This chapter is dedicated to BiGDeal

I'm sorry your request took so long, my mental health and creative flow have been suffering a lot this past year

My drive to do anything has been really low

Hope you like the update

Ranma sat growling on the porch, her head rested on her lap as she curled up tightly into a ball and gazed at the starlit sky impatiently, wondering what she had done to deserve such a screwed up and complicated life. God sometimes she swore she wanted to scream to the heavens as ask why they loved making her life a living hell. How did she end up so unlucky all the damn time? It seemed that no matter what she did, she would always be a failure in someone else's eyes, this time being her family. She swore Genma had to be the biggest hypocrite in history, constantly defending his own actions yet berating her at every opportunity. She would never be the perfect child in his eyes no matter how much self improvement she attempted. Yet again she found herself under verbal abuse from both her father and her father in law, both of them ganging up on her for another night of blaming Ranma for a new mess. Never giving her the chance to defend herself or give them the truth instead of rumours they had heard on the street. Blaming her for their mistakes like she was their scapegoat. Just because she made one mistake, was naïve or simply lived her life as she wished, it made her a problem. She couldn't have one flaw or it would make her a worse martial artist and a disappointment. Nobody cared about how she felt and she was sick of it. She was just there to fulfill her fathers ideals, never to have an opinion. Two grown middle-aged men were blaming her for the mistakes they made in the past that was biting them in the ass, hell they were afraid of their master who was just a lay about drunk and a shameless pervert. They were cowards and they were jerks, never caring about what she had to say.

Kuno was still harassing her, as was his sister, the obsessed siblings that somehow became involved in her life the minute she moved to Nerima. Wondering how peaceful her life would have been if she never met them. Kuno kept calling her male form a pervert and insisting he had forced himself on Akane or used some kind of spell to make Akane attracted to him. Despite the fact that Akane insisted she wasn't interested and had kicked his ass numerous times in the past. Let alone half the other females in his life that found themselves involved with him, despite having no interest in them whatsoever. Kodachi had bumped into her on the roof in her male form after attacking Akane in hopes of defeating the competition via cheating. But had been knocked out after Ranma chased after Ryoga's cursed form for trying to sleep in Akane's room again. Then tried to seduce Ranma by force using a paralyzation drug, to which Akane ended up saving him. Neither siblings seemed to understand that Ranma wasn't the slightest bit interested.

Shampoo had been following him with the intent to kill his female form due to his father being a moron, another engagement that was to blame with Genma. The fool couldn't even read or speak Chinese yet he dragged Ranma there for training. Hoping it would improve his skills and make him a better heir for the Saotome school. Genma being the glutton he was ended up eating a prize dinner for the winner of a competition between amazons. Then Ranma fought the amazon in hopes of sorting the situation and beat Shampoo, purely accidental and not intentional. After all she was an outsider who shamed a local by besting her in combat. Such a thing was a mantle of shame to any Amazon who prided themselves in battle. Leading to the kiss of death in which Shampoo hunted them down in hopes of killing them both. He beat her again as a guy and ended up becoming married to her.

Ukyo had been her best friend as kids and was left behind after Genma made a promise he never planned on keeping, she was someone that Ranma valued and trusted above all. Ukyo had been shamed and bitter at being left behind, training for the next decade until she was strong enough to get revenge on Genma for his mistakes. Then after being reunited, she held both Ranma and his father responsible for Genma being an ass, which was eventually resolved.

Every single problem Ranma found herself in was because of her father, every engagement, every enemy, every problem she was never aware of was because of Genma. Somehow he pissed someone off, owed a debt or made a bad decision. Yet she was blamed for everything because of her relations with him, because she was guilty via involvement. She couldn't go anywhere without suspecting that her father was up to something. If not for the fact that Genma made an oath to Nodoka, she would happily escape and go live with her mother until she knew what she wanted in life. Living peacefully and able to act like a teenager, enjoy her mothers cooking and finally feel free. Maybe with her mother's help, she could get into a decent college, focus on her studies and make new friends. She could find a place to live, go on another training trip and find a way to break the curse, so she could feel normal again. Anything to get away from her problems, so she could relieve herself of all these stresses.

"Sat out here alone again I see" Akane responded casually, sighing heavily. Whenever Ranma was upset, she would always go and sulk somewhere alone, it was rather childish but habitual. She could always talk to them if something was wrong, maybe face her problems and resolve arguments with patience. She knew how frustrated Ranma got sometimes which blinded her common sense.

Ranma peered at her fiancé from the corner of her eye but diverted her gaze towards the sky, she wasn't in the mood to be berated or mocked, she was just so fed up. She wasn't in the mood for a lecture, she just wanted to be left alone. If she came across as bitchy so be it, she was just being honest these days. "Not in the mood Akane, if you are looking to fight just go train" she huffed. She could vent her anger elsewhere that didn't mean she was used as a punching bag.

