Goku 1/2 Chapter 4 Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic. Although, one day I plan to. That will happen as soon as I take over the world. Everything is in place except for one final piece. Uh...None of you happen to have a jade monkey, do you? Maybe I should try e-bay. The scene was Tokyo, the Nerima Ward specifically. It was a dark and stormy night. Actually, it was just a cloudy afternoon. The rain had stopped a few minutes ago, leaving everything and everybody thoroughly drenched. The people who had taken shelter from the rain began to emerge from various shops and alcoves. This resulted in a rather large crowd filling the streets. Then it parted to let three individuals through. This by itself was not that unusual; sometimes people of great importance moved through the streets and expected others to get out of their way. What was different about the three was that they were a very odd group. A young, red-headed girl was one of the individuals. There was nothing unusual about this; red hair was uncommon, but not unheard of. The reason why the crowd was parting was due to the second individual, who happened to be a panda. The panda was chasing the girl for some unknown reason, and people got out of its way for fear of being trampled. Now, pandas roaming around isn’t very common, so this attracted attention. The third individual was a green skinned human with a pair of antenna riding a yellow cloud. That brought a lot of attention onto the group as even Nerima, with its reputation for weirdness, had not seen creatures from another world for at least a decade. Speculations went around the crowd as to why the alien was following the panda and girl. "Pop! I'm not going to marry some girl just because you told me to." The girl shouted. "I made a promise to my friend." The panda held up a sign. "That's YOUR problem! Not mine. Why don't you use Goku?" She thrust a finger at the alien. "Huh?" Goku said. "Me? What do I have to do?" "You have to get married to one of Pop's friend's daughters." "What's that mean exactly?" "You have to live with her for the rest of your life." "The rest of my life? I don't want to do that with someone I haven't even met!" The panda held up another sign. "Ranma, you know perfectly well why Goku can't be used." "Why not? He's still part of the family!" "But he's not blood related." This sign was kept out of sight of the alien. "I ain't gonna do it! I'm going back to China to get a cure." Ranma shouted. "At least meet them." The next sign pleaded. Ranma climbed onto the cloud. "Not interested." "One of them is supposed to be a great cook." Ranma paused at that. "Well..." "Come on, Ranma. We haven’t eaten since we left Master Roshi’s." Goku persuaded. "I dunno. This sounds like another one of Pop’s crazy schemes. He’ll try something." "No he won't." Goku made a fist. "Right, Pop?" The panda vigorously nodded its head. "See?" "Alright, Goku. We'll go and eat there. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay overnight either. But then we leave. I'm not getting engaged to anyone, and that's final." "Yay! Food!" The cloud flew off down the street. Then it returned. "Hey, Pop. Just where are we going?" Ranma asked. The panda growled. Then it held up a sign. "Get off the cloud! You're attracting attention!" "Yeah, Pop. And a giant panda and an alien don't attract enough attention on their own." Ranma gestured to the crowd staring at them. "You need the exercise." Ranma burst out laughing at that one. "Do you have any idea what Goku and I have been doing for the past month?" "Yeah! We've gotten stronger in the past month than we have in our entire lives. Now, let's go! I'm hungry." The group left with Ranma muttering something about Goku always being hungry. The crowd stood still for a minute, watching the panda and cloud move out of sight, before getting back to what they were doing before they were interrupted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In a house not too far away, a man with long black hair and a mustache, and dressed in a brown gi was lying on his back. He was crying, as indicated by the streams of tears coming down his cheeks. "Why aren’t they here?" He sobbed. "They’d said they’d be here over a week ago!" A woman stopped her cooking to cheer up the man. She had long black hair tied back, and looked to be about nineteen. "Don’t worry, Daddy. Maybe they were just delayed." "Yes, Kasumi." The father said. His crying subdued, but did not stop entirely. A girl wearing a T-shirt and shorts took her attention away from the TV long enough to enter the conversation. She had short black hair and was about seventeen. "Don't be too sure, Daddy. Just how reliable is this friend of yours?" "Saotome? I trust him with my life, Nabiki. The hardships we endured under the Master forged a bond that neither of us would ever break." A sixteen year old girl walked into the house from the adjoining dojo. She started upstairs. "How soon will supper be ready, Kasumi? I want to have a bath first." "You should have enough time, Akane." Kasumi called from the kitchen. Just then the doorbell rang. "Could you get that first?" "Okay." Akane descended the stairs and opened the door. She blinked, stared, blinked, rubbed her eyes, blinked, scratched her head, blinked some more, and then cleared her throat. "Daddy? There's some people here to see you." Soun Tendo got up and walked to the door. He was faced with the sight of a panda, a red-headed girl, and an alien. He blinked. "Ah...can I help you...folks?" "Are you Soun Tendo?" The girl asked. "Ah...yes...do I know you...people? I'm sure I would remember...an...umm...alien." "I'm not an alien! I'm a namek." The alien protested. "Na-me-ku?" "That's right." "That's not important, Goku." The girl said to him before turning back to Soun. "We're supposed to drop by." She pushed the panda into the house. "Introduce yourself, Pop." "Uhh...hello Soun." The panda held up a sign. "Who are you people?" Soun asked, exasperated. "The Saotomes." The next sign read. "Sa-o-to-me? Genma?" "Yes. It's me." "But you...you...you...you're a panda!" Genma nodded. "But you weren't a panda before. And why is there an alien with you? And who is that girl? What is going on here?" Soun's head turned into that of a large demon. The Saotomes cringed. "I'm just a panda." Read Genma's sign. "Daddy. Please." Nabiki said, coming in from the other room. She stopped when she saw the strange sight in front of her. After a moment, Soun calmed down and his head deflated to normal size. "Well, now. I'm waiting for an answer." Ranma looked at Goku. "I think we should go now. This isn't gonna work." "Yeah. It's too bad. Maybe we should see if Master Roshi will train us some more?" "After we get cured. I don't want to spend any more time as a girl." "Ahem!" They turned to see Soun looking down at them. "Who are you two?" "I'm Ranma Saotome." "And I'm Goku Saotome." "Ranma?" Soun peered closely at her. "Ranma is a boy. You are an impostor! Goku is also a boy. Genma never told me anything about having an alien for a son. And Genma is not a panda!" He shot an accusing look at the animal in question. "You are all impostors!" "Yeah, whatever you want. I'm outta here." "Not yet, young lady! You have insulted me and my friend by taking their names. I won’t let you get away with this! I will defend their honour! I challenge you!" "Challenge?" Ranma's interest was perked. "I suppose we have time to stay for a bit after all. Right, Goku?" "Uh-huh." The group left the house and went into the dojo. Kasumi was still making dinner in the kitchen. "Daddy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Akane asked. "I don't trust that alien. Is that supposed to be some sort of costume? Whatever those two are up to, it isn't good." "I agree, Akane." Soun replied. "But I must avenge the Saotome name." "Why not let me fight?" "Akane, you're such a sweet child. I don't want to place that burden on you." "No, it's okay. I'm ready." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kasumi merrily continued to cook dinner. She had heard that some people had come by, and was making more food for them. She assumed they would be staying for dinner if they came this late. She wouldn't consider herself a good hostess unless she prepared something for them. A visitor came into the kitchen, interrupting her thoughts. "A panda. How cute." The panda grabbed a kettle and set it to boil. It took out some clothes and a pair of glasses and struggled into them. When the water was just about to start boiling, it picked up the kettle and dumped the water onto itself. "Oh my." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "So Ranma, who gets to fight him?" "I will." "What? Why can't I?" "He challenged me, not you." "I don't think he'll care which one he fights." "If he doesn't care, why should you?" Goku sighed. He knew he wasn't going to be able to win this argument. "Alright. Have fun." "Okay. We’re ready." Ranma addressed Soun. "Excellent. My youngest daughter has chosen to fight in my place." Soun indicated Akane. "A girl? I can't fight a girl!" "Eh? Why not?" "Well..." Ranma considered telling him that the last time he fought a girl, she decided that she was going to track him to the ends of the Earth and kill him. "Because I don't like hitting them." "Then you shouldn't have picked a fight." Akane said. "Hey! I didn't pick this fight! Me and Goku were going to leave when your father challenged me. And that's another thing, old man. You challenged me, so you should fight me. I don't wanna fight a girl." "Then I challenge you!" Akane said. Ranma sighed. "Fine, I accept." The two combatants stepped into the middle of the floor. Everyone else walked to the sidelines. "Keep an eye on that alien, Nabiki. It might be up to something." "Uh...okay, Daddy." "Hyaah!" Akane charged Ranma. She swung and kicked at her, but nothing connected. Ranma always stayed just out of her reach. 'Man! This chick's pathetic. I could beat her in my sleep.' Ranma thought as she weaved around blows. She reached out and poked Akane in the forehead. Akane was shocked by this sudden attack and fell down. Soun started crying. "Oh, my poor daughter! Defeated so easily." "It's not over yet!" Akane shouted at him. She got back up and adopted a ready stance. "Let’s fight." Ranma shrugged. 'She'll give up eventually.' Just then, Genma burst into the room. "Stop this at once!" "Saotome!" Soun cried. "You've arrived at last! Help us defeat these impostors who so wrongly took your name." "They're not impostors, Tendo. Those are my children. Ranma and Goku." "But...but...one's an alien!" "I must speak you privately, my friend, and explain things." Soun nodded. "Very well. Akane, Nabiki, go back to the house." "You go too, Ranma and Goku. Get to know them." "Told you he was going to try something." Ranma muttered to Goku. "He only wants us to meet them. That's no big deal." Akane walked up to the pair. "You're pretty good, Ranma." "Thanks. You weren't bad yourself." "Liar." whispered Goku. "Shut up!" Ranma hissed back. "Really? You didn't seem to have any problems." "I was barely able to dodge your blows. I didn't attack because I couldn't find an opening." Akane blushed nervously at the praise. "Thank you. I'm Akane by the way. You want to be friends?" Ranma smiled. "Sure." "So you’re Goku?" Akane addressed the namek. "Yep." "Excuse me for being blunt...but how can you be my father's friend's son when you're not human?" "Yeah. How can you be his son?" added Nabiki. "Well...uh..." "He's got a very bad skin condition." Ranma quickly threw in. "No kidding." Nabiki said, skeptically. "One that makes him bald, grow two antennae, have green skin, and develop claws?" "Uh...yes. Maybe you've heard of it before?" Ranma answered. Nabiki continued to stare at him. "Alright, fine. It's a costume. Goku likes to wear it everywhere he goes." "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" "Yes?" "Dinner's ready!" Kasumi called from the kitchen, saving Ranma from having to make an explanation. Nabiki made a strong mental note to pick up the conversation later. "We'll be a little late, Kasumi." Soun called from the dojo. "Okay Daddy." She turned to her guests. "Now help yourselves, you two. There's lots of food, so feel free to have as much as you like." "Thank you." Goku and Ranma said together. Then they dug into the food. Being Kasumi's cooking, it was delicious. Being food, they ate a lot of it. Being delicious, they ate a lot more of it. The Tendo girls began to sweatdrop while observing the speed the Saotome boys were going through the food. Dinner conversation was non-existent as Goku and Ranma were too busy stuffing their faces to talk, and Akane and Nabiki were too shocked to speak. Kasumi was kept busy serving food and clearing dishes. "Remember to save some for our dads." She reminded them. "Uh-huh." Goku made out between mouthfuls. Soon they were finished. Or rather, their food was finished. The boys could have gone on eating for a lot longer. Ranma got up and bowed to Kasumi. "Thank you. That was a great meal. The best I've had in a long time." Goku bowed as well. "Yeah. You're a great cook." "I'm going to check on Daddy. He's taking an awfully long time." Akane declared. She got up and left. 'Those two are monsters!' "Ranma, you should go up and have a bath. You must be all sweaty from your workout with Akane." Kasumi said. 'Yeah, some workout that was.' "Uhh...well...okay." 'I can always change back to a girl before I come downstairs.' "Come on, Goku." Ranma started to drag his brother upstairs. "I don't have to take a bath, do I?" "When was the last time you had one?" "Uh...Let me see. I think I had one at Master Roshi's." "Only one for the entire month?" "Uh...I think so. I can't really remember." "So you should have one now." "Do you two always bathe together?" Nabiki asked, curiously. An alien and a girl bathing together was something very unusual. "Usually. Goku hates taking baths, and the only way I can make sure he takes them is by being there with him. It's a pain, but he starts to smell really bad otherwise. When we were training at Master Roshi's, I was just too tired to drag him to the bath." "But I didn't do a workout just now and you did." Goku protested. "Doesn’t matter. You still need a bath." "Aaawww." "No more excuses. Get up there." Ranma punted Goku up the stairs. "Jeez. Every single time..." She went up and forced Goku into the bathroom. "Don't wanna bath." Goku resisted. He liked this game. "Get in there" Ranma was again forced to punt Goku to the desired location. Sometimes he wondered if Goku just did this to spite him. He was right, but he didn't know that. Eventually, he and Goku were in the bath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Akane walked into the dojo. "Daddy, can you please explain what's going on?" "I'm sorry, Akane, but now isn't a good time. Saotome hasn't explained all the details yet." Soun didn't look very happy at this moment. He seemed to be ready to go into Demon head at any moment. "What kind of details? I want to know what's wrong with Goku. He's a alien for God's sake!" "Namek." Genma corrected. "What?" "Goku is a namek, not an alien." "What's the difference?" "Uh...I haven't the slightest idea." "Well that doesn't matter! How is he your son if he's a namek and you're human?" "Uh...it's a costume?' "Ranma already tried that one on me." "Akane, that's enough." Soun said. "Do not question my judgment of Genma and his sons. Now go and take that bath you were going to have earlier." "Alright, Daddy. I'll go...for now. I still want those answers." Akane left the dojo. She walked upstairs into the bathroom and took off her clothes. Something was nagging her at the back of her head. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something was definitely wrong. Akane opened the door to the bathing section, and then it hit her. ‘Genma and his sons?’ This thought was prompted by seeing two naked boys coming out of the bathtub. One was about her age, and the other was several years younger. The older had long black hair tied in a pigtail. The younger had black hair forming large spikes, that had been dragged downwards by the water. He also sported a large brown tail. She froze in place. Upon seeing Akane walk into the room as he was climbing out, Ranma stopped moving as well. Goku glanced at her briefly before getting out and drying himself off. He wasn't fazed at all by her nakedness. "Hi Akane." He said. "Are you taking a bath too? We were just finishing, so the tub's all yours." Those words got Akane’s body working again. She closed the door, and started to redress. As soon as she left, Ranma got his body working. "Damn! She's going to tell everyone!" He leapt out of the tub and ran after her. She was just about to go downstairs when he grabbed her. Akane was a bit shaken at the sight of seeing two naked male strangers in her house taking a bath. Having one of those naked male strangers run after her and grab her didn't improve her mood very much at all. "PERVERT!" She spun around and clocked Ranma. He was sent flying back through the changing room and into the bathroom, narrowly missing Goku. He smashed into the side of the tub, denting it. Akane ran downstairs, shouting for Nabiki and Kasumi. "Ranma? She actually hit you? But she was so slow in the match. How couldn't you see her fist coming at you?" Goku asked as he put on his clothes. "I don't know. She was probably holding back before." Ranma was shocked as much as Goku was. How had Akane hit him? He had no trouble dodging her attacks before. What had changed? Well, he was naked. And a guy. And she was pissed, but that shouldn't matter. Shaking his head to clear it from the impact, Ranma got up and dressed himself. Just as they reached the door, the Tendo sisters reached the top of the stairs. "There they are!" Akane screamed. "Those are the perverts who looked at me." "Hey! You walked in on us!" Even though Ranma was a guest here, he wasn't about to be pushed around. "It's my house! You don't belong here! Who are you anyway?" "Me? I'm...uh...Ranma Saotome." "Whaa? Ranma's a girl!" "Slow down, Akane." Nabiki interrupted. "He's wearing the same clothes as Ranma. And that kid is wearing the same clothes as Goku. Something's going on here." "I'm wearing Ranma's clothes because I AM Ranma! And he's got Goku's clothes 'cause he's Goku!" "How come you're different from before then?" "Well...it's because...er...it's kinda complicated." "Girls! Where are you?" Soun shouted from downstairs. "Come here! I need to explain something important about the Saotomes to you." "This had better be good." Nabiki replied. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Well, that WAS pretty good." Nabiki commented after the incident at Jusenkyo had been explained. "But there's one thing I don't get." "What's that?" Genma asked. "If Goku's in his normal, human form right now...why does he have a tail?" "Uh...He's always had one." "It could be a mutation. I've heard of people having vestigial tails before." Kasumi suggested. "This is a bit more than that, Kasumi." Nabiki said. "Does it matter? He's a freak just like the rest of his family!" Akane stressed. "Hey! Who you calling a freak?" Ranma shouted. "You, you pervert! You're both perverts and both freaks." "I ain't a pervert or a freak!" "Really?" Akane threw a bucket of water onto to him. "Normal people don't change sex when splashed with water, you freak!" "Shut up, you tomboy!" "Tomboy? How dare you?" "Girls!" Soun shouted, again on the verge of going into his Demon head. "Calm down. There is one more thing to discuss." "Like what?" "Like the engagement." Ranma pounded his fist on the table. "Pop? I thought you said you wouldn't try anything stupid." "This is for family honour, Boy! You have to do this." "You can't make me!" "I'm your father. You know I can. You are bound by the agreement I made." Ranma was about to argue some more when he realized Genma was right. Ranma upheld honour above all other things, and he would tarnish his family honour if he didn't fulfill his father's contract. He wasn't prepared to break the agreement, but didn't want to get married. It was a lose-lose situation for him. Ranma was tore between his desires and his sense of honour. This wasn't a decision he could make right here and now. "I need some time to think about it." "Good. In the meantime, we'll be staying at the Tendo's. Now, pick your fiancee." "I said I'd think about. I haven't decided yet! I'm not picking any of 'em." "No. You must pick on and get to know her. That will help you in your decision." "But..." Ranma struggled to find a flaw in his father's logic. "He wants Akane." Nabiki said. "Oh yes." Kasumi added. "What?" Akane protested. "I'm not marrying a pervert like him!" "But you're the martial artist, Akane." Nabiki grinned. "So you're the best suited to be his wife and carry on the dojo." "What? That's not..." Akane struggled to find a flaw in her sister's logic. She glared at Ranma, who returned the look. "But he stared at my naked body!" "All the more reason for you to marry him." Akane, realizing that she was only going to make things worse by continuing to argue, shut her mouth. "Then it's decided." Soun declared happily. "Ranma will marry Akane!" "Hold on! Nothing's decided yet! I'll get to know her, but I'm not saying I'm gonna marry her." Ranma said. "Very well. Until you make your decision, you two shall be engaged." "Engaged? I said...well, I guess I can break the engagement when I decide right?" "Yes." Soun lied. "Alright. I'll be engaged to her until then." "Excellent." Soun yawned. "Well, I think I'll turn in. Kasumi, could you show the Saotomes to their room?" The eldest daughter nodded. "This way, Mr. Saotome." She got up and went upstairs. Genma, Ranma, and Goku followed. "In here." She directed them into an average sized room with one futon and two mats and their packs in it. There was barely any room to stand, without stepping on anything. "Isn't it kinda cramped for three people?" Ranma asked. "This is the only spare room in the house. It'll have to do." "Okay. Thanks, Kasumi." "You're welcome." She said and left. "We might as well unpack." Genma said. He grabbed his pack and started pulling out clothes. "Don't be too sure, Pop. We might not be staying too long." "Ranma! You said you would get to know her." "I know. I know. I guess we can stay a week." "You can't get to know her in just a week. Besides, I've already sent letters enrolling you and Goku in school." Goku looked up from where he was rummaging through his pack. "School? I thought I was finished school." "You went through one grade, Goku. There's a lot more than that." Ranma said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to finish school, but why do we have to do it here? Why can't we go home and do it? I haven't seen Mom in ages." "We can't go home because of a promise I made to her. I can only return when you are a man among men. And with your curse, I can't do that now." "All the more reason to go back to Jusenkyo and find a cure for this stupid curse!" "Then you still won't be a man! You're only sixteen." "Oh." "Your mother also doesn't know about Goku yet." Genma whispered to Ranma. "What? You haven't told her? Even after ten years?" "I haven't had any contact with her since we left. Now you see why I must return with you as a man. We've no place to go other than the Tendo's. Now you see why it's so important for this engagement to work." "I'm not making any promises." "Just prolong your decision as long as possible. Soun will always have a home for us here as long as you're engaged to Akane." "So, you want me to be engaged so we can freeload off the Tendos?" "In those words...yes." "You have no shame, do you? I guess I really don't have a choice. Alright. I'll do it until I finish school. Then I'll make my final decision." 'I still wish you to join the Saotome family with the Tendo's, but if..." "Hey, Ranma." Goku cheerfully interrupted. "Look what I found in our packs. Master Roshi must have put them there." He held up a red gi. It had 'Turtle' written on the left breast and the back. "There's two for each of us." That brightened Ranma's mood. "Cool!" Ranma really liked his red shirt and black pants, but having a gi other than his wore-down white one would be good. He could fight matches in them. "It's just too bad he didn't give us those turtle shells too?" "Yeah, I felt kinda stupid wearing it, but it had some pretty good results." "Hmm. This Master Roshi's training methods sound interesting." Genma said. "But now it's time to sleep. You two have a big day at school tomorrow. Oh, one more thing, Goku." "Yes?" "Remember to tuck in your tail whenever you leave the house. I'd rather not have people see it." "Yes, Pop. I'll try and remember from now on." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Akane, Ranma and Goku walked to school together the next morning. Goku was wearing his red gi, and had his power pole slung over his back. Ranma was wearing his usual red shirt and black pants. They had managed to dig out their writing supplies from their packs, so they were prepared for their first day at school. "We’re not getting married." Akane said. "That's my decision. But don't worry...I really can't stand macho chicks like you, but I promised my dad I'd at least get to know you before I made up my mind." Akane growled. "Why you..." She paused, ideas for ways to get him back going through her head. Many included violence, but there was one that would outright humiliate him in front of the whole school. "If you two are going to be staying for awhile, you’d better get some school uniforms. I can help you get them." 