Ranma: Change of Pace

I do not own Ranma ½.

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"You know Saotome. You owe me a favor." Ranma groaned from his perch in the tree as Nabiki showed up to collect on her usual fees and favors. He didn't see how she tricked him all the time. He was a little incensed this time though considering the failed wedding. He had a damn good idea who helped that happen. Not to mention the spring of drowned man water...

Ranma jumped down from his perch and looked at Nabiki. "Take it from what you owe me for the wedding fiasco."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes on him. "Oh, I wasn't aware that I did anything."

Ranma let out a weary sigh. "Thought ya'd say something like: 'It was to save you from getting married so you owe me one.' or somethin along those lines. Hearin that from you is about as much as admission of guilt if I ever heard it."

Nabiki was bristling now. "Fine, then pay up the tab you owe me."

Ranma waved his hand at her as he walked out the gate. "I'll pay the damages to the dojo to Kasumi. How bout that? I think you need to pay for em too. Hope you got enough from selling that information about the wedding not to mention how mad Kasumi is about you reckin your mother's shrine. Think I heard her mumbling somethin about talkin to you soon after we started pickin people out of the rubble the other day."

Nabiki stared at the martial artist as he wandered out of the gate.

XxxxxxxxxX

Ranma sighed as he walked down the street towards a small park. The one good thing about the failed wedding was that everyone there had agreed to give him wide berth after he yelled at them the other day. Sure it wouldn't last but a couple of days reprieve was good enough for him. He was walking by a bench when he saw an old lady having trouble steadying herself so she could sit down on the bench. He immediately moved over to help the old lady sit down.

The old woman started to thank Ranma when a kid ran by and hit Ranma with a blast from a super soaker and the change took place. The old woman's eyes opened wide when she saw the boy change into a girl with bright red hair. Ranma frowned as she looked down at her soaked shirt and sighed as she knew taking it off at the moment to wring it out would freak the poor old lady out more than she was at the moment. She took this as a sign to leave but was stopped when the woman grabbed her arm. "Please dear, sit down. I don't bite."

Ranma raised her eye at the old woman and sat down next to her. "Kay, whatcha want?"

The old woman bopped Ranma's head. "It's 'Okay. What do you want?' Talk like a proper young lady!"

Ranma rubbed the back of her head. "Seesh, didn't haveta hit me. And I ain't a young lady."

The old woman bopped Ranma on the back of the head again. "Right now you're a young lady so act like it. I am curious though as to why you are a young lady?"

Ranma scratched the back of her head. "Eh, it's a long story."

"I have all the time in the world dear. My ears are yours."

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Back at the Tendo home...

Nabiki was fuming as she walked back in the house. "The nerve of that arrogant bastard. Who is he to question me. I'm going to..."

"...going to what?"

Nabiki slowly turned her head to see Kasumi with a a frown on her face. Normally Nabiki wouldn't even react to someone frowning at her but Kasumi was another case. She had never seen Kasumi frown like that and she was now frozen like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Nabiki, sit at the table."

Nabiki obediently sat at the table. "Uh sis."

Kasumi sat in seiza across from Nabiki. "Yes."

Nabiki really couldn't think of anything to say. The cold stare she was getting from her sister was starting to freak her out.

"Do you know why I'm mad Nabiki?" Nabiki slowly shook her head to answer even though her brain told her not to move a muscle.

Kasumi sighed letting her frown drop to a serious expression. "I can make a new shrine for mother. I recovered what I needed from the old one. No, the dojo that mother and father built was utterly destroyed. Sure we can still use some of the timbers but it was special because it's the one thing that both mother and father poured their souls into. When mom died soon after it was finished, she told us to treasure the memories that we would make in it."

Nabiki relaxed some. She saw a way out of this dilemma. Place the blame. "Well, Saotome and the rest of them wrecked the place going after that cask and the rest of them fighting only added to the destruction. I'm sure..."

Nabiki stopped when a hand slammed down on the table. She watched Kasumi stand up and leave the room. Kasumi returned with a cask in hand and put it down beside her as she sat down again. She started drumming her fingers on the top of the cask. "Nabiki did you know that the curses mix."

Nabiki lost her already jumbled track of thought as Kasumi moved onto a tangent. "Uh, what?"

Kasumi continued to drum her fingers on the cask. "The curses. The ones from Jusenkyo. I looked it up just after Ranma's adventure in China. You know, after the little spats that have been occurring recently turned into more than just fun between martial artists. Ranma was rather distraught after what happened in China and I can't blame him for that.

I told father this, but he ignored my concerns and bought a cask from Jusenkyo. I had the bright idea of hiding the cask and convincing father that it was a good idea just to leave it be before the wedding. At the very least, I knew there would be a fight if anyone saw the cask and I hate to say it, but our father has broken many promises.

