"What's this all about?" asked Nabiki, sitting between her sisters at the
low table.
"How did you change into you from that.... uh...
...
...
... other... uh, person?" Kasumi almost hesitated out of finishing the sentence.
"Ah..." began Genma. "Where should I start? Oh, I know."
Genma grabbed Ranma and threw him at the koi pond. "HYAH!"
glubglub went the pond.
Genma waited.
And waited.
For a full minute. Then he panicked, ran over to the koi pond, and leaned down to see Ranma-Yasha's nose just sticking out of the water right behind a rock. Before he could respond to this, he had been grabbed by the neck and yanked into the pond. Ranma-Yasha used his momentum to help her pull herself out of the pond, rising just high enough to land on one of the rocks that made the pond's border.
"Che. Could not just TELLING them. Nooooooo. That be so NICE for you do it!" Ranma-Yasha snarled, tail lashing, as she stood up from where she was draped on the rock.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Passenger
Chapter 2: Daughter-like demon, or demonic daughter?
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Starblade
Dedicated to those who do not take themselves too seriously, but still try their best.
Warning: I borrowed stuff from good writers. Hopefully, my interperetations are satisfactory- I don't intend to duplicate anything exactly. I have the greatest respect for those whose fanfictions I have DLed, as they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. And remember, if I borrowed it from you, I'm not giving it back until I'm through with it.
Disclaimer: They aren't mine. They never will be. Someone keeps them from me. Wait..... Aha!
SAOTOME RANMA!!!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!
Key:
= English
" "= Japanese
[ ]= Jusenkyou Cursed Signs
{ }= Chinese
* *= internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha
° °= I don't know, I just put these here to mislead you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
The large panda sat up out of the pond, surprising the Tendous for the fourth time this day. (Third for Souun - he'd fainted after the first one, and so missed the second.)
[What's the big idea bo-] ::flip:: [gir-] ::flip:: [so-] ::flip:: [foul demon that infests my son's body, warping it to he-] ::flip:: [...it's evil purposes?]
Nabiki was decided. She HAD to get access to that panda's signs. She could make billions of yen off advertising deals with that. And with unlimited space....
Ranma-Yasha walked back to the room, pausing a moment to shake off excess water by shimmying, which left pretty much the whole yard sprinkled. Luckily, her clothes were big enough that the others still didn't realize she was a she, and so she avoided a possible malleting from Akane and the likely fainting of Souun and Kasumi for varying reasons.
"Sumimasen..." started Kasumi, hesitantly, " but, why did you just get such a thick American accent? And start speaking so poorly, too?"
"Well... Is hard explain in Japanese this moment.... you any know English?"
"Not very well, no. " Came Nabiki's response, basically echoed by the other three Tendous.
Ignoring the panda returning behind her, Ranma-Yasha began. "Well, may be sound confusing now. As much I can tell, is this how it is. Simply, when I change self, knowledge change. I remembering what happen before this start when I like this, but not know same things."
"Before what started?" Asked a puzzled Souun, shying away from the demon- girl as she focused crimson eyes on him.
"Ask Oyaji-Panda-Baka."
SMAKK!!
Ranma-Yasha's eyes glazed over as she fell to the ground amidst the broken pieces of sign. She twitched a couple of times before passing out. Her last conscious thought was that it was rather unfair of her father to hit her with the floor as well.
The remains of the sign read [Respect your father, boy!]. Not that anyone could read it anymore.
Souun, who had been just starting to pour some hot water on the panda, froze, staring at the downed demon-girl. Enough water poured to change Genma back, but Souun still held his position.
"Saotome-kun, don't you think that may have been just a bit much?"
Genma grimaced. "Damn it. I just keep forgetting that he isn't as tough or experienced when he's like this."
"What do you mean, " Souun asked as he stepped over to the unconscious Ranma-Yasha, " 'when he's like this'?"
"Well, " Genma began, taking Tragic Stance # 12: What A Tragic Story. "It's like this, Tendou-kun. We had gone to the pools of Jusenkyou to train. We had barely gotten any training in before falling into two of the pools. We came out as you see us now, but here's the interesting part: the pools of Jusenkyou turn you into whatever drowned in the pool you fell into, with the form changing based on water, as you seem to have figured out. My son knocked me into the Pool of Drowned Panda (disrespectful son!) and I, in turn, knocked him into the spring of drowned girl."
