Chapter 3

Ranma's return from the bathroom incident had been neglected by most of the participants so he had nothing to worry about as he sat down next to his scheming father.

Genma moved to the side with a grunt. 'This bodes ill if Nodoka already finds out about Ranma's curse then I'm done for! I don't believe that girl... She looks to clever for her own good just like Nodoka was once long ago...' silently murmuring discontentedly he fakes listening in on the conversation.

Ranma is used to being the silent part in any discussion. His father had always remarked badly whenever he spoke up for himself. 'Better not make a mess out of things... Akane seems to have cooled down anyway. Perverted?' He still tried gleening the most useful bits out of it though.

Nabiki had never been in a situation like this before. She was loving every minute of it. Schemes of monetary gain both long range and short both were flitting past her eyes at very other word leaving the mouth of the diminuitive swordswoman.

Akane had settled for glaring intently at the table. She really felt out of it all. 'Its all unfair!' Scowling at anyone near she did her best to hide her confusion and disapointment. A low growl was the only addition to the conversatoin she had managed to come up with so far.

Soun was frightened. Moreso than he had been for ten years. He had refrained from crying however and had asked some questions. The answers had all been worrysome. 'Is she really Genma's daughter? Will it endanger the joining of the schools? Will Akane turn into something more like Kasumi!' Safe to say nothing useful came out of his reverie...

Kasumi had listed down mentally what she now knew of all the new potential actors in the Tendo Soap. Ranma socially inept martial artist extraordinaire with little spine and moronic honor yet perpetually on the good side. Genma seemed to be nothing more than out for himself and noone else in particular and a bit on the sneaky side, on the basis on how he had curbed Soun's support for their little enterprise he had some seductive ability. Better be careful around that one for now... Ranko. She had behaved in an extremely violent manner and was the daughter of Genma left behind. She seemed quite in control of herself. And that allknowing smile that kept coming out involuntarily at times... She definitely had more to her than she had told so far. Utmost caution in dealings with her. Potentially a great ally in the making. Mustn't shut myself of! Kasumi knew how to deal with any situation though. A trickle of confidence seeped through the perpetual smile.

I had answered all the questions coming at me from Nabiki and Soun and even Kasumi. Kasumi's questions had surprised me though. Answering those had been so much harder than answering Nabiki's. I would retire for the remainder of the day though. "Mother is waiting at home for me. I promised not to be too late." The polite goodbye ended the gathering.

Back at the house...

'Introspection' I had thirteen years of harnessing the full extent of my latent potential. 'I will reach even further what I once was denied...' Thought's of this kind had always followed my seemingly eternal struggle to emulate a place in the universe I had come to belong to. Being an alien of the kind secretly plotting to choke the insurmountable passion that drives all human ambition. 'Yes not loosing myself to the hunger...' I had throughout my years of hindsight employment ventured further than what would be humanly possible to fashion myself the mental and spiritual faculties needed to truly excel in the martial arts. It had changed me.

I had waited on the porch meditating on the failings I still possessed. Food would soon be ready for artful devouring. Standing up I needn't fold my kimono back into place as it seemlessly hung to the invisible ki-field that clung to my inner soul. I didn't walk in to the house I floated...

Nodoka had adapted to the nature of my being from day one of my "Awakening" as she called it. She would instinctually respond to my needs for growth and grow herself to accomodate them. In the beginning I had been blind to it yet later I had struggled to equate the imbalance I percieved. For those ki-sensitive strands of ki lashing from the lines surrounding myself could be seen clinging to the only present at the dinner table Nodoka Saotome. "Daughter. I see the excursion took on a more serious tone. Are you willing to share your experience with me?" Nodoka's expression hadn't changed one bit yet the tendrils of ki seemed to take a denser shape around her.

I felt the siphoning directly yet it didn't hit me as bad as it should. Holding a neutral expression I began summarizing the events taking place at the Tendo's.

I omitted the skill appraisal I had made of the Saotome elder.

The meal had no discussions beyond that and eating proceeded. Nodoka ate nothing of the banquet of food at display yet she was taking part of the meal. The effect of my ki being siphoned onto my mother always took place at occasions like these and had done so for the last ten years. Nodoka's age had physically regressed. Only her eyes could shine through with her true age. Nodoka looked to be no more than eighteen at most.

