Disclaimer: Characters in this story belong to Rumiko Takahashi, the plot and situations provided within are my property, I make no money of the use of the characters. Have a nice day
Of Two Minds: Chapter One
"Fiancé?" Three girls yelled. Where the was peace in the Tendo dojo, there was now anger. Most of it coming from one person, Akane Tendo. Okay, well all of the anger was coming Akane. Kasumi, the oldest of the Tendo girls, was slightly disappointed, and the middle daughter, Nabiki, showed the most interest.
"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked, she thought about the possibility of a cute guy that didn't know her like the guys at school. She regretted what she did, but it was the only way to keep them here, daddy didn't make enough to keep the house and dojo, so Nabiki picked up the slack, making just enough to live off of. She also hoped they had money, because they couldn't support two more people.
"How old is he." Kasumi asked off-handedly, "younger men bore me." They didn't but she really liked, the local doctor, Tofu Ono. Ono was older and they had so much in common that she made up that excuse to keep her traditional father from arranging a marriage with anybody else.
Akane stayed silent, she knew the boy was going to be a pervert, all boys were perverts.
"Yeah, what do you know about Ranma?" Nabiki continued. "What does he look like?"
"Actually," Soun replied, "I've never met him." The girls were stunned, somehow Soun took this as a good thing, "But it seems he just recently crossed over from China."
"What's so great about walking to China?" Akane complained, trying to find something to brush the engagement onto one of her sisters. Nabiki on the other hand was enthused, a trip like that takes money which means she wouldn't have to work too much harder to keep the dojo, and she might even be able to stop selling pictures of her sister to Kuno. Kasumi was still perturbed but she just thought that she heard something, the sounds of… fighting? It was confirmed when a feminine voice yelled, "Let go you stupid panda!"
"It seems we have guests." Kasumi said, really hoping that wasn't Ranma.
"Ohh that must be Ranma." Nabiki said in a singsong voice, leading the way to the door, concerning Kasumi, Nabiki kept herself masked, why was she so happy. She could understand Akane's attitude, but Nabiki was a mystery. Her thoughts were cut off because of Nabiki's and their father's sudden retreat followed by a panda holding a very irate red-haired young person, she couldn't tell gender from her position. "Are these your friends?" she asked, when he shook his head Nabiki started in, "Ohh yeah and panda's kidnap people all the time?" Any further conversation was cut short when the panda dropped the figure on the floor on its knees. Soun was slightly startled, "Are you…" he started.
"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry 'bout this." The redhead was immediately engulfed in a bear hug delivered by the Tendo patriarch, the panda was waving a sign around which had 'No, don't touch him,' written on it. Everyone over-looked the slight twitching in the stranger's face. Suddenly Soun pushed the savior of the dojo at arms length as he felt something on the boy's chest that shouldn't be there. He stared at the two mounds under the red shirt and his mind was avidly trying to rationalize their existence.
Meanwhile Nabiki also saw the mounds, and hoped that they weren't what she thought they were. She reached a hand out only to have the panda smack it lightly with a sign. Incredulous, Nabiki looked over at the panda who held another sign reading, 'Do you have a death wish?' Then there was a heavy thud and Nabiki turned to see her father unconscious, and this 'Ranma' slumped on the floor panting heavily and wide eyes.
Akane felt something flickering in the back of her mind, a kind of warning as she watched the quivering form, trying to restrain herself, definitely female she noted, then her father's collapse was practically followed by the Ranma's. The redhead was breathing heavily and trying to regain her center. Akane touched the shorter girl on the shoulder, who flinched away from the touch, "Are you okay?" She asked, this girl seemed so alone, maybe they could be friends.
"I'm alright," the girl responded, the low alto to high too be a boy's voice but was still rather androgynous.
"That's good," Akane said removing her hand from the redhead's shoulder, who promptly fainted.
