They say that everything happens for a reason.
Sometimes a person's destiny, a person's fate is dictated by their own actions.
Other times it is dictated by the circumstances of their birth or the decisions made by their parents.
And still other times fate is determined by those in higher positions, the commanders who give orders and dictate the flow of a battlefield.
In some cases, a person's fate is decided by none of these, but rather a single choice, a decision made in their own lifetime, or one long ago.
In this case, the future was decided by a single pact, one made in days long gone. A future that was unclear, and a present that few would have seen in store for a young Ranma Saotome.
But in order to understand the present one first must understand the past.
Long ago, in the islands of Japan there existed a group of warriors, long renown for their prowess.
A group consisting of mages, samurai, shinobi and other assorted styles of battle, a group formed to combat a meddling demon seeking conquest.
A group known only as the Azuma-bi no Ryodan.
The demon was strong though, and took many years to truly defeat.
Days before the final battle, two of the members of this group decided to solidify a pact using a binding magical contract.
One which would change the fate of Ranma Saotome forever.
Noburu glanced over their ragtag group of warriors, leaning part of his weight onto his staff idly.
He saw Kuonji, Hibiki, and Tendo to the side. Tendo was acting boisterous stating this would be the battle, he seemed excited over the whole thing. The Three were obviously drunk, though Noburu couldn't really blame them. No better time to party than when you knew you were about to go into battle, he merely hoped he could be there for the birth of his child.
He knew it would happen soon, the question was if he would survive to see his child in the first place.
A large hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder and his attention was directed out of his own thoughts. "Thinking on the battle ahead, old friend?" A boisterous voice from behind him said.
"Hard not to isn't it, Isamu...you know I have a child on the way." Noburo remarked
"As do I, have you thought about what we spoke of?"
"The marriage contract? We both know my child could just as easily be a son." Noburu answered. "Then we'll merely put it off til the next generation, our lines have to join eventually right!" Isamu answered, smirking that cocky smirk of his that was known to frustrate his friends and enemies alike.
"Well if that's the case, perhaps a more solid bond is an order?" Noburu said, still unsure.
He did want to provide for his children, and if not them then his grandchildren.
Not to mention the other man was practically a brother to him, something which had largely been the cause to this topic in the first place.
Isamu of the Reddotaigā meanwhile merely smiled, he had been worried as well. It was obvious that his son hadn't inherited his power nor would he be able to tame the spirit beast...between the lack of magical power, not unusual for his clan, and the predictions he'd heard.
While his son was still only recently born he did seem to have remarkable Ki however, perhaps he would grow to be a strong warrior in his own right..
It was a shame Isamu knew he would not see that day where his son would hold his head high and surpass him as a fighter. This battle would be brutal and Isamu had a feeling he wouldn't live past the coming struggle.
To join his line with his oldest friend and ensure both their legacies lived on, well that and the other fact.
The two had always regarded one another as brothers, though they pursued very different arts...perhaps when their lines were joined they could truly regard one another as just that.
"Perhaps we should bind the agreement with magic, to ensure that one day it is fulfilled no matter what may happen to us, it would make me feel secure at least." Noburu stated finally.
Isamu's eyes widened, while he had little real knowledge of magic he knew such a thing would need to be powerful indeed.
Noburu proceeded to pull a contract out, written in magical ink made with his own blood. A knife joined it.
After all an agreement of this nature required the signatures to be in blood, thus binding the clans by the tethers of fate itself.
"We merely need to sign it, I prepared the spells last night…" The thin man stated.
"Then what are we waiting for, it is not as if I hadn't proposed the idea to begin with." Isamu stated, making a small cut on his left hand before using the brush to sign the parchment. It was fortunate that Noburu had thought to bring a brush as well.
Noburu also signed the scroll and wrapped it up, giving it to one of the messenger birds to send to his family.
The contract was signed, now they merely had to survive a duel with a devil to see it fulfilled.
Suddenly Both men had mugs shoved into their faces by Tendo and Kuonji, the Naginata user and ninja both with large grins on their faces.
"Comeon Saotome, ya need to live a little, we could all be dead in a few days after all." The spear-wielding Tendo told Isamu.