Souun blinked, pouring warm water onto the unconscious girl. "So how did your son become a demon, Saotome?"
To pretty much everyone's surprise, Ranma sat up, adjusting his hair again, apparently alright other than a small bump on his head. "Dunno. Th' guide couldn't explain it, either. It didn't make any sense."
"Furthermore," continued Genma, "When the boy is in his other form, he forgets all his knowledge. Or so he claims." This last was accompanied by a glare at Ranma.
Ranma returned the glare full-force, then turned to Souun. "It's like this... When I'm like that, I'm still me, but I know diff'rent things. Like, I forget martial arts mostly, but I know a lotta dance stuff. Ballroom, tap, an' whatever. An', this is the real wierd part, I know all sorta stuff I know I shouldn'a learned yet. Like calculus an' trigonowhatsis."
Nabiki blinked. Ranma's "other half" was at least in college, sort of? What was going on here?
*...ooooow....*
Ranma blinked, then seemed to zone out a little while Souun and Genma were muttering to each other.
*You alright Yasha?*
*Ranma? Couldja get the number of that tank that hit me?*
*I'll take that as a 'yes'. Here, let's see what's going on now...*
Ranma's eyes lost the distant look. Only Akane noticed, however, Kasumi and Nabiki had been watching the two fathers having a rushed, whispered conversation.
Ranma flinched back from Akane's angry gaze.
*Wonder what she's all worked up about?*
*Dunno, Yasha, we'll just have to wait and see.*
"Well, " began the Tendou patriarch, clapping Ranma on the shoulder, "Your problem isn't so bad after all!" Maybe this idea of Saotome's that marriage would purge the demon who'd taken over Ranma's other side would work...
"These are my daughters. First, Kasumi, she's nineteen. And Nabiki, seventeen. And, of course, Akane, who is sixteen. Pick the one you want. She's your fiancee."
Tense pause.
*FIANCEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?*
"IINAZUKE?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!"
Yasha wasn't quite sure how Ranma managed to sound even more surprised than her.
"O-ya-giiiiiiii..." Ranma turned a burning glare on Genma. "Did you, perhaps, forget to TELL ME SOMETHING????"
Genma winced.
Nabiki and Akane smirked, Nabiki just barely managing not to chuckle.
Souun flattened himself against the far wall.
And Kasumi watched pleasently as Ranma manifested a fitful, iridescent-blue battle aura.
"Now, boy, it's a matter of family honor! Our families were pledged to this before you were born! There really isn't much of a choice in this for anyone!"
That stopped Ranma, who growled at his father, then sat down, battle aura and anger temporarily suppressed. He turned and looked at the three girls, each of whom had returned to their usual facial expression. Except Kasumi, who hadn't really ever left hers.
The tall girl was barely smiling, pleasently, and had her head slightly tilted, looking somewhat curious. The one in the middle had an absolutely stone-solid, neutral face. Ranma stared at her until she lifted an eyebrow, shuddered slightly at the coldness of her expression, and looked at the youngest girl, the one with the blue hair. Oo. Lot of anger there. Best stay away from that one...
"I think..." Ranma trailed off.
"Well, boy, go ahead and choose!" Said his father impatiently.
Each of the girls had come to the conclusion that, while they didn't want to be engaged to this.... very.... unusual person (though only Kasumi thought of it in such kind terms), they didn't want any of their sisters to be any more than they wanted to themselves. Since it was a matter of honor, noone had much choice, however, so might as well just let the boy choose. Akane thought this with a bit of a shudder. Both Akane and Nabiki, however, had decided that they would rather take it themselves than have Kasumi stuck with it.
*Wait, Ranma... maybe... Well, I can't think of a reason why they'd want to be married to someone they don't know... can you?*
*Well, no, I can't. What're ya getting at, Yasha?*
*Why don't we let THEM choose?*
*Because.... because... well.... *
*Because what?*
*Actually, Yasha, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Let's try it.*
Ranma straightened up, looking more confident all of a sudden.
"So, who's it going to be, son?" asked Mr. Tendou.
