Chapter 7

The day after yesterday

A/N - Darker chapter. making me think of switching to mature for this chapter not gonna stay like this though so unsure , but it sets up for a MAJOR Kuno beating. And I really, really don't like the guy, so i'm okay with that.

It was warm, bright, and soft. Ranma didn't know what it was, but she didn't want to leave it either. She couldn't ever remember feeling like this before. She was wrapped in what felt like a cloud. As these thoughts went through her head. She remembered where she was. She was in Akane's room, sleeping. This was very nice. She wanted to stay like this, wrapped up forever. As she thought this, a voice in her head scolded her. "You are a beast! You are strong! You don't need these humans, they'll just turn you weak, like them. You'll become a weak little human!" after she heard this voice, the memories started to come back at her, like a torrent. Most of them she could only get a general impression of, but one in particular stayed. a small boy, fighting with her, and her always winning, and being given food by the boy's father. Ukyo! Her best friend, Ukyo! Soon thoughts of Ukyo led to more memories solidifying in her mind, but soon her half sleep induced thoughts were shattered by Akane standing over her.

There was a boy standing infront of her, his back to her. He must have been about eight or nine years old, and had a broom on his back. As he was turning around, everything turned white, and Akane's eyes fluttered open. It was morning. She just lay there, trying to hold onto the image from the dream, but was pulled to wakefulness by the murmurings of Ranma. Her eyes were closed, and she was muttering. All Akane could make out, was "beast", and a moment later "Weak, human". Akane got up, thinking she should wake Ranma form the bad dream she was having, but as she stood up and was about to walk over to the murmuring redhead, she opened her eyes and sat up slowly.

"Ranma, are you okay?" Akane asked, shaking her shoulder gently. "You were murmuring about a beast, and being a weak little human..."

Looking up at Akane, Ranma froze. What should she do. Humans hated beasts. If Akane found out she was a beast, then... Then she would try to kill her. And then she would have to defend herself, and Akane would die. She didn't want that. After a moment, Ranma shook her head and said "Am ok. Just...dream?"

"Are you sure? You sounded kinda, distressed." Akane was concerned with Ranma nodded with a little hesitation. She didn't seem like any normal girl she'd ever met. She was a strong martial artist. She could do things that were amazing, she had seen it with her own eyes when she'd blasted her brothers. She could even cook! She was beautiful, even Akane had to admit that. She was mind-numbingly beautiful. And even though she only spoke broken Japanese, it just screamed cute too. She cut this line of thinking off. Ranma was a new friend she could make. She didn't want to be jealous of her.

"Akane?" Ranma wasn't sure what the girl was staring at her for.

"Oh, Right..." Akane looked at her clock. "We're up a little early. I'm sure Ken is still downstairs cooking. Is there anything..." Akane trailed off as she realized she was talking to air. She'd probably rushed off to be with her brother. Akane shrugged, then she walked over to her other brother's room, and knocked on the door. A muffled sound came from inside. She knocked again.

"This had better be good" was the reply from behind the door as it opened to reveal an unkempt Gen. "What do you want sis?" he sounded annoyed.

"Its about Ranma" Akane said.

"What about Ranma?" Gen suddenly looked awake.

"She doesn't have anything" Akane stated.

"What do you mean. Have anything?"

"Nothing, No clothes, nothing. She doesn't have a pack like her brother or father. I was hoping you could help me with that. I'll make sure she knows that its because of you we were able to help her" Akane said, hoping that she wouldn't have to resort to violence, knowing that a good amount of money he had was made by selling pictures of her. Since he covered most of the house bills that way, she let it slide unless it was too racy.

"Ranma , hmm... I suppose I could help" Gen said, then walked over to his dresser, and pulled out 50,000 yen from a box he had locked in his top drawer. He held it infront of him, and then lined them up in between his fingers. They were mostly larger bills, so he doubted Akane would even realize how much he was giving her at first. Walking over to Akane, he held out the few bills, to which Akane looked annoyed when she took them. Only five bills.

"What?... How?" Akane looked at the 10,000 yen notes in her hand. She had never had this much money before. She knew her brother supported the family to an extent, but that he had this much money to throw about. "How can you have so much money to throw about!?" Akane demanded.

