The characters in this story belong to their respective creators and
copyrights. Ranma 1/2 is the creation and intellectual property of Rumiko
Takahashi. Sailor Moon is the creation and intellectual property of Naoko
Takeuchi. All original content is the creation and intellectual property of
Samuel Phoenix. Recognition is given to John Sanchez for a small kick of
inspiration that helped produce this story.

                   Awkward Consequences
              Chapter 1: Unexpected Revelations
                PsyckoSama (syp104@psu.edu)

It was light, the day had come. Once more into the breach. Hotaru looked at
her clock. It was almost half-past six. Close enough, time to get up and
face the world.

She arose from her bed and turned to her closet. She was following her daily
routine, she had to continue on as if there was nothing wrong. If she acted
different from the norm the others would realize something was wrong, and if
they knew something was wrong then they would eventually find out. She had
to figure things out before it was too late. She had time, just not enough.

She removed a uniform, the colors of Mugen Academy. What would happen to her
school life? She fought hard, studied hard, to get into the school. What
would happen to her education?

Hotaru's train of though was disturbed by the shrill cry of her alarm clock.
6:30, time for all good girls to get up and face the day. She quickly turned
it off and left toward the bath.

She exited her room and carefully walked toward the bathroom. Good, no one
in the halls. No one in the halls to see the dried tears that framed her
face.

She closed the door. Time to wash up, to cover the evidence of her sadness
and tears. Smile. Smile. Always smile. A smile was a mask of happiness. If
she smiled then people would not question, and search for the truth before
she was ready. She ran the water and washed her face.

In a cascade of soap and water she wiped away the tracts left by her tears
and glanced in the mirror. All she saw was herself.

Cute. She had been called cute. Was it true, or was it a falsehood said to
throw her off balance. She couldn't see how it was true. She was short,
bony, and flat-chested. Her hair was too thin and she didn't have enough
color in her skin. How could she possibly be cute? Who could find a sickly
girl like her attractive? That was a question to ask when the time was
right, but not now.

Right now she had to worry about her face. The tears themselves were gone,
but she still looked like hell. Her eyes were puffy and she had rings under
her eyes. She would have to do. She did not have the time for makeup.

Hotaru eventually finished with her routine and quickly changed into her
uniform. Stopping only to throw her PJs into the hamper, she proceeded down
the stairs. Smile. Remember to smile. The less they know the better she was.

When she got to the kitchen, she noted that all of the Outers were present.
Michiru was finishing up on the cooking, Haruka was sitting back waiting for
breakfast, while Setsuna was drinking her ritual cup of black coffee and was
reading the newspaper.

"Good morning Hotaru-chan!" said Michiru shattering Hotaru's train of
thought.

"I'm just fine Michiru-mama," replied Hotaru. To prove her speculative state
of happiness, Hotaru smiled. The smile was a wonderful example of poor
acting. A large, plastic Cheshire Cat grin to give emphases a plastic mood.

Michiru frowned, and inquisitively looked Hotaru over. "Hotaru-chan, what's
wrong?"

This was bad. Doing her best to keep from showing her inner feelings she
doubled up on her smile, but could not cover her heavy perspiration. Hotaru
really hated being the center of attention. "Nothing Mama! I'm just fine"

Michiru frowned, "What's wrong Hotaru-chan, did you get sick again?"

Hotaru took a look at Michiru, and could see that she was not going to be
happy until she had an answer. "No mama," she lied.

Hotaru's smile faded as she spoke. She hated lying, especially to her
family, but sometimes you have to force yourself to do the unpleasant. She
knew this better anyone alive.

Hotaru felt Haruka's worried gaze upon her. She knew she had been a little
more distant the past few weeks. The young Senshi's constitution may never
have been that good, but with her new illness and their constantly hovering
over her, who could blame her?

Suddenly, Haruka's worried expression transformed into a conpiratorial
smirk. Hotaru's father figure leaned forward with a glint in her eye. "So,
Hotaru-chan, who's the boy?"

Hotaru's eyes almost bugged out of her skull, and she stopped dead in her
tracks like a deer in headlights. Did she know?! What was she going to do?
The expletive list that ran through her head was long and harsh. While she
could hide her thoughts her face betrayed her with a crimson blush.