"I think they should choose. After all, they know more about me now than I do about them."
Nabiki smiled slightly. "Well thought, Saotome. Akane, Kasumi, if we could go discuss this, please?"
Akane and Kasumi both nodded and stood with their sister, heading upstairs to her room. If Nabiki wanted to discuss it, that meant she had a plan. And Nabiki's plans usually worked.
******
"Well, " started Nabiki, having returned with her sisters to the main room of the house. "We've come to a decision. Here's the deal. It's traditional to give a year or so for the people in question to get used to such things. Sort of a 'getting-to-know-each-other' phase. So, Ranma will be nominally engaged to all of us for a year. If, by the end of that time, one of us has decided to accept the engagement onto her shoulders, things can proceed as expected. However, if none of us wish to accept it by the end of that time, the engagement will be declared null, okay?"
"Sure. Works for me." Stated Ranma, relieved not to have to make that kind of a choice with nothing to base it on.
"Alright then." Said Genma, sure he could convince his son that one of these girls was worth marrying, and besides, the old Saotome charm could hardly fail his son when he himself had done so well with it! No woman could resist a Saotome!
Souun merely blinked as his old friend got one of THOSE expressions on his face, and nodded, realizing that Genma must have a plan now, and would probably include him in it. Any plan that he and Genma worked on together was bound to work perfectly! And he could probably convince Genma that Akane would be perfect too. Things would work out just like he'd planned!
Yeah, right.
******
*Are you sure this is a good idea, Ranma?* Yasha asked, as she stood in the dojo, facing off against Akane.
*Yeah. I mean, you need someone about your level to spar against, and she's only a first dan.*
*FIRST DAN is about my level?? Ranma, what planet are you living on????*
Akane smirked as her opponent became covered in small sweatdrops.
*Just relax, Yasha. You'll be fine.*
*Well... if you say so. Guess I have to trust you.*
Aloud, however, she only said "Ready."
Akane snarled at her opponent, who had refused to attack her before, when he was in his normal form. The transformed Ranma was using the most basic ready stance there was, common to any style of martial arts. And on top of that, Ranma was using it wrong, just barely balanced on the balls of his feet, toes splayed, and fists near his face. This would be too easy.
Leading off with a straight punch, Akane immediately changed that thought as the girl simply slid her feet to the sides and practically fell underneath the basic attack. Obviously, this would be easier than she had thought.
Akane continued her assault on her much smaller opponent with a low kick. Ranma-Yasha fell over backwards as the foot passed over her, then curled into a backwards somersault as the leg was retracted. Frowning, Akane followed her, though slower, just in case of a surprise attack.
Reaching the edge of the mat, Ranma-Yasha uncurled to stand straight, then leapt forwards. The blue-haired girl jumped back in response, allowing Ranma-Yasha room to somersault back towards her. Akane punched down, aiming for where the smaller martial artist would be in a moment, only to be surprised as her opponent braced her hands and uncurled into a kick parallel with Akane's arm, aimed for her head. Unfortunately for her, the small girl had misjudged the distance and wound up falling on her back , feet beneath Akane's head. Akane took the opportunity to lash out and strike Ranma-Yasha in the gut, only to be surprised again as the smaller girl snaked out of the way almost spinelessly.
Rolling to the side and just barely avoiding the follow-up, Yasha curled sideways on the mat. She then spun, using the momentum to help her to her feet, just in time to catch a fist in her forehead from Akane. The smaller girl was almost sent flying, as it was, the momentum from the punch sent her about four feet back, to land heavily on her back and crack her head on the floor.
Akane winced at the loud THWAKK made by her opponent's head hitting the floor after she misjudged the distance and hit the smaller martial artist with more force than she had intended.
"Gnnnh....." Stated Ranma-Yasha, defiantly, as she moved to get up and fell back down. What was it with these people? Was hitting someone with the entire floor some sort of a special attack or something? She shook her head, then grabbed it to keep it from splitting in two vertically. "Ite..."
Akane, now somewhat worried, walked over to the demon-girl, who was half- curled and clutching her head. She bit her lip.
"Gomen kudasai... I didn't mean to hit you that hard. It's just, I was still mad from before, when you wouldn't hit me." She extended a hand to help her opponent up.
