Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Ranma ½ but all others are mine!

AN: A different path of events. Instead of the Saffron arch, this happened. It's merely the beginning of the end. Ranma POV.

Amazons

Meeting Dez

"She's coming here!"

"Who Tendo?"

"Dez! She's come to fulfill her promise!"

"WHEN?"

"Within the next week!"

I walked in to see my father and "father-in-law" ,by their ideals not mine, hugging and jumping up and down on the porch.

"What's happenin' pop?"

"Dez is coming!"

"And I should care why?"

"What's going on?"

Akane came in through the gate as our fathers pulled apart and sat down to their shoji game.

"Dez is coming!"

"Yes you've said that. Now what does this mean?"

"She will train you, boy"

I snorted "Me training? Ha! I am already the best. And a girl at that!"

"You laugh now, but Dez is a warrior of her own time. She'd wipe the floor with ya"

"Yeah, and Akane can cook"

"Why you!"

She leapt at me dropping her bag and brandishing her mallet. I stuck my tongue out at her and dodged the large weapon coming towards me.

"Uh, excuse me? Is this the home of Soun and Genma?"

A boy about ten centimeters taller than me walked in the gates carrying a huge pack. Akane dropped her weapon and stared at him. He had golden hair and purple eyes. I didn't like him. He unnerved me. And Akane was all googly eyes at him.

"Yes this is our home."

Tendo-san got up and walked over to the boy. He peered and examined the boys face closely.

"Saotome, come here. Look at his face."

My pop got off his ass and walked over to the boy holding his glasses and squinting at the new arrival. The boy snickered and lifted a strand of his hair covering his forehead. A small scar ran from his eyebrow to his hair line.

"Dez?"

"I though you said Dez was a girl"

"I am"

The boy dropped his pack and pulled out a thermos. Pouring it over his head he became a she. Her body shifted down to eight centimeters taller than me, busty as hell, and long legs. But the golden hair and purple eyes were still obvious.

"Hi, I should properly introduce myself. I am Dez of the Greek Amazons. Please take care of me"

She bowed and looked back up at me a small grin forming on her… incredibly cute face.

"Ranma? Akane?" She looked at us questioningly

Akane shook her head and looked at Dez.

"Yeah?"

"Come at me"

"What?" we both asked

"Come at me. If you intend to be trained I need to see your skill level. Attack."

She stretched her arms and walked around the koi pond. Shaking her shoulders she turned her back to us.

"Best not disappoint her boy"

My father and Tendon-san returned to their game of shoji.

I shrugged, thinking this girl would be nothing. I loosened my shoulders and turned to Akane. We nodded and attacked.

I had the weirdest sense of déjà vu. It was just like when Akane and I first fought. I couldn't lay a finger on her. Akane had even less of a chance. But together we were able to corner her between the garden walls.

I smiled. Easy pickins' now.

Dez looked me in the eyes and poked me in the forehead. I flew backwards as if she pushed me. I sat up groaning just in time to catch Akane.

"Hey now! No one throws Akane like that!"

I put Akane down on the porch and threw myself at Dez.

"Ah… so she's your weakness!" Her eyes lit up and she flipped towards me landing on my shoulders.

"What?"

Her feet clutched my neck and she flipped me into the koi pond.

"Hmmm… a Jusenkyo curse."

"Hey!" my voice rising to its "female" form.

I stood up puling myself out of the cold water and was ready to attack again when her hand flew up.

"Enough. I have seen enough."

"Well I haven't shown enough!"

She ignored me and walked over to my dad.

"Saotome! You have trained your son poorly! And you Tendo! I told you she should have been left with us! Mariko would be ashamed! You did nothing to honor her! After all she sacrificed… " Dez trailed off and cried for a second with our fathers cowering. She wiped her eyes and looked at the two men in front of her.

"Now, where can I stay?" just like that. Find me a room. Do this. Attack. Do that. I hated this girl. No matter how cute she might be… I really hated her. I walked over to Akane.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She pushed me away and walked over to Dez bowing.