Akane blinked, Ranma sounded more deflated than usual, there was no energy or rage behind her voice just apathy and bitterness. Her body language was slumped, deflated, she was just existing she lacked liveliness or vigor. She was just utterly numb, the lack of energy, the lack of humour, no stubbornness or bite, no witty comebacks or jokes, no sass and no arguing. She was just defensive and avoiding all communication whatsoever. Ranma seemed depressed, more so than usual, staring off into the distance. "Ranma…" she trailed off in a concern, something was wrong, this was serious. She couldn't leave Ranma on her own, she needed to get her to talk, just understand what was going through her head.

Ryoga approached from the hallway, he'd seen Ranma sat around for ages but left her to her own devices, sensing she wanted to be alone with her thoughts which he respected. Both he and Ranma were similar in the sense they were bad in conveying their weaknesses to others, as it went against the martial arts code. But venting her temper onto Akane was not acceptable whatsoever, she was just worried about him. He was lucky to have someone as devoted to him as Akane was. Hell there were times when he himself was swayed by Ranma's charms, regardless of gender. That cocky smile, his innate skill, his focus and his dedication. But he didn't appreciate being on the wrong end of Ranma's moods. Ranma huffed, she could hear his footsteps before he even approached, if he was here to rant about his lack of honour and avoiding a fight he could forget it. "Not in the mood pork butt, if you're in a mood go tell someone who gives a crap" she snapped. Ryoga constantly loved to stick his nose in her business and never let her explain anything. She didn't want to speak to anyone, she didn't want to see anyone, she just wanted to be left the hell alone for once in her life. She wasn't hungry, she was just tired, everything was just piling up and she couldn't balance it anymore. She was a teenager, torn from her mother as a toddler because her father wanted her to train into a real martial artist. She had been robbed of a healthy family life and a what could have been because Genma wanted to drag her onto the road. She was forced to mature from a young age because if not she never would have survived the hell Genma put her through.

She was trapped in this damned cursed body because of Genma's mistakes, switching between genders without control and simply having to cope with the ramifications. She had no way of finding a cure to become a full male again, this supposed spring of drowned man was forever out of her reach and remained illusive. She had enemies hounding her because she had become involved in Genma's problems, she owed debts because Genma was a cheap jerk who ran away from anyone he owed money or damages to. She hadn't seen her mother in sixteen years and longed for that maternal love, often reflecting on her would be life had she been raised by her mother. The quiet school life as a boy, being able to date normally, live life on his own terms. Wondering if his mother missed him as much as he missed her, what traits he shared in common with her. Wondering how nurturing and kind she would have been towards him compared to Ranma. She had fiancés crawling out of cracks because her father attempted to marry her off to everyone, constantly pressuring him to take over the school despite the fact that he was still a student and a trainee. Then there was Akane, the youngest of three sisters that he was settled with, a fiancé she never asked for but cared for deeply. She just felt like she was suffocating, she never had her own life, she never made her own choices and she was only now just enjoying a sense of freedom. She could never catch a break because there was always a new enemy to fight, more problems and stresses that followed her around.

Suon always blamed her for Akane's unhappiness even though Ranma never understood what she did half the time. Akane was as complicated as she was, she sulked, had a short temper and sulked a lot. But deep down Akane was kind, patient, wise and understanding, she respected Ranma and cared the most for him, standing up for him when nobody else would. She was terrible at social cues due to being isolated from human interaction for so long, never able to fully connect with people her own age due to the fact she was out of school for so many years. She didn't even know if she was ready for a relationship half the time, though she felt attraction to girls and sometimes boys, actually having a relationship scared the shit out of her. Hell marriage was a huge deal and she didn't even know if she wanted to or was ready to, she was only sixteen for crying out loud. Kuno had put her off befriending any men in general, he was a perverse creep who cared little for personal space and stalked her constantly. He created this delusion in his head of her being this sweet naïve girl when she was anything but. Half the boys at her school were creeps and shared no respect for women whatsoever, especially Akane. Despite her dislike of it she didn't have any other choice, she had nobody else to talk to so she tolerated it. Often preferring her own company when she was able to sneak away unless it was Ucchan. The reason she got so impatient with Akane was that they both had short tempers, they were so alike sometimes it was scary. Akane jumped the gun and always thought the worst of her and never let her explain. She cared about Akane a great deal but misunderstandings made things complicated in their relationship, the fact that she loved him despite the curse meant the world to Ranma. But Shampoo becoming interfering in their relationship didn't help matters whatsoever, constantly mocking Akane and baiting her.

Ukyo would always be like a sister to Ranma, he'd known her since they were children, she was his oldest companion and someone important to him. He could rely on her for anything and she was his confidant. Hell he was one of the only unwanted fiancé's he tolerated and didn't chase off because she meant so much to him. He could never love her romantically and deep down Ukyo knew that, she just didn't want to accept that. He just hoped one day Ukyo would forgive her and learn that they just weren't meant to be.

