Chapter 2: Here come the Amazons!

The girl studied the map intently, her long dark purple hair was done up in ponytails. She glanced around the street and frowned. Sighing she shifted her backpack and went left toward the Tendo dojo. Inside the twins were having their morning sparring session supervised by their father. It had been a week since they learned they were to be engaged. Breaking the three made their way toward the house for breakfast.

"Ranma, kids, breakfast!" Akane called from the kitchen. Then she shut her eyes as the rumbling began, several 'whooshes' later she opened them and placed breakfast before her family. "You know some people actually walk to breakfast." Five pairs of eyes stared back at her blankly. "Never mind. Let's eat."

"So what's up with you guys today?" Ranma asked between mouthfuls.

Yui and Taki stopped their fight over a roll long enough to answer. "Grandma wants us to visit, something about testing our 'manliness.'" Taki said ripping the roll away from his brother.

Yui rolled his eyes, "Yeah and Grandpop said something about training."

Ranma's eyes hardened. "Oh he did, did he? Maybe I'll just come along."

"Don't worry Dad, we know we're not suppose to listen to a thing the panda tells us." Kia said lightly grabbing some food. "Besides Grandma always gives him a sword lesson when he tries." Ranma laughed.

"Just don't stay to long, you know your Grandfather wants to take you to the hot springs tonight and you four have chores to finish." Akane said slapping her oldest son's hand as he reached for Kia's food.

"Sure Mom, no problem." Taki said rubbing his hand. The three boys got up to leave, "Coming Kari?"

"No, I have something else to do today, tell them I said hi."

"'Kay. Bye, dad, bye mom." The stomping soon faded as the boys left. Kari excused herself and went to her room as Akane begun to clean up. Ranma went to the dojo to prepare for his classes.

"Ex-cuse me, is the Tendo dojo?" A voice said very carefully pronouncing each word.

Akane turned, "Yes, can I help you?" She said to the young girl behind her.

"I looking for girl. Daughter of Ranma. I amazon." The girl said frowning as she spoke. "Mei-Lin."

"Oh my. Come in please, are you alone?" Akane said leading the girl to the living room.

"Hai." Mei-Lin said nervously. "Mother come later, Father busy right now."

Akane bit her lip as a feeling of deja vu swept over her. "Are you here because of an engagement?"

Mei-Lin looked relieved. "Hai."

"Oh dear." Akane said. "RANMA! KARI! GET IN HERE NOW!" Mei-Lin stared at the woman startled. Then she heard the pounding footsteps and two more strangers came into the room. At first glance she couldn't tell them apart, then she noticed the curves on one.

"Ayah! You is girl, I fight." Mei-Lin said standing up. "See if worthy."

"Whoa hold it! Would someone mind explaining this to me?" Ranma said. "Who are you and what do you want with my daughter?"

"I amazon, Mei-Lin. I come to get girl." Mei-Lin explained, or at least she felt she did.

"Dad, I thought you said I had to marry a guy! This is not a guy!" Kari said glaring at her father. Ranma thought about it then grabbed a nearby kettle and poured onto the unsuspecting girl. All it did was leave a very upset, very wet amazon girl.

"What do that for?" Mei-Lin seethed. Then she proceeded to curse him out in Mandarin, but since none of them speak it, we won't go into it.

Mother and daughter turned to him as well and hit him simultaneously. "Baka!" both said. "Sorry, I thought she might be cursed, she is from China after all." Ranma said holding out his hands.

Mei-Lin looked insulted. "I not cursed. Not stupid, know not go near springs. Now I fight girl."

"Look the name's Kari, and I don't care what your law or agreement says, I ain't marrying a girl, no matter what." Kari said defiantly.

Mei-Lin's mouth dropped open and she cursed some more in Mandarin. "I not pervert, no want marry girl. I want see if good enough for brother." Mei-Lin flung her wet hair out of her eyes and glared at the three people. "No see why mother think so special, Japanese is stupid. Brother right to run."

"Oh, well that's different. Wait, what do you mean he ran off? What kind of wimp is he, can't even face his own fiancee." Kari muttered scowling.

"You take back. Brother no wimp." Mei-Lin said as she stalked up to the older girl. Sparks flew between them and Ranma grabbed Kari's arm. Akane sighed and gently led Mei-Lin out of the living room.

"I apologize for my family, would you like to clean up? I know it's a long trip from China." Akane through clenched teeth sparing glares for her family. "Ranma why don't you call your mother and have her send the kids home, and please don't throw any more water on our guests."

