Hana Tendo kept turning the postcard over, as if doing so would change the words written on the side opposite the picture of a panda. It had been addressed to her late husband, Soun.
"Tendo. No time for pleasantries, I'm coming back to Japan. Bringing Ranma. Lots of love, Genma!"
She'd never met the man, but Soun had told her stories of his fellow disciple and best friend, Genma Saotome. They'd only received a few letters from him while he was alive, and she remembered hearing that he had a son; she presumed that's who "Ranma" was. Though maybe it was his wife? Hana never pried into why her husband kept in such poor contact with his old friend. From what she understood, his family used to live in Tokyo!
While the…brevity of the letter was irritating enough, the strangely urgent tone of it was also unsettling. "No time for pleasantries," he'd said. Well why not? It was a letter! He was already taking the time to write it, would it have killed him to provide a little context?
She sighed in frustration. Soun had often alluded to his time with their former master with a far-off look in his eye, like someone who had seen war. What if this Genma was still a thief and an oaf? What if he took after their former master, who by all accounts sounded like a true monster? Her husband had been a very kind man but could be dense and naive. This "old friend" could very well have intentions on her household. Or, simpler but no less worrying, he was looking for a handout.
Well, there was only one thing to do: gather her troops.
"Katsumi! Naoki! Akio!" she yelled for her sons.
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Akio Tendo was finishing up a run. He hadn't gone as far as he normally would, but it looked like it was going to rain soon. In Nerima you were lucky if you got a warning at all, so he heeded the signs before he got soaked. He sprung through the front gate and up to his room, where he deposited his tank top and running shorts and changed into his gi.
By the time he started stacking cinder blocks in the dojo the downpour had started. Grinning to himself, he let out a "Kiai!" as he smashed through five blocks, crushing all of them to gravel.
"You know you can pound more than rocks, baby bro," mocked his older sibling, Naoki, from the edge of the room. Akio rolled his eyes and looked over at him. He would never admit it, but he was jealous of his brother's looks. He was wiry and lean, the shortest of the three brothers but still quite a bit taller than the average Japanese boy. Akio often felt like his broad shoulders took up too much space, despite what some of the girls (and a couple of boys) tried to assure him.
"Oh I'm sure you're pounding plenty by yourself up in your room," Akio teased back. Normally he didn't manage to one-up Naoki like that, and he savored flustering his older brother.
"Th-I mean…Mom wants to see us," he sputtered and spun around, retreating back to the house.
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"Who does this guy think he is?" Katsumi roared. The tallest Tendo was standing, furious, at his mother's news. A flash of lightning glinted off his glasses, making him seem frightening and ominous.
"Sit down, boy," Hana impatiently gestured. "I never met the man so I've no idea. The card was addressed to your father." She smoothed the nonexistent creases on her long, impossibly straight black skirt.
"If he was one of dad's fellow disciples, I'm not so sure about this guy. Dad never sounded proud of that time in his life," Naoki said calmly.
Hana nodded. "I had the same concern. But there is also a chance he just wanted to visit an old friend now that he's back in the country. I guess they've been traveling for quite some time," she speculated. "If that is the case, I want you boys to be polite: we'll likely be the ones breaking the news about your father to him."
That cooled the mood significantly. Katsumi sat back down with a huff. Akio finally spoke, if for no other reason than to break the uncomfortable silence. "So, uh, who's Ranma?"
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Trudging through the dense streets of Nerima, a young man with black hair wrapped into a quick pigtail watched the crowd and their occasional glances at the strange pair. Ranma was wearing a red Chinese silk shirt and effortlessly hauling an enormous traveling pack on his back. Beside him his father, Genma, who was just wearing a gi, a bandana cover over his bald head, and enormous glasses, grumbled over a map they'd picked up at a corner store. And actually paid for, which surprised Ranma.
Granted, his father had been surprising him a lot recently. Over the years they'd traveled together, he used to be quite the hard-ass. Judgemental, cold, distant. Ranma didn't know any better but he'd still hated it. Then a few years ago he'd started to soften, seemingly at random.
Right now he was being a grump. "You'd think things wouldn't have changed that much in only 2 years, it feels like we're in a different country."
That made Ranma roll his eyes. "Sure it's not just your memory going on ya, pops?"
"Hrmph," retorted his old man. Ranma frowned at that. Normally he'd have gotten something more back than that, even if it was just a "Quiet, boy!" He'd been uncharacteristically quiet since Jusenkyo. Ranma had to admit it wasn't that strange, but they'd figured out how to manage their new curse at least.