"Well, that is my personal spending money. I've been saving it for, quite a while to be sure. But if Ranma needs it, I can always start over." Gen said, with a smirk on his face.

"Gen, you love money. How can you just give this much away?" Akane asked, unable to comprehend his reasoning.

"You're wrong Akane. I don't love the money. I love the game. The game makes me feel alive. While you and Ken find yourselves alive when you are fighting with your limbs, I find myself truly alive when i am fighting with my mind, against hundreds of opponents. Keeping track of everything needed. I know you hate the horde that welcomes you to school in the morning, but... I also can see how much you enjoy testing and improving your skills on them. Its the same for me" Gen said, turning around so she couldn't see the smirk on his face. He did love money, it was true. But he loved the game more, so he figured it wasn't really a lie.

"Gen..." Akane breathed. She'd never thought of it like that. Her brother wasn't as bad of a person as she thought. She had loved him, but she was disappointed in the person he was, before now. That he selflessly gave this money to Ranma, when he'd spent so much time and effort on making it, lended truth to his words. "I'm sorry Gen. I've, said things I shouldn't have. I'm really sorry."

Gen smirked. He knew that he had Akane in the palm of his hand. If he could get Akane to stop being so hostile to Ranma's adored brother, that would just be another point. "It's okay Akane. But since we're being candid, you really should give Kazuma a chance. He seems like a nice guy. From what I've noticed, Furinkan high is rather... stacked in its characters. Just be happy you never met the principle before he left on another indefinite stay in Hawaii. Something about that place just breeds, insanity. You never know, Kazuma and Ranma might be a blessing, if you give him a chance." He turned around, and flashed her a smile he rarely used. He was the Iceman, nothing broke his surface, he was unreadable, and many viewed him as unstoppable. That he dared show anything that looked so heartfelt, even to his family, was enough to floor Akane.

"Yes, brother. I'll think about it." Akane said. "Thanks again, I'll let Ranma know you gave me the money."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. The money is no strings attached. Just make sure you two have fun today. Can't have my little sister going out and doing nothing but work on her day off!" Gen turned around, admonishing her, wearing his cold facade, with nothing more than a twinkle in his eyes to betray anything other than business as usual.

"Okay!" Akane said, running out of the room.

Gen stared after his sister. He had no doubt Akane would talk to Ranma about the whole incident. Unless he missed his mark, and he rarely did, Ranma would not only hear about the money, but also the kind words towards Kazuma as well. Ranma seemed to adore him almost as much as she hated her father, although for what reasons she hated the fat man, he didn't know. But that he encouraged his sister not to treat him like she had, would go well with the cute redhead. Chuckling to himself, he went over to his desk, and counted his losses. He had given Akane almost half of the money he made from her pictures to Kuno and the other idiots at the school the previous week. He still had all the money he made from the betting pools and loan sharking he did though, so he was still well in the black. Locking the box up, and closing his desk, he went downstairs, for his morning coffee and breakfast.

Ranma was having fun again. As soon as Akane had mentioned cooking, she had ran as fast as she could, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Ken had looked at her in surprise, asking what she was doing. After a feeble protest that she was a guest, and that she should be able to relax in the morning, another cooking session was underway, with Ranma listening attentively, when not attempting to swipe a little extra food for herself during the process. Every so often, he would correct her grammar. When she asked why, he said "Because. I can tell, you're smart. But not everyone can see past the fact that you can't speak your native language very well"

Ken had to keep himself from laughing at her antics. She was a natural at cooking. She could smell when things were right. He knew this because she had correctly estimated the best time to test things. And test them again. He wondered where all the food went as he looked at her, then started to blush at the curves he had noticed, and the curious points on her shirt. He turned away quickly, turning his mind back to the food as best as he could.

"What wrong Ken?" Ranma asked cutely, smelling clearly what was wrong. Something inside her told her that feigning ignorance, could be... Amusing.

"N-n-nothing!" Ken stuttered out. She was too cute. As he turned to look at her, she had her big blue eyes aimed right at him. "Just hungry! Yeah, Hungry! But the food is nearly done, so how about I go set the tables!" after saying this, Ken grabbed all of the chopsticks, and plates he would need, and then started to hurl them onto the table, astonishingly enough, making them land in perfect order. After he was done, he took a deep breath, and then sighed. Now he knew how Yumiko Tofu must feel around him. He turned around sheepishly, as Ranma giggled at his antics. Shrugging he said "And that, is the Tendo, anything goes, attack of a thousand dishes technique. Rare and powerful. Or at least it saves time during house work." he chuckled.

