Twin Trouble by Lioconvoy
Pre-chapter note: Ranma is female for this entire chapter, but will never use female pronouns when things are from his point of view.
Chapter Seven: The Older Sister
Akane made it to the school entrance faster than normal. There was something to principal's suggestion, a lot of boys in the horde came up to her, but if she avoided them they wouldn't actually attack. There were still a few that she was forced to beat off, but it wasn't nearly as many as she did every other day. The best thing about this morning was Kuno was absent.
"Not bad Akane, you could work on your dodging a little more, but I'm impressed." Ranma smiled, in his opinion it took more of an effort not to plow through the weaklings. His fiancée was showing improvement.
"Come on, only ten of them touched me." The younger twin frowned as they walked into the school. A third of the student body was out there and she only had to pound ten of them.
"Exactly, ten of them touched you; I could have gone through that gauntlet with none of them touching me. I've gone through similar circumstances and the only one to touch me was the Kuno of the group. Since Kuno isn't here you should have been able to pass through them all." Smiling a little more, the redhead had fond memories of the lunch room brawls for the best sandwiches. That was how he and Ryoga first met; if it wasn't for Ryoga he probably never would have read Ranma ½.
"Please Usagi, we both know you're better than Akane, there's no need to remind her." The older twin smiled as they reached their lockers; somehow Usagi's ended up right in between hers and Akane's. Swapping her shoes for her slippers she wondered what today would bring.
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Ranma took his lunch out of his bag. The first half of the day went by pretty quickly. Principal Ninomiya continued to call other students to her office and toward the end of gym class Nabiki was among them. As lunch period started, Mai, Karumi and Akane moved their desks around his. "What did Nabiki do? I mean I didn't see anything in the rules about selling things, betting pools, or even blackmail."
"You know I was looking at the rules last night and I didn't see anything about me beating up the creeps before school either, it mentions no fighting during school, but not before or after." Akane opened up her bento. It looked delicious, this morning Ranma made it instead of Kasumi because she had an early class, she was a little skeptical about the taste.
"It's probably supposed to be a given, you are on school grounds after all. If they made a rule for every little thing the books would be too big. Still you'd think gambling and blackmail would be in there." Mai looked at both Akane's and Usagi's lunches, they didn't look like Kasumi prepared them. "Who made your bento?"
"Usagi did. She's a good cook, not as good as Kasumi though." The younger twin frowned, was there anything Ranma wasn't better than her at?
"Mai-chan, do you think Karumi will get in trouble for blackmailing Nabiki-pyon?" Karumi scratched her head. Maybe blackmail wasn't in the rules, but they were blackmailing their friend to join the Otaku Club with them. Could they be called to the principal's office too? That was the only thing she or Mai had ever done wrong.
"I don't think you have to worry about that, but she may call you to her office for being to cutesy." The short haired girl couldn't help but wonder why the blonde never put –pyon after her own name, but she did for Nabiki, Usagi, and even Akane.
Ranma giggled, he could picture Karumi getting in trouble for being too cutesy. "It's possible, Haruna-sensei pulled me aside this morning to apologize for giving me the translation punishment yesterday and she said she got punished herself."
"Even the teachers can get punished? What did she have to do?" The youngest Tendo found that surprising; a teacher getting punished for punishing a student.
"She had to write the rule about not giving exaggerated punishments fifty times on the blackboard of the teacher's room. It's still there too, as a reminder to the other teachers." As Ranma dug into his bento, he saw Nabiki come up behind him with a book in her hands. "Nabiki, what happen?"
"I have to translate the fundraising rule book and follow the rules in it." The older twin grabbed her chair and brought it over to the merged desks then put down the book. After that she went into her bag and grabbed her bento. Her meeting with the principal hadn't gone as badly as she thought it would, but like Akane said, Principal Ninomiya was scary.
"Fundraising rule book?" Picking up the rule book, Ranma started reading through it. So the reason there weren't any rules about Nabiki's activities was because there was a separate rule book for monetary matters.
