Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Random Chance? ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Random Chance?

By Lord Raa

Part two

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Disclaim-me-do: "Inflammatory theatricals consecrate ushers", as the old saying goes.

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Previously on "Random Chance?"…

"Since you both visited this cursed training ground, did Ranma pick up a curse?"

And now the evil author teases you more.

##########

Ranma cleared his throat before answering his mother. "I did fall into a spring at Jusenkyo, although I don't think that I was cursed like pops."

"Did anything happen while you were at this accursed place?" Nodoka was enthralled by the tales of her family's travels.

"I did meet a girl while pops was out looking for food," Ranma answered, scratching his head in memory of the strange Chinese girl.

`Oh, an exotic foreign girl, my son is so manly,' Nodoka thought happily. "Did you go out together?"

"No," Ranma admitted, "she didn't seem to like me all that much. I don't think that she was in a good mood when I found her."

"Oh, what happened?" Nodoka wanted to find out where in the chatting up of this girl her son had failed.

"I went up to her because I heard someone sobbing, when I arrived at the riverbank, she seemed a bit depressed. I asked if there was anything I could do, but she just splashed me with her ladle." Ranma paused to take a sip of tea. "I took the hint and left her alone."

Seeing Nodoka looked disappointed at that news, Ranma decided to on a risky ploy when he saw the part time panda sweating.

"There was this other girl in China, she seemed to like me."

"Oh, that's good to hear," Nodoka had cheered up immensely. "What was she like?"

"She was a warrior in training, heir of one of the village elders. She was cute, too," Ranma fondly recalled his time in the Amazon village.

Nodoka liked the sound of this encounter. "So what was this girl's name? What was she like?"

"She was called Shampoo. She had this lovely purple hair. Though I think she had a boyfriend, judging by the way the looks that she was getting from the other village girls," Ranma shrugged. "Perhaps she was one of those girls that had a lot of boyfriends?"

"Perhaps," Nodoka said sceptically. "But perhaps the other girls were jealous of her?"

"I never thought of that. But anyway, before I could get to know her better, Pops told me that we needed to get back to Japan."

As Ranma considered whether or not to tell his mother about the visit to the Tendos, he found himself unable to stop yawning and apologised, blaming his recent travelling.

"Yes, I know how exhausting travel can be," Nodoka nodded in understanding. "How about you two have a bath, while I prepare your beds and get you something to eat?"

"That sounds great, dear," Genma answered. "Come on Ranma, let's get cleaned up."

##########

In the Saotome bathroom, Genma quickly explained why Ranma needed to keep his mouth shut.

"Your mother has some strange notions of manliness."

"And what does this have to with me?" Ranma asked, his tired brain not putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"We promised that I'd raise you to be `a man among men'. If I failed, we pledged to commit seppuku," Genma explained as he started to scrub down.

"And just what characteristics does she consider manly?" Ranma asked, ready to punish his father for yet another act of stupidity.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure," Genma shrugged. "She never elaborated on what she thought would make the ideal man."

Ranma felt like tearing his father's head off, but a few deep breaths calmed him down enough to suggest a plan.

"Look Pops, I'm not happy about this. But I'm also too tired to deal with any of your bullshit tonight. So how about this: if you leave my food alone and let me get a good night's sleep, I won't mention the Tendos and your mistake from earlier. That way there are no bodies to clean up."

Genma, also feeling the length of the day, nodded. "Ok, son. But you really should consider marrying one of those girls."

Ranma started to lather up. "I guarantee nothing."

##########

As the reunited Saotome family ate a calm meal at a dignified pace (for the men at least), Nodoka asked a few more questions about her son's travels. The enquiries seemed to subtly head in the direction of "do you have a girlfriend?" much to Genma's concern.

`Damn, this is going to get awkward. I didn't want Ranma getting too close to any girls because of the Tendo engagement,' the part-time panda worried.

"You really want me to have a girlfriend, don't you Mom?" Ranma asked, pausing in his relaxed dining. "Why?"

"Well, I missed out on your childhood, son, and I'd like to make up for it by looking after your children," Nodoka confessed. "Siring lots of children would be manly," she added in a quiet, hinting voice.

"I'm only sixteen, Mom!" Ranma protested. "I'm too young to be thinking about that sort of thing!"

"I was only a little bit older when I married your father," Nodoka replied. Then a thought occurred to her. "I'm sorry, son. I see that you don't want to be tied down to one woman at your age."

Ranma shot a look at his father who merely shrugged.

Placing his now empty bowl on the table, Ranma yawned. "I'm really tired; can we continue this in the morning?"