'Thanks for the offer, but me and Goku don't wear uniforms. We never have and never will." "You'll get in trouble if you don't." "Don't care. The school will learn to cope." "But..." Akane saw her plan crumbling to pieces. 'Curses, foiled again. How does Nabiki manage to do this?' Goku said nothing. He was immersed in his own thoughts. 'Ranma doesn't act this ordinarily. He never insults complete strangers. Is this fiancee thing that serious to him?' Goku made a mental note to talk to him later. However, Goku's mental notes were never very good. When he read them, he found that he couldn't read his own mental handwriting, and so just decided to get something to eat. They walked the rest of the way to school, each person was absorbed in their thoughts. Akane for revenge. Ranma for how to resolve this fiancee thing. Goku for Ranma's odd behaviour. Then they reached the gates of the school. "Ok, Goku. This is Furinkan High School." Akane pointed to the sign. "You're going to Furinkan Elementary School. It's just on the other side of this one. The yards are connected, so you can just walk around." She showed him the direction to go in when they stepped through the gates. "Akane Tendo's here!" A swarm of male students charged the three. They were all dressed in the sports attire, from tennis to sumo wrestling. They were all declaring their love for Akane, and looked were ready to beat the crap out of her to prove it. "Hey! A fight!" Goku announced. He grabbed his power pole. "Looks like fun." Ranma grinned, getting into a battle stance. "This is my fight." Akane said flatly. "Stay out of it." "But look how many of them there are! I'm sure you won't mind if me and Goku fight some of them. A slow chick like you probably can't even beat them all." "Slow! I thought you said I was good." "Oh. You mean yesterday. I was lying about that. I could've beat you in my sleep." "Ranma! I'll show you who's slow!" She started chasing after him. The mob followed. "Hey!" Goku shouted. "If you’re not going to fight them, can I?" Akane didn't answer. She was too busy trying to hit Ranma. Goku took that as a yes. He stopped following them and ploughed into the swarm of boys. His power pole swung round and round, taking out down as many as five boys with one swing. After only ten seconds, All his opponents were knocked unconscious. Goku was disappointed. He had expected a challenge from at least one of them. "You!" A voice shouted. Goku saw a older boy wearing kendo garb approach him. He had short hair and was wielding a bokken. "It is forbidden to defeat those who seek Akane's hand. Only she is allowed to fight while they challenge her. Who are you that dares to break this sacred rule? You are but a child." "I'm Goku, but I didn't know that I couldn't fight them. I asked Akane, and she didn't have a problem with it." "You lie! The noble Akane Tendo would never get others to fight her battles." He swung his sword at Goku for emphasis. Goku just jumped backwards to avoid it. "Hey! I'm telling the truth! My grandfather taught me not to lie!" Just then, Ranma landed in front of him. Maybe crashed would be a better term. Face first into the ground. He lifted his head out of the ground and groaned. "Slow, am I? I sure showed you." Akane walked up to them, returning her mallet to hammerspace. She was breathing heavily and looked exhausted. "Greetings, Akane Tendo. I'm afraid I must postpone my fight with you. This foul wretch has insulted your name by defeating those who wished to seek your hand, even though they knew they would lose it to me." "Who's this guy?" Ranma said, getting to his feet. "I am Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno. The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High. Captain of the..." Ranma tuned him out. "Akane, what's with this guy? And does he ever shut up?" Akane sighed. "He's the reason why I have to fight almost every boy in the school every morning. He said they could only date me if they beat me in combat first. Kuno also tries each day. No one's has beaten me yet. And no, he doesn't shut up." "Hey, Kuno!" Ranma called. "Star of...who is this that interrupts me while I introduce myself? Have you no common courtesy, you boorish oaf?" "My name is Ranma Saotome. What's the big idea of telling everyone to attack Akane? What kind of a moron are you?" "You have the audacity to insult me? I shall make you pay for those words." He raised his bokken to strike. "Stop!" Goku shouted. "What? What's wrong, Goku?" "Ranma! I was fighting him first. You can't just walk in and take over." "He challenged me." 'He challenged me first! Besides, you got the last fight when we got to the Tendo's." "That was against a girl, so it didn't count." "Hey! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't fight! Besides you two are forgetting something." Akane said. "This is my fight! I do this every morning. You shouldn't interrupt. It's not polite." "But he attacked me before anyone else." Goku protested. "So I should fight him." "Girls shouldn't fight, so that rules you out, Akane." Ranma said. "Who are you to talk?" Akane shouted, producing a bucket from somewhere. "Hey! Hey! There's no need for that." Ranma said as he danced away. "Why don't we ask Kuno who he wants to fight?" "Alright. Upperclassman, who do you want to fight? Ranma, Goku, or me?" Kuno blinked. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss, fair Akane. Who are these people that wish to fight with me so much?" "They're the Saotome brothers. They're staying at the dojo with their father." "WHAT? This fiend is sleeping under the same roof as you! I will not permit that!" Kuno shook his blade at Ranma. "Guess that means he picks me to fight." Ranma said as he cracked his knuckles. "Tough luck you two." "No fair!" Goku pouted. "Alright, Kuno, whenever you're ready." Ranma got into a battle stance. "Hyaaahhh!" Kuno thrust his bokken at Ranma. The martial artist simply let the blade pass by his side. He grabbed the kendoist'’s outstretched arm and pulled him into a clothesline. Kuno was knocked flat on his back, his ears ringing. He slowly got to his feet, relying on his sword for support. "I fight on, Saotome." Ranma's response was to kick him in the head. Kuno went flying backwards and landed twenty feet away in a heap on the ground. He didn't move. "Whoops! I didn't mean to kick him that hard. I guess Master Roshi's training made me stronger than I realized. I'd better see if he's okay." "Don't worry. I've done a lot worse to him before. But he'll probably be demanding a rematch in a few hours when he wakes up." "What?" Ranma said in mock surprise. "A violent maniac like you hurt someone? I never would have guessed." "Ranma!" "You're only proving my point." "Akane?" Goku interrupted, trying to stop his brother from getting pounded. "Where did you say I had to go?" "Over that way. Around the yard to the other side of the school." "Okay, thanks." Goku headed off. "How could a slow chick like you even hit Kuno in the first place? And...hey! Wait a minute! Watch what you're doing! Whoa! Ahh!" The distinctive sounds of pursuit echoed in Goku's ears. He sighed and continued on his way. Soon he reached the elementary side of the school. He wandered around the yard aimlessly for a bit, before stopping and thinking. "Now what do I do?" Something landed in front of him and exploded into a cloud of smoke. Out of the cloud stepped a boy. He was Goku's age and height and was wearing similar clothes, except they were pitch black. Instead of a bo strapped to his back, he had a sword. His costume also included a cowl that showed only his eyes. It was a classic ninja outfit. "Who are you? A newcomer, perhaps? I have not seen your face around here before." "My name is Goku Saotome, and this is my first day here." "I'm Murasaki Kuno, the Black Lightning of Furinkan Elementary School. I am the unparalleled Master of the Art of Ninjitsu. All who have dare opposed me have fallen before my blade. You appear to be a warrior, so I will warn you now. Furinkan Elementary is my domain. Everyone does as I say here. If you wish to question this, you will have to face me in combat. Since I am unbeatable, you should