Soun Tendo was slowly regaining conscious, at first he was curious as why this happened, then he remembered the postcard. His old friend Genma was coming to unite the schools with his son Ranma. But then the girl and her panda showed up. The girl claimed to be Ranma Saotome, but Ranma was a boy, Genma had told him so, the child had been delivered a boy, so this imposter was using the boy's- Soun's thoughts were interrupted by the gasp of his three daughters and his eyes immediately shot open, revealing his three daughters looking incredulously at the figure of his old friend, holding a kettle over his head.
"Saotome old friend," Soun said springing to his feet, ignoring his daughters, he rushed over and enthusiastically shook his friend's hand, "it's good to see you again, I got your postcard this morning, now where is your son Ranma."
Genma frowned, "It's not that easy Tendo, my son has some issues as a result of my training."
"It can't be too bad, Saotome," Mr. Tendo assured, "now why don't you bring your son in so he can meet his future wife."
"It is pretty bad Soun, and it could interfere the agreement."
"How bad is it?"
Genma opened his mouth the shut it abruptly as an confused mewing sound emanated from the floor, the five assembled turned to look at the redhead lying sleepily on the floor covered in blankets. She stopped mewing and then stretched luxuriously into the blankets, causing them to slip off her and reveal her obviously feminine appearance. Genma groaned as the girl sat up and opened her eyes, revealing large luminescent ones. Radically different from the ones she had before losing consciousness She yawned and looked over to the elder Saotome, "Dad, I still don't understand this."
"Ranma?" Nabiki asked, trying to remain professional in light of everything that happened.
"No, I'm a friend of Ranma's," the girl replied with a smile, "he's not in at the moment can I help you?"
"You can start by telling us who you are, and what you are doing here," Nabiki retorted, taking control of the situation.
"Umm, I don't actually have a name, heh," the mysterious girl replied rubbing the back of her head nervously, "as for why it's a pretty long story."
There was a long drawn out silence before Nabiki spoke up, "Well?"
Another bit of silence, "Well it started when Ranma was eight, I think," Genma said before the girl could speak, "I found this training guide of techniques, leafing through it I found the Neko-ken, or cat fist. Supposedly it was an unbeatable technique. In my enthusiasm I didn't read the part about it only being taught by idiots."
"You didn't," Soun gasped, Genma only nodded.
"Needless to say the actual training borders on torture and left Ranma scared for life. Then three months ago we found Jusenkyo in china, not being able to read much Chinese, I recognized that it was a training ground for elite martial artists and went there with Ranma. I was knocked in to the spring of drowned panda, and then knocked Ranma into the spring of drowned girl, when Ranma realized what had happened his mind broke down. He was in a coma for two months. When he woke up I learned the animal personality had gained several female characteristics and gained some control of Ranma's body."
"So you're telling us that…" Akane summarized, not liking the implications at all.
"That Ranma Saotome suffers from a gender-swapping water curse, and has multiple personality disorder," the redhead replied cheerily.
"You sound way too happy about that," Nabiki remarked dryly.
"That's because I am that second personality, and I have a liking of the female body." Nabiki noted Genma's wince at the statement.
"Wait, Mr. Saotome said that the animal personality gained female characteristics, what do you mean by that?" Kasumi was curious, that part wasn't well explained.
"The Neko-ken made Ranma retreat into a cat personality when ever his fear of cats was too powerful," Genma explained. He jerked his thumb over to the girl sitting on the floor, "she was originally the cat personality before Jusenkyo, she gained a lot of the personality traits I stupidly taught Ranma to repress, as well as a few others. Then the magic of the curse also magnified certain aspects of the Neko-ken training."
"Like?" Nabiki prompted, wondering just how much could be made of this.
"It's very complicated and embarrassing," the redhead admitted blushing and looking at the ground, "but I learned certain mental states have specific smells."
"That's pretty vague," Kasumi noted aloud.
"That's because I don't like trying to explain it."