Shampoo was essentially a stalker and assassin that was following outdated laws and never saw common sense, she refused to accept that Ranma didn't want to marry her or join the tribe. She wanted Ranma to follow her rules and obey, demeaning him and talking down to him when he tried to argue back. For all she was cute, she was very controlling and used all sorts of manipulative ways to get her to love him.

She just wanted a say for once in her damn life, how she got to live her own life without someone else rules, no more fiancés, no more grandparents or other relatives making choices in her place. No more being pushed around and no more of people using spells and curses to attempt to win him over. She was a teenager, they were supposed to be immature and rebel, she was supposed to be on this road of self discovery and personal growth. She was supposed to be awkward and stupid, it came with that period of her life. Yet they were becoming some of the worst moments of her life. How come everyone else forgot that?

Akane softened, she could see Ranma really wanted to cry, Genma and her father were always saying real men never cried like it was something to be ashamed of. Yet they forgot that Ranma was human, repressing your feelings wasn't healthy. No wonder he lashed out so much, it was the only way people listened to him. He was closing himself off and he was keeping them at a distance, because he didn't know what else to do. Usually, he was the first to run to the table and wolf down helpings, consuming most of the food so Kasumi always made second helpings just in case. She had barely eaten any food at the table, messing with her rice before excusing herself, allowing Genma or even P-chan to help themselves. She'd sulked in the bath until Kasumi came to check on her male form, making sure she didn't overheat or fall asleep in the tub. Skulking out of the tub and ignoring the family as they continued to eat dinner. For the rest of the evening, she had been missing until Akane had found her, alone and reflecting on her thoughts.

Ryoga gripped his hands into balled fists, realising his default was to always yell at Ranma and blame her for everything. He'd start fights that Ranma never understood leaving the teen frustrated and annoyed. Usually, he would blow his top and yell at Ranma for being so rude to Akane, demanding he apologize and then comfort Akane. But it was different, he sensed the misery flowing from Ranma. He allowed himself to look into her eyes, they were dull, empty and lifeless, no shine and no joy in them. The usual sparkling orbs of baby blue were now cold and dark. She'd utterly given up, she'd abandoned her filter, her manners, her reservations and filters. When he was sat at the table as P-chan with Akane, observing the family as he always did, listening in on their conversations. Ranma had just stared at her meal, picking at it like a child would. She'd barely eaten her rice, maybe taking a mouthful before poking at it and discarding her chopsticks. She'd nibbled at her food and picked at the rest of it before Kasumi spoke up. After sighting heavily she then excused herself to bathe and then disappeared for the rest of the evening. The Ranma he knew stole his bread without hesitation in middle school, never apologised and walked through life carefree. She always got into trouble and tended to have fun whenever possible, using their curse to reap the benefits when possible. She always had an appetite and she was always outspoken, to see her so utterly depressed felt strange and worrying. "Ranma…." he protested.

Ranma's eyes gleamed with tears, becoming glassy and reflective in the moonlight, she didn't want to hear their stupid mockery or attempts to cheer her up. She was allowed to be angry, she had every right to be. Here she was in her mid teens and her life was a god damn mess, she just wanted a normal life. She bit her lip as it wobbled, the tears spilling over down her cheeks and spilling onto her toes. "I… I'm just sick of it all y'know, I hate it… I never… I never wanted to be harassed all the time. Kuno…. His stupid sister….. Shampoo…. Ukyo… that was never me… it was pops. It was always pops but… I'm his scapegoat, I'm the one to blame. I can't go home to mum or she'll kill me, If I reject Shampoo she'll kill me and Ukyo will hate me…" Ranma sobbed. She hugged her knees tighter and buried her face into her lap, her shoulders arching as she heaved sobs, all the years of frustration, resentment and confusion pouring out. Her father always told her men don't cry, but she couldn't hold it in anymore and it felt so good.

Akane softened, she had never seen Ranma cry before but she had finally broken. The years of being told to be a man among men had worn her down and she was sick of it. She just wanted to pour her heart out and finally feel some relief from her problems. She'd hit her limit and she was unable to hold back her feelings, all of her sadness, impatience and bitterness was pouring out of her. It hurt to watch Ranma crumble apart like this but it was a healthy outlet for her. Her frustration with Kuno, which was understanding and something that Ranma should never have to cope with. Her impatience and stress because of Shampoo and cologne, the two amazons set in their ways to force Ranma into marriage and cart him back to China against his will. Her conflict with her friendship with Ukyo, her only real and genuine friend, the engagement they were forced into. Ranma had spent her life alone, travelling and away from human contact that wasn't Genma, someone who called the shots and always made sure they came first. She didn't understand women or people because she had never been given time to develop any emotional attachments, always on the move and going to new places. She'd never even been able to bond with her mother, the women who gave birth to him, someone who Ranma hadn't seen since he was a toddler. She wrapped her arms around Ranma, the redhead didn't push her away or stiffen she just allowed the embrace to happen. Showing how affection starved Ranma was deep down. Hugging her tightly and rubbing her back, humming gentle words under her breath to calm her down. Nobody ever really checked up on Ranma, aside from Kasumi, perhaps that's why he was so close to her older sister because Kasumi was the closest thing Ranma had to a healthy maternal figure. Now it all made sense, she felt so stupid for being jealous all the time, wishing she could have been more understanding. Maybe if she showed more gentleness and patience with Ranma he wouldn't snap so much.

