Ace Sanchez ( email: jsa@fl.net.au www: http://jsa.users.fl.net.au/ )

My very first fic in its final form before I post it to RAAC. Please
tell me if there are any problems.

Changes in this version:

- Early paragraphs have altered order to put more excitement in the
beginning. People get bored easily ^_^. And besides this was the
original order in the anime.

- Nabiki trying to to become the fiance (albeit unsuccessfully). Thanks
to Ryan Erik for pointing out that this is what Nabiki would try to do.

- Added additional opening scene in part 2.

- Some miscellaneous corrections, like me changing some of the spelling
into 'American' versions back into the Australian ones. Silly racist
spell check ^_^.

(Standard disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters created
by Rumiko Takahashi.  Blah, blah, blah, you know the drill. Blah x 100)


Blonde 1/2

----------------------
Part 1 "Here's Ranma?"


A light rain was falling wetly on the streets of Nerima, Tokyo. A girl
came running out of the fog, water splashing beneath her bare feet. In
one hand she carried a heavy looking carry pack, although the slender
arm that was carrying it looked hardly taxed by the weight.

As she came around the fence and into the shopping district, people's
eyes widened as far as they would go, as soon as they saw her. The girl
was the most beautiful young woman they had ever seen! Every man there
began to crowd around the edges of the side street, as they came in
closer to have a better look. Mutters of, "My God! That girl is hot!"
spread around. The crowds began to exponentially grow larger.

"Get lost ya ol' fart!" The beautiful girl was looking over her shoulder
at some unseen pursuer as she shouted, the rough words a distinct
contrast to the soft alluring and sensual voice she had. She was soaking
wet, her damp clinging shirt provoking more than one lewd fantasy out of
the audience. Moist tendrils of water-darkened golden hair escaped from
her pigtail as it flapped behind her in the wind.

The crowd's eyes grew even wider as they spotted who or what was chasing
her as it came around the fence. It was a giant panda. Its fur was also
soaking wet courtesy of the storm. It loped after the extraordinarily
beautiful girl on all fours, quite fast for a creature of it's size.

Suddenly, a starry-eyed man somehow materialised in front of the girl
and tried to grab her. "Oh my love! Where have you been all my life?"
Reflexively, the girl dodged, spun around and punted him at the panda.

However, the panda dodged to the side, remarkably agile for it's bulk,
and avoided the human missile. Instead, the man shattered into the
cart of a food stall. Fruit and vegetables went flying everywhere. The
owner didn't notice though as he was also checking the girl out like all
the other men.

"I mean, seriously!" the girl shouted at the panda again as they resumed
the chase. "Engaging me to some girl without even asking?" There was a
collective gasp from the audience at this revelation. However they
discarded the information as untrue after a bit of thought. The world
was already a cruel enough place without the most beautiful female on it
being a lesbian.

Suddenly the girl stopped running and turned around to face the giant
panda. Her beautiful face was red with fury. "I'm not going along with
it!"

The panda growled angrily at the girl and charged, it's claws swinging
in a complex pattern which could only be martial arts, though it was
anyone's guess how a fat panda could do it. The girl leaped into the air
and rotated into a forward somersault kick hitting the panda right on
the forehead knocking it backwards and on to its back. She landed gently
on her toes not even causing the water to splash beneath her feet. She
lifted her arms into a battle stance.

"So you wanna fight?" she asked confidently. "I'm ready ... wait hold
that thought ..." She flicked off another man who had somehow glomped
onto her arm. "Now I'm ready!"

The panda growled loudly as it stood up and resumed its attack. This
time it elevated fully onto it's hind legs, as if it were a man. A claw
narrowly missed the blond girl's dodging quick body, as she back flipped
out of harm's way. The panda continued with deceptively quick strikes
for it's huge bulk, but just as amazingly, the girl moved through the
panda's fast offence, obviously skilled herself.

After an amazing sequence of attempted blows and dodges, the girl took
the upper hand. Somehow she managed to jump inside the panda's guard
and grab it's outstretched arm.  Spinning around, she threw it over her
shoulder as smoothly and easily as if the panda weighed one pound
instead of the one thousand it seemed to be. A poor street sign was
crushed beyond repair after the fat animal landed on it.

The beautiful girl snorted contemptuously at her defeated enemy. "You
can't make me do it. The only thing I'm doing is go back to China." She
tried to wipe the dirt from her hands but only succeeded in muddying her
shirt. "Yeah, even if I have to swim back like before, I'll undo this
and you can go give birth to some other boy and make him get engaged."
She looked around at all her observers and let out a sound of disgust.
"And if it wasn't for this stupid storm ..."

Unfortunately, the girl's observation of them seemed to provoke the
hordes of admiring men into madness.

"She was looking at me!" a voice rang out.

"No! She was looking at me!" another disagreed.

"Are you kidding? With your ugly face?"

"Well maybe she wants variety from handsome men!"

"Ha! You wish!"

Soon the number of voices grew until the noise grew tenfold with all the
men arguing.

The girl stared at the crowds of arguing men. "Geez, how pathetic, " she
sighed in disgust. She turned to go on her way when an angry feminine
voice shouted furiously from behind her.

"Hey you!" The voice shouted.

Extremely hesitant as to what she would find, the girl turned around
with a shudder. Wherever there were men, there were always women. She
wasn't surprised to discover large mobs of angry women, about equal in
number to the hordes of men, behind her. They ranged from cute teenaged
girls to middle-aged adult women. However the one thing they all had in
common was that they were all furious. The air rumbled as large amounts
of handbags and umbrella's were waved around threateningly. A couple of
mallets were stroked in anticipation.

"Who, me?" the girl asked trying to sound innocent, inwardly beginning
to panic as she remembered what happened last time she attracted this
many men.

"Yes, you ... you siren!" the woman shouted again. It was a cute
brunette, or at least, she would've been cute if her eye's weren't
glowing red.

"How dare you steal my husband's affections!" another woman called out.

"Jezebel!"

"Man stealer!"

"Boyfriend taker!"

"Whore of Babylon!"

It continued until every woman in the crowd was shouting.

The girl stepped backwards terrified. She turned around, ready to flee
but found she was trapped. The women had somehow encircled her.

The accusations continued for almost five minutes before the mob grew
violent.

The panda sat up and shrugged its furry shoulders sympathetically,
occasionally covering its droopy ears with it's claws to drown out the
shrill screams of pain. The sound of mallets, handbags and umbrella's
impacting flesh followed by silence came next. But it was happy since
the jealous women had succeeded in what the panda had been trying to
do all along, which was knock her unconscious.


~*~*~*~


Outside a typical Japanese home, a man in a brown gi with long black
hair and a slim moustache was checking his mail. A wooden sign which
read, 'Tendo Anything Goes Martial Arts Training Hall,' was posted in
the front.

Soun Tendo observed the dark mists moving across the horizon for a short
moment. The freak storm had come and gone so quickly, it seemed as if it
were an omen of some kind. Shrugging, he returned to checking his
mailbox and discovered a postcard with a queer picture of a panda on it.
He turned it around and read it. The card said,

'Bringing Ranma in from China.' It was signed, 'Saotome.'

A torrent of joyful tears streamed down his cheeks. "Finally, Ranma will
be coming here. How I've waited for this day!" Soun ran back into the
house excitedly calling for his three daughters. "Nabiki, Kasumi,
Akane!" A frown marred his smile. "Akane? Where is that girl?" Kasumi
was in the kitchen as usual, while Nabiki was in her bedroom reading a
comic. However his youngest was nowhere to be found.

Down in the dojo, a girl in a light yellow gi breathed in, calmly and
easily, as she sat in front of a pile of concrete bricks. Her shoulders
tightened, then her hand came down in a blur of speed as she let out a
loud yell. Dust, splinters and chunks of clay flew everywhere as the
pile disintegrated through the middle. Akane sighed in satisfaction, as
she shrugged her long black hair from her shoulders. "That felt pretty
nice."

Suddenly a girl with short brown hair wearing a tank-top and shorts
appeared in the doorway. It was her older sister, Nabiki. "There you go
again Akane," she spoke derisively, taking a snapshot of her sister out
of a small camera she always had handy. "No wonder the boys think you
are weird."