Ranma looked at Ken, smirking. She could smell his state, but would leave him alone. She was hungry after all. As everyone filed down stairs, towards the good food, she assisted Ken in bringing the food out, smiling happily, while Ken followed her out with a slight blush on his face that Gen didn't miss. Gen kept his emotions from his face though. Smiling pleasantly, he thanked Ranma and Ken for the wonderful meal, then dug in, as did everyone else.

As soon as the meal was done, Soun and Genma started a game of Go, Gen went upstairs, and Ken started clearing the table. As Ranma moved to help Ken, Akane grabbed her arm. "Let him take care of it. We're gonna go have a girls day out!" she said excitedly.

"What?" Ranma looked at her. "Not fair for Ken to do all work. We go after work done."

"Go Ranma. Its useless arguing with my sister. And besides you've been more than enough help to me just by helping in the kitchen. You wouldn't believe how much easier it is with a second set of hands!"

"Hey, I can help in there too!" Akane said angrily.

"Yes, you can. When you start tasting your food young lady. Until that day, you are banned from the kitchen for anything more than grabbing a snack or a drink." Ken said seriously. Akane glared at him for a moment, then pulled Ranma out the door.

"Let go! I can walk by myself!" Ranma said irritably.

Akane nodded, and let her go. "Sorry. Ken just makes me angry sometimes. He's better at everything than me. He cooks better, he is a better martial artist, and he has such good people skills." After a moment something registered in her mind. "Ranma, why did you just refer to yourself as male when you said I?"

"What?" Ranma looked at her curiously. Male, she was not male. But something deep inside her rumbled as she thought that.

"You said I, as in male, not I, as in female" Akane demonstrated the use of each word.

"Oh. I sorry. I didn't know" Ranma said, correcting herself.

"Its okay. Somehow, it seems like your speech is getting better though. You must be a fast learner" Akane mentioned.

"I am the best. Nobody can beat me" Ranma said. She didn't know why, but she knew that was how she felt.

Akane chuckled at her, then responded teasingly "Wrong. Ken can defeat you. All he needs to do in a fight, is mention cooking, or food and you'll be putty in his hands!"

Ranma shot back a snide comment in her cutest voice, "Maybe Ranma no want to defeat him." to which Akane nearly dropped on her face. After a period of silence, Akane chatted about things Ranma couldn't understand. Interactions with her friends, and her need to be like a woman that was interested in her older brother. Ranma ignored her, until she heard the words battle. Playing back the words that had been more or less passing through one ear and out another, she understood what Akane was saying. Every morning, males led by an alpha would attack and attempt to harm her so that she could be subjugated by them. Ranma stood stock still, and her hands balled into fists, as memories of one of the few times she had protected a human surfaced.

Back, before the half beastmen, he had been wandering his forest when he heard a scream. There, he saw a girl who had four men around her, all as naked as day. He was tempted to leave the humans mating to themselves, until he saw them beating her, and doing things that made him angry. When she screamed out in pain again, Ranma roared out in anger, and stalked forward, no longer subduing his flames. His head bowed, he growled and hissed. After the men had separated from the female, running for their life, Ranma had launched one of the largest fireballs he had. Nothing but ashes remained. Ranma stood there for a moment, looking at the woman. She was sitting there, eyes blank, and shivering. Like an injured animal that was injured, was in pain, and no longer cared the end was coming. He was about to end the woman's life out of pity. Beasts did not enjoy suffering of others, but something inside of him objected. Looking at her, he padded up to her, gently touching her head with his paw. Nothing happened. Ranma paced for a few minutes wondering what to do. Clothing. Humans liked to cover their bodies. Clothing would help her. He walked over to where the men had thrown her clothing, and then brought it to her, dropping it in her lap, and making a rumbling sound. The woman blinked for a moment, then stared at him in horror. Ranma stared back, then cocked his head to the side, and let out an oddly deep mew. The woman could not stand to run away, no matter how much she tried. Then suddenly, as she tried to move her hands out of her lap, she realized, they were covered. Her clothes, they were here. Looking again at the beast, she spoke in Chinese, "Did you save me?" Ranma looked at her intently, then nodded his head.

