped back about five feet bumping into Keiko along the way
almost knocking her over.  Akane, while sympathizing with Ranma
could barely stifle a giggle, Keiko failed.  Looking accusingly
at Keiko, Ranma asked her a question that he had yet to learn
served absolutely no purpose but to provoke her.  "What are you
laughing at?"  Seeing her start to laugh harder, Ranma sighed.
Turning to the sisters, he asked, "Is there somewhere we could
go and sit down? It's been a long trip."

                       * * *

  Everyone was gathered in the living room.  The revived Soun
was looking at Ranma and somehow managing to pass as both
confused and angry at the same time.  "Why aren't you a boy,
Ranma.  You're supposed to be a man."

  "Hey! It ain't like it's my fault, you know, so don't yell at me."

  "Oh everybody, please stop yelling."  Kasumi spoke up in her
normal pleasant voice.  "Akane, since Ranma and Keiko will be
staying here for a while why don't you show them around, while
I get their room ready."

  "Did you hear that, Ranma?  We're sharing a room.  Ooohh,
this'll be fun."

  "Keiko...please, not now." Ranma said in a pained voice.

  "Oh poo!  You've been no fun ever since..."  Catching
Ranma's glare, Keiko stopped her tirade short.

  Ranma sighed. that was the one problem with Keiko; she
couldn't seem to make up her mind whether to act sixteen or
six sometimes.  Noticing the family staring at them oddly, Ranma
pulled himself together.  "Um...well, Akane, I'd like it if you
showed us around some.  Please."

  "Oh all right, come on."

                       * * *

  "Whoa, Akane, where did you get the money to buy this place.
It's huge, especially for the city."

  "Well I actually don't remember.  We moved in when I was
just a little girl after my mom died.  Kasumi might remember,
but I don't think that any of us really paid any attention to what
was going on at the time.  Hey.  I have an idea.  Ranma, you like
martial arts, don't you?"

  "Yea, I suppose you could say that."

  "Well, then, do you want to go and see the Dojo?   Maybe we
could even spar a little.  What do you think?"

  "Hey that sounds like it could be fun.  Geez, you must be rich or
somthin' to have been able to afford all of this.  So, does your
dad have lots of students or something?"

  "Well, actually, he doesn't.  Nabiki makes most of the money
around here.  She is really good with all that technology stuff,
you know custom computers and programs.  Although you should
probably watch yourself around her.  She seems to enjoy finding
ways to get money out of people."

  "Umm...thanks, I think.  Well, then.  Let's spar shall we.  Though
I should give you fair warning; I'm a little rusty.  I haven't been
practicing very much since China."

  "All right, then.  I'll go a little easy on you.  Come on, let's go."
Akane got into her ready position and waited... [She's just standing
there.  I guess she's ready, so here it goes.]  She lashed out with
a basic jab at Ranma and...Ranma wasn't there.  She didn't block,
she didn't really dodge, she just wasn't there.

  "Nice form, solid, simple yet elegant.  You really need to work
on your speed though."

  [Wha?]  Akane thought, oh so intelligently.  [She's behind me?
How'd she get there?  Well let's suprise her.]  Akane spun into
a roundhouse aimed at where Ranma's voice was, but Ranma
just pulled away from the attack and quipped, "That was just a
warning shot wasn't it?"

  [Well, apparently that didn't work. she's fast.  Let's try another
punch, faster this time.]  She missed.  Ranma had vaulted straight
over her punch.  [So that's how she got behind me, but so fast.
Well I'll get her this time she just jumped straight up, right as she
comes down...]  However, much to Akane's suprise in the middle
of Ranma's leap the impossible seemed to happen, her fall slowed
down and she leapt off Akane's extended arm and over her head.
"You're trying to miss, right?  I mean, your form is good, but you
are moving so slow because you don't want to hurt me, right?
You don't have to worry about that, you know.  I don't hurt easy."

 "All right Ranma, that's it.  Enough making fun of my speed
dodge THIS!"  Punching as hard and as fast as she could, Akane
connected with... her hand?  Before it registered in her head
she had been flipped over Ranma's head to land on a mat.

  Ranma appeared above her offering her hand.  "Need a hand
up?  Don't feel bad.  You really are pretty good you know, you
just need to work on your speed a little.  I could probably help
with that a little if you wanted."

  Taking the hand Akane smiled, "Thanks.  I'll definitely take
you up on that.  Anyway I'm just glad you're not a boy."

  Startled Ranma nearly tripped before she looked at Akane,
"Why's that?  If you don't mind my asking you anyways."

  "Actually I really don't want to talk about it.  And besides
I really don't think I'm ready to get married yet.  I want to find
someone that I can love first."

  "Don't worry Akane, even if I had been a guy I don't think that
you would have had to worry about my marrying you or anyone.
I'm not exactly ready to get married myself.  Anyways I'm gonna
go to my room and get changed.  Do you think that there is enough
time to take a bath before dinner, I just wanna be alone with my
thoughts for a while."

  "Thanks Ranma, I appreciate it, and I'm sure that there is enough
time for a bath.  Positive in fact.  Kasumi's probably already
drawn it for you.  Go on, relax."

  "Thanks Akane.  I'll see you at dinner."


                       * * *

  In the bathroom everything was obscured in a cloud of steam, as
steam is wont to do.  Ranma relaxed in the hot bath pondering (1)
his dilemma out loud, "What the hell am I supposed to do.  I like
Akane.  She's a nice girl, I suppose; but if she finds out, she'll kill
me.  They'll find out, I suppose, and the sooner I tell them the less
angry sh... I mean they'll be with me.  Should I...nah I'll wait."

