Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and Oh my Goddess! characters do not belong to me. I am merely 'borrowing' them for the period this fic will take to be finished (considering my previous track record, sometime right before apocalypse)



"Give me back my clothes!" Ranma yelled, as he tried to hold up the skimpy towel wrapped around him. He had been resting in the furo after having practiced his katas for one hour,and somehow Urd had managed to sneak in and steal his clothes which only left him with a small towel to protect his modesty with. He had not gone out of the bathroom, hoping to get Urd to return him his clothes. No such luck with that and he was currently pounding on the bathroom door.

"On one condition," Urd answered through the door, her voice muffled slightly by it.

"What!" That did it, those were his clothes. Towel or no towel, he was going out there and getting his clothes back. " That's it," He said, as he started to open the furo door.

" Urd?" Belldandy's voice came to him through the slight opening in the door, and just as quickly he slammed the door shut so hard that it nearly came off it's hinges.

" What are you doing with Ranma's clothes?"

" I'm just holding them for him, don't worry." Urd said dismissively.

" Okay..." The word was slightly drawn out and filled with suspicion.

" So how bout it?" Urd's voice came to him again, as confident as ever.

" No way!"

" Belldandy!" Urd called out after her sister.

" Yes?"

" There's something you should se-"

" Okay okay!!" Ranma hissed furiously, as quickly as he could. " I'll do it!"

" Never mind," Urd said, shooing her sister away. *Heh, that boy is so easy to manipulate.*

" First, give me my clothes." Urd frowned, she was the one who was supposed to make the

demands. But shrugging, she opened the door to hand him the clothes.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed the clothes before slamming the door shut.

" Now, all you need to do is take my sister out."

" What!?" Ranma's voice could be heard very clearly now.

" Preferably to some love movie," Urd went on as if she had never heard Ranma's protests.

The door slid open exposing Ranma wearing his usual chinese clothes. He didn't look happy

at all, although it was more from the thoughts of what his other fiancees would do when they found out. He didn't expect them to heed what he had said yesterday. He brushed at one corner of his shirt

with a free hand while glaring at Urd.

" You must be joking," he said flatly. "Do you know what they would do?" There was no need for him to mention who they were, Urd had already met them yesterday. Was this woman crazy? How did she expect to get away with it?

" Leave it to me," Urd waved her hand lazily. " Besides you gave your word, you're not going to back out on it are you?"

Ranma stared at her for a long time, she was right. He wouldn't back out on his word, he would not turn out like his Oyaji. He would not! He would be damned before he did. And she knew it.

" I ought to introduce you to Nabiki sometime." Ranma said, although he didn't really mind going out. It was better than staying at home and letting his fiancees find him. Although they did have an unpleasent habit of finding him no matter where he went. *It's like they have some sort of six sense or something,* he thought apprehensively.

" Who? Remember a romantic show!" Urd called after his fleeting figure, as he rounded the corner of the temple disappearing from her line of sight.

" Women!" Ranma said in exasparation, perhaps a bit too loudly as soon as he was sure Urd could not see him. *Where does she come up with these crazy ideas anyway!?*

*Bap!* An invisible hand slapped him on the head.

" I heard that!"

*******

Ranma stopped directly out of Belldandy's room, trying to will himself to go in. *It's no big

deal,* He thought and with that firmly in mind, he took a deep breath and stepped in.

" Belldandy, would you....." He lost it when she turned to look at him. No matter what she did around the house, she always seemed to be clean and tidy, not a hair out of place. Somehow that was one of the mysteries around her, not that he minded at all. But what he wouldn't give to know, he guessed it was one of those unexplainable mysteries, like where Akane got her mallets from.

" Yes?" She said, staring at him, apparently unaware of why he had stopped in midsentence.

" Uh..." He kept his head downcast, lest she saw the rising redness in his cheeks. *Come on Saotome, be a man!* An inner voice cheered him on. "W..w..would...yo...you.." He stammered, trying to keep a little of his self esteem.

" He's asking you on a date!" Urd's head peeked in through the door, as she yelled in such a way, that Ranma was sure she was making fun of him...again.

"I'm not!!" Ranma replied without thinking(which was his standard response to most things), slightly flustered. "Uh...that is, I am but it's not what you think." Ranma explained sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head every now and then.

" I'd be delighted to go out with you Ranma," Belldandy replied, smiling as if she meant it.

" Good, now get going." Urd shooed the two of them out of the temple, seeing them to the gate before running back inside the temple.

Ranma stood there, blinked a few times before asking. "Your sister's a weird one isn't she?"

*Bap!!*

" I heard that!"