"Why did you save me. Are you some kind of god?" She asked, to which Ranma shook his head.
"Then why?" Ranma looked at her. then at the ashes that remained of her tormentors and growled. Then he turned back to her. "It doesn't matter..." her head dropped and tears poured out. "My life is done. I am garbage now. I've lost the only thing that was mine. My life is no longer worth living"

Ranma looked at the woman, who was berating herself. She had been defeated, and humiliated. But it was over. She should be happy. Growling, Ranma stalked infront of her. She was safe. The bad men were gone, why was she crying.

At his growling, she looked up at him. "Kill me. Please. I've got nothing left. I've got no life!" She sobbed. The growling grew louder, and she was sure it would grant her wish. She was afraid, but she knew it would be for the best. Suddenly, she felt the pressure of his face on her shoulder, and she looked up. He had walked over to her, and had pressed his face into her shoulder, and was purring and rubbing his head in the crook of her neck.

"You won't kill me?" She asked, sounding both hopeful and heartbroken. "Even if i ask?" Ranma responded by shaking his head in the negative, causing her to giggle as his whiskers gently scratched her neck.

"Where can I go? I've got nothing. I am nothing..." She said, falling into her spiral of depression again. Ranma walked away from her, shocking her. He turned around and made a sound similar to a bark, walked a few steps, then repeated the sounds.

"You want me to follow you?" The girl asked another obvious question. And received a nod and a flick of a tail.

After following Ranma, she found herself in the cave he lived in. Soon after that, she was guided by gentle head butts to the area of the floor he had softened for sleep. Soon after, she was asleep, the ordeals of the day far too much for her to handle. Inside Ranma felt a light. A voice. moving closer to the woman, he looked at the girl, then moved his nose to her forehead, and a luminous light came about. The girl glowed, and the bruises she had been developing started to fade away and the bleeding from between her legs stymied. Ranma smiled. She would be okay. As he tried to walk into another corner to sit down and watch her, he fell. And it kind of hurt. He stood up, but was surprised to find himself on two feet, with his hands held out infront of him. He yelled in shock, causing the girls eyes to open. She sat straight up, and looked in panic at Ranma, who was standing before her in all his glory, before suddenly, he shifted back into the tiger beast she knew before. Ranma sat and looked at her for a moment. She looked down at herself, and felt her face, and chest.

"What happened to me. What did you do?" She asked. Surprisingly enough, she was given an answer.

I have made you whole again. You were in pain. I do not know why I did what I did, but it was the right thing to do. A disembodied voice spoke to her in her mind. She looked at Ranma curiously for a second, then began asking him questions, every once in a while pausing to let him ask questions about what had happened. By the end of the night, she had gotten his name. Ranma. The name of a god, the name of the perfect man. The name of her saviour who wanted nothing in return.

After that night, she left, but returned as often as she could. While Ranma would always tell her not to return, for it was dangerous for her to be around a beast such as him, he never said it forcefully. Unfortunately, soon after that, the half dragon bastard had come, and taken away the only friend Ranma had ever had. Until now, Ranma had never really felt the loss of it, until she identified exactly what the girl had been to him. A friend. She didn't care if he was a beast. She didn't try and tame him like humans often did with beasts. She didn't try and kill him. She did nothing more than came to see him. Even after they couldn't talk to each other, she came by, often with gifts, and one time, with a bright, solid ball. It had been red, and Ranma had much fun with it, before it had been ripped to shreds. And the Bastard had taken that away. Tears leaked out of Ranma's eyes as she realized what she had lost. She'd never see So Fu Lan again.

"Ranma!?" Akane said, her voice full of concern. The little redhead beside her had stopped walking, and had a cloudy look in her eyes for a moment, before the tears had started coming. "Ranma, what's wrong!" Ranma didn't respond. "Its okay Ranma, i'm not sure what's wrong, but its okay?"

Ranma looked up at Akane, who was hugging her. "Not okay. But will be" she said, with a vicious look in her eyes, and voice.