Ha! I wish! Akane thought sourly wiping moist hair from her forehead.
Turning around to gift her sister with a tart smile. "Not everyone
believes the world revolves around, ugh,  boys."

Nabiki just looked boredly at her before turning around to walk back to
the house. "Then I guess you won't be interested in this. Daddy is quite
excited."

Akane frowned. Excited was 'not' good.


~*~*~*~


Outside the Tendo residence, all seemed peaceful. A gentle breeze
whispered through the various trees around the large house, while the
birds chirped among themselves, hopping along the swaying branches.

However the peacefulness of the day was misleading as the discussion
within the Tendo home was not peaceful at all.

"Fiance?!" a shocked voice called out, scaring a few chirping birds
from their perch outside the Tendo house. Gathered around the family
table, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane listened, aghast at what their father
had just explained to them.

"We have a fianc�, father? You didn't tell us before." Kasumi was
looking a little startled, which was so out of character it displayed
just how overwhelmed she really was.

"Nah, he did it so we wouldn't run away from home before he got here."
Nabiki said sarcastically. The she smiled. "On the other hand, there is
still time ... " She frowned. "No, sounds too expensive."

Akane just wore a heated scowl that could have melted an iceberg. "Dad,
I can't believe you did this!" However none of what they said seemed to
pierce their father's bubble of joy.

"My greatest wish is at last to come true!" He smiled joyfully. "The
Anything Goes Martial Arts School will continue if one of you could
marry my friend's son, Ranma, and carry on the dojo."

The girl's realised then, just how important this was to their father.

Nabiki thought about her priorities. This Ranma couldn't be that rich if
he was the son of her father's best friend. Otherwise she would've heard
about it by now. Therefore that left the guy with one saving grace.
"Well I wouldn't mind if he's handsome. What does he look like?"

Soun shrugged a little self-consciously. "I have no idea." He frowned as
he thought about it. "I've never met him."

Kasumi accepted this in her usual calm way, as the oldest she had more
experience with their father's goofiness.

Nabiki did a double take. Engaging your own offspring, sight unseen?

Akane's scowl just grew darker if that was possible. "You're just going
to marry one of us to some guy, who you admit, you never even met? He
could be some ugly pervert!"

Soun laughed pathetically with an arm thrown over his shoulder. "We will
meet him when he arrives here with his father," he tried to explain
weakly. "And they just came in from China too."

Nabiki turned to face him. "China? Really?" she asked interestedly.
Being able to travel meant having money.

Akane waved it off. "Big deal Dad, as if that would lighten up the
fact that one of us is gonna have to marry some complete stranger."

Kasumi looked down at her hands thoughtfully. "I do hope he's not
younger than me," she put in. "Younger men are so ... young."

Akane was surprised with her eldest sister. "You're just going to accept
this? Just like that?" she asked startled. That sounded too much like
she was seriously considering this. After all, the situation seemed
inconsiderable to her. Arranged marriages indeed!

Nabiki smiled at them both. "Well I'm going to check him out before I
say no. Who knows? He might even be cute."

Akane gave a doubting expression. "That's not the point anyway,
Nabiki."

Soun laughed confidently. "No matter! With Having Genma Saotome as his
father, what could go wrong?-" He was interrupted by the sound of
knocking and the hallway door opening.

"Oh my," Kasumi's exclaimed. "Could that be them, father? And I haven't
even prepared anything yet." She stood up.

"Since the card came today, I bet it's them," Soun explained excitedly.
"Oh it has been so long Genma! And now that you are here, our families
will be united in marriage!" His eyes started to water as if about to
start another round of ecstatic weeping. Nabiki went to answer it,
while Soun followed gleefully.

Akane glared at his back. "Dad!" As she was about to continue to call
out complaints, Nabiki and her father ran back into the room terrified.
"Run! It's a dangerous animal!" Nabiki shouted in horror as she tried
to hide behind Soun's back. At that point, the 'dangerous animal'
waddled in. They all stared at the strange sight. A rather large panda
stood at the entrance on it's hind legs. One massive arm was holding a
slender person over its furry shoulder. the other was carrying a travel
pack. It's human baggage was struggling and hitting it on the head.
"Leggo 'o me, ya stupid ol' man!" came out of the struggling pile of
limbs. "Can't you see you're scaring them?"

"Do you know these people, father?" Kasumi asked. These two couldn't be
them. After all one of them wasn't even human. Soun just shook his head
wildly.

"So this panda just decided to drop in uninvited?" Nabiki asked
impertinently, now that she was safe behind her father's back.

The giant panda waddled in further and deposited its carry pack and
wriggling burden. The Tendo's stared. It was unmistakably a girl. An
incredibly beautiful girl.

She had on slightly damp chinese style clothes, which consisted of a red
shirt and flowing black long pants. A tennis star's slender figure was
accentuated by a tight white sash belted around her slim waist. Firm
breasts were clearly visible through her wet clothing. Although she was
a little slight and petite, she was definitely perfectly proportioned.
Her silky blond hair was a little bit rumpled though, some long tendrils
escaping from the pigtail at her neck as if someone had been pulling it.
A couple of bruises and scratches that looked as if they were made by
fingernails stood out a bit on her cheeks. However this messy effect
just seemed to add to her beauty, enhancing her earthy appeal, rather
than detract from it.

Large blue eyes with long dark brown eyelashes were still glaring
furiously at ... her panda? Then her expression changed as she realised
that she was being watched, and smiled weakly at them, blushing
furiously.

A dimple appeared on her left cheek as she smiled. Akane thought that if
she were a guy, she would've turned into jelly by that cute uplifting of
her lips. Then she remembered that her father was a guy, in between all
his crying, and spun to face him quickly. She was almost afraid to see
the outcome. Good grief, she thought as she stared at him.

"Oh my girl! Let's get married right away!" Soun giggled wildly as he
tried to glomp onto the girl's arm.

The blond girl's exquisite features twisted in embarrassment as she
uppercutted him through the roof with a loud crash. Broken bits of
wood and roof tiles came raining down.

"Um ... I'm Ranma Saotome," she said, still blushing prettily. "Sorry
about this."


~*~*~*~


"But Saotome said he had a son!" Soun sobbed, having just regained
consciousness. He was also still red from embarrassment to how he had
lost control upon first seeing Ranma. It was frightening how the beauty
had affected him. And over his own best friend's daughter, no less!

"Now, now, Father," Kasumi scolded as she tended to Soun's face. "The
bandages will get wet."

Nabiki prodded Ranma's firm breast through her red shirt. "If this is a
boy, Dad, no wonder there are so many homosexuals in the world," she
said sarcastically. But inwardly she was secretly rejoicing. Imagine all
the money she would make with photos of Ranma! Much more than she was
currently getting from her little sister she was willing to bet. Who
knows? Maybe she could even make Ranma into a supermodel. And of course
Ranma would need a manager...

"Mind cutting that out?" Ranma bit out, annoyed with Nabiki's prodding.

Nabiki leaned back, satisfied that Ranma's bust were as big and firm as
they looked. Models always needed large and attractive breasts.

Akane, in an agreeable mood now that an engagement between Ranma and any
of them seemed unlikely, felt sorry for her. Obviously Ranma's father
had just dumped his daughter and pet panda on them, probably seeking to
abandon her. Though who knew why anyone would want to do that to this
exquisite girl. Obviously, some kind of unfeeling monster. Her father
sure knew how to pick his friends. She introduced herself. "Hi, I'm
Akane. You want me to show you around the place? At least until Dad
calms down a bit." She indicated her poor excuse for a father. He was
still crying. Then she brightened. "We have a dojo you might like to
see."

Ranma's face showed visible relief. "Oh, can we?" she asked, trying not
to look at Soun.

Nabiki snapped out of her pleasant daydream involving Ranma and money.
"Yes, Akane, go show her the dojo. We'll tell you when Dad here ... "
She gave her father a dirty look. He hadn't stopped crying yet. " ...
has calmed down a bit."

Akane looked back at the fat panda sitting on the floor. "You want to
bring your panda? He can come too if you want."