"Yes dear." Ranma said gulping. Kari came up beside him. "Whipped, Dad real whipped." Ranma gave his daughter a sidewise glance. "Brat."

Akane ushered Mei-Lin into the bath and helped her change. "I really am sorry about this, dear. You must be nervous being in a foreign country by yourself. And at such a young age."

"Am 13." Mei-Lin said proudly. "Came with mother, but got separated at airport. She give me instructions." Mei-Lin showed Akane the paper.

"Have you studied Japanese very long?" Akane said as she handed shampoo and soap to her.

"No, Father teach brother, but I no want to learn. When brother run off, I had to come for family. Got quick lessons." Mei-Lin said grinning. "Mother teach on way over, but Father say she no good at languages. He say this quietly."

Akane laughed. "From what I can remember of Amazons I can see why. Don't worry, we'll look after you until your mother shows up. When you're finished, you can meet the rest of the family."

Mei-Lin stared after her then got down to cleaning herself off. "Strange people these Japanese."

Mei-Lin and Kari had gotten off to a bad start, what with Kari insulting Mei-Lin's brother. The next couple of days did not improve on that. Mei-Lin was polite to the boys and respectful of the elder Saotomes but she was obviously unhappy. With the shortage of rooms, Kari had been forced to share her room with their guest.

"Keep stuff on your side, stupid girl." Mei-Lin said tossing a shirt at Kari.

"Hey, it's my room!" Kari said pulling the shirt off her head. "And I'm trying to study here. You might be able to duck school but I can't."

"No like you." Mei-Lin said glaring.

"Feelings mutual kid."

"Not kid, am 13." Mei-Lin said. "Great-Great-Grandmother Cologne teach me for many years."

"You're still a kid, kid." Kari said glaring. "And your Grandmother taught me a thing or two as well."

"I challenge." Mei-Lin said chin high.

"Fine!" The two stalked toward the dojo intent on settling this. They passed Akane who was scolding Yui, while Kia cleaned the stairs. They passed the Koi pond where Ranma was teaching some mid-air combat to Taki.

"Um dad, they look serious." Taki said.

Ranma spared a glance, "They'll be fine once they fight it out, they'll respect each other more. Now come at me."

Not long afterward the sounds of serious fighting echoed from the Dojo. After several screams and battle cries Akane came out of the house. Looking around she spotted Ranma near the Koi pond wringing out her shirt.

"Oh, I thought you were in the dojo." Akane said frowning. "Taki and Kari aren't fighting again are they?"

"No, Taki left after knocking me into the pond, said he had practice at school." Ranma said. "Kari's having it out with Mei-Lin."

"Ranma how could you? She's our guest." Akane said. "I'll put a stop to this."

"Go ahead, they sound about done anyway." Ranma said shrugging. Akane gave a glare that promised retribution. Stomping she made her way into the dojo expecting blood and chaos, instead what she found was very similar to a scenes she'd seen before with Ranma. Shaking her head she called for a halt.

"Can't stop mom, I gotta do this." Kari said eyes narrowed.

"Must beat girl." Mei-Lin said panting.

"Alright, look Mei-Lin I know you're an Amazon and feel very superior to us in fighting, but Kari has been training with her father since she was an infant, and he, is the best martial artist in the world." The last bit was said through clenched teeth. "And Kari, this is no way to treat a guest, but if you must do this please take her seriously and beat her." Akane finished. "Well? I'm waiting." Kari sighed and tagged Mei-Lin with a kick. "She wins, now will this nonsense stop?"

Mei-Lin got up off the floor rubbing her ribs and gave Kari a respectful look. "I defeated. You is worthy of brother, honorable sister." Mei-Lin bowed to her.

"Good, glad that's settled." Kari said sarcastically.

Akane frowned at her daughter. "Why don't the two of you take a bath. Mei-Lin, since I don't know when your mother is coming, and I can't just leave you here all day, I've enrolled you in school. Your Japanese still isn't that good, but Kari will help you with that." With that, Akane ushered the protesting teens to the bathroom.

"I can't believe Mom's making me give her language lessons." Kari said as she and Taki dashed toward school.

"Well you are living together." Taki pointed out. "And you're getting along better too."

"Ever since I beat her she's been following me like a puppy, it's getting on my nerves." Kari said. "She's ok, I guess. It's kind of neat having a little sister. See ya at lunch!" Kari ran over to her friends and Taki ran to his.

As usual Kari's friends spent the next twenty minutes sighing over her brother, and Taki's drooling over his sister. "Kari, you are so lucky, your brother's a hunk, and you're the most popular girl in school."