"Yeah, each club and sports team will get one copy, but because I've made a bit of money for myself I was given my own. Usagi, can you help me translate it?" Nabiki watched her sister's expression change, Akane was jealous again. How could she get the point across to her twin, that Usagi/Ranma was just a friend?
""Ms. Karumi Asari please report to the principal's office."
"AAAHHH! KARUMI REALLY IS IN TROUBLE FOR BEING TO CUTE!" Karumi quickly got up from her chair then slowly walked out the classroom. She couldn't stop from being cute, it was who she was. She was going to have to fight the principal, but could she win? She would give it her best.
"Mai, you don't really think Karumi is in trouble for being to cute?" The youngest Saotome took a notebook out of his desk and started writing things down that could help Nabiki translate the fundraising rule book.
"Actually Usagi, she's probably in trouble for sneaking into the boy's locker room. Like I said, she and Mai are the best intelligence gatherers in school." The middle Tendo daughter opened her bento up. She could understand why her sister would be afraid to lose Ranma, he was almost perfect, he could cook, clean, and he was great at the martial arts, exactly what her sister needed.
"What little we know about Karumi herself, is she has three shameless older brothers. Naked males don't bother her. She normally sneaks in the boy's locker room after gym to hear whatever they're talking about. For instance, today she found out Usagi already has a large following like Akane's, although the boys believe Usagi is too delicate to fight with." As Mai finished her lunch, she thought about her own activities, would she get in trouble for spending as much time in the teacher's room as she did?
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She had heard about this countless times. The principal left the door cracked open then called the student in as they neared the door. Karumi prepared herself, she wouldn't lose this fight, and she would not accept being punished for being cute. Of course after she got pounded by the principal she probably wouldn't be cute anymore. Her eyes started to water, she didn't want to be ugly.
"Please come in Ms. Asari and close the door behind you."
The blonde did as she was told. The dark room reminded her of the dojo she and her brothers trained in. She shouldn't have any trouble fighting in this kind of environment. From the little light that was in the room she could see clearly the big desk, so it would be easy enough to avoid.
This student was different then the many before her, Hinako could feel fear, but she also felt a willingness to fight. Most students were either afraid or ready to fight, never a mixture of the two. "Ms. Asari, are you a pervert?"
"Wha, Karumi is not a pervert!"
"Yet you seem ready to fight me. You are here because you've been caught sneaking into the boy's locker room on several occasions." Actually, Karumi had been caught coming out of the boy's locker room several times, but try as they might, they never caught her sneaking in. The principal turned her chair around, the darkness should hide her face.
"You mean Karumi's not going to be punished for being too cute?"
Hinako fell from her chair. The blonde thought she was summoned to her office for being too cute? Why would she punish a student for that, not that Karumi wasn't too cute, but it was hardly a crime. Slowly she got up and turned the chair back around before sitting in it. "No you're not here for being too cute. Do you still wish to fight me?"
Karumi scratched her head; she was here because the principal thought she was a pervert? Because of her older brothers she saw naked boys all the time. She didn't go in the locker room to look at the boys, just to hear what they were talking about. She didn't think she was doing anything wrong, she just hid in an empty locker and she couldn't see anything anyway. Still, the principal was stronger than she was without a doubt. "Karumi will accept your punishment."
The principal sighed in relief. She really didn't want to fight Karumi; the girl was just too…too innocent. "Go to the school store, a boy's uniform has been set aside for you and you're to wear it for the rest of the semester. If you're caught in the boy's locker room again it will be until you graduate, do you understand?"
The blonde frowned, she have to wear a boys uniform? They weren't cute at all; maybe she should have chosen to fight the principal after all. Stepping out of the principal's office, she left the door as she found it and headed to the school store.
