Tomboy Trouble

By Skye Silverwing

Disclaimer: No, I don't own it.

Chapter 3: Complications.

"At last," Soun Tendo declared, "You have come!"

In a moment, his middle daughter appeared at his shoulder. "Ooo…" Nabiki said, "He is cute!"

Soun gathered Ranma into a hug. "It is so good of you to have come…" he suddenly stopped, pushing the young Saotome back to arm's length, studying him.

Nabiki, ever an aware girl, approached Ranma and began poking "him" in the chest. This seemed to make Ranma uncomfortable. "Um…Could you stop that?" Ranma said.

Nabiki turned to the assembled people and shot a glare at her father. "'He' is a girl." She said, causing Soun to faint.

It took a relatively small amount of effort from the girls to transfer the man into a futon in his room. He lay there staring at the ceiling, surrounded by his three daughters and the girl that should have been the boy one of them would marry. Haruka, who had assisted with moving him, stood against the wall, a slightly confused look on her face.

Kasumi attended to Soun as he lay there. "Poor Father," She said, as she re dampened the cloth for his forehead. "He is so disappointed."

Nabiki scowled. "He's disappointed?" she grated, "Some Fiancé this is!"

Akane regarded her sister with a level look. "Stop it, you two," She said, "She may be a girl, but she is still a guest."

Haruka nodded. "Yeah," she said, "If I were you, I would be happy I didn't have to get married to some guy I didn't know. In fact, I left home because my father tried the same thing."

Akane stared at her, surprised at the little insight into the girl, and then smiled. Turning to Ranma, she grinned. "Ranma, would you like to join Haruka and I in the Dojo?" she asked, "I am trying to teach her to be good enough to hold her own against this jerk at school."

The pigtailed girl nodded. "Alright with me." She said.

Akane smiled. "Great! I'm Akane, by the way." She said with a cute smile, "Do you want to be friends?"

A genuine smile blossomed on the Ranma's face.

Haruka smiled as well, and the three of them went out to the dojo.

Akane observed Ranma's movements as she walked, trying to get a decent reading on the girl's skill, much to her surprise, she realized that this girl had clearly been training for some time, possibly as long as Akane herself.

As they reached the Dojo, Akane turned to Ranma. "You study Kenpo, right?" she asked.

The girl rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah. Some." She said, though Akane and Haruka both recognized it as modesty. This girl was clearly a decent fighter.

Akane slid into a basic stance. "How about a little sparring match?" she asked, "Just for fun. I promise to go easy on you."

Ranma looked her over and seemed to stand at ease. "If you say so." She said.

Haruka was not sure what to make of the pigtailed girl. She seemed nonchalant, and yet there was a sense of control in her movements that gave her the sense of a coiled spring, tense and ready to move at a moment's notice.

Akane opened up with a simple punch. Rather than block it, the pigtailed girl jumped vertically, drawing her whole body up over the punch. Akane's follow-up kick was also dodged. She began to get a sense that Ranma was just toying with her. She pushed her strength and speed to the limit, trying to score a hit on the girl, but each time, her attacks only met air. "What are you doing," she asked, trying to convince the purple-eyed girl to do more than just dodge, "Swing at me!"

Ranma continued to dodge, and Akane realized that the girl was reading her moves like no one she had ever seen. Focusing everything she had into a single punch, she struck at the girl as hard and as fast as she could, driving her fist straight through the wall as Ranma dodged.

The Pigtailed martial artist vaulted over Akane's head and calmly tapped her on the back of her head. Akane turned slowly, and began to laugh nervously. Ranma joined her in a few moments.

Haruka stared somewhat wide-eyed at the Pigtailed girl, aware of how skilled a fighter would have to be to make someone like Akane look like that much of an amateur, that easily. She didn't even break a sweat, and Akane couldn't have touched her with a ten foot pole. It was more out of desire to see how well her own skills measured up than any kind of need to avenge her would-be girlfriend that Haruka stepped forward. "Okay," she said, "my turn."

Ranma gave the blonde an appraising glance. "Okay." She said, "Show me what you've got."