(1) Yes, he does do that on occasion.  Pondering I mean.  Not
      taking a bath.

                       * * *

  [Kasumi's definitely an excellent cook, there's no doubt about
that.]  Ranma thought to himself, feeling two uncomforted by the
oppressive silence to even attempt to break it.

  All three of the Tendo girls were staring bemusedly at Genma.
Nabiki finally spoke up, breaking the seemingly endless silence,
"Daddy, who's that man eating with us?"

  "This is my old friend, Genma Saotome.  He recently had a
training accident in China.  Isn't that right Saotome?"

  "That's right, Tendo.  My son, Ranma, and I..."  Genma's
speech was interrupted by all three of the Tendo girls speaking
up at once.

  "But Mr. Saotome. Ranma is a girl."

  "What's your problem, Mr. Saotome?  Ranma is definately a
girl.  I can get you the name of a good psychiatrist, for a small
finders fee of course."

  "Oh my!  Ranma's a boy?"

  "Now girls," Soun admonished, "I'm sure Saotome will explain."
Looking evily at Genma he continued in a faintly ominous tone of
voice, "You will explain, won't you, Saotome?"

  "Eh he.  Well, of course, Tendo.  I was just getting to that.  As
I was saying, Ranma and I were traveling in China when I decided
to head to the Ancient Training Grounds of Accursed Springs.
The Legendary Jsusenkyo.  Getting there wasn't easy either, the
countryside was almost covered with monsters of all sorts.  The
valey of springs itself, however. was somehow protected from
their evil.  There was even a small village that had grown up to
one side of the valley, well away from the springs themselves.
They were a frightened bunch though.  One of them, an old man,
came up to us to see if we were dangerous to them or not.
  
  "When we told him why we were there he tried to talk us out of
it, but we weren't going to listen.  We began to fight among the
bamboo poles that stuck out of almost every pool, ignoring him.
Finally, Ranma landed a lucky shot, and I fell into what we later
guessed to be the spring of drowned panda.  Not noticing my
change I leapt out onto a pole, and knocked my stunned son into
a pool himself.  The old man suddenly stopped yelling things at us
and started backing away from the pool Ranma fell into, almost
as if he were afraid of something.  Before he turned to run, I could
hear him muttering something about a forbidden pool.  I don't know
why it was forbidden.  As near as we can tell, it couldn't have been
anything more dangerous than the pool of drowned tattooed girl."

  Akane looked at Ranma, "What?!  Oh I don't believe this, Ranma
really isn't a girl?  She can't be!   Why...  Why..."  Akane's voice
trailed off as she saw the guilty look that adorned Ranma's lowered
face.

  "Well... um Akane... you see.  I just didn't want to get you angry...
and well you know I wanted to be your um friend... and well.  Um
I just didn't want to upset you."

  "Didn't want to upset me?  Oh... you... you... BOY!"  With that
Akane stormed up the stairs and slammed into her room with
enough force to shake all the lamps in the house."

  Looking folorn, Ranma stood, "Well I might as well get changed.
I'll be back down in a little bit."

  "So Mr Saotome," Nabiki asked, her eyes glinting strangely,
"where was Keiko during all that?  Or is she really a boy too?"

  Genma looked almost stunned for a second, then recovered to
a his usual (somewhat) more inteligent look.  "You know, Nabiki,
that's a good question.  Just where were you then, Keiko?"

  Keiko, who had been staring at her plate intently, looked up,
"Hmm?  What was that?"  She looked slightly confused for a
second.  At least untill Genma opened his mouth partially.  At
which time her face brightened.  "Oh, right.  I was having some
dinner with the nice ladies in the village.  You two looked like
you were having such a good time jumping around, that I really
didn't want to intrude.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go
to bed early tonight."

  "Oh my!"  Kasumi almost yelled, stunning everyone, "I'll have
to find another room for Ranma.  We can't have him sleeping in
with a girl.  Excuse me father."  At that, Nabiki noted that Keiko's
footsteps on the stairs stopped, for a second anyway.

  As everyone left the table, Soun and Genma exchanged a glance.
"I suppose this isn't the best time to bring up the engagement, eh,
Saotome?"

  "No, Tendo, I do think we should wait on that.  For a while, at
least."

                       * * *

  Ranma awoke early the next morning.  Not that he had gotten
much sleep in the first place.  [I don't know why I should even
care what that Akane thinks about me anyways.  Well I suppose
I wanted a friend, and she is a nice enough girl, for a tomboy.
Wonder how I could get to be friends with her again anyway.
Ah I know....]

  He went silently into his father's room where he, after sneaking
up on him, violently shook the giant panda awake.  "Hey pops,
I ain't gonna fight with you this morning."  As Genma's eyes nearly
burst from his head in disbeleif Ranma rushed on to forestall the
coming tirade.  "I promised Akane that I'd help her with training
this morning before school.  I'll fight with you after she's left."

  Genma, who had collected himself somewhat, pulled out a
number of signs.  "No boy.  You won't.  You'll be going to school
with Akane, and don't complain I've decided.  I won't interfere
with your training Akane though."

  "Aw man pops, you know I hate this school thing.  And where
do you get those damn signs?"

  "I don't know.  But you aren't bad at school, boy.  And if you
are going to help carry on this dojo in town.  You'll need it.
You're going, and that's it.  Now, go wake Akane, start training,
and let me go back to sleep."

                       * * *

Sir Olin 'Neplusultra' Petty
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/3488/index.html

Rule three hundred of obscure leadership.  If it's your idea
you get to impliment it.
~L. E. Modesitt Jr.  (Fall of Angels)