Ranma New Half

Zam · Nov 2, 2022

Ranma New Half

Summary:
Ranma had always had an idea what was wrong, but never quite the words or the freedom to reach the truth, until she was knocked into the Spring of the Drowned Girl and everything became clear. Now, Ranma intends to make this liberation stick.

Warning:
Genma gets violent, Ranma kicks his ass if that helps.

Chapter 1

Ranma hadn't been sure what to expect of Jusenkyo, but their father bursting out of one of the springs as an extremely pissed off looking panda hadn't even been on the list.

A brief attempt at reasoning had netted nothing more than a strike across the jaw, sending Ranma hurtling into another small body of water.

'Please don't be something weak!' was Ranma's thought as the water washed over sun kissed skin and began to change... them?

Tingly, it was very tingly, but though Ranma felt lighter in some places and heavier in others, there was not the sort of change one might expect from becoming an animal.

Bursting from the water, Ranma sucked in a desperate breath and only half heard the guide, "Too bad, you have fallen into the Spring of Drown Girl, very tragic tale..."

Pulling apart the gi, heaving chest making the changes obvious, Ranma's entire mind felt a strange tilt, no a shift. Like the world had always been a little off kilter and the only thing to do was to live with it, because speaking of it only made things worse and what words even existed for that feeling.

But now, the floor was stable, the tilt was gone and everything felt strangely new and right and... Perfect.

Ranma's eyes flickered to her fathers and she could see him stricken and scared, expecting an explosion of rage and instincts long honed from knowing just what to say to keep the man happy took over.

"I'm gonna kill you old man!" She howled, launching herself after the panda which fled in abject terror in the opposite direction, completely unaware of the nearly maniacal look of glee on his daughters face.

It had been a few hours since then and the excitement had yet to wear off, even as the faux rage and shock had. She'd even found an excuse to bail on the would be chase which gave her some much needed time alone.

Granted, Ranma's efforts to find the guy she'd knocked off the cliff had failed, so she could only hope whoever had been unlucky enough to be used as a jumping board had managed to land safely, rather than in Spring of Drown Rat or something.

The return to their temporary abode, found her father sullen enough that Ranma wished she'd spent more time looking, or maybe taken more of it to appreciate her new body. Especially when the guide proffered them some hot water and the wrongness and the tilting came back worse than ever, so much Ranma almost wanted to throw up, before blaming it on 'vertigo' from the slight height shift.

After a dinner, "Bereft of boar!" the guide insisted, Genma dragged them on a walking tour of the springs, which was lasting well into the evening.

"And this is the Spring of the Drowned-"

"Dammit man, I don't care about the other Springs, just show me the Spring of Drowned Man so we can fix this mess!" Genma howled, a sort of desperate, terrified edge to his voice.

Why her father was so scared didn't even occur as a question to Ranma, as the thought of being cured, of being trapped in a body so wrong fitting that it was like layers of someone else stapled onto her true self, Ranma began frantically looking for exits.

Fortunately, their guide came in for the save.

"Oh sir, no that will not do," He said lightly, "Best case scenario there is you just reverse your curses, becoming Panda who becomes a man in cold water. Worser case, you mix the cursed, very unpredictable, I will not allow that."

"Mixing?" Genma whispered, glancing back at Ranma and grimacing, "We'll have to find another way, I won't see my son become more of a-ak!"

Ranma roughly punched his jaw shut, "Can it already," Gods she hated how deep this voice was, "If ya can't fix what you broke, just leave me alone!"

Genma made to strike back but stalled himself, perhaps seeing all the springs around and thinking better of it, he marched away, "We leave in the morning to seek a cure, boy!"

'Like hell we will,' Ranma thought, before turning to the guide, "So wanna finish the tour?"

Tapping his signs in hand, the guide nodded, "If guest wishes to."

Ranma shrugged, "Got nothing better to do."

The tour lasted well into the night and Ranma could see smoke coming from their rest house, meaning her father was tending the fire.

"And this of course, is Spring of Drowned Girl, which guest is rather familiar, hm?" The guide said, jokingly.

"That I am," Ranma murmured, "So weird question, but if jumping in another pool can mix the curses, what happens if you jump in the same one?" Ranma then took a very carefully exaggerated step away from the Spring, as if afraid of the thought.

"Oh sir, you would not want to do that, I am thinking, that is said to lock the curse, or at least make it much harder to turn back," the guide said, hand on his chin as if in thought.

Ranma nodded, solemnly, "Can it be used as a weapon? Cos Pops and I have made a few enemies and I'd hate for someone to start throwing this stuff at us in water balloon form or something."

The guide nodded, "Weapon not so much, but water can be transported and used, for at least a month or two, before the magic fades."

"Good to know," She said, before spinning a thin bamboo shoot she'd picked up on their tour and tossed it into the ground above the spring, "Thanks for ruining my life, stupid body of water."

That night, once her father was well and truly asleep, Ranma snuck out of their lodging with two thermos's in hand and found the Spring once again, still marked by the bamboo shoot and just as she remembered.

'Its the same spring, Pops was there all night, same for the guide, no one's moved it, no one's tricking you, this is it,' she thought intently.

Dropping to her knees, Ranma took out a ladle and began carefully and quietly filling the oversized thermos's. She couldn't just take another dip now of course, then Pops would definitely dump her in the Spring of Drowned Man in a desperate bid to 'fix' her.

'But wait a few days, maybe a week or two and we'll be too far away, he probably won't even notice if it works, not for awhile and I'll, I'll get to be me... Forever.'

Just so long as her father didn't find some local 'cure' like he planned.

Two days later, they fled the Village of Women Heroes and Ranma would happily offer Xian Pu her infinite and eternal gratitude for ensuring they had no time at all to look fore 'cures' while fleeing her relentless assault.

Sometimes things worked out and life just loved you.

"This is awful!" Akane half shouted at her father, "You can't just engage us to some boy we've never met before!"

Kasumi nodded, "This does seem like a very poor idea father."

Nabiki, who was the only one who bothered to dress up for this farce shrugged in her elegant kimono, "Well so long as he's cute, it might be worthwhile, right daddy?"

Letting the responses wash over him in a wave, Soun Tendo let out a cheery chuckle, "Well we'll all see soon, won't we?"

There was a beat of silence, and Nabiki's formally bemused voice turned sharp, "You've never even met him, have you?"

Akane started massaging her head at the oncoming headache as her father answered, "I've never met him, but any man raised by Genma will surely be a pinnacle of masculinity, you'll all love him, I'm sure!"

Any retort they might offer was cut off by the sound of the front door being hurled open and slightly high pitched shout, "Put me down, ya oaf!"

"Ah that must be them now!" Her father cheered, racing out the door, followed closely by Nabiki with a look of curiosity on her face.

Kasumi shook her head, "I suppose I should go put the tea on-"

"What the hell!?" Nabiki screamed, speeding back into the room, quickly followed by their father.

Akane took up a stance, only to fumble it at the sight that greeted her, a giant, incredibly fat panda with stubby limbs marched in and made a strange "Brfra" Sound at them, while a petite figured wrestled for freedom on its shoulder.

"Oh father, is this your friend?" Kasumi asked, somehow immune to the madness taking place in front of her.

Soun Tendo shook his head frantically, stiff as a board, as Nabiki pushed him towards the beast, "Cos pandas just show up at doorsteps nowadays!"

"Pops, put me down, ya scaring them!" Shrieked the voice, and finally the panda relented, stepping back and loosened its grip on what turned out to be a redheaded girl with a pigtail bout Akane's height in blue pants and a red top in an older Chinese style.

Her father finally found his voice, "Are you... Would you by chance be..."

The girl nodded, looking at the floor, "I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about the ruckus-"

Akane watched at her father raced forward with a cheer, "Oh its wonderful to meet you son!"

Akane leaned over to whisper in Nabiki's ear, "Uh, son?"

The brunette shrugged, "Not sure daddy was paying attention, she is cute though, right?"

It seemed their fathers brain had caught up with his body at last as he stepped back, hands clasped on Ranma's shoulders as he stared at her rather pronounced bust.

"Um... I... What is happening here?"

Nabiki, ever confident except when she wasn't strode forward placed a hand against the girls chest, "Well if I were a betting gal, I'd say this is a cute girl, right?" She added, emphasizing her words with a squeeze, that left Ranma's face burning red.

"Um, I... Uh...." Her eyes shot to the panda that was holding up a notepad for Kasumi to read... Akane decided to ignore that for the moment, while their father began weeping.

"Genma!!! Why would you lie to meeeee!? How are the Schools to be joined!?" He collapsed to his knees and Ranma only looked more uncomfortable, head shooting around as if for an escape.

'This isn't fair,' she decided, as Nabiki began mocking their fathers hysterics, Akane clapped a hand on the girls shoulder, "Hey, I'm Akane, wanna be friends?"

The shy look on Ranma's face was obvious as she slowly nodded, a tiny smile blooming as Akane led her out of the room and to the Dojo.

"You study Kempo right?"

"Well, just a bit."

Just a little bit turned out to be more than enough to roundly mop the floor with Akane without so much as touching her. Normally she'd be vexed, but right now relief and some hope won out over everything else.

"I'm just glad you're not a boy," Akane said conversationally, still catching her breath.

Ranma's giggle was intense, like she was laughing at some inside joke, "Same!" She then looked around askance, "Uh, say Akane-Chan, can I use your Furo before your dad kicks us out?"

"Sure, its on the second floor second door on the left," Akane shrugged, "I'll tidy things up here and then join you, but don't worry about my dad, he's just dramatic like that."

"Well at least its not just me," Ranma said cheerily, before going in the opposite direction that Akane had suggested, spinning around to say, "Just gotta grab a change of clothes, thanks again!"

Akane waved her off, and set about finding the broom to sweep up those cinderblock remains from earlier.

The trick to hiding anything valuable from Saotome Genma on the road was not to create secret pockets or elaborate systems, it was to make the thing look mundane and worthless.

Of course, finally taking the plunge meant Ranma very much 'had' to squirrel away one of the thermos's holding magic water, just in case it was necessary or her father had some trick up his sleeve, but he knew this place as well as she did so the man's snooping wouldn't avail him much.

Which was how she found herself here.

Having hosed off the shower stool and staring at one of three thick metal jugs that her father saw as one, two at best from his observation and long since too broken to retain heat and thus useless to them in anyway that counted to Genma.

Ranma gently poured out some of the water into a ladle and swallowed, 'Please work, please gods work, I need this.'

Taking it up, she strategically splashed the water across her face, then used her hands to ensure not a drop got away, spreading it over her head and through her now loose hair.

Then, she poured another ladle and moved to her chest, still silently praying to the Springs that this would work.

Five minutes later and it was empty, every last drop of liquid scraped out down to the bone in desperation and now Ranma found herself standing before the steaming Furo, hands shaking.

'Please work,' she prayed one last time before throwing herself into the water, eyes closed and body tense, awaiting the...

Nothing...

Ranma felt... Nothing.

No tingle, no stiffening or stretching no... Change.

"YES!" The water muffled her screams of joy almost entirely, and she surfaced with a burst, intent on drinking up every last second of this wonder.

Akane had washed herself off in the shower very quickly, still hoping to join Ranma in the furo.

Sliding open the door and tossing away her Gi and hanging up her towel, Akane smiled at the sight of Ranma's fresh clothes, blue pants like before, but with a sleeveless white top with slim black ribbons and gold lining, a matching set of golden bracers resting atop them.

'Guess she's still here!' Akane thought, stepping into the furo just in time to see the other girl burst from the water, glistening droplets falling from her sun kissed skin and hair in a wild mane of fire, Ranma's smile could have lit up a room.

"Ranma-Chan," She cheered, snapping the girl out of her gleeful daze and being greeted by that ten thousand volt grin, as Ranma hastily tied her hair into a loose ponytail.

"Akane-Chan, hop in the waters so good and warm and," She flopped back with a sigh, "Everything's just perfect."

"I don't think our furo's ever received such high praise," Akane said, slipping into the water with a sigh, "I guess you didn't get to enjoy many nice bath houses on your way here?"

Ranma sighed happily, "Or ever really, and I wanna enjoy this before I gotta go again."

That sounded odd to Akane, but she wasn't about to question it, instead zeroing in on the second half of that statement, "Oh I hope you can stay for a while at least. So few girls here like martial arts like I do and my sisters definitely don't, maybe we can ask your dad when he gets here?"

Ranma snorted, "Trust me, Akane-Chan, he'll be the biggest problem," Ranma sunk a little deeper into the water hands tracing over her skin as if to ensure it was still there. "But I also just don't wanna cause you guys trouble."

"Please, your guests," Akane said carelessly "And I bet you could show me so much about martial arts, like how did you know just when and where I was going to punch?"

Ranma blinked and sat up, eyes twinkling, "Oh that's easy, pops and I met this guy from halfway across the world in our travels, he was a wandering martial artist like us and came from ah... I don't remember what he called their schools, but he was from some temple in this big desert over in Africa. Anyway, their style was built heavily around counter attacks and they would study how these leaping vipers attacked to see how muscles work, right?"

"I think?" Akane said, trying t keep up with the mile a minute words of the redhead.

Ranma raised an arm and tensed it like she was going to strike the air, "See, animals don't really do deception like us, or uncertainty, when they move its with total clarity and instinct. So these martial artists would encourage these jumping snakes to have a go at them and learn to watch the muscles tension, then apply that to people, not just the striking part either, but everything."

Ranma pumped a fist into the air, "Your hits were strong and pretty fast, but not so fast I couldn't move around-em and the rest of your body didn't move around much except to throw the punch. All those little instinctive movements you practice means I can tell where you're gonna swing just from the angle of your torso or how you tense your legs. Meaning you gotta be way faster than me to land a hit, or start overcoming those instincts and working in quick feints and adaptions to your attacks so you can follow me with your fists even if I do dodge."

Akane wished she had a notepad, but nodded along eagerly, "Wow, that's incredible, you got all that just from my stance? I guess you really do learn a lot on the road."

Ranma smirked, looking cocky, "Ya pick things up."

They were drawn from their conversation by the sound of Kasumi knocking on the door, "Girls, dinner will be ready soon and Ranma's father wants to have a meeting with us."

"Coming, Kasumi-Neechan!" Akane turned back to Ranma and saw the girl had started sinking below the water, looking tense and unhappy. "You OK?"

Ranma sighed, "Guess I gotta get it over with, thanks for everything Akane-Chan," She said, casually somersaulting out of the furo with one hand.

"Show off," Akane chuckled, following after Ranma at a more sedate pace.

Snatching up a spare set of clothes, Akane watched as Ranma worked through her rather masculine undergarments, put on her clothes, sans a bra or anything for support for some reason, and beckoned her to look as she clasped on the golden bracers.

"Hey, Akane-Chan, look, look, this is the first outfit I bought without my old man breathing down my neck, cool right?" She asked intently, eyeing her reflection in those golden bracers like it was something precious to be protected.

"It looks great Ranma-Chan, and fits you really well, I especially like the gold touches." It also fit her much better than the red clothes had, which looked like they'd been made for someone at least one size beyond Ranma.

Ranma's smirk was burning bright, "Awesome, well, let's go get this over with then."

'It can't be as bad as she's imagining,' Akane told herself.

Nabiki was watching the proceedings with a look of veiled disinterest, as her father and this 'Uncle Genma' chatted between themselves while Kasumi slipped back into the room.

"I told the girls and they should be out of the furo and down soon," She said with her usual serenity, already making her way back to the kitchen.

Her fathers twitched aggressively, "Saotome, I certainly hope your son isn't sharing a bath with my Akane!"

Genma waved him off, "Most surely not, I imagine Kasumi-Chan misunderstood, though if they are so inclined it would be be good news for the wedding, ey Tendo?"

Her father eased back, "Well I suppose so."

Nabiki could hear footsteps echoing from above and decided to shoot her shot, "So when you say Ranma-San is your son?"

Genma nodded grimly, "I mean he is a boy, we are both cursed you see, thanks to some unfortunate business in China and an idiot guide who did not tell us the springs of Jusenkyo were cursed."

"Jusenkyo, meaning cursed Springs," Nabiki filled in, with a contemptuously arched eyebrow.

"Yes, well, he did not explain it well at the time," Genma said, before motioning at the teapot and glasses of water laid out for them, "Now my son and I are cursed to transform into a panda and a girl when struck with cold water. But fortunately, we return when doused with hot water."

"Really," Nabiki drawled as a still very busty Ranma stepped into the dining room alongside a cheery Akane.

Genma's face was ashen, and her father confounded, while Ranma met both expression with a sort of doggedly enforced cocksure expression and defiant tilt to her head.

"Boy, what are you doing!?" Genma seethed.

Ranma tilted her head to the side, ponytail flicking over her shoulder, "Don't know what you're on about pops."

Genma's fist struck the floor and shook the entire room, "Why haven't you transformed back into a man!?"

Her father was more gentle but no less stern, "Indeed Ranma, your father has told us all about the Jusenkyo curses, there's no need to hide it."

"Jusenkyo?" Akane whispered.

"Magic springs, transforming people, shush," Nabiki whispered back.

Ranma for her part only scoffed, "Unlike my old man I was smart enough to bail on those springs the moment I saw him get turned into a panda. No curses for Ranma-Chan!" She said with a delightfully smug smirk.

"Yes you are!" Genma roared, snatching up the kettle and dousing Ranma in a blast of steaming water, that made the redhead hiss. but otherwise remain exactly as she was, redhead and all.

"What is wrong with you!?" Akane shouted.

"That stung, jackass!" Ranma snapped.

Her father looked like he might start crying again, while Genma looked... Thunderous, grasping Ranma's arm he dragged her away form the room, "Excuse us Tendo."

"Hey, not so, I just bought this!" Ranma grumbled as she was tugged away.

Akane made to go after them.

"Akane, this is a family matter," their father intoned.

"But he looked really angry, what if he hurts he? He's obviously crazy!" Akane argued.

"Genma's an honorable man, I am sure whatever... Whatever confusion is being sorted out right now and we can move forward with our plans."

"Xian Pu!" Genma howled.

But before anyone could so much as be confused, there was a pained scream and a thud.

Akane didn't wait for permission this time, and Kasumi followed, Nabiki bringing up the rear with their father and a glass of water in hand.

The scene Nabiki came onto was brutal, Genma had Ranma in some sort of hold, keeping her arms bound with one arm while blood strained the side of her white shirt and his free hand encircled her neck, choking the life out of her as she thrashed and hissed.

"What did you do boy? What did you do!?" Genma roared, sounding more like a wild animal than a man.

"Get off her!" Akane bellowed, striking Gena's side to no effect save her knuckles letting out a crack, making Akane screech and snap her hand back while what looked like blue fire encompassed Gema's frame.

"Father, father stop this!" Kasumi whispered.

"It is... It is a family matter," Her father intoned.

Nabiki, recalling the stubby armed creature that had first brought the redhead to them, tossed her glass of water at Genma and watched as his body swelled and expanded, his arms floundering to retain control even as they were warped, giving Ranma the room to escape.

She didn't run though, instead kicking off from his gut and bouncing off the wall, she let loose a roar and slammed a fist each into his beady little eyes, before bouncing off again and kicking off form the floor to deliver a powerful dual set of knees to Genma's throat, launching him into the garden.

"Not done," She rasped, bouncing off the wall, Ranma slammed both palms into the ground, taking the momentum and letting the explosion of force connect with a dual kick to Genma's chin, sending him one, two, nearly three stories into the air!

Ranma was already bouncing around the garden frantically, becoming little more than a crimson blur before launching into the sky just as Gema reached his apex.

She shouted, "I got ya!" and Genma slashed at nothing, Ranma had thrown her voice just enough that his wounded eyes missed her.

Ranma flipped over Genma's head, grasping his hears she roared and dragged him into an even higher assent, snatching his legs as it pass and letting the momentum drag her into the sky with him.

Genma tried to fight back, but he was too slow, as Ranma and he spiraled through the air, the red head using his larger frame like a jungle gym to spin and flip her way around for one impactful attack after another.

"Are they flying?" Kasumi wondered.

That was when they began to descend.

Ranma weaved around another blow of sharp claws and encircled her arms around Genma's neck, knees frantically and forcefully slamming into his back, forcing the air form his lungs as they fell from nearly six stories high.

Ranma let go at the last second, adding whatever impact she could to the launch by kicking off from his frame and Genma landed with the force of a meteor, the grass swelled, the ground exploded and then cratered in on itself with a violent rumbling, roar.

With one final flip, Ranma landed on the ground, still in a combat stance, watching as her fathers legs kicked feebly for a few moments before he went limp.

Chest heaving she rasped out, "And that's what happens when you can't sneak up on me asshole!" She fell out of her stance, looking to the sky with something glittering in her eyes before a hand came to rest on her shirt.

"Oh crap, I'm bleeding... That's not... Good..."

That was when Ranma passed out.

Dr Tofu was not used to being roused from his dinner to take care of patients but it did happen. Said patients being a half dressed panda and a red headed girl who were dragged in by the Tendo's was admittedly less common.

Still, as he worked on Akane's hand and very pointedly tried to ignore Kausmi's presence so that he could focus, the good doctor was increasingly glad he'd taken the girls insistence on inspecting the redhead over the clearly more injured panda turned man first.

'As a doctor I cannot cause harm, but I am entirely happy to put the child ahead of a would be child killer,' he thought. Offering Akane a kindly smile, "You were very brave to stand up to an elite master like that," he whispered, while Nabiki & Kasumi continued giving heir father the business.

"Girls please, you're overreacting," Sound said gently.

"We are not overreacting," Nabiki said with such venom that Soun looked like he'd been slapped. "You invited a strange man into a home with three girls, and as it happens, he's a violent thug who puts us all in danger!"

"He's my friend-"

"Father, really, he broke Akane-Chan's hands and just look at poor Ranma-Chan," Kasumi said with steel.

"Well, well, it was unwise to attack Genma during the middle of a fight, I am sure he will apologize-"

"Apologize?" Akane snapped, "He nearly ripped Ranma-Chan's heart out!"

Nabiki rounded, "Exactly. You might think you know him, but that was years ago and all we know of him is that's he's willing to try and kill his own child. How do you expect us to feel safe in our home with a man like that?"

Soun was floundering, unused to being on the receiving end of all his daughters anger at once.

That was when Ranma stopped drifting and awoke in full, trying to sit up, Tofu was quick to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Please Miss Saotome," He filed away the startled smile at that for later, "Don't sit up, you're still wounded."

Ranma struggled for a moment before flopping back with a groan, "Thanks doc."

"Ranma-Chan, you're OK!" Akane cheered, clasping her hand.

"Bah, I'm fine, takes more than a stupid surprise attack to take me down," Ranma insisted.

"He almost ripped your heart out Saotome-Chan," Nabiki cut in, looking ready to pick up where she left off.

Ranma nodded, "I know, I was actually gonna say, once I can... You know, sit up, how about I go on the run, pops will try and chase me down, but I'll have a good few days on him before he can even get up."

"Out of the question," Soun started before Kasumi of all people spoke over him.

"Indeed, sending a young girl out like that is unacceptable, let alone with someone like this man pursuing her."

"That's not-" Soun started weakly.

Nabiki kicked Genma's bed making the man lurch, "Yeah, I say we keep Saotome-Chan and sell this one to a zoo, or maybe a restaurant." Licking her lips for emphasis.

Soun looked miserable but was clearly not quite broken yet, so Tofu lent his support, "As a doctor, I think keeping the Saotome's close together would be unwise."

Soun cringed but finally let his shoulders drop, "I... I propose a compromise."

Several sharp glares were the retort, but he spoke quickly, "Genma can stay here and recover, while you girls take Ranma home to heal up. I will impress upon him the fright he gave you all and how he is to conduct himself in a house with three young women."

"Four," Several voices snapped, while Soun plowed on, pretending not to hear them.

"And ensure that this never happens again, allowing us to move forward with purpose."

Akane looked ready to argue, Kasumi pensive, and Ranma seemed surprised the discussion was happening at all, but just as Akane made to speak, Nabiki mouthed, "Pick our battles," and Kasumi nodded.

"Very well then father, I think we can escort, Ranma-Chan home safely enough, while you keep an eye on your dear friend," Her tone broke no room for argument and Soun nodded.

"Uh, are you guys sure-" Ranma started, only to be quieted by several sharp yes's that left her looking boggle eyed at the other girls.

After that, it was a mostly silent affair until he saw them all off, Ranma still needing a cane to ensure she stayed up right but swearing she'd be right as rain in the morning, while the Tendo girls thanked him profusely, before closing ranks around the redhead and left the clinic.

'Well... This certainly is a mess,' Tofu mused, ignoring Soun's prattling to a still unconscious Genma, he went to gather some resources he expected, Ranma-Chan would need in a few days.

The next morning came all to quickly for Kasumi that she hardly felt like she slept at all.

'It seems I'm not the only one,' Kasumi mused, seeing Akane and Nabiki were already up, though looking thoroughly exhausted.

"Hello little sisters, some tea perhaps?" She asked gently.

"Thanks, Kasumi-Neechan," Akane answered, still rubbing her bandaged hand, while Nabiki groused, "Coffee..."

"Should one of us get Ranma-Chan up, or do we want to talk more about last night first?" Akane asked as Kasumi prepared their drinks.

Kasumi hummed, "I think Ranma-Chan should have a say, she's a part of it after all," What exactly they could do with father so insistent was another matter, but if nothing else, Kasumi would be serving bamboo for someone's dinner, that much was certain.

Light foot steps echoed down the hall as Ranma herself strode into the room, red hair in a messy ponytail, loose boxer shorts and a tank top that barely covered her thanks to hanging so loosely.

"Ranma-Chan you need to keep using your cane," Akane insisted, already up to make sure the girl didn't fall.

"Nah, its good Akane-Chan, I heal quick, see," Ranma flexed, only to stiffen and cringe, "Well, ya know, relatively... I can walk at least," She added, hand resting over her wound.

"Another martial artist trick?" Nabiki asked.

"Oh yeah, I wasn't kidding bout pops being up in a few days, and like, just three months ago I broke my arm training, it only took a week to heal up to a little twinge." Ranma said it all carelessly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Still," Kasumi cut in, "Please do take care, Ranma-Chan, you're a girl after all."

Ranma shuffled, but smiled shyly at that before answer, "Ah, um, thanks, sure, Kasumi-Neechan, will do!" Looking askance, Ranma added, "Um, can I help out with breakfast or something maybe? I mean, if I can't train, and ya know, I wanna pay my way at least a little."

"That's not necessary at all, Ranma-Chan, you're our guest, but," Kasumi added thoughtfully, "If you want to help I won't say no, you can cook then?"

Ranma shrugged, already moving to join her in the kitchen, "I can chop and fry and all that, and I make a pretty mean bento when I get the chance."

"Ooh maybe I can help too?" Akane asked.

"I think one extra set of hands is enough, Akane-Chan, you and Nabiki-Chan enjoy your drinks," She added, hastily passing out tea and coffee to the girls.

Nabiki, thankfully, sensed the shift in Akane's mood and moved to adjust the discussion, "So, Ranma-Chan I can't help but notice you don't have a bra for those giant boobs."

'Did I say thankfully, I meant why me?' Kasumi thought.

Ranma however seemed blissfully unaware of anything questionable about that statement, lazily tugging at her top and shrugging, "Yeah I couldn't exactly buy one on the road with the old man watching, ya know? Besides, they look super uncomfortable."

Akane ran a hand through her hair as Ranma twirled a knife and began chopping, "Ranma, you seriously need to work on some feminine modesty?"

"Doesn't it hurt your back though?" Nabiki added.

Zeroing in on perhaps the easier question, Ranma said, "I mean, a little maybe, kinda stings when I jump around but that's just the price for these amazing gals and I'll pay it gladly."

"Hmm, I might have something for thing, one sec," Nabiki said, before darting up stairs.