Haruka stepped up, starting the fight out with a haymaker, transitioning into a roundhouse kick. Ranma ducked under the haymaker, popping up using Haruka's leg as a springboard. Haruka lashed out with a feint, then a blazing fast straight punch. She was not surprised to see the marital artist had anticipated her moves, easily avoiding the attack. She tried a fast punch-kick combo, attempting to read where the girl would be, only to find that the girl was never exactly where she expected her to be. Finally, Haruka tried another roundhouse, and Ranma vaulted over her head, causing the blonde to spin to attempt to face her again. To her surprise, though, the pigtailed girl was not there. A soft tap on the back of her head revealed Ranma to be standing where she had started the jump from. She had jumped up and caught the rafter, allowing her to drop back down when Haruka turned.

Both girls grinned. "You are pretty quick when it comes to anticipating an opponent's moves." Ranma told her, "I think that if you combine that with skill born of practice and determination, you will be able to fight better than most fighters in Japan."

Akane felt a sharp pang of jealousy, though she was unsure if it was directed at Haruka, for making a better showing then she had, or at Ranma because she had Haruka's attention and Akane was still trying to come to grips with her feelings toward the Tomboyish blonde.

Kasumi appeared at the door of the dojo. "You girls should get cleaned up after your workout." She said. "Dinner will be started soon."

Akane noticed the appreciative manner with which Haruka glanced toward Ranma and glared at the blonde for a moment, before turning to the violet-eyed girl. "Ranma, you go first." She said, "Haruka and I need to have a discussion." She then proceeded to drag Haruka to the other side of the dojo, missing the pigtailed girl's sigh of relief.

As soon as the two were alone, Akane caught the Tomboyish blonde up in the most sizzling kiss she could manage. Then she fixed her with a solid glare. "Let me make one thing absolutely clear to you, Haruka." She said with a slightly vicious growl, "If you are going to ogle other women while we are together, we are not going to have a relationship, no matter how right kissing you feels."

Haruka nodded dumbly for a moment before she came back to her senses. "I just can't shake the feeling like something is off about her." She said, "Most Tomboys are like you and I, feminine in some ways, masculine in others. But everything about her screams boy, from her walk, to her skill, to her mannerisms. She doesn't act like a girl, and when she does, it comes off as totally fake."

Akane nodded, considering the new girl's actions up to this point. "Maybe her father raised her as a son." She said, "It would fit with what Dad told us."

They headed for the bath room, figuring that Ranma would likely be finishing up by now.

Catching Haruka eyeing her with a smirk, Akane fixed the girl with a piercing glare. "Oh, no, Miss Pervert." She said, stopping at the door into the changing room. "You are staying right here until I am done. Our relationship is not THAT advanced yet."

Haruka looked at her somewhat dejectedly, but leaned against the wall and motioned for her to hurry up already.

Smiling at her, Akane opened the exterior door and went in, closing it firmly behind her. She quietly disrobed and placed her clothes next to Ranma's and picked up a towel. With one more quick glance to make sure Haruka was not peeking she opened the inner door of the bath room.

And Froze.

Stepping out of the bath at that very moment was a man that Akane had never seen before. His solid black hair was tied back in a pigtail, and was dripping wet. Water glistened as it ran down his well-muscled body as he stood there, staring, as shocked by her presence as she was shocked by his.

After a momentary silence, Akane shut the door, slowly put her clothes back on, stepped to the external door, opened it, stepped out, and closed it. She then closed her eyes and let out a breath that she had been unaware she had been holding.

Haruka looked at Akane standing there in shock. "Akane?" she asked, "Are you Okay?"

As if the words had broken the trance she had been in, Akane let out a piercing scream, then charged into the next room and out onto the porch, bending down to pick up a heavy stone statue while muttering something about drowning him in the tub.

Nabiki and Kasumi stepped out onto the porch, anxious because of their sister's scream. "What is it Akane?" Nabiki asked noticing the statue in her sister's hands, "What is that for!"

Akane hefted the weight higher. "There is a pervert in the Bath Room!" she declared.