"Well?" inquired Haruka, noticing her daughters reaction.

Hotaru's mind ran through a thousand different responses, from admission to
indifference. Finally she settled on denial. "Boy? Haruka-papa, do I look
like one of the Inners to you?"

Haruka lowered her head and sighed, "Guess not..."

With that out of the way Hotaru sighed at sat at the breakfast table. When
the food was served she dug in with unusual gusto. She tried her best to
avoided, ignore, and/or stay out of the conversations around her. Today the
conversations mainly consisted of Senshi business, complaints about Haruka
and Michiru conflicting collage schedules, and general flirting between her
parents. As usual Setsuna remained silent and out of the picture. Well,
mostly out of the picture.

Setsuna lowered her paper and cleared her throat. "Hotaru, yesterday you
came in with a bag. What was in it?"

"Oh, nothing Setsuna-mama! It was only..." Hotaru though for a moment, what
would be a good cover up. "Shoes! I just got a pair of shoes. Nothing
special really."

Hotaru gave everyone a huge plastic grin and hoped they would buy it.

"It looked small for a shoe box," commented Setsuna as she took a nonchalant
a sip of her coffee.

"It was only a pair of sandals," she quickly replied.

"I see. Well, you'll have to show them too me later," Setsuna replied,
lifting the paper once gain.

That was a close one. Hotaru mentally noted that she should pick up a pair
of sandals after school. She took a quick look up at the wall clock, and
pushed the scant remains of her meal away.

Standing up she said, "Oh, look at the time! It's getting late. I've got to
get going!"

Haruka blinked. Hotaru never left this early, and she always got a ride.
"Hotaru, it's not that late. I'll drive you one I'm finished eating."

Hotaru shook her head. "No, it's fine Haruka-papa! It's such a nice day! I
think I'll walk."

"Are you sure your up to it?" questioned Haruka.

It was a nice day and she could use the time to think. She would press the
issue. Hotaru nodded, "Yes Haruka-papa. I feel great. I think I'll walk home
too."

Haruka shrugged, and consented. "Ok Hotaru, but if anything happens give me
a call."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. Sometimes Haruka could be so overprotective. "Yes
papa..."

Haruka smiled and waved her daughter off, "See ya, Hotaru-chan!"

Hotaru grabbed her things and left, stopping only to grab her bento and to
wish Setsuna and Michiru a good day.

After she left Michiru turned to the other two outers and said, "I think
there is something wrong with Hotaru."

"I agree," said Haruka "She is acting slightly strange. How about you
Setsuna?"

Setsuna sighed and looked over her paper. "I've seen nothing in the near
future that could be considered a major event. Ask her if you like, but it
could just be that she's growing up."

Setsuna laughed, "Do whatever you like, but I'll play no part of it"

----------------------------------

She walked at a slow, sedate pace, both to save energy and to give her time
to think.

It was hard to hide things with a guilty mind. She would have to calm down
and relax. She just needed to relax. Things would be ok, but first she
needed to find him.

She looked back to her meeting with the pig-tailed boy. Looking back she
remembered little. While she wasn't surprised, it was upsetting. He seemed
like a nice person, sweet and caring. She liked that. He had even called her
cute. While she could not see not he could mean that, at least he was nice
to her, unlike the jerks at her school.

She though a little more. He had clamed to be a great Martial Artists too.
While she knew that she would never be strong enough to be one she always
envied Makato and Haruka for their skill and confidence. She often wished
she could be a healthy as they were.

She knew that he had told her his address, but that, the most important
detail, what she could not recall. All she could remember was him mentioning
Nerima and a dojo.

Hotaru groaned. Great, she had to find a particular dojo in Nerima. Why did
it have to be in Nerima? Haruka-papa and Makato always talked about it like
it was a Mecca for martial arts enthusiasts. There had to be at least a
hundred dojos in Nerima. This was not going to be easy.

As she walked, Hotaru remembered why she usually got a ride. It was a long
walk. While most normal girls could easily walk the distance from her house
to Mugen, Hotaru was beginning to tire already. At this rate she would be
luck to make it before first bell. Taking a deep breath she put more her
stride, hoping she would not need to rest too many times. It was only a
kilometer.