"Are you sure Ranma?" Akane asked. When Ranma looked like that, she scared Akane. Something about it made her think of a wild animal about to attack.

"Yes. What wrong today, I fix tomorrow! I promise!" Ranma shouted in a happy voice. This time realizing that she could stop an event like what happened to her friend. That was all that mattered to Ranma.

Akane looked oddly at the redhead, she didn't make sense. But at least her mood was back where it was. Soon she dragged the girl into a clothing store, and spent the better part of two hours fitting stuff to Ranma. Ranma protested, and in the end, only got a few sports bras and some outfits that were just like her brother's, only smaller. Akane also convinced her to get a few pair of pajamas like hers, as well as some panties. Akane nearly freaked when she found out the girl had none, and was wearing the boxers her brother possessed. After Ranma had stormed out, muttering curses in chinese about uncomfortable clamping demons, Akane paid for what she had decided Ranma would wear, then followed her out, finding her sitting infront of a fountain pouting angrily.

"Go away. Ranma no more play doll!" she said angrily.

"I'm sorry Ranma. I was just having a little fun. Don't be angry. Its just how us girls bond" She said, and smiled at Ranma. As Ranma turned away Akane spoke again "How about I treat you to ice cream to make up for it."

"Ice cream?" Ranma looked at her.

"Yes, its one of the best foods in the world! You've never had any?" Akane couldn't believe it.

"No. Never" Ranma said.

"Well, we can fix that!" Akane again grabbed Ranma's arm, and dragged her to in the direction of her favorite ice cream parlor. After sitting Ranma down at one of the tables, Akane went to the counter, and got both herself and Ranma a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. Carrying the treats back to the table, Akane smiled. This would be a fun treat for Ranma. She looked at the cold confection infront of her, and pushed at it with her spoon. After Akane had started to take small spoonfuls, eating them slowly, and seeming to savor the taste, Ranma mimicked her.

"Mmm, is good!" Ranma squealed. She'd never had anything like this before. Not even the packaged food she stole from the campers. Ranma alternated between making sounds similar to purrs and mews as she kept eating, as well as some sounds that were normally reserved for activities that were done behind closed doors. Akane's face turned red. Soon, a few of the boys who were enjoying the show, decided to buy the cute girl some more ice cream, hoping to extend the show she was putting on. Ranma happily accepted the free treats, although only the chocolate ice cream had caused such a huge reaction. After much embarrassment on Akane's part, Ranma had gotten full, and they left.

"Akane... Thank you" Ranma said after they had been walking back in the direction of the Dojo for a short time.

"Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Thank you. You treat me like a friend. But should not. I am beast. Not person like you" Ranma said, looking sadly at the ground. "It not safe to be around me. People want to hurt me, if they find out what I am, people hate me"

"Ranma, what are you talking about?" Akane said. "We're friends. Nothing can change that. You're a little odd, but aside from that, you're my friend and nothing could change that."

Ranma lunged at Akane, who yelped at the glomp she received, dropping the bags she had in her hands. "Thank you" She murmured again. She had finally found a pack of her own, and she would protect it no matter what.

"Ranma, get up. People are looking at us weird. Ranma?" Akane said, then noticed the tears glistening in her eyes. "Ranma its okay. Lets go. We want to get back home before dinner right?" Ranma released Akane from her glomp, and then helped gather up the bags, picking up almost all of them without any real effort.

"Ranma can we talk for a bit?" Akane asked Ranma, as they walked back towards the Tendo dojo.

"Ok" Ranma said, turning to look at Akane.

"What do you think of your brother?"

"Kazu? He good brother. Always help me. Treat me nice. He good person. He don't like people getting hurt. Swimming from China, he offered help. I no need, but he offer. That get him killed. I think he give too much room to enemy. I won't let that happen. Will protect him" Ranma looked at Akane after finishing. "Why you want know?"

"Well, Gen was talking about him earlier." Akane said cautiously.

"What Gen say about brother?" Ranma said, a threatening tone in her voice.

"He said, that he seemed like a nice guy, and that I shouldn't judge him so quickly. He said that he could be a blessing if I gave him a chance. I don't know why he said that, but... He knows people. He works them, and gets the money to support our family by doing that. If he said that about him, I think, i might have been wrong about him. I'm Sorry" Akane said as they walked.