"Oh, My!" Kasumi said, "But wasn't Ranma in the…"

The Eldest Tendo Daughter's statement was cut off as a loud crash sounded from the bath room. All of the Tendos turned to look, seeing the bath room door standing open. A moment later, a black-haired man, dressed as Ranma had been, dashed out, and, reaching the opposite wall, ran up it, and jumped off with a back flip, narrowly avoiding Haruka's attack as she charged and threw a low jump kick that crashed through the wall.

The boy had only a moment to recover, as Haruka lashed out again, this time with a Haymaker that claimed a vase that had been displayed in the hall. The boy narrowly managed to dodge, giving ground as the Tendo girls watched in shock.

"Perverted Freak!" Haruka Raged, "What do you think you're doing in Akane's bath?"

The Blonde threw a fast right punch, only to find her arm caught by the boy, who used her momentum to spin around, depositing her at the feet of the Tendo girls. All of them were preparing to defend themselves when he spoke. "I told ya," He said heatedly, "I would explain!"

Nabiki was the first to speak. "Who…" she said, "Who are you?"

The boy developed a sheepish and embarrassed look. "I'm Ranma Saotome." He said, "Sorry about this."

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Haruka had been called many things during the course of her life, but indecisive was not one of them. The moment Akane had exited the bath room, she was aware that something was wrong. When Akane screamed and fled down the hall, rather than waiting to find out what had happened, Haruka had charged into the bath room to find out for herself. This had brought her face to face with the partially clothed man she recalled as the one her father had tried to engage her to, Ranma Saotome.

The similarity of the boy's name to that of the girl she had fought ten minutes earlier had completely slipped her mind as she determined that THIS Ranma, who was known to be one of the best martial artists of their generation, had been in the bath room and had done something that had frightened Akane. That was more than enough in Haruka's eyes.

"Ranma Saotome." She said, her voice dripping with contempt. "Prepare to DIE!"

"What the…" Ranma said, as he flung himself to the side in order to get his pants back on, even as he dodged Haruka's mad bull rush. "Haruka, wait… I can explain." He got out while performing a standing back flip while putting on his shirt.

Haruka was not surprised that the jerk knew her name. He and that louse of a father of his had caused her enough grief over the past three years. Ever since the older jerk had taken the dowry her father had offered and ran off, she had never seen eye to eye with her father, as he had believed that she had driven them off.

She spun a roundhouse kick, destroying the bathroom door with a loud crash as Ranma vaulted over her leg, and made for the door. Haruka would have none of that, though. She launched forward in a low jump kick, and smashed into the wall as Ranma ran up it and flipped over her, retreating down the hall. She charged like a raging bull down the hall, throwing a haymaker that should have taken off his head, but instead slammed into a nearby pot as the boy seemed to flow past her outstretched arm with practiced grace and ease.

Placing all she had into one last punch, she called him a pervert for being in the bath, and then she found herself drastically overextended as he almost calmly took hold of her arm and sent her tumbling through the air to land in defeat at her love's feet.

Ranma seemed embarrassed by the whole situation. "I told ya," he said, "I would explain!"

Above her, Nabiki took a tentative step toward the boy. "Who," she asked lacking her usual confidence, "Who are you?"

The boy looked even more embarrassed. "I'm Ranma Saotome," he said, "sorry about this."

It was in that moment that Haruka made the connection. The name, the manner, the boyish way in which the girl had acted, it all matched up that somehow, in some way, this boy and that girl were one and the same. With curiosity overcoming her anger, she stood, and followed Ranma and the Tendo girls into the dining room, as eager as the others where to hear the explanation.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

"I'll explain this again." Soun Tendo said, indicating a man wearing a white bandanna and glasses, "This is my old friend…"

"Genma Saotome," he said, then gesturing to his son, sitting beside him, "and this is my son…"

"Ranma." Ranma finished.

Nabiki stared at the two of them incredulously. "What's this all about?" she asked.

Kasumi stared at the boy in wonder. "Are you really her?" she asked, "That same girl?"

Akane just glared at the boy as though she thought he had deliberately deceived her.

Haruka, who was not really part of the family, sat back and weighted for the explanation, after which, if the two men failed to give reason for their actions, she fully intended to pound both of them into paste.

Genma thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "How to begin…" he said, "Ah! I know!" Then he grabbed Ranma by the shirt and flung him through the open patio door and into the Koi pond in the back yard.