Ranma gave her panda a dirty look, then kicked it in the head sending it
flying backwards, unconscious. "Nah, he doesn't want to come."


~*~*~*~


The practice hall of the dojo was a moderately large wooden room with
seats aligned along the walls and a few decorations hanging, giving
it a 'homey' feel, obviously Kasumi's influence. The shattered bricks
were still lying in the corner from Akane's morning session which had
been interrupted by Soun's announcement of the betrothal. Luckily, said
betrothal was no longer a viable option now that Ranma had turned out to
be a female instead. Not only that but probably the most femalish female
in the whole world. Even Ranma's boyish clothes couldn't hide that fact.

Akane remembered from her Dad's description of Ranma and her father that
they were martial artists also. In fact that was one of the objectives
for the betrothal, that Ranma could marry one of them and carry on the
dojo and the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. It stood to reason
that even though Ranma being a male was a lie, she was still probably a
great martial artist. That incredible uppercut she gave her father was a
giveaway. "So, you train in Kempo?" Akane asked.

"Yes, some," Ranma replied, still looking around.

Akane smiled. "Then let's have a little match ok?"

Ranma looked at her uneasily. "Huh?"

"Just for fun," Akane reassured her. "I won't hurt you."

Ranma shrugged, letting her blond pigtail fall from her shoulder.
"Okay," she agreed, though obviously still uneasy. Akane wondered about
that. Was Ranma not that good and embarrassed that she would lose? After
all, Ranma did have a body that looked as if it were only to be admired
and not actually used. Then she reminded herself never to underestimate
an opponent.

The both of them stood out in the middle of the hall as they prepared to
begin. Akane looked at Ranma and again wondered how a girl could turn
out that beautiful.

Then she shrugged inwardly. "Let's begin!" she called out formally.

Akane relaxed into a battle stance. She waited for her opponent to do
the same. Ranma, however, just stood there, hands clasped behind her
back, her very posture an opening.

Akane realised that she had to attack first or wait forever. She flowed
forwards into a strong punch but without much speed to it, to test the
waters, so to speak. She found herself punching air. Ranma had jumped
straight up! This surprised her. She was expecting Ranma to have dodged
it, but not so easily it looked as if she weren't even trying.

As Ranma descended from her jump, Akane executed a high roundhouse kick,
to intercept her. However that failed also, since Ranma dodged it by
twisting into a midair flip. Akane attacked a few times more, but failed
to even touch her. She began to see a pattern. Akane attacked, Ranma
dodged. She realised that the blond girl was deliberately holding back,
and was not going to initiate any attacks on her own.

Starting to get annoyed, she watched as Ranma dodged another blow,
landing softly a few feet away. "What's wrong? Swing at me!"

Again she launched into a series of attacks but time after time, Ranma
dodged each successfully as well as, mysteriously, failing to attack
back. Obviously Ranma was not even attempting to. She is so quick, Akane
thought. Why couldn't she hit her? She was just 'too' fast!

Finally annoyed enough after so many failed attempts to land a blow, or
even receive one, Akane decided to go all out and try her best. She
laughed to herself. Let's see her dodge this! Putting everything she had
in the fight, she executed a quick combo, ending in one of her fastest
and strongest punches. However, instead of hitting Ranma it went through
the wooden wall instead. Ranma had vaulted over her attack again. But
this time she felt a soft tap on the back of her head!

Ripping her fist out of the shattered hole in the wall, she whipped
around furiously. This time Akane was really mad. Ranma was so good, it
was like she was holding back just to embarrass her.

"Uh, umm, well..." Ranma was blushing! It made her look so adorably
innocent, Akane felt bad for losing her temper. It just didn't feel
right to lose her temper over someone who 'looked' like that.

"It's okay, Ranma," Akane tried to reassure her. "I'm just glad you
aren't a boy. I'd really hate losing to a boy." Strangely this just
seemed to agitate Ranma even further.

Just then Kasumi's voice startled them as she walked into the dojo. "If
you two are finished, I think you should get cleaned up before we have
dinner." Kasumi straightened one of the decorations on the wall.

Ranma sighed, grateful for the interruption, and followed Kasumi out
of the training hall. Akane followed also but spotted the mess she had
made that morning and decided to clean it up before joining them.


~*~*~*~


Nabiki stepped into the dojo just as Akane finished sweeping up the
debris left by the bricks she had smashed. "So, you and Ranma sparred?"
she asked, noticing Akane's flushed face and heavy breathing. "How did
it go?"

"Terrible..." Akane sighed. "A girl that looks that good. It's just not
fair that her looks match up to her martial arts."

Nabiki smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't let it get you down, little
sister. After all, we all heard from Dad that Ranma has been training in
Anything Goes Martial Arts almost from the day he, ... I mean she, was
born. But I guess that was kind of doubtful after we found out he was
really a girl."  And an extremely pretty one at that who should earn me
lots of money, Nabiki added silently. "So now we know it was the truth.
It's not an embarrassment to lose to someone with those kind of
credentials." She smiled at Akane's dishevelment. "Go take a bath sis,
you don't want to stink up the living room now do you?"

Akane snorted. "I can't say much for your speech, but I'll take your
advice and grab that bath. I know I need it, but to calm me down, not
wash the smell off. I do 'not' smell." She left the dojo leaving Nabiki
to smile and shake her head at her back.


~*~*~*~


Akane opened the door to the outer room of the bath, sighing in
anticipation of washing the dirt off her body in the hot bath. She
undressed quickly, smiling as she swung her towel over her shoulder.
Nabiki was right, she did feel more relaxed after a hot bath, and now
more than ever, she needed it's calming effects. Not only that, but
Kasumi said that Ranma was already in there, and Akane was kind of
curious if she looked just as perfect without clothes as with them.

Within the bath, Ranma let out a breath nervously and stood up, leaving
the warmth of the water. Kasumi had practically made it an order for it
to be taken. Should I just come out as I am ...? Ranma wondered. "Ranma,
you in here?" a voice called out. All thoughts disappeared. Akane,
barely covered by her skimpy towel had just walked in, her mouth going
into an 'o' of surprise as she stared. Ranma's throat constricted.

Akane blinked, hoping the naked teenage boy was just her overactive
imagination. He didn't fade away. Just like a male, albeit an imaginary
one, he was too stubborn to get out of her sight. Although he 'was'
pretty cute. Must have been that romantic movie she watched last night
giving her ideas. She pinched herself on the arm, expecting him to
disappear. He didn't. She calmly left the bathroom and shut the door.
However her scream as she ran off to the dining room lacked any calmness
she displayed earlier.

Shouting loud enough to wake the dead, she picked up the table and
lifted it over head, crying, "I'll kill him!" Her father and a strange
man Akane didn't recognize looked at her oddly. He had on round glasses
and a head scarf which failed to hide his baldness.

"Akane, what's wrong?" Nabiki asked, curiously.

"There's some strange pervert boy in the bathroom!" Akane forgot about
the newcomer and indicated back where she came from, and turned about
to rush back in there, but this time hefting a heavy weapon.

"So why didn't you just clobber him, like usual?"

"He surprised me!"

"But I just sent Ranma for a bath ... " Kasumi put in, a puzzled look
on her face.

Someone coughed dryly and everyone looked at the opening to the room. It
was that same boy Akane had surprised in the tub. He was wearing Ranma's
chinese clothes. He even had the same hair style and eye colour, although
he had black-brown hair and not blonde. This puzzled her. What had
happened to Ranma?

Soun, Nabiki, Kasumi and Akane looked at him expectantly. Only the plump
stranger wearing the head scarf and round glasses looked unsurprised.

"Um, I'm Ranma Saotome ... sorry about this."


~*~*~*~


Night was preparing to settle in above the town of Nerima, Tokyo. The
late afternoon sun's red light gently diminished as it continued to set.
Again, peacefulness was not mirrored to what was currently happening
within the Tendo house. Loud voices could be heard drifting out of the
open windows.

Inside, the seemingly, newly arrived Genma Saotome, and his 'male' son,
Ranma, have sat down opposite to Soun Tendo and his three daughters,
Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, at the large family table. Soun had explained
ecstatically that Genma had shown up a while after Akane had gone to
show Ranma around. Although Genma did have to wait some time before Soun
recovered from his bout of weeping before he was noticed.