The demon-girl muttered something noncommital and incomprehensible, then stood up, still holding her head with one hand. Bowing shakily to the I-ro- ha sign on the wall, she wobbled her way out of the Dojo.
Akane huffed at Ranma's rudeness, and decided to go break some concrete blocks to cool off.
******
Nabiki watched the little demon talk to Kasumi for a moment before wobbling off, still a little unsteadily, to the bathroom. Akane really should learn to control that temper. Now... what could she do tomorrow to start offsetting the cost of two more people in the dojo? Besides, she still hadn't gotten enough money for that new manga she wanted...
Kasumi hummed to herself as she made a double recipie of tempura. That Ranma person was so nice and polite when he was like this. Something still bugged her about that boy's cursed form, but she still wasn't sure what it was.... Oh, well. She'd figure it out soon enough if she just watched carefully.
******
The dinner table was oddly quiet that night.
" I swear, Tendou-kun, it's as though my son does this just to aggravate me!"
Well, mostly. The Tendous were all staring at Ranma-Yasha, who was wearing a perfectly fitted pair of vaguely cute railroad-conductor-striped green- and-white overalls and a royal purple t-shirt. And, apparently, a sports bra.
Yasha just ignored everyone else and shoveled it in at about half-Ranma speed, but very neatly, without sending food anywhere. Although she still stole food from Genma.
Every once in a while, the Tendous would blink slowly in unison, and Akane would say "You mean, your cursed form is a GIRL??" To which, of course, Ranma-Yasha would simply give a nod and a "Hai" before returning to eating. She was HUNGRY. Of course, as long as they weren't going to...
Animation returned to the Tendous as Ranma-Yasha began to steal food from their plates too. Mostly in the forms of objection, and commencing to eat so as to keep Ranma-Yasha from taking all their food before they got any. Genma, for once, only ate about as much as another man his size, because he was spending all his time bemoaning his son's girlishness.
Somewhere down below Genma not eating much, Satan was cursing the hailstorm that had just struck.
"Okay, I'll bite. Who or what is Ranma, and what is all his, her, or its fault?"
-Agent J, "Tenchi and Ranma Together Forever!"
"How did you change into you from that.... uh...
...
...
... other... uh, person?" Kasumi almost hesitated out of finishing the sentence.
"Ah..." began Genma. "Where should I start? Oh, I know."
Genma grabbed Ranma and threw him at the koi pond. "HYAH!"
glubglub went the pond.
Genma waited.
And waited.
For a full minute. Then he panicked, ran over to the koi pond, and leaned down to see Ranma-Yasha's nose just sticking out of the water right behind a rock. Before he could respond to this, he had been grabbed by the neck and yanked into the pond. Ranma-Yasha used his momentum to help her pull herself out of the pond, rising just high enough to land on one of the rocks that made the pond's border.
"Che. Could not just TELLING them. Nooooooo. That be so NICE for you do it!" Ranma-Yasha snarled, tail lashing, as she stood up from where she was draped on the rock.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Passenger
Chapter 2: Daughter-like demon, or demonic daughter?
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Starblade
Dedicated to those who do not take themselves too seriously, but still try their best.
Warning: I borrowed stuff from good writers. Hopefully, my interperetations are satisfactory- I don't intend to duplicate anything exactly. I have the greatest respect for those whose fanfictions I have DLed, as they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. And remember, if I borrowed it from you, I'm not giving it back until I'm through with it.
Disclaimer: They aren't mine. They never will be. Someone keeps them from me. Wait..... Aha!
SAOTOME RANMA!!!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!
Key:
= English
" "= Japanese
[ ]= Jusenkyou Cursed Signs
{ }= Chinese
* *= internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha
° °= I don't know, I just put these here to mislead you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
The large panda sat up out of the pond, surprising the Tendous for the fourth time this day. (Third for Souun - he'd fainted after the first one, and so missed the second.)
[What's the big idea bo-] ::flip:: [gir-] ::flip:: [so-] ::flip:: [foul demon that infests my son's body, warping it to he-] ::flip:: [...it's evil purposes?]
Nabiki was decided. She HAD to get access to that panda's signs. She could make billions of yen off advertising deals with that. And with unlimited space....