They worked in silence relative silence for a few minutes, while Akane tried to articulate over a decades worth of education on feminine modesty to Ranma, before Nabiki returned, carrying a black line of material and wearing a cocky smirk. "This, my dear Ranma-Chan is a Bandeaus. Easily as good as a sports bra and fortunately, much more adjustable to your, size," She wiggled her eyebrows at that and slid into the kitchen, "Top off."

Ranma did so without question, Akane's strangled screech of shock and Kasumi's murmured 'Oh My' not seeming to register to either girl. Nabiki, with less tenderness and more surgical like precision tied off the material, careful of Ranma's wound and ensuring she breathed to get the size just right.

Soon enough it was done and Ranma did an experimental little jump on her right side and blinked owlishly, "They didn't do the thing, that felt great, this is great! I'm unstoppable now!"

"Some humility wouldn't go astray either, Ranma-Chan," Akane intoned, while trying to smother her laughter.

"Eh, modesty, humility, what are these strange words?" Ranma chuckled, as she let her tank top slide back over her frame and turned to Nabiki. "This is amazing, you don't mind me borrowing it Nabiki-Neechan?"

"Consider the first one free," she said with a wink and a wave.

Breakfast, both in preparation and eating followed much the same pattern, only stalling out when Kasumi brought up the elephant in the room.

"School?" Ranma gasped.

"Indeed, I overheard it being discussed last night, apparently you've already been enrolled, though if you're not feeling up to it, or Dr Tofu insists otherwise, I'll ask you to take the day off at least."

Ranma was still boggling at the thought a little, and Nabiki was giving Akane a speculative look, "I think Akane should stay home too."

"What?" Akan shook her head frantically, "I can't do that they'll think-"

"They'll think whatever I tell them to think," Nabiki stressed, "After last night do you really want to risk being at anything but your best if one of those stooges gets lucky?"

Akane stiffened, looking like she had swallowed something sour as her bandaged hand quivered, "I'll stay home."

Ranma looked between the two, clearly seeking context, but Kasumi pressed on, "I will give Dr Tofu a call this morning and ask him to make a house call, how does that sound?"

"Oh, I mean, ya don't have to-" Ranma started.

Kasumi raised her hand, "I insist, Ranma-Chan."

Blushing the girl nodded, "Thanks, all of you, for well.. All of this."

Patting the younger girls head, Kasumi smiled at her, enjoying the moment of peace and solidarity with her sisters and their new resident.

She just wished it could last.

NOTES:
And for now that is that, I had a scene with Genma and Soun in mind but it fucked up the tone I wanted to end on. Anyway this is a fic I've been working on for a couple of months and I was convinced to give it its own thread by @Chloe Sullivan and thus here it is!

So yeah, Ranma is super trans and also sneaky, and everyone is either unaware she's used Curse Water to transition (But will accept it with time) or deduced it but is fine letting the polite fiction that Ranma never touched the Cursed Springs persist... Or are like Genma and Soun who represent two different but still transphobic parent responses, one being violent denial and the other a sort of weepy rejection/refusal to acknowledge, while enabling the former.

If you think Nabiki is being too nice here, good eye, there's a few reasons for that:

First and foremost, early Nabiki did occasionally express disgust at the damage Genma did to Ranma.
But more integrally, this whole exchange has raised Genma from, 'noisy oaf' to 'threat' in Nabiki's world view. Normally, she'd be able to manipulate, extort or even bribe her way out of a problem, and could always fall back on Akane or Soun if she got desperate. But Soun's on his side and Akane can't fight him, that's terrifying and she doesn't trust that she'd want to use the methods she can think of to manipulate someone like him and doubts he could be controlled easily. Thus, even outside the genuine empathy and sense of solidarity, Nabiki is trying to endear herself to the only combatant capable of keeping Genma down and readjusting her general strategy to accommodate this new potential threat.

Kasumi's just being empathic and Akane's thrilled to have a girl she vibes with present and also protective, while Ranma's sort of happy but also adrift, not sure if any of this can last or of what to do going forward. She very much planned to get this far, but not much after that.

Anyway that's all, so thanks for reading, I would love to hear any feedback, questions or comments!

Zam · Nov 2, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 2

Tapping her chin, Akane said, "You know Ranma-Chan, if we're going to be staying home today, maybe we should go shopping?"

Kasumi clapped her hands, "That's a wonderful idea, Nabiki-Chan only has one Bandeaus after all and maybe we can get you some other necessities."

The redhead swallowed her mouthful with a hum, "Hmm, yeah I probably should get some stuff. I really wanna get another shirt like the one Pops wrecked too." She tilted her head to the side, "I don't have much money though."

"That won't be a problem," Kasumi insisted.

"Yeah," Akane added, "You're our guest after all."

Ranma shook her head, ponytail flicking wildly, "Thanks, but I can't just let ya spoil me like that. Lemme at least check my and the old man's packs for some cash."

As it looked like Kasumi was going to argue, Ranma raised a hand as if in prayer, "Please, I insist."

"Very well, but if you need the money we will be helping, I insist," She added with a touch of mischievousness of her own.

"Thanks, Kasumi Nee-Chan," Ranma said, feeling her face flush a touch, before the sound of thumping feet drew their attention as Nabiki moved through the room in a blue and white touched dress.

"Leaving already sis?" Akane asked, glancing at the clock.

Nabiki smirked, "I have some business to take care off before class, bye bye~" she sang, disappearing out of the room.

"Business?" Ranma asked with a tilted head.

Akane shook her head, "Trust me, you don't wanna know."

Nabiki knew she could be ruthless and honestly took pride in that, but she also liked to think she was also a realist.

'And the reality of today is different to the reality of yesterday,' she mused with an ugly frown.

Genma Saotome, far from an ideal father in law or easily ignorable oaf, was a problem, and one she did not have a solution for. No extortion was available, her father had more money than her so bribery was out and anything she could think of to manipulate a man like that was not on the table.

'Worst came to worst, I could always throw Akane or daddy at a problem, but he's on Genma's side and Akane's not strong enough to help if things take a turn for the worst.'

It was a scary thought, not one she'd ever really had to conceive of before, not at this level at least, and for the first time she had no one to turn to. Dr Tofu had his uses of course, but he was a pacifist at the end of the day and not someone Nabiki had any real influence over and the prospect of begging for help rankled her.

To say these facts alone had kept her up at night would be accurate, but not the whole truth. The image of Ranma desperately thrashing for life in her fathers grasp, the reminder of terror she felt when Akane's fist crashed against Genma to no effect...

'No, I didn't like any of that,' she thought coldly.

Nabiki brushed a hand through her hair, as if to clear the thoughts from her mind as she began closing in on the school. Her steps slowed ever so slightly, any hints of her inner turmoil or concern, let alone that she hadn't slept well, neatly brushed aside with practiced ease. Weakness had its uses, or the image of it at least, but only at the right times and with the right people and right now, this was not the right time and these were not the right people.

Nabiki Tendo took a breath and prepared to do something she usually hated, namely, helping out.

Stepping into the courtyard where Akane's gang of suitors was already marshalled, and while other students took the long way around to avoid them Nabaiki cast her gaze across the crowd, seeking her targets.

'Good, the people I called are in place, then we can begin act one,' Placing her fingers other lips Nabiki whistled, so loud and so sharply it drew all eyes to her. Then, with her usual smirk, she called, "Where's Kuno-Chan I have a message from my little sister!"

There was a stirring and then several boys were sent into the air or to the ground as Tatewaki Kuno burst through the crowd and raced to stand before her.

"My beloved goddess has a message for me!?"

Nabiki snorted, "No, I just didn't want to bother looking for you."

Kuno clutched his head and howled, "Nabiki-San, your vile manipulations have cost me my dramatic entrance!"

Waving him off she strode by him, as though marching to school, "Yes, yes, I just wanted to tell you and your gaggle of stooges that my sister won't be coming today."

"What!?" Kuno howled while the crowd began to murmur.

Nabiki shrugged, "She came down with a head cold and Kasumi Nee-Chan insisted she stay home for the day."

Now Kuno was crying, typical, "Oh what a cruel twist of fate, for the mighty tigress to be laid so low by sickness. I must go to her side and offer her my strength!"

'Perfect,'

Nabiki turned sharply, murder in her eyes, "You're going to go and force yourself on my little sister when she can't even fight back?"

Kuno gagged, "I - I wouldn't-"

Nabiki turned away, "Of course you would. Why am I even surprised? Its not as though you ever fight my sister fairly."

"You dare-"

"After all, isn't that why you wait for Akane-Chan to tire herself out fighting through this rabble you raised? So scared of her strength you need a wave of meat shields to wear her down."

The crowd of boys was murmuring now and a few choice players she had called on and a few she didn't raised their voices in ire

"Yeah, how come Kuno-Senpai is always last to fight!?"

"That's why he did that speech, the rat bastard!"

"The captain's been using us? Say it isn't so!"

"You lowly peons question my bravery, my strength!?" Kuno howled, drawing his practice sword.

Nabaiki slowly shuffled away from the enraged swordsman, "I don't know about you all, but if I were in your shoes and I'd been turned into someone's punching bag just so another guy could try and fail to get a date.... Well, I'd be pretty angry."

"Nabiki-San, if you think to-OW!" Someone had lobbed a music box at Kuno's head, "Which one of you uncultured swine did that!?"

"He's betrayed us!"

"Let's kill Kuno!"

"Get him!"

And thus the hundred boy army boy of Furinkan Highschool descended upon Tatewaki Kuno with all their fury and fighting prowess.

Of course, given Tatewaki was a match for Akane, their fury and fighting prowess didn't even let them last a minute.

But it did let Nabiki get into school without trouble and addressed the first of several problems.

'Next up,' she thought, looking at her watch, 'The schools registration office.'

After all, Ranma-Chan's paper work still needed to be sorted out.

Genma's return to the waking world was filled with an eerie numbness and burning frustration, humiliation even!

'At least the boy's combat skills didn't completely vanish with his manhood!' A part of him thought, even as he trembled in fear and terror at the memories of the night before. 'Nodoka will never let this slide, nor will I, we cannot!' he thought, eyes finally opening to a dimly lit medical lounge.

Soun sat up from the chair he'd been resting in, "Genma, my friend, I am so glad to see you back with us."

"I as well old friend, though I wish the circumstances were better," he grumbled through an all too numb jaw. "Where am I?"

Soun passed him some ice chips, "This is the office of Dr Tofu, an expert in chiropractic's and esoteric, chi healing techniques.

'That explains the numbness, but it seems the fools more invested in lessening my pain than hastening my healing, such weakness!' Genma had been raised on pain, he could stomach this.

Swallowing the icy water, Genma looked to Soun who was frowning intently, compelling Genma to speak, "Where did the fool boy run off too?"

"Ranma-Kun is staying with my daughters, but he is still insisting on this girl nonsense and my daughters seem quite taken with it," Soun shook his head. "What happened old friend?"

'That's what I want to know,' Genma thought bitterly. He'd spent over a decade honing Ranma into an icon of masculinity, leaving no room for weakness or vulnerability. Any thought even tangentially feminine were trained out of him with blood and sweat and broken bones. 'This cannot be my fault and so, there is only one explanation!' He was reaching, some part of him knew, but this needed to be his reality, it had to be.

"This curse, Tendo, I believe it is to blame for the madness afflicting my son," He intoned gravely.

Soun gasped, "Whatever do you mean, Saotome?"

Genma's hazy mind danced from one explanation to the next before hitting on the right memory. "The guide, when we sought a cure, he told us the curses could mix or mutate, but he also told us... He told us of the Spring of Drowned Pious Man."

Soun, smart man that he was, put the pieces together for Genma, "A Spring that changes not just the body but the mind too?"

Genma tried to nod but failed thanks to the neck brace, "I believe they all do to some extent. But I am a master martial artist, Ranma, for all his skill and strength is still a boy, not yet wise enough to notice such subtle manipulations."

"I see, I see. Then Saotome, we must find a cure and a means of shocking your son back to his senses!" Soun said with a sharp clap of fist against palm.

"Agreed, we'll need to utilize our every contact in the community and beyond to seek a cure, but as to shocking Ranma back to his senses... There's a small chest hidden in my travel pack, contained within it are pictures of our journey before we were cursed. Find them Tendo, show your daughters and my son the truth and force them to confront reality."

Soun rested a hand on his shoulder, "You can count on me old friend, always."

In the next room over, Dr Tofu listened intently.

Ranma spent a solid hour in the practice hall, rummaging through her fathers pack, finding everything from old contracts, to scrolls and of course several money clips worth of yen. Some were in hidden compartments, others just carelessly strewn about in a sort of vaguely ordered chaos.

But she also found the true target of her search, the photo box.

It was a humble thing really, redwood that was perhaps a little rough but well made, lined with dark, thin metal strips that made it look sturdy and a touch fancy, with a simple padlock now broken.

Inside were a handful of pictures of another person, another life, dark hair and too broad shoulders, a chest that never sat right and a smile that rarely reached the eyes.

Ranma knelt before the dustbin, pictures in hand and for a moment she struggled to let them go.

'Its not that I don't want to, or even that I can't, but...' But there was something missing from the moment, the moment that would ensure Ranma's new life could go uninterrupted by memories of another... 'That's what it is,' she thought with a silent sigh of relief as she began shuffling through the pictures again.

'I want to say thank you, for who we were, for being able to find some times and people to smile with and... For being able to get us to where I am now.' A tear glistened in her eye as she closed her fist around the pictures, Chi bursting from her palm and reducing them to ash. Ranma then let the ash fall and clapped her hands before bowing, 'A prayer for an old life that's no longer here and the new life that it helped create... Thank you.'

There was a moment of silence and Ranma could finally breath again, truly free, and with that in mind... She picked up her fathers photo box and with a careless flex of her fingers crushed it into shrapnel, letting it fall into the dustbin.

Normally Akane would enjoy the chance to be alone with her crush, but given the injury and the fact she knew her father had come home to claim his 'Dear friends' effects her mood was silently soured.

"OK Akane-Chan, try and flex your fingers against mine," the good doctor said gently from his position at the table side with her.

Akane blushed but nodded, letting her fingers interlock with his and she began to close her hand, fingers shaking the further she went.

"That's good, Akane-Chan, you're recovering very quickly!" Dr Tofu encouraged, loosening his grip.

"I am? That's such a relief, thank you doctor!" She said.

The taller man bowed his head, "I only played a role, Akane-Chan, your body and Chi are quite resilient. Still," he added, taking some notes, "I don't want you practicing any martial arts or doing heavy lifting with that hand for another day. It could impact your recovery."

"Are you sure?" She asked, a nervous tremor at the thought of that horde of boys and only one available hand.

Tofu nodded slowly, "I know it seems harsh but a misplaced punch or too heavy bag could undo all the good work and possibly prove detrimental long term. At times like this, don't be afraid to ask others for help."

As if summoned, Ranma slipped into the room, still in a loose fitting tank top but at least wearing pants now.

"Ah Ranma-Chan, just in time for your appointment," Dr Tofu cheered, turning to face the redhead.

"Thanks doc, need me to take my ah... What did Nabiki call this?" Ranma asked, using her good sides arm to slide the tank top off.

"Ranma! You can't just strip down in front of a guy!!!" Akane screeched, her face burning as she searched for something to throw atop the girl.

"Its quite all right, Akane-Chan, as a doctor I am quite inured to matters like this. Though if Ranma-Chan would like more privacy?" Dr Tofu asked lightly, eying the open door to the back garden.

"Eh, not much privacy on the road with the old man, and if guys do perv on me I just beat-em up!" Ranma's words had a laughing quality to them.

Not sure what to feel about any of that, Akane found herself shuffling nervously and refusing to look up as her face burned. Meanwhile Dr Tofu continued to professionally and calmly assess Ranma's injury, the two drifting into a conversation about Chi and recovery times she could only half follow.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dr Tofu declared, "You're healing very well, I think we can forgo the bandages in favor of a patch and some Shiatsu Point techniques."

"Sounds awesome, you actually know your stuff, Tofu-Sensei," Ranma's shift from Doc to Sensei was something Akane had picked up on but not known what to think about.

Ranma's entire top half was also now completely naked, a fact which she showed no concern over, as Dr Tofu prepped her with a water proof Band-Aid.

'She's half wild,' Akane thought, only to stiffen at a set of familiar footfalls.

"Excuse me, is Ranma-Kun here?" her father called, and Ranma's face flickered from carefree to ashen in an instant, her shoulders hunching as she stared at the floor.

"Ranma-Chan is in the middle of a medical check-up," Dr Tofu intoned gravely, but her father waved him off and strode into the room , a travelling pack dangling from his hand.

"I'm practically his father in law" He said, "And I have a rather important question for you, Ranma-Kun?"

"Dad, stop being rude-"

"Its fine, Akane-Chan," Ranma said with forced jocularity and turning to face Soun Tendo, top still off, causing her father to nearly spasm, as she continued. "Though if ya talk about me like that with people around they might start to think you're going senile, Tendo-San."

"Regardless of your current body, you are a boy in spirit and mind lad," Soun insisted, leading Ranma to mutter something to herself, while Akane massaged her head.

Before she could yell at her father for this mad behavior, he pressed on, "Anyway son, your father asked me to collect his effect. He also mentioned a box of some sentimental value to you both, housing pictures I believe?"

Ranma was letting Dr Tofu rebind her chest with the Bandeaus as she hummed thoughtfully, "Earthy brown, darker metal, with a tough looking lock?"

Soun smiled eagerly, "Yes, that's it!"

"Pops pawned it in China."

The sudden choking noise Soun Tendo made seemed to have almost torn itself from his throat.

Regaining his composure, such as it was, her father insisted, "Given the importance of those photos I doubt he would do such a thing, Ranma-Kun."

Ranma shrugged, "I think he forgot the pictures were in there. He does stuff like that all the time, like pawning my friends Yattai a few towns after we got it as a going away present."

'Who gives someone a yattai as a going away present?' Akane wondered.

Pulling a handful of pictures from her pocket, Ranma slapped them on the table. "If you wanna seem some old pictures I have a few though, take a gander."

Soun shot down, only to start weeping, while Akane brightened as she and Dr Tofu joined Ranma in looking over them.

"Oh this Qipao is gorgeous Ranma-Chan, when did you get it?" She asked.

"Ah that was from a waitressing job I had when the old man and I got separated for a week.

Dr Tofu picked up another, "This looks like it was from a very old camera."

"Got that right one of those one's that prints the picture, I got a nice lady to take it when I saw her doing nature photography near Jusenkyo."

Ranma snatched up another photo of herself in an arcade booth, wearing little more than an oversized sparring Gi. "I got these right after we got back to the first big city, it was so bright there it looked like daytime even in the middle of the night!"

"Why are you a girl in all of them!?" Soun sobbed.

"Uh, cos I am a girl?" Ranma said, causing the man to cry harder.

Akane just tuned him out while Dr Tofu started ferrying her father out the door, where Kasumi was already waiting with a bag packed for several days worth of travel.

Ranma was grinning as she finished recounting her first day as a waitress before stilling, "Hey uh... Not for nothing, but should I thank your pa for me using his room?"

Akane waved her off, "You're injured and we don't exactly had a dedicated guest room, though if you're going to be studying here... I think there's a storage room we could reorganize maybe?"

"Ah, well... Guess we'll see... Thanks, Akane-Chan," Ranma said with another of her shy smiles.

"The curse has its claws in him deep, Saotome," Soun sighed as he finished recounting the harrowing tale from his bed side chair.

"Clearly, yet we cannot lose hope, Tendo," Genma intoned gravely, strength coming back to his voice.

"I know old friend," Soun leaned back in his chair, "If we are still seeking pictures, maybe we can ask your wife?"

Genma's entire body stiffened and twitched violently, "Ther- There's no need for such hasty action, Tendo! Let's try and resolve this ourselves before getting 'her' involved."

"Ah yes, I had almost forgotten 'that' agreement, though it might have its worth in forcing the matter," He mused.

Genma tried and failed to shake his head, "Too risky, remember its not just one life you're gambling with here, it is mine as well."

"True, true, I suppose then we focus on our other idea?"

"Indeed," Genma said, a twinkle in his eye, "We must get the word out across the entire community, martial arts, Shinobi, Samurai and mystic alike."

Sound nodded, "I have already begun old friend, by sending messages to all our old contacts while I was at home. Soon, all shall hear of Genma' Saotome's quest."

The solemn tone was cut short as Genma froze in his bed, "You didn't tell anyone-"

"About the curse? Assuredly not," He said, scandalized, "I was very careful about how I phrased things while ensuring we would still get what we needed."

"That's not... That's not all, I mean... Did you use my name?" The beefy man quivered.

He blinked owlishly, "Well yes, why wouldn't I?"

Genma Saotome, promptly passed out.

Shopping with Akane and Kasumi had turned out to be a fairly calm affair, the ice cream they had for lunch only made it better.

That wasn't to say it had all been smooth sailing.

Akane & Kasumi clearly had very cutesy, ladylike tastes and while Ranma wasn't exactly unhappy to finally explore the women's sections, she & Akane had nearly gotten into a fight over a too cutsie outfit. The facts were, Ranma Saotome was and always would be a fighter and that meant she preferred her clothes to be good for moving, kicking and flipping.

Plus, she just liked a lot of her usual ware.

But with some back and forth, they had been able to make the right purchases, along with Ranma's wardrobe definitely having spiced up some.

Though not all losses went to the dress duo as Ranma had mentally called the sister, as could be seen by the the fact she was currently in a changing room wearing an elegant, white sundress.

It hugged to her torso but wasn't too tight, leaving her shoulders and sun kissed arms nearly laid bare. It emphasized her curves but remained firmly in place, while the flowing skirt let her well toned legs lie free and when Ranma looked in the mirror...

'This is... Me,' she thought, hand pressed to the glass.

"Ranma-Chan, what do you think?" Kasumi called gently.

"Yeah, let us see!" Akane added excitedly.

Ranma sucked in a breath and stepped out, to the oohs and aahs of the sisters while her heart tremored in her chest.

"Ranma-Chan, are you all right?" Kasumi asked gently, a hand resting on her arm, "If you don't like-"

Ranma shook her head frantically, "I love it... Can we get one?" She whispered.

The Tendo sisters smiles were radiant, as Kasumi answered, "Of course, Ranma-Chan."

When Nabiki got home the evening sun was setting and she could smell dinner cooking, Ranma and Kasumi's voices echoing from the kitchen.

"I'm home," she called with a tired sigh.

"You were out late," Akane observed from her comfortable spot at the table, an essay due on Friday laid out before her.

"Indeed, I hope you didn't spoil your appetite?" Kasumi added, she and Ranma stepping from the steam filled kitchen.

"My appetite? Never," she scoffed, before flopping down next to Akane, "I just had some things to take care of, Wala!"

She threw down transfer papers, documents and more, all labelled with Ranma Saotome. She saw the redhead tensing and smiled in that soft way Kasumi did that Nabiki could only fake. "I talked to the school about Ranma-Chan's transfer, that idiot father of her tried to register her as a boy and caused no end of confusion, but I straightened it all out with them."

Ranma's breathing slowed and she grinned, "Thanks so much, Nabiki Nee-Chan!"

Nabiki waved her hand lazily, "Figured if my sisters were helping you shop I should help too, and speaking of helping..." she gave Akane a significant look and said. "I couldn't get rid of Kuno, but that morning routine with the hundred boys? That's over."

Akane stared at her, pleased smile fading to something suspicious, "That's not funny."

"No joke," Nabiki said gravely, matching her sisters glare, "I broke it down for those morons that Kuno was just using them as punching bags to tire you out. Then with a few people in the crowd who owed me favors egging everyone on, they turned on him like rabid dogs. Its over little siste-"

"Nabiki Nee-Chan!" Akane wailed, or cheered, scooping the taller girl up in her arms and spinning her like a doll. The strength of her grasp near suffocating, but it was hard to tell with Akane shivering as they came to a stop and she whispered, "You... You really-"

"I mean it, I can't get rid of Kuno, but-"

"No one could deal with that brick wall, but the boys, that morning attack, its finally over?"

"It is," Nabiki said with carefully measured gentleness, "I made sure of it through the rest of the day... If I'd know it was getting you this much I'd have done it sooner, sorry, Akane-Chan. You always seemed to handle it so easily but after last nights scare... Well, that made it all more real."

Akane gave her another squeeze, "Thank you, Nee-sama."

Awkwardly, Nabiki patted the smaller girls head, as Akane's grip slackened and she faced them all with a bright smile, "I've gotta go call my friends and tell them the good news!" Before bouncing off.

Kasumi was giving her a very fond look of... Pride... Nabiki did not know how to deal with that.

Thankfully, Ranma broke the silence, "Um, what happened?"

"I'll explain as we finish cooking, Ranma-Chan, I don't want to sour Akane-Chan's mood over dinner by telling of it. Nabiki-Chan go upstairs and enjoy the furo."

Nabiki saluted, "Can do Nee-chan!"

Dinner ended up passing by in a flurry of anecdotes and displaying newly bought clothes, along with Akane's excited chatter about school and her friends.

When every plate was dusted off, Nabiki somehow matching Ranma's own appetite with ease, Akane had to go and finish her essay and Ranma was politely shooed away from helping with the dishes.

"You had a long day, Ranma-Chan and I want you to rest," Kasumi insisted, hands on her shoulders.

Nabiki was picking up her clothes and said, "Come on, Ranma-Chan, I'll help you put this stuff away."

"Ah, thanks, Nabiki Nee-Chan!" Ranma offered, silently grateful for the offers as her side was aching.

Kasumi was returning to the kitchen but almost as an aside Ranma likely wasn't meant to hear said, "Thank you for being so helpful today, Nabiki-Chan."

"Enjoy it while it lasts~" Was Nabiki's sing song retort, before the brunette helped return Ranma's clothes to her fathers room. Ranma watched from the bed as the older girl began tossing aside her dads clothes to make room for Ranma's with careless ease.

Rubbing her side, and hoping to whatever gods were out there that the Band-Aid didn't come off and stain her new dress, Ranma smiled at the older girl.

"Thanks again for your help, Nabiki Nee-Chan, with everything today."

"Its fine," Nabiki said, idly toying with a a piece of fabric, "Though if you don't mind I had something I wanted to discuss with you."

Ranma swallowed, stomach dropping but she nodded, "Uh sure, what is it?"

"Well," the girl started slowly, "I got them to update your student profile in the database, you'll need to go in for a proper photo tomorrow just so you know but..." she trailed off and slowly revealed something from her pocket, "I heard about my dads visit and found this in the dustbin."

It was a few chunks of redwood, with dark metal embedded onto it and a broken lock.

"I... Uh... I..." She couldn't think, she couldn't move, her heart was racing, her whole body shook as she staggered to her feet, exits, exits, she needed-

"Hey pretty girl," Nabiki's voice cut through the frantic terror and Ranma froze, gaze snapping to the taller woman.

Nabiki's sharp, elegant fingers cradled her cheek as she met Ranma's eyes, "Ranma-Chan, I am not telling you this to scare you or hold something over you. I am telling you this because as sneaky as you had to be to get around that man you call father, you got blind spots. Just like we all do," she added, like a dirty little confession on her part.

"Then you... I mean..." Ranma didn't have the words, she didn't even know if the words existed.

"Its a secret between us girls, K?" Nabiki said, with mischievous smirk.

Ranma didn't even think before throwing her arms around the girl in a weak but intense hug, shaking as she whispered, "Thank you, Nabiki Nee-sama."

Sharp nails ran through her hair in soothing strokes that made Ranma want to purr, "Don't worry about it, us girls have to stick together."

"Yeah," Ranma whispered, with a smile so strong she just knew it reached her eyes.

NOTES:
And that's chapter 2, I hope people enjoyed it as much as the first one!

Ranma's prayer to her old 'self' was inspired by a comic where someone imagined themselves post transition being able to speak with their child counterpart. I'm not sure I hit on the same themes, but I hope the vibe is similar.