"So Saotome, you really did have a son!" Soun was crying again, but this
time in happiness. "But then who was that other girl?" He reddened a bit
remembering her beauty.

"Er ... yes, Tendo." Genma looked distinctly uncomfortable as he worked
out how to exactly explain the situation. Then his face suddenly
brightened as he decided what to do. He stood up, and with a quick flip
over his shoulder, sent Ranma hurtling through the open door and towards
the small koi pond at the back of the house.

Everyone looked on in shock as Ranma shouted, flailing his arms and legs
about, to somehow divert his path from the oncoming water. He failed
miserably, making a fountain of cold water splash up from where he
landed.

The water, rippling at the surface, suddenly bubbled as a figure gasped
for air, and emerged from within the pond. Ranma seemed smaller for
some reason, with lighter hair and a bigger chest.

"What the hell did you do that for Pop?!" It was a feminine voice that
somehow, seemed familiar. Soun and his daughters, shocked beyond belief,
stared as Ranma slowly walked back towards them dripping wet. Ranma
looked ... different.

"What? Now he's a girl?" Soun exclaimed, more confused than ever. He
studied Ranma's body, hoping that it was just his imagination and that
Ranma had somehow gotten yellow muck in his hair, and was just stooping
so he seemed short. But then he noticed the definite twin bulges in
Ranma's chest, which clung damply to the inside of her sopping red
shirt. The slender curves of Ranma's body also could not be ignored.
Ranma was definitely that beautiful girl he had lost it over earlier.
Soun's mouth dropped open, saliva leaking out at one corner.

Akane's mouth also dropped open as she realised that the beautiful girl
she had wanted to be friends with was actually a guy. Slowly her anger
started to build.

Nabiki was shocked too, she wanted her beautiful new supermodel! Then
she calmed down after she realised that her plans were still possible if
Ranma could change back, and that dunk into the pond proved it.

Kasumi just smiled gently at Ranma, unfazed.

Genma started crying. "Oh my poor son! How cruel for him to suffer this
appalling condition! I cannot bear to see him like this!"

Ranma just ran back to them, ignoring the stares and furiously hammered
her father into that same pool that she had just gotten out of. Genma
flew even higher than Ranma had and fell making a huge splash. "And you
know just who's fault that is, don't you, ya ol' fool!"

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed. "That pond isn't too deep."

However, instead of the expected Mr. Saotome that resurfaced, it was the
same panda that had come with Ranma in the first place. Soun seemed to
come out of his idiotic stupor for a second. "Saotome! Is that you?" he
asked incredulously. Then he caught another look at Ranma and fell back
into his own little world.

The panda crawled out of the pond, its fur all drenched and soaking wet.
It held up a wooden sign saying, "Yes, unfortunately." The panda then
reversed the sign revealing, "And it's all Ranma's fault!"

"What!" Ranma shouted, her face slowly turning red. "It was you who
thought Jusenkyou was a famous training ground!"

The panda slowly returned, dripping water all over the floor. Kasumi
frowned at all the mess the panda was making as it lifted up another
wooden sign.

"The kettle please?" the sign which the panda lifted, read. Kasumi
fetched it for him. The panda then upended the whole kettle over his
head. The girls were again shocked as the panda shrunk back into a man.

Soun was still comatose, mouth hanging open with a considerable amount
of drool puddling beneath him.

~*~*~*~


With Genma changed back into a man and Soun recovered enough to seem
like a normal human being, Genma explained how he and Ranma had gotten
cursed. Ranma, however, was still lushly female, since Genma had used up
all of the kettle water that seemed to turn them back into normal.


   ~~ Flashback ~~


"Hmmm, this doesn't seem like a training ground Pop ..." Ranma was
looking suspiciously at the strange pools of water with long bamboo
poles suspended over and between them.

"Of course it is, boy! After all it 'is' listed in this old martial
arts book I found," Genma replied and even fished out the book he was
carrying to prove his point. "See? Jusenkyou. Famous training ground.
Right above this stuff that I can't read."

Although he was a bit puzzled at the funny chinese guide, in a uniform
of some kind and a hat, jumping up and down and shouting at them. But
since Genma couldn't understand what he was saying, he ignored him. What
he couldn't understand, couldn't hurt him right? "C'mon Ranma, let's
begin."

"Right behind you!"

Both of them leapt up, each of them landing on a pole, balancing
perfectly on one foot, ignoring the shouts of the guide.

The two of them leapt from pole to pole, each intending to knock the
other on to the ground and maybe even into an embarrassing cold bath.
However it was Ranma who achieved that first.

With a quick midair kick, courtesy of his son, Genma was knocked head
first down into a pool. Ranma gloated. The chinese guide managed to
shout something in recognizable japanese, something about a cursed pool
and a drowned panda, but Ranma was too intent on watching his father
surface the water, wet and defeated, to truly pay attention.

"Ha ha, old man! How is the water down there?" he smirked.

Suddenly a loud growl came from below, and to Ranma's shock, a huge
Panda wearing his father's gi and snarling viscously exploded from the
water. Instinctively, he tried to dodge, but the surprise of a panda
coming up instead of his father, slowed him down enough that the panda
was able to land a solid strike.

Shouting, Ranma fell into the pool below him. Resurfacing, and spitting
out water he again managed to catch a snatch of what that strange
chinese guide was saying.

"Oh, too bad! Fall in spring of drowned girl! The Nyannichuan! Very
tragic legend of girl that fall in pool and drown! Now whoever fall in
pool take form of girl!"

Shaking, a grim foreboding coming to him, Ranma ripped open his shirt
and saw the impossible. He had sprouted breasts!


   ~~ End flashback ~~


"And that's how it happened." Genma sadly shook his head.

"Hey, that's not all!" Ranma said evilly, rubbing her hands together as
she anticipated her father's coming discomfort.

Genma, strangely, went white. "No!! Don't tell them what happened next!"

Soun perked up a little, not blushing anymore since he had gotten a
little used to Ranma's female body. "Go, on girl, umm, err, boy! Tell!"

Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi also curious urged Ranma to tell them.


   ~~ Flashback again ~~


"Arrrrghhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Ranma was shouting his head off. Jumping out of
the pool as if it were acid, he realised his diminished size and felt
his face. It felt different, smoother like a girl's. Feeling the blood
rushing to his face under his smaller looking palms, he got another
horrifying thought. Extremely hesitant, he opened the top of his pants.
Frightened, he peeked inside. "Ii-t's go-o-o-nnne!!" the newly made
'she' wailed miserably. "And how come I have blond errr ... arrrghhhh!
down there??!!"

The chinese guide's voice continued in the background.

" ... although hot water reverse effect  ... at least till hit with cold
water agai .. n? ..."

Stuck in abject misery, Ranma didn't notice the sudden silence.

Suddenly two things collided with her. One was the giant panda,
that Ranma concluded must be her father, and the other was the chinese
guide. They were each holding tightly on to her arms.

"Bee-yoo-ti-full ...," the guide was slobbering out of his drool.

The panda was making suspicious high-pitched growling noises. It flashed
a wooden sign from nowhere, saying "Hubba, hubba!"

Appalled and scared to death, Ranma slipped out of their grasp and
started running for her life. Her two admirers immediately began
pursuit.


   ~~ End flashback ~~


"And they kept me on the run for hours, before they managed to snap out
of it," Ranma finished.

With incredulous looks on their faces, Soun and his daughters turned to
see what Genma had to say about that. Instead they found a damp panda
holding a sign that said, "Don't look at me." It flipped the sign. "I'm
only a cute panda!"

At that point, they heard the kettle whistling and Akane fetched it.
She splashed the panda with its contents. "So cold water changes you, but
hot water gets you back to normal." She tried to splash Ranma too, but
she jumped up quickly and managed to dodge the boiling water.

"Owwwwww! Hot, hot!" Genma cried, now in male form, as he jumped up and
began hopping around in pain. "Hot water! It needn't be quite that hot!"

"Whatever," Akane answered, not the least bit repentant.

Soun, who was sitting down contemplating these strange turn of events,
suddenly stood up overjoyed. "So Saotome, Ranma is really a boy?"