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Natsume got off the train at the Nerima stop. She was going to see Ranma today. She didn't have work this afternoon or any classes, it was likely the rest of the Otaku Club would get together, but she had better things to do than listen to Kasumi bragging about how she was messing with her…
School was still in session, so what would she do for the time being? Walking from the train station she decided to forget about Ranma for the moment. Instead she thought about her mother. What in the world had made her mother want to go back to school so late in life? It was almost funny helping her mother with her homework. Still, once her mother got a real job, maybe she'd get out from under the thumb of her grandfather.
Goro Narita was an evil bastard as far as she was concerned. How many times had he tried fixing her up with the sons of one of his business associates? The old fool was living in the Dark Ages. No one arranged marriages anymore, then again her own father wasn't that different. He'd never arranged her with anyone, just…
"Stingy Tendo, I know full well he doesn't need extra money from me. I have to get a job. If he didn't have access to Nodoka, I'd remind him just who he was."
What was that gaijin phrase, 'speak of the devil'? Granted she was only thinking of him, but walking in front of her was a fat man in a dirty white martial arts gi. Apparently he didn't notice her when he left that store talking to himself. Well time to make herself noticed. "Father."
Genma stopped cold. A voice like Ranma's just uttered the word father… it couldn't be. Nabiki said they had moved. Slowly the Saotome patriarch turned around. Standing there was a young woman with short black hair, and Nodoka's face. It could only be… "Natsume… what are you doing here? Your mother isn't around is she?"
"No, you don't have to worry about her yet, I haven't ratted you out. I should though, despite your running away with my little brother, she still loves you." She wanted to hurt her father, for what he did to her brother, for what he did to her mother, for what he did to her. Still self control was something she learned after leaving Nerima. Clenching her fist she looked her old man in the eyes.
"One day your brother will take over the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. In order to do that he could not be softened by his mother's love or coddled by his older sister. I did what was best for the boy. Surely your mother knew this." Fear was not something he had time for…if Natsume could find him; it was only a matter of time before his father-in-law did as well. Genma returned his daughters gaze.
Screw the anger control this idiot deserved a pounding. Something then caught Natsume's eye. How odd was it that they happen to be standing in front of a hardware store, odder still that the owner had wooden mallets on display outside. Her father obviously didn't live in reality so, neither would she. Picking up a mallet she swung at her father with all her might. "IDIOT!"
As Genma left the ground he was amazed at his daughter's strength. He was flying much higher than Nodoka ever punted him. Why was it, whenever he was in trouble with women, there was always a mallet around somewhere…at least the one his daughter just sent him airborne with was a soft wooden one. The last time Nodoka sent him flying was with a hard rubber carnival mallet.
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Hinako got up from her desk and looked out the window behind her. It was time to take a break from punishing students. Today was going much faster than yesterday since none of the students wanted to fight her. Kuno, Ishijima, and the other three got the point across very well: she wasn't a weak woman. Given a third of the student body had gotten beaten by Akane Tendo before, she wondered why they underestimated her.
With over half the student body taken care of, tomorrow she'd be able to see Nodoka's daughter. Now Usagi hadn't caused any trouble yet, but she was still new. She had already shown her mother's kindness and supportiveness, the question was did she have her mother's morals?
The older Narita had a habit of suborning males into acts of perversion, saying the acts proved their manliness. How many boys ended up in the girl's locker room because Nodoka sent them there? Thank god there wasn't a student like Kuno in their high school…who knew how Nodoka would have suborned him.
Looking down at her ring finger Hinako smiled. Only one good thing ever came from Nodoka's practice. One day the older Narita sent Kenji Ninomiya to spy on a girl he liked, it hadn't been her, but she was the one who chased him down with a broom. After she had chased him out of the girl's locker room, he picked up a mop and the two of them began 'sword' fighting. Somehow it was love at first fight.
Ending her trip down memory lane she turned around and pressed the intercom button on her phone. "Please call for the next student."
While her secretary called for the next student she got her office ready and turned the chair to face the window before sitting in it.