"With your permission I would like to train under you. You know my mother and there is so much you can teach me."

"Akane," she looked up "I would be happy to train you. You have so much potential, as does Ranma, and if I didn't train you I would not be honoring my family. Or yours. Will you accept my training as well, Ranma?"

She reached a hand out to me. Her eyes softened. Damn! She wasn't cute she was sexy! Her eyes fluttered at me. Even Akane was staring. Dez held her hand and held the other out to me.

"I uh… would be honored"

I walked over and took her hand. She smiled and place Akane's hand into mine. I stared into her chocolate eyes that looked cautiously at me. Dez walked over to our fathers and whispered something to them. They nodded and pointed at us. I blinked and she was next to us again.

"Hate to break the love fest, but could you take me to the Neko Hanten?"

"Uh yeah" I pulled away from Akane's eyes.

"Good. Then let us be off!"

She grabbed both of our hands and leapt off. We landed on the roof across the street.

"You have to teach me that!" Akane's eyes glowed in awe as she looked up to the golden haired girl.

"In good time. Lead the way" she swept her hand over the city and I took off running the roofs.

I turned and saw Dez teaching Akane the proper way to run roofs and how to jump larger distances. She showed Akane the things I learned when I was maybe six. The way to bend your knees, get the proper momentum and then land lightly.

They soon were next to me and then surpassing me. When did Akane get that fast? I tried to catch up but they were in front of the Neko Hanten and walking in the door when I landed.

"Hello? Shān Pú, Kě Lún, Mùsī?"

"Hello? Yes? DEZ?" The old lady came bounding in on her staff.

"Hello Kě Lún" She embraced the old mummy in her arms.

"What brings you to these parts?" she asked pulling away.

"I came to train them" she nudged over to us standing by the door looking and feeling awkward.

"Ello? Dez!" Shampoo came running in and embraced Dez. She pulled away and all three started talking. A string of what first sounded like gibberish slowed down enough so I could pick up a few Chinese words.

"train...?"

"…now"

"too late…!'

I stood there and my eyes widened at "too late" they all noticed and started talking in a new language. One I have never heard before. I poked Akane and we sat down at a front table.

"Hey Shān Pú… where's the…" Mousse came in looking at a list and stopped mid sentence and rushed Dez. His glasses the only thing keeping him from flinging himself out the window.

"Hi Mùsī" she responded, pulling away. He looked at her and shot a punch out.

I knew she would and could dodge it but she didn't. Her head recoiled and she rubbed her jaw.

"I deserve that… sorry" she pulled at scroll from… somewhere on her body. It really did seem to appear outta nowhere. She handed it to him and waved her hand over his face muttering a few words from the unrecognized language. Mousse's eyes clouded over and then cleared.

"Finally! I can see without these accursed glasses!" He pulled them off and tucked them into his robes.

"Now then…" and now all four amazons started talking in the foreign language.

A lot of hand gestures and screaming later stopped and they looked at us. Akane seemed perplexed and she got up peering at them.

"What language is that?"

"See told you Shān Pú! Pay up!" Shampoo reached into her pocket and grudgingly pulled out six purple stones.

"What language is it?" Akane asked again.

"It is an old Amazonian language. It unites all Amazon tribes around the world." Dez replied checking the quality of the stones

"Why do I know it?"

"Because you are one of us Akane." Cologne interjected "Your mother spoke it to you when you were very young"

"Wait? WHAT? I'm not an Amazon!"

"No, you're not a Chinese or Greek one. But you're definitely a Japanese one."

"But… but"

"It okay. Shān Pú know you're confused. We take you to Amazon council and all sorted out."

"Okay look if you don't believe us look on your right shoulder. There should be a mark there the shape of a crescent moon. It's small but it's there."

Akane lifted her sleeve, "But I've had this since I was born."

"So have all of us"

Each in turn lifted their sleeve and showed identical birth marks.

"Actually…" Dez said something in Amazonian and Mousse pulled a bottle of water from his sleeve, opened it and threw it on me.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Dez walked over and lifted my sleeve. A small crescent moon was on my shoulder.