"Genma," Soun started in a low voice, trying to keep calm, "how does any of this interfere with the engagement."
"Your girls might be freaked out by the curse, and the alternate personality." Genma explained quickly.
"Oh okay," Soun blinked and then turned to the redhead, "that isn't so big a problem, this is Kasumi, she's nineteen; Nabiki, she's seventeen; and then there's Akane she sixteen, choose one and she'll be your fiancée." He pointed to each girl as they were named.
"None," the redhead stated impassively, looking listlessly at her nails.
"And what's wrong with us?" Akane snapped, she may not have liked the concept of the arranged marriage, but she was still insulted that she wouldn't even be considered.
"Nothing," the girl replied, then quickly added, "that I know of, and that's the problem, you know more about me than I know about you. For all I know you all could be demons in hiding and have a penchant for eating your mate once you get tired with them…"
To say everybody was surprised was like saying MT. Everest is a little high.
"So we should get to know each other first," the redhead continued, seemingly unaware of everyone's stunned face, "you know be friends first then we can worry about the marriage stuff," she let out a deep yawn. "I'll be going to sleep now, say 'hi' to Ranma for me." She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them to reveal a normal pair of blue eyes, "Huh," the redhead stated, "what happened?"
"'She' was out Ranma," Genma said looking the girl in the eyes, "she says 'hi'."
"Could she be anymore annoying," she murmured. "Now, who're you people?
Soun blinked, "You don't remember what happened."
Ranma shook his head, "It's an after effect of the N-n-n," Ranma stuttered.
"Neko-ken," Genma supplied.
"Er, thanks," Ranma said embarrassed, "when ever her personality takes over, I don't remember anything that happened. I get feelings of people I've met and stuff but I never remember what happened." He let out a long breath, "what's unfair is that 'she' remembers everything."
"Well that's not so bad, these are my daughters…"
"Daddy!" Akane yelled, cutting her father off, she then walked over to the redhead and looked her in the eye, "I'm Akane Tendo, want to be friends?" She took the enthusiastic nod from the girl as a form of assent. If he was really a boy, then she could give him one chance to prove he wasn't a pervert.
"Why don't you take Ranma to the dojo, little sister?" Nabiki asked, she wanted to get a feeling of Ranma abilities in martial arts, but there was something nagging at her. Ranma and Akane left the dojo, she decided to confront the elder Saotome. "Saotome," she said in her businesslike tone, "why didn't you want us touching Ranma?"
"Um," he was sweating, "'She' comes out under a handful of conditions."
"Like?" Nabiki didn't like his minimalist attempt to answer her question.
"Well, fear, stress, and anger are the three big ones, and 'She' hates strangers invading her personal space," Genma rolled up the leg of his pants, showing four long scars running up his leg, "as you can see she will do what her cat instincts prompt and claw her way to safety." Genma looked thoughtful for a second, "in a way it was a good thing you met her like this, she recognizes you all and you're less likely to get torn apart should she try to escape."
"Less likely," Nabiki asked, gulping. She paled slightly when the portly man nodded.
In the dojo Ranma was confused, "Why didja cut off yer old man like that?" It seemed safe to ask a few questions.
"He was probably going to try to get you to chose one of us for a fiancée," Akane responded, frowning. "Odds are good that you'd get stuck with me."
Ranma didn't miss the tone of annoyance that saturated her voice, and it seemed to be directed at him, "Why does that seem so bad?"
"Because I don't want a fiancée," she yelled, "I just want to be treated like a person."
"And people don't," one could be impressed with Ranma's intelligence, but having gaping holes in one's memory coupled with the fact the only one who could fill him in on what happened seemed to be very leery of doing so taught Ranma not only to ask the right questions when he wanted answers, but also to be patient.
"No, they don't," Akane really didn't know why she was talking about this with her, or him, or whatever the hell he was, but the way she asked made it seem like he cared, "most of the guys want to date me, the others that want to are afraid of what everybody else might do and all the girls hate me for 'stealing' their boyfriends. I hate boys!"