When Ranma emerged from the cold water, his hair was once again dark purple and his proportions decidedly more female. "What the Hell are you doing!?" She shouted, leaping at the old man.

Genma cried tears of humiliation. "Oh, how humiliating," He said, "My own son."

Ranma kicked him into the koi pond as well. What emerged was decidedly more… Well… a Panda.

Ranma glared at the black-and-white bear with contempt. "You're one to talk." She said.

Kasumi looked at her father. "Where they always like this?" she asked.

Soun simply shook his head. "They were not." He said, "Not before they went to China and undertook that terrible training exercise."

Haruka looked at the transformed men and narrowed her eyes as they headed for the bath to change back. "They better get to explaining before I lose my patience." She said.

Akane only nodded.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

When Ranma and Genma returned to the room Genma began to tell the tragic tale. "We were in China for a few months when we reached the Legendary training ground of Jusenkyo, the Springs of Sorrow." He said. "We were completely unaware of the tragedy that was about to befall us."

Ranma growled at his father. "Whose fault was that?" he demanded, "You just had to jump right onto the poles while the Guide was still trying to tell us about it!"

Genma swung at his son. "Silence boy!" He said, "Respect your elders! Who is telling this story anyway?"

Ranma casually avoided the punch and smirked at his father. "You are still just mad that I beat you in that training." He said, and then turned to the others, "Knocked him right into Shomannichuan, the Spring of the Drowned Panda."

Genma growled and caught his son in a headlock. "You never beat me, boy!" he said, "I popped back up and cut right through your lowered guard. You know better than that."

Ranma pitched his father over his shoulder, slamming him to the ground. "The only reason I lowered my guard was because what 'popped back up' was a Freaking Panda!" he said, "A Panda that proceeded to kick me into Nyanichuan, the Spring of the Drowned Girl."

Soun and his Daughters and their guest stared at the two fighters. "So, the legends of the Cursed Training Grounds at Jusenkyo are true!" Soun exclaimed. "Though its true horror was never revealed, until now."

"True horror nothing." Haruka said, "That oaf probably didn't even read the brochure."

Genma turned to glare at the girl, only then truly seeing her for the first time. His eyes widened as he recognized her and began to look around quickly for an exit.

Kasumi put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, My!" she said, "Is it possible that you cannot read Chinese?"

Ranma nodded, confirming Kasumi's thought. "We learned afterwards that all of the signs along the road leading up to Jusenkyo were saying the same thing." He said, "But somebody decided that we should ignore them."

Genma suddenly rounded on his son. "You be quiet, boy!" he said, pitching him into the koi pond again. "And respect your elders!"

Ranma leapt from the water, once again sporting feminine curves. "I will give you respect when you earn it!" she shouted, lashing out at Genma and dumping him in the water just as before. The Panda leapt out and began trading blows with the girl.

Soun pulled out a tea kettle. "So hot water undoes the curse?" he asked, pouring the boiling water from the kettle on the Panda.

Genma reverted to human form, uttering a startled exclamation as he did. "Not quite THAT hot, old friend." He said as Soun moved on to Ranma.

Soun attempted to pour the boiling water on the girl, but the she dodged. "Well, this is not such a problem at all." Soun said, "My daughter Kasumi is nineteen, and Nabiki is seventeen, and Akane is sixteen. Pick one of them and she shall be your fiancée."

Before Ranma could speak, Kasumi and Nabiki weighed in.

"Oh, he wants Akane." Kasumi said.

"Oh, definitely." Nabiki agreed.

"WHAT!?" both Haruka and Akane demanded.

"You have got to be kidding!" Akane said angrily. "I don't want to marry that pervert!"

Nabiki grinned. "You're always going on about how you hate boys…" she began.

"Well, now you are in luck, because this boy is half a girl!" Kasumi finished.

Ranma glared at the lot of them, who, like their fathers, seemed to be ignoring her now. "Hey, don't I get any say in–" she stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked and saw that the hand belonged to Haruka.

Haruka's gaze bored into her like a laser drill. "Ranma, can we talk, privately?" she asked, clearly working things around in her head.