"It okay. Kazu is good brother. He forgive you. I know it." Ranma said, with a smile.

"Also Ranma..." Akane said, and Ranma looked at her. "Gen gave me all the money for the stuff today. He didn't even want you to know that he gave it to me. He just said to make sure we had fun. I haven't seen this side of him since... Mom died."

"Eh?" Ranma made a curious sound. she didn't really know what to say.

"I'm just saying... He seemed to genuinely want to help..." Akane said. As she was about to say something else, she heard a soft voice from behind her.

"Oh, my. If it isn't Kentarou's little sister Akane. Is this a new friend?" A tall girl with full brown hair said from behind them.

"Oh, Yumiko!" Akane said in surprise. "Its good to see you, this is Ranma. Her father, her brother, and her just moved in with us. We just went shopping for some new clothes for her."

"Oh? And why are they living with you?" Yumiko asked curiously.

"Fatman engaged Brother Kazuma and me to Ken, Gen, and Akane" Ranma said simply. Not noticing Yumiko's look of horror at that, she continued "But no be forced. Now, we just look for mother."

"Oh, isn't that nice?" Yumiko said,"So, what's this boy like Akane?"

"He's...Nice, but like the rest of his family he's a little odd. But unlike everyone else in the area, he hasn't done anything perverted yet." Akane stated simply.

"Well, that's nice. I was hoping you'd meet a nice boy someday soon. I wish you the best of luck, but I must get going. I will see you later Akane" Yumiko murmured, and turned to leave.

"Who was nice girl?" Ranma asked.

"That was Yumiko Tofu. She is a chiropractor that our family often sees. She's an excellent martial artist, and excellent at her job. Except when Ken's around. She gets... dangerous whenever she is around. She loses control of herself. We all know she really likes Ken, but the way she acts really puts him off" Akane said, shaking her head. "She's really a sweet person."

"Oh." Ranma seemed to think, then she turned around to Akane who was lagging behind her. "So Ken like her, or no?"

"I don't know. Sometimes he is kind to her, but that might just be Ken being Ken. He hates people being hurt, especially by him. And unless she can get over her nervousness, i don't think anything could come of it anyhow.

"So, Ken not like anybody?" Ranma said, looking back in the direction of the dojo.

"There is, at least I think so." Akane said. When she did, she noticed Ranma looked slightly crestfallen. "Ranma... Ken had been pretty much disconnected from the opposite sex before you came along. Sure he's gone on dates, but he's never found anyone who could hold his interest. They all either have no interest in cooking, or martial arts, or try and curb his interest in those areas, to make him more into their perfect boyfriend. You on the other hand are quite possibly one of the greatest martial artists I know, and you work with him in the kitchen. You're pretty much everything he's ever wanted."

Ranma looked at Akane, then nodded with a smile on her face. With that, they continued on their way. As they entered the yard, Ranma saw Kazuma, and the fatman fighting. She jumped in between them, slamming her fist into the fatman's gut. "You no hurt brother!"

Kazuma grabbed her from behind "Calm down Ranma! We were just sparing!"

Ranma looked over her shoulder at him,"What?"

Kazuma lowered his voice "Ranma, we were just playing. Having fun. It wasn't anything serious"

Stopping her struggling, Kazuma released her, and Ranma asked "Playing? Why play like that?"

"Because, its fun. And it makes us better martial artists." Kazuma looked at his sister.

"Why Kazu need that?" she asked.

"Because, we strengthen ourselves. We can also figure out our weaknesses, and fix, or mitigate them. And with our strengths, we can protect people important to us." Kazuma said to her.

"I want to too!" Ranma "I want to be able to protect Kazu too!"

"Then girl, you will train with us" Genma said from behind her, standing straight up, and putting off an air of competency rarely seen by him. "But you will refrain from anything beyond regular physical attacks. No Fire."

"Why? Fatman afraid of fire?" Ranma asked with a smirk.

"Foolish child. If you rely on nothing but your fire, then you will never get better. And when it fails you, you will be finished, because you will have nothing to fall back on. Besides, in training, we're not aiming to harm each other." Genma said, his arms crossed, looking down at a rebellious Ranma.

