Ten Years Ago...
"So you will train the boy for six months?" A large man wearing small glasses, a bandanna around his bald head and a dirty white gi asked as he rested his hand on a shorter boy with black hair pulled back in a low ponytail also wearing a dirty white gi as they stood before a master in Capoeira that was an older man who stood tall with his hands behind his back. The young boy, Ranma Saotome, couldn't help wondering just how a man could have no hair on top of his head but a beard as long as this man's.
"Of course Mister Saotome, all I ask is that you not interfere in any way. In fact it would be best if you leave your son with us and come back to pick him up in six months." The master said, who Ranma remembered his father had mentioned was named Hyubashi.
"That would be perfect." Genma grinned as he planned on blowing all the money he stole from the last town they were in at the bar and brothels that the nearby town had plenty of. He didn't think that Capoeira was a legitimate martial arts style, but it would help loosen the boy up while Genma had his fun and the best thing about it was that he wouldn't have to lift a finger to help at all. All he had to do was promise to bring Ranma back for additional training once a year and engage Ranma to the old man's granddaughter. Not that Genma planned to keep the promise as he had other plans.
One Month Later...
Ranma couldn't keep the smile off his face as he finished up his practice on the drums. It was strange that the old man was teaching Ranma how to read and write Japanese, music and play several different instruments while devoting very little time to actual training in the art. Of course the man said it was all part of his art, though Ranma could tell he was lying as the old man didn't even try and hide it. Ranma didn't care though as he found how much fun it could be and when the old man presented it as a martial arts challenge the initial difficulties he originally had disappeared and he seemed to soak everything up like a sponge.
"Good child, you are coming along nicely." Hyubashi said clapping his hands.
"Awww, thanks sensei." Ranma said excitedly as he knew today he was supposed to actually learn the first full kata for his master's style.
"Someday you are going to be something great kid, don't ever let your father tell you different. Always have faith in yourself." The older man said with a large smile of his own though a worried look in his eyes.
"Why would he say that I wouldn't be?" Ranma asked as he blinked in confusion.
"Let's just say I know his type." The man sighed.
Present (One Month After the Wedding Disaster)...
"Thanks again for all the help Ranma." Daisuke grinned as Ranma handed him a folder filled with papers.
"Don't worry about it, just don't tell anyone. My pops gets pissed when I try and do anything other than the art and Akane will probably blame me for being up to something." Ranma said, anger and depression filling his eyes and voice. Ever since the failed wedding everything just kept getting worse and worse from every direction as no one seemed to even care about how he felt as they all kept trying to shove their own agenda onto him including even Kasumi and his own mother now.
"I won't, don't worry. Thanks to you though this show will be the best show thanks to the original music." Daisuke said shaking his head. It was sad to see someone like Ranma get treated so badly by his so called friends and family.
"I have to get going, if I'm not home soon there's no telling what kind of conclusions Akane will jump to." Ranma sighed.
"Later man." Daisuke said as Ranma jogged off down the hall toward the exit of the school.
It didn't take long for the pigtailed youth to get home, though lately it was feeling less and less like home. His parents no longer lived there as Nodoka's home was finally repaired, but they still seemed like they lived at the dojo as they were there enough to help make his life miserable. Things were at a boiling point and Ranma knew that if something didn't give soon then he didn't know what he was going to do. He just knew that he couldn't take much more.
"I'm sorry Ranma, since you are so late we already had dinner." Kasumi said as soon as Ranma entered the house as she came from the kitchen to greet him.
"That's okay Kasumi, I'll just grab some leftovers." Ranma sighed.
"There are none." Kasumi said stiffly, "And you don't have time to make anything. Everyone is at the table waiting for you."
"Fine." Ranma sighed as he debated just turning and walking out. He was growing tired of this crap as this was the third time that week that Kasumi had made sure he didn't get dinner as well as his so called family harassing him. AND IT WAS ONLY WEDNESDAY!
"Sit down...son." Nodoka said, her eyes avoiding looking directly into his own making him nervous as Nabiki looked subdued as well and avoided his gaze while Akane, Soun and Genma all looked smug. Looking over at Kasumi as the eldest Tendo daughter sat down at her place Ranma noticed the satisfied look on her face as well.
"The failed wedding has caused a huge scandal son, and if this whole mess keeps up the Saotome and Tendo names will be dragged through the mud beyond repair. It is time for you to man up to your responsibilities." Nodoka said, the her voice cracked a little while Genma looked on smugly.
"You will marry my little Akane and unite the schools." Soun said, wavering on the edge of calling up his demon head technique.
"I'm not marrying the tomboy." Ranma said as he crossed his arms.
"You have until the weekend to make your decision, son. If you don't marry Akane then you won't have to worry about any of your obligations as a Saotome." Nodoka said.
"Wh-What do you mean, mom?" Ranma asked, swallowing nervously.
"I mean that you will no longer be a Saotome as you will be removed from the clan registry." Nodoka said as she rose to her feet and hurried from the room.