"Why?" Ranma asked
"Because they're all perverted idiots," Akane retorted heatedly
"No, why do the girls think you're trying to steal their boyfriends?" the redhead reiterated, clarifying herself.
"Um…becauseeverymorningtheytrytobeatmeuptogettherighttodateme" Akane rambled quickly, hoping the redhead wouldn't hear.
"Could you try that a little slower, because I could have sworn you just said 'because every morning they try to be me up to get the right to date me,' and that couldn't be right."
"Actually, that's what I said," Akane looked at the ground, before hearing a thump and as a startled Ranma suddenly entered her line of sight on her butt and looking quite pale.
"No wonder you think all boys are idiots," Ranma said her features going from shock to anger.
"Your not going to try and defend the pervert thing? And what do you mean 'that couldn't be right?'" Akane was getting a little angry.
"Well I'm not the best person to defend the pervert thing, what with the body of a girl and all," she took a deep breath, "and you don't look like someone who would take that kind of crap from anyone, so why are you?"
"Because they won't leave me alone," Akane half-yelled.
"Have you tried avoiding them?" Ranma asked.
"No."
"Why is that?"
Akane opened her mouth and snapped it closed, she looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, "I haven't thought of it," she shook her head, "and why would that help?"
It was Ranma's turn to look thoughtful, "Well if you keep fighting them, it seems like you want one of them to beat you, but if you make it seem like their not worth your time, they should go away."
"And what if that doesn't work?" it made sense in a weird way, but it didn't sound like it would work.
Ranma smiled, "I'm sure we can think of something... fun to do to them."
"Oh," Akane wasn't sure what fun meant but had no doubt it would be cruel, "um, do know any kempo?" She asked changing the subject.
"A little," the redhead responded standing up.
"Well then how about a little match, for fun." Akane noted the blank look on the redhead's face. "Don't worry I'll go easy on you."
Ranma immediately straightened up and was tempted to laugh. There was no way this girl could beat him but the feeling he got from his other 'self' was an odd mixture of trepidation as well as arrogance, fear, anger, and hope. So he decided not to beat his new friend, just run her into the ground. So he shrugged and waited, looking indifferent.
Akane looked at the redhead, the girl looked like she wasn't paying attention, and her temper flared. She rushed forward, throwing an right jab. Ranma stepped into the punch and Akane felt a light tap on the inside of her arm, throwing it widely off course, but before she could break, she was hit softly in the side. The blow didn't hurt, but it showed a hole in her defense as well as lifting her off the ground and throwing her into the wall behind Ranma. She shook of the pain in her back and looked at the girl who had thrown her into the wall. A happy smile spread across her face, this was going to be fun!
Ranma waited for Akane to get back up, it had to have hurt hitting the wall like she did, but Ranma committed to his course of action, and when Akane got up and smiled brightly he couldn't help but smile back. The girl was a half ways decent martial artist, that going to change. Akane charged again, and Ranma rolled his eyes.
Akane was annoyed that the girl dodged, but that changed as she was forcefully reminded of over-extending. She was on her back rather quickly, as Ranma grabbed her arm and flipped her. Getting back up she couldn't be angry, she was a martial artist, not some china doll that needed to be cared for. She set herself into a clumsy defensive stance she saw her dad do twice and hoped it was right.
Ranma looked at the stance his opponent had taken and frowned inwardly, it was pretty basic for him and he saw the handful of flaws that would have to be corrected. He really, really didn't like hitting girls, but he could still remember her bright happy face after he had thrown her into the wall. Stepping back from the situation he sighed, Akane was a kindred spirit; a warrior, no one seemed to accept herself as she was and she needed to prove herself. Ranma sighed again, there was no point in going halfway, it would prove her inadequacies right and alienate her. He pressed the attack, praying she wouldn't hate him.
