A/N: HOLY SPOON!! SIX REVIEWS FOR ONE CHAPTER?! THAT'S UNHEARD OF!! Lol. Anyway, thank you those who do take the time to review. ::hands out Natsuko and Hotaka plushies to reviewers:: Enjoy!!

Chapter Three

*Slam!*

I do wish she wouldn't slam the door, Kasumi thought as she made her way from the kitchen to the front door.

"We're hooome! And I brought some guests!" Akane called as she and Ranma kicked off their shoes and motioned Natsuko to do the same. Hotaka-wolf stood close to her, his clothes tucked under her left arm. After she took off her own shoes, she threw his wet ones next to them.

"Now, be a good wolf and _don't_ screw this up," she grumbled under her breath at him.

*Ruff.*

"Hotaka, I mean it, so shut up!"

Kasumi walked into the front hall and smiled.

"Welcome home, Akane and Ranma!" she said. "Who are your friends, Akane?"

"This is Natsuko, and her friend, Hotaka," she replied, gesturing to Natsuko and Hotaka-wolf who immediately stopped arguing (if you could even call it arguing…). "Guys, this is my oldest sister, Kasumi." Natsuko smiled at Kasumi.

"Hello," she said sweetly to Kasumi. What could she say? No one could be not nice to Kasumi…

"Oh my," Kasumi said. "You're friend is a wolf, Miss Natsuko?"

Everyone in the hall face faulted.

"Erm, no," Natsuko mumbled, pushing herself to her feet. "He's a guy, actually, with a wolf curse."

"Oh my."

"Yeah, 'n," Ranma started. "I kinda threw him inta the stream. So, um, we told 'em he could take a bath her and then stay for dinner?"

"Why, of course!" Kasumi exclaimed with a smile. "The bath is second door on the left, Mr. Wolf. Take your time, and if you need anything, just ask. Dinner should be ready in about an hour."

"Thank you so much," Natsuko said, bowing respectfully.

"It's no problem, really. This kind of thing happens all the time," she replied and headed back into the kitchen. Hotaka began trotting off in the direction of the bathroom while Akane and Ranma led Natsuko into the family room where all three took a seat.

People fall from the sky into walls, interrupt fighting 'couples', and get thrown in the stream where they transform into random things/animals _everyday?_ Natsuko thought to herself. Mom and Papa always told me this place was nuts, but I never thought it was this screwy… Guess 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' after all.

"So," Akane said, breaking the awkward silence and snapping Natsuko out of her daze. "You practice martial arts, Natsuko?"

"Yep," Natsuko replied, beaming. "My family owns a dojo, so it comes with the territory."

Now that the conversation had shifted to martial arts, Ranma became suddenly interested and practically jumped on Natsuko. "What style do you do? Anything-Goes?"

"O-originally that's what I was taught, it's what my family's dojo teaches. But, recently--" She sifted nervously under Ranma's gaze. "I've been learning Dance Fu…"

"Dance Fu?" Akane asked, confused. "Of all the people that have come by to either kill or marry someone since Ranma showed up, not one of them has ever mentioned knowing a 'Dance Fu.'"

"It's not very widely spread," Natsuko explained, still nervous. "It's a combination of dance and martial arts that depends mainly on speed and balance. Most of the moves involve spins or aerial attacks, so balance is really the key one."

"Guess that means you wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance to learn it, eh Akane?" Ranma said laughing to his fiancée.

"Ranma!" Akane cried.

"Not having much balance is nothing to be ashamed of Akane," Natsuko stated gently. "Dance Fu is difficult to learn."

Especially since the balance training involves doing dance and martial arts moves hanging upside down in the air by your ankle, she added mentally.

"I haven't even mastered it yet," she added, blushing. "But I love it. I love dance and martial arts, and Dance Fu is the perfect balance of the two. When I'm doing it, I'm truly in my element."

"You dance?"

"Uh-huh, for a club at school. I've gotten a few leads…"

"Wow, your family must be proud of you," Akane said warmly. Natsuko shifted uneasily again, finding her hands extremely interesting at the moment.

"My father thinks it's a waste of time and talent."

Ranma shifted uneasily. He wasn't that into the conversation as soon as they started talking about dance, but now he _really_ didn't like where this conversation was going. Akane looked at her sympathetically and put a hand on Natsuko's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Natsuko."

"Not like it's your fault," she whispered. "You just met me, what? Five minutes ago? Defiantly not your fault."

Silence.

"ARG!!" a voice called from down the hall. "WHERE AM I?"

With a sigh, Natsuko rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said as she opened the door and walked out. "Hotaka, you idiot!"

While out in the hall, Natsuko was talking to Hotaka and whapping him around, in the room, there was only silence.