"Don't think you can get outta this either Gosunkugi, not even your magic'll keep us from makin' sure ya don't miss out."
"I think I'm fine, thank you." Noburu insisted, though he sighed noticing Isamu had already joined the others in their revelry. He always was the more social one.
The female of the Trio, the brawler known as Hibiki Shinobu gave him a smirk. "Come on, Kugi-chan...Ya know ya aint gettin' away without joinin' us, might as well save yerself the beatin'"
"Alright fine, just for tonight though." Noburu finally relented, taking a sip from the mug of sake.
The contract was written, and a few days later Saotome Isamu, the legendary Reddotaigā was slain in combat against the demon known as Shinoyami. Isamu was not the only casualty, as many of the group's member died such as the Hanyou Kage, and One of the Azuma-bi no Ryodan's Allies from the tribe known as the as Lo Shen.
Hebinoō Noburu, also known as Gosunkugi Noburu survived the battle and was able to make it home for his son's birth. The son, whom unfortunately would not be able to fulfill the pact due to his gender was named after the bravest man Noburu knew.
Gosunkugi Isamu wasn't the only one to be unable to fulfill the pact, generation after generation both the Gosunkugi and Saotome clans gave birth to sons, eventually causing the clans to be pushed from each other by the test of time.
The rest of the clans were separated from one another as well, as time eroded the bonds forged through the fires of hardship and comradeship.
A few members of the Azuma-bi were able to remember the friends they made, such as the ronin martial artist Happosai, who in later years would take on the task of training the descendants of Tendo and Saotome.
Still it seemed Fate had conspired against the union of the two families of the warrior and magic user continuing to create circumstances which made it impossible for the magic of the marriage contract to be fulfilled.
Some within the clans thought it was the demon's way of taking revenge on the one who sacrificed himself to kill it, not allowing the final wishes of the Saotome to be fulfilled. Others thought it would come in time, only to eventually forget the pledge as years turned into decades, and decades into centuries.
Eventually one of the descendant inadvertently discovered a solution at a certain cursed training ground in China, ironically near the lands of the group's former allies the Joketsuzoku. Far after the oath was forgotten by the Saotome clan as a whole.
Ranma Saotome stared at the strange valley shrouded in mist.
He didn't really get what was so special about this place, why was Pops so crazy about goin' to this place.
"Aw this place don't look too great." Ranma finally comment, his father had chosen worse places. The Guide had introduced the place as the springs of Jusenkia or something like that.
Genma, Ranma's father jumped to one of the many bamboo poles which seemed to be protruding from the various springs. With his son following shortly after, though he still carried that reluctance about the place.
Genma scoffed, insolent boy, how could he doubt his own father like that.
"I won't go easy on you, Ranma!" He boasted, deciding it would be best for them to start now. This place could at least help them test their agility, as well as reflexes and balance.
Still he didn't understand what was so special about it himself, after all it looked like many of the other training grounds they'd seen throughout the country on their trip.
Even the presence of the water made him doubt the place, wouldn't it be more effective if they fell to the ground instead?
Whatever the place was supposed to be a legendary training ground still so Genma dismissed the small amounts of doubt that proceeded to bug him.
"That's just the way I like it!" Ranma's cocky response came. While most would think Ranma, being smaller than his father would mean he'd have the advantage the ponytailed martial artist knew
Both Ranma and Genma smirked, staring each-other down and waiting for the other to make a move.
Eventually Genma decided to make a move jumping and making an attempt at a kick, intending to land on another pole should his attack fail.
Ranma met his father half way, and struck the older martial artist with a downward kick of his own, taking the stocky martial artist by surprise and knocking him into one of the springs.
Ranma used the momentum from his strike at his father, a trick of the Saotome school of anything goes which became second nature to him long ago. He landed on another pole with ease because of this fact, and stared down at the pool his father had fallen into.
"'Ey Pop, what's the matter? We done already?"
Genma meanwhile was feeling strange, the water almost seemed to weighing him down, but he ignored it in favor of focusing on his Son's taunting.
His analysis, made within a few seconds told him that his son was currently being sloppy. His guard was down, obviously not ready for any sort of attack, well he'd teach his son not to drop his guard when sparring him!
