Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated. Again I would like to thank everyone for his or her reviews and comments. However, I would like to state that this is merely just a hobby so please not so rough next time huh? Any way let the story continue.
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Akane blinked at the boy in front of her. "What did you do with her you pervert!" She screamed as she punched Ranma square in the nose as she ran into the other room to find her new friend.
"Akane! Oh my, Ranma are you bleeding?" Kameko asked the boy who was crouched over holding his nose. She turned and grabbed a wet cloth to help with the bleeding, as her daughter came back through the door, looking scared and furious at the same time.
"Well, what did you do with her!" as Akane went to hit Ranma yet a second time.
"Akane! Get out of here now or so help me you'll be grounded for a month!" Kameko screamed as she grabbed her daughter's arm mid swing and pushed her out into the main house and locked the door. "Ranma, are you okay?"
"She's kinda violent, ain't she?" Ranma said still holding his nose. Kameko raised her eyebrows at that not willing to discuss that feature of her daughter's personality.
"Akane, thought you had hurt her new friend, she can be a bit overzealous but she's really quite sweet." She took the now bloody wash cloth away from Ranma who looked as if he didn't believe a word she had just said. Kameko rolled her eyes, "Come on, lets get you properly introduced to the family." As she unlocked the door, she found Akane waiting right outside, ready to pounce, "Akane, get your sister's, we need to talk."
"But Mom, what about Ran-"
"Just do as I say, Akane" Kameko said in the sternest tone she could muster. Akane gave Ranma an evil glare as she left to do her mother's bidding. Ranma almost flinched at the anger in Akane's eyes. Kameko looked up at the boy, he looked as if he was a condemned man, tired, a little sad, but yet relieved that the truth had come out. Kameko sighed as she led the way to the main hall.
It didn't take long for everyone to gather around the table. Everyone had heard the screaming which was very unusual in the Tendo household. Usually when the family argued it was in the form of formal challenges in the dojo when the argument could not be settled peacefully and quietly. Soun and Genma were waiting as Kameko and Ranma came into the room, a few seconds later Nabiki walked in, followed by Kasumi and Akane. All had changed back into their normal clothing, Nabiki looked at the portly, old man sitting next to her father and shot her mother a confused look, and then she noticed Ranma, and couldn't help but stare. Ranma began to squirm under the girl's unrelenting stare until Akane poked Nabiki in the ribs. Ranma smiled at Akane as a thank you but she just looked away.
"Genma, would you please tell my daughter's what you have told Soun and myself." Kameko asked politely as she started pouring tea.
"Why yes, Kameko, I would be delighted."
Ranma rolled his eyes at his father, "yeah, old man, tell 'em exactly how you got us into this mess."
"Quiet, boy. You should have known there would be sacrifices to become a martial artist. You have to be willing to sacrifice your life for the art." Genma said smugly.
"Genma, please explain the situation." Kameko stated plainly hoping to get this over with without getting into an argument between father and son.
"My life maybe but not my manhood!" Ranma declared, ignoring Kameko entirely. Meanwhile the other women in the Tendo family just looked from one Saotome to the other wondering what Ranma was talking about.
"Oh, how my son disgraces me! Here let me show them what has become of you!" Genma yelled as he grabbed Ranma and tossed him into the koi pond in the Tendo's yard.
"Genma, was that entirely, necessary?" Kameko yelled as she ran to find towels. The girls watched where the boy had landed in the pond and were quite shocked when the red head they had met earlier jumped out of the pond sputtering profanities at Genma.
"Well, how you like to have a panda as a father?" Ranma screeched in her female voice as she charged Genma and tossed him into the pond. Out of the pond, came the large and now very smelly panda from earlier and for the next hour the Tendo family watched the two fight out in the yard.