save yourself the pain and humiliation of losing by submitting to my will now." "I bet I could beat you." "I doubt that very much. I haven't had a good match in ages, and I hope you do not disappoint me. Meet me beside that tree at the end of school. Farewell until then." The ninja dashed off. "Hmmph. What an odd fellow. So now where do I go?" "You look lost." A voice said behind him. Goku spun around. He was a facing a girl, about his height and age. She had long, stringy red hair and was wearing a baseball cap in addition to her school uniform. "Yeah. I kinda am. This is my first day here. I'm Goku." The girl extended her hand. "I'm Penny." They shook hands. "I moved here just two weeks ago, so I know how you feel. It takes a while to get used to this place, especially all the weirdoes. Murasaki is the worst of them. He acts real tough, but I'm not afraid of him." "Oh. He wants me to fight him after school." "Watch out. I saw him fight this one kid who disagreed with him once. He's a real dirty fighter. He used just about every cheap trick in the book to get an advantage. The kid he fought wasn't even that good, but Murasaki still did all that to beat him." "Uh...thanks. I'm sure he won't give me too much trouble. I'm a pretty good fighter myself." Penny looked at her watch. "Come on! Class is about to start!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the doors. Goku followed, still having little idea as to where he was going. Just then, it started to rain. Goku predictably changed. Penny noticed that something was wrong with the hand she was holding. She looked over her shoulder to see Goku in his namek form. She screamed and let go of his clawed hand. No one heard her as everyone had already gone inside to class. She dug out her trusty slingshot and pegged him in the forehead with a pebble. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" "Help! It's a monster!" "I'm not a monster." That stopped her. "What? Of course you are. Look at yourself. You've got green skin, just like a monster has. And claws just like a monster's too. And you made Goku disappear." "I AM Goku!" He sighed and explained all about Jusenkyo. Penny contemplated this for a minute. Then she decided that they were morons for standing out in the rain while they talked. She found a solution to both problems at once. "So if I give you some hot water, you'll change back to Goku? But you can't go into the school like that? That's not too bad a problem. There's a yardkeeper's shed over there. I'm sure it will have some hot water." They ran across the yard to the shed. Thankfully, the door was unlocked. Inside, they found Ranma, in male form with several large bumps on his head, and Akane. "Hey, Goku. Rain got you too?" "Uh-huh. I can't go to class as a namek!" "And I couldn't go as a girl. So, who's your friend?" "My name's Penny. Excuse me, but did you say girl?" Ranma sweat-dropped. "Uhhh...I mean...er...that is..." "It's okay, Ranma. She knows about the curses." "Oh." "But a demonstration is so much more effective." Akane said as she dumped a bucket of cold water on Ranma, turning him back into a girl. "What'd you do that for?" Ranma shouted. "I thought that would be obvious." Akane retorted. 'What weird people.' Penny thought as Ranma nad Akane continued to bicker. "This is my older brother Ranma. He turns into a girl when he gets wet. And this is his fiancee, Akane." Goku explained. "Fiancee?" "Our parents decided it, not us!" Akane and Ranma shouted simultaneously. Then they both blushed and decided the floor was very interesting to look at. "So what does she turn into?" Penny pointed at Akane. "I don't turn into anything! I'm not a perverted freak like those two!" Goku poured some hot water over himself. Penny gasped. She had believed Goku when he told her about the curse, but seeing the transformation from namek to human was pretty surprising. Ranma grabbed the kettle when Goku was done with it and poured the remaining water onto himself. "That's amazing! I've always believed in magic, but I'd never thought I'd actually see any." Penny exclaimed. "It's actually a pain." Ranma said. "Having a curse is not fun at all. You can't go out in the rain, and have to be careful of water no matter where you go. Right now, me and Goku are trapped here until it stops raining, unless you've got an umbrella." Penny shook her head. "Maybe there's one in here." Goku turned around and started rummaging through a storage closet. Penny gasped again. "Goku! You-you've got a tail!" When Goku had changed back to saiyan form, his tail had come out of his pants. It was now waving around behind him as he searched. "What? Oh, that. I've always had that. I don't know why no one else does." "Cause you're a freak like your brother." Akane muttered under her breath. "It's a mutation." Ranma supplied. "He's supposed to keep it hidden, but when he changes back from a namek, it slips out of his pants." "Here's an umbrella." Goku pulled the desired object out from the closet. "Now we can get to the school without changing." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A few minutes later, Goku and Penny were standing outside their classroom holding a bucket half full of water each. The teacher hadn't bothered to make an exception for Goku because it was his first day or for Penny because she was still fairly new to the school. It turned out that Murasaki was in their class. He had almost gotten thrown out into the hall with them after he started laughing at how foolish his opponent was. Penny decided to take this time to get to know Goku better. "So Goku, where'd you move from?" "Uhhh...I really didn't move from anywhere. I haven't had a home ever. My Pop has been taking Ranma and me on a long training trip for all of my life, except for a few years living with my grandfather. We've been in China for the last...uh...for a long time. We got back to Japan yesterday." "China? I never been there. The only place I've ever lived in was the small village where my father was a farmer. But then people started finding blood rubies underneath the soil." "Blood rubies? What are those?" "They're a very valuable gemstone. The wealth corrupted the farmers. They started digging up their own fields to try and find more of them. My father is a simple man. He doesn't care too much for riches. The behaviour of the other farmers disgusted him, so he decided to move to Tokyo. Now he's working in Nerima as a gardener. I like it here away from all those greedy people, but I still miss my home." Goku just nodded. He remembered how happy he had been at his Grandfather's, and how much he missed him and his life there. He took out the four star ball from his belt pouch and stared at it. "What's that?" "This? My grandfather's soul is in there. Whenever I miss living with him, I can talk to him through this." They continued to chat until they were allowed back into class. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ranma wrung out her pants while balancing on a tree limb. She was not having a good day. Kuno had come after him after finding out that he and Akane were engaged. Looking for a place to fight had led them both into the pool. Then Kuno had grabbed her breasts. Now he was out here, soaking wet and in girl form. "Ahem!" Ranma looked down and saw Akane standing there with a kettle. She dangled it just out of Ranma's reach. "Want it?" "Yes!" Ranma lunged forward at the kettle. Akane swung it out of her reach. Ranma had overextended himself with the lunge, and fell to the ground as a result. "Ha Ha! Who's slow now?" "I'll show you!" Ranma got to her feet. "Akane Tendo! Hath thou seen that foul wretch Saotome?" Kuno stomped up to them, also soaking wet. Then he saw Ranma. "Oh. Tis the girl from before. Did you perchance see a black haired boy flee from the pool?" "Uh...no." "The coward has run off! Curse you, Saotome! I will find you and take my revenge upon your twisted soul." "That's it, Kuno. You've asked for it." Ranma snarled. She got into a battle stance. "Pardon?" "I'm going to kick your ass for insulting Ranma." "Very well. If you beat me, then I shall go out with you." Ranma face-faulted. "I'm not asking to go out with you!" She punched Kuno in the face. He was sent flying back 30 feet and then skidded to a halt. "That'll teach him." Ranma grabbed the kettle and poured the water onto herself. "I've had enough of school for today. I'm outta here." Shrugging her shoulders, Akane followed. "You realize that Kuno's still going to be after you. Beating him only makes things worse. How do think I got stuck fighting every morning?" "I don't care about Kuno. He don't stand a chance at ever beating me. He's not bad compared to some fighters I've seen, but can't match me. The only reason he didn't beat you is because guys let up a lot whenever they fight a girl." "You should fight me for real sometime." "I told you before. I don't hit girls, no matter how macho or tomboyish they are." "Ranma! That's it! I'm through with you insulting me! Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows!" Ranma paused. This was not the reaction he had expected. He glanced over his shoulder to see Akane standing still with her fists clenched. She appeared to be concentrating. "Buried in the flow of time!" Those words sounded familiar to Ranma. He was sure he had heard them somewhere before. "In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness!" 'That's right! They're from an anime I saw Nabiki watching. Slayers, I think. It's a spell of some kind. What's it called? The Dragon something or other? Dragon Slave? That sounded right.' "Let the fools who before us be destroyed by the power you and I posses!" Several thoughts struck Ranma at once. One, magic spells existed. Two, Akane could cast magic. Three, she was casting a spell at him. Four, that spell happened to be the Dragon Slave, the tactical nuke of offensive spells. Five, that spell was being cast at him. Six, he was repeating himself. Ranma lunged towards Akane, trying to stop the spell. "DRAGON SLAVE!" Ranma's world went black. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Akane put down her mallet. She smiled and shook her head. "What a baka. He thought that I could use magic? Ranma will fall for anything. Luring him into mallet range with that was a pretty good idea. I'll have to thank Nabiki later for it." She groaned, knowing how much this great idea had cost her. But she still thought it was worth it. She had knocked Ranma out so quickly, that he would think she had used the Dragon Slave on him when he came to. Akane looked down triumphantly at Ranma's mangled body. Then her expression softened when she realized how badly he had been hurt. "Oops. Maybe I went too far with the beating. I guess I'd better get him to Doctor Tofu's." She dragged him away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Goku walked up to the tree. Penny was several paces behind him. "Well, I don't see Murasaki around. He told me to meet him here." School had gone badly for Goku. He didn't know any of the questions asked by the teacher, and wasn't a fast writer and so could barely keep up with the notes given. Thankfully, he had managed to avoid water during the day. No one had seen his tail either. "That's because I'm a master of stealth. No one can ever find me when I'm hidden." Goku poked his power pole into the treetop. The pole hit Murasaki and knocked him off the branch he was clinging to. He fell headfirst into the ground. "Grrrr...you are good, Saotome. However, you are still no match for my advanced hiding skills. Hyaah!" He threw a small black ball at his feet. It exploded in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Penny and Goku were faced with the sight of Murasaki trying to sneak under a fairly large rock. Goku walked up and punched the rock, shattering it. "Now you have no place to hide." "Very well, but you will find me a formidable foe in hand to hand combat." He drew his sword and attacked. Goku parried with his power pole. They took turns attacking and parrying as they fought. Neither had struck a blow yet, although Goku wasn't fighting at anywhere close to his full potential. 'I'm impressed. This guy's fast. Not as fast as me, but still pretty quick. Black Lightning's a good name for him. A lot better than that other guy's name. Blue Thunder I think. He didn't suit that at all. Actually, he did. He wore blue, and was like thunder because he was always really loud.' Goku decided that he'd tested his opponent's limits long enough. He struck rapidly at Murasaki, hitting him several times. Goku was still going easy on him; his blows didn't have nearly as much force behind them as he could have put. The ninja was flung backwards, dropping to one knee. "Ahh! You are good, Saotome. But no one has ever defeated me!" He flipped backwards a few times. "I guess there's a first time for everything then." Goku said while advancing. Murasaki whipped out some shurikens and began tossing them at Goku. The saiyan jumped over them, and came down onto Murasaki. The ninja reached into a pouch and pulled out something. He put his hand up to his mouth and blew. The powder in his hands flew up at Goku. He shielded his eyes, but wasn't fast enough. Some of the powder had gotten into them. His eyes started to sting and water like crazy. Goku also coughed as powder went into his lungs. All this distracted him enough from landing properly. Instead, he face-planted into the ground. He lifted himself out of the hole he had made as Murasaki's sword was thrust into the space where he just was. He stumbled backwards, still trying to clear his eyes. He swung the his bo wildly in front of him. Amazingly enough, he was doing it so quickly that he blocked all of Murasaki's attacks. He continued back, buying himself some time to clear out his eyes. Then the ground gave out from underneath him. He fell into the pit and landed in a heap. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You've fallen into one of my traps. You might as well give up now; there is no way out of one of my pits." Goku finally got enough dust out of his eyes to see clearly. He looked at the walls around him. They went straight up and were incredibly smooth. They also were made of metal and looked slick, almost as if oil had been poured on them. The edge of the pit was about five metres from the bottom. Goku grinned. If Murasaki thought he couldn't get out of here, he had another thing coming. The ninja was peering over the edge of the pit, gloating. Goku leapt. He went right over Murasaki and hit him in the back while he was still in the air. Goku landed on the ground, while his opponent fell into the pit. A strange sound enemated from the pit. It sounded like the whirring of a motor. Goku looked into the pit and saw that the bottom was raising to the surface. Soon the pit was gone, and Goku was again facing Murasaki. "Try and catch me." The ninja turned and fled. Goku followed only to find out that Murasaki had dropped caltrops. Of course, his tough skin just snapped the weapons into pieces, but they did hurt, slowing him down. Murasaki disappointedly saw that his trick hadn't worked as well as he thought it would. He threw a boomerang at Goku, but the saiyan just knocked it out of the air. Murasaki ran up to another tree and jumped into its branches. Goku ran underneath the tree and started poking his pole up into it to try and find him. Murasaki jumped out behind Goku, planning out cutting him from behind and above. However, the saiyan boy saw this and thrust his bo up at his opponent. It caught the ninja underneath the chin and flung him back. He landed and ran away again. "Give up! You can’t beat me!" Murasaki pulled out more shurikens and threw them. Goku dodged again. He heard a shriek from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the projectiles heading straight for Penny. Goku leapt to her faster than he'd ever moved before. He picked her up and then flipped out of the way of the weapons. "You okay?" He asked Penny when he landed. "I think so." "Good." "Ha! Ha! Even if you have an ally on your side, you cannot defeat me." "Will you give it a rest? POWER POLE EXTEND!" The red stick shot forward and hit Murasaki in the gut. He fell over and lay still. "Stay here." Goku ordered to Penny. He got up and ran to Murasaki's prone body. Standing over him, he checked to see if he was conscious. The ninja's leg sprang into life. It smashed into Goku's groin before the Saiyan had time to react. He doubled over in pain. "Ha! Ha! Ha! The Black Lightning is never defenseless. You will pay dearly for making that mistake." He brandished his blade and approached the injured Goku. He swung, but Goku managed to dodge. "That was a dirty trick!" Goku shouted, still in pain. "In Ninjitsu, any move is a fair one. Now submit to my superior skill or die!" "Never!" Goku swung his power pole. Murasaki parried, but the impact knocked his sword from his