Crossover Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Path ❯ Chapter 3

This story contains scenes of explicit sex, naughty words, and other horrible, offensive things.  If you are underage in your house, village, town, city, community, state, province, country, or continent: READ NO FURTHER!  If that type of thing offends your tender sensibilities, or you are stupid: READ NO FURTHER!  All characters are the copyright of their respective creators and/or owners; no copyright infringement is intended by this story.  Any resemblance to people, places, or situations alive, dead, or otherwise is purely coincidental.

 

A Different Path

 

Chapter 3

 

The afternoon shower was brief, but strong, leaving many of the people walking the streets of the Nerima ward of Tokyo fairly drenched. The rain also created a slight mist in the air that made objects somewhat hazy. Thus, anyone on the street in front of the Tendo Dojo would have heard the two people approaching that place long before they could clearly make them out.

 

“How sweet!”

 

“Stop it.”

 

“How sweet!”

 

“Stop it.”

 

“How sweet!”

 

“Stop it.”

 

“How sweet!”

 

“Stop it.”

 

Finally, they fully came into view. The first one's voice was Happosai's, crowing happily as he jumped up to try and paw, fondle or grope the beautiful, busty red-haired girl walking next to him. That redhead was of course Ranma who expertly fended off her master's advances with the skill of long practice. In contrast to the dwarfish pervert's gleeful tone, Ranma's was full of annoyance and exasperation. Finally, her patience burst.

 

“Geez!! How many times do I gotta tell you, Old Man!” She yelled, slapping down Happosai after he managed to get through her defenses and squeeze her shapely butt. “I'm a guy!” Suddenly Ranma's face grew calculating and a cruel smile appeared on her face. “Or is that what ya like, ya dirty ol' pervert? After all, there was that one time in Thailand…”

 

Happosai's happiness left him like a drop of water evaporating in Hell. “I thought we agreed never to mention that again!!” He glared up at his student, his voice surly.

 

“And I thought someone promised never to molest me again,” Ranma returned. The two were silent for several minutes simply staring fiercely at one another until Ranma finally shrugged and started walking toward their destination once more. “I did try to tell you, ya know.”

 

“Be quiet!” Happosai cut her off sharply. “If I hadn't been drinking that damn Thai lao khao, I would've known that she was really a, a, a…The she wasn't a…Well, never mind! And I'm telling you for the last time, that subject is completely, totally, one hundred percent off limits!!! Got it!?!??”

 

“And so's my body, Master. Ya got that? Ah, here we are: `Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. To challenge the owner in brutal combat please use the entrance to the rear.'” Ranma read the signs next to the front gate out loud. “This is the place all right.” She looked down at Happosai. “I really hope for your sake you weren't kiddin' about him having three daughters. And they'd better not be woofers.”

 

“You'll see. Now let's get moving; no sense standing in the street.” Happosai stepped through the open gate in the stone wall surrounding the Tendo household, quickly followed by Ranma.

 

“Hey! Not too bad!” The redhead looked around curiously as they walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. In not time at all they heard footsteps from inside and the door was opened for them. When Ranma saw who had opened the door she gave another low whistle of surprise and happiness, this time echoed by her master.

 

Standing in the entrance way to the Tendo house was a fairly tall, beautiful young woman, probably in her late teens or very early twenties by Ranma's guess. She had long, thick dark brown hair and dark eyes. She was wearing a long dress with an apron over it, but despite those concealing clothes, Ranma's expert eyes felt certain that the older girl had a very nice body indeed. Under the force of the other teenager's frank, head-to-toe appraisal of her, the new girl blushed in a very pretty way; only making her more attractive to the two people she had opened the door for. “May I help you?” She asked, her voice sweet and caring.

 

Happosai did the speaking for the pair, “Yes, my dear, you can. We're here to see your father, Soun Tendo. He knows me from way back, but we haven't seen each other in a while. And I just can't wait to meet him once again.”

 

The girl smiled, seeming not to notice the malevolent grin that accompanied the old man's last statement and simply said, “All right, then. Won't you both please come in? My father is in the living room at the moment talking with another old friend who came to visit today, but I'm sure he'd be happy to see you. Please follow me.”