Ryoga stood in the background, bowing his head and feeling like an ass, realising that Ranma had more issues than he realised. Hell, until now he'd never known about Ranma's mother and how Genma separated them. He'd never known about any of it, he just assumed they were excuses that Ranma made up to get out of trouble. Yes, he was mad at Ranma for the curse which was Genma's fault, he just never wanted to accept that until now. Genma dragged poor Ranma on that trip and he just happened to follow them, he was so focused on that argument from middle school. If he hadn't been so stubborn and trailed them to China for that fight, he would have never been cursed. Now that he reflected, everything made so much more sense.

Shampoo was always the one to initiate hugs or any other form of affection, she was always following Ranma around and even sneaking into Furinkan private grounds just to blackmail him into going on a date. Often using cats to traumatize poor Ranma and get him to do what she wanted. She jumped on Ranma any chance she got without permission. She cared little if Akane was present or Ukyo, even if it made them uncomfortable, jealous or upset. She treated Ranma like a prize and cared little for his feelings, wanting him to pay attention to only her.

Ukyo was manipulative in her own way he wouldn't deny that, despite his close friendship with her. But she was still the healthiest friendship Ranma had in his life which was rather depressing. But she was Ranma's oldest and closest friend who happened to develop feelings for him, Ranma's naivety just prevented him from noticing that. Those things couldn't be helped, everyone fell for someone, sometimes those feelings weren't reciprocated. She knew that she just never wanted to admit that because the truth hurt too much. Ukyo did care for Ranma, but she also didn't treat Akane like crap either, she didn't go out of her way to attempt to kill Akane off like Kodachi or Shampoo. She was a friend to Akane and she was a friend to Ranma, she was practically family, the sister he never had. Hell, Ukyo was similar to himself in that sense too, a lonely person who was forever in the friendzone watching their crush fall for someone else.

But Genma had been abusing and neglecting Ranma her whole life, he never apologized for his actions and he was never held accountable. He was the one that caused Shampoo to use the kiss of death after he ate all their food and went to a training area in china despite not speaking the language. He was the one who stole Ukyo's family cart and caused her vengeance. Whenever someone came knocking looking for Genma you could bet it was because Genma found another way to fuck up. Genma had never atoned for any of his mistakes, simply hoping to sweep them under the rug. And Soun just blamed Ranma because he refused to acknowledge that his friend was in the wrong.

Ranma sat quietly at the table, a cup of steaming tea in her hands, the warmth of the tea and the fragrance of the leaves soothing her soul. She didn't know what was so soothing about tea that eased sadness but it worked. Her eyes puffy and red from crying so hard, exhausted and hungry from using so much energy. Kasumi sat nearby, placing her hand atop Ranma's comfortingly, her eyes gentle and understanding, sensing Ranma's need for comfort. Ranma had come shuffling into the kitchen with Ryoga and Akane on her heels with a look of worry on their faces. After they explained what happened she told them all to sit. "There now, would you like a snack Ranma? You must be starving after all those tears" she soothed. Ranma sniffed and nodded, her head still bowed, avoiding eye contact and not really in the mood for conversation. She just wanted a quiet evening and some headspace to feel like herself again and sort things out. She felt relieved from crying but she still felt too tired to move, but at least she would sleep well for the night.

"Thanks, Kasumi" Ryoga responded, sipping his tea as he peered at Ranma over his cup. Though he hadn't considered if before, upon closer inspection he could see why Ranma was so attached to Kasumi. Kasumi was the glue that kept this family together, the matriarch and a gentle soul. She fed the entire family, she helped with the bills, she did the shopping which had to be expensive, the cleaning and the laundry. Hell she was the ideal housewife, she was everything that traditional marriage expected. A beautiful responsible young woman who could cook, clean and perform wifely duties. She should have been engaged herself, in college or living alone and taking care of herself, she was old enough to be in college and moving out. Yet she stayed home and cared for her family, even her lazy, drunken father. She never complained, she never got mad and she never treated anyone with disrespect, even Ranma's enemies. The family doctor Tofu had feelings for Kasumi as was obvious to everyone, the two shared natural chemistry and would make a truly sweet pair. They brought out the best in each other and Tofu had been attracted to Kasumi for years. Yet Kasumi restrained from any desire to date him to take care of her family, but she still cared deeply for the gentle doctor. All because of her father, because he was an overbearing, overprotective jerk.

