Ranma ½

Chapter 6

Confrontations of the Soul

Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.

Quick note: 1. This is a thought of a character.

2. This is the thought of past Nabiki, known as the mercenary girl.

I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave. I would also like to personally thank dogbertcarroll for pointing out a stupid mistake I made in chapter 2, which has been corrected.

I find that if I let things sit for a while in my head; I can play them out farther. Plus by trying and keeping my chapters between 2500 and 3000 words, it helps keep me from making the story slide out of control, turning a diamond to a pile of shit.

Plus, we all know that the site has been messed up for a few days now, so hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Now, on with the show.

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Nabiki was down stairs, waiting. She knew what was coming. She knew what was about to happen. But all she had to do was place herself strategically, to ensure not only would Ranma not be hurt, but to ensure that she was the first one to comfort him.

Then, they all heard it. They heard Akane scream. "PERVERT!"

Everyone watched as Akane, still wrapped in a bath towel, ran outside to get the statue from the lawn. You think the girl would be smarter than that. Nabiki continued to watch her sister struggle to lift it. I even put a sign on the door that said Ranma was inside and not to be disturbed.

So I guess it is true, our dear innocent sister is a pervert at heart. Introducing Happosai: female version.

Kasumi looked at Nabiki, who had started laughing out loud. I wonder what Nabiki is laughing at, and why Akane is so upset.

Nabiki stood up as Ranma, now male, came into the room, apologizing. Her sister was about to toss the statue and try to nail him, but Nabiki had placed herself between the two.

Nabiki looked over Ranma, wishing he would have kept the towel on instead of dressing in his usual Chinese clothes. She appeared to be looking him over, trying to figure something out, but in reality, she was just putting on a show, to make him think that she was trying to understand this new man in front of her. Finally, she looked him in the eyes for a few moments, and then pounded her fist into her hand. "Ah, I understand. You must have gone to Jusenkyo."

Genma face-faulted, while Ranma went completely white. How does she know about Jusenkyo? What is she going to do now?

Everyone, including Ranma, was surprised when Nabiki just hugged Ranma, squeezing him as tightly as she could. She then leaned up and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry Ranma; I don't think you're a freak. I don't hate you, and I am not rejecting you either. We're still friends if you want to be."

The color in Ranma's face began to return, but did nothing to lighten his fear as he saw Akane with the statue in hand ready to hit him as soon as her sister was out of the way. She knows I'm Ranma, she knows we went to Jusenkyo, and she knows I am cursed. But she still wants to be my friend. She even hugged me to keep her sister from hitting me. It took all of Ranma's willpower not to return Nabiki's hug, after all, her sister already thought of him as a pervert.

A little disappointed that she didn't get a hug she was hoping for, she proceeded to turn towards Akane after releasing Ranma, but kept in front of him. "Sister dear, why are you trying to hurt this guy?"

"The pervert was in our bathroom naked, he must have taken advantage of Ranma!" Akane still had her adrenaline going, ready to launch the statue at the pervert boy when her sister gave her an opening.

"I remember putting a sign on the door that said it was occupied and that Ranma was inside, not wishing to be disturbed. You didn't happen to go inside, did you sister dear?" Nabiki knew how to play this situation out, it was the only one she was certain would go according to plan, even with Ranma involved.

Akane started to get a little worried. She didn't want to tell everyone she had purposely invaded Ranma's privacy, and she couldn't lie and say she heard Ranma scream for help, because everyone else would have heard it. The only option was to change the subject and hope everyone would set their attention on Nabiki or the pervert, instead of her and her temper. "That doesn't matter! What matters is why the hell you are protecting the pervert!"

"Sister dear, this isn't a pervert. This is Ranma."

"Oh my!" came from Kasumi, as was the only sound heard with the exception of the statue hitting the ground.

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Nabiki had sat by, watching as Genma told everyone the story she was already familiar with, and tried not to show her hurt as Genma threw Ranma into the pond as a demonstration of the curse. But she was standing by to give the boy turned girl a cup of hot water, even making certain it was temped enough not to burn him. She felt herself flush as Ranma smiled at her, thanking her for the water after she had changed back to a he.