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Genma landed in one of the drainage ditches and ended up in panda form. One of these days he would figure out how to keep from changing as the boy had. Or was it the boy could only keep from changing in his cursed form, if that was the case he wasn't interested.
His daughter was in Nerima…he had to hurry to the school, he couldn't let Ranma meet his older sister, it would create unneeded complications. The boy's relationship with his fiancée needed to be much stronger before Soun would push an early wedding and if Ranma went home with his sister, then Goro would engage the boy to a girl of his choosing. Ranma was his son and he would fulfill his promise to Soun, not one of Goro's political arrangements.
Then he heard a bang and felt something prick him. The world started going black…
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As Natsume reached the school gates she smiled happily to herself. Given her father's angle of trajectory, he would land in one of Nerima's many drainage ditches. Although Kasumi never confirmed it, if her brother was cursed he probably was too. Hopefully it wouldn't take the people from the Zoo too long to get there and capture the 'escaped' panda. She wasn't as good a schemer as Kasumi, but she had her moments.
Now all she had to do was wait for Ranma to come out of the school and meet him. Unless he joined a club… then she might have a little trouble getting into the school. Visitors had to report to the principal's office, and she had heard from Tofu this morning that Furinkan had a new principal who was rather eccentric. Whether this was a good eccentric or a bad one she didn't know and didn't really want to find out.
Well, she had her old uniform from last year in her bag; maybe she could use it to sneak in. While she waited she started play with the mallet she had to purchase. Her father had a hard head and it left an indentation.
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Ranma smiled as they left their classroom to head down towards the Otaku Club's room. Ms. Haruna had handed him the key, apparently like their advisor in middle school, the principal didn't want to be seen with the club.
"Karumi feels silly." Karumi frowned wearing the boy's uniform she was given. It was altered a little so it would fit right, but it was still a boy's uniform.
"Even dressed like that you're too cute." Mai sighed as they headed towards the stairwell. Leave it to the blonde to look adorable in a male uniform. Finally they would be let in the legendary club room. It was said they had a large collection of manga, cosplay outfits made by Natsume-sempai, and doujinshi drawn by Kasumi-sempai.
Nabiki frowned as she followed behind the three other girls. They all seemed to be looking forward to the revival of the Otaku Club. She on the other hand…she wasn't an Otaku. She read manga sure, but she didn't revolve her life around it. She was sort of surprised that Mai was an otaku; she never really seemed the sort. Well while they were doing what ever it was an Otaku club does, she'd be translating the financial rule book she had. The notes Ranma gave her should go a long way to help.
"How big is the clubroom, in middle school we had a small classroom. We also had about a hundred and fifty manga, mostly shojo." As they headed down the first flight of steps Ranma couldn't help but wonder what to expect.
"Your sister and Nabiki's got the principal to give them the old school library. Since it wasn't in use anyway they were able to completely change it around. Tofu-sempai did most of the manual labor. Principal Kuno used school funds to buy over a thousand manga. I heard he got in trouble for it at first, but then Kasumi-sempai made some doujinshi that she sold to pay back the school. It's about the size of two classrooms, and there's supposed to be changing rooms in the back so the members could wear the cosplay outfits your sister made." A smile escaped Mai's lips as she said this, but she quickly went back to her normal sour expression.
"Karumi's going to find an outfit to change into." The sooner she was out of this boy's uniform the better, but she'd have to change back before leaving school. Her brothers were going to pick on her, she knew it.
"Karumi, I think we need to find something for Nabiki too." Mai gave a devious smile. What to put Nabiki in?
"Hmm, do they have a Sailor Mercury outfit? That would look great on Nabiki, then Karumi, can be Neptune and you can be Uranus." The redhead smiled thinking about Nabiki dress as a Senshi.
And of course Usagi, you'll be Sailor Moon, what about Ranmaru? He's too short to be Tuxedo Kamen" The middle Tendo daughter lowered her head as they exited the stairwell. She had a feeling she wasn't going to get out of dressing up.