Ranma-Yasha walked back to the room, pausing a moment to shake off excess water by shimmying, which left pretty much the whole yard sprinkled. Luckily, her clothes were big enough that the others still didn't realize she was a she, and so she avoided a possible malleting from Akane and the likely fainting of Souun and Kasumi for varying reasons.
"Sumimasen..." started Kasumi, hesitantly, " but, why did you just get such a thick American accent? And start speaking so poorly, too?"
"Well... Is hard explain in Japanese this moment.... you any know English?"
"Not very well, no. " Came Nabiki's response, basically echoed by the other three Tendous.
Ignoring the panda returning behind her, Ranma-Yasha began. "Well, may be sound confusing now. As much I can tell, is this how it is. Simply, when I change self, knowledge change. I remembering what happen before this start when I like this, but not know same things."
"Before what started?" Asked a puzzled Souun, shying away from the demon- girl as she focused crimson eyes on him.
"Ask Oyaji-Panda-Baka."
SMAKK!!
Ranma-Yasha's eyes glazed over as she fell to the ground amidst the broken pieces of sign. She twitched a couple of times before passing out. Her last conscious thought was that it was rather unfair of her father to hit her with the floor as well.
The remains of the sign read [Respect your father, boy!]. Not that anyone could read it anymore.
Souun, who had been just starting to pour some hot water on the panda, froze, staring at the downed demon-girl. Enough water poured to change Genma back, but Souun still held his position.
"Saotome-kun, don't you think that may have been just a bit much?"
Genma grimaced. "Damn it. I just keep forgetting that he isn't as tough or experienced when he's like this."
"What do you mean, " Souun asked as he stepped over to the unconscious Ranma-Yasha, " 'when he's like this'?"
"Well, " Genma began, taking Tragic Stance # 12: What A Tragic Story. "It's like this, Tendou-kun. We had gone to the pools of Jusenkyou to train. We had barely gotten any training in before falling into two of the pools. We came out as you see us now, but here's the interesting part: the pools of Jusenkyou turn you into whatever drowned in the pool you fell into, with the form changing based on water, as you seem to have figured out. My son knocked me into the Pool of Drowned Panda (disrespectful son!) and I, in turn, knocked him into the spring of drowned girl."
Souun blinked, pouring warm water onto the unconscious girl. "So how did your son become a demon, Saotome?"
To pretty much everyone's surprise, Ranma sat up, adjusting his hair again, apparently alright other than a small bump on his head. "Dunno. Th' guide couldn't explain it, either. It didn't make any sense."
"Furthermore," continued Genma, "When the boy is in his other form, he forgets all his knowledge. Or so he claims." This last was accompanied by a glare at Ranma.
Ranma returned the glare full-force, then turned to Souun. "It's like this... When I'm like that, I'm still me, but I know diff'rent things. Like, I forget martial arts mostly, but I know a lotta dance stuff. Ballroom, tap, an' whatever. An', this is the real wierd part, I know all sorta stuff I know I shouldn'a learned yet. Like calculus an' trigonowhatsis."
Nabiki blinked. Ranma's "other half" was at least in college, sort of? What was going on here?
*...ooooow....*
Ranma blinked, then seemed to zone out a little while Souun and Genma were muttering to each other.
*You alright Yasha?*
*Ranma? Couldja get the number of that tank that hit me?*
*I'll take that as a 'yes'. Here, let's see what's going on now...*
Ranma's eyes lost the distant look. Only Akane noticed, however, Kasumi and Nabiki had been watching the two fathers having a rushed, whispered conversation.
Ranma flinched back from Akane's angry gaze.
*Wonder what she's all worked up about?*
*Dunno, Yasha, we'll just have to wait and see.*
"Well, " began the Tendou patriarch, clapping Ranma on the shoulder, "Your problem isn't so bad after all!" Maybe this idea of Saotome's that marriage would purge the demon who'd taken over Ranma's other side would work...
"These are my daughters. First, Kasumi, she's nineteen. And Nabiki, seventeen. And, of course, Akane, who is sixteen. Pick the one you want. She's your fiancee."
Tense pause.
*FIANCEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?*
"IINAZUKE?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!"
Yasha wasn't quite sure how Ranma managed to sound even more surprised than her.