Genma jumped out of the spring and landed on one of the poles, all the while Ranma seemed confused and the guide started rambling about something or another.
Ranma meanwhile was left speechless when a Panda jumped out of the spring, and then amazingly landed on one of the poles.
It proceeded to continue attacking him, as the guide started to tell him what was going on. Apparently the springs were cursed, and this panda was his father..
"Ey, wait a minute, ya didn't say nothin 'bout-" Ranma was cut off when the Panda hit him with a punch sending him into a spring of his own.
Ranma landed in the water of the admittedly rather shallow pool and felt an odd tingling.
His, or rather her head broke the surface of the pool only to discover that he, or rather she had been changed as well.
She first noticed the breasts which had NO right to be on a boy's chest, and then noticed all the other physical changes. As a trained martial artist Ranma was very familiar with her body normally, so to suddenly find himself in a new and completely different body was very noticeable.
Genma meanwhile had finally noticed the change to his own body, only he had done so too late and now stared at his son-turned-daughter in disbelief.
Nodoka was going to kill him!
The guide proceed to explain the spring, called the Nyanichuan or spring of drowned girl to his son, or daughter.
Ranma finally shook off the shock and finally put together the events and what had happened to her.
"OYAGI!"
Genma knew better than to stay within proximity of an enraged female and his survival instincts took over, he'd wait until his son calmed down before trying to find the cure, right now he needed to save his own hide!
Meanwhile in Japan
Gosunkugi Hikaru was watching Tendo Akane.
This wasn't abnormal, the scrawny boy had been crushing on the youngest Tendo for a few months now.
Unfortunately he was sure the youngest Tendo didn't even know he existed, nobody did.
Gosunkugi had always been the unnoticeable, even most teachers forgot he was there.
Suddenly Gosunkugi felt a strange sensation, as if something had latched onto his very soul, little did he know this was exactly the case as the magic of the centuries old contract latched onto him, indirectly unlocking the magic sealed inside.
A stylized snake tattoo appeared on the back of the high school student's hand.
One which wouldn't be noticed until later, and even then he wouldn't know what this symbol meant.
The boy shook off the strange feeling and went back to what he was doing, primarily watching as Akane fought through the horde of boys fighting for her hand.
"Whaddya mean I can't change back!"The pigtailed girl yelled.
She'd finally calmed down, and the guide explained more about the curse.
After changing her father back, naturally she'd been looking forward to returning to her own body, only for the hot water to do nothing at all!
"This is all your fault old man!" Ranma yelled at her father..
Genma meanwhile was freaking out mentally...Nodoka would kill him, not to mention the schools wouldn't be joined now.
Suddenly something red on his child's arm caught his eye, and the martial artist had to wonder what it could mean, perhaps it was connected to their current predicament.
"Ranma, look at the symbol!" He said, using the observation to also redirect his offsprings ire.
"Ya think I'ma fall fer tha-oh hey there is somethin'"
There on Ranma's arm was a red stylized tiger tattoo that took up most of her upper arm.
"Something about this seems eerily familiar!" Genma stated, he was getting a very bad feeling about this.
"Don't know, this no happen before...perhaps Joketsuzoku know, they have good magic for locking curse." The guide said.
The two martial artists shared a look before nodding, they'd leave tomorrow, for now it was best for Ranma to familiarize herself with her new body.
The trip was at least a day's journey on foot, and it would be best if they were well rested anyway.
Author's Note-
Alright so, I came up with this mostly to see if I could...The idea is to pair up Ranma with THE most unlikely person within the Ranmaverse..
The rest of the plot I thought up later, first deciding it needed to be something magically binding to kick off things, and I decided to lock the curse.
Just a warning, this is a story pairing Ranma and Hikaru Gosunkugi, I'm not normally a romance writer. But i figured I'd try my hand at it, I've only got a vague notion of plot thought up so far, also felt I could tie it to the others in Ranma 1/2...gotta say I enjoyed writing the original members of the Azuma-bi, not surprising, I normally prefer writing OCs such as with my other story Of Chaos and Demigods, which focuses on my own OC Robin. I don't intend to update this story as regularly as that one, but felt I needed to get it out there.