"Oh course, Ranma," Genma replied. "I'll see you bright and early for your training."

##########

The next morning, Ranma was woken by the banging on the door to his room.

"I'm up. I'll be out in a minute, Pops."

Something that sounded like a slur on Ranma's devotion to the Art could be heard through the door.

"Pops, I think you should reconsider that attitude. I might just let something out over breakfast," Ranma replied as he dressed.

He opened the door and smiled at his father. "Ready when you are."

##########

After an enthusiastic sparring session, Ranma, Nodoka and Genma sat down for their morning meal. The older man most grateful that they didn't have a pond like the Tendos, having gotten a feeling that he'd have been turned into a panda during their exercise.

As they say, "old habits die hard" and Genma was unable to resist his son's unguarded bowl of food.

"Pops, I warned you," Ranma said in an angry tone. "Mom, did you know that you weren't our first stop in Tokyo?"

"Really? Where did you go to?" Nodoka asked, not liking secrets kept from her.

"The Tendo dojo. Pops wanted me to marry some girl I never met before. Can you believe that?" Ranma asked, ignoring the shushing motions from his father.

"You're engaged? Nodoka asked with a hopeful look on her face.

"No," Ranma answered.

"Oh." Nodoka seemed most disappointed at that. "You do like girls, don't you?"

"Yes!" Ranma insisted. "I have no objection to getting married, but I want some say in the matter." He took a deep breath. "Besides, you can't expect me to marry someone after knowing them for TEN minutes."

"You're right, Ranma. I'm sorry," Nodoka bowed to her child. "Though, if you're still single, perhaps I should fix you up with one of my friend's daughters."

All Ranma could do was sit there stunned. `Just what kind of weirdoes do I have in my family?'

Genma, while glad that his wife hadn't flown off the handle at Ranma's mention of the Tendo engagement, panicked a little at this. `Wait, there's still a chance to get the boy hitched to a Tendo.'

"Perhaps it would be better to let Ranma get back into the swing of things by sending him to school? That way he could meet up with a number of nice girls," the balding man suggested.

"Yes, a nice co-ed school would do perfectly. Do you have any suggestion, Genma?"

"I'll do some research, dear."

##########

At the Tendo home, Kasumi was thinking about the nice young man that had paid her family a visit the previous day.

`It did seem a bit much to expect us to get engaged at such short notice,' the eldest daughter of the Tendo family mused. `Though I wouldn't have minded getting to know him a little better.'

"Perhaps I can see if Father has Ranma's address," she pondered as she prepared some tea. "Or perhaps Nabiki would be able to find it out; she always was good at that sort of thing."

As she prepared to bringer her father mid morning tea, the phone rang.

"Tendo residence, Kasumi speaking. How may I help you?"

#Hello. It's Genma Saotome here, is your father available?#

"Yes he is. Please wait a moment, I'll go get him."

Soun rushed to the phone, hoping that his old training partner had good news.

"Saotome-kun, how are you?"

#I'm doing fine, Tendo-kun, but I have good news and bad. Good news is that Nodoka doesn't object to the engagement. The bad news is that if we're not quick, she may try to fix Ranma up with one of her friend's daughters.#

"You're right, we need to move fast. Is there anything I can do?"

#Yes. I need to know what school Akane and Nabiki go to. If we send Ranma there, then we can keep Nodoka from her matchmaking attempts while we get our children together.#

"An excellent idea, Saotome-kun. Akane and Nabiki go to Furinkan High School," Soun replied.

Kasumi overheard some of this, and asked her father what was going on when he hung up the phone.

"Ranma will be attending Furinkan with your sisters, Kasumi."

"Why is that Father?" the girl asked, her hopes of seeing the handsome young man rising.

"There is still the pledge to unite the schools of Anything Goes, Kasumi. If you, Akane or Nabiki were to marry Ranma, then the school's future would be assured," Soun explained in his best wise and sagely tone.

"But I don't think that Ranma holds our school in high regard, Father. Akane didn't last very long in that bout yesterday," Kasumi countered.

Soun winced at that reminder. "Yes, I think that we had better try to get Ranma and either you or Nabiki together instead."

Kasumi smiled internally at that decision. It was one of her father's better ones. "How about some tea, Father?"

"Yes, thank you Kasumi."

##########

At the same time in the Saotome house, Ranma confronted his father about the same phone conversation.

"What was that about, Pops?"

"It was about which school you'll be going to. Furinkan High School, in case you're wondering," Genma informed his son.

"Furry In a Can? I don't think I like the sound of that. What are you up to know, Old Man?"

"You need to go to school and Furinkan High School is where you'll be attending," Genma replied patronisingly.