Genma answered positive.

"Ha ha ha, so the engagement can still carry on!" Soun laughed. "We can
get married right away!"

Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki grew bug-eyed.

Ranma and his father shouted, "What!!??"

"Oops! That just slipped out! I meant that he can still marry one of my
daughters, ha ha ha ha!" He was about to slap Ranma on the back, but
then stopped himself. He might not be able to control himself if he
touched her. "So choose which of my daughters you want to marry." He
indicated his daughters. "My daughter, Kasumi, nineteen. Nabiki,
seventeen. And Akane, sixteen."

Blood started to heat up Ranma's face.

"Pick whoever you want and that is your fianc�."

Nabiki grinned. With Ranma chained to her in marriage, she would have
exclusive rights to his female body. "I'll marry him Daddy. After all,
Kasumi already has a sweetheart." Kasumi blushed. "And Akane ... er ...
you know Akane," she continued.

Akane looked at her angrily. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, we all know Akane isn't into boys. Besides she could never handle
a serious relationship like I can."

"Hah! That's a laugh! Besides, Dad wants to continue the Anything Goes
Martial Arts, while you'll probably just end up selling off the dojo!"

Soun, hearing this, hurriedly grabbed Akane's shoulders. "Then it's
settled then! Akane will marry Ranma!" He started sobbing wildly. "Oh my
little girl! I'm so happy!"

Nabiki huffed in exasperation. That line of Akane's had effectively
ruined her chances. Oh stuff it! she thought. She didn't want to marry
such a weirdo anyway. And it would play havok on her ego. Imagine
marrying someone who was more sexy than you! Besides, she stopped
training in the martial arts a long time ago and she couldn't ruin her
father's dreams like that. In all likelyhood, she probably would sell
the dojo.

"I'm sure you'll let me borrow him whenever I want anyway, won't you
Akane?" Nabiki said, resigned. "For the interests of making money of
course." That would do it. She didn't need to make such a sacrifice if
she could thrust it on Akane and she could still reap all the rewards!

Akane looked around wildly. "B-but I didn't mean that 'I' wanted to
marry him! He's a girl half the time!"

Kasumi smiled gently at her. "But you hate boys, Akane. Therefore, he's
the perfect one for you."

"But he's such a pervert! Even his father lusts after him! That is sick
I tell you! Sick!"

"Hey!" Genma cried out, indignant. "Every male who has seen Ranma in
female form for the first time has and will act like that! That was my
one and only time I've fallen from grace!"

Ranma gave her father a look that she would disprove that statement
later but then returned to glaring at Akane. "And it's not my fault I'm
so beautiful as a girl!" she added, starting to get angry. "You think I
like male attention? If anything it's Pop here who deserves all the
blame." Ranma splashed a glass of water at her father, turning him into
a panda.

"And ... and it would be embarrassing if I had a fianc� who looked a
hundred times better than me, " Akane argued, grasping at straws now.
"I could never marry someone like him! Why, he even saw me in the nude!"

"Hey! you walked in on me!" Ranma turned around, refusing to look at
her. "By the way, I noticed you got a pretty good look at me as well!
And besides, it's no big deal for me to see a naked girl. I've looked at
myself plenty of times."

Akane snorted. "See? He even perves on himself!"

"Actually, I would rather peep at myself than you. After all, I'm way,
waaaaaaay, way better built than you could ever hope to be!" Ranma
lifted her hands up behind her head, and began to laugh out loud evilly.
"Ha ha ha ha ha urk-!"

Her laughter was cut off by Akane smashing the table in a mighty
overhead swing on to the back of her head. Ranma's head, although quite
hard, was no competition for the Tendo family room table.

"R-aa-nnma! You fool! Why don't you just marry yourself then?" Akane
shouted at the unconscious form underneath the wooden fixture before
angrily turning around and stomping off to her room.

"They're already a perfect couple," the panda signed.


--- End of Part 1.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



Blonde 1/2

----------
Part 2 "School Is No Place For Loving."


It was the beginning of a new day in Nerima, Tokyo. The sun peeked
between grey clouds above a certain house and dojo. A girl with long
dark hair with a yellow ribbon tied at the back was jogging along the
footpath, making kicking and punching motions as she ran home. Akane ran
inside, sighing after her morning run. A moment later she ran back
outside, startled, as she heard shouts and the sounds of fighting coming
from the backyard. "What is with this family?" She walked back in and
out into the backyard to see Ranma, in boy form, and his father fighting
along the sides of the koi pond. They were both dressed in white
sparring clothes.

Nabiki stretched as she walked past her father, who was reading a
newspaper. She sleepily scratched her head through her haphazard hair as
she looked outside at the two people fighting. "Gee, aren't they preppy
this morning," she groaned.

"I guess they are pretty good," Akane observed, as she watched them
fight.

Ranma and his father both jumped simultaneously and met above the pond
in midair. They grunted as they exchanged several quick blows still
hovering above the water. Then Genma got in a punch, which knocked
Ranma's balance off, causing him to fall in the middle of the pond with
a loud splash.

Genma landed back safely on one of the rocks surrounding the water.
"You're getting sloppy Ranma! Ha ha ha- eep!" His body froze up and he
couldn't move.

Ranma leaped out of the pond in girl form, her long blond hair wet and
dripping water with the pigtail coming slightly undone. "What's the
matter Pop?" She looked down at herself to find that her breasts were
visible, hanging out of the now-loose gi. "Why you dirty ol' man!" Her
attractive face grew red in anger, blue eyes flashing. She leaped
forward and smashed him into the pond with a metal bucket she found
handy.

She growled at the panda, floating belly up in the pond. "I'm your son!
You're disgusting, you know that-" She was cut off by someone hugging
her from behind. "Arrrghhhh! Pervert!" She reflexively grabbed the arm
of whomever was behind her and also threw him into the pond.

The surface of the water bubbled for a moment, then Soun gasped up for
air. "Sorry about that boy!" He began to cry. "But I couldn't help
myself - Waaaaaaaaaah!"

"Geez! Sorry Mr. Tendo!" Ranma backed away in panic, closing the opening
of her gi as quickly as she could.

Akane and Nabiki managed to close their open mouths on the second try.

Kasumi walked into the room from the kitchen unfazed. In her hands she
carried breakfast. "Breakfast's ready!" She looked at the floating and
unconscious panda. "Oh I imagine Mr. Saotome would want something
different." She lifted up a plate with thick hunks of bamboo on it.


~*~*~*~


Sounds of arguing leaked out of the windows of the Tendo household.

"Oh, do I have to?" Ranma groaned, now changed back into boy form.

His father, also back to normal, folded his arms trying to make himself
look forceful. "Boy, we are going to stay here a while, so you got no
excuse for skipping school ... besides, you wanna grow up being dumb?"

"Hey, just coz you probably didn't go to school doesn't mean you have to
force your old boyhood desires on me!"

Genma reddened. "Now listen here-"

"Oh, shut up!" Ranma kicked him outside and into the pond with a loud
splash.

"Now, now Ranma ... " Nabiki passed by the open door. "You'll be seeing
us at school anyway, since Akane and I go to the one you are enrolled
at." Inwardly, Nabiki was making plans on how to market Ranma in girl
form at school. She rubbed her hands in anticipation over how much money
she was going to make today. In fact she knew of one guy she was sure
would pay her a lot of money for information on her new money maker.
"Anyway, I'm off!"

Akane walked in, carrying her books and dressed in her school uniform.
"Wait! Nabiki, can I go with you?"

"Hmmmm? Shouldn't you be going with Ranma? He's your fianc�, you should
walk him there and show him around. And he is in your grade." She didn't
want to be slowed down. She had a lot of work to do.

"So what? You think I want him to be my fianc�?"

"Hey!" Ranma objected. "I didn't have a choice either you know."

Akane and Ranma looked at each other for a moment. Then Akane turned
around to leave. "Well? Let's go already!" she said, resigned.

Ranma fumed as he looked at her departing back. "And what if I'm not
ready yet?"

The large panda hitting him on the head with a school bag answered that
question.


~*~*~*~


Akane looked at Ranma out of the corner of her eye. Show off, she
thought. Walking on the fence like that.