But he was behaving strange in other ways as well. Once he was human and Ranma was a man they immediately headed back to Japan. Ranma assumed he'd want to at least look for a cure. Being a panda didn't seem fun, even if it was an easy fix.
"Okay, what's this all about, anyway?" he demanded, finally giving voice to his feelings from the past few weeks. "Why are we in Japan anyway instead of looking for a cure? You wouldn't tell me then, but I think before we get to this old friend's place I deserve an explanation."
While this did provoke a response, it wasn't what Ranma expected. His old man seemed…sheepish? "Ah, right, well…I've told you about Soun Tendo, right? The only other disciple of Anything Goes Martial Arts. After we, uh…graduated we st-…inherited different halves of the discipline's scrolls and secrets. We promised after we'd gotten established we'd get back together and unite the schools once again!" In his enthusiasm he didn't notice the distant echoes of thunder or the gathering dark clouds.
That last bit was punctuated with some pride, but Ranma knew he was also deflecting. "Okay, but why now? And couldn't I at least have kept looking? I promised I would share whatever I found with you."
…Was Genma blushing now? "Well, you see, the thing is my boy, uh…we promised we'd marry our heirs to ensure that the tradition would continue with a bloodline. A Saotome-Tendo bloodline!"
He tried flashing Ranma a big smile, but the pigtailed boy stared at him. "Wait, what!?" he shouted, drawing more than a few stares.
A bolt of lightning flashed as it started to rain. The stares intensified as the boy and his father turned into a short girl with red (or possibly pink?) hair and her panda. The two stared at each other for a moment more before the girl sprinted away, pursued by a bear.
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"Let me go you oaf!"
The Tendos looked around when they heard the shout. "No way they got here the same day as the postcard?" Katsumi asked as the front gate opened. "Ugh, that's probably them. Asshole is already walking in like he owns the place," the eldest son grumbled before standing up and storming towards the door.
"Katsumi, now you wait just a moment!" their mother reprimanded as she hurried after him.
The younger sons sighed and laughed a little. "Gonna protect us from a dojo thief? Guess all that rock breaking is useful for something." Naoki said sarcastically.
"Careful, that sounded like praise." Akio grinned. "But yeah, let's make sure everyone's okay." The two got up and started walking towards the door as their older brother and mother came sprinting back into the room. Despite the boys towering over her, Hana stood in front and spread her arms out.
"Huh?" Naoki and Akio said in unison as they heard the floorboards creak and whine as something massive moved through the halls. "A panda?" the youngest Tendo exclaimed as it came into view. It was carrying two travel bags in one hand, and in the other…
"Put me down you freak you're scaring people!"
What looked like a reddish-pinkish-haired young girl squirmed as the panda picked her up by the waist and put her on the floor right in front of their mother. The panda looked around, confused while the girl looked up at Hana, the picture of innocence.
Akio didn't know why his heart started racing. Her enormous eyes, exotic hair color, and foreign clothes gave her the appearance of some sort of Chinese princess, but he could see wiry muscle resting under her soft skin. He and his oldest brother blushed, hoping nobody would notice.
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Ranma had been cursed for almost two weeks, but he hadn't spent that much time around anyone other than his father. As such, he wasn't used to being so short. Either that or everyone here was so tall. Even the nice-looking woman in the blouse and skirt was almost as tall as his old man in his human form, and her sons dwarfed her.
For some reason Ranma didn't feel bothered by it. It made him feel…dainty? No, definitely not that. Compact. It made him feel compact.
Hana glanced between Ranma and the panda several times, taking in the surreal sight. Neither of their sudden guests said anything. "And you must be…?"
Suddenly feeling very conspicuous despite his height, Ranma grabbed his pigtail and averted his eyes. "Ranma Saotome. Sorry about this."
"Oh! Oh of course, no worries, we were expecting you! So nice to meet an old family friend!" Hana effortlessly switched to being a proper host as she pulled Ranma into an unexpected hug. "We weren't expecting you quite so soon though, we only got your father's postcard this…morning…?" she trailed off as something squished against her stomach.
She pushed Ranma away and looked him up and down. In the chaos of the moment, she forgot propriety, took a finger, and poked Ranma right in the chest. Of course, not wearing a bra, Ranma felt her manicured fingernail poke into the soft flesh as irritation and embarrassment flashed across his face. "Um, please stop that," he managed to politely request.