Also the dress was inspired by the one she's seen wearing in that OVA music video on the docks. I don't think Ranma will ever be particularly 'feminine' but much like wearing suits can make one feel cool and suave on occasion there will be times she wants to really emphasize that side of herself and outfits like that are perfect for those times. Plus Manga Ranma developed a huge feminine wardrobe she was happy to bust out and well, speaking from personal experience with gender Euphoria, I don't 'enjoy' wearing jewelry cos its uncomfortable, but I love seeing myself in jewelry ya know?

Given the attack on Ranma & Akane's injury were treated seriously and the context in which I chose to treat them seriously and gauge other characters responses, it only made sense to do the same for the Furinkan horde, or at least on their emotional impact on Akane.

Also if Nabiki is being too nice, keep in mind at this stage her motives are less "I want to be a good person" and more, "I want Genma Saotome out of my life and Ranma's my best card on the table for that." IE, she's freaked out cos for the first time in forever she might actually be in danger with no way out, so she's getting all her ducks in a row to counterbalance Genma & Soun.

Zam · Nov 4, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 3

Mornings at the Tendo Dojo had a habit of being both bustling and quiet.

Kasumi would find herself preparing meals, Akane exercising, and Nabiki usually somewhere between scheming, eating and waking up.

The temporary exile of the family patriarch and adoption of Ranma Saotome had not wholly changed this reality; save that now two people could be seen doing Kata in the early morning light.

Ranma herself was only vaguely aware of these facts and was far more focused on the familiar exercises as she and Akane went through some more advanced Kata the redhead knew in the Dojo.

For Ranma it was pleasantly relaxing, smooth and easy, for Akane, it was clearly pushing her physical awareness and there was a rigid, almost angry tension in her frame.

"Hya!" They finished with a dual set of strikes, only for Akane to bite back a snarl and fall back into her ready stance to try again, sweat dripping onto her Gi.

"Let's do another," She said sharply, bruised knuckles clenched tight as she stared at some place far away from Ranma.

Straightening her ponytail, Ranma said, "Guess we better stop, you seem pretty done."

"I'm not done!" Akane snapped, before covering her eyes, her breaths hot and angry, "I'm sorry Ranma-Chan, but I promise I'm fine."

Arching her brow, Ranma answered very slowly, "I'm not the brightest bulb when it comes to this stuff but ah, you seem bothered by something, Akane-Chan."

"I just want to... I just want to be stronger!" She insisted hotly,

Ranma tilted her head to the side, not terribly versed in picking up on another's Chi unless their intent was murderous and even then she wasn't great, as recent experienced showed.

'Still, her Chi seems more... Pushed?' Fingers clicked as she put the pieces together, "Are you trying to call up your Battle Spirit?"

The question broke through whatever frustration had been brewing in Akane's mind as she murmured, "That's what that was... That sounds so anime."

Ranma snorted, "Hey, they named that after us martial artists, thank you." Hands on her hips, she added, "So that's what you were trying then?"

Akane looked away, "I suppose its just... I mean..." She looked nervous and Ranma, to her credit, didn't take long to put it together.

"You can bring up the fight, its not the first time the old man's messed me up or that I've laid him out for it," She inwardly cringed at the sorrowful look Akane sent her at that "Oh don't look at me like that," She groused, turning away to stretch as a silence began to fester.

Finally, Akane plowed passed the awkwardness, "When he was grappling you... I hit him, but it didn't do a thing and it was only after I stepped back that I saw it, like he was surrounding in light and shadow, fire and smoke."

"And you wanna do that too?" Ranma asked.

Akane shrugged, "I suppose, I just... I've never felt that vulnerable before, never seen that kind of strength before. I know, I know you're better than me but I feel like I should be more than... This." She was staring at her bruised knuckles with a shameful expression.

Ranma slowly sucked in and let out a breath. Never having gotten much encouragement she wasn't the best person to do this but with a shrug she said. "You're plenty strong, and I bet you'll get stronger," She added hastily. "Thing is you're already using Chi, its why you hit so hard without putting on tons of muscle and why you heal so quick but..."

Ranma dropped to the floor, legs crossing over one another, "A Battle Aura, calling up your Chi, your spirit to use it like that in a fight, that's another level and my Pop said it could be risky too." Seeing Akane frown at that Ranma hastened to add, "Look he's a bastard but he knows about fighting, I'll give him that much. Still," She motioned for Akane to sit, "Let's see if we can work something out."

"Really!?" Akane mimicked her sitting position and looked at her with an almost aggressive amount of hope.

"Course!" Ranma cheered, before leaning forward conspirituality, "But first ya gotta know some stuff."

Akane nodded attentively, "What is it?"

"First," Ranma began counting off, "Battle Aura and Chi aren't quite the same thing. A Battle Aura is like... Its like you turned your Spirit into a weapon or a Kata, its a state of mind and takes a long time to achieve, it means your resolve won't break easy but it also means you can't do much but fight."

Akane nodded, though a question lingered in her gaze, as Ranma counted to two.

"Secondly, when you're just calling your Chi up... Well emotions play a big roll in things, focus too; lose your focus and its gone, lose your confidence or will to fight and it will be harder to muster, see?"

"So it just, vanishes?" Akane asked.

"Vanishes... More like flows in the wrong direction, like a river getting diverted, all the waters still there but now its not longer flowing how or where you wanted it to."

Akane nodded, "Is that why people develop a Battle Aura?"

Ranma clapped, "Hey, you got it in one! Those can still be broken too but its a lot harder and like I said, it can mess with ya in its own ways too, but that's for later. For now, let's try and just play with our Chi, here, here," Ranma held out her hands, both palms facing Akane, who slowly brought up her own hands and together, they encircled their fingered.

"Close your eyes and focus in ya breathing, feel the beating of my heart and yours..."

They stayed like that for almost half an hour, Akane's impatience at war with her desire, but with steady effort, they soon reached their goal.

Anyone who walked into the Dojo would be able to see two sets of phantasmal light, one a sharp crisp, baby blue, radiating and swirling around Akane's form. While another, darker and more like powerful flames blazed around Ranma's frame, casting their spectral light across the well cared for wood.

But all good things must come to an end and Akane's arms were quaking, even as she stared longingly at the lights radiating from her.

Slowly, reluctantly, they pulled their hands apart, Akane's Aura lingering, clinging to her as she looked at the now entirely healed hand and beamed.

"That was amazing, Ranma-Chan, thank you!"

Ranma gave the other girl a thumbs up.

"Girls, breakfast is almost ready!"

Breakfast hadn't been a particularly quiet affair, Akane excitedly sharing her experience with 'Chi' to Kasumi, while Ranma wolfed down her meal.

However, as the meal drew closer and closer to its close, Akane became increasingly confused and finally asked, "Say, where is Nabiki Nee-Chan?"

Cradling her own cheek, Kasumi murmured, "I'm not sure, she took her breakfast and went upstairs before you two came in. She said something about research."

"I hope she didn't fall behind any homework," Akane mused, "Maybe I should go check on her?"

Ranma suddenly spoke up, "Let me, Akane-Chan, you gotta go to school with your friends right?"

Akane's eyes shot open at that and she forced down the rest of her meal in three mouthfuls, "Thanks for the amazing breakfast, Kasumi Nee-Chan, gotta go!"

"That was... Sudden," Ranma said slowly.

"Its been awhile since Akane could walk to school with her little friends," Kasumi offered, hand feeling around beneath the table for a container.

"Man, those attacks must have sucked, super dishonorable too, the jerks," Ranma groused, before glancing up stairs. "Do you mind if I finish eating before checking on Nabiki Nee-Chan?"

"Not at all, Ranma-Chan in fact I was hoping to speak to you alone anyway," she said gently, keeping her smile serene as she placed a cardboard box on the table. "This is a care package, put together by myself and with some borrowed books from Dr Tofu."

The nervousness that had been blossoming on Ranma's features faded to dull confusion, "Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome," Kasumi chuckled, before patting the smaller girls shoulder. "As a young woman, you'll be going through many changes. Other girls might have more experience with them than you have had so far, but that's fine. Just know you will have everything you need in here," she tapped the boxes lid, "and if there's anything you don't know or need help with, I'll understand. No questions asked."

Ranma hiccupped a little and wiped her face, "Thank you, Kasumi Nee-Sama."

A little while later, the box of 'essential reading' tucked away in her pack, Ranma tracked Nabiki to the attic.

It was a big, dusty place, but no real cobwebs or the like, and there was everything from sets of armor, to stuffed toys, crates and scroll cases scattered around.

Sitting among several scrolls was where Ranma found Nabiki, using her phone to take pictures of each one before placing them back.

"Nabiki Nee-Chan?" She asked, spying the empty breakfast tray behind the brunette.

"Ah, Ranma-Chan, what can I do for you, or what can you do for me?" She asked, with a turned head and a wink.

"Oh, uh, nothing much! I mean, your sisters were wondering what you were getting up too. Thinking of joining the art?" Ranma asked idly, as she noted the strange chart displaying a Chi Network, 'Moxiburn cure?'

Nabiki chuckled, "Well, we'll see," wrapping up the last scroll and locking it away, before standing and facing Ranma fully. "I get the impression you wanted to speak to me too?" She added, hand on her hip and a cocky smirk on her lips.

"Um, A little," Ranma slowly pulled her ponytail free, crimson locks spilling over her back, and she studiously ignored the wolfish expression Nabiki was wearing. "So, you know about the," She waved her hand and Nabki nodded, more serious now. "Well, see, before coming to Japan I ate this meal made with a dragon whisker."

Nabiki squinted at the strip of darkness held between Ranma's fingers, "That's a dragons whisker?"

"I guess, looks pretty small right? But," She coiled it in her palm, "Ya see, if prepped properly, its apparently a cure for baldness. But only for like, people who are men? I don't really need it to keep my hair from growing all wild and crap, and I heard you do good with money-" she stopped as Nabiki's hands clapped down on her shoulders.

"You're telling me, in your hands is a cure for male pattern baldness?" She asked intently.

"Um, yeah that's what the guy said, and well, it works on certain bodies to be sure; the chef said this one had six months of magic left and that was only a few weeks ago."

Nabiki's hands trailed up to her cheeks and the brunette kissed her brow, leaving Ranma's babbling as the older girl spoke.

"Ranma-Chan, you are a marvel, we're going to be rich!"

'Is this karma, is this what karma feels like?' Nabiki mused as she made her way to school, a bar of white chocolate in her hand and Ranma at her side.

They'd locked up the dragons whisker in a safe, hidden place, obscured by random knickknacks to further hide it from prying eyes.

'If she's right and we find a buyer, so many problems could just disappear! Though, I don't have an account for such a thing yet, so I'll need someone to be the front, and maybe a cook? Yes, more research need to be done, but still!'

The sheer potential was too much to not put a smile on her face, as she waved the bar of chocolate in front of Ranma's nose, "Want some?"

"Eeeh, thank you!" Ranma cheered, breaking off a row and munching down with almost childlike glee.

'Remember, Nabiki, no cackling. That comes later,' she thought, spying her school in the distance and checking her watch she said. "We're making good time, you remember what we discussed?"

Ranma swallowed her row of chocolate with an audible gulp and nodded, "I make myself scarce, only jump in if you need it and then go to the main office with you."

Nabiki patted Ranma's hair, "Good girl," she said with a cheeky smirk, making Ranma blush before bailing over the wall and into the trees with a wave.

Striding into the main path into the school, Nabiki was pleased to see no gathering mob of boys and less pleased to see Kuno awaiting her before the doors. As she approached, the taller student began his usual pontifications but with some added spice.

"Tendo-San, you have proven a thorn in my side most foul! You wicked ways and wily words have struck a blow to my reputation, my very honor and esteem; turning the lowly one's against the Blue Thunder, while framing me as the villain! Surely only a cruel sorceresses could-"

Nabiki swallowed another row of chocolate and walked passed him.

"Do not ignore me Nabiki Tendo- Ack!"

She only saw what happened through the reflections in the glass, but Ranma swooped down from one of the trees and snatched Kuno's reaching hand, dragging him into a sharp, twisting lock and forcing him to face her before delivering a violent kick to his jaw. The force of which sent him rocketing through the cement roof.

The kendoist twitched several times before going limp.

"Impressive, Ranma-Chan, he's not dead is he?" She mused, not really caring that much as she broke off another row of chocolate for the girl.

"Nah, he's pretty sturdy as these things go, he'll wake up with a killer headache in a bit."

"Then I get to enjoy my first period in piece, thank you Ranma-Chan. Now let's go get you registered properly, shall we?"

Unknown to all, as Ranma Saotome disappeared into the halls of Furinkan High, two figures blurred into the trees, each taking note of the other and stilling their pursuit.

They couldn't move, not yet, not if the other didn't move first, not if their target didn't come out of a place with too many places to hide and escape, not yet.

So in the trees, separated by a wide path of concrete and throng of students, they hid in the shadows, weapons at the ready.

Meanwhile, wandering the backstreets of Nerima, a bandanna clad figure held up a slip of paper and asked, "Excuse me, can you direct me to Furinkan High School?"

Ranma was honestly surprised by how relatively painless the registration process had been.

Of course Nabiki bull-shiting up a backstory behind her attendance of an all boys school had helped, along with her spotty existence in records in general. That, when combined with the somewhat esoteric culture and subtle leeway that was granted to their community meant Ranma was registered within an hour.

She even had a cute new picture added to the database and a whispered understanding regarding the uniform. Granted she did get given the blouse and skirt, but apparently the principles sons penchant for ignoring the dress code was leaving the school more lenient.

'At least until 'he' comes back,' shuddered the vice principle, before refusing to elaborate.

Passing by Akane and Nabiki's class before bailing she was pleased to see that Kuno jerk still sporting a noticeable bruise on his chin and both sisters sending her a smile before she left. With that all done and one more day before she began attending classes, for who knew how long. Ranma leapt from the third story window and sailed down to the path leading out of the school.

She was immediately set upon by three figures, each one roaring in fury, bristling battle aura screaming with murderous intent.

"Ranma Saotome!" Shouted a brunette with a ponytail, giant squared off blade and surprisingly normally clothes save for the bandolier, with martial arts pants and khaki shirt.

"Prepare to-" Cried the one in the middle, with dark hair, a black and yellow bandanna, with green pants, yellow top and old style umbrella.

"DIE!" Howled the last, and only familiar figure, long purple hair, red chest armor and a loose, lilac body suit, wielding a pair of chui.

All three impacted against the earth, ponytails weapon carving a long trench, bandanna making a crater around his feet and Xian Pu leaving two smaller craters where her weapons landed. Each rose into a combat stance, but also eyed each other warily.

'Well, this is new, normally its only one person trying to kill me at a time!' Bereft of any sensible options, Ranma raised a single hand and said, "Yo, Xian Pu."

The girl flushed and then growled, "Stop being friendly, still killing you!"

"But you're the only one here I know!" Ranma whined in a way that was only half put upon.

That sent a spasm through the brunette, sharp, handsome features turning beastial and vicious, "Don't you dare pretend to not remember me, Satome scum!"

Ranma blinked, "I seriously have no idea who you are dude."

"Die," he snarled, before coming to a halt as bandanna began to snicker, then chuckle, before graduating to roaring with laughter.

'Oh this oughta be good.'

"Of course Ranma, of course it would be you who'd inflict this hell upon me," He ground out.

"Um, what hell?" She asked, seriously, she was sure she hadn't managed to piss off this may people she couldn't recognize!

"I didn't think it was you at first, but now I see.... I see it was you who knocked me into the Spring, you bastard!"

Ranma's hand shot over her mouth, "Oh shit, that was me! Would it make you feel better if I said I was sorry?" She had looked for the unfortunate hiker after her old man had 'escaped' her 'fury' but... "Wait why were you seeking me out before then?"

"Enough talk, let's fight-" He was drawn to a stop by the brunette and Xian Pu, the former snarling.

"My families grudge against the Saotome's takes precedence over your personal slights!"

Xian Pu cut off bandanna's retort, "Hah, Joketsuzoku law is supreme, stay away!"

Ranma's brain was wracking, what was that phrase, 'Ah right, blessed are the peace makers,' she thought with a smile.

"Well, I think the solution is clear guys."

"Shut up!" they all roared.

"Listen, listen," she called cheerily, "Clearly you all need to face me, but yer personal honor's not gonna be satisfied by a cheap win," Well she sure hoped it wouldn't. "And really, only the baddest of the bad, the best of the best is gonna stand a chance anyway. So, why not sort it out among yourselves first?"

Brunettes scoffed, "Do you really think we'd fall for that?"

"Playing us, but right," Xian Pu said, all the while swinging her Chi at bandanna's face and sending him flying with said backhand, before striking at the brunette in a surprise jab.

Unfortunately for her, Xian Pu underestimated her foes.

Bandanna fell into a roll and rose to his feet, having thrown himself back to avoid the worst of it, while the brunette blocked her strike with his blade.

"How dare you!" Bandanna roared, flinging himself into the fray.

Things quickly devolved from there.

Xian Pu, was on the receiving end of a swift defensive attempt to disarm her from the brunette, quickly compounded with a furious assault by the bandanna boy. But then the brunettes made a sudden switch and jammed the pommel of his blade in bandanna's gut out of some misplaced sense of chivalry; thus causing the fanged fighters to change targets and Xian Pu to leap on them both.

Ranma was five seconds from bailing and leaving them to sort each other out, when she noticed the brunette was making a move. Slowly shifting away from the center of the melee to let the other two furious fighters square off.

Just as it seemed they had noticed he leapt into the air, loosing a bag of powder which when swiped by the umbrella exploded into a haze of red powder than began popping, bursting and banging.

Ranma joined the brunette in the sky before the wave of crackling smoke hit her and grimaced, 'Shit he turned around.' Bracing for the strike, Ranma rolled and kicked off from the spatula when he swung and disappeared into the trees surrounding Furinkan.

Bouncing off a branch, then a trunk she landed in time to watch the Shinobi leap off the school and follow her path.

"Hey what happened to honor?" She chided, leaping out of the way of another sweep strike.

"What honor!?" He howled, "Your family stole that along with everything else, you traitor!"

"Wait are you-"

That was naturally when Xian Pu and the cursed fighter rejoined the fray.

Class had unsurprisingly ground to a halt with what sounded like explosions taking place outside. Akane had been nervous at the strength on display just with these strange fighters presence, but as the battle became more chaotic she tremored.

Entire trees were cut down be it by weapons or fists, some hoisted into the air to be used as shields, or weapons. The fighters moved in blurs she couldn't even follow, rage and bloodlust practically radiating through the air. Only the attackers malice towards one another seemed to be letting Ranma stay ahead- She lost sight of them again, but then a red blur launched from the trees.

Leaning out the window, Akane cried, "Ranma-Chan!" As the redhead impacted with the corner walls of the roof.

"I got this!" She called back, barely dodging a tree lobbed from the ground, only to be ambushed by the purple haired woman, being clipped by her strikes.

Then the Shinobi and the warrior joined the fray, each fighter racing across the wire fence atop the school, sharp blades and bludgeons clashing against flesh and bone.

Finally Ranma kicked off the giant spatula and into the sky, "Wanna fight? Follow me assholes!" Sailing down from the top of the six story building, across the courtyard and onto the street, not even stopping in her escape, as each fighter followed suit.

"Ranma..." Not wasting a moment, Akane opened the window and jumped.

Notes:
So, world building! I've been sporadically musing on the implications of how characters utilize and talk about stuff like Chi, battle spirit, Aura's, ETC, especially in light of how stuff like the Shi Shi Hokodan or Mako Tabakisha work, or super don't work depending on one's emotions. I hope it proved interesting!

I am so happy with this little plot point with the whisker, I wanted to remind people of it a little hence Ranma undoing her hair and not redoing it in a pigtail after finding hot water didn't change her back. Also if Ranma seems a little too soft here, its mostly cos she's euphoric and on the receiving end of the most emotional support & validation she's ever gotten.

I mentioned before that Ranma was grateful to Xian Pu, hence her differing reaction to canon here; also I love exploring the implications to the fact there seems to be a sort of cultural and even slightly legal separation between like... Martial artist families (Plus samurai, Shinobi, ETC) and civilians folks. Or at least one can interpret it that way given some of what we see in the series, so I run with it.

Also, yeah, this is exactly the sort of situation Genma feared happening last chapter just applied to Ranma rather than himself. IE why he passed out in terror when Soun mentioned he was throwing around Genma's name in the various circles of martial artists, mystics and more; as well as why certain people are hear early.

Zam · Nov 5, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 4

'Another attack attempt, followed by another feeble failure. My only comfort is this time I alone do not share all the blame and thus, all the shame,' Xian Pu mused. She glared down at the wiggling black piglet, trying desperately to keep its backpack from falling into the artificial river running through the city.

"Fanged fool," She bit out, snatching the creature up by his bandanna and giving him a shake as his supplies splashed into the water and drifted away. Shaking him she shouted, "Had you not interfered, had you not distracted me, I could have continued to hound her but you bound me here and so I must track Ranma down again!"

The pig stared uncomprehending.

"Useless foreigners, you travel all the way to Jusenkyo and do not bother to learn our language? I am only here by duty and I still know more than you, ignorant pig," This time the pig seemed to at least pick up a few words, particularly the insults. It went from confused staring to angry thrashing and attempted biting very quickly after all.

"Oh be silent, you pose no threat to me now, nor can you get in the way of my pursuits like this." Now she just needed to determine how best to deal with that brunette. Perhaps if he slew Ranma and she defeated or wed him her her pride and honor would be restored and she could go home again?

'But that's for later, for now, I should find somewhere safe to store this one and return to my mission.' Killing him would be easier, but slaying something so weak would be shameful.

Sighing, she stood up, taking in the long streets and wary locals watching her. Signs of the battle in small craters and speckles of blood were clear to see. Her gaze trailed along the path her foes shadows had followed, across the roof tops of shops and towards the docks it seemed.

'Back to the hunt,' she sighed, moving to collect her Chui when well honed instincts flared.

Spinning around Xian Pu snatched what looked to be a satchel from the air and eyed a girl with dark hair and a light blue, white topped dress staring her down.

"Ranma-Chan, where is she!?"

Xian Pu's head tilted in confusion for a moment before it clicked together, "Ah... You that noisy window girl."

Her would be attacker took up a fighting stance and snarled, making Xian Pu chuckle, "Oh, little girl wants to play?"

Akane liked having Ranma around, she liked her for the girl she was and especially for the fact it meant she had another martial artist to talk with and learn from.

She wouldn't have flung herself out a second story window on pure adrenaline and concern if she didn't care. But despite that, there was no denying her pride had taken a pounding these last few days.

So when some stupid jerk looked at her, mockery clear in those ruby red eyes and said, "Little girl wants to play?" She lost it.

Just a little.

Letting out a furious shriek, Akane charged and loosed a wide arcing kick the other girl jumped over with insulting ease.

She followed it up with a series of sharp jabs as her foe landed, each one aimed squared for her face and each one failing to land.

'She's reading my moves!' Akane thought, teeth gnashing as she forced her body to move faster, faster.

But it did nothing to wipe that mocking smirk of the other fighters face. Each dodge was by mere inches by choice as she lazily angled her head to the side to dodge each strike.

Ranma's words echoed back to her as the girl leaned to the left and Akane pivoted violently at the last second. Her arm contorting and stiffening, wrist twisting with an audible snap against the air and the girls eyes widened, her hair flew back and there was a crack without contact.

'I got her!' Akane barreled forward and watched as the purple haired fighter leapt back and well out of reach.

Dropping the pig, the girl grasped her nose and re-set it with a crack, sucked in a breath and spread her lips in a wicked grin.

"Little girl wants to make it a fight?" She took a stance, "Come then."

Roaring, Akane charged forward, but just as she approached, Akane jumped to the left and struck out with a kick.

The blow was blocked and she was nearly knocked off balance, but braced just in time to let loose a nearly random swing of her arms, forcing the other girl to dodge.

She tried to barrel forward again, but was forced to fling herself to the side at a sharp, swiping strike that severed a chunk of her hair.

"Hey!" Spinning, Akane loosed a wide, arching kick the other girl bent back to avoid. Her effort to pivot and turn it into a downward strike was too slow, so all she broke was pavement.

'She ducked low, if I hit her now!' Akane spun on her feet, intent on driving her fist into the other girls skull.

Only for her to move out of reach in a blur and deliver her own crescent moon kick, right to the side of Akane's head.

The blow resounded in her skull like a bullet and launched her from the street.

'Brace!' She curled up, desperately calling on her Chi, 'Don't die, don't die!' Some part of her begged as she slammed against the cement and felt the bricks crack.

Rebounding off the wall, the world still blurred but at the sight of purple, Akane lashed out with a hook swing on pure instinct. Her fist crashed against a hand and she felt herself being yanked up by the taller girl.

'Not yet, I'm not done!' A sharp, upper kick barely clipped the girls jaw, but it let Akane gain some distance.

The foreign fighter shot forward and Akane met her charge, fist clashed against palms, chops were turned back.

With each resounding blow, Akane felt her body tremor, until-

It all ended in an instant.

Akane felt the gagging, half scream escape her lips before she quite 'felt' the fist in her solar plexus, or the fact she'd been lifted off the ground. She barely even saw the world as the other fighter twisted in the blow and then loosed her into the air, letting Akane slam the pavement. Sparks of pain left her to spasm on the ground, hands too uncoordinated to even grasp the wound as she heaved and choked on nothing.

Then she felt it, a hand on her chest, pressing down, firm but calm, those red eyes meeting hers as the girl intoned, "Breath, one, two." Each count signaling Akane's chest to move as the girl made her breath in oxygen through the pain, forcing the world back into clarity.

"Don't move, some minutes," She said firmly, finally releasing Akane's chest and reaching up to cradle her cheek.

'What... What is she going to-' The other girl smiled, and with no trace of mockery said.

"We fight again later, warrior."

And then, she was gone.

Ranma's breaths were hard and heavy, the sting of shallow cuts and subtle burns familiar as they were unwelcome.

Charging across from her, in the due for destruction parking garage was her opponent, his weapon raised in an arcing slash.

His chest did not heave, his breathing perfectly under control, but lines of bruises and his pose showed he was hurting too.

She weaved around the slice and skidded back to avoid the wave of dust and shrapnel his strike caused.

'A bit stronger than me, but a bit slower, he's not quite as skilled but that weapon makes up the difference, still an even fight,' she mused.

Leaping forward she lashed out with a double kick which was blocked by the blades handle.

She pivoted into a twist, to get closer, only for the blade to be spun against her, forcing her to flip away.

Grasping a pillar she swung around and released just in time to avoid the oncoming slash that turned it to rubble.

"Will you ever stop running!?" Her foe seethed.

Skidding away, Ranma stared at the other fighter and hard, mind buzzing as images splashed across her brain.

Two little spatulas slashing as she jumped over them; and a bid to do the same today getting her belly cut.

An older man with long hair in a top knot letting two children try to lift his battle spatula; and the sheer weight of her foes matching weapon.

The image of sitting atop a yattai, a gift from her friend who chased after them, tears streaming down his face.

"Uchan?" She ventured.

The retort was another slash, feet slamming against concrete and a howl, "Don't call me that! You have no right!"

Each swing of the blade loosed a painful burst of wind, the cement and asphalt tearing as Ukyo chased her through the parking lot, stone pillars impeding him not at all.

"Is this about the yattai?" She shouted, rolling around a strike and sweeping at Ukyo's legs only to be forced back by the handle of her friends weapon nearly breaking her skull.

"The yattai, the yattai!?" He seethed, rebounding off the pillar to chase after her.

"Well why else would ya wanna kill me!?" She rolled around another slash as Ukyo's blow tore through the floor. "If its about me fucking up your family sauce recipe I'm sorry about that too!"

That stilled him for a moment and his brow scrunched, "You..." He shook his head, "Don't try and distract me, Saotome!"