Ranma looked uncertain for a moment, then whispered. "What about... Other me?"

"That, is something that you should keep as under wraps as possible. You should let people meet, and acknowledge you as a person, or else they might treat you like a monster" Genma said seriously.

Ranma looked at him "I am not monster, I am beast."

"Ranma, you are my child. You are neither. And as long as i'm here, you will not have to rely on just your natural abilities. I shall train you like Kazuma, starting now!" Genma announced.

"Okay Fatman. I fight with you." Ranma said, slipping into a sloppy anything goes stance. Then launched herself at her father.

Genma dodged to the left, annoyed at how his daughter had taken him so literally when he said "starting now!". He dodged her attacks, thanking whatever would watch over someone like him that her form was so sloppy. He grabbed her by the ankle and then tossed her at the Koi pond. She landed with a splash, then flew out of the pond, her speed increasing, and her need to hit the fatman increasing every time he dodged. Ranma remembered how he had caught her leg, and then made another kick similar to the one he grabbed last time, but when he grabbed her ankle, she grabbed his wrist with her hands, and kicked off his arm with her other foot, breaking his hold and flipping him over her with the momentum she had created, launching him into the pond, then took up a position, staring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Decent girl. Your form needs to be reworked again. But adequate all things considered."

Ranma was gonna launch herself at him, for looking down at her like that when Kazuma interrupted, "He's right. You did good. Your form is a bit sloppy, but its still the anything goes. Although, I will say, that was amazing how you made him think you were making the same mistake twice, then turned it around on him. You might be almost as good as me if you train as hard as us!" Kazuma said, then laughed.

Soon after this, an exhausted Ranma, Kazuma and Genma entered the main part of the house. Ken was headed into the kitchen, which prompted Ranma to follow him. Assisting him with the cooking, and getting gently corrected by Ken on her Japanese, it was much like the morning and previous night. After a good dinner, Soun and Genma called the family together for a meeting.

Soun looked at them all then started, "Kazuma, Ranma, it has been wonderful meeting you. Since you two will probably be here for a time, i have convinced your father to let you attend school with my youngest son and daughter. We took care of the papers today, and you two are all set for tomorrow."

Kazuma groaned. "There isn't a way I can get out of this, is there?"

Ranma remembered school slightly. She had never been in one. When she was young though, her friend Uchan had spent the early part of her days in school. Thoughts of her father and her sitting around a fire every few nights, while he taught her to read flashed in her mind. "I never been to school before. Fatman teach me to read, before...bad thing happen"

Everyone looked at Ranma, and Genma spoke up "You don't need to talk about that right now Ranma. Just adjust to being back with me and your brother for now. Alright?" It sounded like he cared, but something inside of her told her that just because it sounded like he cared, didn't mean he really did. She fixed him with a hard stare then nodded slightly.

Ken looked at Ranma. What could have been the bad thing Ranma mentioned. Returning his focus to the conversation he then made a point "Ranma, why don't we spend some more time practicing your japanese tonight. You seem to be a quick learner, it should help in your first day of school then?"

"A good idea my boy!" Soun said. "You make your father proud, at this rate the schools will be united!"

Ranma looked confused for a moment, then it sunk in. Just as she was about to hit the foolish man, Ken beat her to it. Moving almost faster than she could follow, he pumped him on the head and said "Stupid old man, nothing like that is happening, at least not right now! You do anything to push this on anyone who doesn't want it, i'll make sure Akane gets to cook her heartfelt meals for you every single night" he said. Akane heard that she would get a chance to cook, and her eyes lit up, until she realized that her brother had used it as a threat.

"You jerk! I can cook just fine, right daddy!" Akane shouted..

"Um... um. Yes dear, but Ken is in charge of the kitchen." Soun said trying to avoid the point.

After some less meaningful small talk, and a fairly involved language lesson between Ranma and Ken, everyone retired for the night, with Ranma and Kazuma being the most excited about the next day. Kazuma remembered school fondly, and his rivalry with, someone. He just couldn't remember the person's name. And Ranma was happy she would be in a place to help her friend tomorrow.

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Well, that's all for now. Just as a warning, gonna be about two months before i can update again. Going over to play in the sandbox, so no internet. I'll still be writing though so i'll have more for you guys in march.