Suddenly, there came booming laughter as heavy footsteps approached, the familiar sound of the supposed patriarchs of their respected families. Ranma immediately flinched and gripped her cup, bowing her head and frowning, biting her lip, withdrawing into herself to avoid negative attention. Hiding her puffy eyes and sadness, knowing Genma would mock her for it if he saw. Ryoga wasn't ignorant to Ranma stiffening and immediately becoming defensive, she was acting ashamed, scared as if her feelings were wrong. How many times had she hid this side of herself because Genma told her it was wrong. Just after she had sobbed her heart out, the person who caused her stress had returned, prepared to wreak havoc and further problems that would make her feel worse all over again.

Soun and Genma stepped into the room, laughing loudly, the scent of alcohol on their breaths "Kasumi dear, what have you made for dinner tonight?" Genma slurred drunkenly.

Kasumi turned to her father with a forced smile, anger dancing behind her eyes, she was disappointed in them both for putting themselves in such a state. But more so that they expected food after wasting what she had cooked earlier and decided to get drunk. Surely they could be more responsible, they were adults after all. If they wished to act like children they would be treated like one. Aside from that both had been ganging up on poor Ranma for far too long and it needed to stop. "Gomen father, I'm afraid there's no dinner" she responded sharply. They would be confronted for their actions and would learn to act as better role models from now on.

Soun blinked, there was no meal prepared, Kasumi wasn't cooking? But he could smell meat buns freshly made, why was she lying to him? Something didn't sound right, why was his eldest acting in such a way? "Are you sick Kasumi? Have we no leftovers?" he babbled. He demanded an explanation to her behaviour this instant.

"She means you don't get any you lazy bum" Ryoga snapped, they had a nerve showing their faces. Hell, they were the worst excuse for parents he had ever come across in his life. The utter shame of these two, they were everything all parents should avoid being. They complained about money, finances and bills on a regular basis, yet they drank half their families money on alcohol and complained that it was because of their children. They loved to reminisce about their youth yet treated their kids as a burden, what an utter joke. Soun spluttered at the rudeness of this boy, he knew he was a friend of Ranma's, but he lacked manners and was often vanishing and reappearing as he wished. Treating their home as if he rented for a room, such disrespect. Who the hell was he and didn't he respect his elders? Surely he wouldn't treat his parents with the same attitude. "Ranma has spent the whole day depressed because of the strain you put on her, blaming her for the problems you caused!" Ryoga growled. They had caused her to fall into such a depressed state that if effected her appetite and her mental health. She was utterly miserable and they were the cause of it. They never cared about how unreasonable the demands, they just expected too much of her. Behaving like bullies and defending their actions until the very end.

"What, how dare you, boy…." Soun snapped, Ranma made too many mistakes and never approached his problems, he flirted with other women that weren't Akane and always used excuses. Her ran away from his problems and never took responsibility, such an attitude was shameful for martial artists.

"He's correct father, you pressure poor Ranma way too much" Kasumi agreed, stepping forward. She had seen how depressed Ranma was becoming, for someone so young it wasn't healthy. He spent his days balancing schoolwork, training and attempting a social life, that was when he wasn't fighting a new enemy. The poor boy just wanted to escape from his life so he would be unburdened, but nobody seemed to pay attention when Ranma reached out or needed help. She was the only one who he seemed to think he could turn to. Knowing Ranma felt like Kasumi was the only person who he could trust and confide in broke her heart, Ranma never deserved to feel that lonely.

"The fiancés, the stalkers, the debts, all of it! That was all Genma!" Akane agreed, Genma leeched money from them and never paid them back. He was unemployed, he had no job, he called himself a teacher but had no students. He used other people as a scapegoat and he tried to repair his problems with quick fix solutions which caused long term problems. She was sick of her family being pulled into the chaos that Genma was constantly falling into, it stopped now. He sure as hell was no father in law she wanted in her life.

"I… listen here!" Genma protested, why was he being ganged up on? It wasn't fair, he wasn't in the wrong by any means. Ranma knew the responsibility and sacrifice that came with being a martial artist, he knew that the minute he became his heir. Difficulty came hand in hand with the life of the Saotome school, he couldn't deny that.

"You took Ranma away from his mother as a toddler! You took him away from the only parent who loves him to become a martial artist! Then you caused him to develop an extreme phobia of cats using a banned technique because you can't read foreign languages!" Akane snapped. The reason Nodoka hadn't seen her son in so long and searched endlessly for him was because she missed him. Genma stopped contacting his wife causing her to assume the worst and simply predict what may have happened to her son. Ranma was constantly kept at arms length from her, watching from afar and pining for a healthy bond with her. To be able to speak to his mother and tell her who he was. Hell if she knew about the Neko ken and what Genma had put him through, she would demand Genma go through with the ritual immediately.