"Well what's wrong man, I thought we were friends!" Kicking off a pillar Ranma clipped Ukyo's shoulder with her knee, but failed the follow up to knock him down when Ukyo weaved around the second strike.

Swinging his blade in retort, Ukyo left another low cut along her collar bone and shouted. "Don't you dare stand there with that beautiful body and mock me Saotome! Don't you dare lie to me again!"

Ranma stilled, her expression growing rictus and fierce, "Is this cos I'm not a guy?"

Ukyo tilted his head in confusion, before shaking it off, "Like that has anything to do with your betrayal!"

"What betrayal!?" She howled back, "My dads a bastard, I get that he robbed you and your pa, but I didn't know! If you wanna beat him up I'll show you where he is!"

Ukyo's entire frame quaked, a spasm running along strong, square shoulders, and something glistened in his eyes.

"Don't... Don't take this away from me too," He rasped, "I can't take this again, Ranchan, not again."

"I... Uchan, what did we-"

"You were supposed to marry me!"

That cry echoed through the domicile and Ranma sucked in a breath, mind whirring and clicking as pieces fell into place and then failed to because... Because if Ukyo thought that was true, if that was true and Ukyo didn't think it could happen now then...

"Uchan... Are you a girl?" Ranma asked, wary and worried to get this wrong.

Ukyo's laugh was tinged with a warped sort of despair. "Not anymore, and never again. My honor was stolen, my families pride as Shinobi left in tatters and now... Now all I have left is what honor a son can grasp by avenging my line against yours!"

Ranma slowly fell out of her stance, "Even if I didn't know, even if I still think you're my friend?" Ukyo choked something down and Ranma pleaded, "Come on, Uchan, we can fix this."

"No! No more lies! No more trust! Not again!" He howled, tears sparkling in his eyes.

Ranma swallowed and lowered her guard entirely, "Then go ahead, Uchan, take your revenge."

Ranma closed her eyes, crossed her arms and waited, heart pounding in her ears, lungs burning, eyes stinging.

The wind cried as Ukyo drew back their blade and-

It fell to the floor with a clang.

Ranma opened her eyes to see Ukyo frantically scrubbing away at their eyes, "Men don't cry. Men don't cry," He sobbed.

Head lolling back, Ranma let out a breath, relief etching itself into her bones.

Falling to her knees, she dragged Ukyo into a hug.

Were Nabiki anyone else, she might be mourning the loss of her nice, relatively normal life right now, as she raced through the Nerima streets looking for any signs of blue or red hair.

Fortunately, Nabiki wasn't anybody else, and so while she might take some time to grouse on the oncoming challenges later, right now she was still in problem solving mode.

Problem one, Genma Saotome, problem two, a group of other assholes all trying to kill Ranma, problem three, Akane was missing and now they were both cutting class.

'Plus I still have that stupid essay due, maybe I'll get Kayuri to do it?' She thought, turning a corner & feeling a tightness she hadn't known was in her chest loosen.

"Akane-Chan!" She called, seeing her sister alive was a relief, seeing her obviously more than a little scuffed up, less so. But she was walking under her own power, if with a hand over her abdomen and a pained scowl.

"What happened?" She asked, coming to a stop before the smaller girl and offering her a shoulder to lean on.

"Its... Not as bad as it looks..." Akane said glumly, "I think... I think that girl lost Ranma-Chan, I don't know about the two guys though... I can't find any trace of them."

'You got your ass kicked, didn't you?' Nabiki wanted to ask, but kept her peace, she could be sensitive Sometimes.

Arm wrapping around her little sister, she said, "I managed to bribe Kuno-Chan's ninja to go looking for Ranma-Chan, so for now, let's get you to Dr Tofu."

"Not there..." Akane groaned, "And why Kuno?" She grumbled, leaning against Nabiki who was already dialing the good doctors number.

"Calling in another house visit, and cos Kuno-Chan is the only person I know with a personal ninja I can bribe." It wasn't much of a bribe really, but the man was pitifully desperate to earn his masters good graces, so offering him a potential 'gift' to seek out Ranma-Chan and keep her updated wasn't a huge price to pay.

'Sadly, he hasn't found them y-' Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the picture, eyebrows arching at the sight of Ranma and the brunette hugging, both sobbing. 'Well now, that's interesting,' she thought, "Looks like Ranma-Chan's OK, sis, she should be home soon."

"That's... Good..." Akane murmured, now sounding less pained and more exhausted.

"Oh you're gonna pass out aren't you?" Nabiki could already feel Akane going limp against her.

"Adrenaline... Crash..."

Nabiki groaned as she squatted down and let Akane slump onto her back. 'This is getting ridiculous,' she groused, pushing herself through the Nerima streets and through anyone in her way.

"Hey... Nabiki Nee-Sama..." Akane murmured into her ear.

Sighing, she answered, "What is it little sister?"

"Thanks for coming for me."

"... Its nothing."
_______________________________________________
NOTES:
As I am working on several projects I decided to end this chapter here, despite having at least a few more scenes in mind when I wrote it. Emotionally this also felt like the right spot to call things to an end for this one, at least as far as I can tell, but you tell me!

Someone on another site said I should write Xian Pu's name like: Shanpu or Shan Pu (Coral + Rough Gem). Also happens to be pronounced identically to Shanpu/Shan Pu (Mountain[-like] + Chest). But I can't find any sources so :/

This is a weird thing, but one trend, sort of, that I've noted in some fics is having Akane take Xian Pu in a fight. This always kind of gets to me, because while I like Akane, she has not been pitted against peers who fight her seriously, or trained heavily by a major master. So it often feels like using Xian Pu as a Warf to make Akane look better. In this chapter I tried to sell the idea that Akane is skilled and strong, even if she isn't at her opponents level yet, so I hope that worked.

Also, if one looks at the subtext of Ukyo's language their reasons for going after Ranma are, I hope, conveyed. If not, I intend to cover it in the next chapter once they stop crying on each other.

Also Nabiki continues her, "Circumstances are making me be a good person and I hate it" character arc.

Zam · Nov 6, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 5

Ranma didn't have a lot of experience crying.

She assumes she must have at one point in time; otherwise her dad wouldn't have been so convinced he needed to "beat that girlish weakness" out of her.

But except for when she was.... When she was ten... Crying was just something she learned not to do, and however much she rejected the ideas foisted on her by Genma she did kind of get the crying one.

She always felt tired afterwards and if she couldn't see through tears in a fight she'd be killed, it just made sense not to cry.

She could only assume, given.... His own words that Ukyo had some similar teaching. Cos the moment they'd both been able to exert even a bit of control over themselves they'd both stopped sobbing.

Which was how they found themselves where they were. Still in a dilapidated parking garage, sitting against a pillar, not quite next to each other, cos Ranma refused to let Ukyo out of sight but he refused to let her sit next to him.

The silence was worse than the murder attempt.

'Just say something!' A part of her screamed, so Ranma bit the bullet and-

"I'm sorry," Ukyo said, his voice firm but sounding utterly exhausted, like down to the bones weary.

Ranma understood that tone all to well and shrugged, "Its fine."

"I tried to kill you," he added, something sharp and maybe a little hysterical in his tone as he added. "I almost killed a girl for something her dad did!"

The usual thrill at being addressed as such was overshadowed by Ukyo's words and Ranma had no idea what to address first.

So, she went for what was easiest.

"Its fine. I get it, honors important and my pops completely screwed you, I might not... Get everything about being a girl just yet, modesty and all that shit," That earned her a snorted chuckle. "But I understand you gotta avenge what was done."

"Maybe..." he sighed. "But the moment I saw you were a girl, I should have at least thought on it, instead of just assuming that you were in on it and pretended to be a guy."

Ranma chuckled, "Well in a way I was pretending, even if I didn't have the words for it yet, I mean, ah, you know I..."

Ukyo gave her a flat look, "I know," he said heavily, vaguely motioning as his top and through some of the rips Ranma could see evidence of a bandage pressing down against Ukyo's chest.

"Cool, cool... Huh, I half figured you'd have gone to Jusenkyo too," She said, trying to steer the direction somewhere more hopeful.

"The bandanna guy mentioned that too, what is it? These Cursed Springs," Ukyo asked.

"You speak Mandarin?"

Ukyo raised a hand and held finger and thumb close together, "Enough to do tasks or take orders."

"Cool, cool..."Oh yeah she totally knew what she was doing, right? "Well, long story short, magic springs where stuff drowned, you fall in, and you transform into the thing that drowned there. I think I knocked bandanna guy into one accidentally."

"What Spring did you knock him into then? He looked normal to me."

Ranma blinked before putting it together, "Oh no, most people can turn back with hot water, but then get cursed again with cold. Unless they take a second dip."

Ukyo's mouth made a popping noise before he nodded in clear understanding.

Pressing on, Ranma added, "If you'd like, I could give ya directions?"

The brunette shook his head, slowly, "Its not... Its not that simple for me... I mean... It should be... And some days it is but..."

"But..."

Her rested his head against the pillar. "I hated you. I hated you both so much. Our pride as Shinobi in tatters, for we had been fooled by martial artists. My honor as a woman forever stained, marking me as inherently unworthy, as... Broken and wrong-"

"Uchan-"

Ukyo pressed on with a hiss, "I had no choice. For the Kuonji name to regain its respect among our people, to gain some scraps of honor and pride, to show my piety to the parents who bore me and gifted me with a body and life... I forsook my old identity. I trained until my hands bled, served any master for the scraps of training they would give a lowly one like me and threw myself into fight after fight after fight...."

He sucked in a long and low breath, "Some days being the first son fits, some days I am almost shamefully grateful I can be a man, and other days... I just want to tear myself apart and be sick for I can never be a girl again."

That was... A lot, and Ranma got it, better than most, even if she didn't get it all and her first instinct was to suggest Jusenkyo again because that seemed perfect but...."I guess this is another part of the honor thing, or uh, your family?" She ventured.

Ukyo nodded, "In a sense. Maybe when this is done, I'll take you up on that offer, Ranchan, for now though," Ukyo groaned and forced himself to his feet. "For now I can only say my vendetta against you holds no honor, and I owe you one as well, for the attack."

"Its fine, out of all the people who've tried to kill me I can count the number of people who said sorry on one hand!" Ranma joked... Sort of joked, it was true after all.

That made Ukyo bite back a snarl before he shook his head, "That doesn't make it right on my part or anyone else's," picking up his massive battle blade he added, "For now, I need to find Genma, and kill him."

And they were right back to where Ranma hadn't wanted this conversation to go.

Standing up, she clasped the taller fighters shoulder, Ukyo didn't shake her off but his stern stare was clear, as he said, "This is a matter of honor, pride and piety. I can't forgo it just because of a debt to you."

"Or cos we're friends?" Ranma ventured, and was surprised to see Ukyo blush.

"I... Not even then, Ranchan," he ducked his head, "I'm sorry."

"Its... I get it, but can it wait?" She asked, trailing Ukyo as he picked up his throwing weapons. "I messed you up pretty good and pops might be hurt but he's got two master martial artists looking after him right now."

"I won't be giving him a fight like I gave you," He countered, "This will be a Shinobi matter, pure, simple and silent."

"Not to doubt your sneakiness, but pops is pretty good with that stuff and Tofu-Sensei has mastered silent movement. Given he's a doctor, I'm not sure he'll let you just off the old man."

Fully armed, Ukyo turned to face her, "Do you actually believe that, or are you just trying to spare him?"

That was the million yen question and Ranma wasn't even sure of her own answer!

Feet tapping and dragging along the floor, she murmured, "I... I don't like him, and I'm not what he wanted, but he's still the master of my School, though hah, maybe he'll disown me?" She'd considered that before making her decision, but even if it meant being an honor-less vagrant, at least she'd be free.

"All the more reason for me to kill him then, no?" Ukyo plied, like they were discussing the weather and not a man's life.

"He's still my dad," Ranma countered, voice raised in something akin to offence. "Like, yeah he's a bastard, he owes you but like... Can't we work something else out? I mean, heck, you're a guy, I'm a girl, the marriage is... Ah...." Ranma's face was burning and judging by the color flooding Ukyo's cheeks so was his.

"You would... I mean, with me...?" Ukyo stammered.

Ranma was blushing even more now, but shrugged, "I mean... We're friends no matter what. Anything else, I dunno, I haven't even had the time to think about it ya know? But like, would it help?"

Ukyo met her gaze doggedly and finally shook his head, "Maybe if circumstances were different but then maybe it wouldn't. This isn't just about my personal honor, or even reputation, its about avenging my father."

"Ah..." She didn't really have an answer to that one and Ukyo seemed to sense that, offering a polite little bow.

"Would you like me to walk you home before I go?"

Ranma snorted, "I gave just as good as I got, don't go treating me like some damsel now."

"I know," Ukyo chuckled, but he didn't sound abashed, "Its just polite."

Something tick, tick, ticked in Ranma's head and she grinned, snatching up the brunettes hand, "I'm cashing in my honor debt with you now then. Stay the night!"

"I-"

"Come on, please, just the night!?" She tugged on his hand, "Just enough so you can actually be at your best for your... Everything else, I'm staying out of what he did... What he did I can't fix and its his duty to deal with it. But please, just spend the night?"

Ukyo frowned, but she could see him caving, and he finally mumbled, "If you like. I have a hotel room though, it should be more comfortable than your tent." He then balked as if he'd suggested something he really shouldn't have.

Ranma chuckled, "Oh I'm staying somewhere way more comfy than my tent, Uchan," she then looked down, "Ya know, assuming they don't wanna kick me out for all the ruckus today."

Any semblance of resistance crashed at that and Ukyo bowed, "Sorry, and I'll apologize when we get there. Please lead the way."

"Huzzah, let's go!" Ranma cheered, dragging the brunette along after her.

Akane was resisting the urge to shuffle under Dr Tofu's surprisingly stern gaze as he began writing off notes without even looking at the page.

'What did I do wrong, is because I got into a fight!?' She wondered frantically.

"Akane-Chan," He said slowly, "It seems you tried to heal the would you got by channeling Chi towards it, yes?"

'That was it?' Something like pride thrashed at the implication she'd done something wrong but this was DR Tofu so she responded politely. "Yes doctor, I heard you and Ranma discussing it and given how quickly she's recovered..."

The good doctor was holding up his hand now, and still looked pensive.

"Akane-Chan, Ranma...." He closed his eyes and seemed to mull on his words for a moment, while Akane's worry warred with wounded pride. Finally, he spoke, "Akane-Chan, if you were thirsty, would you drink a cup of water, or a gallon?"

Blinking in surprise, the answer came unbidden, "Well a cup why- Oh..."

"Exactly," he nodded, "You saturated that wound with so much Chi you were eventually washing it over the surface to no effect. Then you forced yourself into an adrenaline state, further exhausting yourself. Its fortunate you are so new to this or you might have done some real harm."

"But, I mean, why?" She scrambled for an explanation, "Ranma-Chan recovered so quickly and this wasn't nearly as serious!"

"Ranma-Chan has a lot of experience recovering from very deadly wounds, this is a new topic for you and experience counts for a lot." There was an unpleasant gravity to his words, they lingered on Ranma's injuries and Akane could guess what that meant.

Dr Tofu passed her the paper he'd been writing on, "I don't want you exerting yourself for at least a week. I've done what I can to re-order your network and your system should flush out the chemical imbalances but you need to be careful, Akane-Chan."

Head ducking in equal parts shame and acknowledgement, Akane murmured, "Yes, Dr Tofu."

"Which," he added more cheerily, "Should give you plenty of time to enjoy the readings I am recommending you on Chi control and the human body."

Her head shot up, "Pardon!?"

Dr Tofu was beaming, "I wouldn't want to discourage your curiosity on this topic; I just want you to explore it safely and with some guidance. Once you are done with these readings, please come by the clinic and we can explore this subject in more detail."

"You're serious?!" She was beaming now, leaning forward and nearly over the kotatsu.

"Of course! I might ask for a little help around the office too, but that's just so I can spare more time."

Akane was already bowing, "Thank you Doctor, I won't disappoint you!"

"I know you won't, Akane-Chan."

The wonderful moment was ruined by Nabiki shouting, "Ranma-Chan's home and she brought a friend!"

'A friend?' Akane wondered, as she and Dr Tofu turned to the sound of padding feet and Akane almost choked at the sight.

"Why is that boy here!? He tried to kill you!" Only Dr Tofu's hand on her shoulder kept Akane from lunging at the lad.

The pair stilled and their eyes slowly drifted towards one another and then back to her. A quiet exchange of "You wanna... Should I...." passing so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

Akane could see Nabiki was only partially into the room, a faux casual air as she watched the exchange, but Kasumi strode in without a care and a cheery smile.

"Oh welcome back Ranma-Chan, who's your little friend?"

"He's not her friend," Akane bristled, "He tried to kill her, he's-"

There was a thump and Akane turned to see the boy was kneeling, forehead pressed tot he floor, "I attacked Ranchan, and now I am intruding on your home, for these things... I am terribly sorry."

Ranma looked frantic and hastily added, "Uchan and his family got screwed over by my dad, badly, and he thought I was in on it. It was just a mistake."

"A mistake I chose to let happen, this was still my fault. I am sorry and will leave if you want."

Akane only vaguely registered the distressed look on Ranma's face at that and had been about to demand the boy do so. She did not want a boy in this house, especially when she was so vulnerable, not when Ranma's father had already hurt them, she-

"That won't be necessary," Kasumi cut in.

"Yeah," Nabiki drawled, now wholly into the room, "Seems things were worked out and any enemy of Genma Saotome's is a friend of mine."

The boy picked his head up a little and said, "He has that effect on people."

Akane wanted to rally and argue, but Dr Tofu spoke up, "and I certainly don't want either of you leaving before I do a check up."

"Ah Tofu-Sensei, its not that bad-" Ranma blinked and looked to Akane, "Akane-Chan, what happened?"

At that her anger vanished and she was left kneading the kotatsu blanket, "Ah well... I kind of..."

"Got into a fight with that purple haired chick," Nabaiki said lazily, "Apparently she packs a punch-"

Now it was Ranma with her head pressed to the floor, "I'm so sorry!" She shouted. "I never thought Xian Pu would follow me to Japan, or that she'd attack someone I knew, I can get my stuff-"

Kasumi clapped her hands, loudly, "Enough of that, everyone take their heads off the floor please, I only waxed them last week."

"But..."

"It was my fault," Akane muttered, "I went after you and picked a fight with her, I got a good hit in, but it wasn't enough."

Ranma sat up and sighed, "Well at least you didn't beat her, then she'd be trying to kill you two."

...

"What?" Several people, including Akane herself intoned.

"Ah," Ranma rubbed the back of her head as Dr Tofu began his check up, "Ya see, she's from this village..."

Upon a distant rooftop, and cloaked away from prying eyes, Xian Pu held a spy glass up to the face of a pig, her words sharp and firm.

"You see, they align. We must as well!"

The pig looked to her slowly, obviously perturbed, so she added some weight to her glare, "Or I can throw you back to the dogs?" She made sure to annunciated every word slowly and in his language.

At that, the pig nodded, and the deal was struck.

Akane stared in bemusement as the story wrapped up, and Dr Tofu finished his treating of Ranma. That Ukyo guy had enough decency to at least turn around and close his eyes when Ranma went topless, not that it stopped Akane chiding her lack of modesty again.

"Wow, Ranma-Chan, you sure do live an interesting life," Hummed Nabiki, using her fork to chop up a slice of cake Kasumi had given her. "Cursing people, kissing girls, why next you'll reveal you have another fiancée!"

Akane failed to notice Ukyo and Ranma jolt at that last one, but the redhead quickly rallied. "She kissed me and it was for murder purposes, totally not my fault and on the cheek!"

Nabiki just chuckled as she spooned the cake into her mouth, "So you say~"

"Well," Kasumi cut in, joining them at the table as rain began to pour outside. "Hopefully you can sort things out with this other boy at least. As to this Xian Pu girl..."

"I'll figure something out," Ranma ducked her head, "I promise."

"And what about this guy?" Akane asked, not hiding her distrust.

Dr Tofu clapped Ukyo on the shoulder and said, "How about we take this to another room, Kuonji-Kun?"

"Mhm," He nodded, "It wouldn't be right to go topless around all these girls."

"Awe, no second show," Nabiki groaned, even as the two brunettes slipped out of the room, Ukyo's face burning with embarrassment.

"Really, Nabiki-Chan," Kasumi chided, but she had one of this small smiles that said she found it funny too.

Akane however wasn't laughing and was instead looking at the recently bandaged Ranma shift uncomfortable, one finger scratching her cheek.

"Well?" She pressed.

Sighing, Ranma began, "Its not exactly my story to tell, but... Ukyo's dad and mine had an arrangement. My pops went back on it and robbed Kuonji-Sama. Cos of Ukyo's ties to it, he was dishonored and their family lost face, not just in town but among the other Shinobi. Reputation, their pride in their skills is everything to them."

Ranma looked abjectly miserable as she continued, "I don't think his old man's around anymore, and not since he was a kid. He thought I was in on it and everything it cost him." She then perked up, "But once he realized I wasn't we became friends again!"

"That simple, huh?" Akane asked drolly, "And the fact that boy tried to kill you doesn't bother you?"

Ranma shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to kill me, or the second or the..." She began counting off on her fingers before stopping. "Look let's just say my pops had a bad habit of leaving terrible impressions and I sometimes got caught up in the blast zone."

Kasumi tilted her head, humming in thought, "I suppose if he wants to resolve the matter then, your little friend will be approaching your father, next?"

Ranma nodded, "I uh. Brought him here to try and stall him on killing my old man."

Nabiki tapped her plate with the fork, "Question, do we actually care if he kills your father?"

"Nabiki Nee-Chan," Akane groused, "Murder's still murder," at that, Nabiki just shrugged, eyeing Ranma who shuffled beneath the kotatsu.

"Its an honor thing, Akane-Chan, there's laws about that, blood feuds and the like. So long as he doesn't drag anyone who didn't have anything to do with it in, Uchan could be fine... And look, I know my pops isn't winning any parenting awards, but he's still my old man. He still taught me to fight and I mean, I ain't all Confucian like Uchan and his family, but I know what 'familial piety' means."

At that moment Ukyo returned with a fresh set of clothes he must have had hidden on his person, though it looked much the same as before, grey pants and a white shirt. Ranma must have done some damage to his chest because Akane was sure she could see it had grown a little, with what must have been a layer of bandages.

Kasumi nodded resolutely, "Well, whatever else happens, Kuonji-Kun, please feel free to enjoy our Dojo's hospitality."

"Oh that's not-" he was stammering something out but Akane folded her arms and grunted, "I still don't like it, he's violent."

"Oh Akane-Chan," Nabiki drawled, "Don't e so catty."

A spasm ran across Ranma's entire body, her head shooting around, eyes wide for but a moment.

"... Are you OK, Ranma-Chan?" Akane asked.

"Huh? oh, uh, yeah, its nothing!" She said, so cheerily it sounded strained.

Ukyo dropped down behind her and let out some low vocalization, that turned from a purr into a meow, right into the redheads ear.

Ranma's reaction was a panicked screech and frantic scrambling for safety in Nabiki's lap of all places. The older girl looking stunned as she instinctively held the other girl close to her.

Akane bristly and shot up, "What did you do to her!?"

But Ukyo ignored her, dropping down to a knee, quaking, a murderous crimson Chi rippling around his frame. "He did that didn't he, Ranchan? He put you through the Neko-Ken didn't he?"

Ranma twitched at the name and Dr Tofu looked ice was running through his veins, a low, "Oh," escaping his lips. He must have noticed their confusion and in a sharp, near whisper said, "Its a technique, forbidden by Samurai, Martial Artist and Shinobi alike for the extreme psychological distress it causes."

Ukyo snorted, "You can't even call it s technique! Its a method to make a human weapon. People used to capture enemies and use it on them, drive them mad and loose them back on their own forts." Teeth gnashing, the boy spun around and lurched for his massive weapon," I'll kill him!"

Dr Tofu was faster though and with only a pat to his lower back, making him drop like a sack of bricks.

"Why!?" Ukyo snarled.

Adjusting his glasses and helping slide Ukyo under the kotatsu, as he said, "I can't condone violence in my practice. Especially not when I have people other than Ranma-Chan's father staying over night; if you want to go after him, you will need to wait."

Ukyo hissed but flopped against the table, unable to otherwise move.

Ranma slid off Nabiki's lap, blushing, "Uh, sorry about that, Nabiki Nee-Chan."

Nabiki winked, "I only wish more pretty girls threw themselves into my lap."

Ranma's giggle was nearly hysterical as her face flushed and she quickly shifted back to Ukyo's side.

Nodding at the group, Dr Tofu smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes, "I had best be off then, rest up you two and you'll be better by morning. Akane-Chan, read those books and no strenuous activity for twenty four hours."

A chorus of "Yes Doctors" rang out, as Kasumi rose and escorted the good doctor to the door, leaving them all to linger in an all consuming silence.

Finally, Nabiki broke the silence, "So, is that spatula set just for show or can you cook too?"

Ukyo perked up a little, "Only Okonomiyaki, but yes."

"Eh, I remember you being able to cook way more, Uchan?"

The boy blushed and looked askance, "That was before..." he used his weak arm to motion vaguely, "It'd be considered odd for me to cook like that now, unless it was for a mission."

Ranma flopped back on her hands, "Man I almost forgot it was considered weird for guys to cook."

"I can still help with dinner... You know, if my legs wake up in time," Ukyo muttered.

Akane stared at the pair, gears turning in her head but not yet clicking into place.

From their roof top perch, Ryoga held his umbrella over himself and the Amazon to keep the drizzle off of them and watched the scary girls reactions carefully.

Xian Pu frowned, "Still weak, we strike now-"

Some instinct in her and the recently turned boy jolted and they leapt across the roof into defensive stances.

Standing across from them, carrying his own traditional umbrella, much like Ryoga's own, was a young man. He was not tall but neither was he short, broad but not too broad, with gentle but not too soft features and long brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail, with thin, round glasses.

"Ni-hao," he said cheerily, "Wǒ yuànyì wèi nǐ tígōng jīn wǎn de kuǎndài." He then turned to Ryoga and said, "I'm offering you both my hospitality for the evening, would you like to accept?"

His eyes drifted slowly to Xian Pu's and was Rypoga surprised to see the girl absolutely beaming, "Huānyíng nín de kuǎndài, wǒ dāngrán shì gōngjìng de kèrén."

The man smiled broadly, "Wonderful, as my guests you will obviously both be treated fairly and without suspicion, a courtesy your young friend has assured me you both shall return."

Hearing the thunder boom above them, Ryoga sighed, he could wait another night for his vengeance, "Of course, sir, thank you for your hospitality."

"Its only natural and please, Call me Dr Tofu."

NOTES:
I originally intended this to be the chapter Akane figured things out but too much else was happening.

If Ukyo is being a little formal here, its mostly performative cos he feels bad; idle aside, I tend to take a lot of my Ukyo characterization from the old fic One Hundred Percent Woman. It did a great job exploring Ukyo's trauma and coming mechanism and unique relationship to womanhood and masculinity, so sad it capped out at two chapters ><

Translations:
Hello, I would like to offer you my hospitality for the night
Your offer of hospitality is most welcome, I shall of course be a respectful guest.

I originally had a different spin on the scene with Ukyo waiting until Ranma was asleep before going after Genma & being stopped by Kasumi. Ukyo would also say "I am going to torture and murder Genma Saotome" but be convinced to stay cos of the threat of Ryoga & Xian Pu who would be meeting Dr Tofu at the same time. It didn't pan out that way though but maybe later. I also still kinda want Ukyo to bust into a room screaming at Genma "I will carve out your eyes and skull fuck you!" But that's probably too Team Four Star XD

Zam · Nov 7, 2022

Warning: Akane is going to say some stupid stuff in this segment, but she does get over her preconceptions pretty quickly, but I felt fair warning was warranted.