----------------------------------

"Some things never change," Hotaru mused to herself as she ate her lunch
alone. During the day Hotaru had more time to think. She realized that
trying to act happy was not going to fool anyone. She had to try and act
normal, or at least what passed for normal for her. She also had to find
Saotome Ranma.

Normal, why couldn't she be normal. She looked at the other students as they
ate their meals and talked. Her only friends were the Senshi. Even her best
friend, Chibi-Usa, was a Senshi. None of them were normal, but they still
had normal friends. Why couldn't she? What was wrong with her?

Hotaru sighed longingly as she looked at the others talked and quietly
observed their conversations. Always listening, never intruding. The
conversations today were average. The boys were talking about the girls, the
girls were talking about to boys. Kanada Ryu, the classes premier technology
Otaku was boasting about his new computer.

She wondered what it would be like to have a boyfriend, someone strong and
cute who did not care about her powers. Maybe Ranma was the one. Yeah,
right. She sighed longingly and continued to eat, wondering and hoping.

Ranma. She swore she could hear his name. Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. Hotaru raised
an eyebrow. She was hearing his name. She looked around for a moment, then
zoomed in on the boys in the corner.

She groaned, this was great. It was Yoshi and his goons. Yoshi was the class
tough guy. He claimed to be a martial artist, be even she could tell that he
was just a big jerk with an even bigger mouth.

Hotaru looked at them for a moment. Yoshi and his mob of idiots were reading
a cheap tabloid called "The Nerima Review". They seemed exacted talking
about a fight between Ranma and a boy named Ryouga. She was not sure that it
was her Ranma they were talking about, so she waited to see if they would
mention the last name.

She did not have to wait long for proof. One of the punks lifted it into the
air for a moment. She almost jumped out of her seat in response. On its
cover was the picture of two young men in a contest of skill. While she
could not recognize that bandanna-clad man with the umbrella, she knew that
pigtail!

Hotaru quickly stood up and walked over to them. She would have to get it
somehow. She took a deep breath and said, "Excuse me, Yoshi-kun, may I
please see that magazine?"

Yoshi stood to his feet and looked down on Hotaru. "Ha! Get you own ya
little bitch."

Hotaru sighed. She would have to force him. She looked him in the eyes for a
moment and embraced the power of Saturn, causing her eyes to glow a dull
violet for a second.

It got the desired effect. Yoshi jumped back and thrust the magazine
forward. "Hey, no need to get weird! Just take it... before I kick your
 ass."

Hotaru snatched it from his hands and walked back to her desk ignoring the
dirty looks she was getting from her classmates.

Hotaru opened the magazine and began reading. To her surprise most of the
Magazine was about Ranma. He seemed to be a local celebrity among the Nerima
Martial Artist community. It calmed her to know that he would have been so
easy to find.

All in all it was a mixture of tabloid, gambling odds, and a day by day
record of the big fights in the area. Published by Tendo Press... where did
she hear that name before.

She breezed through it looking for something of interest. Ah, a Martial
Artist index! That could be useful She quickly ran through the colorful
index of names until she reached Ranma's entry.

Saotome Ranma. Age 18. Not that far from her own. His style was called
Anything goes? That's sounds silly! Ah Contact information! Exactly what she
was looking for!

"Contact the Tendo Dojo," Hotaru read to herself. No wonder she recognized
the name. He lived at the Tendo Dojo! Now she remembered!

Hotaru could not hide her beaming smile. She would go to see him tomorrow.
Things were looking up! Everything might just turn out alright.

Her quest for Saotome Ranma satisfied, she turned to the main story and
began to read. From what she could understand between the technical
descriptions of the moves she found it hard to believe.

Ki blasts? Blowing up walls with a touch! This had to be blown out of
proportion! It was right out of an anime! Hotaru then stopped herself for a
moment. So were magic girls, and that didn't stop her from fighting every
damn monster, demon, and creepy-crawly in the Tokyo area. If this was true,
and they were really this powerful, it could be worth mentioning. She would
check it out when she was there.

----------------------------------

When Hotaru arrived at home that night she was much more calm then she was
in the morning. She was still afraid, she was nervous, and she was still
hesitant, but she had hope. She had to.