Ranma looked down at her from atop the wire fence. "Hey! Stop with the
dirty looks already. You think I wanted to walk to school with you?"

"I don't care, it's still your fault Ranma," Akane stated stubbornly.

Ranma lifted his arms in exasperation. "Geez, Akane..."

"And don't think we are 'really' going to get married either," Akane
added.

"Will you stop treating me as if this engagement was all my idea? Go
blame our parents if you have to blame ... Hey!" He shouted as he was
hit on the head from behind. He discovered his father behind him, also
on the fence.

"You listen here boy, you 'will' uphold the Saotome honor by marrying
Akane," Genma imperiously stated. He was about to say more but Ranma's
roundhouse propelled him off the fence and into the canal.

"What was that Pop?" Ranma taunted as the panda resurfaced. The panda
spat out some water and growled. "Huh? Speak up! I can't understand
you."

Hissing in rage, the panda gave a gigantic leap, bringing him over the
fence and onto Akane's side. Seeing his father's temper over the edge,
Ranma wisely decided to leave. Breaking into a sprint on top of the
fence, he shouted, "C'mon Akane! Let's go!"

Akane looked back at the snarling panda beginning to give chase and
agreed that the idea had merit. They sprinted off, the panda in hot
pursuit.

A while later, they stopped running when they couldn't see the panda
anymore. Ranma looked at Akane and laughed. "Ha ha. We lost him. He's
too fat to run for long.

His laugh, however, was cut short by a stream of water landing on his
head. The new 'girl' looked up angrily to find the back of an old woman
going back in from the upper balcony with an empty bucket in her hands.
Then she panicked as she realised that some boys were across the road
and were going to notice her any second.


~*~*~*~


Nabiki chuckled as she took off her grey wig and wrinkled facemask
within the safety of her friend's house. The first step after all was to
advertise a new product. And those male students across the road have
probably already gotten a good eyeful of it. She peeked from between the
curtains to survey her handiwork. Drat, she thought. Ranma and Akane had
somehow avoided letting the boys spot them and were getting away! She
wondered how they did it.


~*~*~*~


Akane looked at Ranma. "Okay, you can take that paper bag off your
head now."

Ranma peeked uneasily from underneath her makeshift disguise to find
that they were indeed in front of the medical clinic. Akane had said
earlier that they could get hot water from here. "You sure it's okay
Akane? No guys around here to freak out over me? It's disgusting."

"You're girlish ego is all that's disgusting Ranma. As if hordes of men
will just assault you on the street like that," Akane said as she opened
the door and went in. Ranma followed, peeking right and left under the
bag.

It's not the men I'm afraid of ... " Ranma said with a shudder as she
pulled the bag off completely and shook her blond pigtail off her
shoulder. Well, mostly, Ranma added silently. Nervously she hid behind
one of the walls as Akane asked the woman behind the counter for a
bucket of hot water.

"Hot water Akane? Sure, just wait here a moment." The woman gave Akane a
puzzled glance wondering 'why' she needed a bucket of hot water before
leaving to go into one of the rooms.

Ranma leaned against the wall she was hiding behind and groaned. The
start of the day was 'not' promising she reflected. Just as she added a
couple more mental complaints to her list, she felt a bony hand touching
her on the shoulder. Startled, she spun quickly and jumped back into a
defensive position. She blinked, confused when it turned out to be a
tall man with dark hair, wearing glasses and black clothes. He had what
looked like a medical skeleton at his side.

"Sorry to startle you like that but ... " All of a sudden the man's
glasses seemed to have fogged up and a silly grin replaced the small
smile he had earlier. "Oh e-excuse me Miss, heh heh heh. That was
just Betty-chan, my skeleton." He knocked over the skeleton as he
pointed to himself. "J-just my skeleton, heh heh heh..."

Ranma's face reddened as she covered her face in her hands. Akane said
she would be safe here!

"N-no need to be shy... I-I'm so sorry for scaring you like that." He
punched himself in the head. "See? I p-punished myself," he said,
wobbling a bit.

"Ranma, I have the hot wat ... er?" Akane looked at the man's funny
expression shocked. An absolutely horrified expression appeared on her
face as she looked at Ranma, her face covered in her hands, then at the
man with his red face and fogged up spectacles.

Ranma peeked out at her from in between her fingers. "Gimme that!" she
shouted desperately, as she grabbed the bucket of hot water and leaped
out the open window.

Akane looked at the man miserably.

"W-who was your cute friend, Kasumi? I-is she single?"


~*~*~*~


Later on with Ranma changed back into a guy, he and Akane were running
to school. Except Ranma was running on the fence as if he were running
on normal ground. Akane looked at the ground depressed as she ran after
him.

"I thought I would be safe in there Akane! You said so!" Ranma accused.

Akane still had her head lowered. "I thought so too. I thought he was in
love with someone else?"

Ranma slowed down a bit as he looked down at her. "Huh? Fat lot you know
Akane. A guy's only in love until a more beautiful girl comes along."

Akane lifted her head, her eyes blazing dark fire. "Yeah, you should
know, Ranma! After all you are a guy! Or supposed to be one."

"Hey! This is from my experience as a girl here!" He looked at Akane
again afraid that she would escalate into violence.

However, Akane's steam seemed to have evaporated into a depressed air.
She looked at the ground again. "Anyway, that was Doctor Tofu, the
chiropractor. He takes care of our family's injuries."

Ranma was puzzled by Akane's behavior. Trying to look at Akane's down
turned face was hard to do from atop the fence. Suddenly he came to the
only fitting conclusion, aghast. "Don't tell me ... "

"Look Ranma, that's Furinkan High School ahead so don't talk to me now.
I don't want them to know that you're with me." She ran off towards the
front gates leaving Ranma behind.

Forgetting what he was thinking earlier, he looked at the dust cloud
Akane created. "Gee, thanks for the word of confidence Akane."

Ranma continued to walk on the fence wondering why Akane was running off
when suddenly the School's front doors slammed open, and hordes upon
hordes of boys poured out. They all seemed to be wearing either fighting
clothes or sporting equipment. Shouts of "Akane Tendo!" rang out.

"Akane look out! They all want to beat you!" one boy's voice proclaimed.

"I'm late, out of the way!" Akane shouted back, just before she jumped
right in the middle of the crowd.

The mob of boys seemed to engulf Akane in a cloud of dust and fighting.
Just as Ranma was about to jump from the fence and intercede thinking
that the men in Nerima were all psychotics, the cloud appeared to break
up with male students flying every which way, accompanied by screams of
pain.

Looking closely into the heat of the action, Ranma was surprised to see
Akane was actually beating up all her attackers. He winced as one guy
was actually hit so hard he flipped in the air three times before he
landed somewhere on the roof of the school.

After several more knockouts like this, Akane looked around to see the
last boy trying to tip-toe his way out. She him in the head with her
book bag sending him into and through a brick wall.

"There!" Akane huffed with a satisfied smile on her face, breathing
hard after her work out. She glanced disdainfully at the male students
littered haphazardly about the area. Those that weren't unconscious yet
were quietly groaning in agony as they writhed about the floor before
succumbing to concussions.

"Umm, Akane what was that all about?" Ranma asked curiously. Inwardly
he was storing away Akane's technique for avoiding unwanted men. The
maximum violence approach seemed to work splendidly.


~*~*~*~


Behind a nearby wall, Nabiki waited for the perfect moment. In her hands
she clutched another bucket of cold water. This time I'll get it right,
she thought evilly.


~*~*~*~


A red blur came streaking out of nowhere. Akane caught it between her
fingers reflexively. She looked at it and groaned in annoyance. It was
a rose.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed overhead within ominous looking
grey clouds as a dark figure uncurled itself from behind a tree.

"A churlish and ill-mannered lot to treat such a fair maiden, truly."

Akane and Ranma turned to the new speaker. Ranma looked at the male
student curiously. He was a tall boy with brown hair in a blue Kendo
outfit. Outstretched in one of his hands was a wooden sword.

"Should one of these louts beat you, my tender Akane, it seems that the
victor would be allowed to date with you," the tall boy continued.