Ranma New Half

Chapter 6

The early morning sun fell upon the Tendo Dojo as it often did, showing no consideration for the recent trials and tribulations that beset its family.

Or so Nabiki would have said were she both a Kuno and not currently power-bombing her second coffee of that morning in a bid to stay awake. Watching her breath billow out like steam, Nabiki glanced at the gate and listened to the faint sound of sweeping as their target slinked out the front door.

Ukyo clearly hadn't been expecting them, but fortunately that hadn't been enough to send him leaping over walls as he crept quietly from the Dojo where Ranma likely still slept.

Expression stern he looked to Nabiki, and then to the gate on the other side of which Kasumi was hiding and said.

"Tendo-Sans, can I help you?"

Swirling her cup lazily, Nabiki chuckled as Kasumi slipped back in from the other side of the gate and placed down her broom.

"Can't hide anything from you fighter types," Nabiki stretched, smirking as Kuonji glanced away from the sight of her bare belly and added. "If it were up to me, I'd just give you directions to Genma and maybe my number, unfortunately for us, my sister has a point.

Ukyo's expression soured subtly as he turned his full attention to Kasumi, "Miss Tendo."

Kasumi offered one of her polite little bows, "I understand warriors have their pride and their honor and its not my place to question your goals. However," She said more sternly, like when she was trying to make Nabiki 'think on what she'd done.' "I do wonder if you've thought your timing through."

"My timing?" Ukyo asked, brows arched, "Isn't that bastard injured? Seems like a good time to me."

"Perhaps," Kasumi conceded, "But Ranma-Chan is still being pursued by two other fighters who want her dead. Worse still, Dr Tofu called me last night and said he saw this, Xian Pu and a boy named Ryoga together."

Nabiki leaned against the wooden pillar, "And unfortunately some brutish boy roughed Ranma-Chan up real good yesterday, she might not be at her best."

Ukyo's mouth shot open and then snapped shut just as quick, a snarl was bit back as he clearly debated leaping over the fence before... His shoulders slacked, "I'll hover around for the morning and school, I owe her that much."

Kasumi strode up and rested her hands on Ukyo's shoulders, "Thank you, Kuonji-Kun, you're a good friend."

"Uh... Um... Thank you... Ma'am, I mean miss, I mean Kasumi Nee-Chan?"

Kasumi giggled, "Please feel free to use the Furo its ready and waiting."

"Ah, right... Thank you," Ukyo shot back into the Dojo.

"My he's quite skittish isn't he?" Kasumi joked.

"Its the energy you put out sis, boys can't stand against it," Nabiki said as they began shuffling back inside.

"Oh I only wish that were true," Kasumi sighed, before her gaze drifted to Nabiki, "But enough of that, you were suggesting something about a new bank account?"

Nabiki smirked, "We need an adult to handle that side of things and you're the only one I trust."

Akane was sleepy, and even ignoring her injuries, her hectic week so far, as well the fact she was up early, there were the compounding factors that she'd stayed up late reading Dr Tofu's recommended books and scrolls, all while trying to listen out for that Kuonji creep.

She just didn't trust him not to be skulking around or trying to get into some perversity or violence with Ranma. As strong as her friend was, the redhead was too naïve to not be taken advantage of.

This confluence of factors and having heard Nabiki lurching around in one of her early morning dazes meant that Akane paid little heed to the signals the Furo was occupied. All to easy to assume it was Nabiki or Ranma, that when she walked in and saw long brown hair on a well muscled frame, Akane was caught flat footed.

The scream bubbling in her throat became a garbed shout, "What the hell, you're a GIRL!?"

Anything else she might have said was muffled by a smoke bomb flooding the room.

'No, NO!' Ranma skidded on the polished floors and arrived just in time to see Ukyo forcing his way passed Akane. His clothes were hastily bundled over bare skin and he was pressing bandages against his chest.

Akane was trailing after, frantically crying, "If you'd just told me you were a girl-"

"I'm not-"

"Then maybe I wouldn't have thought you were some sexist thug!"

"Leave me alone," Ukyo snapped, all hard edges and rough baritones.

"Stop talking like that," Akane groused, "Why are you pretending to be a boy-"

Ukyo's Chi flared violently, burning reds tinged the air and his unbound hair looked more like a lions mane as he snarled, "I am not pretending!"

Ranma threw herself between the pair, careful not to lay a hand on Ukyo's chest, "Ukyo-Kun! Akane-Chan" She cried, and Ukyo's blood red aura dropped, while Akane looked equal parts terrified and confused.

Grasping both by the shoulder, she pressed on, looking to Ukyo, "How about you finish getting dressed, I'll, uh, explain?"

Ukyo sent Akane a withering look and blurred out of sight and into the guest room, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Ranma-Chan," Akane said slowly, "Why didn't you tell us your friend is a girl."

Ranma sighed, something heavy twisting in her chest.

"I think we should discuss this over tea," Kasumi chimed in from the steps.

Soon enough Akane found herself at the table with her sisters and Ranma; tea mercifully un-drunk because she was convinced something must be in the water.

"Akane-Chan, nothing has really changed from yesterday," Kasumi continued, "Kuonji-Kun is the same boy he was before."

"Except 'he'," Akane exaggerated the word as much as possible, "Isn't a boy at all."

Ranma's head drooped, "He is what he says he is, that's his... His soul, Akane-Chan."

"No its not," Akane said growing tense, "Her soul is that of a girls cos she is a girl, I've been reading about Chi-"

"For not even a night," Nabiki cut in.

"And," Akane pressed, "It says there's feminine Chi, and masculine Chi!" There had been some other stuff about neutral Chi's and Yin & Yang but her point stood.

"Pretty sure Uchan's Chi is masculine as it comes, sure feels it to me," Ranma said quickly.

Akane waved her off, "I know what I saw. Ukyo-Chan can dress up all she wants but it won't change the fact she has breasts and no-" She cut herself off for good manners sake.

Ranma's head was hanging low, her shoulders shrunk in on herself and Kasumi was patting her back, while Nabiki massaged her own forehead.

Sighing, Akane said, "I don't get why you're so upset, Ranma-Chan, did you have a crush on Ukyo as a boy or something?"

"He. Is. A Boy." Ranma said, something like a sharp twang slipping from her lips, as her eyes shot up. "What if... What if someone dumped you in the Spring of Drowned Boy, Akane-Chan, would you be a guy?"

"Of course not!" She cried, "But that's cos I was born a girl, so I will always be a girl!"

Ranma reared back like she'd been slapped, and suddenly turned, "I'm going to check on breakfast," and left the room, Kasumi trailing after her, but the look she sent Akane made her stomach drop.

'What did I do!?'

Nabiki lobbed a cushion at her head and Akane bristled, but Nabiki spoke over her, all sharp and professional, cold even.

"All right hot shot, pop quiz. What if you were dumped in the Spring as a baby?"

"What-"

Nabiki's palms slapped the table, "What if it happened now, then you lost you memory and spent the next sixteen years as a boy in the eyes of everyone?"

"That's-"

She pushed herself up, "What if you woke up one day and realized you felt wrong and trapped in skin that didn't fit but you were the only one who felt like that?"

"Nabiki-"

Her older sister loomed, "What if you could see who or what you wanted to be and no one let you?"

"But-"

Nabiki's hands clapped down on her shoulders, "For the love of- Stop arguing and actually think for a second, Akane!"

"But that's not how it is!" She argued.

"And who are you to make that decision for someone else?" Nabiki asked sharply, that word striking a chord in her mind as Kuno's booming voice rang out in the back of her mind.

"Its not me, its-"

Nabiki placed a hand over her mouth, "Stop and think. I'm going to have a bath."

And like that Akane was left alone, her gaze slowly drifting towards the kitchen as the pieces slowly but surely fell into place and her fists began to shake.

Akane was fuming, Akane was furious, Akane's mind was frantically going over every memory from the last few days with a fine toothed comb!

Sharp, heavy foot falls went in random patterns through the dojo as she did, fists swinging with unspent, angry energy.

'Lies, all of it, a whole relationship built on a bed of lies, how could she!?'

She should have known, should have been able to tell, to figure it out but somehow she hadn't until it was staring her in the face.

'And how could my sisters go along with her lies, this is all crazy!'

The world was how it was, people couldn't change what they were, couldn't change what they were born to be, it was just reality.

'People said the same thing about women and work,' A voice whispered in her head, all to like her sisters.

Akane spun again, teeth gnashing, it wasn't the same, it wasn't and they should know that.

'My sisters are smart, they figured it out before me, or maybe she told them-'

Akane ground to a halt and muttered, "She?"

Akane stomped her foot and sucked in a breath, mind flickering across the deceptions again to remind herself of the reality.

'She's-'

There it was again!

This time the wood cracked and Akane's muscles ached as she thought about Ranma who-

Ranma who looked at her reflection in gold bangles like it was something precious.

Ranma who's smile bloomed like the morning sun when people called her a girl.

Ranma who cried for joy when she got to wear a dress and make up.

Ranma who... Who...

Who she couldn't think of as not a girl no matter how she tried.

Akane turned to face the wall and pictured Uko Kuonji.

The instinctive dislike and worry flooded her gut; the same feeling she got when boys got too close, or seemed like they wanted to flirt or fight. The same feeling she got in alarm bell form when Ukyo was angry at her that morning even though she tried to hide it because Ukyo was a...

Akane let her head fall into her hands as the image of Ranma practically fleeing her presence flooded her mind.

'I really messed this up.'

Akane shot towards the door, 'I have to fix this!'

The door rattled and banged as she flung herself into the hallway, heart thumping in her chest as she blurred passed the dining room and up the stairs.

She found Ranma talking quietly with Ukyo in the hall, barely catching a snippet about 'with me' and then both were staring at her, worried and wary alike.

Part of Akane really wished she'd taken a minute to think about what to say but instead the words just started to spill out.

"I'm sorry.... I... I didn't know what I was saying." She shook her head, "No I did, but I didn't understand what it meant and I... Ranma-Chan, I know my sisters are probably better for this but if... If you have any questions or want to do something, I'm here for you. Us girls have to stick together."

Ranma's eyes glistened and she wiped her face, "Ah, yeah, thanks, Akane-Chan."

Akane rounded on Ukyo and her weak smile turned to a frown, "And you," She pointed roughly at his chest. "I don't like boys, I don't trust boys and that means I don't like or trust you. Ya got that?" She motioned between them with two fingers, "I got my eye on you."

Ukyo nodded slowly, brow raised incredulously.

Rolling back on the balls of her feet Akane nodded, "Good, we have an understanding, Ranma-Chan, want to join me in the furo?"

"Um... Sure, just a second?" The redhead said slowly.

"Sure, I'll be waiting!" Akane called, striding passed the pair.

Ranma's eyes followed Akane and she felt an immense weight off her shoulders and a clawing sickness escaping her chest.

It wasn't all gone of course, not that quickly, but it would be soon, she was sure of it.

"Huh, well that's the second most threatening affirmation I've ever received," Ukyo hummed.

Ranma hummed in agreement before blinking, "Second?!"

Ukyo waved her off, "I'll tell you later."

"But I wanna know noooow!" Ranma jokingly whined, even as she strode backwards towards the furo.

"Later, I'll be outside chopping wood," Ukyo said.

Ranma didn't ask if he was going to help with breakfast, Ukyo would probably be turned off cooking for a while if her own experiences were anything to go by, but still...

Ranma placed her hand on the door to the furo, 'Still, this worked out.'

Now she just had to make it through school with two people after her head and be ready for whatever her old man was inevitably working on.

Easy, right?

NOTES:
One thing I have quite enjoyed in writing this fic has been the Tendo Sister Solidarity, obviously it was a bit strained this chapter, but still; Nabiki showing her faith in Kasumi as a reliable adult, Kasumi hearing out Nabiki's ideas ETC, its fun I feel. This chapter was short but the subject felt necessary to cover in isolation over making it a smaller part of a bigger chapter.

Of all the Tendo sisters I actually feel Akane would have the most trouble accepting someone being trans; Kasumi can be rather traditional but she's fairly passive about most things to the pint of ambivalence in general and Nabiki seems totally checked out on societal ideas in general. Akane however has some more overt trauma tied to her gender identity and the expectations placed on her, as well as everything with Kuno which seemed to give her a lot of not unjustified anger that came to manifest itself in a rather... Gender essentialist idea of what 'boys' were like. Combine that with her temperament and it feels like she'd be the one easiest to radicalize as such, though by the same token, the one who if she had her perspective flipped would likely be the most positive about the subject given those same traits, while Nabiki & Kasumi remained rather neutral.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Zam · Nov 8, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 7

Ranma was pleased to find the journey to Furinkan Highschool was going by without incident; they'd even picked up Akane's friends along the way. The blunette having spent much of the trip, avidly introducing Ranma to the girls, while the redhead tried to keep pace and Ukyo hovered in the background.

However, as they came to the walls surrounding the school they slowed at the sight before them. Nabiki, along with what Ranma guessed were her two friends, leaning against the wall and looking mischievous.

"Make it here safely everyone? Very good," She beckoned them closer, "I need to borrow Kuonji-Kun."

"Miss Tendo, I'm here to look out for Ranchan."

"She's here safely and its just for a bit," She sent the boy a wink, "I just want a handsome man on my arm as I go into school; and for you to humiliate a samurai for me~"

Ukyo was off the fence with a flip in a second flat, kissing the back of Nabiki's hand and bowing, "Well, far be it from me to leave a lovely lady without an escort."

The pair and Nabiki's friends quickly disappeared around the corner, the sounds of Kuno's theatrical proclamations filling the air.

"Ah, he's still angry at her," Sayuri murmured as the sounds of extraordinary violence filled the air.

Akane shook her head, "I never expected he'd switch his obsession like this," She clenched her fist, "I'd better get back to one hundred percent fast."

Ranma was frowning as they turned the corner to the sight of Kuno embedded in a wall, bloody and bruised. "I don't know why she couldn't have me do it."

"Oh don't worry about that," Yuka patted her back, "She probably just doesn't want Kuno obsessed with you."

"Yeah," Sayuri added, "He only got obsessed with Akane-Chan after she beat him in a sparring match.

"A decision I will regret forever... But I'd still do it," Akane brushed a hand through her hair and watched as Ukyo argued with Sasuke.

"A lowborn vagrant has no right to lecture my master on manners," The diminutive ninja hissed, hoisting Kuno over his shoulder.

"Better a vagrant than a dog, go and eat your masters shit, traitor."

Sasuke snorted and leapt into the air and vanished with a flicker of shadow and lights.

Ukyo spat out something under his breath, before giving them all a wave and jumping onto the school entryway, off a window and onto the roof to keep watch.

Akane tilted her head, a thought circling in her mind as she swapped out her shoes.

"What's on your mind Akane-Chan?" Ranma asked, hopping from foot to foot as if testing her own shoes.

"Just wondering... Well, I suppose I understand why Shinobi hate samurai. I mean, they're criminals and Samurai have often been police, but where do we martial artists fit into that?"

Ranma's head tilted, an odd expression on her face as she bit her lip before nodding and answering. "Tis a bit more complicate than that; you see, Samurai weren't just cops, they were also lords and kings. Shinobi on the other hand might have become clans but they usually started cos of people fleeing samurai and those in power.

Seeing Akane listening intently, Ranma continued as they strode down the halls. "Pops said that was why more women and uh, other people are shinobi than Samurai. Well that and weakness." Ranma waved her hand quickly. "He's an idiot of course but that's sort of the inception of it here. Us martial artists though..."

"Let me guess, Genma had an opinion on that too?" Akane asked half in annoyance, half in good humor.

Ranma coughed into her hand and in a mockery of Genma's crackly, squeaky voice said, "Martial arts is the power of the working man. Not the nobles blade or the cowards dagger, but the good honest fist of the farmer and the carpenter." She snorted, "Which I guess kinda lines up with our history, at least here in Japan; what with self defense from bandits and monsters and all that."

"Come on Ranma-Chan, I can accept some of the craziness that comes from all this Chi business and panda transformations, but monsters?" Akane's eyes grew wider as Sayuri and Yuka stared in confusion. "Ranma-Chan there's no such thing as monsters right?"

"Weeelllllll,"

Lunch time proved hectic for Ranma as a swarm of people surrounded her in short order to ask questions or spark intrigue.

"Who were those people who attacked you?"

"Did you really go to China?"

"Is that really your natural hair color?"

"Are you single!?"

Fortunately, Akane and her friends kept some space between her and the throng, letting Ranma answer at least some of those questions as she tore through the Kasumi made lunch.

Things continued in this fashion until-

"Hey Ranchan," Ukyo was pulling himself in through the window.

"Wait isn't that one of the guys who attacked you!?" Someone shrieked, Ranma hadn't picked up on everyone's names yet.

"Yo Uchan, did you bring me some extra food?" She called.

Ukyo's expression twitched in obviously offence, "I'm some a homemaker, and look outside."

Ranma got up and the crowd followed, several people gasping at the sight below, but Akane gave the most vocal reaction.

"What is she doing!?"

Because down below, were Xian Pu, the bandanna boy and most shocking of all, Nabiki; who was currently engaging in animated discourse with the pair.

"We should go down there," Ukyo murmured.

"I mean, they haven't attacked her yet, buuuut, yeah probably-" Ranma stilled as Akane's phone went off and the girl answered.

"Are you crazy!? Those people are- Oh, uh, I mean... Yeah they're... OK, one sec." Akane held her phone to her chest and said, "She's convinced them to wait on fighting you until after school."

Nabiki's voice on the other end of the line rose and Akane sighed loudly, "She will also be taking wagers on the fight."

"Cool," Ranma said slowly, "Tell her to tell them I agree I guess?"

How in the world Nabiki pulled that off?

Ranma wasn't sure her own efforts to talk people out of killing her ever even netted a reprieve of a few minutes, let alone hours!

That was when the boy roared from down below, "This time Ranma! You shall not escape me! I Ryoga Hibiki will end you where it all began, in a school yard! Humiliating your cowardly self before an audience of hundreds!"

It all came rushing back to her, but revelation on his identity was also accompanied by a violent spasm across her frame and Ranma lurched towards the window. "What did you call me asshole!? I'll kick your directionally challenged ass right now!" She was barely held back by Akane and Ukyo's combined efforts, hissing and spitting down at the boy.

Xian Pu just stared up at her, before her attention drifted to Akane to whom she waved.

Akane, a slave to social etiquette waved back before she remembered this girl was here to kill her friend.

Nabiki was already returning to the school and students were drifting out of the class to place early bets; but many among them heard what came next.

"Ranchan, I'll take this Hibiki guy, you handle Xian Pu," Ukyo said.

"Um, excuse me, no way in hell. I'll be taking both of them!" Ranma snapped.

"Um," Akane started, only to be cut off.

"Ranchan, please don't argue with me on this, fighting both of them is a terrible idea, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I am a martial artist, I can handle Ryoga Hibiki of all people and I've beaten Xian Pu before."

"That's not-"

Akane's hand clapped against the back of each of their heads, "Its a doubles fight you idiots, they'll be fighting you both."

Just as another round of arguing was set to begin, the bell rung.

With the end of the school day Nabiki found herself in a most profitable position; bets already taken and a massive audience gathered around the soccer field by the pool to watch the ensuing spectacle. No she didn't feel bad for selling tickets to a death match, because the fight was going to happen no matter what, thank you very much.

She did however feel a touch sad for Ranma's obviously foul mood. Joining the redhead and brunette on the right side of the soccer field even she could see Ranma was practically radiating anger at anyone and everyone, but especially at Ryoga Hibiki. Nabiki caught the tail end of the conversation as she arrived.

"It was over bread?"

"I guess, who cares, the idiot is mine, you hear?"

Nabiki inserted herself in the conversation before they could continue, "Afternoon dears, want to hear the odds?"

Ranma's scowl increased, 'So that is it,' Nabiki thought, still feeling a bit bad for encouraging the idea Ranma had run away from Ryoga so more people would bet against her and thus lose when Ranma won.

"I already heard-em, I can't believe people think I'm some kinda wimp!" Ranma cracked her knuckles, "I'm gonna show him, show-em all."

"Well," Nabiki patted her on the shoulder, "I sure hope you do seeing as I wagered on you two." She gave the redhead a wink, "Just try to take out that Xian Pu girl first. I have her marked for an early round knock out."

That drew a snort from Ranma, some life in her eyes only to be squashed as Ryoga shouted, "Done getting your affairs' in order Saotome?!"

Xian Pu turned away from whatever conversation she was having with Akane, drawing her Chui as a blazing red battle aura to match her rube eyes flooded her skin.

"Ranma! We fight!"

"I'm coming ya impatient bastards!"

Akane was, grudgingly, getting out of the blast zone, and once Nabiki took a few steps back, the metaphorical gong was rung.

Akane watched in growing dread from the sidelines, jolting as the fighters began their charge.

Ranma was the fastest, clear as day; passing Ukyo and surging towards Ryoga with a rictus snarl on her lips.

Xian Pu shot in front of the boy, slashing her Chui, only for Ranma to flip over the steel orbs.

She tried to deliver a kick to Ryoga's head, but was blocked by his umbrella, the force made the boys knees quake.

Ukyo shot to Ryoga's side, intent on delivering a sudden slash to Ryoga's side but he ignored Xian Pu and the Amazon blocked his blow.

Ranma landed and just as she made to strike Ryoga the boy snagged her arm with a handcuff.

"No running this time, Ranma!"

"I DIDN'T RUN!" She howled, flinging herself at Ryoga with more fury than the skill Akane had come to expect.

It turned the tables almost instantly.

Ryoga was able to block her first heavy flow and though he quaked, Ranma's guard was down; Xian Pu delivered a singular Chui strike to the side of her head while Ryoga blocked Ukyo's attack and Ranma went careening off to the side.

"Rancha-Urk!" Xian Pu's Chui was buried in Ukyo's gut and Ryoga slashed the boy across the face with his umbrella sending the Shinobi flying.

"Ranma-Chan!" Akane called, shooting to her feet, but she froze at the look on the redheads face.

She was smirking.

Ranma snagged the material binding her to Ryoga, her feet dug into the earth and with a roar she ripped the boy off his feet and towards her.

It was too fast for Xian Pu to catch and Ranma used Ryoga's momentum to drive her fist into the boys cheek and sending him straight into the ground, imprinting into the earth.

"Using my own tool against me, coward!" Ryoga snapped.

Ranma didn't react this time and so was able to weave around Xian Pu's speedy side strike and deliver a kick to one of her Chui, sending it into the air.

"Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice and I'd have to be as dumb as you!"

The bandanna clad boy shot to his feet with a shout and lashed out at Ranma, cutting off Xian Pu's charge, only for his blow to be redirected and Ranma's fist to fight its way into his gut.

Ryoga was sent skidding back, a cloud of dust spilling out from beneath his feet. Xian Pu made another go at Ranma's head, but found her strike blocked by the sudden return of Ukyo, disarming her in one slash and forcing her to retreat.

Whatever words were exchanged between Ukyo and Ranma were quick and to the point, but not so swift that Xian Pu couldn't unveil a massive Dao sword from inside her top, making even Ryoga boggle.

Ryoga and Xian Pu shot forward, keeping their formation tight, weapons drawn.

Ranma bounced on her feet and into the air, rebounding off Ukyo's weapon who helped vault her into the sky, and with her she took Ryoga, dragging him seven, eight, well over twelve stories high!

'I can barely make them out!' Akane thought as the redhead and bandanna clad boy exchanged vicious fisticuffs in the sky, using the cuffs to swing each other around the sky.

On the ground, Ukyo and Xian Pu were all flashing blades and sparking steel, winds kicking up around them that forced students to retreat as their duel drove them closer to the pool. Everyone was moving like water around them, forming a massive wall, eyes craned to the sky or on the vicious battle of blades going on before them.

Ranma and Ryoga's shouting voices could be heard echoing from the sky and Akane zeroed in on the pair.

Ranma had Ryoga's shirt grasped in one hand and was repeatedly punching his face. The boy trashed and twisted to escape her grip, only to end up in a choke hold that had his face aiming towards the ground.

They met the earth with an explosion of dust and force, making a crated easily the size of a small car

By the time the smoke cleared, Ryoga had barely broken free of Ranma's hold; he tried to force her back with a wide arcing swing of his umbrella only for it to be kicked from his hand.

Ranma vaulted forward on one leg and drove her outstretched leg into the boys head, sending him skidding along the oval.

He screeched to a stop next to one of Xian Pu's Chui and as Ranma made to lunge at him, Ryoga roared and loosed the weapon in a wide arc.

Ranma swerved her way around it and while her blow did not strike Ryoga because of it, she blocked his counter attack and the two delivered a duel exchange, blood spilling from their noses.

Someone who did not swerve around the Chui was Xian Pu.

Momentarily disarmed by Ukyo she'd leapt into the air and snatched Ryoga's umbrella before leaping over the her foe. Opening the bladed tool and readying to spin it like a shuriken, which meant she did not see the Chui flying towards her head until the last moment. It struck with a clang, the metal denting as it snapped the girls head to the side and sent her careening into the pool without even a scream.

Ranma & Ryoga's fisticuffs froze and something strange bubbled up in Akane's gut as Ukyo & Nabiki watched on impassively as the girl did not rise from the pool but sunk, limp and unmoving.

"Xian Pu!"

Akane flung herself into the water, barely registering Ranma and Ryoga leaping over head to save the fallen amazon.

It was only once she herself began to sink that Akane remembered she couldn't swim.

Nabiki watched the amazon fall impassively, musing, 'Well that's one problem solved.'

Only to repress a cry of "Oh come on!" as three voices howled the girls name, including her would be victim as they all leapt into the pool after her.

The whole school got to watch Ryoga turn into a piglet of all things, while Ranma dived into the water and scooped Xian Pu's limp form up and-

Nabiki blinked as the third voice finally registered and she saw Akane thrashing in the water.

"She can't swim!" Nabiki shouted, shoving Ukyo towards the pool.

Fortunately he didn't need any more encouragement and threw several strands of white material, like thick string, than wrapped around Akane and pulled her from the water before Ranma even got close.

Akane was spluttering on the side of the pool, chest heaving, to shocked to even defend her pride as her friends raced forward and draped a towel over her shoulders and started saying kind words.

'Good, I'd have no clue what to say,' Nabiki thought, as Ranma hoisted Xian Pu from the pool and listened to her heartbeat.

A look of dread flooded her features and the girl's pallor practically died as she ripped Xian Pu's armor off and began compressing her chest.

"Don't die on me, I still owe you," She half shouted, cupping the girls head and breathing into her mouth.

Ukyo had dropped down at her side and taken over the compressions, while Ranma breathed for the amazon and after nearly a minute there was a pained spluttering and the girl spit up a mouthful of water on Ranma's face.

The redhead sagged back in relief, "Oh thank gods..."

Akane had joined the trio and was watching intently as Xian Pu's chest began to rise and fall, her eyes still closed and she said, "We should get her to the nurses office."

Nabiki's head turned back to Ryoga who was... Currently thrashing about in the pool, going left, then right, then back, then in circles.

"Woah, what a fight!"

"So romantic!"

"Wait how does this effect the bets?"

"Did he turn into a pig?"

Nabiki smirked and pulled out a handful of leaflets from her school bag, generously donated by Ranma and the schools copy machine.

"Hear ye. hear ye, if you want to know the secret behind Ryoga's curse, then look no further, for I have ten, count-em ten copies of the Jusenkeyo guide, donated by Ranma-Chan herself! Bidding starts at ten thousand Yen!"

As students gathered around her, they ignored Ukyo fishing Ryoga out of the pool and trailing after the girls as they carried Xian Pu into the school over their shoulders.

"You martial artists are quite durable so she should be fine," tutted the school nurse; brushing passed Ukyo & a worried piglet at the foot of the bed.

Ranma rocked back and forth on a stool next to where Xian Pu lay, on a thin, flat bed, dressed in a gown; her sopping wet hair wrapped in a towel and a cold compress, each breath small and shallow.