In the house, Kasumi noted the lack of occupants at the dinner table, "Oh, my. Ranma and Akane are still in the dojo. Should I go get them?" There was obvious worry in her voice. They weren't doing anything improper, were they?
"How devoted is Akane to the Art?" Genma asked, worrying.
"Truly devoted Saotome," Soun said proudly, "she truly loves the Art."
"I was afraid of that," Genma stated, sighing.
"Why's that Mr. Saotome?" Kasumi asked, her face one of true worry.
"Since Jusenkyo, Ranma's changed dramatically. He no longer believes winning is the purpose of the Art. And if Akane is as devoted as you say, if she's conscious after this, it'll be a miracle."
"Wahh, my little girl's getting beaten up!" Soun cried.
"So I shouldn't hold dinner for them?" Kasumi asked in an oblivious manner.
Akane was practically giddy, yeah she was sore as hell, she felt like she was dragging really heavy lead weights around, and she was fighting a vastly superior opponent, but she hadn't felt this good since Daddy had stopped teaching. She blocked one of Ranma's punches, captured the arm, and retaliated with a spinning elbow. The blow connected and the redhead staggered slightly, but couldn't release Akane's firm grip. Akane lashed out with Thai kicks to the smaller girl's ribs, and got a couple in before her leg was caught.
Ranma was more exhausted then he expected, Akane seemed to be a fast learner. In the last four (it could be five or six, Ranma has no sense of time) hours her skill had practically doubled. He jabbed his hand against the back of Akane's knee, collapsing the leg and dragging it's owner with it. He leaned back and planted his feet to the girl's stomach and stood. The sudden weight on her arms and the impromptu kick sent Akane stumbling to the floor and Ranma landed lightly on his feet.
Akane flipped back as Ranma attempted to stomp her and she lashed out with both legs catching him in the chin, the blow snapping the other girl's head back and making her lose her balance. Akane continued to roll backward, as soon as her feet touched the ground, her calves and ankles tensed, throwing her body forward into the hand-standing redhead in a painful tackle, sending them both to the floor.
Ranma smiled as he remembered his Judo training, he shifted his weight and planted his feet as soon as he felt the ground. Then allowing Akane's momentum to draw the arc, he let his arms go slack but his hand gained a firm grip on an ankle and an arm. Once the inertia reached it's peak he stopped his arms an opened his hands, letting the taller girl go flying into the wall once more where she lay, unmoving. He rushed over to her prone form, praying he hadn't overdone it.
Akane tried hard to keep from giggling as she waited for Ranma to get a little closer now…
Ranma looked at the body of his friend, and realized why his danger senses were on overdrive. Her entire body was tense, and her leg was moving. He sighed as his feet were swept from underneath him, berating himself for underestimating his opponent, who jumped on his prone form and started tickling him. He couldn't hold in the laughter and started tickling back. The black haired girl giggled as they rolled around on the floor.
Finally exhausted, Akane slumped to the floor, she was sweaty, sore, hungry, and very tired, she would be sore tomorrow and unable to fight off the horde of perverts at school. She felt someone shaking her softly, and calling her name, opening her eyes, which she didn't remember closing, she looked at the face of the girl responsible for the sudden onset of lethargy, "Eh?" she moaned sleepily in response, "whatcha want Ranma?"
"We have to get something to eat, Akane." The redhead crinkled her nose, "Then we need baths."
At the mention of food, Akane's stomach made it's distress known. Ranma's stomach rumbled in agreement. The two marital artists looked at their abdomens and laughed slightly.
"Food sounds good Ranma," Akane muttered sleepily, "but I think I'll need help with the bath," she added absently.
"I-I-I… y-y-y-you… um," Ranma stuttered helplessly, blushing the same color as his hair.
"What's wrong Ranma," Akane asked, her brain sending warning signals about this course of action. Of course, Akane, with her sleep addled mind promptly assumed these meant that Ranma was shy, "are you shy? Were both girls."