Ranma nodded, curious.

The two of them, lost to the argument of the sisters, slipped from the room.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Haruka looked the girl over once more. "Ranma, do you remember the time you spent at my family's mansion, six months ago?" she asked.

Ranma stared blankly at her for a moment before recognition dawned in her eyes. "Ruka-chan?" she asked, surprised to see one of the few friends she had met on her training trip here. "Wow, I can't believe I didn't recognize you. How's your old man?"

Haruka glared at the girl. "He and I have not seen eye-to-eye since you and that jerk you call a father left." She said. "He believed that I drove you two off deliberately."

Ranma cocked her head. "That's stupid. Pop said we left because we had been there long enough." She said, then her expression turned thoughtful. "Though, he did mention something about an agreement that your dad wanted him to fulfill."

Haruka looked at Ranma in surprise. "You mean you didn't know what the agreement was?" she asked.

Ranma shook her head. "No. It just seemed like the same type of thing the old man did every so often." She said. "I would meet a new friend and then for no reason their parents would give pops food or money or something and then we would leave."

Haruka's eyes widened. "The agreement between our parents was for you and I to get married." She said. "I was against the idea, being uninterested in men, but you and your father left, and my father blamed me."

Ranma's eyes widened. "I… I didn't know." She said. "Is there anything I can…?"

Haruka chuckled. "No, I burned all the bridges with my father shortly after you left when I decided to become a lesbian." She said.

Ranma's eyes widened even more. "A… a lesbian?!" she asked, "Doesn't that mean that you…"

"Are into women?" Haruka responded. "Yes. I am."

In a rare moment of insight, Ranma suddenly came to a realization. "Does that mean you are interested in Akane?" she asked.

Haruka nodded. "I just met her earlier today," she said, "but I feel like I am connected to her, like we are destined to be together."

Ranma nodded, understanding the blonde's sentiment in her own way. "I had a friend that seemed to be that way, once, though I didn't return his interest. I don't think love is something I should get in the way of." She said, than thought a bit. "Mr. Tendo doesn't seem like the type of guy to agree with it, though."

Haruka nodded. "That is why I need your help." She said. "I have a plan."

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Deep in the Darkness, something evil stirred.

"HAPPOSAI, AWAKEN."

A small old man pulled himself from the shadows. "Yes, My Master?" he asked.

"THE MESSIAH OF DESTRUCTION STIRS. YOU MUST LOCATE HER AND BRING HER BEFORE ME."

Happosai looked surprised. "That cannot be, My Lord," he said. "The power of the Messiah of Destruction is locked away and useless within its male host."

"DO YOU DOUBT MY WORDS, HAPPOSAI?"

Happosai cowered before the force. "No, my lord!" he said, "I would never doubt you! I will find the girl and bring her before you, as you have commanded!"

"GOOD. SOON MY ARRIVAL WILL BE SECURED."

Happosai bowed deeply. "Yes," he said. "It shall be as you command, Lord Pharaoh 90."

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

Setsuna stared at the image in the Gates and turned to the Ascended Being standing next to her. "What the heck was that?!" she demanded.

Skye Silverwing grinned at the green-haired Senshi. "That," He said, "Was the villain. With no Professor Tomoe, someone else had to bring him into play, so why not the aged martial-arts master?"

Setsuna glared at him. "But Tomoe never had the power Happosai has!" she said, stomping her foot. "It is unbalancing to the timeline!"

"No it isn't." Skye said with a placating grin, "You are underestimating the power that Ranma has. A strong Saturn means no Mistress Nine. Happosai makes up for that. The Timeline is balanced."

Setsuna sighed and turned her back on the self proclaimed God of Possibilities. "This is not going to end well." She said.

Skye raised an eyebrow. "Care to make a friendly wager on that?" he asked.

Setsuna turned and glared at him once more. "That would be foolish of me, betting against my own happiness." She said.

Skye grinned. "Not if my stake is letting you start it over how you want." He said.

Setsuna's eyes widened. "Then what is my stake?" she asked.

Skye grinned.

.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.

I think I mentioned it before, but I love constructive criticism. Tell me how I am doing, what you think I can do better, and give me plot ideas.