"Sailor Venus, he…" Ranma stopped himself. Miura used to have a wig he'd wear and dress up as Minako, or other blonde female characters, how ever 'Usagi' shouldn't know this. Speaking of Miura, there he was waiting in front of what he had to assumed was the Otaku Club's door.
"The principal's still with a student, how are we going to get in?" The blond frowned. He went to all the trouble of getting the club re-opened and they couldn't get in the club room.
"Usagi-pyon already has the key. We're going to have a Sailor Senshi theme today!" The blonde girl tried picturing the blond boy as Tuxedo Kamen, and like Nabiki-pyon said he didn't really fit the bill. Usagi-pyon was right he could be Sailor Venus.
Mia frowned, Nabiki only owed her and Karumi so much, and she'd have to give in to dressing up too. Still it wouldn't be that much worse than wearing a school uniform. Let the first meeting of the revived Furinkan High Otaku Club commence.
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Lio's Corner:
-Howard Russell, as you can see, Ranma really is a Saotome, but... Narita blood does run threw his veins.
-Dragon Man 180: For now, Ranma's going to keep up the act in school. He's not happy about it, but at the same time, he'll survive it.
-Manga/Anime that does exist in this world: Ranma ½(Manga only), Guyver, Flame of Recca, Dragonball, Sailor Moon, AI Love You, Ai Yori Aoshi, and Maharomatic.
-Manga/Anime that does not exist in this world: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dear Boys.
-If anyone feels up to the challenge, I'd love to see fan art of Usagi, or Karumi in a boy's uniform. Thank you in advance.
-WarGiver's Omakes are not apart of the actual story continuity, however if you enjoy them, check out his fanfiction(dot)net account too.
NGNGNG
Name Game (This is the part where I explain semi-original characters.):
Hinako Ninomiya: Although she shares her name with the chi vampire, and her hatred of delinquents, Hinako is different character with very different origins. As this chapter mentions she went to High School with Nodoka and it's the fault of Ranma's mother that she met her husband.
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Natsume carefully glided through the halls of Furinkan in her old uniform. She quietly approached her destination, the old club room, being cautious of being seen. As she reached the club room, she found that there were no guys present and caught a glimpse of a pair in Sailor Senshi uniforms.
Natsume pondered what to do. She knew her brother turned sister was going to be here soon, but the anime-fan in her drove her to take part. In the end she gave into the anime-fan and sneak into the back where the costumes and dressing rooms were. When she got to the back she found the changing area relatively untouched. Her keen eyes locked on a uniform outside the first of three changing rooms, a Sailor Moon costume. She smiled as she gathered up the outfit and crept into changing stall number three, then she deposited the outfit and returned to the chair, her instincts were warning her that she should not leave it empty, so she gathered another uniform and placed it on the chair. Task completed she returned to the changing room and started changing.
Usagi entered the club room and was immediately directed to the back to change into the outfit left out, understandably she was a little confused as to the costume selection, prop and all, that she was being asked to wear. Shrugging she entered the first changing room with the costume, and Natsume exited her dressing room.
Sailor Natsume Moon decided to plan her entrance, and found her favorite hiding place, it was in an area with seldom read Manga on the shelves, it also was easy to peer around without being seen easily.
Her wait is short as Sailor Chibi-Moon, she jumped out and shouted, "In the Name of the Moon, and the cos-play society, as the elder sibling I get to play Sailor Moon!"
Everyone just blinked as it sunk quickly in as to who it was in the costume. Usagi not really catching on shouts, "In the name of the future Moon, lets kick Youma-panda butt!" She puncuated the point wielding the twinkle bell that Chibi-usa used.
Natsume pulled out her Mallet and shouted "Yeah! I think I saw him hiding at the zoo!"
Meanwhile Genma woke with a start; It was a feeling of doom that superseded his captivity, where the hell was Soun now. What he didn't know was Soun asked a Hibiki to lead him to where he saw a Panda taken down by Zoo officials; it would be some time before the calvery commeth.