But soon, the fiancée discussion appeared once again, making all four children nervous, but none more so than Nabiki.

This is it; he has to choose one of us now.

But he doesn't like being forced into anything he doesn't want to do.

But I've got to get him to choose me.

Once again, you are trying to force the choice on him.

But I can't afford to lose him again; I can't let him slip through my hands again. I need him to be with me.

Then you really only have one choice, you have to give him an alternative, and hope that he will accept it.

But what if he doesn't, what if he doesn't want me, what if...?

DAMN IT! JUST OFFER HIM THE DAMN CHOICE AND GET ON WITH IT. I AM TIRED OF THIS SHIT! YOU HAVE BEEN DRONING ON ABOUT THIS BOY FOR THE PAST WEEK, TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR LOVE FOR HIM. AND NOW THAT HE'S HERE, YOU TURN INTO A COMPLETE CHICKEN. NOW EITHER YOU DO IT NOW, OR I'LL FORCE A SEIZURE AND HOPE I PUT BOTH OF US OUT OF MY MISERY!

She looked over to her other sisters, seeing Kasumi tell Ranma how Akane would be a better fiancée for him that herself. It was what it took to finally get the elder Nabiki to act. "I'll be his fiancée if you two don't want to."

Ranma looked at her, unsure of what he just heard. This girl he hadn't even known for half a day had just agreed to be his fiancée. Not that I entirely mind it; she is kind of cute, and with a way better temperament than that peeping tomboy. The older one seems to be too uncomfortable with me. I could do worse than Nabiki, plus she already said she accepts me; curse and all. That damn tomboy went from trying to be my friend to trying to crush my skull in nothing flat. But I don't want to get married now, I'm only 16!

"However daddy, we won't get married until we are finished with school and graduate. Any attempts by you or his father to force us to wed sooner, and I will immediately release Ranma from his father's pledge. They can still stay here as long as they want." Nabiki stared down the two fathers, making sure they saw how serious she was. He won't be forced to marry me for a while; he can take his time to get to know me. I'll tell him later about how we can delay the deadline. Plus, I gave him an easy out, so I took off all the pressure.

Ranma looked at her for a second; trying to digest the deal she had placed before their fathers. School will take at least two years to finish. I never even thought about what pops would do once he engaged me to one of them. Forcing it sooner sounds like one of his half brained ideas. Hell, she even gave me an easy out. I just claim they tried to force us together sooner than we were ready for, and I'm off the hook, honor still intact. Man this girl is smart. She has a pretty strong hit as well. He absentmindedly began to rub his chest where her punches had connected, still refusing to acknowledge how much pain those hits had caused. "I agree with her. It's either that, or I'm out of here!"

The two fathers huddled together, trying to figure out a way to get the two married. Soun was happy that one of his daughters had chosen to marry Ranma rather than be forced into it, but he wanted them married quickly, so that the Dojo would be secure; a thought that even Genma agreed with. His son had fought so hard to not be brought here, and now he was willing agreeing to marry one of the girls, even if she was a year older than him.

But finally, both had to admit that as long as the two willing participants agreed to get married, they could wait. Besides, they could always try to persuade things to go faster later, when they had more time to find a way through Nabiki's contract. "OK my daughter, we will agree to your terms. However I will have no grandchildren born out of wedlock. Understand."

That last statement made the other two daughters and Ranma face-fault to the floor.

But Nabiki sat still, still drinking the tea in her hand. I guess we have to agree to that. If we get that far and a kid is on the way, I'd rather be married. Not that I wouldn't mind a few chances to find out exactly how much of Ranma's 'skills' were natural and what were little tricks my perverted sister taught him. "Fine daddy, I'll agree to that."

She stood up and went over to Ranma. "Come with me Ranma, we need to talk."

The boy took her hand as she helped him to his feet, and dragged him to her room, before shutting the door. Akane was still sitting down, her mouth hung open, not really knowing what to think. Kasumi said something about hoping they weren't doing anything improper upstairs, before clearing the dishes off the table. Genma and Soun, upon hearing this, began dancing around saying that soon the houses would be joined.