Ranma's embarrassment clicked off as his Pride roared to life screaming: "I'm a guy!" This declaration caused Akane's mind to return the upright and locked position, as she realized what she just asked Ranma to do. She flushed and opened her mouth trying to helplessly deny the implication of her request. Luckily, Nabiki chose this moment to interrupt and embarrass… I mean save her sister: "Wow sis making a move already, I thought Ranma's other self said she wanted to be friends first."
"Nabiki," Akane yelled angrily, blushing red, "it's not like that. Right Ranma?" unfortunately the person in question had froze. Her mouth opening and closing helplessly. Akane groaned, and tried to regain her feet, groaning again at the exertion. She started off toward the kitchen before being stopped by Nabiki with a kettle. Akane rose an eyebrow, but said nothing. Nabiki poured the hot water on the slightly comatose redhead.
They watched as another body seemed to grow out of the redhead. Her chest expanding as the breasts melted away into hard pectoral muscles. Red hair became black as if ink spilled from his head. The feminine face squared itself off as all the lines became more defined. Finally the small feminine hands enlarged and muscled, retaining the long fingers.
Nabiki and Akane stared at the transformation, it was drastically different from Genma's. The panda seemed to shrink around Genma, while the man grew out of the woman in Ranma's. Both girls were shell shocked at the differences between the two forms.
Ranma shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He never understood why his mind locked up like it did when ever that came up. Ranma smiled shakily and waved, "Um… hi," he said, no longer waiving but now rubbing the back of his head, "sorry 'bout this." He noticed both girls seemed to be somewhere else. So in a rather tactful, and respectful manner he roused both from their stupor.
Meaning of course, he did something stupid.
Reaching out Ranma mussed the short-haired girls hair and tweaked the longer haired one's ear, "Are we going to stand here all night or somethin'?"
Both girls jerked at the friendly intimate contact, and reacted by reflex…
Nabiki hauled back and slapped him and Akane yelled "Pervert" and hit him over the head with a shiani, or at least they tried to. Akane's muscles were too stressed to even lift the weapon, and Ranma simply leaned back to dodge Nabiki's swing and then came back up, striking both girls in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of them and driving Nabiki back a few steps. "What was that for?" Ranma asked confused and annoyed.
"You touched me!" Akane replied still trying to lift the shiani.
"I grabbed your ear!" Ranma half-yelled, "you were fine with me throwing you around the dojo!"
"That was different!" Akane responded heatedly.
"Um, guys-" Nabiki interjected, her voice lost amongst the two younger artists.
"How—how could that possibly be any different?" Ranma asked, his anger getting the better of him.
"I thought you were a girl!" Akane screamed.
"Guys-" Nabiki tried again, hoping that the argument ends before something drastic happens, as both Ranma and Akane were inching closer together.
"How does that make a difference?"
"I can't be friends with a pervert!"
"I'm not a pervert."
"You turn into a girl!" Everyone was clustered around the dojo, watching the two martial artists argue heatedly as they inched closer together.
"It's a curse damnit!"
"Stop making excuses, I bet you were trying the friendly routine to get me into bed!" Akane yelled as she nearly butted heads with Ranma.
"Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because you and every other boy are just trying to take what you can get."
"You don't think I sympathize, I've been hit on all the way from china, this is the fifth time in almost three months I've been in by birth gender!" Ranma protested pressing his forehead against hers to look her in the eyes.
"Prove it!" Akane responded, her anger clouding her senses, there was only Ranma, standing there looking all handsome and arrogant. Thinking he's a better martial artist because he's been camping for a while. She needed to show him her strength.
"HOW!" Ranma nearly screamed, some spit landing on Akane's cheek.
"I DON'T KNOW THINK OF SOMETHING!" Ranma obliged, doing the first thing that came to mind.
He kissed her.
Authors notes: This is my first published attempt at an Alternate Universe story, please don't hurt me. have a nice time with this.