"Yeah, we are, and Xian Pu's tough. She'll be up and trying to kill me again in no time."

Akane, now dressed in her sports uniform patted her on the back, "I hope she wakes up soon."

Ranma nodded, but a thoughtful hum escaped her lips, "Say, why are you invested?"

Akane blinked, "Well, I mean, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because she's trying to kill Ranchan," Ukyo helpfully supplied.

"Well- I-" Akane choked and flushed, before snapping, "Its complicated OK!" Ranma just continued to stare and the girl began to blush, "Well why did you try and save her then!?"

"Oh that's easy!" Ranma spun on her seat to face the other girl and mock whispered, "Ya see, after the Springs, pops was dead set on looking fir a 'cure' for me. So, when Xian Pu swore her vengeance and started chasing us all over China, he had no time to look for one and eventually gave up. If not for her, he mighta gotten desperate enough to just force me into a Spring."

Ranma shuddered at the thought and spun back around, rocking her stool back and forth, "And besides, there's not a lot of people my age I know, or knew and I thought... I dunno, that maybe she'd be a cool friend to have... Once she stopped trying to kill me, mostly."

"Oh Ranma-Chan," Akane sighed, rubbing her back.

Ranma's head tilted back and to the side, "Sooooo, your turn~"

Akane swallowed, "Its..." She looked to the sleeping amazon, "After we fought yesterday... She, well she knocked me down, hard, but then she stayed with me and made sure I could breath and she... She... She called me a warrior." The other girl reached out and brushed her fingers along Xian Pu's scarred knuckles, "Then she waved at me this morning and I just... I haven't been able to get her out of my head. I wanted to speak to her, to.... Understand her, and fight with her again."

Ranma could feel herself grinning and cheered, "Well I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough, but speaking of fight." Her gaze drifted to Ryoga who as if sensing her attention began thrashing and snarling and squeaking in Ukyo's grasp.

"Dude, calm down," Ranma reached out to try and such him when the piglet bit down on her hand, "Ah!"

"Bastard!" Ukyo snarled and slammed the pig into the floor.

"Don't bully him!" Akane snapped, shoving Ukyo to the side and picking the dazed piglet up.

"Uh, he did try to murder me," Ranma said slowly.

"I know, but he's a piglet right now, he's as harmless as a... Well this," She said, holding the squirming black piglet out to thrash uselessly in her grasp.

"Fine, can you get him to chill out for a hot second then?"

Akane turned Ryoga around and stared him dead in the eyes, "Hibiki-San, please let Ranma-Chan say her peace and then you can say yours."

There was a near minute long stand off before Ryoga drooped as if to say "I can't do anything about this anyway" which was as good as Ranma expected to get.

"I'll boil the kettle," Ukyo said drifting into the side room.

Ranma nodded but quickly turned her full attention to the glaring piglet.

"OK, Ryoga-Kun, listen up. I didn't run out on our fight, my dad took me away, but!" She said sharply, "I will happily give you the fight you're looking for. Second!" She began counting off on her fingers, "I am sorry for knocking you into the spring of drowned piglet; even if following me to a place called Jusenkyo was about as stupid as I've come to expect from you."

"Ranma-Chan," Akane said warningly.

"Right, right, anyway it was an accident but its still my responsibility to fix it and with that in mind..." Ranma reached for her school bag and revealed a thermos. "This might... Might help." Seeing the dual confused stares, Ranma pressed on.

"This s Spring of Drowned Girl water, and the guide said that using it might mix the curses or even switch them around. What that means is you might become like a piggy girl over a pig, or you might only be a pig in hot water. Either way, it'll be way easier to stay human and keep your hands.. I know," she said, holding out her hand, "That this isn't a cure-all but its a good start right?"

The pig stared at her, wide and watery eyed, and a moment later the kettle began to whistle. Ranma was barely out of her seat before a hand shot out of the room beckoning for Ryoga and remembering how the cursed boys clothes had been left behind in the pool...

Akane quickly passed the piglet through the door.

What followed was several minutes of waiting as Ryoga apparently dressed himself and then struggled to find his way out of a room with one door.

When he stepped out, his hair was still damp and his cheeks flushed, his fingers twiddling together.

"You're serious right, not messing with me?" He said, looking at the thermos.

"I wouldn't lie, not about something like this," Ranma said firmly, "I even used one of them myself so I could never be transformed again."

Ryoga blinked owlishly murmuring something she couldn't make out before speaking louder.

"But if I take that water I'd be a girl?"

"Ye-"

"I mean, what if I saw myself naked? That'd be hugely inappropriate!"

"I me-"

"But then I'd be a girl so would it be OK?"

"I don-"

"Would I have a cute, huggable body like yours?!"

Ranma didn't even get the chance to try and answer Ryoga's face was burning as the martial artist leapt through the window, "I need to think about this!" before landing on the school grounds and blurring out into the streets.

Akane stared at the broken window, "That was... Unexpected."

"Huh... Well I hope she figures it out," Ranma murmured, before her attention was drawn to Xian Pu who rolled over and groaned in Mandarin.

"Sorry about the noise, Xian Pu," She offered, and the girl sat up, glaring and groggy. Left hand pulling away the towel and ice pack, releasing her tangled purple locks and rubbing the spot struck by her Chui.

"Is fine, been awake, just headache."

"Awake?" Akane gasped, "Uh, for how long?"

Xian Pu offered the other girl a lazy wink, that had Akane burying her face in her hands, while the amazon turned her attention to Ranma. "You saved me."

"I mean, yeah, but you know why so it doesn't really change anything righ-" Xian Pu pulled her forward and kissed her on the lips.

She tasted of chlorine and frost and Ranma's brain was doing backflips as it overheated, Akane gawking at the pair as Xian Pu pulled back.

"The kiss of death revoked, I cannot kill one who saved me," Ranma wobbled on her stool and fell to the floor, making Xian Pu chuckle weakly, "Good kisser, no?"

Ranma scrambled to her feet, "So wait, what about your honor?"

"Ranma-Chan don't try and get her to kill you again!" Akane groaned, through her hands, face still burning with embarrassment.

Xian Pu shrugged and lay back down, "No honor in killing one who saved me."

"But..." Ranma's brain worked in over time and she took Xian Pu's hand, "What about your village, can you still go back?"

The girls ruby red eyes refused to meet hers, "Maybe... On technicality... No most likely not.... Will think of something."

Ranma knew what she wanted to say and thankfully Akane said it for her, "You can stay with us until you figure it out!"

The amazon arched her brow and smirked, before shaking her head, "Thank you, but no charity. Dr Tofu offered a place of stay if I help in the clinic. We can still fight though."

"Uh, um, thank you?" Akane was smiling uncertainly and Ranma's grin was out in full force, things were looking up!

The door to the nurses office slid open, revealing Nabiki, "Everyone sorted out their blood feuds?"

"We're done," Ranma sang, "How much did you earn and do I get some?"

"Good and lots thanks to taking out three separate bets, here's your cut." Nabiki then slid a bark of chocolate into Ranma's mouth which she bit down on with giggling glee.

"Say, where's Kuonji-Kun?"

Ranma swallowed, eyes widening, "Oh..." Her head turned to the side room door which Akane opened to reveal empty space.

"Oh no..."

Genma Saotome leaned forward with Soun, carefully inspecting the swirling orb before them.

"This item can eject magic from any being," explained the robed figure, "It was no small labor for me to build and would take months to make again."

"It sounds like exactly what we are looking for," Genma intoned.

"Indeed, but there is the matter of my price," Chuckled the sorcerer.

"And that price would be?" Soun asked, as Genma considered just snatching it and leaving.

"Well, I have heard you have a lovely-"

Something sharp and swift flew through the air and before Genma could even do more than take a stance, a squared off blade had cleaved through the orb, leaving its magic to swirl into the air and fade.

"No, no!" howled the sorcerer.

"That was our best shot!" Cried Soun, leaning away from spinning blades aimed at Genma as white powder began to fill the room and a savage voice snarled, "Good."

"Danm you child!" sobbed the magic user, loosing some strange spell in the direction of their attackers voice only to hit nothing.

Genma barely dodged the giant blade that was aimed at decapitating him, the white powder swirled and they vanished into the abyss of vision.

"Shinobi! Soun get out of here!" He cried, barely dodging a second strike as the air began to burn and burst into flames around him.

Soun grabbed the howling sorcerer and leapt outside the ruined restaurant they'd been using as a meeting point.

"I am going to carve out your heart," The attacker rasped, voice thrown and rebounding off the walls. "I will cut out your eyes and tear off your head!"

A blade cut across Genma's cheek and he hissed, 'Powder, exploding smoke, blades and silent movement, Umisenken will be useless against a Shinobi and I've not the time or energy for a drawn out battle.'

With an explosive wave of his Chi, Genma was able to clear the room at the expense of making himself more vulnerable to attack be it let him catch sight of brown hair and a familiar set of weapons, "Kuonji," He muttered.

"Die!" The girl howled at him, missing from carving open his chest by mere milliseconds as he leapt into the air, through the roof and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Demon God, Multiple Strike."

Soun watched from the sidelines as his friend soared from the building in awe as Genma's chi swelled to incredible heights. The air around him surging wildly and contorting into three giant vacuum blades of invisible force.

Their attacker never stood a chance.

The ensuing wave of earth tearing, cement cutting, steel piercing power demolished the building in a single instant and left nothing but wreckage in three great trenches carved into the street.

Genma landed and glowered at his handiwork before snorting and turning to face him, "Never fear old friend, that was just a bitter Shinobi from the road, unable to accept her place in the world."

Soun nodded, still star struck, Genma had always been strong but this, "My friend, that was incredible!"

Genma chuckled, "Well, you pick things up, haha," He then suddenly grew sober, "Sorcerer, do you have-"

"No! No I do not have another orb like that, those are incredibly expensive and difficult to make!" She tore herself away from Soun and gathered her robes around herself, "You clearly only lead to trouble, I am leaving before it cuts me too!" With that she faded into the nearest shadows.

"What an odd turn of phrase," Soun murmured, rubbing his chin.

"Indeed, but still, we mustn't lose our focus, Soun, where is our next-"

Genma froze, a gleaming blade had slid its way around his shoulder and now rested against his throat, while another was pressed to his back. A woman in a blue, patterned kimono of elegant make, with dark red hair whispered into his ear.

"Hello, husband of mine."

"N-"

The blade at his throat drew a drop of blood.

"I want you to answer only one thing for me, Genma."

He nodded weakly.

"Where. Is. My. Son?"

NOTES:
Have I mentioned I really enjoy world building? Cos I really enjoy world building XD Nabiki still using her powers of persuasion to make a profit and also those who noted Ukyo had inherited some toxic masculinity, thanks for the idea!

Yes, Xian Pu & Rygoa did try to strategize before this match, its just their strategy didn't go far beyond "Piss Ranma off so she gets careless". I also chose to frame the fight from an outsider perspective for ease and to show what all sides were doing, and cos it set up Akane's bit effectively.

Xian Pu feels~ One amazon is feeling very loved in this Chilli's tonight, even as she is left pondering whether she can ever go home again; also wanted to use the life debt idea for ages. I've been envisioning that Ryoga and thermos scene since I started writing this story, I hope it landed well, cos Ryoga's reaction to Ranma's curse always screamed gender envy to me and I sympathize.

Also, the Shinobi is out, yes, YES, the Shinobi is out!

And also sadly about to find out despite his many failures and pathetic traits, Genma is actually a very accomplished martial artist when pressed. Also seriously, the Demon God, Multiple Strike is legit one of my favorite Ranma 1/2 techniques ever, as are its variants. Also the restaurant destroyed was the sight of the canonical cat café, mostly for the Easter egg value.

Nodoka's here! I have some plans for her if/when I get to the last chapter/chapters, but yeah that's all I can say for now XD

Zam · Nov 9, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 8

What had followed Xian Pu's shameful defeat and honorable rescue was... Confusing to the warrior.

She knew her Japanese was not totally fluent, but even the natives seemed somewhat confused as to what was going on, but perhaps that was their sheer panic.

Still, while Ranma had raced off, grudgingly followed by the brunette, Akane lingered to explain at least a little. Much was still confusing to Xian Pu, save that apparently Ranma's father, the panda oaf, had somehow dishonored the blade wielders family. Thus he was seeking revenge and Ranma either feared his success or his failure, perhaps both.

Akane had raced off afterwards to join the manhunt, promising to be back to visit shortly. Xian Pu however, rose on momentarily shaky legs before planting her feet and forcing her mind to wakefulness. Familiar, sturdy, almost earthy Chi suffusing her being; the lingering signs of her wound faded to a mere dull throb in mere moments.

'I owe her no small debt, perhaps with this, I can begin to repay her, my Ranma.'

She had thrown on her clothes, forcefully dried with Chi and left, ignoring the nurses call to stay she had leapt from the nearest window and began her hunt.

'I was taught to track and trail enemies, if anyone has a chance of finding him, it is I!'

It was nearly two hours later that she found her trail leading to a ruinous series of slim craters that looked to have been carved into the street with giant blades.

Ignoring the crowds, Xian Pu inspected the ruin, tossing aside massive heaps of cement and steel she hissed at the sight of blood in the mangled metal.

'His weapons and the imprint... Yes, it was the Blade Wielder who fell here, not the cursed fool and yet...'

There was no body, and even as strong as the attack was it could not have vaporized one who fought her on equal footing so easily.

Leaping from the crater, Xian Pu bounded around the roof tops in an increasingly wide circle looking for a sign when a familiar voice cried.

"Don't pull on my hair!"

Xian Pu skidded to a halt and saw Ryoga carrying a bloody and near broken Ukyo Kuonji on his back. Some of the brunette's wounds looked tended to and he was tugging on the boy's hair, weakling whispering, "Turn... Left..."

'I have found him, but if he will survive, that is another question,' Xian Pu thought, leaping down to the boy's side, her small first aid kid, thoughtfully restocked by Dr Tofu already on hand and a 'borrowed' cellular phone in the other.

'I must act quickly!'

Ranma was halfway across the city when she heard Ukyo had been found and was being treated at the Tendo Dojo. Like a bolt of lightning she'd launched herself towards the Tendo's home, the ground cracking beneath her first foot falls as she raced to her friends side.

Landing with a sharp clap on stone her shoes went flying as Ranma scrambled into the house and nearly ripped the door of its rail when she burst into the dining room, "Is Uchan OK!?"

Awaiting her were Akane & Kasumi, Xian Pu, Dr Tofu and even Ryoga for some reason, most hovering somewhere in the room; laying in the center was Ukyo, his body wrapped in bandages and stinking of blood, but his barrel chest still rising and falling weakly.

"He'll live, but he won't be fighting for a time," Dr Tofu intoned gravely as he packed his kit.

Ranma just staggered forward and fell to her friends side, Ukyo's dark brown eyes meeting hers for a moment before looking away, shame radiating in his Chi.

"Oh Uchan," She whispered, taking the Shinobi's one none bandaged hand, "I promise I'll get him for this, I'll kill him myself." She spat hotly.

"Ranma-Chan..." Akane whispered, a hand resting on her back.

"D- Don't..." Ukyo whispered, "He has a... Secret Technique..." Ukyo finally looked at her, "It was enough to crush me... In an instant."

Ranma's heart skipped a single fearful beat.

That didn't make sense, her father had taught her everything he knew, she'd beaten him before and yet-

'I'm still useful to him if I'm alive... Uchan's just an enemy he needed to get rid of... That bastard's been playing me for all these years!' A tremor or terror and rage ran through her.

Kasumi's gentle tones drew her back from the brink of... Of something, "The best thing to do right now is stay here where its safe and help your friend recover, I think."

Xian Pu surprisingly cut in, "Agreed, attack was immense, best to strategize and prepare."

Ranma felt a knot in her chest tighten and loosen with every beat of her heart before she slumped to the floor. "I'll wait... I'll freaking wait."

She could see Uchan smile through the bandages, "Good... I'll Explain it... When I... Wake up..." And like that he was out.

Dr Tofu tapped the boy's chest three times, "He won't wake for the world now, not unless he feels threatened at least, but we can continue to speak freely."

Akane patted her back, "You made the right call, Ranma-Chan."

Ranma ran a hand through her hair, "I'd be no good running into a fight this angry anyway." That was when her gaze flickered to Ryoga, "Speaking of... Hibiki-Chan, did you want that Spring Water now?"

Rygoa flushed, using their old umbrella like a shield and squawking, "Why'd that remind you of me, jerk!?"

"Because you fight angry," Xian Pu intoned without a care.

Rygoa's blustering slowed as Ranma rose to her feet, "Just wait here, I'll get you that Spring Water from its hiding spot, K? If you want it that is."

Rygoa stared at her for a very long moment, face burning and half hidden behind umbrella and bangs alike before nodding minutely.

Ranma made to leave but stopped herself, turning around she bowed, "Thanks for helping Uchan, all of you."

She didn't wait for a response and marched deeper into the house and towards the attic. It didn't even take a minute of rummaging to find the aged, red thermos she had stowed the water in and Ranma clutched it to her chest.

'Thanks, for everything,'

She was brought from her thoughts with the sound of Nabiki's foot falls thudding around the house, her voice crying out, "Genma and dad are incoming and they have company!"

Ranma tore her way from the attic with nary a blink, launching herself down the stairs and over Nabiki. She lobbed the thermos at a stunned Ryoga who never the less caught it as Ranma took up a guarding stance between everyone else and the doorway. She was barely aware of Xian Pu readying her blade and standing at her back, or the others guarding Ukyo. She could only watch the door and wait as the sound of foot steps grew closer and finally the door slid open with a near silent click.

Soun looked nervous, her father look sick with terror and both stood behind a woman. She had dark red hair in a short, traditional style, a deep blue patterned kimono, two katana gently wrapped in a cloth and everything about her radiated a sense of serene regality. Their blue eyes met and Ranma found herself frozen in place by that gaze, something strange and familiar but all together different that she couldn't place.

The woman strode up to her, "Name yourself for me, please."

Ranma answered without thinking, "Ranma Saotome."

A single elegant hand reached out and cupped her chin as the woman looked her over, slowly tilting her head from one side to the other, murmuring. "Yes, I can see it, you have your fathers ears, but my mothers hair and our families regal jawline," She cradled Ranma's face in one hand. "Oh my son what has happened to you?"

Ranma lurched back as if stung, "I am no one's son and I sure as hell don't have a living mother!"

The woman's gaze turned cold, an ominous aura radiating around her as she turned her icy gaze on Genma, "You told my son I was dead?" to which he nodded weakly.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Nabiki of all people howled.

Genma nearly crumpled to the floor, "It was, it was necessary Nodoka-Chan, to ensure he would grow strong and fierce and not long for the comforting hug of a mother like some weakling I swear!"

Ranma was used to seeing her father cower but this was... This was extreme even for him. She could barely tell what to do and her gaze snapped to Soun who nodded grimly. "I swear on my honor and the name of my dearly departed wife, this woman is Nodoka Saotome, wife of Genma and mother of Ranma-Kun."

"M... Mother?"

Nodoka's daze snapped back to Ranma, "I wonder then what else he did not tell you of, the contract perhaps?"

"Nodoka-Chan, please!"

"What contract?" Ranma could see Genma practically begging her with his gaze not to ask, but she pressed on, "Why is the old man so scared of you, what's going on?"

Nodoka sighed and slowly revealed two certificates from her kimono sleeve, one marked with Genma's hand writing and the other what looked to be hand prints. "This contract contains a solemn oath taken as martial artists, giving me assurance that taking my only son away from me was necessary for him to become a suitable heir to the Saotome Ryu. A man Among Men."

"So, that's where you got it from old man?" She muttered, as Nodoka slipped the contracts away.

"If you two fail in this path, I am to oversee your ends, as you commit Seppuku to reclaim you honor."

The room fell silent save for Genm's groveling and Ranma felt her stomach fall out from under her, "W- What?"

A chorus of cries rang out, none greater than Kasumi's, "Are you mad, that was your child!?"

Nodoka merely shook her head, eyes glistening, "The path of a martial artist is fraught with peril; but duty to kin, school and honor matter above all else. If the master of the school and clan said it was necessary, then it was necessary, and if honor demands our family line end here, then so be it."

Ranma thought she might die right then and there from Nodoka's words alone burying cold steel in her heart.

She barely heard Genma's begging, "Now, now Nodoka-Chanm remember what I said, Ranma is cursed, cursed! But now that he has been reminded of the contract he will surely have been shocked back into his senses and we can seek a cure and get things back on track!"

'So that's why he brought her here....'

Ranma's entire body quaked, her teeth grinding as she spat out, "You... Sniveling, cowardly piece of shit!"

The whole room lurched back at her cry, but Ranma barely registered it, words spilling from her mouth like flood water from a broken dam. "You really thought you found it hadn't you? A way to force me back into being what you wanted! Did it ever occur to you I might rather die than go back to living as your man amongst men? As your son!?"

Nodoka especially tensed at that, her eyes wide.

Her father growled, "Ranma-"

"Shut up, Genma!" No honorifics, no honor for the man before her. She dragged him up from the floor and roared, "You think you've trapped me? I could marry Uchan tomorrow and make your insane contract null and void if I wanted! I could kill myself and take you down with me, or-"

She threw Genma across the room and out the door, only his skill let him skid to a stop. "Or I could put an end to everything, the contract, the fiancé's and your hold on me!"

Any fear vanished form Genma's face as he marched back towards her, while Nodoka and Soun gasped, "You wouldn't!"

Ranma level a finger at Genma, "As your heir I challenge you for the Saotome Ryu, for the clan and the rank of family head!"

Foot slamming against the wooden floor, Genma rose to his full height, his broad frame near blocking out the light from outside. "To see how that fight ends, boy, you should just look at the Kuonji girl-"

"Stop stalling, accept my challenge or yield!"

She couldn't even make out her fathers eyes behind his glasses, his expression dour. "You understand don't you, that a challenge like this could cost you everything?"

"Better that the alternative, but don't worry, when I win I'll let you surrender, old man."

Genma snorted, his head shaking as Soun threw himself between them, tone plaintive and desperate. "Now, now, there's no need for violence, or swords or any of that! I mean, I mean... You girls saw it did you not? Ranma-Kun just confessed to the curse, clearly we are shaking its hold on him! I am sure if we-"

"We all knew about the Jusenkeyo, daddy," Nabiki said scathingly.

Sound's empty, "What?" was answered by a chorus of voices.

"I did too, dad."

"She's right, father."

"I as well, Tendo-San."

"You didn't ask me, but I knew the moment I saw her."

"Ignorant men, you have no understanding of how curse works, oafs the lot of you."

Soun stared at his family, his physician and the strangers in his house in utter confusion and quiet despair. Ranma thought her mother might be moving to speak, but Genma's tone cut through the air like ice.

"If you aren't willing to surrender when I defeat you son, I will be forced to end you. I cannot let the Saotome line, the school end here, so Nodoka and I will simply have to start again."

"G- genma!" Soun stammered, while her mother just looked between them, her a low gasp escaping her lips.

Ranma scoffed, "You're so afraid of losing even one scrap of control over me aren't you? So terrified of what I could become without you."

Genma's Chi was burning, the air around him rippling with heat, the wood turning to blackened ash beneath his feet. "I will give you twenty four hours to rethink this foolishness, but if you do not... We shall fight at the temple of the Jade Buddha, and I shall put an end to this farce. One way or another, boy."

With that he marched out, Soun following hastily behind him, color drained from his usually tan features.

Ranma's fists didn't uncurl, her entire body was rigid, aflame with tension and unspent energy, as her gaze snapped to her mother.

She met her gaze and in a strange tone murmured, "Whatever form you take... Whatever way you have chosen to live your life... A martial art must be in pursuit of some greater goal. My son, is this battle in service of that goal?"

Ranma steadied herself, she looked back at everyone who had come together to help her in this last week and answered. "As a martial artist and your daughter, it is."

Nodoka tightened her grip on the swords but nodded and without another word, turned and left.

Ryoga was fairly quick to excuse themself from the room after Ranma's confrontation with her father. Unsure on what to say or to feel about the entire sordid matter and seeing Ranma was seeking out Dr Tofu for advice, it was clear they weren't needed.

So Ryoga had taken the kindly Kasumi's directions to the Furo and left, thermos still clutched tightly in his... her, their? Hands; but sadly, they were already lost, as was sadly custom.

'At least I haven't wandered off the Tendo's property yet,' Ryoga thought, looking at the sign that hung at the back of the Tendo's household over their massive welcoming gate. The fanged fighter nearly jumped at the sudden raised voice from the other side of the wall.

"Genma, what madness is this!?" Ryoga heard someone cry.

Ryoga ducked down on instinct, sliding across the path in near total silence to listen in on the men's conversation.

"... To, to kill your own child."

"That thing is not my child, it is a curse, a mockery of my life's work, of our plans Tendo!"

"I... I know, but still."

"Oh calm down old friend, remember, we still have time to collect an item that can fix this mess. Why do you think I gave Ranma that twenty four hour window? The boy's too proud to back down even from a fight he's sure to lose."

"I see, I see, Ranma-Kun will play along while it gives us the time we need, oh Genma, you are as canny as ever, but... Wat if it doesn't work?"

There was a poignant silence.

"Then I will do what I must to defend my clan and school from an accursed pretender."

"... A martial artist life is filled with perils, but this... This is truly terrible."

'Terrible is right! I have to find Ranma-Chan!'

Nodoka's mind was like the ocean on a wind-less day, on the surface it was blank, flat, calm and even perhaps numb. But beneath the surface, waters roiled and currents clashed. A thousand and one creatures danced to death beneath the silent surface and not a one could she make out.

She was barely able to maneuver around the dark haired boy who was practically the picture of how she expected Ranma to grow up, racing by her.

"Saotome, where are you!?"

Nodoka slowed her stride at the too high pitched, "In here" that drew the boy towards the very room she had so recently left... Eventually.

'That boy, he seemed calm when I was leaving, what has changed?'

Nodoka knew it was not ladylike to pry, but this was... This was personal. So she stilled her racing heart and pressed down her breathing, practically erasing her presence as she slipped into a side room and placed her ear to the wall.

"Ranma-Chan, your dad has a scheme to use some magical item to turn you back."

"He what!?"

'He what!?'

A rougher voice cut in, wheezing, "He was... He was buying something like that... When I ambushed... Him... I broke it... There could be more..."

"Mhm" The fanged boy intoned. "I heard him discussing it with Tendo-San, its why he gave you the twenty four hours, they have to go and collect it."

She heard a fist slam into the ground, "Meaning this entire fight is just one big ambush to him!" She could practically hear Ranma shaking her head, "That's good to know, thanks Hibiki-Chan."

'Chan?' Nodoka shook off the oddness quickly.

"Ranma-Chan," Tendo's middle daughter said smoothly, "Does this change anything?"

"It means I'll have to be more careful of traps I guess, but beyond that not sure what I can do to prepare."

"Well," Soun's youngest said, "That means he won't try to kill you at least?" She ventured weakly.

Nodoka could hear the gulp and felt her stomach drop at the next words, "No, I heard that too, if this plan doesn't work, he will kill her."

"I can't believe that man!" Akane cried.

"A man? No, he's a monster," Kasumi said quietly, seething.

She could hear someone clapping their hands, "Much as I agree, this doesn't help Ranma-Chan. What we need is to figure out how to stop Genma's magical trick, and somehow beat him in a fight."

"I Can... Explain his technique..."

"And as I said, Ranma-Chan, I am happy to help you prepare before-hand," Added the doctor.

"Perfect, then we have a way for me to fight him and win set, now... Now I just need to figure out the magic side of things."

The conversation was interrupted by a sharp voice, tinged with a foreign and unfamiliar accent. "There are few items that can counter Jusenkyo, especially here, but Great Grandmother knew of one, a legendary kettle. If nothing more, it may force even twice locked victim back to a normal curse."