I made sure after hiding it to keep father distracted before the wedding to make sure he wouldn't get the bright idea of trying to find it again. Somehow, he ended up with it at the dojo just as the ceremony would have started. Now how do you think it got there? I had made sure that father was distracted and didn't come back to the house."

Nabiki started to sweat as she knew the game was getting harder. "I'm sure he could have just wandered off for a second and found it under the cupboard."

Kasumi stopped drumming the barrel. "Now how would you know that it was under the cupboard? Father certainly didn't know."

SHIT! I screwed up. "Look Kasumi I..."

Kasumi raised her hand up. "Enough, just enough of the excuses. You knew damn well what would happen. It was bad enough that you purposefully invited all of them here. You just had to incite them further, but then I suppose that it's for the best."

Nabiki was confused for a second time. "Uh, what?"

Kasumi's frown returned. "Did you know that P-chan was Ryoga?"

Nabiki thought it over for a second before responding. "Not until recently. It finally clicked in my head after the numerous times that P-chan and Ranma fought that it was him. Why?"

Kasumi's frown became deeper. "I caught him changing after the wedding. I confronted Ranma about it and he explained the situation. I gave him a stern lecture on it. Since he promised on his honor not to reveal Ryoga's secret before Ryoga started taking advantage of it with us, I forgave him. I found that father and Genma on the other hand had known about this for quite some time. They thought jealousy would push Ranma into the marriage. They are both on a journey with grandfather Happosai so they can repent."

Nabiki gulped. There was definitely more.

"Since Akane slept with him and had him nestled in her bosom, even unknowingly, Ryoga's little trick as P-chan has sullied our name. Before father left, I had him and Genma make a written agreement to have Akane wed Ryoga. When I see him next, I will ensure that Ryoga honors the agreement or atones for his dishonor."

Nabiki nodded her head slowly. "So, Ranma and Akane are no longer engaged?"

Kasumi nodded her head and the frown seemed to lighten some. "I suppose it is for the best. Akane could never keep her temper in check around Ranma. The problem is that one of us needs to take over the engagement. I'm working on Tofu to see if he'll finally get over his craziness so that only leaves you."

Nabiki's eyes widened and she waved her hands in front of her. "No, no, no. You know how well that worked out last time. I also don't want to deal with the rivals."

Kasumi began drumming the cask again and Nabiki's eyes finally drifted down to look at it. "Uh, sis. What's with the cask?"

Nabiki began to squirm as she saw a familiar smile grace Kasumi's face. It was one that she wore often herself. "I'm glad you asked Nabiki. You can call it karma if you want to. It turns out that I thought someone might find the cask under the cupboard so at the last minute I exchanged it with a fake and put the real one in the dirty clothes pile. No one ever checks there. Guess what's in the cask Nabiki."

Nabiki paled and started backing away from the table. "No way. No freaking way. I am not going to be turned into some damn freak because you think it's punishment for what happened to the dojo and there is no way that I'm marrying Ranma."

Nabiki bolted out of her seat and ran for the front door. She opened it as quickly as she could only to be splashed in the face by something. It didn't take long to figure out what as her or now his blouse top split from the pressure and he let out a shriek. "Dammit Kasumi. What the hell?"

Kasumi calmly walked to the front door. "I put some clothes that are more suited to your new form on your bed. Oh and this time the water heater really is broken so it will be awhile before you can change back. I'm going out for groceries so I should be back later this evening. You really should go change."

Nabiki would have hit his sister if the excruciating pain of wearing panties as a male didn't hold him back.

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In the park...

"...And that's my life." Ranma finished her explanation as the sun was starting to dip in the sky.

The old woman shook her head. "Dearie, dearie. You could fix many things in your life if you just took the reigns away from your father."

Ranma shrugged. "Been trying to fix what he's done and stop him from doing more, but it just gets worse. All the girls wouldn't stop coming after me even if I ditch pops now."

The old woman rubbed her chin and looked the girl over. "Why not stay a girl then? They would have no claim on you then would they not."

Ranma looked a little angry at that statement. "Hey, I ain't no girl. Ain't no way I'm going to stay a girl."

The woman raise an eyebrow. "And what's wrong with being a girl? I've been a girl for a good ninety years. Trust me, there's nothing wrong with being a woman."

Ranma shouted at the woman. "Cuz women are weak. I was raised to be a man. I can't give up on that now."

The woman whacked her cane on the back of Ranma's head. "Weak am I? Is that Cologne woman weak? She taught you much of what you know and beat you several times. Are the girls pining over you weak? No. Every time you made fun of that Akane girl, you admit that she beat you soundly. What of any of that sounds weak to you?"

