Ranma ½ Red, Violet and Black
Author notes: For everyone that still enjoys reading this fanfiction (or at least still reads it), I present chapter 4. Here Ranma faces her father and the Tendo family with the news, we witness their reactions and Shampoo gets more screen time.
Chapter 4
It was an unusually quiet morning at the Tendo Dojo, mostly due to the fact that Ranma was currently not present and therefore no morning spar between the teenager and his father was going on. The Tendo family plus Genma Saotome were sitting around the living room table and quietly eating their breakfast. Finally, Kasumi broke the quiet: "So, does anyone know where Ranma is today? It's very unlike him to miss breakfast."
Quickly Genma replied: "I don't know where that insolent boy is again. Probably slacking off and trying to avoid our morning spar. In any case since he isn't present you can gladly give his portion of breakfast to me instead Kasumi."
The eldest Tendo complied with a smile, but then frowned slightly again: "Hmmm, I still wonder were Ranma is."
"You can ask Akane that. She kicked Saotome out yesterday. Literally." Chimed in Nabiki with an amused grin.
"Oh my, Akane, was that necessary?" Asked Kasumi.
The youngest Tendo huffed in indignation and retorted: "Hey, that stupid pervert was picking on P-chan again. He deserved everything he got." Soun Tendo just sagely nodded, not daring to disagree with his daughter on pretty much anything. Kasumi also politely decided to not mention that in her opinion maybe her younger sister had overreacted a bit.
"Still, usually Ranma is back by morning after you two have a… disagreement like this." The oldest Tendo girl diplomatically said: "I do hope everything is alright."
Akane snorted in badly concealed anger: "The pervert is probably gallivanting around with Ukyo or Shampoo. Not that I care." Everyone else at the table did find that possibility to be extremely unlikely and Nabiki voiced that doubt.
"Uh-huh. Sure." She drawled heavy with sarcasm: "As if Saotome has enough of a spine to actually flirt with any of his fiancées."
Just at that moment the assembled residents heard the front door open and a moment later a familiar redhead with an aura of palpable unhappiness around her entered the room. "Oh Ranma, you are back. I'm afraid your father already ate your portion of breakfast, but if you wait a bit I'm sure I can fix you a small snack before you have to go to school." Kasumi welcomed the boy turned girl in her usual friendly manner. And then right behind the pigtailed girl and equally familiar violet haired amazon entered the living room and greeted everyone with her standard: "Ni hao."
"I knew it!" yelled a furious Akane: "I knew that jerk was cozying up to one of his floozies."
"Ranma, explain yourself." Soun immediately chimed in.
The redhead sullenly defended herself although without the usual vigor: "I'm not cozying up with anyone." Everyone in attendance, with the exception of Shampoo, was visibly taken back by Ranma's gloomy mood and lack of fighting spirit in her protest. It was very uncommon for the young martial artist to be in this kind of mood.
Genma was the first to recover and immediately questioned: "What's it with the dismal mood boy? Probably comes from your constant slacking off. Time to set you straight again. Get ready for a spar and no excuses. But first get some hot water. Why are you a girl anyways? Fell in the River?"
Before the Saotome heiress could respond Kasumi helpfully interjected: "I'll go and boil some water."
Sighing in defeat Ranma told her: "Thanks Kasumi, but don't bother. It won't be necessary." This resulted in almost everyone staring at the redhead once more in surprise.
"What has gotten into you, boy?" Genma demanded to know loudly.
Gritting her teeth Ranma managed to get out: "It just wouldn't do any good right now. I'm… stuck… as girl right now."
Her disgruntled father cried out in annoyance: "What? You are stuck again? What did you do this time again, boy? Angered someone you shouldn't have angered or did you do something stupid with magical artifacts?"
"Oh, look who is talking." Quipped Nabiki, rolling her eyes at the older Saotome.