 

When the girl turned to lead them into the house, Happosai immediately reached out, ready to cop a feel, but was swiftly pulled back by his student. When the martial arts master glared up at her, Ranma simply hissed quietly, “Kami! Just wait a couple of minutes, will ya?!! No sense pissin' everyone off before we're even introduced!” Happosai shrugged at that and jerked himself free of his student's grasp, but at least he didn't try to molest the girl they were following.

 

Walking towards the head of the Tendo house Ranma and Happosai took the opportunity to examine their surroundings carefully. For the most part it seemed to be the typical blend of traditional Japanese architecture and some western styles that many Japanese houses consisted of. It was clearly a bit older than was normal and also larger, but not outrageously so in either case. One point was odd, though. Starting from the entrance hall and trailing about shoulder height along all the hallways were lengths of thin, colored twine. Looking at the rather odd decorations Ranma and Happosai shared confused looks before shrugging and silently admitting their incomprehension. In no time at all they arrived in the living room.

 

When she appeared at the entrance to this large, central room of the Tendo house, their escort announced them with her delightfully feminine voice, “Father? I'm sorry to trouble you, but you have more guests.” Ranma and Happosai soon followed the young woman into the living room and were the immediate focus of attention for everyone inside. Of course, the pair of martial artists returned the scrutiny.

 

Ranma's attention immediately focused on the two new people in the room, ignoring her rather disappointing father whose red face betrayed the fact that he was a bit tipsy at the moment, if not flat out drunk. Just standing up was another man, probably about the same age as her Pop, but thinner, with very long, black hair and a full mustache. That's gotta be Pop's old training partner, Soun Tendo, Ranma surmised, trying to feel out the other man's power. He don't seem like much. This feeling was merely confirmed, and in fact much increased, by the way the middle-aged man collapsed on the ground blubbering and groveling towards Happosai.

 

Deciding to ignore those two, Ranma turned her attention to the final individual in the living room. This last person most decidedly met with Ranma's approval since it was a very attractive female. She was a bit younger than the girl who had shown them into the living room in Ranma's opinion, but her hair was about the same shade of brown, although cut much shorter. She was seated at the living room table, munching on some snacks and had cool brown eyes that seemed to be measuring and analyzing everything she saw. Although her face was still, almost mask-like, Ranma felt like she was quite attractive and her figure, from what he could make out, was quite nice as well.

 

“M, M, M, Master!! What a joyous pleasure it is to see you once again!!” While Ranma was giving everyone the once over, Soun had been busy kissing up to Happosai, afraid, despite Genma's reassurances that the evil old man was back for revenge.

 

“Ha, ha, ha, ha!” Happosai cackled, causing Genma and Soun to shudder as they remembered the occasions in the past they had heard that horrid sound. Occasions that had usually meant lots of pain and humiliation for them. “The three of us back together again!! Just like old times, eh boys??!!!”

 

“Indeed, Master! And what wonderful times they were, too!!” Genma quickly agreed. “Of course, now you have a new student and heir…”

 

“Yes, that's true. Speaking of which, isn't it times for introductions? Soun, you worm!! Get to it!!” The martial arts master's voice cracked out like a whip, instilling instant, cowering obedience from his two former students.

 

“Yes, of course, Master! Well, let me start by introducing my daughters. Kasumi is the one who brought you here. She's my eldest at nineteen years old. This,” Soun's gesture indicated the short-haired brunette who continued to munch on a cracker, her face cool and expressionless. “This is my middle daughter Nabiki, age seventeen. I have another daughter, Akane, who's sixteen, but I'm afraid she's not here at the moment. Kasumi? Where is that girl?! She should be here to greet the venerable Master!”

 

“I believe she mentioned stopping by the bookstore after school, Father.”

 

“Kami! I hope she's not picking up another cookbook!” Nabiki's voice wasn't as soft as her older sister's and was full of dry humor as she made her apparently superfluous comment.

 

“Well, anyway…Daughters, this is Happosai, the wonderful, powerful and perver-Uh! I mean…Uumm…Perfect! Yes, perfect! The perfect Master who taught Genma and myself when we were younger.” The two teenaged girls and the ancient freak exchanged greetings, Happosai managing to keep himself under control, at least for the moment.

 

“And finally,” Genma spoke up. “Let me introduce my child Ranma.”

 

“Hi, I'm Ranma Saotome.” She gave a short bow. “Nice to meet y'all.”