"You tried to shack him up with Ukyo then abandoned her for her family dowry and blamed Ranma for it. You damaged their friendship and left Ukyo with abandonment issues!" Ryoga snapped. Ukyo's life had been ruined because Genma greedily used their cart to make food for himself then abandoned her after stealing his spoils. Ukyo then spent the next decade blaming and resenting Ranma for not keeping a promise he had never known about. Later leading Ranma to explain everything because hos father was a coward.

"You took him on a trip to China to become stronger, got lost and kicked him into a cursed spring which you would have known about had you listened to the guide!" Akane agreed. Travelling to a foreign country was a huge decision and Ranma simply followed his father because he had no other choice, but then Genma's ignorance and stupidity landed them in trouble as per usual. Instead of listening to the guide he simply listened to his own arrogance and got them in trouble.

"Then when you eat the prize of a dangerous amazon, she has to clean up your mess which leads to you both getting a bounty on your heads. He's now stuck in a forced marriage because you had to drag him there in the first place!" Ryoga agreed. He saw a pile of food, didn't care if it was poisoned, stolen etc he just helped himself no questions asked. He then pissed off the amazons and in particular the elders granddaughter. Which led to Shampoo becoming bound to Ranma via traditions which Ranma was still trying to get himself out of.

Genma paled, unable to argue as the facts began to pile up into a mountain. Soun coughed awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

Kasumi stepped forward, placing a bowl of hot dumplings in front of Ranma to which the redhead happily began to guzzle them down. The emptiness in her stomach being filled and the her wounded heart being comforted. Realising her own hunger but the food making her feel better. She gazed at her father, a sharpness in her eyes, a silent tension vibrating through the air like electricity making the two fathers cower. Though Kasumi was the mildest mannered of the sisters, her temper was to be feared, she was by no means a pushover and even Nabiki knew not to mess with her. "Father, you and Mr Saotome have a lot of grievances to atone for, caused by your own mistakes and poor judgement. You are to contact Ukyo's father and explain the dowry and engagement. Pay him the money you owe for the cart and apologize for your mistake. Hopefully, then Ukyo may get funding to attend catering college and run her restaurant". Ukyo was also a student like Ranma and running her own business at the same time, she had enough worry about finances with the cart dowry to worry about. The sooner Genma apologised for his mistakes the sooner Ukyo and Ranma could have a healthier friendship. Even after all these years the money he owed for the cart and the ingredients would be expensive.

"But… it was so long ago, and it would cost too much" Genma babbled, he didn't have that kind of money. He had no access to cash since he used the last of it to travel to China. Nodoka wouldn't send him any money and he had no means to get a job, how would he survive? He owed enough money to people as it was.

"Stop drinking then old man and start saving, hell get a part-time job" Ryoga scoffed. If he laid off the alcohol, actually started teaching his supposed martial arts skills, continued at his job at the Tofu Clinic, maybe he could earn some money. Instead of using mature and simple answers he just took the easy way out and tried to get money off of other people further increasing his debt. The man was an utter moron and he never learned his lesson. How the hell his wife still tolerated him and hadn't divorced him yet he would never understand.

"You will have a meeting with Cologne about that meal you ate and the law of marriage. Shampoo seems like a lovely girl but her feelings are one-sided. She should return home to become a stronger warrior and be with her family. Leading her along and this forced marriage isn't fair on either of them. Be it flowers or some other expensive gift you will make sure it is sent" Kasumi continued. Though Shampoo was clearly smitten with Ranma he had no wishes to follow through with the marriage whatsoever. It wasn't fair on poor Shampoo when Mousse was head over heels for her. They needed to apologise to the family and break off their engagement, for it was clear that their relationship would not be pursued.

"Y… Yes, Kasumi dear…" Soun babbled

Kasumi's smile widened "Yatta, now we will also work on contacting Mrs Saotome, despite your separation she is still your wife and Ranma's mother. They have been separated for far too long and it's not healthy for Ranma. Whatever issues you may have you will work through them, a boy needs his mother after all" she responded. Nodoka had every right to see her son and should get full custody of Ranma given he was under eighteen and Genma was terrible parent material. She did enjoy having Ranma in their home but being separated from his mother wasn't doing him any good. They would arrange a meeting and work things over from there. Genma would have a lot to explaining to do thereafter. Genma nodded. The two men slowly stumbling out of the room, having sobered up immensely, fear radiating from the two men as they escaped to sulk. Realising there was no way out of this mess and that Kasumi wasn't the sweet girl they assumed her to be.

Akane gazed up at her sister in awe, she never knew Kasumi could act like that, she was so used to her being docile, friendly and nurturing. She had never seen Kasumi become so intimidating and stern before in her life "Wow Kasumi, that was soo cool" she gasped. She doubted either of them would be causing Ranma any more grief in the near future unless they wanted to get on Kasumi's bad side.