"Do I have to?" Ranma asked in an attempt to wind up his dad.

Genma looked his son in the eye. "If you've finished complaining like a girly-man, I'll tell you why."

Ranma's body language became serious, but remained silent as he stared at his father.

"I don't want her to fix you up with a fiancée out of the blue," Genma started.

"You want me to marry a Tendo, so I can look after a dojo," Ranma interrupted. "I can see your plan, I'm not stupid, you know."

Genma decided enough was enough. "I can that you need another lesson in respect, boy. Outside, now!"

"Bring it on, Old Man!"

##########

In the Saotome back yard, the two combatants faced off. This bout was going to be a true demonstration of the Saotome School of Anything Goes, with the winner decided by knock out only.

Genma knew that this would be his last chance to assert himself over his son, just as Ranma knew that he'd have to curb his new found urge to adventure in the wider world should defeat occur.

Failure here would mean either a loss of face or a loss of freedom, something that each thought that the other could do without.

The pair stared each other down, hoping to force the other into making a mistake. Next came the most familiar tool to the Anything Goes style, the taunts.

"What's up boy? Afraid I'm going to put you in your place once and for all?" Genma smirked at his rebellious son.

"I see you haven't moved yet. Afraid I'm going to outlast you?" Ranma grinned back.

"We'll see who has the last laugh, boy."

With that, Genma exploded into action. A flurry of punches and kicks kept Ranma from striking back.

Ranma managed to get out a lightning jab to his sensei's Adam's apple. The respite gave him a needed chance to turn the tide in this battle. The pigtailed boy leapt at the choking man, hoping to drive a knee into his target: Genma's face.

Genma rolled to his left, quickly avoiding the strike. He retaliated by grabbing Ranma and throwing him against the cherry tree that was twelve feet away.

Ranma twisted in the air and launched himself off the trunk. He was ready to give his father his all, only the stocky man shimmered and faded from view.

Ranma landed in a three point crouch, his eyes scanning for his sneaky old man. He was about to turn around, but found himself face first on the grass before he could blink.

Genma shimmered as he fell into view and grabbed his son in a painful joint lock. "Give in yet, boy?"

"Never!"

Genma felt a slight surge of pride with his son's "never say die" attitude, but shook his head. The bespectacled man reached over and dislocated his son's left ankle before Ranma could kick him in the face.

As the sickening crack echoed throughout the yard, Genma's feeling of pride was sustained when he realised he couldn't hear his son scream in pain. His face being pressed into the ground not withstanding.

As the younger Saotome continued to struggle to shift his father off his back, Genma decided to end it with a series of blows to the back of the head.

##########

Several hours later Ranma woke up in his room, feeling the worst he had for a while. The last thing he remembered was fighting with his father, so he slowly tried to lift his head and took a deep breath.

Opening his eyes fully, Ranma now saw his bandaged foot. "Ow. What the Hell did Oyaji hit me with?" he asked rhetorically, having moved the extremity.

"Ah, you're awake at last. Ranma, you lost and now you're going to Furinkan," Genma called out from his right.

"Only because you cheated," Ranma shot back as he turned to face the voice.

"And just how did I cheat?"

"You disappeared!" Ranma insisted. "How is that not cheating?"

"Boy, we practice Anything Goes. Think about what the means for moment," Genma sagely advised. "It means that we use any advantage we can to win. It's inherent to our school."

Ranma conceded the point after a few minutes contemplation. "So what was that disappearing trick of yours?"

"Umi-sen-ken. It's one of my own creations. It has a partner, but I sealed them up."

"Why?" Ranma asked, not knowing much of his father's life outside of training him.

"They're exceptionally dangerous. How does it feel knowing that I had to use a forbidden technique to defeat you?" Genma asked, slightly troubled at the development.

"Proud," Ranma answered immediately. After a moment though, the significance of the fight sank in. "But I also feel kind of bad about forcing you to break an oath, Pops. I mean, you sealed them because they're dangerous."

"Yes," Genma confirmed as he sat beside his son. "We're nearing the end of your basic training, son. You know why you don't teach beginners the deadly moves, which is why you need more training before I could even consider teaching you the Yama-sen-ken."

Ranma turned to see the most serious look on his father's face he'd ever seen. "I take it that this one is lethal."

"Correct." Genma sighed. "Ranma, you're highly skilled and I've trained you to be the best, but there's always someone more experienced than you. That's why I've beaten you more than you've beaten me."

"What about the fact that you've been cheating in our sparring matches since we went to Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked suspiciously.

"Anything Goes, son, Anything Goes," Genma replied with a grin. "Besides, you need to know how to beat those that don't believe in fair play. It's all good practice for you."