The bald martial artist just shot her an irked look before his eyes settled on his only child again: "Well, start talking already, boy."
All the eyes in the room were now curiously looking at Ranma. The pig tailed girl sighed once more, her expression getting even gloomier, and acquiesced: "Okay, just let me sit down first. It's a long story."
A while later Ranma had once more relayed the story about how she got herself locked in female form again and now was dejectedly looking down at her own lap not daring to look her father or the Tendos in the eye. Those meanwhile were still shocked and trying to absorb what they just heard. Genma was the first to recover and he wasn't very pleased. Apparently he also wasn't very keen on accepting the news: "Are you sure there isn't any cure, boy? Maybe this is just another trick of those Amazons. They are a bunch of crafty liars and cheats after all."
"Are not." Shampoo, who was sitting left of Ranma, disagreed fiercely: "When great-grandmother say she no know of cure than great-grandmother no knows a cure. Stupid Panda really shouldn't accuse others of being liars."
"She does have a point about that Mr. Saotome." Interjected Nabiki once more taking the chance to make a verbal jab at the bald martial artist. Ranma's father just shot her another glare which left her unfazed. In fact, the middle Tendo was the only one that seemed to find the entire situation rather amusing. Akane was still mostly shocked to silence and Kasumi was frowning in worry but did her best to maintain her smile. Their father meanwhile was openly crying and lamenting: "Now the schools will never be joined. The tragedy."
Genma then decided to join his friend in wailing and whined: "Oh, the shame. My only son and heir has been turned into a weak little girl. It breaks my heart. What have I done to deserve such a cruel fate?"
Nabiki, obviously having a blast, jovially replied to that rhetoric question: "I could compile a list, however that would cost you some yen."
Ignoring her entirely this time Ranma's father continued his tirade: "You were supposed to be a man among men. And now this! What a failure! Truly you bring shame over the name Saotome, boy. How could you humiliate me and yourself like this Ranma?" The red haired girl in question didn't respond. On the contrary she continued to simply sit there with her face cast downwards, her scarlet bangs hiding her face. Normally the teenager payed her father's frequent insulting ramblings little to no attention, but recent events and developments had seriously put a dent into the young Saotome's self-esteem to the point where she actually felt like Genma's accusations were justified. Her hands balled to fists and she could barely stop herself from starting to cry again as her self-loathing grew stronger by the second. With despair she thought that that was it. She dishonored her family and would be cast out surely. Despite her best efforts she started to tremble, though she did at least manage to not break out in tears.
To her left Shampoo picked up on her fiancée's emotional distress and soothingly laid a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of solidarity and affection. Then with a quiet but assertive voice the amazon spoke to her beloved's father: "That enough! Stupid Panda trash talked Shampoo's airen for too too long already." Blinking in confusion the part time panda wanted to protest. However, another voice stepped into the conversation.
"I think Shampoo is right Mr. Saotome." Kasumi agreed on the amazon's words. The eldest Tendo daughter had also picked up on the fact that Ranma wasn't taking the insults in the usual stride and deemed it necessary to intervene for once: "With all due respect Mr. Saotome but I really don't think that Ranma needs your verbal abuse right now. She went through some pretty traumatic events tonight and just had her life altered in a rather significant way, at least for the next few years. This honestly isn't the time to lay all the blame on her. Not that I think there is any blame to lay on Ranma in the first place, since clearly those young men that poisoned her for unsavory reasons are the ones responsible for this."
Suddenly Ranma got up to her feet and, eyes still cast down, sullenly said: "Thanks Kasumi, but my pops is right. I… It's all my fault. I wasn't careful enough and dishonored myself and my family name and got myself locked in cursed form like an idiot. I… understand if you want to cast me out of the family pops. I deserve it. And since you Tendos probably don't need a good for nothing shame of a freeloader in your house…. You… don't have to throw me out... I'll go on my own. Just let me get my stuff before…"
All the Tendos plus the Saotome patriarch just gaped at the redhead before Genma finally interrupted her: "What are you talking about, boy? I sure as hell do not intend to disinherit you. You don't really think you can just walk out of the Saotome family like that, do you?"