Akane gave him a disgusted look. "Oh it's you, Kuno-sempai. And I
wonder who actually gave them that perverted idea?" She tried to run
past, hefting her book bag, but the tall boy blocked her.

"Oh, though she is but small, she is fierce! Fair maiden, Akane Tendo,
such a prize is not worthy unless one is better than the prize. Whilst
thou spar with me?"

"Kuno-sempai, I..."

Ranma jumped down from the wall that he was watching from. "That lot of
boys suggests you do have 'some' appeal. Still the numbers involved is
nothing compared ... "

"Ranma, stay out of this. You wanna get hurt?"

Ranma looked at her, then at Kuno. "What's happening here Akane?"

"Just watch from that corner over there."

Kuno looked at them, swinging his bokken down threateningly. "Hey you!
One should not act so familiarly to the fair Akane Tendo. Only 'I' have
that honor."

Ranma looked at Akane helplessly.

"Lout! I was speaking to you! Who are you to hound the fair Akane?"

"Uhhh ..." Ranma turned to face him. "I'm Ran-"

"Yes, when one speaks to one's betters it is the custom to look at the
one who addresses him. Ahh, but is it not also the custom to provide
one's own name initially? Very well then, Tatewaki Kuno is my name, aged
seventeen and captain of this school's Kendo organisation. However, to
my fellow peers, I am known as 'The Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High!"

The lightning overhead flashed again, simultaneous with a boom of
thunder. Ranma looked up for a second wondering how he did that.


~*~*~*~


Behind the wall, Nabiki smirked. Blue blunder? It did sound fitting.
Although that 'shooting fart' he was calling himself last week was right
on the dot also. Then, inwardly she tensed as she realised that the
perfect moment was coming. The boys on the floor looked about to regain
consciousness.


~*~*~*~


Ranma looked at Kuno a little confused. "Huh? Well anyway, its not like
I can avoid speaking to Akane since I ... uh ... I'm staying at the
Tendo martial arts training hall."

Kuno stiffened. "What? Lecherous dog! I will teach you to live in sin
with my one and only Akane Tendo!" He took a step forward as he swung
his bokken aiming at Ranma's head.

However the blow failed to connect as Ranma leapt backward in somersault
leap easily avoiding the kendo sword. Still in midair he introduced
himself. "I am Ranma Saotome, heir to the school of Anything Goes
Martial Arts!" Before landing softly in front of the bewildered Kuno, he
smoothly removed his backpack and tossed it to Akane.

"That means challenge accepted!"


~*~*~*~


Nabiki jumped out of her hiding place. Now! she thought as she tossed
the bucket of water at Ranma's back.


~*~*~*~


Ranma shivered as the cold water hit him, er her. Where did that come
from ... she thought. Then sensing movement in front of her, she leapt
upwards.

Kuno, using the water's distraction rushed forward quickly. Flying
forward in an extemely quick leap, he swung his bokken in a horizontal
sweep intending to severe Ranma through the stomach. However when Kuno
next looked, his target was not there. Only rubble from a destroyed
concrete wall. Ha! I have disintegrated him! But then sensing that
something was wrong with that scenario, he looked straight up to find
... someone ... standing tilted upwards along the vertical bough of a
tree. Then he promptly stopped thinking coherently, for Kuno that is, as
he got a good look.

Ranma jumped back down, landing softly. "Look, Kuno ... " she stopped as
she heard her soft feminine voice. Oh no. Kuno's sudden attack made her
forget she got hit with water. She looked around for any other boys who
might have seen her. Drat. All of Akane's admirer's were sitting up and
staring at her. When did they regain consciousness? She looked down at
her wet red shirt and found her breasts sticking to it, very visible.
She blushed as she covered them with her hands. She looked up to see that
all the boys and Kuno were still looking at her in quiet awe.

Kuno kneeled, looking at her in reverence. "Oh thank you Gods! That you
should bestow upon me what beauty could only be that of a heavenly
angel! My Golden Goddess!"

All of Akane's ex-admirers stared at Kuno in hatred. They silently vowed
that Kuno wouldn't get this one.

"But I, I thought you liked Akane!?"

Kuno looked at her dazedly, still in awe of her beauty. "Akane? Who is
Akane? What is more of the utmost importance is your name my fair sweet
rose of sunlight."

"But I'm Ranma Saotome!"

Kuno stood up shocked. "That vile despoiler of femininity? Ah, but I see
now, he has got to you too! You have been spelled to love that sorcerer
Saotome so much you want to be him!" He swung his bokken angrily. "I
will not allow it! Where is that toad? No doubt he feared my prowess
with a sword. Nonetheless, since he is not here, you may date with me
my Golden Goddess!"

Ranma looked around wildly, her blond pigtail whipping side to side.
Escape! Must escape, she thought in panic. She looked at Akane. Akane's
mouth was open and didn't show any sign of closing in the near future.
No help there ... wait! She spotted Nabiki approaching. "Nabiki! Nabiki!
Help me!" Ranma cried out desperately.

Nabiki gave her a cool glance. "I can help diffuse the situation. But it
will cost you."

"What? You can't be serious!" Ranma shouted angrily.

"Very well then." She began to walk off.

Ranma looked back at the salivating Kuno and male students who were
still checking her out. "Okay, okay! How much?"

Nabiki stopped and turned around. "Five thousand."

"Here!" Ranma slapped the notes into her hand angrily.

Nabiki walked towards the group of love struck boys. "Information about
our new student, blond, beautiful, the female Ranma Saotome! Only ten
thousand yen per tip!"

Kuno and the male students snatched their eyes away from Ranma.
"Information about the Golden Goddess?! Me first! Me!" They all crowded
around Nabiki.

Ranma looked at them disgustedly. "Geez, I knew I should've just run
away. Akane?" Akane closed her open mouth and looked at her, still a
little overwhelmed. "Do you know where I can get some hot water?"
Ranma asked her.

Akane nodded. "The girl's bathrooms are right this way."

"The girl's bathrooms? This is 'not' my day."

To top it all off, the clouds above them finally began to pour rain.


~*~*~*~


Later in classroom F, first year, Ranma was sitting with Akane in the
front desk. However, she was 'still' female. "I can't believe it," she
groaned. "ALL the hot water taps at this god-forsaken school aren't
working!" She looked around and found that all the male students in the
classroom were still staring at her dreamily. She also noted all the
glares the female students were giving her.

Akane looked at her, also puzzled. "I don't understand it either. They
were all working last time I was at school. They couldn't have just all
broken like that."

"I just hope that the teacher is a female."

"Don't worry, Ranma, you don't have to worry about that," Akane
reassured her.

Just then, the teacher walked in. Ranma sighed in relief when she found
that her fears were unfounded. It was indeed a female teacher.

"Now people, we have a new student in our class. His name is Ranma
Saotome. I'd like you all to make him feel welcome," the teacher said,
glancing around to find him. "Now Ranma, why don't you stand up so we
can all get a good look at you."

Ranma hesitantly stood up. The teacher looked at her curiously. What a
beautiful young woman, she thought. Even all the boys are staring at
her. And judging from all the killing looks the female students are
giving her, they're all jealous.

"Err, Miss, I haven't seen you before. Are you new too?" she asked.

"Um, no, I'm Ranma Saotome."

"Huh? But it says here on this card that you are male. See this 'M'?"
She turned the card she was reading around to show the class. "It's
right next to your name. Means your a male. I guess it must be a typo.
Heh heh, there's no way you could be male."

"But, but, I really am a guy!" Ranma spluttered.

Akane stood up as well. "Yes Sensei, we know it doesn't look like it at
the moment but she, I mean he, really is a guy. We just need some hot
water but we couldn't find any before classes started."

The teacher studied Ranma closely. "Miss, if this is a joke, it's not
funny. A boy indeed! On your first day here no less. Well I'll just
correct this on the roster." She lifted up some papers and wrote
on them with a pen. "Ranma Saotome, female."

Ranma ran her fingers through her hair angrily. "Hey! Don't do that! I
AM a boy! And call me Mister!"

The teacher looked at her sternly. "Ranma! This joke has gone far
enough! I don't know what they taught you in whatever school's you've
been to before, but here at Furinkan, we take education seriously. Stand
outside! And Akane, I don't see why you supported her. You can join
her."