Ranma stared at the woman. "Uh.."

The old woman shook her head. "Fine then. Tell me. Where do you see yourself down the road say in ten years?"

Ranma thought for a minute before responding. "Well, I'll be teaching classes in the dojo, teach my kids the art, and um, I guess that's it."

The old woman shook her head. "Wrong. I can already tell you aren't college material kid. Maybe you could get a Phys ed degree at a community college but that's it. Dojos don't always have good business nowadays so you'll need more income. You need to marry someone that can actually support the family financially dear because you don't have the ability to do so."

Ranma looked a little shaken but shot back. "Is that a challenge? Cuz if it's a challenge then Ranma Saotome don't lose!"

Ranma started to get up but the old woman bonked her on the head again. "Sit down this instant!" Ranma sat down rubbing her head. "Look here Ranma! I never said anything about a challenge. Besides, you have lost challenges."

Ranma turned around the lady with an angry look. "I have not!"

The old woman mocked surprise. "The first Phoenix pill incidents, moxibustion technique, Taro, Gambling King, that Nabiki girl repeatedly... I could go on. They did beat you at some point."

Ranma was starting to get furious. "I beat all of those people. You have no right..."

The old woman glared at Ranma. "You lost some battles but won the war, no. The incident with the Phoenix people should have woken you up dear. Someone actually died and you killed someone else even if they did come back to life. You have lost but learned from it and come out better for it, but only in the short term. If you want to sort out the long term, then you need to see your flaws.

It's obvious that everything tying you up is related to those engagements. Every single girl you described is lost in some delusion and I don't think a single one of those relationships would end well. Why not take the path no one would expect you to take?"

Ranma eyed the woman suspiciously. "So, what's that got to do with staying a girl?"

The woman sighed. "A lot. If you stay a girl, then those other girls would lose interest or take actions that would throw a negative light on their engagements to you. End of story. As for the future... You would be running an in-house dojo, am I correct?"

Ranma nodded and the woman continued. "Would it really be that hard to run a household and a dojo as a woman?"

Ranma shrugged. "I still don't get it. I could still do it as a guy?"

The old woman nodded her head slowly. "True. You also have the ability to change back and forth. No, what I'm saying is that you need an out and that's it. Why don't we pick this up tomorrow? Same time and place."

Ranma looked warily at the old woman and nodded slowly. The old woman hopped up and smiled at Ranma. "Good. My name is Omamori Hito."

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Nabiki was swearing under his breath. The water heater really was broken and for some reason he couldn't turn the stove on. He was going to beat the living daylights out of Kasumi if he could bring himself to do it. He then heard someone entering the house. "Dammit Kasumi, I told you..."

Nabiki blinked as she looked down at Ranma-chan. Ranma looked up at him with a confused look. "Uh, do I know you?"

Nabiki rubbed his temple. "Yes. It's... Nabiki."

Ranma's eyes bugged out as she looked over Nabiki. "Uh."

"Sit down at the table Saotome and I'll..." Nabiki sucked in a breath. "..tell you for free."

Ranma's eyes really shot open as she moved to sit down. "Are you really Nabiki?"

Nabiki sat down across from her and rolled her eyes. "Yes. Kasumi was kind of mad so she used some of the Spring of drowned man water on me. And before you ask, she dumped the rest of it out. Apparently, she was keeping it away from everyone because she knew the curses mixed. You'd be part man and woman at the same time."

Ranma shivered. "No cure?"

Nabiki threw her hands up. "Nope. At least none that are safe or keep you in your birth form."

They were silent for a second before Nabiki spoke again. "And they, uh, moved the engagement over to me again."

Ranma's eyes widened. "No way. Not again. Ya ain't tricking me again."

Nabiki shook her head. "It's not the game we were playing before. Kasumi found out who P-chan really is. Guess who's engaged to Akane now."

Ranma scrunched up her nose. "No idea."

Nabiki slapped her face. "Are you really that dense? It's Ryoga. Something about honor being smeared and such. Kasumi's going to put him to marrying her or put him to the knife."

Ranma blanched. "Better him than me."

Nabiki shrugged. "Guess he does kind of deserve it."

Both let silence reign for a few minutes.

"Soooo, the water heater's broken and Kasumi cut off the stove so I can't turn it back on. No hot water."

Nabiki watched Ranma groan and then shake her head. "Guess we deserve it. Kasumi was really mad about the dojo and shrine being destroyed."

Nabiki frowned. Usually Ranma became flustered by a statement like that. Now Ranma was dropping in and out of the conversation with an almost contemplative look on her face. "We can go to the bathhouse later I suppose."