Having heard this many times since puberty Kari sighed. "I still don't get what you guys see in him. He's such a jerk."

"Well you wouldn't see it he's your brother." One of the girls said annoyed. "He's so dreamy." Kari rolled her eyes. "And that older brother of yours is such a hunk."

Kari turned puzzled. "I don't have an older brother."

The girl frowned. "Sure you do, he was practicing with Taki yesterday in your yard."

Kari thought a moment then gagged. "Ewww, that's my Dad!"

"He can't be!" One of the other girls said. "He was way too young, like twenty."

"I don't know what you guy's been thinking but that is my dad." Kari said. "IF you came over more often you'd know that."

The three girls wrinkled their noses. "But it's always so violent there."

Kari threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine, I give up. But you should quit your drooling over my brother, he's engaged." Kari announced fed up with their constant babbling.

All the girls nearby cried out. "What!?! Who too?"

"An old family friend. It's an arranged marriage." Kari said quickly as the rising horde of girls surrounded her. If she'd been able to look, she would have seen a similar circle of boys surrounding her brother. In about three minutes the combined hopes of the student body had been dashed. "Um, I've got to get to homeroom. See ya." With that Kari and Taki made a mad dash for the entrance. The two slid down in their seats and breathed a sigh of relief. Mental note: Never do that again…they both thought simultaneously. Classes were a bit less eventful then they normally were because of the subdued school population. Then lunch hit.

"Taki, can we talk?" Kari said pulling him aside at lunch.

"Sure what's up?"

"Have you noticed that everyone's staring at us?" Kari asked. "It's creeping me out. I know the guys usually stare at me but not like this."

Taki looked uncomfortable. "Well, um, that's kind of my fault. I told them all about your engagement. Well they were bugging me about asking you out again, sorry." He babbled in response to her furious expression.

"Ooh you're so dead!" Kari said glaring as she stalked toward him. Then she stopped. "Actually forget it, I mean I told all the girls about your engagement too, so we're even."

Taki choked. "YOU WHAT?"

"Well they were annoying me with their drooling and sighing." Kari said tossing her braid. "Well the whole school knows now. At least those drooling idiots will leave me alone now."

The two sat in silence and ate their lunch. Tacchi came over and joined them "You know you two just ruined months of planning. The entire school is in an uproar. You two couldn't keep quiet about the engagements for another couple of days?"

"Nope." Kari said licking her fingers.

"Not a chance." Taki added lying in the grass. "Do you hear something?"

There was a whistling noise and then Mei-Lin came flying over the wall. "Nihao! Have lunch for sister!"

"Um, Nihao Mei-Lin." Kari said waving. "Thanks. This is our cousin Takewaki Kuno."

"A pleasure." Tacchi said bowing.

"Kuno? Mother mention Kuno. You no look like idiot. No like psycho either." Mei-Lin said looking him over.

"Thank you." Tacchi said amused. "Well I should be going, I'm starting a pool on the identities of your mystery fiancés."

"See you later Tacchi." Taki called after him. "This looks good can I have some?"

"No. Is for sister." Mei-Lin said pulling the lunch box closer to her. "Ayah! Have to go back to school." With that Mei-Lin rushed off.

"Hey Taki that was mine!"

After picking up the younger kids from the junior high and elementary schools, the five of them walked home, as usual one or two of them started an argument and a four-way brawl started. Kia walked on ahead of them skipping. This time Yui said something to Taki which caused him to knock Yui into Mei-Lin, who took it as a challenge. Then Kari knocked Taki off the fence into the water ditch, he then started fighting her, and well you get the point. Finally they all reached the home, as it was none of them noticed the little purple cat watching from across the street.

The Habiki household

"Ryoga! How many times have I told you don't leave unless you take Sadie with you!" Ukyo Habiki said as she pounded the dough in front of her. "Now we're behind schedule. The movers will be here tomorrow."

Ryoga rubbed his head. "Well I was just going to the neighbors and thought it was safe enough. How was I to know I'd end up in Okinawa?"

His wife smiled softly. "You're such an idiot sometimes. Why don't you get the kids? This should be done soon."

"Yes dear."

Sigh "The staircase is the other way."

"Oh, thanks."

"Mom? What are you doing in the bathroom?" A young girl asked confused. She greatly resembled her mother, except she had fangs.

"This is the kitchen Mika." Her mother sighed to herself; at least it only got one of them.

"Oh, that explains the oven. Are we going to leave for Nerima soon?"