hands. "Yes, Saotome, you are good. I didn't want to have to use my Ultimate Technique, but it seems I have no choice. THE BLOW OF THE FRIGHTENED POSSUM!" He ran forward at Goku, his arms in a raised position. He was no doubt ready to deliver some obscure attack that would devastate the young saiyan. Goku countered in the most efficient way possible. He punched Murasaki's lights out. The ninja fell to the ground unconscious. "There. It's over." Goku stood up straight. The pain in his groin had faded, his groin feeling stronger than ever. "You beat him! Yay, Goku!" Penny rushed up and hugged him. "Yeah. He was better than I thought. Well, he actually just used more cheap tricks than anyone else I've ever fought. Next time I fight him, I'm not going to hold back as much." "Hey, Goku. Do you want to come back to my place? I'm sure my Daddy will want to reward you for saving my in the fight. He's probably got all sorts of yummy vegetables from his garden." "Food? Sounds good. I'm starving." They left for Penny's home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ranma opened his eyes. He was in some strange place, lying on a bed. Akane was nearby reading a pamphlet of some kind. He found that his head rung, almost as if he had been hit in the heads too many times. The rest of his body felt a little sore but was otherwise fine. He sat up. "Ranma, you're awake." Akane said. "I'm sorry about hitting you so many times." "Huh? Hit me? So many times? Didn't you use the Dragon Slave on me?" "Uhh..." Akane had forgotten about her little gag. "I mean I hit you after you got blasted by the Dragon Slave." "Was that really necessary? I wasn't even awake!" "I said I was sorry." "And since when do you know magic?" "Magic?" A skeleton said as it walked into the room. "AAAHHHHH!" A man followed the skeleton into the room. His hands were guiding its movements. "Oh. I see Ranma's awake." "This is Dr. Tofu and his skeleton, Betty." "Uhh..ah...pleased to m-meet you both." Ranma stammered. "My pleasure, Ranma. Now what was this about magic?" "How do you think I got here? Akane blasted me with the Dragon Slave!" "Dragon Slave, huh? Never heard of it. Your injuries were caused by blows from a mallet. Hmmm. You might have suffered brain damage. I'll check." Dr. Tofu reached towards him with the skeleton. Ranma backed away, shaking his head. "No! No! I'm fine. It's just a dream I had. Yeah, that's it. A dream." "Oh. Okay then, but if he starts acting like this again, Akane, you bring him right back here. Now run along, you two." "Okay, Doctor. I will. Bye." They left the clinic. "Interesting fellow. So what's the big idea of hitting me..." He trailed off, seeing that Akane's eyes were red and swollen, like they would be if she had just been crying. "Uhh...I'm sorry." "For what?" Akane was surprised. "For making you cry. I didn't mean to insult you that much. I..." Akane smiled. "I wasn't crying about that. It was about Dr. Tofu." "Huh?" "I always had a big crush on him. But there's this girl that he really likes, and it's not me. After spending a few hours with him, I finally accepted this." "A few hours?" "Yes. You were out for that long." "Just how many times did you hit me?" "A lot. You deserved it." "But what was with that Dragon Slave thing? Why did you pretend to cast it only to hit with your mallet?" "It was more fun that way. Besides, the look on your face when you realized what I was doing was priceless. And you let your guard down, so I could hit you. Magic doesn't exist, Ranma. It never has and it never will." "Really? Then how do I turn into a girl?" "Uh...cause you're a freak?" "Better than being a macho chick like you." "Ranma! Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows!" "Yeah, right. I'm not going to fall for the same trick twice." "What makes you so sure it's a joke?" Ranma sweatdropped. "Because you didn't cast it last time, even though you completed the spell." "What makes you think I didn't hold it back?" "Akane, stop this. Suppose, just for a second, that you could actually cast the Dragon Slave. Would you really use it? It would blow up the entire town. I know my techniques, Akane." "Oh well. You found me out. It was fun while it lasted." "Maybe for you." "Of course for me. Do you think I care if a pervert like you is happy?" "Well you should. I might just decide to marry you out of spite." "I have a say in this engagement thing too. It's not based just on your decision." "They why don't you just cancel it right now?" "Why don't you?" "..." "..." "Hey. I'm only still here because Pop wants me make my decision after I finish school." "So I've got nothing to worry about then." "That's right. Now..." "Ranma." Nabiki called. Akane and Ranma looked around them. They had reached the Tendo dojo. "Letter for you." She handed him an envelope. "What? This can't be for me." Akane looked over his shoulder. "Who's the Tree Borne Kettle Girl?" "Apparently, Kuno thinks you're two different people. This is to your girl side. He asked me to deliver it to you." Ranma read the letter. "It's a challenge. He wants to fight me again? After I've beaten him twice already? Man, he's a moron. How far away is Sunday anyway?" "Today's Friday." "Okay. That's no problem. I don't have to deal with him until the match." "Hi everyone." "Hi Goku. You're home pretty late. Where've you been?" "I had a fight after school." "Really? With who?" "Murasaki Kuno. He called himself the Black Lightning though." "Kuno?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow at Nabiki. "Any relation?" "Yeah. He's Kuno's younger brother. He also has a sister your age. I don't see either one very much. Murasaki likes to keep himself hidden, and his sister goes to a different school." "Anyway, I beat him. Then Penny invited me over to her house. I talked with her and met her father there. He was very grateful because I saved Penny in the fight. I gave him this address, and he said he'd bring by some things from his garden as a reward." "Good work, Goku. So was little Kuno any better than his brother?" "I didn't fight Kuno, remember?" Goku glared at Ranma when he said that. "So I don't know. He lasted for a while, but I was going easy on him. He's also a really cheap fighter. He tried to do anything that might have given him an advantage. He had some sort of Ultimate Technique, but I knocked him out before he could use it." "I should fight him sometime." Ranma commented. "I wanna know what his Ultimate Technique is." "Is fighting all you two can think about?" Akane asked. "Yep." Goku and Ranma replied together and then laughed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Murasaki Kuno finally regained consciousness. Seeing his opponent nowhere in sight, he grinned. "Ha! Ha! Saotome has fled. I am victorious. Yet another opponent falls victim to my Ultimate Technique. No one has ever resisted the effect of the blow of the frightened possum! All have fled before its wrath!" Murasaki groggily got to his feet. He headed home, his injuries lessened by the joy of his victory against a most worthy adversary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Later that night, Penny and her father came to visit. She still wore her baseball cap, but was now wearing a pink dress and a white apron. Her father was a giant of a man named Fred Arakawa. He towered over everyone in the household. He had thick black hair and a beard and mustache. Fred was powerfully built, and dressed in simple clothes suitable to a farmer. He had a booming laugh and was very friendly. They had brought a variety of gifts for Goku. Fred had picked out on how much Goku liked food when the Saiyan had visited him earlier and so had plenty of vegetables for him to eat. Fred also gave him some exotic houseplants, which Kasumi distributed around the house. The three families talked about various things, from where they lived to what their plans for the future. Everyone had a good time as they all got along well. However, Genma and Soun weren't too sure about Fred. He was too moralistic for theirs views. They couldn't understand how anyone could give up a farm full of precious gemstones. Then Genma figured out that the price that Fred must have gotten for his farm when he sold it. When everyone was distracted when Kasumi brought in a snack, he led Fred out of the room. "I've got a proposition for you." Fred listened, nodding his head. "I agree." He said when Genma was finished. They shook hands and began to iron out the details. A few hours later, the Arakawa's left. "Well they were certainly nice folks." Kasumi said. "Yeah, I liked them." Akane added. "Yes. If Fred was trained to be a martial artist, the strength he has been blessed with would make him a great warrior." "He wasn't blessed with that strength, Daddy." Nabiki said. "He was a farmer. He earned it ploughing his fields." "Ploughing fields, eh? Saotome. Perhaps we should see if your sons can become stronger by getting them to plow fields." "I ain't gonna plow no fields!" Ranma protested. "Master Roshi's training has made us strong enough to take on anything, so we don’t have to." Genma took Goku aside. He had to say this in just the right way. "Goku, you like Penny, don't you?" "Yeah. She's really nice." "Well. That's good, because..." He had to word this exactly right. He didn't want a repeat of the incident with Ranma. But how could he tell Goku without him getting upset? Then Genma realized that Ranma hadn't gotten upset at the engagement before because he didn't know about it. Therefore, if he didn't want Goku to get upset, he just wouldn't tell him until later. "...nothing, Boy. Run along now." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Furinkan High upper field. That Sunday. Ranma stood across from Kuno. She was dressed in her gi given to her by Master Roshi. Kuno was dressed in his typical kendo garb. "So Kuno, you want another beating?" "Nay, fair maiden. It would be wonderful to have your delicate fists rain down on me once again, but I have not come here to fight." "Oh?" "I have come to give you this." He tossed a bouquet of roses to her. "I love you." He turned and walked away." "KUNO!" Ranma ripped the bouquet in two. "Ah! The sweet maiden beckons me. No doubt she wishes to express her love for me. Indeed, how could she not?" "I AM NOT A GIRL!" She stood rigid, her fists clenching and unclenching. "Of course you are not. A maiden as beautiful and virtuous as yourself deserves to be called a lady." "I AM RANMA SAOTOME!" She began to concentrate her power. "Saotome? Feh. You try to trick me. I do not know why you wish to pretend to be the foul wretch, but I will indulge you. So Saotome, you wish to challenge me? Very well, I accept." "I AM A GUY!" Ranma started to glow blue. "You play this charade quite well, my pigtailed goddess. Even though I am loath to admit it, I, Upperclassman Kuno, am not well trained in the arts of the theatre. I apologize if I slip in my portrayal of the savage combat I had with Saotome." "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! YOU MORON! I’M THROUGH WITH YOU! KAMEHAMEHA!" A blue blast erupted from Ranma's outstretched hands and smashed into Kuno's chest. He was flung backwards through several walls. This was quite a feat as they were in the middle of a field. Ranma stood there, breathing heavily. She had been trying to keep her anger under control, but everything Kuno said just made her more and more pissed off. She just couldn't take it anymore when he refused to acknowledge that she was actually Ranma Saotome. Ranma had maintained enough sense to keep her Kamehameha to a low level, but it had still done a lot of damage to Kuno. Finally regaining herself, she went to check on his body. He was still breathing. Good. Ranma was slightly horrified at what she had done. A blast like that could kill someone easily; Master Roshi's had been able to destroy mountains. She would have to maintain a tighter control on her anger in the future. Glad that Kuno was alright but still mighty teed off at him, Ranma stormed home. Akane and Nabiki were waiting for him. Goku was visiting Penny, and Kasumi was inside cleaning. Their fathers were playing a friendly game of go in the backyard. "So, how'd the fight go?" Akane was the first to speak. "I don't want to talk about it" "What?" "Did you lose? Tell me you didn't lose." Nabiki snarled, grabbing Ranma by the collar. She had a lot of money riding on this fight. "NO! Of course not! It's because Kuno is such a moron! I told him. I told him who I was, and he didn't believe me. He thought this was all some game that I was playing. Eventually, I got so ticked off that I blasted him." "Blasted him?" Nabiki asked. This was something new and potentially profitable. "Yeah. Blasted him." Akane sweatdropped. "You mean like, Dragon Slave, blasted him?" "No. I used the Kamehameha. The Dragon Slave doesn't exist. He just stood there singing praises to his 'pigtailed goddess.' I couldn’t take it anymore, so I powered up and blew him away." "Oh my. Is he okay?" asked a perplexed Kasumi, who had just walked into the room. "Yeah. He should be fine. I didn't put too much power when I shot him." Then he noticed the very odd looks Nabiki and Akane were giving him. "What? What did I do?" "Let me get this straight." Akane said. "You shot him with a Ki blast?" "Yep. Me and Goku can both throw them. Master Roshi taught us how. Well, he showed us how and we figured it out on our own." "You can actually manipulate Ki?" Ranma was growing tired of this. "Yes! Now do you two mind getting off my back? Throwing one of those takes a lot out of you. I'm going upstairs to take a c..c-c...for a snooze. See ya." She went upstairs. "He can really throw Ki blasts?" "Enough already, Akane." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Monday. Akane, Ranma, and Goku approached the school gates. "Now remember you two, this is my fight, so stay out of it." "Aw. Come on, Akane. Why should you have all the fun?" Goku protested. "Fun? You call this fun?" "Well...yeah!" "Pretty much." Ranma added. Akane sighed. "Fine you can each beat up a few guys." "Yay!" Ranma and Goku gave each other high fives. "Thanks, Akane." They went through the gates. The mob was in front of them. Ranma and Goku grinned and cracked their knuckles. No one advanced. Then one member of the mob spoke up. "Akane Tendo. We have heard of your engagement to Ranma Saotome and of how he beat Upperclassman Kuno. We have no choice but to abandon our pursuit of you. Good luck with Ranma." He walked away, sobbing. "See? Ain't I useful to have around?" Ranma said. "Now you don't have to fight any of them. Except for maybe him." He pointed to a figure approaching them in a wheelchair with a bokken raised above his head. "Never Saotome! Do you hear me? Never shall I accept your engagement to Akane!" He rushed towards them, but one of his wheels hit a small rock. This overturned the wheelchair, spilling Kuno onto the ground. He began to crawl forward. "Oh please." Ranma walked by Kuno and went into the school. Akane followed right behind him. "Wait! Saotome! You coward! Come back and fight me!" Kuno tried to crawl after them, but made very little progress. Goku ignored the Blue Thunder and ran over to the elementary side of the school. He spotted Penny and went over to talk to her. He had almost reached her when a black figure jumped out from behind a large rock. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Saotome. I'm surprised you had the courage to show you face around here after your bitter defeat on Friday." "Defeat? Hey! I beat you!" "No one has ever beaten me, for I am the Black Lightning of Furinkan Elementary School." Lightning flashed in the sky, despite it being a clear day. "I knocked you unconscious!" "You merely fell prey to my Ultimate Technique. The Blow of the Frightened Possum always scares away my opponents. You fled just like every other victim of its power, making me the victor." "I went away because you were unconscious!" "The power of my Ultimate Technique appears in many ways. That is one." "So your Ultimate Technique is to be knocked unconscious so your opponent leaves thinking he's won?" "Yes. He leaves, thereby making me the winner of the combat. I thought you were an honourable warrior, Saotome. Do not try to deny the fact that you suffered defeat at my hands." Goku reintroduced his fist to Murasaki's face, knocking him out. He finished his trip to Penny. "Man, I don't believe that guy. He's worse than his older brother." "What's wrong?" "Murasaki says that he beat me because I left the fight." "That's stupid. He was unconscious." "Try telling him that. It's his Ultimate Technique. That's why no one's ever beaten him. He can't admit to losing." "Well, we'd better get to class." The rest of the day was uneventful. Murasaki continued to boast about his victory over Goku, and Kuno continued to pine for his twin loves. But the next day would be quite different. End of Chapter