Ranma looked at his father dubiously. "Right."

Genma shrugged. "Believe what you want, I still beat you and you're still going to Furinkan."

"I'm not going to marry before I'm twenty, Pops," Ranma warned.

"Then you are going to marry a Tendo? Oh happy day!" Genma jumped up with joy.

"I didn't say that. I said I'm not marrying before I'm twenty. Even when I turn twenty, it doesn't mean I'm marrying a Tendo," Ranma explained for his father.

"But that doesn't mean that you won't," Genma happily shot back. This was going to take a while, but there was a good chance of joining the schools.

Ranma groaned in frustration, he knew he was in no shape to convince his parents to leave him alone.

"I'll leave you to get some rest, son. We'll be taking it easy with your training for the next few days while your ankle heals."

##########

At the Tendo home, Kasumi mentioned that Ranma would be attending Furinkan to her sisters.

Akane grumbled something about a rematch when her knee was healed, while Nabiki considered just how best to break the news that Akane had been defeated to Kuno.

"Well, it looks like school life will become interesting for you two," Kasumi said cheerily. Her smile became a little bit brighter when she noted that the others weren't interested in Genma Saotome's son.

"That's true, sis," Nabiki nodded as she snacked. "Crap."

"What?" Akane asked, worried that this Ranma person hurt her sisters as well.

"School. Kuno. His idiotic challenge," Nabiki replied, rubbing her forehead in a vain attempt to fend off a headache.

"I'm not going out with him!" Akane insisted.

"Ranma or Kuno?" Kasumi asked.

"Neither!" came the shouted answer.

Nabiki sank in her seat. "I can just see that blowhard protesting that Ranma is some kind of demon, as it is quite clearly the only way he could have harmed his fierce tigress."

Akane sighed, it looked bad.

"Hey, look on the bright side, sis: at least it wasn't Kuno that beat you," Nabiki tried to cheer her baby sister up.

Akane started to sob as the reality of her situation sank in.

"I don't think that it's all that bad, Akane-chan. You were defeated in combat for the honour of your school," Kasumi tried to reassure the injured girl. "Ranma doesn't know about Kuno's challenge, and he doesn't want to date you, so he'll leave you alone."

Nabiki thought she saw the ghost of a naughty grin on Kasumi's lips for the briefest of moments, but dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Akane, I think I'm going to tell everyone at school the truth: that you were injured in a dojo challenge, not for your hand in marriage. That should help calm things down at school and with Kuno."

##########

When Monday rolled around, Ranma was in a fit state to walk to school unaided. Of course, Genma had insisted that Ranma walk on his hands as part of his training. The effective, if amoral, sensei didn't want his son and heir to become weak during his recuperative period.

After breakfast, Ranma made his way out to overcome the "next challenge in his life", as his mother put it. He remembered his mother's "suggestion" that he meet some nice girls.

The woman was quite clearly a few moves short of a kata, but she was family, and he felt some obligation to humour her.

As Ranma approached the gates, he noticed one of the students was blocking the entrance.

"Halt!" the boy wearing part of the kendo team's uniform called out.

"What?"

"I hear that you are the one that injured the fair Akane Tendo."

"Yeah, what of it?" Ranma asked puzzled.

"I am here to avenge my fierce tigress! Have at you!"

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To be continued…

This was pre-read by Chi Vayne, someone who… Actually, I don't know what he does. I think send him bits of chapters and he tells me where I made a mistake. I'm not terribly sure these days.

Anyway, I think that some notes are in order.

1) Genma has had a few weeks to get used to this Ranma, so he would know that given the chance, Ranma would leave. That is why one of the forbidden techniques came out to play.

2) In case you're wondering about the dislocated ankle, I saw a documentary on the Ancient Olympics during the summer last year. In that, they had the story of a bout in the unrestricted fighting contest.

This contest was often fought to the death with the rules of "no biting and no eye gouging", only there was evidence that this occurred. There were also reports of people being disembowelled and fighters swallowing their broken teeth in order not to show weakness to their foes.

Anyway, one bloke won his third title posthumously. His opponent had him a choke hold and actually killed him, but with his dying breath, this man dislocated his opponent's ankle, rolled over dead and was crowned champion because the other guy gave up.

3) There are no prizes for guessing the identity of the "girl" that splashed Ranma.

4) What would you like to see happened with Ryoga?

5) I'll be at Kawaii Kon (April 22-24), if you want to hurl abuse at me in person (or chat me up if you're a single lady - no jailbait, please).

6) The disclaimer is not in reference to the Jerry Springer opera, though that is something that is very funny.