"Poor Natsuko, her father not wanting anything to do with her passion," Akane whispered, shaking her head. "That's not right. She said she loves dance too…"

"I can understand why her dad would get upset," Ranma replied. "Considerin' what we saw, she kept comin' back for more, even if she got bopped really bad." Akane glared at him. He raised his hand defensively. "I'm not sayin' I agree with 'im, I'm only sayin' I can see where he's comin' from."

"Men," Akane grumbled.

"Hey, listen you--"

"ARG!! HOTAKA!!"

Ranma and Akane jumped up and ran into the hall. Hotaka was sitting on a very frustrated Natsuko, holding her down.

"I told you _not_ to touch my shoulder, but do you ever listen to me? Noooooooo…"

"Excuse me for interrupting your gloating, but can you get offa me now?" She continued to struggle with no avail. "If you want to settle this, we can do it in the dojo!"

"Hmm… Interesting proposition."

"Yeah, right, interesting. Could you get off my back now?"

Hotaka stood up and stepped to the side. Natsuko pushed herself up and brushed herself off.

"Thank you," she muttered sarcastically. "I'm scarred for life, I hope you know." She turned to her 'friend' and saw him staring at something behind her. "Hotaka? Ho-ta-ka?"

Finally, rolling her eyes, she turned around and saw Akane and Ranma standing there. Ranma burst out laughing, while Akane was trying desperately to keep hers in.

"Not your boyfriend, huh?" Akane asked with a skeptical look on her face.

"Well, um, uh--" Natsuko stuttered, turning beat red.

"Brilliant come back," Hotaka whispered.

"This is all your fault!"

***

"Dinner was great, Kasumi!"

"Perfect, as usual."

"Ah, the last piece of shrimp…"

"Hey! That's _mine_ old man!"

"Now, now, don't fight--"

"Ranma no baka, you're making our guests uncomfortable!"

"I haven't heard any complaints, have you Akane?"

"Ranma you--"

"Please, don't fight because we're here."

"Don't worry, they're always like this."

"Because _he's_ always a jerk!"

"Hey, waitaminute!"

"Would anyone like some tea?"

"Yes please!"

***

"I'm, erm, sorry about dinner, Natsuko," Akane said sheepishly.

After a huge sugar-and-tea war that started when Ranma 'accidentally' put his elbow on the sugar spoon and launched it at Akane, things had just sort of snow balled from there. Almost everyone was completely covered in tea, sugar, and other random condiments that happened to be on the table. Now the three Tendo sisters and Natsuko were _trying_ to get clean.

"It's all right Akane, this kind of stuff happens at home all the time," Natsuko reassuringly replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah, so don't worry about it."

"I think I've got ketchup in my ear," Nabiki whined, splashing water in her ear. "How come you had to drag _us_ into it Akane?"

"Now, Nabiki, I'm sure Akane didn't plan for this to happen," Kasumi chided.

All four girls had already sunk into the tub and were once again looked like they had before dinner.

"This happens to you all the time?" Akane asked curiously. "You're home must be sort of like here."

"More than you could ever imagine," Natsuko said smiling. "Except my twin brother's fiancée would probably have come bursting through the wall at one point screaming 'I WON'T MARRY HIM' with her great-great-grandmother in hot pursuit."

"Your brother's engaged?"

"To an amazon because her mother and my dad didn't marry, so they have to redeem their parents' omission. The funny thing was, we had all been friends for years with no idea that our parents were once engaged in the first place," she replied, laughing. "Things are different now, though. Perfume isn't as against as she was and Kazuma really likes her now, so they might go through with it. I never though my twin and my best friend would get married."

"Wow, a Chinese bimbo, an arranged marriage, people breaking down wall, sounds like here," Nabiki said. "Any money in it?"

"Nabiki!" Akane cried out, embarrassed at her sister's question.

"Actually, my cousin Tomiko takes bets or has a scam almost constantly."

Nabiki grinned evilly. "Then you, my friend, will fit in here fine. How long did you say you were staying again?"

***

"Jeez, women take a long time in the bath," Hotaka grumbled, relish dripping down his bangs. He turned to Ranma, who was in no better shape. Actually, Ranma was in worse shape if you count the red hand mark on his cheek, courtesy of Akane.

"Tell me about it."

A/N: Done!! Sorry these chapters uploads are a week in between. It takes me a while, ya know? Cause I know where I want to go with this story, I just have trouble getting from point A to point B sometimes…

I just _had_ to do the little dinner segment, it was much fun for me to leave out!

There are still some questions though, like how _did_ Hotaka and Natsuko get here? Where are they really from? And who are they, _really_? And soon we'll get to meet this Kazuma and Perfume Natsuko keeps talking about…

Until next time! Ja ne!