"O-ya-giiiiiiii..." Ranma turned a burning glare on Genma. "Did you, perhaps, forget to TELL ME SOMETHING????"
Genma winced.
Nabiki and Akane smirked, Nabiki just barely managing not to chuckle.
Souun flattened himself against the far wall.
And Kasumi watched pleasently as Ranma manifested a fitful, iridescent-blue battle aura.
"Now, boy, it's a matter of family honor! Our families were pledged to this before you were born! There really isn't much of a choice in this for anyone!"
That stopped Ranma, who growled at his father, then sat down, battle aura and anger temporarily suppressed. He turned and looked at the three girls, each of whom had returned to their usual facial expression. Except Kasumi, who hadn't really ever left hers.
The tall girl was barely smiling, pleasently, and had her head slightly tilted, looking somewhat curious. The one in the middle had an absolutely stone-solid, neutral face. Ranma stared at her until she lifted an eyebrow, shuddered slightly at the coldness of her expression, and looked at the youngest girl, the one with the blue hair. Oo. Lot of anger there. Best stay away from that one...
"I think..." Ranma trailed off.
"Well, boy, go ahead and choose!" Said his father impatiently.
Each of the girls had come to the conclusion that, while they didn't want to be engaged to this.... very.... unusual person (though only Kasumi thought of it in such kind terms), they didn't want any of their sisters to be any more than they wanted to themselves. Since it was a matter of honor, noone had much choice, however, so might as well just let the boy choose. Akane thought this with a bit of a shudder. Both Akane and Nabiki, however, had decided that they would rather take it themselves than have Kasumi stuck with it.
*Wait, Ranma... maybe... Well, I can't think of a reason why they'd want to be married to someone they don't know... can you?*
*Well, no, I can't. What're ya getting at, Yasha?*
*Why don't we let THEM choose?*
*Because.... because... well.... *
*Because what?*
*Actually, Yasha, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Let's try it.*
Ranma straightened up, looking more confident all of a sudden.
"So, who's it going to be, son?" asked Mr. Tendou.
"I think they should choose. After all, they know more about me now than I do about them."
Nabiki smiled slightly. "Well thought, Saotome. Akane, Kasumi, if we could go discuss this, please?"
Akane and Kasumi both nodded and stood with their sister, heading upstairs to her room. If Nabiki wanted to discuss it, that meant she had a plan. And Nabiki's plans usually worked.
******
"Well, " started Nabiki, having returned with her sisters to the main room of the house. "We've come to a decision. Here's the deal. It's traditional to give a year or so for the people in question to get used to such things. Sort of a 'getting-to-know-each-other' phase. So, Ranma will be nominally engaged to all of us for a year. If, by the end of that time, one of us has decided to accept the engagement onto her shoulders, things can proceed as expected. However, if none of us wish to accept it by the end of that time, the engagement will be declared null, okay?"
"Sure. Works for me." Stated Ranma, relieved not to have to make that kind of a choice with nothing to base it on.
"Alright then." Said Genma, sure he could convince his son that one of these girls was worth marrying, and besides, the old Saotome charm could hardly fail his son when he himself had done so well with it! No woman could resist a Saotome!
Souun merely blinked as his old friend got one of THOSE expressions on his face, and nodded, realizing that Genma must have a plan now, and would probably include him in it. Any plan that he and Genma worked on together was bound to work perfectly! And he could probably convince Genma that Akane would be perfect too. Things would work out just like he'd planned!
Yeah, right.
******
*Are you sure this is a good idea, Ranma?* Yasha asked, as she stood in the dojo, facing off against Akane.
*Yeah. I mean, you need someone about your level to spar against, and she's only a first dan.*
*FIRST DAN is about my level?? Ranma, what planet are you living on????*
Akane smirked as her opponent became covered in small sweatdrops.
*Just relax, Yasha. You'll be fine.*
*Well... if you say so. Guess I have to trust you.*
Aloud, however, she only said "Ready."
Akane snarled at her opponent, who had refused to attack her before, when he was in his normal form. The transformed Ranma was using the most basic ready stance there was, common to any style of martial arts. And on top of that, Ranma was using it wrong, just barely balanced on the balls of his feet, toes splayed, and fists near his face. This would be too easy.