*******

Ranma sat in the cinema seat, next to Belldandy. Truth be told, he was not very comfortable.

It had nothing to do with the fact that his seat was small and uncomfortable, nor with the fact that he was running out of money and the groceries at home were virtually non-existent. It had nothing to do with the fact he needed to get a job to support himself, and the idea of working at Ucchan's or the Nekohanten didn't seem all that appealing to him. *Brr....I can just imagine what Akane's reaction will be," he thought then tried to imagine the destruction that would follow. He shuddered at the thought.

It was more of the fact that he kept seeing mini-Kodachi's and Shampoo's popping out of the

woodwork. No matter what he tried, he couldn't stop thinking of what would happen if they found

him. He had never finished a date before and he doubted he was going to start now. He could just see

it now, the carnage that would be cause if they found him here seated at the movies. Sure Urd had blackmailed him into it, but he doubted he could get them to see that particular point once they were caught up in the bloodlust of trying to get a piece of him, literally.

"Ranma?" It was Belldandy. Funny, this was the first time she had spoken without being asked since they had left the house. She sounded slightly sad, he hoped it wasn't because of anything he did. Sure, he knew he didn't have much in the way of social manners. Try living up on the road with someone like his Oyaji and see how well you turn out.

" Yeah?" he asked, as gruffly as possible while wondering what was bothering her.

" Don't you like going out with me? You don't seem to be enjoying yourself. We could always go home if you want..."

Ranma stared at her in bafflement. What made her think it had been her fault? " Nah, it's nothing. I'm just worried that's all." *Especially about Urd, who knows what trouble she could be brewing.* Ranma thought as he remembered Urd's behavior from the day past, Friday.

" You should relax more Ranma. Not everything will turn out bad." Belldandy said, putting her hand on his reassuringly.

" I guess I should." Ranma chuckled, "Might as well take the good with the bad." It was a surprisingly apt phrase for him.

So he tried to focus on enjoying the movie as much as he could, and surprisingly he found it easier and easier to relax.

Finally the movie was over. Ranma stood up, yawning as he stretched his legs. *That was a long flick.*

" How did you find it Ranma?" Belldandy asked.

" Huh?" Ranma's brain took a minute to register the question. "It was....nice." He replied lamely.

" Only nice!!"Several voices chimed in unison behind him. He turned back and his jaw

promptly dropped as he saw five miniature Urd's merging into one normal sized Urd.

*Only nice!? This guy doesn't have a romantic bone in his body.* Urd thought to herself. Looked like her little task was a bit more difficult than she thought.

"What are you doing here!" Ranma snapped when he finally regained control of himself. * Did I see just see that?* He thought, rubbing his eye's disbelievingly. *Must be some kind of power. Wish I had that, would really have come in useful sometimes.* Ranma thought wistfully. *Like whenever I need to escape Akane's cooking.*

"Moi?" Urd said, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. Too innocently if you asked Ranma. "Why can't I be here?"

" Why you..." Ranma sputtered indignantly.

" Urd, you were spying on us weren't you." Belldandy said, in a strict but tired tone almost as if this was a point that she often argued with her sister about.

" N...yeah I was." Urd sighed, she never could lie very successfully in front of her younger sister.

" You shouldn't have, we have our privacy too. Promise me you won't spy on us again."

" But..." Urd was about to protest when she remembered the last time Belldandy had gotten angry. It hadn't been a pretty sight. " Fine..." She sighed in exactly the same tone Ranma had used earlier, knowing it was better to agree.

****

*Too bad Belldandy had to go off to buy groceries. Leaving me alone with Urd......" His thoughts trailed off as he cast a suspicious glance at the goddess walking next to him.

" What are you looking at?"

" Nothing." Ranma turned his head away, continuing to stare off into the distance.

" Oh I get it. You were looking at me weren't you? Nothing to be ashamed of." Urd fairly

purred, which elicited a slight shudder from Ranma. *Heh, something to tease him about.*

" No I wasn't!!" Ranma protested strongly, turning around so that he was facing Urd.

" Then what were you looking at, if not at me?" She said, smiling cattily as she used her hands to gesture to herself, emphasizing her...impressive physical beauty,

" Hah! Who'd want to look at you anyway!" Ranma snorted, turning his head to ignore her. Although he supposed it wasn't true, he guessed most guy would have found her attractive. *Especially that idiot Kuno.* But having to spend half of one's time as a girl had somewhat dulled his physical attraction towards girls.And speaking of Kuno soured Ranma's thoughts further as he remembered he would have to deal with Kuno again on Monday again. No doubt asking him to release his white-haired goddess.

"What's that supposed to mean." Urd said with quite some heat in her voice. Being a goddess, especially the goddess of love, she was rather proud of her body.