"Yes, that reminds me, I want you to take this map. I've circled the location we're moving to, if you get separated from us just try to get here, ok?"

"Sure Mom, but I doubt it will be a problem. Now why does the living room keep moving?" Mika said as she entered the pantry. Ukyo started pounding the dough with her head.

Back in Nerima

"AAAAAHHH! Cat! Cat!" Ranma said screaming as he ran into the house. He ended up hiding behind Akane.

"Kari, what wrong with father?" Mei-Lin asked.

"Oh, he's terrified of cats, some freaky training my Grandfather did when he was little." Kari said as she erased an answer on her homework. Mei- Lin shrugged, "Ok." And went back to her magazine.

Akane booted Ranma out on her way to check on dinner. But she came back when she heard more screaming. "Get it off! Get it off!" Ranma said as he ran around waving his arms. The little purple cat clung on to his back purring. Sighing Akane pulled the cat off. "Kari couldn't you have taken care of this?"

"Hmm? Of what?" Kari said pulling off her earphones. Mei-Lin glanced over and saw the cat Akane was holding.

"Momma!" Mei-Lin cried running over and grabbing the cat. She then proceeded to talk to it in Mandarin. The two women stared at her.

"No it couldn't be. Not her." Akane muttered to herself. "Shampoo?"

"Soatome-san, I use bathroom, is okay?" Mei-Lin said looking up.

Akane sighed and gave up. "Sure, I'll get some clothes for her."

"Thank you." Mei-Lin said bowing. She took off for the bathroom chattering to the cat.

Akane grabbed the near catatonic Ranma and dragged him into the kitchen. Kari looked around the now empty living room. "Wonder what that was all about."

Mei-Lin poured the warm water over her mother changing her back to her human form. "I was getting worried. "

"Sorry, after the accident at the airport, I had to escape the officials and quarantine. Then I got lost. It's been awhile since I was in Japan. " Shampoo said hugging her daughter. " Everything going ok? "

Mei-Lin nodded. "Mrs. Saotome was very nice, she even put me in school. "

Shampoo's eyes narrowed. "Oh she did, did she? "

"It's ok Momma, I kind of like it. Their son goes to the same school so he's been helping me. Besides if we're going to stay awhile why not? "

Shampoo shook her head, "Ok you win, I won't yell, how's the girl? "

"Good, very good. "

Shampoo smiled. "Great-grandmother knew what she was doing. Come on I should pay my respects. "

"Airen! You miss Shampoo?" Shampoo said glomping onto Ranma. Cuddling closer to him Shampoo smiled at Akane. "Hello violent girl, long time, no see."

"Not long enough." Akane muttered. "You don't have to let her you know." Ranma still catatonic from the first greeting lay there shivering. Akane started glowing a faint blue. "RANMA NO BAKA!" With a swing of Akane's hammer of justice Ranma got a free tour of Nerima.

"Wow, Mom hasn't hit him that hard since Kia was born." Kari said watching the dot that was her dad.

"Saotome-san is very good, mother can not hit father so high." Mei- Lin commented, shading her eyes. Yui, Taki and Kia came down and joined them on the porch.

"Well I doubt Dad will make it back in time for dinner." Taki said. "That means more for us." He and Yui high-fived.

"Shampoo see not much has changed." Shampoo said shaking her head. "Violent girl, Shampoo thank you for caring for daughter."

"The name's Akane! After nineteen years you think you could at least remember it!" Akane said. "And you're welcome. Your daughter has been a perfect guest. Shampoo these are our children, Taki, Kari, Yui and Kia. Guys, this is Shampoo."

"Shampoo honored to meet Ranma children." Shampoo said smiling. "They look like Ranma."

Akane rolled her eyes. "I know, I personally don't think that was fair. Would you care for some tea?"

"You ever learn to cook?" Shampoo asked. Akane glared at her.

"I like to cook. Daddy said you were really good, can you teach me?" Kia asked tugging on Shampoo's skirt.

Shampoo looked down at the little boy and smiled. "You nice boy, Shampoo show you how to make ramen." Shampoo said lifting Kia into her arms. They walked toward the kitchen with Yui trailing after them they could hear Yui telling Shampoo that she was pretty.

"I take it that you still have unresolved issues with Shampoo, Mom." Taki said leaning against the doorjamb.

"Don't push it Taki." Akane said. "Now why don't you go find your father."

"Aw, mom." Taki said.

"Should've kept your mouth shut Taki." Kari said amused. "Come on Mei-Lin let's see what's cooking."