 

“Ah, Ranma! I'm so happy you're here, too!!” Ranma looked down in surprise as Soun suddenly hugged her tightly and started crying uncontrollably. When it seemed like it was never going to end and the man's tears were starting to completely drench her already rain-wettened shirt, the redhead removed herself from his hold with a few deft moves of her body, leaving Soun hugging nothing but air. He didn't seem in any way discouraged by this, though. “Kasumi!! Bring more sake! This is a celebration!!

 

“Look…I guess I'm happy that you're happy, but…Why in the world do you care?” Ranma asked perplexedly.

 

“Didn't your father tell you?” Seeing Ranma's blank, uncomprehending face, Soun immediately knew the answer to that question. “Well then, allow me to be the first to tell you. Shortly after you were born your father and I decided that our two houses should be joined together in marriage when you were older. That time is now.”

 

“Pop!” Ranma looked over at his father in surprise. “I never knew you swung that way! But if that's what you guys want, then I'll support you two a hundred percent. After all, this is a new millennium and if you guys are willin' to come outta the closet, the more power to you! So, do you need me to be the family witness at the civil union or somethin'?”

 

Nabiki started laughing uproariously at this point as did Happosai. Kasumi on the other hand was just coming back in with a tray covered with sake bottles and empty glasses, a questioning look on her face at what might have caused such hilarity. Soun and Genma at first exchanged confused looks, but when they figured out what Ranma was suggesting they immediately started protesting vehemently.

 

“No! No!” Soun did his best to cut through the uproar in the living room. “That's not what I meant at all!”

 

“Well then, Daddy,” Nabiki asked, still chuckling slightly at what had just happened. “What did you mean?”

 

“When I said the two families were to be joined in marriage, I meant by the marriage of our children, not ours!” Soun turned to face Ranma. “Ranma, I have introduced my three daughters. Choose the one you want and she'll be your bride!”

 

“Oh, another marriage?” Ranma shrugged indifferently. “OK. I already got four or five, what's one more?”

 

“I'm glad you're so blasé about this,” Nabiki said shooting a withering look at the redhead. “But just how in the world can you marry any of us, considering you're a girl? That civil union you were talking about before?”

 

“Nah,” Ranma leaned over the table and picked up a container that held hot water for tea. Sloshing it back and forth to ensure there was something in it she said, “Ya see, nine or ten years ago, pretty soon after I started trainin' with Master Happosai, we went to a place called Jusenkyo in China. They've got these weird springs there and if ya fall in one, you're cursed to take the shape of somethin' whenever you're hit with cold water. But, luckily with hot water…” She lifted the container over her head and pressed the top, causing a stream of steaming water to pour onto her. Soun, Nabiki and Kasumi all stared in shock, watching as what had formerly been a gorgeous, curvaceous red-haired girl abruptly sprouted into a lean, athletic and handsome black-haired teenaged boy. Unfortunately, there was also a fourth person who was seeing this transformation for the first time.

 

“You cross-dressing pervert!! Get out of my house!!!!”

 

Ranma jerked around in shock, looking for the source of that piercing scream. At one of the other entrances into the living room he saw a teenaged girl dressed in some kind of green school uniform. She had long black hair and was clearly furious by the way her brown eyes were glaring at him. Not much of a figure, Ranma quickly assessed. But not too bad looking, I guess. If ya like the tomboyish type. Seems to have some strength to her. Wonder if she's got any skill to go with it?

 

“Ah, Akane!” Soun greeted his youngest daughter. “You're just in time. This is-”

 

“Dad! Who is this pervert and why is he in our house?!?!”

 

“Well…” Soun tried to figure out how to describe a situation that also had him confused, despite what he had picked up earlier from Genma about his son's… condition.

 

“This is our new fiancé, Akane,” Nabiki supplied, her smile indicating how much she enjoyed stirring up trouble. “Daddy's promised to marry him to one of us girls to join our family and martial arts school with his old training partner's.”

 

“Fiancé? FIANCE!?!?!! What were you thinking, Dad?!! Why in the world would any of us want to marry such a, a, a, TWISTED FREAK!!?!!??!!”

 

Ranma blinked at the extreme vehemence and anger the teenager was displaying, then looked her over more closely. “Ah! Now I get it!”

 

“Get what, stupid?!” Akane whirled on him becoming even angrier at the tone of knowledge and discovery in his voice.

 

“Oh, sorry. It's just that I didn't realize at first.” Ranma replied calmly, a winning smile on his lips.