She knew what she was going to do and she knew it would work. It had to. She
knew she had to tell the others but she had to do this on her own. She had
to make her own fate.

Mama and Papa. She knew they must be worried about her. She knew she was not
a terribly good actor. Hopefully they we're not doing something silly like
waiting by the door for her.

She pushed open the door and found herself looking directly at Haruka and
Michiru. Family no Baka.

Haruka and Michiru both stood up from their seats and looked at their
daughter. Hotaru gulped, their stares made her feel like she was being
interrogated. She was right.

"Hotaru-chan, you were acting very strange at breakfast. What's the matter?
Please tell us," asked Michiru, her face the very mask of concern.

Hotaru sighed, she had a feeling where this was going. "Nothing mama, I'm
fine."

"Cut the crap, Hotaru. We know something's wrong. We love you and want to
help you, so please tell us," said Haruka, somehow managing to seem both
highly annoyed and worried at the same time.

 Good Cop, Bad cop. Right on the money. If the age difference between them
wasn't less then five years Hotaru would swear that they were getting
predictable. Must be a parent thing. Oh, joy.

Hotaru knew that they would not be satisfied until she told them the truth.
She also knew that she was a horrific liar. She was momentarily reminded on
a friendly poker game she had with the inners. Who knew that innocent
seeming Ami-chan was such a card shark.

Honesty, honesty was the best bet. The fickle thing about the truth is that
you can tell part of it with out telling all of it. If you wanted to you
could go into detail and make sure the person your telling understands it in
its totality. You can also be vague, telling them just what you want them to
know and letting them come to their own, oft incorrect, conclusion. It's
vague time.

Hotaru sighed. She just hoped that she would not give away too much or break
down and tell everything. "Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, I just have a lot on
my mind."

Michiru looked Hotaru in the eyes. "Please tell us what it is. It is
obviously important. Please, let us help you."

Hotaru sniffed. She could feel tears coming on. She could break down, let it
out. No, just not yet. She had to be strong, in control. "I... I can't. Just
not yet. I have things I need to do first. Please trust me, please?"

"Hotaru..." Haruka had to know, but her questioning was interrupted mid
sentence by her lover's hand on her shoulder.

She turned to Michiru who quietly said, "Haruka, She's right. We should
trust her to make the right choice. It you can't trust those you love, who
can you?"

Hotaru couldn't help but wince internally. Couldn't anything ever be easy?

Haruka paused for a moment then nodded her head. "Your right, Michiru."

Hotaru smiled brightly. They trusted her. "Mama, papa. I'll tell you soon.
Okay?"

"It is a boy isn't it?" asked a smiling Haruka.

Hotaru blushed, winked, and waved her finger and Haruka. "That would be
telling!"

After moment Hotaru broke away from her family and left the room. She headed
directly toward the phone in the living room, and more importantly, the
phone book.

Hotaru could not help but roll her eyes when she entered. Setsuna was
sitting in her favorite chair with a soda and bowl of popcorn watching, of
all things, imported tapes of WWF Smackdown. Hotaru could never understand
how a grown woman, who by all respects predated recorded human civilization,
could watch that mindless macho crap. So much for high culture.

Hotaru lifted the phonebook and began to dig through it. After a few moments
she found the entry for the Tendo Dojo. Address and phone number. Just what
she needed. Hotaru quickly ripped out the page and headed up toward the
stairs.

"Hotaru, can I see those sandals?" asked Setsuna without turning from the
TV.

Crap, she knew that she forgot something, "Tomorrow, Setsuna-mama!"

"Okay."

Without another word Hotaru ran up stairs. She would have to get an early
start the next day. She would ask Haruka mama to give her a ride to the bus
stop, and from there she would go onto Nerima, and whatever fate awaited
her. Oh, and she also needed some damn sandals.

------------------

>From the top of the Canal's protective fence, Saotome Ranma relaxed in the
noonday sun. It was Saturday and classes were over for the week. Except for
one unfortunate "upset" a month and a half ago, life had been going
relatively well for him these last few months. He was still trapped in this
accused cycle of madness, but at least it was not getting much worse. Akane
had not been kidnapped for almost 3 months now, and the number of out of the
blue challengers and new fianc�es was at an all time low.