"But… but… you said I brought shame over my name… and I'm not even a man anymore and…" Stuttered Ranma.
Now to most people Genma Saotome might seem like an abusive parent who gave little consideration to his only child's wellbeing and they might be correct about that to a certain degree. However, deep down the bald martial artist did actually care about Ranma and in his own way even loved his son turned daughter. Even his harsh and sometimes downright criminal training methods were mostly, misguided, but well-meant attempts to make Ranma a strong and independent martial artist. And the thought of banishing Ranma from the family had not even once entered the elder Saotome's mind. So he just snorted and retorted in his insulting way: "Pfffh. Boy, you have been an embarrassment to me since I started training you. If I haven't thrown you out of the family yet I sure won't throw you out over this either. Calm yourself and sit back down. Though your mother better not find out about this, or we are both dead."
"And surely father wouldn't throw you out either, right father?" Kasumi friendlily added with a questioning look towards Soun: "I mean, Ranma has been living here for quite a while now and she is kind of a part of the family already, even if the engagement with Akane just became… complicated."
"He, or is it she now, is also a valuable source of income for me." Nabiki mentioned nonchalantly.
Akane, to Ranma's surprise, agreed with Kasumi: "Sure Ranma is a nuisance and a jerk sometimes but he can be a good guy occasionally. We can't just throw him out. He has nowhere else to go, since his mother probably wouldn't react well to this. Plus, this time, he for once isn't at fault but it was those other perverts."
Soun Tendo nodded magnanimously and said: "Of course I won't throw you out on the street Ranma. You and your father are welcome as our guests until you can sort out this mess and return to your own home. Like Kasumi said, you are pretty much part of the family." With a sideway glance towards his old friend Genma he added: "Even if some of you do cause my family no shortage of… excitement." The older Saotome tried his best to look inculpable. Ranma herself couldn't quite believe yet that nobody was shunning her.
"Y… you don't hate me for this?" She stammered weakly. Her question was answered by most of the people present shaking their head earnestly, while Nabiki now apparently bored again with the newest shenanigans, just shrugged noncommittally and started to file her nails.
The pigtailed girl had until now managed to stop herself from crying, but now she could hold out no longer. Except that it were tears of relief that were flowing down her cheeks now. She honestly had expected way worse from everyone, which was somewhat understandable since the Tendos and Genma weren't very good at expressing their positive feelings towards the redhead. "Thank you." The teenager whispered while trying to wipe away her tears and regain some sense of composure.
"Don't bawl your eyes out like some six year old girl, boy." Her father once more started to rant: "Have some dignity. I see we have to intensify your training. You've been getting soft and weak and…" Unfortunately for the part time panda he was cut short, when Shampoo suddenly shot up from her place at the table, jumped over to him and in one swift motion grabbed the surprised martial artist by his gi and tossed him straight into the koi pond. When the drenched man turned panda resurfaced and glared at the violet haired amazon she just dusted off her hands and stated: "Shampoo said Stupid panda insulted airen enough. Maybe actually being panda makes him shut up already, yes?"
"Can't say he didn't have that one coming." Nabiki dryly commented.
"Oh well, it's getting late. Akane and Nabiki you should leave or else you'll be late for school." Kasumi helpfully reminded her two sisters. Ranma blinked away a few tears and asked: "Oh, I guess I should get ready as well."