Ranma waved his hand in front of his face. "That always ends in disaster. It'd be better to just get the heater repaired and let Kasumi cool off. I think staying this way for awhile is her punishment."

Nabiki's eyebrows rose at that statement. Ranma's not fighting to change back. "Uh you don't want to change back Saotome?"

Ranma got a look on her face like she was constipated. "What would happen, and I'm only sayin if, I was permanently stuck as a girl?"

That statement really caught Nabiki off guard. "You aren't stuck again are you?"

Ranma waved her hands in front of her. "No, no. I was just curious. I talked to some old lady about my life and she said I could probably solve most of my problems by staying a girl."

Nabiki sat in thought for a little while. "I guess it would to some extent. Most of the engagements wouldn't hold up and there wouldn't be a real stain on honor because Genma technically would no longer have a son. I doubt the Kuno's would let up but they're going to have to start facing the music some time soon. Some of their more recent activities have started to bring undo attention to themselves from the authorities. A little push of information to the right people would stop them. I know the Amazons wouldn't stop on their own, but the actions they've taken here and the reason they're here would be frowned upon by the government. I'm kind of surprised that no one from foreign affairs or the immigration bureau hasn't stopped by to question them."

Ranma nodded her head. "Right. I kinda thought some of that might happen, but what do you think it would mean for my future maybe. I mean if I stayed a guy or a girl. Whatcha think of either of those paths."

Nabiki's eyes shot open as she stared at Ranma. Hmmm, may need to find that old woman. She actually got the great Saotome thinking. "Not much either way. You'll never get into college with your grades. Well, maybe community college or a trade school if you work hard now. You won't be able to get a good job with any of those degrees. If you teach at the dojo, you'll have to work a second job or your wife will have to get a really high paying job but it's not easy for a woman to get a good position and nearly impossible for a married woman. Frankly, I see you being broke. It's why I didn't take the engagement to begin with. I don't want to be tied down to a husband because it would kill any kind of advancements I want for work."

Ranma nodded her head. "And as a woman?"

Nabiki kept his eyes on Ranma for any reactions as she spoke. "Same deal except you might be able to keep the dojo afloat and not be financially strapped if you had a husband working a good job, but I can't really see you marrying a guy and getting pregnant."

Ranma shook her head and stood up. "Uh, thanks Nabiki. I'm, uh, gonna go nap for a bit."

Nabiki watched Ranma climb up the stairs in thought.

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When Kasumi got home from shopping, she saw a contemplative Nabiki sitting at the table. "So, has reflecting on what you've done helped any?"

"Hey sis, what do you think would happen if Ranma took my last name in the marriage?"

Kasumi put down her groceries and looked over Nabiki as she sat down. "I don't know. Would Ranma even consider that?"

Nabiki frowned a little before speaking. "Uh, he or rather she came home asking me what I thought would happen if she stayed a girl permanently after I told her about the switch in engagements. It was kind of strange. She seemed to already guess at what I had to say and even asked of what I thought would happen to her in the long run. What was really strange was that when I suggested that she could have a husband, she didn't baulk at it. She just stood up in thought and left the table."

Kasumi shook her head. "I don't think Ranma would really go for that."

Nabiki waved his hand. "I'm sure that you're right, but let's just say for a minute that Ranma got stuck as a girl and I got stuck as a guy."

Kasumi nodded her head and Nabiki continued. "We wouldn't owe a dowry so Genma would have to leave the house because I certainly am not going to let him stay here. All of the honor agreements on Ranma would be null and void because he would no longer be a guy and would take on the Tendo name.

I wouldn't have to worry about the discrimination against women in the workplace anymore. I also wouldn't have to worry about housework because Ranma would take care of it. You know that I suck at it and Ranma's actually pretty good at the sewing, cooking, and cleaning stuff. Hell, Ranma would be staying home anyways if he or she taught the dojo. If dad's worried about the inheritance tax, then we'd just make the estate the dowry for your wedding."

Kasumi openly frowned at this speech. "Nabiki, I don't think you're thinking about Ranma. Maybe I should have thought more before giving you that curse. It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet."

Nabiki shook her head and hands. "Woah, stop right there. Ranma was the one that brought this up. Not me. It's just that I've had some time to think it through. Everything would work out if we got stuck in our cursed forms."

Kasumi's frown deepened. "What about children? I know father would want some but you wouldn't be able to have them if you stay male."

Nabiki shrugged her shoulders. "I never wanted to get pregnant to begin with. If Ranma's serious about this, then she might be willing to..."

Kasumi put her hand up to stop Nabiki. "I'm going to call up Akane's friend Yuka and tell her that it would be a good idea to keep Akane over for a sleepover. We will discuss this between the three of us tonight."

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