Surprisingly enough he was also doing well in collage. While his English
stank, and his grammar and writing were horrific, he was doing well in most
of his other classes. Once he was out of the dry, regimented environment
that was High School he quickly discovered that he had a gift for
mathematics and history. Good enough that his physics professor was trying
to pressure him into becoming a physics major.

This scared the daylights out of him. Ranma knew that if there was one
absolute in life for him, it was chaos. Peace and quite were not in the
description. Things had just been too peaceful, and considering how good
life was looking, when it blew it was going to go off big.

With a sight he turned and continued his daily run. A light twenty-five
kilometer fence-run across Nerima. A perfect light jog, and a good chance
for who ever was out for his blood that day to get it out of their systems
before they drag it home to the dojo.

Today, it wasn't working. This was odd, very odd. Every day he would
encounter something, even if it was as minor as a splash of water or Kuno
spouting flowery garbage. Today there was nothing wrong, absolutely
positively nothing. Not a good sign.

By the time he had returned home, Ranma was slightly unnerved. There was not
a cloud in the sky, his challengers were totally absent, and he had not
argued with Akane once. He never had days like this.

Ranma just shrugged. He would handle it the way he did everything else. He
would let it go its course. No need to fight the river, you'll only get
swept away.

He hopped over the wall into the backyard. Through the house's sliding door
he could see that Kasumi was sitting across from someone. With a smile he
walked toward the door.

"Hey Kasumi! Who is the visitor?"

"Oh hello Ranma! There is some one here to see you."

Ranma turned his head to see who it was. His body froze, and his heart
almost stopped when he saw the face of his visitor. Shit, meet The Fan.

Hotaru stood up and brushed of her skirt. She smiled and blushed slightly,
"Hello, Ranma-san," Hotaru said with a respectful nod.

Ranma gulped, blushing slightly himself. "Err... Hotaru-chan... ahh... How
are ya?"

Hotaru smiled, he was cute when he was embarrassed. "Ranma-san, we need to
talk." After a moment Hotaru realized Kasumi's presence, then continued
"alone."

"And what will you be talking about?" growled Akane from behind Ranma.

Ranma quickly twisted around and began to back up. Akane was in her gi. She
had apparently just finished training in the Dojo when she had over heard
them. "Err... Akane, It's not what it looks like!"

Akane's eyes narrowed. "Oh, and who is this?"

Ranma gulped, "She is... just a friend... yeah, just a friend! Akane, meet
Hotaru. Hotaru, this is my fianc�e, Tendo Akane."

Hotaru's heart stopped, and the delicate illusion she was using to shield
herself shattered by a bolt of cruel reality. Fianc�e. He had a fianc�e. No!
She couldn't tell him! To do so would oppose everything the Senshi stood
for, everything that she stood for. She just couldn't ruin another person's
happiness for her own benefit.

Hotaru looked down as she gathered her things, trying to hold her tears but
failing. "I'm sorry for bothering you two. I will be going. Have a good
life." Without another word, Hotaru turned and ran from the dojo as fast as
her sickly body could carry her.

Ranma stepped forward to follow, but was cut off by Akane's voice. "What do
you think you're doing? Trying to add another girl to your harem?"

Ranma, contrary to popular opinion was not the unobservant fool he was made
out to be. While he did not have the social graces or tact to keep his foot
out of his mouth, he was no idiot. If anything he could detect people's
intentions and emotions better them most people.

Manipulating your opponent through his or her emotions was a key part of the
Saotome school. To undermine their confidence, and to make them lose control
to anger. This necessitated an in-depth knowledge of the human psyche, and
there was a reason Ranma was a master.

Ranma could tell that she had something important to tell him. Part of him
dreaded that news. Strange women with who he had some form of past never
brought good things. Another part of his was curious. Even though he had
only met her one, he knew that Hotaru was not the kind of girl to come
unannounced without a good reason, especially after his warning. Finally
there was the main reason why he had to talk to her. He made her cry, and If
he had one weakness, it was he could not stand making girls cry.

Ranma heave a sigh. He would have to find her, but first he needed to keep
Akane from killing him. "Akane, she had something important to tell me. I
have to see what it was."