"Dammit, I don't want that, but I could at least go back to China and take another dip I guess."

The foreigner hummed, "You have bathed in blessed waters twice yes?" There was a moment before she continued. "Imbibe the water, take it thrice. Leave nothing of the old self behind, no old Chi, no old form, only the new." There was a moment of silence, before several stunned gasps rang out, "Why shake your head, is a good idea!"

"I gave that water to Hibiki-Chan, I ain't taking it back just for me."

"But you need it more," Nabiki groused.

"Don't agree and even if I did I don't care, its not honorable to go back on one's word."

"You'd... Do that for me?" Intoned the... Child, sounding very quiet and unsure.

Nodoka could practically hear Ranma's shrug, "It was my fault you were cursed and I promised you the water. Whatever anyone else says, I don't go back on my word."

"... Then, I want you to have it!"

There was a sound of metal slapping against skin, as Ranma presumably caught the thermos Nodoka had seen the Hibiki child carrying.

"I can't take it, I gave it to ya!"

The thermos whistled through the air again.

"Don't throw it at me, and listen you stubborn fool, I'm telling you I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you lost who you are now just to do right by me!"

"I can always go back to the Springs, you can't!"

"Screw you, I can totally find my way to them!"

"We know that's a lie!"

"Well what if you die, what then idiot!?"

"I'll figure it out-"

"Ah! Nabiki Nee-Chan!"

"Why did you hit me too?!"

"You're shouting was hurting my ears," Intoned the girl, the rippling sound of water splashing inside a thermos accompanying her words as she likely waved it about.

Akane was quick to cut in, "Ranma-Chan, you said Chi can be messed up by mood and even body, right?"

"Well... Yeah, using my Chi's been way easier since I changed."

"Then I further insist!" Ryoga shouted.

"She makes a good point," Kasumi added.

"Indeed, a warriors focus cannot be parted in battle!"

"Genma's a cheating bastard Ran-Chan... He probably wants to use it to throw you off... So he can get an easy win."

"I concur with everyone here, Ranma-Chan," added the doctor. "if it really does mar your honor, you will at least be alive to fix it."

Nodoka heard palms slap against wood as Ryoga cried out, "Take the water, please. My honor wouldn't be able to stand it if you refuse!"

"... OK fine, but I insist on paying you back later."

Nabiki sighed, "Lets focus on getting you to next week alive, OK, Ranma-Chan."

Nodoka pulled away and slipped out of the room, making for the gates, hands gripping the katana so tight they nearly snapped in her hands.

NOTES:
Hi again, I hope you all enjoyed this one!

Dr Tofu became way more important to this story than I expected, plus I just really enjoy having everyone hanging around together; also yes Nabiki was on watch in case Genma came by. Ryoga is still very unsure about personal pronouns. The Eavesdropping scene was a big hassle to rewrite, but I hope it read well as its a bit odd. Also if you are wondering about the challenge, well in canon Ranma challenged Genma for leadership over something petty and Genma also almost replaced Ranma over something even more petty. I'm not sure of the legality surrounding Seppeku contracts, but given what we've seen of the series, along with just how angry Ranma was, I felt it worked.

Writing Nodoka's incredibly hard, I didn't wanna just handwave away all her toxic traits from canon & have her be super chill, but I also didn't want her to just be a screaming sword waving twit, I hope I found a good balance here. I actually had a totally different version of this Genma confrontation & the next one written but they were half done and got like 90% rewritten during editing XD Nodoka's speech about greater purpose was borrowed from the Ryu Kumon manga, I really liked it.

One thing that I think distinguishes Genma's shit parenting from Nodoka's is that Genma very much treats Ranma as a tool. That is to say, while Nodoka's ideas might be dangerous or toxic, she at least seems to think they will be for the best of Ranma, while Genma views what's best for him as best for Ranma. Hence her referencing his desire to retain control of her; he can't stand Ranma exercising real agency, can't risk losing everything.

Also, leaning into reminding folks that while Genma can be a simpering coward, he's also a deadly martial artist who can bring that to the forefront when pushed in just the right way. Also I worked in that scene someone suggested of Soun & Genma providing 'proof' and being shrugged off, so glad I could work it in XD

Fun fact, despite canon Ranma occasionally claiming to be "weaker but faster" in 'cursed mode' we never actually see any sign of weakness, by all accounts Ranma seems to hit just as hard in either form and in many cases seems to sometimes perform better when transformed. This is contrasted against Herb who did get noticeably stronger and more skilled after regaining his birth body. Thus I lean into the idea her Chi was normally disrupted by being in AMAB mode but got smoother and easier to use in Cursed Mode, hence also why Ranma-Chan wrecked Genma's shit in the first chapter, Genma didn't expect her to be that fast or strong.

Next chapter, the climax and then falling action/epilogue, I hope you all enjoyed!

Zam · Nov 10, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 9

Ranma, woke up with the rising of the sun, it was a force of habit that she could sometimes suppress but not when she was nervous. 'Great start to the day, being all clogged up in my chest,' She slapped herself to wakefulness and gazed around the room.

She could vaguely hear Kasumi moving about, but Nabiki was clearly still asleep.

Uchan was still in deep sleep but he was breathing better, Ranma thought with a sigh of relief.

Akane was out like a light, her books on Chi strewn about around her; Xian Pu on the other hand was all about Akane, having rolled off her mat and into Akane's at some point.

Ryoga meanwhile had the tightest sleeping bag Ranma had ever seen and the fanged fighter had wedged it carefully into a shelf and seat, presumably to keep from rolling off in the night.

Forcing herself up, Ranma stretched until her abs ached and back cracked, before slipping around her... Friends, and out the door. Consciously she knew she must have woken them, fighters at most of their levels wouldn't sleep through that but it seemed they understood she needed sometime to meditate.

Jumping into the garden, Ranma began her morning stretches, drinking in the scent of the dew and the low whistling of birds. As she stretched she was quietly elated by how nimble and at ease her body felt, even as her Chi scrunched up and coiled in on itself.

'Tofu-Sensei did say he'd get me back into perfect fighting form last night, hah, probably the only reason I had any deep sleep.'

Leaping into the air, Ranma landed on the great rock that loomed over the Tendo's Koi pond and buried one fist into her palm.

She breathed in and out, slowly but surely, forcefully relaxing her Chi; pulling it from her core and sending it in waves across her body. Beneath her the Koi Pond began to ripple and Ranma knew she wouldn't be ready to face the day until she could calm her reflection.

But it was hard, because a question still burned in her mind.

'The techniques he has, the power those have, its more than I can do right now. Even training with the others, even the pressure points Tofu-Sensei showed me won't mean anything if I can't get close.'

She didn't have enough time, not to grow stronger, not to undermine the techniques or create a counter.

The water began to ripple more intensely.

'Stop. Calm. Focus. Don't think about what I lack, think about how can I make up the difference, I need a solution, not stress.'

A way to match the power her father would bring to bear in their fight. It seemed almost impossible given what Uchan had said, even Tofu-Sensei was leery and yet something danced on the edges of Ranma's senses as she poured through her mind and spirit.

A stray thought came to mind and the waters in the Koi Pond began to writhe, the rock beneath her feet cracking as Ranma's Chi flared and her eyes flew open.

'Oh.'

After the night's string of dramatic revelations and looming tension Nabiki had, somewhat counter intuitively to her longstanding practices, tried to be helpful. She wasn't sure she liked how habitual it was becoming either.

Of course, she wasn't a martial artist, or magical or really any help save for the occasional reality check on matters.

Thus she left Ranma to strategizing over Kuonji's tale of Genma's secret attack. Followed by sparring with Dr Tofu, Xian Pu & Hibiki throwing themselves into the fray at times as well, while Akane pawed over old family scrolls and Kasumi tended to food. Nabiki had taken her elder sister aside to discuss some of their plans. If nothing else the secret bank account was finally ready for use, but that was the best she could do.

Thus, she ended up being the first in bed and thus, very uncommon, was the first to rise.

'Or so I thought,' Nabiki mused, toweling off her hair as she walked into her room to find Ranma perched on her windowsill.

The girl instantly looked away from her barely covered form, cheeks tinged pink.

"Hey now, its just us girls here you know~"

"I know, but ah, still," Ranma mumbled, looking very intently at the wall.

"A shame, I thought you'd come to confess your undying affection and plans to whisk me away to an island resort."

"... Isn't it usually a deserted island?"

"Please, Ranma-Chan, I have standards, no less than four stars dear."

The redhead snorted, muffling her laughter with her hand as Nabiki threw on some clothes and let the redhead gather her thoughts before finally asking. "So, what can I do for you this morning?"

Ranma's posture stiffened and she finally looked at Nabiki, staring intently. "I have a favor to ask, and I can't ask any of the others."

"What could I do to help that they couldn't?"

Ranma rolled her shoulders, "The old bastard would see help from them coming, he'll be on the look out. Plus, I'm not sure they'd agree given what I have in mind."

"Even Xian Pu?"

"I don't wanna use her honor oath against her, and still, pops will be ready."

"Ah, so I'm just your last, best option," Nabiki joked, but Ranma looked, ill.

"I'm... I'm asking cos I trust you, Nabiki Nee-Chan."

'Terrible decision really.'

Sighing, she strode up to the redhead and ruffled her hair, "All right, fill me in on your plan."

Time somehow felt to be passing too quickly and agonizingly slowly to Akane. The fight for Ranma's future, her very life was going to happen, soon.

Their motley crew marched through the streets of Nerima. In the distance she could see a glimmering jade statue, the signature attraction of the Buddhist temple rising from the ground.

Everyone was present, Dr Tofu had closed his practice for the day and walked alongside Ukyo who was keeping up through use of a cane. Ryoga was being gently guided to stay on the path by Kasumi, while Nabiki with Ranma and at Akane's side was Xian Pu.

Akane felt a shoulder nudge, Xian-Pu's shimmering red eyes meeting hers. "Fret not, there is a plan."

Akane leaned in to whisper, "You're sure?"

Xian Pu just nodded, "Call it instinct," Her gaze drifted to Ranma, "I sense no fear, she is at peace."

She slowly nodded, trying to attune her still ill practiced senses to Ranma's aura with some success. Out of everyone's present hers was the only one that seemed alive at the moment, shimmering like fire, but clinging to her frame like a second skin.

Once again she saw Ranma's gaze drift to Nabiki, or more, the bag she was holding, but her sister just smiled and said nothing, ensuring Ranma's head turned away again.

Akane didn't know how she felt about a plan involving her sister, but as they arrived at the temple steps she knew she could do nothing about it. Sucking in a breath, she followed Ranma up barely registering the tiered forest on every level of the giant rise.

Just as they began nearing the top, Ranma froze, turning to face them she said. "I... Thanks for coming, all of you and-" She bit her lip, "Just for everything."

"You're blushing Ranma-Chan~" Nabiki sang, poking her cheek, "Its cute, you should do that more."

"Don't bully her Nabik Nee-Chan," Akane groused, grasping Ranma's hand and smiling, "Don't thank us, its what friends are for, OK?"

Ranmas eyes shimmered a moment as her gaze drifted across them all before she nodded, a grim expression blooming on her face. Ponytail flicking over her shoulder she added, "And guys, please remember. 'I' don't want to kill him."

With that ominous rejoinder, Ranma turned back and they reached the top of the stairs in silence.

Awaiting Ranma at the top of the steps was a respectable Buddhist Shrine, much the same as any and every one she had visited over the years. Wooden beam posts, elevated floors, with a subtly golden hip-and-gable roof that went out in sharp arches. All that jumped out to her was the surrounding tree line and the monstrous jade Buddha, easily three stories in height.

Standing before the temple were four people, two were obviously monks, dressed in humble robes and shaved heads. The younger was holding a clipboard while the elder strode forward, radiating serenity.

'And there they are, but one is missing,' Ranma observed, spying her mother, standing away from the whole affair, swords still in her arms and her face mute. In contrast her old man strode up to her alongside the monk glaring intently as they came to a stop before her.

"Boy," Genma muttered.

Ranma pointedly ignored him, her attention on the monk who offered a polite bow. "Good day to you challenger, I am the head of this humble temple and the official observer for this match. Tell me, what are the terms you both have agreed to?"

Ranma pointed a thumb to herself, "I am Ranma Saotome, heir to the clan and martial arts schools of the same name. I exercise my right to challenge my master and clan head for leadership of our family and school! We fight until one surrenders, fall unconscious or dies and the loser surrenders to the winners edicts!"

The monk smiled and bowed, turning to Genma, "You agree to these terms then?"

Genma snorted, "It will not matter, seeing as I shall win!"

The monk stared, "Whether you win or not is irrelevant, you must consent to the terms."

Genma muttered something about stepping on his moment, his gaze drifting to her friends and then back to Nodoka. "Very well, but I want to add a clause to our fight."

"And that is?" Ranma arched her brow.

"We can both use any tool, technique or weapon, including those given to us by outsiders, but, no outsider may participate in the fight."

'That explains where Soun is, probably hiding to throw a weapon 'to' Genma, through me or...' A chill ran down her spine, 'Something worse.'

Genma saw he got to her, he was smirking already, but Ranma steadied herself, 'You aren't the only one with plans old man!' She pointedly did not look at Nabiki and instead offered a cocksure grin, "Sure, whatever helps you last longer than two minutes."

"Trust me, 'boy' this will not last long," Genma intoned, turning he began to walk, and Ranma followed Genma and the monk to the center of the sharply cut stone square courtyard.

As the monk went off to organize things with his apprentice, Genma looked over his shoulder at Nodoka, "Do you wish to say anything to your son, my wife?"

Nodoka... Barely even turned to face him, her gaze on the grinning Buddha as she answered. "I am but the wife and mother, it is not my place to interfere in this battle."

Her father looked sour, but Ranma felt something.... Ease off her chest at that. Whatever her mother thought, she would respect the outcome of this fight, and with it, Ranma's nullification of the contract. That was.. Something, at least.

Any other thoughts were cast aside as the elder monk raised his hand high, "The rules have been agreed, the declarations made and witnesses stand ready. The match for the Saotome clan and School can now... Begin!"

Neither waited for the other to attack.

Each fighter kicked off from their easy standing position into a perfect striking form as they surged towards one another; Ranma's fist was caught in Genma's grasp just as she caught his with her free hand. Each made for a right legged round house kick before the reality of their potential blows forced them to flip backwards and apart.

Ranma had one palm out flat to catch any attack and the other braced to strike when-

A burning hot, stinging sensation splashed across her skin, making her yowl as some ancient looking kettle soared over head and into Genma's grasp.

"Sorry about the water boy, but we can't help it if you got... Splashed?"

Ranma's entire body was burning, seething, screaming but it was still 'her' body, clear for all as the steam cleared.

"But... How!? This was meant to break the curse!"

Xian Pu cackled, "Ignorant oaf, that artifact cannot overcome a thrice born embrace of the waters!"

Genma's enraged cursing was buried under Ranma's cry of fury; the ground shattered as she exploded towards him, aura flaring like a beacon.

Genma's defense wasn't enough, she smashed his 'weapon' aside. Her free fist crashed against his and drove it back. With a roar, she drove her knee into his jaw and there was a violent crack of bone and air as he shot up.

'Not getting away!' She snagged his ankles and slammed him into the stone floor, the ground sundering and cratering beneath her power, screams ringing out from the audience.

She dragged his legs aside, intent on stamping his chest down until something broke, but a sudden burst of his battle aura sent Ranma reeling. Genma loosed a demonic howl, it stung her ears and gave him just enough time to spin his hips and kick his way out of her grip, leaping away from her reach.

Marching from the crater, Ranma snapped, "That trick won't work twice old man, and your secret weapon is a dud. So give up, or I swear-"

She was interrupted by a bitter peel of laughter from Genma, "Threaten me all you like boy!" Genma wiped the small river of blood from his chin, "Boast and bellow until you can't speak anymore, it won't make a difference."

Ranma's march stilled as she saw something wild and furious whipping out from his Battle Aura, the air itself seemed to be screaming.

"Because for all I taught you Ranma, I never taught you everything, so bear witness to a true masters power."

"Ranchan!"

'This is it!'

"Demon God, Multiple Strike!"

Ranma flung herself to the side, the air around her screaming, the soles of her shoes disintegrating as a screaming gale of wind blades tore passed her and towards the jade Buddha.

"Mum!"

Nodoka was barely been pulled aside by the Chief monk in time.

But they all saw the invisible blades cut through the stone like it was paper, sending the giant statue crumbling to the ground with such weight and force it shook the earth.

"Behind me all of you!" The Head Monk proclaimed, hands falling into a prayer as the sound of a distant gong rang out, a glowing, spectral shield materializing before the monk and his temple as everyone hurried behind him.

Genma was still radiating anger, even as he forced it down, "Do you see now, boy-"

"Shut. UP!" Ranma shot to her feet, her gaze locking onto Nabiki who was on the edge of the defensive barrier. "You think you're the only one who can plan, the only one with secret techniques? Idiot! You're the one who taught me a technique you can't even use!"

Ranma launched herself in the air, Nabiki drew back her arm and loosed her bag, a feline yowl muffled by the material rang out and the rage drained away from her fathers face to be replaced by terror.

"You can't!" He cried.

But Ranma already had the bag, she was looking into the cats eyes, its claws dug into her palms and-

Genma acted on instinct, fear and rage suppressed in a moments notice to embrace the Umesenken.

He moved forward, invisible and swift to deliver a dozen strikes along the boy's spine and lay him low.

Mere moments before the first strike could land he saw Ranma's ears twitch, he heard a faint sniff on the air.

His blow surged down but Ranma was gone in a flash, vaulting over him, the cat hugged protectively to his chest.

Landing, the redhead swept his feet out from under him, only years of training let Genma arch out of the way of the blow.

Ranma's hand struck out like a claw and the blades of Chi it unleashed ripped across his back even as he surged away from her.

Rising to a defensive stance, Genma watched in muted horror as the maddened Ranma took up something akin to a martial artist stance. The cat on his students shoulder hissing alongside them.

'This... This has never happened before!'

But then, Ranma had never willingly embraced the madness of the Neko-Ken before now.

'If this is its true power!'

Genma launched himself into the sky, barely dodging Ranma's pounce.

The redhead glared up at Genma as he began to spin, a roar cracking across the skies like thunder.

"Dance of the Mad Demon God!"

A dozen blades of screaming air descended upon Ranma, a chaotic chorus of cutting death one bore no chance of dodging.

So Ranma did not, instead sucking in a terrible, singular breath and unleashing a roar that split the air as it crashed against the core of his attack.

The explosive wave of force tore the surrounding woods to shred, ripped stone up like mere paper in a hurricane and in the chaos, Ranma leapt at him.

Tearing through the remains of his attack, the younger fighter was too fast for Genma to strike against, barely able to brace as he was ripped from the sky.

Descending to the earth with a crash, all he could think to do was craft his Battle Aura into a barrier. It surged around his body, swelling and reshaping itself into a facsimile of his form, gargantuan enough that even Ranma's claw strikes only weakly cut his skin.

With swipe of a single, giant hand he drove the fighter back, even as his body rebelled and ached at the strain of it all. Shooting up, he launched a giant fist only to see it ripped and shredded by Ranma's feral strikes.

'Surprise is my only chance!'

He surged forward, shaking the earth and loosing a deafening war cry.

Ranma's roar matched and even surpassed his own, the cursed fighter charging him and unleashing those deadly claws.

Genma's Battle Aura gave wave and Ranma's strike shredded the nearby tree line to timber as the real Genma slid passed Ranma and kicked off from the ground, intent on delivering a final blow! Only for the redhead to spin around and forcing him to catch her wrists to stay another attack.

"Damn... You... Boy..."

Genma's entire body was screaming as he tried to overwhelm Ranma on raw strength, only to see it being met as the ground cracked and crumbled beneath them.

Then he saw Ranma suck in another breath.

'No.'

There was a quiet gleam of near sanity in those eyes as Ranma leaned forward and roared.

"Cover your ears!"

Nabiki didn't know who shouted it but she was way ahead of them. She watched and felt the booming, echoing roar unleashed by Ranma, so intense it left shockwaves and made her skeleton rattle in her skin.

Genma fared no better, his body lurching back violently, blood exploding from his ears and nose before he even touched the ground.

Crashing against the monk's barrier, Genma fell limp against the shimmering wall. His clothes in tatters, blood staining his skin as he clumsily tried and failed to stagger to his feet.

All the while Ranma approached, a tiger ready to bite down on its prey's neck and end the hunt, her entire body ablaze with power.

"I- I surrender! I Yield!" Genma cried, his words confused and clumsy as he curled in on himself.

Ranma didn't listen, lunging for the man.

'I don't want to kill him,' she had said.

Others must have been listening because the barrier vanished and in a blur, Dr Tofu, Xian Pu, Ryoga, Akane and even Ukyo moved forward, barring Ranma's path.

There was a burst of a blazing wall of Chi that even Nabiki could see and Ranma's hissing, thrashing form slammed against them but she did not strike or claw them, even as she snarled and gnashed her fangs.

Ukyo and Dr Tofu were silent, but the others did speak.

"Ranma-Chan, you didn't want to kill him!"

"Your honor remains, Ranma."

"You won, Saotome."

Kasumi was the next to move, slow and steady she strode up to Ranma's side, the snarling mass of primal fury softening at her presence.

Kasumi took Ranma's cheek in her hand and cooed, "You've done so well Ranma-Chan, you can rest now."

Ranma's arms lowered slowly, the feral gleam in her eyes fading as she dropped to her knees and fell into their collective embrace.

Nabiki let out a quiet sigh, even as she turned her gaze to Genma and was pleased to see him passed out in her fathers arms.

'I think... It might be over.'

Nodoka took in the scene with a now familiar numbness, a sensation she has been burying herself in since the revelations the day previous. The thought of her child cursed, of Genma killing them, of having to follow through on the contract and the reality she would kill herself without a second thought after...

It had all been too much.

So she buried herself in honor, duty and a demure manner. No man questions it when a woman keeps her silence and so Genma did not ask if she had overheard Ranma's plotting and she did not tell him.

But at the same time... She did nothing else.

Only half hearing the monk declare Ranma's victory, Nodoka's gaze was draw to her... Child, who seemed to have passed out and was now being tended to half like a person, and half like a cat.

Her katana rattled, the sheaths straining in her grip as she turned her attention to Genma, still out cold, embraced by a sobbing Soun and no one else.

Finally, something forced its way from her throat.

"What... What did I just see? That technique, Ranma's behavior, what in the gods name was that?"

The Kuonji boy looked to her muttering, "The Neko-Ken, Samurai."

She swallowed. Some part of her had already known that in her heart; but to see that monstrosity actually used, to see Ranma fight despite the madness, to have survived it at all...

Her voice was near silent and broken as she hung her head low, "I have been a terrible mother."

Ranma was stirring, slowly, she felt tired as hell, her muscles strained and aching and her Chi practically gone. Plus, she felt so damn comfy she just wanted to nap in the sun with all the nice touches soothing her aching frame.

But there was a worried voice, several in fact, drawing her back to wakefulness.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"Her body is strained and her Chi is nearly wiped out. The Neko-Ken doesn't grant new strength, it merely pushes the body beyond any sane limits."

"She's still purring... Will she..."

"Don't know, most who fall to the madness never return, but Ranchan has before."

"Save this time, she embraced it by choice, was stronger, more skillful; maybe buried deeper now..."

"She'll come back, she has to-"

Ranma' opened her eyes, "Who... Who says I'm not coming back- aH! Tight, tight," She squealed as Akane delivered a bone crushing hug.

Akane shot back, letting Ranma flop into Kasumi's lap shouting, "Sorry, sorry!"

"Its good, I'm a badass remember? Mhmmm, that's nice," She purred, as Kasumi patted her hair. Then she froze, "The fight, my old man did I-"

"You won," Ukyo cut in.

"The oaf lives," XIan Pu added, "We stopped you."

Ranma let out a low breath, "Thanks, I didn't wanna do something like that while I wasn't thinking straight." Pulling her legs in, Ranma waved off Dr Tofu and forced herself to shaky feet and was pleased to see her father stirring.

Her gaze drifted over to her mother who merely bowed, "Congratulations on your victory." The words were whispered quietly and bereft of any real tone, Ranma had no clue what to make of them, and her vision and senses were still to spotty to even try perceiving her Chi.

"... Thanks, it was hard won," She finally settled on, before lurching towards her father who stared up at her with shadowed eyes. Before she could speak the head monk tapped her on the shoulder.

"Young Sensei, you shattered his ear drums in the battle, you may want this, alongside your declaration of victory." He then passed her the scrolls of the clan and school, with a few written words she could cast him from both.

All they needed was her signature, which she was willing to give with the flick of the Monk's pen.

"Ranma-K-" Soun started.

"Enough!" He lurched back and Ranma pushed on. "I am no one's son, I never was I never shall be, but until today I was that man's student and child." She flicked the scrolls over and spoke sharply. "You might be deaf but you can read my lips, this, this right here is the end of it. All of it. You are no longer acknowledged as a Saotome or as a member of our School. In this your verdicts and your decisions can now be overturned by me, so I am dissolving any contracts or agreements I was not aware of or consenting too. No more debts cos you didn't want to pay for a meal, no more fiancé's, no more man among men."

She rocked back on her feet, sucking in a breath, "You're responsible for fixing the things you've broken, be it your word, the law or the martial artists code. I will not fight your battles for you again, Genma-San."

She then straightened and offered a curt bow, "I thank you for the lessons, I learned much from you, sir. Good luck with your life." Then she turned and began walking back to her friend; ignoring Soun's howling sobs and unwilling to even chance a glance her her mother.

Thus, she didn't hear Genma's growl.

She did not sense his raging Chi.

Did not see her friends horror.

Not until it was too late.

Genma saw his foe's back turn to him and began to move, sheer rage and instinct guiding his every motion.

'You do not turn your back on me.'

He was on his feet, Chi surging through his frame.

'You do not reject me.'

He was moving to fast too stop.

'You are mine!'

He'd made Ranma and he-

Something red splashed across his vision, crimson droplets scattering across Ranma's face like so many rain drops.

His entire left side felt... Cold, numb and pained all at once; he could not feel his heartbeat racing any more.

He looked down to see his blood spilling from his chest, across the blade and over Nodoka's hands.

Someone, no several someone's were crying, in shock maybe, horror, he didn't know.

Because with a quiet, "oh..." Genma fell and the darkness consumed him.

Notes:
Nearly finished, I force marched my way through these last two chapters, it was worth it and I'm proud of them but gosh am I tired XD

Ranma's not usually the most eloquent soul, but I figure given the culture she was brought up in for ceremonial stuff she can whip it out. Also hear it is, the scene I have been building to since I started writing this fic, and I even worked in a subtle RWBY reference.

One thing I enjoy about this story is how many odd pair ups I have, Xian Pu & Akane being buds, Ukyo having been a sort of lancer, Nabiki being a confidant, ETC. Also sorry about the jump after her & Ranma's scene, there wasn't much I could fill it in with though.

The temple they are fighting at is the same one Ranma fought Ryu Kumon at in the manga, its a great locale and the monks seem chill, I once again am using this story as a chance to fiddle with my world building HCs too.

As for Nodoka, she isn't exactly weaponizing the sexist standards and cultural practices surrounding her, but she is definitely utilizing them to avoid having to take a stance.

Also yes its 'that' kettle and it is 'that' Howl of the Demon Dog & indeed that was Genma using Happosai's "become a Kaiju" technique, he just lack the stamina to do it for long. One of the reasons this was so hard to write was figuring out a way for Ranma to beat Genma after I'd made him willing to kill her and showed him willing to use his forbidden techniques. I also needed a way around the contract that felt in character for Ranma and addressed it directly, so my initial idea of a group fight didn't work, especially with Ukyo down, and then it came to me Neko-ken.