The eldest Tendo daughter frowned shortly but quickly replaced the expression with her usual gentle smile while she objected: "Oh no, Ranma. You've had a rough night and barely got any sleep, being knocked out by magical potions aside. You should probably take it easy and rest for today. Don't worry I'll call the school and tell them you are ill." Now, mostly Kasumi was just worried that the redhead might not be up emotionally to go to school today after the rather distressing night she had just lived through. But voicing that worry would most likely just make Ranma go just to prove how though she was. While Ranma was still visibly thinking about her proposition the eldest Tendo girl gently took the redhead by her arm and determinedly led her from the living room towards the guest room. Still in her usual pleasant motherly tone she continued: "Really, I bet you are exhausted. You sure want some sleep. You are probably hungry too. I'll fix you something to eat."
Wiping the last of her tears away Ranma sniffed: "No really I'm fine Kasumi. But something to eat can't hurt I guess."
"Sure thing." Beamed the eldest Tendo daughter while still adamantly maneuvering the red haired girl into the guest room and into her bed, despite the girls halfhearted protests. It turned out that Ranma actually was exhausted, though more thanks due to emotional trauma rather than physical reasons, since it took only a few moments for her to doze off.
In the living room Akane and Nabiki were ready to leave for school, when Kasumi reentered and informed everyone: "Ranma is asleep now. I think it might be best if we do not disturb her for some time." During the last sentence she focused a stern look on Soun and Genma. She then continued: "Akane, please inform your teacher that Ranma isn't feeling well today. I will call the school later to confirm as much."
"Sure thing Kasumi." The younger Tendo agreed.
Shampoo took that moment to proclaim: "If airen is asleep Shampoo going as well. Thank you for hospitality." The purple haired girl followed up with a bow in Kasumis direction.
"Oh no problem Shampoo." The eldest Tendo daughter replied: "But if it's not too much to ask, would you mind leaveing through the door instead of leaving through the wall like you sometimes do?" The amazon mulled it over and eventually decided to comply. She was in no particular hurry so she figured that she could take the door, even if it did take longer. Nodding the amazon walked after the other two Tendo children, who were leaving for school. While the three girls were walking out the gate of the Tendo residence Nabiki started to eye the Chinese teenager with vague interest. Finally, she asked: "So Shampoo, why exactly aren't you out to slit Ranma's throat again now that he, she, whatever is pretty much stuck as a girl fulltime?"
"Why everyone keeps asking Shampoo that?" The violet haired girl cried in exasperation, a slightly hurt look on her face: "Shampoo not tried to kill Ranma since ages ago and also has no desire to do so whatsoever anymore. In fact, Shampoo not tried to genuinely kill anyone in long long time."
Not giving up that easily Nabiki continued to pry: "Oh come on, I mean shouldn't your kiss of death thing apply now again?"
Akane glared at her older sister and angrily hissed under her breath: "Nabiki! What do you think you are doing? Don't encourage her to try kill Ranma again. The last thing we need is her going back into a murderous rampage."
"Kitchen destroyer not need to worry. Shampoo not going to kill her airen." The amazon stated with a shrug: "Kiss of death not applies to people born male."
The youngest Tendo girl's expression darkened at hearing her, unfortunately rather justified nickname from Shampoo, but was still relieved about that bit of information. True she and Ranma didn't get along all the time, but they still had developed a friendship and Akane absolutely didn't want the young Saotome to die. Curious she asked: "So what are you and your great-grandmother doing now Shampoo? Going back to China?"
Shampoo just blinked in apparent confusion and retorted: "Why would Shampoo do that?"
"Well since Ranma is stuck as girl for approximately eight to twelve years, wouldn't that foil your marriage plans?" Answered the Tendo girl.
Cheerfully the amazon replied: "No, only delays them a bit."
Gaping at her Akane stammered: "A… bit? But... eight years is a really long time. You honestly plan to wait for Ranma that long? What if you meet someone else in that time?"
Shampoo just stared at her as if she had no idea what the blue haired girl was talking about. Eventually she said: "Kitchen destroyer is being silly. Shampoo not going to wait until airen can turn back into man-type Ranma. Shampoo going to be Ranma's girlfriend first and then marry him once stupid magic potion wears off."