"Your lucky I'm willing to marry you to keep your perverted ass off the street." Akane said with a nasty grin as the Tendo sisters rose as well, Nabiki sending him an apologetic look before leaving the room. As Ranma turned his head to watch them he missed his pack being thrown at him by Genma.
"Until you make a decision you ungrateful boy, you aren't welcome here." Genma grinned.
"You think you can force me to a decision like this? What about the other girls and their honor you stupid panda?" Ranma demanded as he shoot up to his feet clenching his feet.
"Don't you dare start any trouble in my home Ranma. You are no longer welcome here until you do the right thing, now leave unless your ready to marry my daughter." Soun said with a stern look. As Ranma stood there and glared at the two, Soun shook his head and continued. "You have five minutes to leave my property then or I will call the police."
"You bastards." Ranma snarled as he grabbed his pack and left.
"Thank you mother, as soon as this farce is over I look forward to coming home and getting away from that lazy honorless bastard." Nodoka sighed into the cell phone she recently bought to stay in contact with her parents after they found out she was planning to divorce Genma after casting Ranma from the clan to take her maiden name and registering Ranma with her family's clan. She hated playing the frigid woman, but she was sure that things would be okay when she told Ranma everything when her parents and their lawyers arrived Monday. Right now she was waiting for him in his room before leaving to make sure that he was okay before leaving.
"Lets go home." Genma said as he walked into the room.
"After I say good night to Ranma." Nodoka sighed.
"He already left." Genma said with a nasty grin.
"Left where?" Nodoka asked with an icy chill, fingering her katana.
"He isn't welcome here until he comes to the right decision." Genma said nodding his head sagely.
"You...bastard..." Nodoka snarled drawing her katana.
"N-Nodoka...s-sweetie..." Genma stuttered as he backed away.
"Are you telling me Ranma is on the streets?" Nodoka growled out.
"Of course not!" Genma cried out in relief, "He has his tent and sleeping bag."
"BASTARD!" Nodoka screeched before the house was filled full of painful cried from what sounding like a tortured animal.
Shouldering his pack Ranma wasted no time taking to the roofs and heading across Nerima as thoughts swam in his head, plans on just what to do. It wasn't as if he never thought about going ronin at times, especially when things got extremely stressful. The positive would be not having to deal with the whole fiancé mess. The negative would be that it would be hard to find a decent enough job to provide a living. It would also mean lack of friends and family, not that he really had any he admitted. None that really cared for him, truly cared like friends and family should.
Now the choice was taken out of his hands as he had to chose between Akane and becoming ronin and homeless. And that was no choice at all as he saw just how much she cared at the wedding and after. Instead of asking if he was okay after taking the brunt of the damage including being at ground zero of one of the bombs and a glancing blow by a real katana, Akane instead blamed him for everything and even made it worse with her mallet. She didn't really care about him, just herself and in truth Ranma always knew that deep down. She never trusted him or listened to him, she didn't care for him other than a trophy to show that she beat the other girls out.
In fact, all of the girls were the same way. They were all self absorbed with what they wanted, telling him what they wanted him to do...to be. They never asked him, never offered him a choice like he always tried to do for them. He may have been pretty clueless, but he always tried his best to actually listen to them for the most part. He wasn't perfect, but he did try.
Now though, he had to do something and it wasn't getting married to a girl who didn't trust him, didn't care for him and definitely didn't love him...
Two Weeks Later...
Under the umisenken, Ranma snuck out of the luggage compartment of the plane after ditching the group searching for him including the Amazons. It was cramped in there and very hot over the very long ride, but it was better than being seen getting on the plane or near the airport as the others would know that he left the country. He didn't want any of them, especially the Amazons finding him or his so called family and the Tendos and dragged back home as they tried to force him to marry Akane.
Looking around he took a deep breath trying to decide what to do. It wasn't a perfect solution, he knew that. He didn't have a lot of money and he wasn't sure how much it would be after getting it changed into the local currency. He did know how to speak the language though and he did know how to write it as well, or at least passably. After all, Furinkan taught English as one of its core classes.
America, the land of the free. A place that wouldn't look down on him just because he didn't have a family and a place he was sure he could find a good job. After all weren't Americans obsessed with Japanese things including martial arts? Surely he could find a dojo he could teach at or even give self defense lessons. There were so many opportunities to be had here and he would make the best of them and make a new life here free of people trying to twist honor to their needs and wants and not what it should be for. They tried to use honor to control him and when they stripped him of it they made a mistake as they lost any way the had to control him.
Taking a deep breath Ranma headed off from the airport intending to make the best of his new opportunities.
Three Months Later...
America, the land of opportunities. Not if you weren't a registered citizen apparently, something Ranma wished he knew about before hand. Still, he was able to survive somewhat. It was as a girl though as she was currently as living on the streets and foraging for food didn't give one a chance to change back. Living like that made her wish that she could change back more while at the same time she grew more and more used to being a girl. There was no one there to berate her, no one to say she was unmanly, too girly or a freak. In fact, despite wishing that she could be male, she learned that being a girl wasn't the end of the world.