Leading off with a straight punch, Akane immediately changed that thought as the girl simply slid her feet to the sides and practically fell underneath the basic attack. Obviously, this would be easier than she had thought.
Akane continued her assault on her much smaller opponent with a low kick. Ranma-Yasha fell over backwards as the foot passed over her, then curled into a backwards somersault as the leg was retracted. Frowning, Akane followed her, though slower, just in case of a surprise attack.
Reaching the edge of the mat, Ranma-Yasha uncurled to stand straight, then leapt forwards. The blue-haired girl jumped back in response, allowing Ranma-Yasha room to somersault back towards her. Akane punched down, aiming for where the smaller martial artist would be in a moment, only to be surprised as her opponent braced her hands and uncurled into a kick parallel with Akane's arm, aimed for her head. Unfortunately for her, the small girl had misjudged the distance and wound up falling on her back , feet beneath Akane's head. Akane took the opportunity to lash out and strike Ranma-Yasha in the gut, only to be surprised again as the smaller girl snaked out of the way almost spinelessly.
Rolling to the side and just barely avoiding the follow-up, Yasha curled sideways on the mat. She then spun, using the momentum to help her to her feet, just in time to catch a fist in her forehead from Akane. The smaller girl was almost sent flying, as it was, the momentum from the punch sent her about four feet back, to land heavily on her back and crack her head on the floor.
Akane winced at the loud THWAKK made by her opponent's head hitting the floor after she misjudged the distance and hit the smaller martial artist with more force than she had intended.
"Gnnnh....." Stated Ranma-Yasha, defiantly, as she moved to get up and fell back down. What was it with these people? Was hitting someone with the entire floor some sort of a special attack or something? She shook her head, then grabbed it to keep it from splitting in two vertically. "Ite..."
Akane, now somewhat worried, walked over to the demon-girl, who was half- curled and clutching her head. She bit her lip.
"Gomen kudasai... I didn't mean to hit you that hard. It's just, I was still mad from before, when you wouldn't hit me." She extended a hand to help her opponent up.
The demon-girl muttered something noncommital and incomprehensible, then stood up, still holding her head with one hand. Bowing shakily to the I-ro- ha sign on the wall, she wobbled her way out of the Dojo.
Akane huffed at Ranma's rudeness, and decided to go break some concrete blocks to cool off.
******
Nabiki watched the little demon talk to Kasumi for a moment before wobbling off, still a little unsteadily, to the bathroom. Akane really should learn to control that temper. Now... what could she do tomorrow to start offsetting the cost of two more people in the dojo? Besides, she still hadn't gotten enough money for that new manga she wanted...
Kasumi hummed to herself as she made a double recipie of tempura. That Ranma person was so nice and polite when he was like this. Something still bugged her about that boy's cursed form, but she still wasn't sure what it was.... Oh, well. She'd figure it out soon enough if she just watched carefully.
******
The dinner table was oddly quiet that night.
" I swear, Tendou-kun, it's as though my son does this just to aggravate me!"
Well, mostly. The Tendous were all staring at Ranma-Yasha, who was wearing a perfectly fitted pair of vaguely cute railroad-conductor-striped green- and-white overalls and a royal purple t-shirt. And, apparently, a sports bra.
Yasha just ignored everyone else and shoveled it in at about half-Ranma speed, but very neatly, without sending food anywhere. Although she still stole food from Genma.
Every once in a while, the Tendous would blink slowly in unison, and Akane would say "You mean, your cursed form is a GIRL??" To which, of course, Ranma-Yasha would simply give a nod and a "Hai" before returning to eating. She was HUNGRY. Of course, as long as they weren't going to...
Animation returned to the Tendous as Ranma-Yasha began to steal food from their plates too. Mostly in the forms of objection, and commencing to eat so as to keep Ranma-Yasha from taking all their food before they got any. Genma, for once, only ate about as much as another man his size, because he was spending all his time bemoaning his son's girlishness.
Somewhere down below Genma not eating much, Satan was cursing the hailstorm that had just struck.
"Okay, I'll bite. Who or what is Ranma, and what is all his, her, or its fault?"
-Agent J, "Tenchi and Ranma Together Forever!"