"But why? How?"

"Had you been born a girl, you would have had it. But being a boy and your mother moving away from the Amazon clan you were never accepted to the tribe.

"My mom is an Amazon?"

"She was. That's how your mother and Akane's mother met. They both were Amazons."

"Why did she leave the clan?"

"All will be told in good time."

"Now then," Cologne started "we should be on our way to the training grounds."

"Yes, go home and pack. I will come for you in three hours." She smiled and we walked out the door.

"Now Kě Lún…" Dez's voice drifted off as we jumped to the roof.

"I'll race ya!" Akane looked at me with a wild look in her eyes. She was happy. Truly happy. So was so beautiful.

"Uh… okay"

We lined up and got into position.

"Go!"

We took off running. Akane had gotten a lot faster since the last time we raced. She jumped farther than me now and was barley breaking a sweat. I was now starting to wear a bit. I tried to push myself harder and faster than I ever had. Akane looked back at me, shrugged and sped up.

I finally arrived home and leapt into my window ready to pack. I was knocked back out my window by my pack all ready for me.

"I call bath first!" I heard Akane shout.

"Okay dinner in 30!" shouted Kasumi "Oh, hi Ranma-kun. Having fun?"

"Not… really…"

"Oh my…. What's wrong?"

"Kasumi, did you know you are an Amazon?"

"Oh yes." She lifted her sleeve up and showed the crescent moon. Letting her sleeve drop she turned back to preparing dinner.

"And you Nabiki?" I looked over to the middle sister who sat on the couch reading an economics magazine. She ignored me but lifted her sleeve up showing off the small scar.

"What the fuck?"

"Ranma! Language!" Kasumi gave me a dirty look and went back to preparations. "Here" she held a plate my way "Put that on the table" she was still giving me a dirty look but a small smile formed on her face. On the couch Nabiki sniggered.

"Hi everyone!" Akane was out of the bath and absolutely glowing. She shook her head letting her hair fall in a more mussed up appearance.

"Ranma you have enough time for a bath before dinner."

"K… oh and Kane?" She looked over at me "Your sisters have known that you all are Amazons the whole time"

Her smile fell and she walked over to her oldest sister. Her hands on her hips and her eyes glaring, was nice to see directed at someone else and not me.

"We'll talk about it after dinner. We have reasons why we didn't tell you before. Now help Nabiki set the table"

Akane sighed but started getting plates out. Nabiki joined her and a hushed whisper fell over the trio. Shrugging I walked to the furo and began to undress.

I soaked in the tub a bit mulling everything over.

Dez was… interesting. I liked her enough, I guess. But she had secrets. There was something dark behind her creepy eyes and it made her kinda sad.

I shook the thoughts off and joined everyone at the dinner table.

As soon as I sat down Akane began firing questions.

"How long have you known about this?" She glared at her family and they all smiled slightly at her.

"Mom told me on my fifth birthday. She told Nabiki… I don't know when did she tell you?" Kasumi glanced at her younger sister.

She swallowed her food and cocked her head to the side. "I guess when I was five as well."

I did the simple math in my head. That would mean Akane's mom never made it to her fifth birthday to let her youngest know she was an amazon.

"Why didn't one of you tell me then?" pushed Akane.

"I was six and Kasumi was only seven. What would we really be able to do Akane? We all just lost mom, it wasn't a good time. And if Dez hadn't shown up, you'd never even have known. So shut up and eat your dinner." Snapped Nabiki.

Akane lowered her eyes in shame and started to eat again.

Kasumi sighed and Nabiki's eyes softened. "I'm sorry Kane. It's just been hard and now you're about to leave us for god knows how long. Just tired is all." Nabiki smiled softly and rested a hand on Akane's.

The rest of us all watched in silence. I'm pretty sure Tendo was crying a bit.

"Now then. Let's not be all sad. Mom would want you to train with the amazons. We only have about an hour before you go. Let's enjoy it." And like that, Kasumi's words lightened the room. I quickly finished eating and excused myself to go pack.

I heard some muttering downstairs and peaked down the stairs.