"Hey kiddo." Jason said as he hurried across the street to join the redhead who was on her way to try something a little different. There was a new music group forming and Ranma had seen an add about them looking for a drummer. She may not have been the best, but she could do a decent enough job for a local band and it would bring a little money. And the best part was that a job like that would mean there wouldn't be tax questions and everything like every other job asked for.
"Hey man." Ranma said, giving the elder man a soft smile. He owned a small bakery and always gave Ranma a doughnut and coffee most every morning.
"Coming in to talk some?" Jason asked as he fished keys out of his pocket.
"I want to, but I'm heading down to try out for a job." Ranma said giving the older man a soft smile. This man was another reason that Ranma had come to be more comfortable as a girl. He had lost his family years before including a daughter that looked a lot like the redhead herself. He treated her like a daughter though he didn't really know she lived on the streets. Ranma knew how to take care of herself and she did an excellent job of it including washing her clothes by hand.
"Well I'm sure you will get it then, good luck." Jason said as he turned to unlock his store before looking over his shoulder, "Good luck and when you get back come on by and I'll have your doughnut and coffee waiting."
"Thanks old man." Ranma said hurrying down the street towards the address posted on the ad that she had seen. She was wearing her normal red top and black pants and slippers, her pack safely tucked away in her subspace pocket that she finally figured out how Mousse pulled off.
It didn't take her long to reach the empty night club and walk in to find a man and three women sitting around a table below the stage where several instruments were set up. The man wasn't exactly very strong looking wearing a brown suit and tie that matched his shaggy hair. The first of the women looked to be Japanese with long dark hair in a ponytail while the woman sitting next to her was a dark skinned woman with deep chocolate eyes that seemed to be growing annoyed. The last woman is who made Ranma's heart stop for several moments. She had long blonde hair done up in a high ponytail and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink jacket over a white top and a blue knee length skirt and she was the most beautiful woman Ranma had ever seen.
"B, this is getting us nowhere." The Asian woman sighed.
"Chill out Dana, we're find somebody." The man said taking the woman's hand and squeezing it.
"Derek, this is the third time we tried holding auditions and everyone has completely sucked." The woman Ranma supposed was Dana replied.
"And we will do it three more times if we have to girl." The dark skinned woman said though there wasn't much enthusiasm behind her words.
"Have faith guys, we will find someone." The blonde, her confidence matching Ranma's usual bravado. Only she really believed what she was saying unlike what Ranma usually spouted out. The redhead was confident in her abilities, though not in much else thanks to how she grew up.
"Umm, hi, I'm here for the auditions." Ranma said surprising the group who jumped a bit.
"Please tell us you can at least read sheet music." The dark skinned woman said.
"Of course I can." Ranma said as Dana picked up a couple sheets off of the table and handed them to Ranma.
"Go ahead and hop up there and show us what you got." Derek said with a grin giving the redhead a once over earning a glare and elbow from the Asian woman. Ranma took the sheet music and looked it over several times before giving it back to the woman who gave her a confused look.
"I have a good memory." Ranma said as she hopped up on the stage. It was true, it was how she learned martial arts techniques so easily and when she figured out that if she tried she could use it in almost any other way. It's how she was able to get into the grade she should have been in after a very spotty educational record with ten long years on the road with less than a year spent in actual schools.
"Then please do your best." The blonde said with a soft yet encouraging smile that made Ranma swallow and fight off a blush. Instead the redhead took a seat and picked up the drum sticks and randomly struck the drums trying them out getting several groans from her small audience.
"I knew it was too good to be true." The dark skinned woman sighed before Ranma stopped a moment then started playing the song flawlessly much to the amazed looks of her audience. After she finished up she was surprised, but happy to hear the applause of the group who got up and met the redhead as she hopped down from the stage.
"That was great girl, with a makeover you would be great addition to the band." The dark skinned woman said making Ranma nervous. She so didn't want a makeover, she may have been comfortable being a girl, but she didn't want to be too girly.
"So do you want to join?" The blonde asked.
"Sure." Ranma said with a big smile, relieved to find a possible job.
"Now all we need is a rhodie and body guard." Dana said.
"Hey, what about me." Derek piped in, sounding slightly offended.
"Derek, honey, you know I love you so don't take this the wrong way. You're eyecandy, not a strong man to lug around some of the gear." Dana said softly before kissing his cheek.
"I might know someone..." Ranma said.
"See guys, I told you things would turn out." The blonde said. "My name is Barbie and that's Dana and Derek and this over here is Dee Dee. Welcome to Barbie and the Rockers."
"Thanks." Ranma said as she racked her name for a name not wanting to give her real one. She never gave out her real name. "My name is Diva and my brother's name is...Ken."
Yep, you guessed it, this is a Barbie and the Rockers and Ranma fusion as well as having a lot of cameo's from other series so if you liked it let me know. Oh yeah, in case you didn't know I don't own Barbie or Ranma. If I did this totally wouldn't be on a fanfic site as I would be making it a manga instead. Sadly, I suck at drawing.
In case you didn't spot it, this will be a Ranma and Barbie pairing and not a Ranma-chan fic. Yes Ranma will be more comfortable with her curse, but he isn't going to become a girl full time.