Akane growled with rage. "Fine then! Go look for your girlfriend!" She
stormed past Ranma toward the stairwell. Before she turned to leave the room
she looked back at Ranma screaming, "As far as I'm concerned, our engagement
is over!"

------------------

Hotaru was beside herself. A fianc�e, he had a fianc�e. How could she have
tricked herself into thinking a boy like that would be willing to accept a
freak like her. Once again she was alone. Alone! No one to help her. The
others could try but they couldn't understand. Even if they knew she would
be alone.

While it would not have been easy, she could have dealt with rejection, even
scorn. She was no stranger to either but to not even have a fair chance
ripped her apart inside. Why, could she ever have a chance at Happiness?
Why!? Why did the kami hate her so much? She had to be cursed! She had to
be! It just was not possible for someone to have worse luck then she*!

What would she tell Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?  What would they say?
Would they be angry? Would they every trust her again?

Overwhelmed by tears and anguish, Hotaru allowed her knees to collapse as
her limited reserves gave out. What would she do, what would she do?

"Hotaru?"

Her eyes burst open, and she looked up. Through her tear clouded eyes she
looked directly into Ranma's eyes. Two beautiful gray-blue orbs filled with
nothing but concern.

"Hotaru, don't cry. Please? Tell me what you came to say."

Hotaru shook her head. She could do nothing but refuse. She no longer had
the strength of will to tell him.

Ranma held out his hand. "Please?"

Hotaru shook her head again. "No! I can't! You have a fianc�e. I... I can't
ruin you happiness."

Ranma rubbed the back of his head and blushed. "Oh, that! I have two others
just like 'er. Mostly thanks to my old man. " Ranma's face dropped into a
scowl. Under his breath he grumbled, "Baka panda."

Hotaru's mind just froze for a moment. Three fianc�es? What the hell?
"Ranma, are you kidding? How can you have three fianc�es!?"

Ranma groaned, "Blame my old man. I probably have more than that. Three is
just the number I have to deal with now. Remember that training trip I told
you about?"

Hotaru nodded. She remembered, vaguely.

"Well, it seems that my old man thought one of the easiest was to get stuff
was to engage me to random girls then steal me back when he had what he
wanted! And that ain't the worst neither."

Hotaru was horrified. She could remember him recommending that she avoid him
unless it was completely necessary because of the so called craziness in his
life, but this was ridiculous!


She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and his hand, accepting his
assistance to her feet but said nothing. With out a word she began to walk
to toward the bus stop. Ranma followed by her side without interrupting.
Hotaru could tell that he thought that she was thinking. She was thankful
for the time, and silence.

What would she do now? Apparently this news would not be as bad as she
thought. If his life was a messed up as he claimed then she couldn't make it
any worse. Or could she? This was it, the chance she wanted,  but first she
needed some confidence.

"Ranma? When you said I was cute, did you mean it?"

Ranma blushed. "Of course I did! You're a very cute girl."

Hotaru looked up to him, hope in her eyes. "Really?"

Ranma nodded. "Really."

Hotaru stopped walking and braced herself. This would not only be the first
time she told another person, but it would also be the first time she even
said it out loud.

Hotaru smiled. "Ranma, do you still want to know?"

"Yes. I think so."

With a stutter in her nervous voice she said, "Ranma, do you remember that
night? The one we met?"

Ranma blankly nodded.

Hotaru placed a hand against the fence. To admit this would take every bit
of emotional strength she had. She choked down her tears and looked Ranma in
the eyes, her face betraying a conflicting myriad of emotion.

In a small voice she said, "Ranma, I'm... I'm pregnant, Ranma."

Notes: Please comment. All C&C will be appreciated, applause will be happily
accepted, criticism will be considered, ideas would be useful, and flames
will be quickly discarded. Thank ye! ^_^

Thanks to Strider, Thermopyle, Kit, and my others for suggestions, ideas,
and listening to my near constant chatter. ^_^

Coming soon: "Chapter 2: What Price Honor?" How will Ranma deal with THIS
one? What will the other Senshi say? What exactly happened that night? Wait
and see! -_^

*Somewhere in the distant Multiverse, Homer Simpson, Moroboshi Ataru, and
oddly enough, Saotome Ranma went into full fledged sneezing fits. ;)



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