Zam · Nov 12, 2022

Ranma New Half

Chapter 10 - Epilogue

Ranma's first memories were of an endless dirt road on a warm summers day. Her weak little body, long since exhausted, was wrapped in her fathers arms as he hummed a tune that had burnt itself into her mind.

For all her life it had just been Ranma and her dad. Friends and foes came and went, but always it was them, the Saotome's against the world. Even when she hated him, even when she banished him she never imagined he'd ever really be gone.

He couldn't be. Her dad might as well have been the ground upon which she walked, the support beams that held up her very identity. Without her dad there was no Ranma and however fearful or furious she could be with him, her dad was like the sun, an ever present constant in her life.

And now he was dead.

His blood had been wiped from her skin but she could still feel the warm droplets, still detect the dried crimson on her once pristine white top. She could still hear him gasping his last as the one thing she'd always had was ripped away from her leaving Ranma to... What?

She didn't know, she could barely even think.

Instead she was just slumped against Nabiki on the shrine steps, the girl not knowing what to do save keep her steady.

Ranma was vaguely aware of the world passing by around her.

Of Tofu-Sensei inspecting her mother, Kasumi was consoling her broken father, of how Akane had cried at seeing a man cut down and Xian Pu was left struggling to understand her tears; of the temple monks tending to the body and the police inspector who showed up just long enough to confirm it was a clan matter and leave.

She was aware but barely seeing how everyone else sort of flittered in and out trying not to crowd her but to ensure she knew they were there. The only absence she noticed was Uchan, disappearing when the monks came out to talk about funerary rights.

'Keep it closed casket, don't open it again,' Nabiki had said for her and Ranma just nodded numbly. She didn't know if Soun or her mother agreed, but it didn't matter, soon enough the monks were gone, Uchan was back and Ranma could smell the faint scent of smoke in the air.

Her dad was dead and Ranma couldn't do a thing about it.

Kasumi felt like she was somehow in free fall and yet weighed by chains.

The trip back to the Dojo had been, crowded and quiet and all together awful.

Ranma didn't speak she barely moved, needing to be coaxed along as she struggled to even find the will to put one foot in front of the other.

Kasumi would have helped but for the first time in a week their father was walking with them. Silent tears streamed down his face as he held the urn containing Genma's ashes close to his chest. Any effort to make him speak only earned a choking, wretched sob before he stilled again.

The only silver lining was that Tofu-Sensei had decided to escort Ranma's mother home, sparing them that potential confrontation. But as they returned to the Dojo, family, friends and guests alike, Kasumi feared... She feared something finally snapping.

But nothing came of it.

Instead, her father immediately set off for his room and only once he was out of sight, did Kasumi turn and face Ranma. Cradling the girls cheeks she kissed her brow and whispered, "Sit down dear, Ill bring us all something to drink."

Ranma nodded weakly, a whispered thanks on her lips before the light died in her eyes and she was guided to the table, dropping to the floor with a limp thud.

Kasumi disappeared into the kitchen and busied herself with her task. Not quite able to lose herself in the humdrum of familiar duties, but finding them calming all the same. A few stray droplets of tea were enough to shatter the illusion, the kettle hitting the bench with a low clang as she steadied her nerves.

'I must find someone to speak to about this...' she turned to the crowd of unrested teens filling the living room and nodded. 'But first I must look after them.'

Wiping away the mess, Kasumi's head shot up at the sound of foot falls and she looked to see Nabiki and Kuonji sliding into the kitchen.

"We'll take the tea Nee-Sama," Nabiki said.

Kuonji nodded, "Your father is collecting travelling gear."

"We thought you should know," Nabiki finished, picking up the tray.

Kasumi clasped her hands and nodded before making her way out of the kitchen, waving Kuonji and Xian Pu's silent offers of escort off. He was her father, and for all that she was disappointed with him in this last week, she knew it was not in him to hurt her.

Pushing open the door, Kasumi watched as her father meticulously and mechanically packed his old travelling pack. Interestingly he left Ranma's items entirely undisturbed even as he worked with one hand, the other unwilling to part with the urn.

"Father?"

"Kasumi-Chan..." His words were weak, but at least he was speaking.

"Is there something I can do to help?"

He looked at her and then away, askance, "No my dear, I do not think anything can be helped now." He must have seen her expression as he spoke again, hastily, confusedly, desperately. "I just wanted... I just wanted what was best for the families, for our dreams to come true I just.... I just wanted the joys and hopes and ambitions of who we were to be realized. I just thought... I thought it was for the best of all of us."

"And now father?"

"I now know that nothing I say matters, that I cannot change what has come to pass and that I cannot stay here."

"Father-"

"I cannot, Kasumi-Chan. I can see now that whatever I might think you have all made you decision and I've not the strength or will to fight you." He clutched the ern to his chest, "I have not the motive or the heart to continue down this path or to stay in this place." Turning he sealed his bag, "I think it would be best for all of us if I left for a time, to reflect. The house is more yours than mine in many ways, and I know I can trust you to care for everyone under its roof."

He slung the travelling bag over his back and strode up to her, swallowing he murmured, "I am so proud of the woman you've become. Whatever else, know that my dear."

Kasumi offered her father a gentle embrace, "Stay safe, father."

Ranma ate her meal mechanically, exhaustion of every shade suffusing her being and the air around the table was mostly quiet. She vaguely registered Uchan and Ryoga helping Kasumi clear the table while Akane, Nabiki & Xian Pu all... Hovered.

"Guys, thanks but its, ah, fine..."

Xian Pu flicked her forehead, "No lying."

Ranma flopped to the floor with a thud, unable to eve argue.

Akane patted her hand, murmuring, "I... I've never seen someone die like that, it scared me, it still scares me, but that isn't what's gotten to you is it?"

"Dying's not new, not really, but dad dying? I never..." She looked at her hands, ever callous and hidden scar. "I can't even think about this moment, or the one after..."

"It was the same for us when our mother died," The words were cool, clipped and came from Nabiki of all people, the brunette brushing her fingers through Ranma's hair. "Not," she stressed, "That I'm comparing the two, cos they aren't even close to the same."

Ranma chuckled weakly, "I bet, still though..."

"You are without structure, support, systems," Xian Pu said, "At home, there is community, closeness. Even when... Even when... Warriors fell to the Musk, no one was alone to mourn. No one was left without guidance."

"In that case," Akane said slowly, "Can we be your new supports Ranma-Chan? Its not a village or a clan but, we can be there for you."

Ranma could feel her body tingling, eyes watering, a whispered, "Thank you," Escaping her dusty ashen mouth.

"You're not alone," Nabaiki intoned grandly, "And I know for sure I can give you guidance, for a fee~"

Ranma laughed for the first time that night, a weak, pathetic, wheezing thing, but she laughed.

Some unspoken agreement had let to everyone setting up to sleep in the dining room.

Tables were moved, pillows fluffed and the TV was set on some kind of movie rotation Ranma didn't recognize.

Nabiki, despite participating, was grousing, "If I am sleeping down here, I at least want the best pillows."

"I think the pillows are all much the same, Nabiki-Chan," Kasumi answered idly, before gasping as she realized her mistake.

Nabiki rocked back and forth in her sitting position, nearly bare legs on display enough that & Ukyo had felt the need to look away but it was Ranma & Xian Pu she sent her wink. "Oh I don't know those two seem better equipped to- Arf!"

Akane came to the rescues with a mighty thwack of her pillow to Nabiki's face. A challenge, the brunette answered with a well placed tickle, sending the younger girl flopping over in hysterics, "Nabiki Nee-Chan!"

Nabiki tossed the pillow aside and smiled all too sweetly, "Ranma-Cham, be a good girl and hold her down for me."

Akane braced, "Xian Pu-Senpai, reinforcements?"

The warrior sent Ranma a fierce and wickedly amused smirk that had her running to the opposite side of the room as the Amazon snatched up a pillow and gave chase.

It wasn't long before a stray pillow struck Ryoga, drawing them into the fight and with that Uchan began provided long range support with his good arm. Finally, a well placed trip from Kasumi dragged her into play and soon enough the living room was flooded with noise and life.

Ranma awoke slowly, later than the dawn for once.

That reality left a weight on her chest, one that nearly took from her all the work done by everyone the night before.

Only a herculean effort even let Ranma lift her head off the pillow and attune her senses enough to register Kasumi in the kitchen and the gliding sound of Xian Pu's Dao sword outside. Everyone else was still sleeping, including Nabiki who had gotten her wish and was currently snoozing on Ranma's chest.

Careful rolling and sliding deposited Nabiki onto her and Ranma's original pillows. The brunette frowning in her sleep as she ground her face into the soft material, apparently unsatisfied but still asleep.

Sitting up, Ranma considered going to the kitchen to help Kasumi, but the sudden whip crack sensation of her fathers chastisement rang in her head stopped her.

'I never even like him,' she told herself, face in her hands, body quivering quietly, her eyes trying and failing to cry. She was shamefully grateful for the distant sound of a ringing bell, giving her the motive and energy to stand.

Waving off Kasumi and Xian Pu as she left the room, Ranma made her way to the front of the house, expecting maybe a package or something. Instead what greeted her at the gates was an elegant visage with dark red hair, a deep blue kimono and a single sword resting gently in her arms.

"Mother..."

The older woman bowed, "Ranma-Sama, may I speak?"

Ranma couldn't even properly form words, which was as good as permission as Nodoko needed. She rested the katana in both her hands and said. "I assume you don't know much of my families history, but this katana was wielded by a great samurai nearly eight centuries ago. Since then it has been passed down our line from father to son, until my grandparents, who bore a daughter and then myself."

The sword shook in her hands, her words growing hotter and more ragged. "Its ancient, its an heirloom, and its something I thought I would use to kill my own child..." Her hands encircled the shaft and tip and with a bitten back shriek she shattered the blade on her knee. Glinting steel and dark wood work falling to the ground as Ranma could barely do more than gasp.

Nodoko looked at her, really looked at her, body quaking, eyes shimmering with tears. "For over ten years I awaited my beloved son's return, burying myself in honor, resolving myself through duty as my heart began to break and when you come back to me..." She choked her words out, "I do nothing for you, I fail you again as I did then and... I.."

She wiped tears from her eyes with a sort of clumsy desperation, "I don't understand you, I don't know you and perhaps I don't deserve to and yet. You are kind, you are brave and you are honorable." She steeled herself before Ranma, "You have every right to banish me from the clan, do so and I won't begrudge you but if you can.. If you would let me..." She held out a hand, "I want to try and know you, as my daughter."

At those words, the walls of apathy and despair were broken by a flood and Ranma flung herself forward, embracing the woman with a cry. "You're my mother! All I've wanted for so long is to know you!"

She was crying, sobbing, burying her face in her mothers shoulder as the woman embraced her, weeping and whispering. "Oh sweet child, I am so, so sorry."

The pair fell to their knees, the rest of the world forgotten as mother and daughter embraced.

Epilogues:

Money Troubles:

Nabiki tapped a clipboard, drawing the very crowded room's attention as she began tp speak.

"Family, friends, handsome and pretty guests," She added with a wink. "Its time we discuss something important."

A hand shot up, "Yes, Kuonji-Kun."

"If this is about money-"

"It is about money," she assured, seeing several of the fighters wiggling uncomfortably.

Xian Pu however shrugged, "Shall we go hunting to put food on the table? Or perhaps rob some triad for money?"

Nabiki blinked, "OK, as hot as that sounds, I actually already have a solution, but it needs you fighter types present around the clock."

Ranma perked up, "Wait this is about-"

"Right you are Ranma-Chan," Nabiki crowed, motioning to Kasumi, "Big sister here has an account set up, I have a list of potential buyers and with it, we can begin making ready for an aunction."

Hibiki and Akane raised their hands, "Uh, auction what?" Akane asked.

Nabiki turned over the clip board to reveal a single strand of hair inside a plastic sleeve.

Xian Pu screamed, "Nǐ yǒu lóng xū!"

Nabiki's Chinese wasn't great, especially given Xian Pu's archaic annunciation, but she got the message, "Dragon Whisker, yup, the cure for baldness. We're gonna sell it and I want you lot on hand to keep it safe in case anyone tries to steal it rather than pay up." This had been in the works for weeks and with Genma out of the way the only threats would come from outside.

"Ai-ya, we can do much better," Xian Pu grinned, "Because I know recipe."

Nabiki's mouth slowly opened and close as the realization hit her, "Then we can... Sell the meal, not to one person, but several rich guys at once!?"

Xian Pu nodded proudly, "Should be able to make at least eight bowls with that whisker."

'Eight buyers. Eight buyers! EIGHT BUYERS!'

Nabiki got up, and pulled Xian Pu into a kiss.

The Black Rose:

"I can't believe that girl left rose petals all over my room!" Akane shrieked, as Xian Pu and Ryoga helped her clean up the mess.

"Is very strange courting ritual," Xian Pu concurred.

"I don't think she was courting Akane-San," Ryoga cut it, "The Black Rose is just theatrical like that."

Akane blinked and turned to face the fanged fighter, "Wait, you know her?"

Ryoga blushed, "I've uh, studied Martial Arts Gymnastics, in fact I was going to offer to help you train if you wanted."

"Oh, wow Hibiki-Chan, thank you, that's very nice of you!" Akane cheered, only to be tapped on the shoulder.

"I shall aid as well, you can also borrow my tools," Xian Pu opened her top to reveal her Chui, a spear, and that godlike Dao sword.

"I'm not sure those are legal."

"Oh no, they're all very legal, any tool is accepted, its just traditional tools make it easier to get points, but with Kodachi-Sama," Ryoga shrugged. "Its better to go in hard hitting I think."

"See, is excellent idea, Akane should listen to her Senpai!"

Akane surrendered, "All right, all right, well thank you both, let's finish cleaning and start training all right?"

Shinobi

Ukyo knelt before the heads of several great Shinobi Clans. Some in person, other's through everything from magical artifacts, to techniques, to laptops

Sitting before Ukyo were two items, a freezer box, and a weathered scroll, "Elders, clan heads, masters of the shadows, I bring to you the head of our enemy, and a gift from their clan as recompense."

There was a series of silent motions and whispers before one of the elders spoke up, "You have then slain, Genma Saotome?"

Ukyo frowned and bowed, "If the elders will permit me to speak, I shall tell you what has transpired within these last two months."

Ranma was staring at Ukyo with wide eyes as the Shinobi casually tossed the girl an Okonomiyaki.

"I will have to thank your mother properly, the scroll she found really helped the elders ease up on me."

The redhead swallowed her first bite with a pleased moan before answering. "So that got you your old rank back?"

She could have asked if that alone had been enough, but Ukyo knew Ranma, at the very least suspected the truth but would not comment on what went unsaid. A polite fiction between old friends to never ask and never tell.

Smiling the Shinibo spun a spatula, "I'm now a fully acknowledge Shinobi, with all the ranks, rights and responsibilities that entails. I am still to be the son and not the daughter, buuut there's not going to be as much enforcement on that anymore." Ukyo shrugged, "Besides, once we find Hibiki-Chan again, I plan on setting off for China."

Ranma nodded, finishing her meal, "Sounds like a plan, we're still tryna figure out how Xian Pu can go home too."

"Had much luck there?"

Ranma's expression said it all.

Home & Hearth:

Akane was, well, she was happier than she'd been in a long time. The occasional fight for her life and safety notwithstanding, things were just fantastic!

Case in point, Kuno had completely diverted his obsession with her to some kind of rivalry with Nabiki which always ended with Kuonji stomping his head in. And while Kodachi very much was the new Kuno in her life, Akane didn't resent having an obsessive rival as much as she had an obsessive suitor. The Principle was still absurd though, and was the one point of contention everyone agreed with, even Tatewaki.

Nabiki-Chan had, well Akane couldn't say she'd softened exactly, but her hard edges were no longer directed at her loved one's, which was already a huge improvement. Plus, with all the money they'd raked in, Aunti Saotome's help around the Dojo and some gentle encouragement, Kasumi was now taking a medical apprenticeship with Dr Tofu! Ranma-Chan had settled in quite happily and seemingly permanently while the others tended to drift in and out, but the Dojo never felt lonely.

Akane felt strong arms embrace her from behind, Xian Pu's elegant voice echoing in her ears as the purple haired woman rested her chin on Akane's head. "Stop studying dull books and sleep."

Chuckling Akane closed the book, "All right, the reports not due for another week anyway," stretching as she rose. Xian Pu watched her, nodding at some silent appraisal that Akane had just gotten used to.

Following her 'Senpai' because Xian Pu would not let that go, to the bathroom to wash up, Akane had a thought occur.

"You know we have a guest room if you want it, why have you never slept there when you stay over? Not that I mind, and I mean, I guess others do end up sleeping there too." Xian Pu's penchant for bed hopping was well known after all.

Xian Pu looked at her, crimson eyes deadly serious and slightly shimmering, "At home there is... We are communal, sisters, brothers, cousins, friends, often under one roof. Affection is never far, another's warmth always nearby, not like here where everyone locks themselves in little boxes."

"Oh Xian Pu..." She pulled the taller girl into a hug, "We'll find a way to get you welcomed back home, I know we will and until then... We'll always be here for you."

Xian Pu hugged her tightly, no words needed to be spoken, but the pair joined Ranma in her bed that night, just to ensure Xian Pu had two people beside her.

The Old Master:

Kasumi could not say she was unhappy with how her life had been going in the recent months, but the last few days had certainly been a hassle.

Clothes vanishing from all across the neighborhood, angry shouting and screams. All while her younger kin were dealing with some sort of cat ghost summoned by one of Akane's classmates.

"Ah sweeto, Dojo sweet dojo, come to Happy," Crowed a voice she did not recognize.

Kasumi peaked into the training hall and saw a strange little man counting his sordid prizes in the heart of the room while smoking a pipe. A spark in her synapses told her who it was, the horrific and ancient master from her fathers nightmares...

"Grandfather Happosai," She intoned happily, opening the door and bowing to the man.

He looked surprised at being snuck up on even as a lecherous grin spread along his face. "My word, is that Kasumi-Chan? You've grown into a beautiful woman, why I should-"

"Would you like a back rub, grandfather?"

He stilled, seemingly boggled before, nodding, "Why yes I would actually, such a polite girl, your father clearly raised you right."

Kasumi knelt behind the man, a sweet smile on her lips as the chart Nabiki had pulled from their roof flashed into her memory and she silently thanked Dr Tofu for what she was about to do next.

'The Ultimate Weakness Moxiburn, and a sleepy time Pressure Point, that should do the trick,' she thought hands resting on Happosai's back.

The man preened and boasted, right up until he felt his ability to cycle Chi vanish, but before he could even speak the world went black and he passed out.

With her job done, Kasumi set about returning what had been stolen, she just hoped there was a more permanent solution to the Anything Goes Grand Master.

Three hours later, when her erstwhile ghost hunters returned, still in possession of a magical kettle drum, bereft of any feline spirits for it had been chased away by Ranma-Chan, Kasumi was please to have her solution.

To Travel:

Xian Pu knelt before the table, her tone somber but hopeful, "An ancient Musk artifact. A bag of great wealth an unknown technique, and a wanted criminal... This, this might be enough."

It might be enough alongside her repaid honor debt to return home and see her family again.

Ranma's hand clapped her on the back, "I bet it you it is, but just to be safe, how about everyone who can comes along?"

"You do not have to-"

"But we want to," Akane added, hugging her from behind.

Konatsu slid Xian Pu a drink, the girl was grinning and slightly teary eyed, "Such strong and beautiful bonds of camaraderie. I am truly blessed to have been welcomed into your home and shall join you on this quest, both to aid you, and for myself."

Ukyo waved from his perch, "If Hibiki-Chan showed up, we'd be able to take the whole gang.

It was at that moment that Ryoga happened to march into the back garden, head buried in a map, "So if I turn left here," Ryoga spun around entirely, "Then I should be at the Springs!"

"Why is there only one Spring!?"

Xian Pu couldn't help herself, she began to laugh so hard she almost cried from joy.

To Return:

Nodoka's heart stilled at the sight of the man before her. Master of the Tendo Dojo, father of three daughters and the best friend of the husband she had slain and here she was, standing in his Dojo, answering the door, much to his clear astonishment.

Swallowing, she tensed, ready for anything, "Tendo-San."

He looked at her intently for a moment, his visage was sharper than she recalled, but more aged as well. Thin streaks of grey in his hair and his moustache was missing, as he said, "Nodoka-San, you have nothing to fear from me. I... I may not be happy with how everything transpired last year, but I have made peace with it."

She relaxed, ever so slightly, "I am heartened to welcome you back then, if I confess, still wary of what this means for my daughter."

He blinked owlishly, before nodding, "I see, I see, yes, well, I shan't give your daughter any trouble, in truth I recently started... Attending classes."

That brought a smile to her face, "Ah, one of the classes for parents to understand their children's preferences yes?" At his nod she smiled and let the door open further, "I have been attending those as well, for nearly a year now."

Soun nodded, looking relieved, "I only started recently, but it is already showing me much and I... I wanted to at least visit my children and to offer your daughter my regards." His gaze drifted to the remodeled second story, "I see there's been some changes."

"Indeed, the Dojo is quite crowded these days, its part of why I stay over most weeks, Kasumi-Chan needs to focus on her studies after all and can't be freting after every guest. Though, its not just students either." She stepped back and beckoned him inside, "I do not know what their reaction will be, but I think this shall be well. Especially compared to if you had returned anytime during the last few months."

"I take it I left that poor of an impression?" He said gravely.

"Well yes, but also because your self proclaimed, illegitimate daughters have been staying here for the last two or so months. They have rooms upstairs now."

She shouldn't have bothered finishing that sentence because Soun had already passed out.

Sighing she shook her head, "I did say self proclaimed," before dragging him to the nearest room.

Jusenkyo:

The great valley and planes of Jusenkyo would probably never lose their austere beauty to Ryoga. It was a wonder she had ever mistaken anywhere else for it when even the air felt nearly divine. She was at the heart of their nine strong party, with everyone else ensuring she didn't wander off.

Ukyo having already dived into his Spring was now going shirtless and seemed lost in a blissful daze.

Nabiki was managing to keep up despite her relatively simple training regime and the long hike they took to arrive.

Xian Pu was chattering with her grandmother and Akane in their native toungue, the Japanese born girl trying and somewhat keeping up.

Konatsu was practically bursting with excitement as she peppers their guide with questions, nearly skipping with every step.

Meanwhile Ranma was looking at Ryoga intently as she finished rattling off a rejoinder about fighting the Dojo Destroyer on the road.

"Say Hibiki-Chan, how come your voice is so high now?"

Ryoga blinked, "Oh, you noticed. haha, I wasn't sure it was obvious and it probably sounds weird, but ah. Well," She rubbed the back of her head, "Because I was struggling to find the Spring so much, I started this thing called Voice Training to make my pitch higher."

"You can do that?" Ranma gasped, as Ryog'a nod she clapped him on the back, "Well grats girl, it sounds great on you, super cute!"

Ryoga blushed intensely, "T- Thanks, Ranma-Chan!" Her voice pitched even higher than was becoming custom, which only made Ranma smile brighter.

"And here we are, honored guests," The guide intoned, "First stop on our trip, the Spring of Drowned Girl." He motioned to one spring among many, but Ryoga watched Ranma stride forward, recognition clear in her eyes as she bowed to the Spring.

Ryoga and Konatsu followed suit, each bowing respectfully and in thanks before the Shinobi grasped her hand and they leapt into the water together.

When Ryoga surfaced she still had her hands, her feet, her everything human, but she had something else as well.

A tail, and a great big, incredibly high pitched squeal of joy escaping her lips.

The End:

Ranma had parted ways with her friends over the span of nearly an hour or longer.

Xian Pu, her siblings and Great Gandmother wouldn't be visiting for awhile yet.

The Tendo's had their own business to work through, including the two official, unofficial adoptees.

Konatsu & Ukyo were off on some training mission for a Shinobi Master to help get used to their new bodies.

Ryo-Chan had stumbled across her very excited mother and the Oni descended pair raced off to into the sunset.

Which left Ranma alone with her mother as they walked down the street, cherry blossoms falling around them. Ranma lifted her hands above her head, purring contentedly as she stretched, the gentle sun rays beaming down on her.

Ranma heard a small chuckle escape Nodoka and looked to her mother who just smiled up at her daughter, still perched as usual on the highest spot she could. "Its nothing Ranma-Chan, I just thought you looked so happy and it made me smile."

Chuckling, she flipped down to the ground and offered her mother her hand who took her it and embraced her briefly, before they made their way into the park.

Ranma smiled, squeezing her mothers hand, she murmured, "I am happy."

NOTES:
One thing I wanted to emphasize here is how well... Central Genma has been to Ranma's life, her father, her teacher, her foe and the closest thing she's had to a confidant and home through her entire life. Given people can describe missing even something as horrible as depression because of the familiarity of misery, and how people can etch themselves into your soul whether you want them too or not... Yeah, I couldn't envision Ranma being happy or cavalier about this, especially not so quickly.

And here we get a second Kasumi scene as well as some exploration of Soun's motives. I feel in some fics they are too quick to have Soun write Genma off, but that while in canon he could be critical of Genma and even endanger him later on, they have a long, long history and early Genma wouldn't have eroded his friends faith in him either. Still I wanted to give some depth to his motives beyond being Genma's stooge and I hope I did that.

Oh and yeah, one thing I always feel needs to be kept in mind is that while Akane is a martial artist, she's still had a largely normal upbringing and so I feel should be the most shaken by a lot of stuff surrounding the community. Meanwhile Xian Pu exists on the other end of that spectrum, with Ryoga only a little ways away. Also canonically Nabiki was... Really weird about Nodoka, so I figure parental deaths may be a bit of a trigger for her.

I love everyone getting along.

Thematic vibes with Ranma waking up after dawn after her fathers dead are thematic. I hope. Aaaaaand Nodoka enters the group chat, on a probationary status; also fun aside I debated making Nodoka's ancestor Tsukikage Ran cos that woman is awesome but it seemed like too obscure a reference and that it could undermine the scene. Anyway more seriously, I hope I contextualized Nodoka sufficiently and didn't just write off her very 'traditional' values to make things easier, this is very much her falling apart and wondering how to rebuild herself.

& we have the epilogue, I debated splitting them, but I felt this worked better with how the story had been structured thus far.

The Dragon Whisker subplot finally pays off! It ended up less important than originally planned as my earliest ideas involved everyone basically leaving to form their own school with blackjack and Amazons! It was something like the 'All Styles School' if I recall, but that became unnecessary but I still want the cast to have money, which is good cos with Soun gone, oops, no money from the city council.

I enjoyed the Kodachi scene XD So yeah, when Ukyo slipped away from Ranma that was to cut off Genma's head, this worlds martial cultures can be pretty brutal ya'll. Also he didn't mention that part of the story to Ranma and the Scroll was Umesenken, a nice addition to the stealth archives. I also wanted to give some weight to the fact Xian Pu is canonically essentially exiled until she completes her task and analyze why she's so cavalier about certain social facets.

Say, remember when Nabiki was rummaging through the attic for stuff to use against Genma and found the Moxiburn Weakness points? Cos I do and she handed it to Kasumi XD Also I hate Happosai and try to get him out of the story as quickly as possible. I love Konatsu and needed her to be rescued, by who in this timeline I am not sure, but she's safe and loved and happy. I love those OVA Daughters and always want them to have good lives, so yeah they moved in. Oh yeah Nabiki is studying marital arts, not super intently, but enough that she could at least escape someone like Taro if if came for her, survival is key. Voice training is hard yo.

Oh yeah, I HC Ryo as descended from a mountain Oni cos of the fangs and the mountain having been destroyed being the reason why no one in her clan can find their way anywhere, their internal compass is gone. Amway, here's to the hopefully happy ending for Ranma, I know a lot happened very quickly but I really wanted to complete this story over risk it being left on hiatus forever.

I hope its proven a fun ride, thanks so much for all your support, feedback and for reading!

Ranma New Half

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