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Ranma was surprised to find how accepting the Tendo's were of his "condition". He could tell where the power of this family came, the matriarch Kameko. She was kind, loving, strong and absolutely terrifying at the same time. He had never really known his mother and his father was anything but a model parent. Ranma sighed as he looked at the stairs, laying on the roof of the main house it was quite and peaceful but he could hear the voices of the rooms below him. He wasn't trying to eavesdrop but he couldn't help but hear the Tendo's discussing the "arrangement" between him and one Tendo daughters with his father. Mrs. Tendo had stopped the discussion earlier that evening demanding that the "children" not be involved with conversation. That made Ranma snort, the entire conversation was about his future, and he couldn't see why he wasn't involved. There had been a whisper among the girls that the arranged marriage was not going to happen. He certainly hoped they were right. Ranma sat up when he heard the ladder creak, in the darkness he saw the youngest Tendo silhouetted by the streetlights. She looked at him and then looked down as if she was embarrassed.
"Here to hit me again?" Ranma asked nonchalantly, he immediately regretted it when he saw her eyes flare up momentarily with anger and then quickly replaced with shame.
"About that..." Akane whispered unsure, "I am sorry. I was…well surprised is all. I didn't realize that you were the girl…" She trailed off unsure of what to say still standing on the ladder as if not sure she would get on the roof.
Ranma raised his eyebrows, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the curse…it's kinda embarrassing." He laid back down on the roof, "so that make me not a pervert right?" He asked staring at the sky. He heard the girl get on the roof and walk across to sit next to him.
"I guess…" Akane said looking up.
"Whadda ya mean, "I guess"" Ranma demanded sitting back up to look at the girl.
"Well… all guys are perverts. Why should you be any different?" Akane looked at him, her gaze seemed to see through Ranma soul, as if half expecting Ranma to challenge her.
Ranma looked away from her and used the only defense he had managed to learn for something other than fights, facetious banter. "I'm different 'cause I'm a girl sometimes…and I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sexier than anything I've ever seen." Ranma looked back to where Akane's face had been and made direct contact with her fist instead. When he sat back up, all he saw was Akane's hands climbing back down the ladder.
"Geez, what a violent girl…" Ranma touched his nose, it was tender but he didn't think it was broken. He listened to the night air and heard the voices below become more loud and agitated. He heard his name and the youngest Tendo's, his interest peaked Ranma crawled across the roof to hang over and get a better sound.
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"Kameko, Ranma and Akane would be perfect. They are the same age and Akane has more skill in the art than our two other girls." Soun pleaded to his wife. Kameko raised her eyebrows.
"Did you two not hear what I have been saying for the past hour? We are not, I repeat, ARE NOT engaging two 16-year-old children. It cruel to do that, and you know how I feel about arranged marriages." Kameko added a good scowl to get her point across.
"But dear, our marriage was arranged." Soun said trying to convince the stubborn woman.
"My point exactly." Kameko said coldly fed up with the conversation. Their marriage had been arranged when Kameko was sixteen and she was marriage by seventeen. She had grown to love her husband but it was a tough first few years. Soun looked at Kameko and suddenly backed down from the fight, knowing that if he continued any farther old scars in their marriage would be reopened. Genma however was not so intelligent.
"Well, how about we let you think about it for a night, huh Kameko my dear?" Genma stated oblivious to the signals Soun was giving him to shut up.
"A night to think it over? Why yes I do believe that is a good idea. Ranma can have the guest room. Soun you know where the spare bed mats are in the Dojo." Kameko said almost cheerfully.
"In the dojo?" Soun looked at Kameko confused.
"Yes in the dojo…both of you. So that I can think about this idea of yours. Isn't that what you said Genma?" Kameko glared at the two men until they started to squirm and finally left the room for an escape. She felt someone watching her and turned to see a blur of movement from her window.
Ranma was shocked at what he had just heard. Kameko didn't want the engagement. He was so happy that someone was on his side. He jumped off the roof and ran back into the house. Laughing to himself that there was someone who could make his father see reason.