 

“Didn't realize what?!”

 

“I didn't realize that you were playing for the home team.” Seeing the complete lack of comprehension on the girl's part, he tried again. “That you ate at the Y. That you liked to munch a little rug. That you were a vaginaterian. That-”

 

“He's saying he didn't know you were a lesbian, Akane,” Nabiki interrupted, amusement clear in her voice, since it was obvious that her younger sister still didn't understand what Ranma was saying. Akane's first response was to blink in surprise, but she quickly became red-faced with rage. She didn't have a chance to say anything, however, before Ranma began speaking again.

 

“Hey, it's no problem,” He dismissed what he thought were her concerns airily. “Like I was just saying to our Pops, it's a new millennium and I'm cool with it. Actually,” He picked up a convenient glass of water and dumped it on himself, shifting back into a girl. “If you wanna play around a little, ya know, do some yodelin' in the canyon of love or what have ya, I'm game. But I gotta say we won't be able to get married; all of my wives hafta like my boy-side too, you know?”

 

“I would never even think of getting married to a cross-dresser like you, so who cares about that?!?!?! And I'm NOT A LESBIAN!!!!!”

 

“Ya sure?” Ranma looked at the other girl doubtfully.

 

“VERY SURE!!!”

 

Ranma looked her over again, then looked at Nabiki and Kasumi. “Does she need an intervention or somethin'? `Cause her body language is just screamin' `I'm a muff-muncher!' to me.”

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Akane's primal scream of frustration and anger mingled with Nabiki's howls of laughter and even Kasumi's light chuckling. Needless to say, it took some time to settle things down. When they did become at least somewhat calmer and Ranma had resumed his male form, the head of the Tendo house was the first to speak.

 

“Ranma, you've mentioned several times about your `wives'. What exactly did you mean by that?” He flashed a glance toward the boy's father who was doing a bad job of looking innocent. “Your father didn't mention anything about this to me.”

 

“He didn't? Why not, Pop?” Getting no response from his heavily sweating elder, Ranma shrugged and explained. “Well, most of my marriages were just short-term things. I mean, every place has different traditions for marriages, ya know? So in some places where Master Happosai and I were trainin' we'd sometimes arrange a conditional marriage in some family in return for them teachin' me stuff. Actually,” he grinned at his diminutive master. “A lot of places were willin' to train me just in return for the Master stayin' away. Ain't that right, Gramps?”

 

“I have absolutely no idea to what you could possibly be referring to.” Happosai returned calmly, taking a dignified sip of tea.

 

Soun and Genma obviously knew what Ranma meant, but the Tendo girls didn't. Ranma shrugged mentally, they'd find out soon enough. “Anyway, like I said before, most of those marriages ain't no big deal. They were just temporary and stuff. The Amazons, though…They're a different story. They take that kinda thing seriously. Real seriously.”

 

“Amazons? That sounds interesting!” Nabiki's ears perked up at the thought of all the new information she could pick up from this strange teenager. And information was often the key to money. And Nabiki liked the thought of that very much indeed.

 

“Yes, I'd like to hear more, too!” Kasumi said, also encouraging Ranma to continue speaking. “I thought Amazons were only in Greek myths!”

 

“Greek myths, huh?” Ranma shrugged. “I don't know much about that; the Amazons we met were in China. A place called Joketsuzoku, and let me tell you, they're no myth!”

 

“So you're married to one of these Amazons then, son?” Soun asked his potential future son-in-law.

 

“Actually, three of `em.” Ranma corrected.

 

Before anyone had a chance to express surprise at this, Happosai asked, still sipping his tea, “I thought there were those other two Amazons, weren't there, Ranma?”

 

Ranma glared at the little dwarf, “They don't count and ya know it, ya letch! Your girlfriend said they didn't really count as Amazons so I ain't married to `em!”

 

“She's not my girlfriend, you impudent little pup!!” Happosai threw his tea cup at Ranma, but the boy's hands flashed out faster than the eye could see; not only catching the cup, but also managing to gather up all the tea in it so the drink wouldn't scald him or cause a mess. The Tendos and Genma all blinked in shock at this display of the young martial artist's skills.

 

“Oh yeah?! Ya wanna make somethin' of it?!!” Ranma and his master leaped to their feet and stood glaring at one another. Before any fight could break out, however, they were interrupted.

 

“Uh…Excuse me?”