My own physical appearance was that of a female of the age of thirteen. The only oddity in my appearance would be chiseled symmetry of my frame. It had been necessary to bind my growth to the ki-lines I had projected from my soul at an early age. Seemingly petite the chair I sat on creaked ominously taking the added weight of meal for the evening. Sixteen kilos of lentil soup of eight varieties... (128kg256lbs)

The silent eating would scare any obese citizens of earth into dieting. Food seemingly disintegrated upon entering my mouth. "Mother the meal was flawless. Thank you."

Nodoka somewhat dazed from sapping ki for the five minutes of eating nodded disorientedly towards my general direction before going limp in her chair. Carrying her off I prepared her sleeping arrangements. Ever since I had mastered the Fire Dance my ki well had been in permanent excess. Since then she had stopped eating for hunger alone. This ki-giddiness had become paret of a ritual before bed time.

Tucking her seemingly weightless frame in under the sheathes I would always correct errant ki-lines. Her smile became neutral once more as her body entered the most efficient posture available for harboring excess ki. I flicked the bun of hair up letting it settle in a helical figure. "Sleep well mother." Bowing I left for training. I rarely slept...

At the Tendo dojo

Ranma had been told the essence of the discussion by Kasumi the oldest Tendo daughter. He was now on the roof sorting thing's through. With the warning given to him by Kasumi about the potential violence surrounding Akane he had left for the roof at the departure of his potential little sister. 'So I've got a sister now... Maybe.' He scratched his head animatedly trying to remember. 'Reddish brown hair... A very short girl too. She looked a lot like I do when girl!' Elated he smiled at his cleverness. Internally he started analyzing all the potentially related visual traits between his girl-side Genma and himself. 'I'd say that's a near perfect match if you exclude all the missing babyfat...' Ranma knew there was something he had yet to analyze. 'Hmm... Oh my! She's got twice the amount of male ki that I do!' With that thought inside his head he fell of the floor thinking of thoughts previously unbidden...

THUNK

Genma heard his son fall from the already seated position. 'Wonder what startled the boy?' Being the sneaky kind of person he was plotting immediately began. With the added internal 'Weakling fainting like a girl! He needs more training!' Meaning the sneakiness became moronic training plans instead. If Ranko would have been there she would haved sighed in relief...

Some time later in the room Ranma shared with his father...

Ranma was propped up on the futon unable to sleep. He was processing the facts he had gathered about the potential sister and the possible mother. 'The amount of ki she had male and female alike was more than she had total. How is that possible?' Ranma had trained for most of his life from the moment he had been able to stand up and then from the age of three till now. 'And she's three years younger than me!' One Ranma would never and could never do was to despair at any situation for a longer time. Smirking selfassuredly he changed his inner mental parameters to allow for a greater intensity in the training to come. 'This is gonna kill me for sure...' Wincing at the future promise of pain to come he could not help smiling for himself. 'Ranma Saotome don't loose!' With this he instantly fell asleep.

Genma had waited for his son to fall asleep for some time scanning is aura for the duration. There were very few things in life that would truly scare Genma Saotome. Truly being outclassed was one of them. Genma had never planned for Ranma to become anything less than he had accomplished under his tutelage yet this slip of a girl, his "daughter" no less, had somehow managed to amass ki-reserves rivaling those of the master in their paths. 'She didn't do anything to hide those lines...'

Genma quietly slipped out of the futon and made for the kitchen. 'Soun need's to know about this. He probably missed it in all the commotion.' Entering the kitchen he spotted a lone Kasumi sipping coffe and reading a book by herself.

Kasumi didn't feel the presence of the elder Saotome until he stiffened up. Instantly aware of the added presence in the room Kasumi held back a shriek and shifted her attention from the book in her hands towards the 'intruder'. "EEP!"

A startled Kasumi still looked a thousand times more feminine than the local tomboy any day. Genma witnessed it upfront too. 'Damn the roads aint done me no favors today.'

If Kasumi had been a martial artist of Genma's caliber or ever been in the presence of Happosai she probably would have been a lot more frightened by the shimmering outline of weak purple clinging to Saotome in that moment. Instead she reverted to her hostess mode... BAD IDEA!

(AN: HAHAHAHA What evil fits this chapter end! Poooooor Kasumi...)