" What do you think it means, you-"

******

Akane looked at the piece of paper again, which read.

Akane,

please meet me at Colonel Chicken at 11 a.m.

P.S I may be a bit late....

~Ranma.

It was now 1 p.m and he still had not shown. *Why that baka idiot! What's taking him so long!* She thought back to the mysterious way the note had just appeared on her dresser this morning. *Why is he late?* At first she had thought that maybe he was going to apologize to her, or somehow make up with her. But it had been two long hours, and still he had not shown. Two long excruciating hours where she had waited and waited for him to show. Every second had ticked past with agonizing slowness as she waited anxiously for him.

That was when she heard the pair of voices bickering. One of which was awfully familiar. In fact it sounded like Ranma, could it be Ranma? Determined to see if it was, she walked out of the fast food restaurant.

*****

" What did you call me!?!"

" I called you a-"

" Ranma?" A soft voice stopped him. A voice he knew very well.

Ranma stopped in mid sentence, turning to see whom had called his name. " Akane? What are you doing here?"

" What do you mean what am I doing here!" Akane was practically furious, had he forgotten about the note? For some reason, that thought infuriated her even more. " You asked me to meet you here! Where have you been?!!"

" What- I didn't!"

" He went out on a date with my sister." Urd smirked, whatever Ranma got it served him right

for calling her names.

Akane exploded. "YOU WHAT!! YOU MEAN YOU MADE ME WAIT TWO HOURS FOR YOU WHILE YOU WENT OUT ON A DATE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!!!" Oooooh! She could not believe the nerve of that jerk.

" Wait!! Wait!! I was blackmailed into it by Urd!!" He said, pointing and gesturing frantically at Urd. *Why that lousy Urd! I bet she said that on purpose.*

Akane cooled down a bit at hearing that, at least he hadn't made her wait on purpose. " Is that so?"

" Yeah, she wouldn't give me back my clothes unless I took her sister out on a date."

" And what were you doing without clothes?" Akane's voice had an icy chill to it.

" I was bathing when she snatched them! People don't bathe with clothes on!"

" Yep," Urd said, agreeing with Ranma which kind of surprised him. The last he figured, she was still mad at him for calling her names. Of course he quickly changed his mind when he heard what she had to say next. " You should see those pectorals of his, and that firm washboard abdomen. I even offered to scrub his back for him, but he refused."

" Wait a minute, that didn't happen-Urk!" Ranma was cut off as his face was buried under Akane's mallet.

" You jerk! I can't believe I break up with you for less than a week and you do this!" She cried, smashing Ranma a few more times before picking up her mallet and walking away in a huff.

* I guess that serves him right.* Urd thought, as she cheerfully dragged the unconscious Ranma back to the temple with her.

****

*BAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKA* Akane thought, as she continued walking home. *Why should I care what the perveted jerk does! Why do I even bother!*

****

After a short while, Ranma recovered enough from his beating at Akane's hands. At least enough to insist on walking home on his own, although his actual words were " I'm not going to let myself be dragged like a wimp so let me go!"

When they reached the temple however, a surprise was in store for them.

"Ranma?" A woman in her thirty's asked. She had short brown hair, wore a traditional kimono and carried a strangely shaped parcel.

" Yeah. Who wants to know?"

" Ranma it's me!" The woman ran to him, hugging him tightly before she dropped a bombshell.

"I'm your mom!"

Ranma was too shocked to speak. From the shape of the parcel, Ranma guessed it was a katana although he couldn't guess why his mom had to carry a katana around. *Probably something to do with Oyaji,* he thought and he was not far from the truth.

He was as surprised to see her as she was happy to see him. In fact the first thought he had was, *My mother?*

*Of course, where did you think you came from?* The smarter side of Ranma, the one that did most of the intellectual thinking for him, retorted.

* Wait...then how come Oyaji didn't take me to see her sooner?*

*.....*

*Oyaji probably did something to make her mad at him, so he's avoiding her.*

*That makes sense...*

But let's skip to the present shall we?

Present

" Why Ranma, you've grown up so manly." Nodoka said, as she inspected Ranma turning him

round and round. She examined him with a critical eye, like a seamstress does when taking

measurements.

" Except for that darn curse of mine." Ranma muttered to himself, not expecting his mother to hear him.

" What curse?"

And Ranma proceeded to tell her of Jusenkyo, and how Oyaji and him had been cursed. When he finished, she merely looked stern and disapproving.

" So you mean Genma took you there even though he didn't know Chinese?"

" Yep."

" *Sigh* That sounds just like him. I'm afraid I'm going to have to talk to him about this. You

say he's cursed to become a panda?"