Kasumi then sat beside Ranma smiling at her sweetly, she could breathe easier now. Though it would take some time to process everything and sort out the matter, she would help Ranma work through it. She didn't need all this stress and it would be healthy for her, that way she could enjoy her life without the accumulating trouble. "I've taken care of everything and I'll be sure that Genma follows through with this. Though I like to think this is your home now, if you would be happier we can arrange for you to live with your mother" she soothed. She had come to love Ranma as another sibling and family member, he was such a sweet boy and like the brother she never had. But if Ranma would be happier living with his mother she would fully understand his choice to do so.

Ranma perked up immensely, this was such a huge deal and she couldn't thank Kasumi enough. She felt as though she may cry all over again but from happiness "You… you could do that?" she asked. She could crush Kasumi in a hug for doing her this favour. She didn't know how her mother would respond to her curse, but she knew she would rather live with her than Genma. She just couldn't cope with her father anymore, he just wasn't worth the hassle.

"If it's what makes you happiest" Kasumi nodded, what mattered most was making Ranma happy and if moving back home to his mother would do that then so be it. Though she would miss him, she hoped he would communicate with them.

Ranma sighed, her stomach now full and feeling better from venting her tears, she would sleep well for the night and had big changes to expect. Only this time she was excited to see them unfold. Usually surprises meant something bad when Genma was involved, but thanks to Akane, Kasumi and Ryoga defending her she knew she would be ok. She could finally be reunited with her mother and rid herself of all these numerous fiancés she never wanted. Sometimes crying felt good, even if her father called it unmanly, to just get out all these feelings in a healthy way. Maybe she would do it more often, just letting herself cry if she needed to. She was so grateful for Kasumi fixing everything, acting as the voice of reason and moderator. She had managed to convince both their fathers and put them in their place. No doubt Soun would be weeping over his beloved Kasumi talking back to him, forgetting she was nineteen nearly twenty, a grown adult. She couldn't repay her enough, all of the things she had managed to help Ranma with. Doing what was right to assure Ranma was happy and felt less depressed, without asking for anything in return.

She would still attend school with Akane for the rest of the year, given dropping out would be irresponsible. She still had a year of high school to finish before her graduation and step into further education. What kind of career she wanted and where her life would lead, she could never give up martial arts after all. She did think attending college back in her mother's hometown would be best, she could see her mother whenever she wanted and make a fresh start. Maybe her mother could give her ideas for a future career path. She could fix her friendship with Ukyo and get rid of all these annoying fiancés, being able to return to her simpler life.

Akane had excused herself to take a long soak in the tub and get some homework done, though she knew Akane was sad at the prospect of leaving. Ranma assured her that the marriage between them was still something she wanted. She just recognized that education and careers were something they needed to take into consideration. The day they would become wed would be a long way off and it was something they could work through together. Out of all her prospected marriage candidates, without a doubt Akane was the best choice of a love interest. She was the best person, she understood Ranma better than anyone and accepted all of her flaws. But Ranma needed time to grow on her own, she needed space and she needed to be with her family, when they were older and had gotten into their ideal colleges, then they could consider the prospect of marriage further.

"I don't think I've ever seen you cry like that before" Ryoga hummed, she'd looked so broken, helpless and lonely. He never realised how much Ranma struggled with on her own. He felt so awful for berating her constantly without ever hearing her out, maybe he could learn to control his temper better and maybe communicate more. All the times he had lunged at Ranma out of the blue, abruptly attacking him for no reason. He needed to grow up, he needed to learn to trust people more and not let himself be manipulated. Maybe if he was less of ass to Ranma and paid more attention to her father, then maybe they would be able to get along better, maybe be friends for a change.

Ranma flinched, having never heard him approaching her, she was still on edge after crying so hard. Kasumi had sat with her for hours, taking notes and dealing with the details that would allow Ranma to transfer. They had managed to forage a contact number for Nodoka by going through Genma's belongings, they had explained to the school that Ranma would be transferring back to his hometown within the year. They were going to deal with Ukyo first, given she was the most reasonable, having known Ranma the longest and his closest friend. Shampoo and her grandmother could be dealt with at a later date. "I uh… yeah… pops said feelings and shit…. It's unmanly. So…. I just learned to bottle them up" she babbled. Feelings, weakness, problems, stress, these were all things Ranma was taught to avoid that made her a weaker martial artist.

Ryoga scoffed, of course Genma would bully Ranma into behaving this way then defending his own actions. The guy was so full of shit it was unbelievable, how the hell was he even labelled a parent? Nodoka should have been given full custody of her son years ago. "He's a hypocrite Ranma, he sulks all the time, he eats like a pig and he's a drunk". No wonder Ranma was so screwed up, her father wasn't great parenting material and the worst role model he had ever seen.