Ranma walked out angrily, Akane following, glaring at her back.

One of the male students lifted up his hand.

"What is it Hiroshi?"

"Can we all go make Ranma feel welcome now, Sensei?"


~*~*~*~


In Nabiki and Kuno's classroom, the class was in an uproar. Crowds of
boys poured into the room to try to score some information about the hot
new female student, Ranma Saotome. The teacher was hiding beneath the
desk afraid he would get trampled.

Nabiki was gloating. It was a good idea of hers to sabotage all the hot
water taps at school before Ranma got here. Bribing the janitor was
simple but brilliant. Now Ranma wouldn't be able to get changed back and
he would have to be registered as a girl. And that meant more money for
her. Heavens, if profits like this keep up, we'll all be living in the
lap of luxury soon, she thought. Ranma I love you, or to be more
specific, I love your hot little body which will sell like hotcakes.

"So, Nabiki Tendo, tell me all that you know of the Golden haired one."
Kuno handed her another ten thousand yen. He knocked a boy on the head
who had gotten too close, with his bokken. "You there! Keep your
distance. This is my information. Get your own spy."

"Now, now, boys, wait in line," Nabiki admonished. She turned back to
Kuno. "Now then, Kuno-baby, I have got 'lot's' of juicy tidbits to share
with you, all for a fee of course. After all she is living with us."

"What! My Golden Goddess is living under the same roof as that sorcerer,
Saotome? Never! It is forbidden, so say I, Tatewaki Kuno!" He got up and
trampling some unfortunate boys, crashed out into the hallway.

Nabiki looked at her departing meal ticket. "Damnit! I had to say that."
Then she shrugged. "Oh well, next!"


~*~*~*~


Outside their classroom in the hallway, Akane shifted her grip on the
buckets of water she was carrying. "This is all your fault Ranma."

Ranma blew some strands of blond hair out of her eyes. "What? Why do you
blame me for everything?" She grumbled as she looked down at the buckets
of water she was carrying also. "Too bad it's just cold water in these
buckets."

"Well everything that happens is usually a direct result because of you.
So of course it's going to be your fault. If you never showed up I
wouldn't be in this engagement farce, I wouldn't suddenly become the
second best martial artist, the boys would still like me and
D-doctor T-of -" Akane cut herself off.

Hearing this, Ranma felt really guilty. She looked down at the floor. It
wasn't her fault she looked this way as a girl. If she had been born as
a girl, this is what she would've turned out like, so her appearance was
just an accident of birth. Except in this case it was an accident caused
by a goof ball parent. And Akane 'was' kind of cute, she didn't really
deserve to get suddenly thrust out of the limelight like that. "Well at
least you haven't got Kuno after you anymore - speak of the devil."

"Golden One! It is you! I would date thee!" Kuno charged down the
hallway at her.

Ranma tossed the buckets at him as he closed in on her, then ran off.
"Arrghhh! Get away!"

Kuno dodged them and followed in hot pursuit. "Is it that foul Saotome?
I will cleanse you of his vile memory!"

Akane dropped her buckets and followed after them. She thought to
herself, why am I not surprised?

One of the monitors appeared in the hall. "Hey, no running in the hall!"
Ranma ran past him. The monitor turned his head to look at her, then
kept on looking. Saliva began to leak on to his chin. Kuno bopped him on
the head with his fist as he ran past, knocking him out.

"You dare to lay your lecherous eyes on the girl I would date?" he
called out, not looking back.

Akane also stepped on the monitor's head as she ran past, following the
two. "Sorry!"

Ranma huffed in exasperation and fear. "Kuno! I do NOT want to date
you!" she shouted back at her unwanted admirer.

"But have I not told you, that it is a misbegotten spell that the
accursed Saotome has cast on you, my lovely?"

"For the last time, I am Ranma Saotome!" She looked over her shoulder
and found that Kuno had somehow gained on her, his lips inches away and
puckered up for a wet kiss. "Arrrghhhh!" She jumped out the next open
window she came to.

"What was that Golden One?" Kuno asked as he also jumped outside,
following her. Then his eyes bugged out as he realised how high up they
were.

Akane came to a stop before the open window. "Ranma! Watch out!" she
called out. "This is the third floor and there's nothing down there but
concrete!"

"Don't worry Akane!" Ranma shouted, knowing she could jump down from
heights like this easily. Then looking down, she saw a huge black and
white figure slowly getting bigger and bigger as she descended. Oh
lordy, she thought, I'm gonna land on someone! She desperately tried to
alter her line of descent, flapping her arms, anything! But it wasn't
working!


~*~*~*~


Genma, in panda form, tried to look in through the school windows, but
he couldn't see anything. He had been too late with the kettle to catch
Ranma before she went in. He was hoping to somehow spot Ranma and then
turn her back into normal form. No son of his was going to masquerade as
a girl in school!

Pain exploded in his head as something fell on top of him. He growfed in
confusion before falling unconscious. Lucky for him since another, even
heavier object smashed down on them again. The kettle smashed open
drenching everyone with hot water.

Ranma looked up and found that he was in male form. "What?" he said in
confusion before realising that he had landed on top of his father, who
was also in human form. The kettle in his hand must have splashed them
when he landed. "Yes! Now I can tell everyone I'm really a guy!" He
pushed himself up with his arms and threw Kuno off in annoyance. The
tall boy bounced off the concrete brokenly and landed on his back.

Kuno groaned in pain as he shakily stood up. "Saotome, it is you! But
where is my beloved Golden Goddess?" His eyes narrowed as he unsheathed
the bokken from it's sheath attached to his back. "No doubt your demonic
presence has frightened her off before she could declare her true love
for me! For that I will annihilate you, wizard!"

Ranma wearily arose also. "Look Kuno, I don't really got nothing against
you, except maybe your blind stupidity, but I'm telling you, man to man
that 'I' am your Golden Goddess."

Kuno's eyes widened. Finally, Ranma thought. I'm getting through to him!

Kuno stepped back in disgust. "Pervert! I am not that kind of man! for
the insult of coming on to me, I will teach you a lesson such that you
will never forget! Such a cruel person to enspell the Golden-haired One
into loving you when it is boys that you like!"

Ranma growled. "That's it! I am not gay, you hear that? Me and the
Goldened-haired One, are one and the same! I am her and she is me!
Listen! We are one!"

Kuno narrowed his eyes. "Deceitful trickster! You pretended that it is
boys that you like to cover your trail when you are really after my one
true love! I won't have it! Hah!" He thrust his bokken at Ranma's chest.

"Somehow I get the feeling you didn't get it yet," Ranma said dodging to
the side. A hole was punched in the brick wall behind him.

"Silence cur, while I disembowel you!" Kuno shouted back as he drew his
kendo sword back and stabbed forward again.

Ranma, easily avoided it, then grabbed the end of the outstretched
wooden sword and drew it in. Then within Kuno's guard he spun around and
punched him in the chest. Kuno's breath was knocked out as he fell
backwards.

"You just don't get it Kuno!"

Kuno staggered back, then again rushed forward. "Fool! It is you that is
the one that is going to get it!"

This time, Ranma dodged side to side avoiding his wild offence, then
jumped, somersaulting over his attacker by using his index finger on
Kuno's head to pivot himself.

"Saotome! Where are you - urrk!!" He was cut off by Ranma's foot solidly
connecting with the back of his head. "I go to sleep now," he mumbled as
he fell forward unconscious.

Ranma sighed. "Finally!" Suddenly cold water splashed him from behind,
turning him back into his cursed form. "What the hell?" She turned
around angrily.

Nabiki grinned at her, swinging her empty bucket. "Just in time." Akane
was also there staring daggers at her as usual.

"What are you talking about?"

Suddenly crowds and crowds of students poured into the courtyard. "Look
at that!" Shouts rang out. "She beat Kuno!"

"Them," Nabiki answered, smiling. "You wouldn't want me to lose the
biggest new source of my income, now do you?"


--- End of Part 2.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Thanks for going through again if you've read this already. Tell me if
there's any probs.

Anyway, till next fic,

Ace Sanchez.