*****

" You seemed pretty worried there when he told you had been cursed." Urd asked, most

people tended to miss the little signs. But she was sharp enough to have seen Nodoka slightly tense up

when Ranma had told her he was cursed to become a girl when splashed with cold water. And since

Ranma wasn't here at the moment she was free to talk to her about him.

Nodoka stared at the young woman before her, most people would not have noticed her

worry but this one had. In the background, she could hear Ranma busy working in the kitchen to prepare tea. She had sent him there as an excuse so she could talk to Urd privately. Trying to keep her voice low enough so that Ranma would not hear, she said.

" Genma promised that if Ranma did not grow up to be a manly man, they would both commit seppekku," Nodoka whispered conspiratorially to Urd.

*Crash* The sound of breaking glass could be heard clearly in the sudden silence that permeated the temple. Apparently he had overheard them.

" Opps...heh heh, sorry dropped something." Ranma chuckled nervously from the kitchen, and not too convincingly as he tried to make it seem all was well.

" What!!" Urd could not believe her ears, his father had actually offered to do that even going so far as to vouch for his son? *The man must be an idiot,* she thought, *or even worse than that.* She felt something akin to sympathy for Ranma and wondered how he could still have turned out as he did under Genma's tutelage.

The sound of footsteps could be heard, making their way to the room where Urd and Nodoka were.

" How did you know he was here?" Urd asked, hoping to change the subject and the uncomfortable silence that accompanied it.

" Oh, I was told Ranma was living here with his fiancee by a Ms. Nabiki Tendo." Nodoka smiled, placing her hand on top of Urd's. " I'm glad to see Ranma had such a beautiful fiancee."

It took a moment for the message's import to sink in, just at the exact moment a muffled *Thump* could be heard as someone fell to the floor.

Urd stared at the woman, not able to say anything for shock. Just as she started to say something, Ranma burst into the room his face a potrait of denial.

"We're not fiancees!" They both yelled at the same time.

Nodoka clucked to herself, they reminded her so much of herself when she was young.

Young and headstrong. "No need to deny it so much Ranma."

" No, really I'm not! And how wants to be engaged to such a girl anyway!?"

" What's that supposed to mean!"

" Now now Ranma, I don't mind. After all, she seems like a pretty nice lady and smart too," Nodoka clucked as she watched the two argue among themself, apparently not having heard her.

"What do you think it means!"



"I'll have you know I look prefectly fine!"



"Oh yeah? Sure could have fooled me," Ranma retorted.

Nodoka sighed. She didn't want to have to stay and listen to them argue. "Well, I have to be going." Nodoka smiled, rising slowly as she placed a wad of bills down onto the table.

" Okaasan, what is this for?" Ranma asked, ignoring the particularly nasty looks that Urd was shooting at his unprotected back.

" It's for you to support yourself."

" But there's no need, I can get a job," Ranma said, sounding quite indignant. He didn't want to have to depend on his mom for a living. Mr. Tendo was a different thing altogether since he was a male but he didn't want to have to depend on a woman when he could take care of himself.

" Of course not! Not while you're still studying," Nodoka said, sounding fairly shocked. "Just listen to me on this."

" Wait, then what about yourself??" Ranma said, concerned. He didn't want his mother to give him money only to have none for herself.

" Don't worry, I came from a rich family." She smiled down at him. She had never told Genma

that, content to keep their lifes simple. Strange that she should be telling it to Ranma now, but he was not his father. She saw that, saw it in every movement of his. His moves a fluid dance of steps, a sharp

contrast to his father's larger bumbling gait. In fact she saw more of herself in him than she did of

Genma.

" Then how come you married Oyaji? There must have been better guys chasing after you." Ranma blurted out. He could not imagine anyone marrying Oyaji of their own choice. True Oyaji was a nice guy deep down, but unfortunately he just had a way of bungling up things for the worse.

Nodoka looked at him sadly from the arch of the doorway. "Sometimes when you grow up

Ranma, you'll learn love can't be forced. I didn't love the other people, I loved your father." Saying that, she stepped out.

****

That night, Ranma sat on the rooftop admiring the stars as was his habit.

"Ranma?" It was Belldandy. Jumping down, he went to check what she wanted.

"Yes, Belldandy."

" I just wanted you to know I had a terrific time out today," She smiled suddenly, " even if my sister made you take me out." Saying so, she gave Ranma a quick peck on the cheek before going off into the house.

Leaving one very confused Ranma standing outside, holding his hand to his now burning red cheek. He stood there, staring at the spot where Belldandy had been for long moments before finally shaking his head slowly and settling down on the roof again.