Upon hearing this Akane suddenly blushed beet red and nervously stuttered: "His… girlfriend? But… but… how… You are a girl and he's a girl too… and… how's that supposed to work…?"
"Seriously Akane, don't be so naïve. If you want, I could find you some pictures of how that is supposed to work somewhere. Provided you pay me for it of course." Quipped Nabiki, who found the current conversation quite entertaining.
"Shut up." Her sister spat at her before turning to Shampoo again: "Seriously, doesn't it bother you that Ranma is stuck as a girl."
"A bit. Not really much, though." Came the airy reply from the amazon.
Akane's left eye began to twitch in shock and having no sensible reply left she resorted to anger once more. "I knew you were a pervert, all along." She accusingly yelled at the less than impressed violet haired girl.
Shampoo just made a dismissive hand gesture before levelling a slightly annoyed gaze at the Tendo girl: "Shampoo is not pervert. Is perfectly normal to like both boys and girls according to amazon culture. Also Ranma is great person male or female. Plus, surely kitchen destroyer has noticed herself that girl-type Ranma is looking very very good." A predatory glint appeared in the amazon's eyes while she said that last part.
"What?" yelled a completely flustered Akane: "Of course I haven't noticed anything along those lines. I don't swing that way!"
"You sure? All your "I hate boys!" yelling surely doesn't help that statement." Nabiki took the chance to wind her sister up further.
Whipping her head around to glare at the middle Tendo sister, Akane furiously shouted: "Shut up. I only hate stupid, perverted boys, who try to beat me up because they think I'd go on a date with them afterwards. And I don't like other girls in that way. Have I made myself clear?"
That declaration apparently delighted Shampoo quite a bit, as she suddenly sported a bright and self-satisfied smile. Cheerfully she rejoiced: "That too too good news. If kitchen destroyer not like girls, then she no longer is obstacle for Shampoo. Now Shampoo's victory is one step closer. Maybe whole situation not only bad. Now excuse Shampoo, still have other things to do. Need to take care of some trash with great-grandmother today." With that the violet haired girl jumped up to the rooftops and disappeared into the direction of the Cat Café.
"Well she does have a point. At the very least father and Mr. Saotome won't be able to pressure you and Ranma into marriage for now, since that is currently not very possible." Nabiki observed: "I guess you managed to avoid that arranged marriage after all. At least for the time being."
"Yeah, I guess." Retorted her younger sister bitterly while stomping off towards Furikan High. The youngest Tendo wasn't happy at all with the recent development. Despite what she openly proclaimed, she did have some feelings for Ranma and had already kind of accepted that marrying him one day might not be so bad. However, she had also spoken the truth when she said she didn't actually felt any attraction to girls so now she was understandably upset about the fact that her budding relationship with Ranma would most likely come to a screeching halt. Sighing sadly, she grumbled under her breath so nobody could hear it: "Just my luck. I meet a boy who isn't a complete jerk, at least sometimes, and he turns into a girl permanently."
Further author notes (Beware of minor spoilers): Well, there goes chapter three. If you read it this far, thank you and as usual I hope you enjoyed reading it and apologize if you didn't.
I know that many similar stories have Ranma's friends and family reacting quite vicious to him getting stuck as girl, but I personally always thought that none of them truly hate Ranma enough to be complete jerks about it. On the opposite, Nabiki aside, all of them do show some level of care towards Ranma in the Manga and Anime. So I went with Genma being a jerk about it, but not too much and the Tendos being mostly nice instead.
Ranma's mother isn't present because this story uses anime canon as basis and the anime stops before Nodoka even finds out about the curse if I remember correctly.
As for Akane: Sorry, Akane fans, she is officially out from the race for Ranma. She won't be the one to end up with Ranma in this fanfiction, though I won't depict her as complete b*tch either. I will try to make her somewhat sympathetic, since I don't really actively dislike her character or anything.