"Ranma! Come see your mom before you go!"

I grinned widely and hopped down the stairs hugging my mom tight.

We joined everyone else back at the table and enjoyed some tea and biscuits.

I was going to miss this. Nabiki cracked a joke and we all laughed. I caught Akane's eye and we smiled to each other. Our own private smile.

"Nadoka! How are you?" Dez burst in.

"Dez! It has been too long!" Mom stood up and hugged her tightly.

Quickly the strange language started again and I just smiled, wishing I knew what was going on.

I watched Akane get up and wander to the dojo and I decided to follow.

"A yen for your thoughts." I prodded.

"Hmmm? Just gonna miss all this. The comfort. The safety. Ranma… I'm scared. There is a past I just found out I have and it's not going to be easy to uncover it all. I have this feeling of looming doom. But I'm glad we're in it together." She smiled brightly and grabbed my hand, holding it softly.

I blushed and looked at her. Maybe we could use this to make things work. It had been a hard few years and I was ready to move forward. My overwhelming urge to kiss her was interrupted when Dez popped her head in.

"Join us love birds. Got to go over a few things."

Akane and I blushed and let go rejoining our family.

Dez pulled out a map and laid it out before us.

"We are here." She stated pointing to our town. "We are going here." She pointed to a symbol on the map, similar to a theta sign. "It is about a two weeks journey with the stops I have in mind. I hope you both packed accordingly." She grinned her little smirky grin and I snorted.

"Something wrong Ranma?" her eyes flashed playfully and rubbed her scar.

"Where did you get the scar?" interjected Akane.

"Ah. Well maybe one of your dads would like to share that story."

My dad smirked and Tendo chuckled.

"Well me and Saotome were walking through the markets and we find this little girl, maybe eight or nine sitting on the corner glaring at the world with this pack on her back. So of course we stop to ask her what's wrong. She tells us she's looking for the Anything Goes School, so we take her back to the old Dojo, were both families lived at the time. Kasumi you were maybe three and Nabiki was just a little thing. Your mom was pregnant with you Akane. And well, Ranma, we didn't yet know you were on the way."

I twisted my lips. And nodded for him to continue.

"So we bring her back and both your moms knew her. I was confused but said nothing. She came in declaring she was going to be the best martial artist in the world and wanted us to train her. Mariko in particular. Your mom was amazing with range weapons girls. Archery, throwing knives, projectiles. You name it. She was one of the best. So Dez wanted to be trained. After about a week she insisted on throwing knives. Mariko would have no part in it. The little fox convinced us to help her. So we started throwing knives. She dodged the first few then started to try to catch them. Saotome and I had a system. We'd take turns, well we messed up and both threw one about the same time. She caught the first and tried to dodge the second but just wasn't fast enough. Cut her right above the eye. I swear we thought we killed her. There was so much blood."

Dez was smiling brightly, excited by it. Her eyes shining and hands clenched. She liked her lips and looked a bit crazed.

"Long story short, Tofu, well his father, patched her up and she's had the scar ever since."

"Well yes. Thank goodness she's alright." Mom said placing her cup down gently. "Mariko and I gave your fathers quite a beating when we found out what they did." She nodded to the four of us and winked at Dez.

"Well," Dez stood up "while I always love catching up on the past, we should be going."

Akane and I rose grabbing our bags off the porch.

Dez bowed to everyone at the table.

"Nadoka, Kasumi, Nabiki, Soun, Genma I will bring back these two stronger than you have ever seen."

She walked over to Akane's mother's shrine and bowed before it.

"Mariko, you would have been so proud of all your daughters especially Akane. I will bring her back a warrior that you would have been proud of. We will not fail again." She lit some incense and said a few words in the Amazonian language. "Let's go"

We walked out, met up with Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse outside the gates and began walking towards the mountains.

And we were on our way.

AN: Well I took into account the reviews I have receive, reread my work and the entire Ranma manga series and this is what I got. I like it better. Have a clearer plan and what's going on and I hope less confusion.

Please read and enjoy!

Dess