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"What the hell was that all about Nabiki?" Ranma had been confused by everything that was happening, especially when she had dragged him to her room, shutting and locking the door.

"Listen Ranma; are you ready to get married right now?"

"No!"

"Good, neither am I. We both want to finish school. We can even delay it for four years or more by going to college. Hell, we'd be in our thirties if we went through a doctorate program. And the longer we delay, the more anxious they'll become, and eventually try to force the marriage. When they do, if you don't want to be married to me, I'll annul the contract, and we're both free, honor in take."

But the truth is I am ready, and would marry you right now if I could.

Careful, that's the attitude that got us a gay husband. Its better if we find out we're compatible first. We better have a first date tomorrow, before the other fiancées start showing up.

I know, quit pushing me.

Oh, so now I'm the control freak.

"OK," he said, scratching the back of his head, as they were both now sitting on her bed. "I guess you have a point, I'm just a little upset like we're being forced into it."

He still thinks he is being forced. I got to get rid of that fear fast.

Fine, make him think he has tons of ways out of it.

"Ranma, I'm not forcing you into this, I would like to date first. But think about it, what are the chances your father will try to force us to marry? I know my father will probably not even wait until the end of the week. And since you get to stay here, engaged or not, you have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, you have got a point there." Ranma was finally beginning to realize how open ended this agreement was. His pops might try to force his son into marriage in one form or another, which he could immediately use to invalidate the contract, thus keeping their honor intact. Plus, they had agreed that Ranma and his father could stay here, even if the marriage pact was broken, which meant he would have a roof over his head, as long as he didn't give Nabiki a reason to kick him out. Plus, he could get her to teach him all those moves Akane was droning on about. In the end, he felt he was in the best situation possible. Maybe coming here wasn't the worst idea pops ever had.

"By the way," Ranma asked. "How the hell do you know about Jusenkyo?"

"Easy, I've done a lot of reading over the years. Since you got upset when you went to take a bath, added to the fact a girl went in and a guy came out, you just happened to return from China with a panda you called your father; I just put two and two together and took a guess."

"Well, I guess that makes sense."

Nabiki was glad Ranma had bought her story. It was probably the easiest part of her plan she had come up with. She had even gone to the library and looked up Jusenkyo to make certain there was some information on it to bolster her story. Now she had to move in for the kill, and secure her date tomorrow. "Ranma, would you like me to show you some of those moves tonight?"

Ranma immediately perked up. "Sure, that would be great. You already owe me for that Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken, and I would like to talk about that Hiryü Shöten Ha."

"OK Ranma, but the second move will cost you another favor."

"What?" Ranma wasn't too worried about her favors; they seemed to put him at ease. He didn't get the feeling that she would do something to hurt him.

"I want to go out on a date tomorrow, nothing expensive, I just think that since we are engaged, we should at least see if we like each other that way."

Ranma was a little worried now. She already told him it didn't have to be expensive, which was good since he was poor right now. He wanted to say no, since her initial agreement with him said that he didn't have to do it if it made him uncomfortable, but the way her eyes looked at him melted his resistance. "Sure, we'll do whatever you like. Sorry, but I really don't know what to do on a date, much less how to plan one."

"That's OK. Let's head outside."

"Sure thing. By the way, could you please tell me why your sister hates me so, as well as why she was worried about you teaching me?"

Nabiki smiled. "The last one, I made a little deal with her, that she would have to do something for me if she lost her temper outside of a fight, which I will have to up the ante on because of her little outburst tonight."

Yeah. Now she'll have to do bikini shots thanks to her temper. That will mean a huge profit, and maybe keep the pervert under control.

"The first question is a long story. It starts with this idiot named Tatewaki Kuno."

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If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.

Any suggestions on how I should continue the story or improve it would also be accepted.

Also, if you have any suggestions for how this should go, let me know. My own imagination, while vast, always enjoys a new thought. Also, catch me if you don't think I am making the characters true to form, or a way to make them better.