"Guess that's why I'm such a jerk" Ranma laughed, she had learned from the best and allowed her personality to solidify into someone she hated. Maybe once she left Nerima and went to live with her mother she would be able to work on self improvement and make amends to people. Ryoga winced, every single insult and cruel thing he had ever said to Ranma in the past flashing through his mind. Thinking of how he had been hurting Ranma all this time and never questioned it. Feeling like an ass for all the times he'd blamed Ranma, saying she was to blame for all his misfortune but also everyone else's, how had that weighed on her conscience?

Ranma had never had a healthy relationship with anyone, she'd never had a role model to teach her good morals or how to be a good person. If she didn't learn to take care of herself or survive, he could only imagine the hell Genma would have put her through. Not her mother, not her father nor had she any friends, she was never able to settle down and genuinely bond with someone. Yet he yelled at her all the time for being dishonourable and selfish, never thinking of how Ranma differed from him. "You… yes you can be a jerk. You steal food, you annoy the hell out of me and your pranks can be too much. But…. You have empathy, you learn from your mistakes, you apologize. That's more than Genma does" he scoffed. Ranma could have told someone by now about his curse, mocked him for it, told Akane and even used it to blackmail him, but he never did. He blamed himself for Ryoga's curse and tried his hardest to find a way to break all their curses. Despite the fact none of them knew the location for the spring of drowned man that would allow them to be cured.

Ranma laughed, this was the nicest Ryoga had ever been to her in a while, what had changed? Could he possibly like her now or was she going delusional from crying so hard? "Wow, how sweet Ryoga" she laughed. When he wasn't being an ass he was fun to be around, reminding her of how they could have been friends a long time ago. Wondering how different their lives could have been. But he didn't have to worry about it any longer, she would be leaving to go reside with her mother and he could have headspace. He didn't have to worry about Ranma screwing up his life anymore, he would be relieved.

Ryoga blushed, now that Ranma had this therapy and was finally able to fix some of the messes in her life she seemed relieved. The tension and irritability she used to harbour had now eased. In fact she seemed easy going and fun again, the old Ranma, but perhaps this came with growing up. Maybe if she had been able to make these changes sooner in her life, she would have been less of a jerk to everyone. He had to admit, he would miss such a loud personality "So um… will you really leave Nerima and live with your mum?" he asked. From what he had heard, Ranma's mother sounded like a nice woman and a doting mother. Ranma would undoubtedly be safe with her mother and would have a happier life. She could learn to cook more and even breathe easier, a parent who didn't constantly cause her stress.

Ranma hummed, she had to admit she would miss Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi, they had become like family to her now and she really cared about them. I mean she had lived here for over a year now and this place was what she considered home. But she had been leeching off them for long enough and needed to get her life together, Ranma could figure his shit out on his own. Nodoka was filing for divorce, she had finally become fed up with Genma and after learning of what he had put Ranma through, she had reached her limit. But Ranma couldn't be happier to know his mother was now her legal guardian and sole parent. "I… its what's best, I mean… I'll still contact Akane and Ukyo but…. I gotta go home, a fresh start and all…" she sighed.

Ryoga hesitated, without the ability to fight Ranma, joke around or tease her life would be boring. Knowing she wouldn't be hounding his life anymore with her presence would be strange. He had become so adapted to her being around it would be strange. He'd even come to enjoy spending time with her, it was just habitual now. "So…. Our bet…. Us…. Guess I'll have to find a new rival" he joked. Maybe Kuno would be an interesting rival, he was a skilled Tendo student but if Ranma could beat him then perhaps Ryoga could. Hell, he spent enough time hounding Akane and other girls she could use someone to watch over her. I mean if he couldn't ever hope to find a relationship with Akane, he could learn to be her friend.

Ranma blushed, honestly it would be quieter without Ryoga around, his loud mouth and clumsiness was just something she was used to being around. Knowing she didn't have to watch her back preparing when he would jump out at her. Knowing he would be busy getting lost on his own without her worrying about him. She couldn't help but smile at all the idiocy he would find himself in. "I um…. You could visit, mum would like that. And maybe…. Well… we could go on a training trip together, finally break our curses…." she muttered. Nodoka was far more hospitable and friendly than Genma, she would love to meet Ranma's friends and know she'd not been lonely all this time. Their home was smaller than the Tendou Dojo but it was a nice home. So long as she was able to communicate with Nodoka after she had settled, she doubted she would mind. Hell, Ranma could use a camping trip, it would feel like old times.

Ryoga blushed, a camping trip with Ranma, alone? Sitting by a campfire in the woods under the stars, being able to train and just joke around. No interference and just being able to talk to Ranma without arguing? He supposed that could be nice, so long as Ranma didn't try and wind him up. Maybe it would allow them to finally put their problems in the past. He smiled shyly "Yeah… that would be good" he agreed.