Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Fistful Of Omake ❯ Continuing With Unusual Beginnings ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Continuing with Unusual Beginnings:

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Soun was flabbergasted. He'd gotten a postcard from Genma stating simply:
Need help. Be there soon. Genma.

Then a *panda* of all things had shown up at his front door, looked around, then headed for the furo. This had been followed by Genma at last appearing, though without Ranma despite their old agreement. A demonstration and explanation of Jusenkyo had occurred, but now Soun could hold his tearful question back any longer.

"But what about your son, Saotome? What about our pledge to join the two families?"

"I'm rather curious myself," said Nabiki from her position at the crowded table.

Genma went into his most solemn expression. "The trouble started when we visited a village of Chinese Amazons."

"'Chinese Amazons'? Get real," snorted Akane. Personally she was glad there was no boy to show up, though she'd never admit she was actually curious about this anyway.

"Yes, and while Ranma is supremely confident in his martial arts skills," Genma paused to scarf four rice balls and take a gulp of hot tea, "I was certain to undercut his confidence in everything else in life. To make him more tractable and easily dominated by one of your daughters for the marriage."

"Good thinking, Saotome," agreed Soun, not noticing the frowns appearing on two of his daughters' faces.

Genma nodded. "Unfortunately, even with my sabotage of his friends and social life, making sure he grew up so ready for a friend that he would be truly desperate for any kindness your daughters could show him, something unexpected occurred at that village."

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Shampoo smiled confidently. She'd just given the Kiss Of Death. The Guide was panicked and explaining to this interloper what she'd just done. Now, would this Outsider show herself worthy of joining the tribe by courageously standing her ground, or would she be revealed as a coward by fleeing - and therefore worthy only of contempt?

Uh oh. Why was the Outsider girl looking all sparkly-eyed like that? What was with the drifting sakura petals and pink light? Judging from the happy oblivious look on the girl's face, Shampoo made a wild guess that this girl hadn't even heard one word the Jusenkyo Guide had said. What was with all the roses in the background? This wasn't the flower festival!

*GLOMP! SNUGGLE! KISS!*

Shampoo's eyebrows attempted to rise past her hairline. She was being kissed?! A light kiss, almost identical to the Kiss Of Death she'd just given. Now the girl's blue sparkly eyes were brimming over with tears and she was staring right into Shampoo's eyes. Waitaminute, this was NOT how this was supposed to go!

*HUG!*

Shampoo considered fainting. The girl was saying something in that odd language and hugging her so hard that Shampoo felt ribs creaking. "AHHHHH! SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL THIS GIRL WHAT I JUST DID!"

A gentle, inexperienced, hesitant, kiss to the lips was Shampoo's answer. Then this girl laid her head on Shampoo's shoulder and said something else in their odd language, almost drowsily.

"Uhm? Excuse me?" Shampoo started trying to get herself free, without success.

Cologne pogosticked up. If the girl had run, she would have been deemed a coward. Shampoo would have been dishonored, then have to chase after the girl and humiliate her. Death actually wasn't the usual way for things to go, but the Amazons had to keep up appearances. If she had stood her ground, ready for a fight, she would have gotten a feast and party as she became a member of the tribe. THIS didn't quite fit.

"Help! Great Grandmother! This pervert..." Shampoo began to choke. The girl was responding to Shampoo's attempts to free herself by practically grafting herself on.

Cologne listened to the barely audible muttering. Shampoo had seen through the curse? This girl had been alone for a long time except for a "stupid father" and...

Cologne listened further to the barely coherent rambling, then fixed her gaze upon a panda who had snuck back to the feast table and had begun scarfing food rapidly.

A severely underconfident young lady, who had never had friends, never known family, never had any fun or home she could call her own? And a PIT OF CATS?!

Cologne encapsulated the girl's rambling into a shorter form. An abused child? One who had been recklessly endangered by her father? Never allowed to know her mother? No friends?

The disgust and annoyance focussed on the Outsider changed to looks of sympathy.

Cologne's staff flicked out. Curses had been mentioned. THAT was the Jusenkyo Guide. A cup of hot tea from one onlooker was launched. A panda turned into an overweight man.

"Kill the panda!" "Abusive fathers must die!" "Let me slash his ears off!"

Shampoo had fainted, otherwise she would have volunteered. If nothing else just to get away from the hydraulic press that was this girl's hug.

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"It is a matter of family honor, RANMA'S family honor," insisted Genma. "You know how much weight giri has in Japan..."

Cologne nodded. "Certainly it would be best not to inflict any further dishonor on the poor child."

Genma let out a deep breath of relief. "Fine then. We'll just be going."

"Oh? What exactly is this 'we' you are referring to?"

Genma froze again. "But you just said..."

The wrinkled old crone smiled. "Genma Saotome, upon interviewing with you and young Ranma, it has been determined that you are a loathsome, dishonorable, pathetic, lazy, small time thief and large time glutton."

"HEY!" Genma disagreed with this assessment. He wasn't loathsome!

"The only reason you haven't been sold to the Beijing Zoo is because it was felt that losing even a miserable excuse for a family member like you would have negative effects on your child's precarious mental health." If Lilac's glare was any hotter Genma would have combusted. "Abused children, particularly abused women, have often been adopted by the tribe."

"...but Ranma is a boy..." Genma squeaked, being surrounded by a large number of really old women whom he knew (from three attempts to rescue Ranma and flee the village) could severely kick his butt whether he was in panda form or human.

"Yes, we know." Cologne sat back, considering whether to make just one tiny movement. One little signal that would have this person mailed home in a zip-loc pouch. The one quart variety. No. A pity. But no. "One who has been adopted into the tribe." Though this really upset Mousse. It was quite strange that Mousse simply could not seem to grasp that Ranma and Shampoo were *friends* now. Siblings by adoption. Though on seeing what Ranma looked like as a boy, and what could have been her husband, Shampoo had managed to dent a support post when she had beat her head against it. Still, Cologne thought it was all *mainly* sorted out.

"Therefore, *your* family role is secondary - if existent at all." Lilac was an earthy sort of Healer, and a dirty old woman, and a lot of things. Child abuse was one of those things that caused her to put aside the Healer's role temporarily.

"So you can leave and put things aright back in your homeland. Meanwhile, Ranma can spend time here with his new sister and try to recover from having you as a father," Cologne pronounced.

"Why should I agree to something so ridiculous?" Genma huffed at the old woman.

"It gets you out of our village, and alive," pointed out Cologne.

Genma considered the old women briefly. Survival was a good thing, but greed... "Throw in dinner and it's a deal."

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"Saotome, how could you?!" Soun groaned, though well remembering how easily Genma would cave at the offer of food.

"All is not lost, Tendo. If your three daughters travel to the Amazon village, we can present Ranma this as an obligation of honor. They will *have* to let Ranma go so that he can marry one of your daughters, and the marriage can take place on the spot!"

"Good thinking, Saotome!" Soun smiled and turned to his daughters. "You see, girls, he's... Where did they go?"