The awkward silence that followed was broken when Naoki exclaimed, "You're a chick!?"
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Katsumi stood with his mother in the kitchen as Akio and Naoki entertained the girl and…panda in the living room. "Did dad ever tell you his friend raised pandas?" he asked sarcastically.
"No. The girl's also wearing some kind of Chinese outfit, if that's where they just were maybe they picked it up there?" she mused.
Her son snorted derisively. "Ah yes, it's famously easy to just adopt wild pandas, the place is absolutely lousy with them."
"Okay, I'm getting tired of your attitude mister," Hana snipped. "Just because the day hasn't gone…normally doesn't mean you get to use that tone with me." She wielded her pointer finger like a wand in his face, causing him to blush and rub the back of his neck nervously.
"Sorry, mom. Dr. Tofu's just been running me ragged, I didn't mean to take it out on you."
Hana heard the sincerity in his voice. Her oldest occasionally forgot himself since he'd had to take on so many of his late father's responsibilities as he grew up. She tried to be patient with him but recognized that it got to his head and he needed a lesson in humility every so often.
The moment passed, she looked back at the other room. "I could have sworn I heard Genma had a son. I never spoke with him or his wife directly though, I suppose I just forgot."
"I guess she was just a late bloomer," Katsumi joked, which got him another glare from the Tendo matriarch.
"Young man! You will save that kind of bawdy talk for the middle school locker room you clearly heard it in." She quickly composed herself and grabbed some sodas from the fridge. "Please make some tea, I'm going to see what our little guest and her pet are doing here."
"Yes ma'am," Katsumi snapped to attention and got a kettle going.
After getting situated at the tatami, Naoki had started chatting with Ranma while Akio started inspecting the strangely well-behaved animal. The two guests occasionally shared a look, and the girl was getting frustrated as time went on. "Sooooo, just got back from China?" the middle Tendo inquired. "You've got the outfit for it. Is that silk? It's lovely," he mused, which simultaneously sent a shiver down Ranma's spine but also made his skin crawl. There was an earnestness to Naoki's question but at the same time he didn't care for how much the older boy was invading his personal space.
Ranma hoped he'd be able to sneak out before anyone saw his curse in action, let his dad figure things out on his own, but Mrs. Tendo was being very nice and he didn't want to offend her. "Y…I think so?" His voice cracked a little, which got Naoki to smirk. Ranma tried to shrink away from him but that just left her pushing into Akio's space.
The youngest Tendo pried his attention away from the panda as the small girl got closer. He looked down at her scintillating hair. It looked soft and clean, if still damp from the rain eariler. She must have detected his gaze and looked up at him. I could get lost in those eyes, both of them thought. Ranma blushed and tamped that intrusive thought down, and Akio noticed her discomfort. "Hey man, don't you think you're getting kinda close?" he started to say before their mother came in and started distributing drinks.
"Naoki, Akio, give the poor girl some space. She's soaked and in a stranger's home," she chided while handing Ranma a soda.
Akio wanted to complain that he hadn't been doing anything, Naoki had basically pushed her into him, but didn't want anyone to pay attention to his own blushing.
"Oh, th-thank you Mrs. Tendo!" Ranma exclaimed as he took a took the offered bottle. Before Hana could offer him a bottle opener he'd popped the cap off with his thumb and taken an enthusiastic swig. He drained half the bottle before letting out a satisfied belch.
The three Tendos froze in place. Hana stared and blushed, Naoki's eyes lit up as he stifled a giggle, and Akio turned a crimson color. That was really cute, he thought.
Then the panda tapped Ranma's shoulder with a giant claw. She scowled but gave the beast the drink which it finished off with a floor-rattling belch of its own before handing the empty bottle back to Ranma, who set it back down on the table. "Thanks again ma'am, we appreciate it."
That broke the spell and Hana sputtered a bit, "Um…well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. You really must have been traveling with just your father for quite some time, hmm? Where is he, by the way?"
Glaring at the panda, the girl answered, "Last time I saw him was next to a corner store. He was staring at a map when it started to rain and we got separated. I'm sure you'll seem him later." Everything she'd said was technically true.
"Oh, I see. And did you come from China like Naoki suggested?"
"Yep! Been traveling there for the past couple a' years, just the two of us studying martial arts." Akio perked up at that. "Then he suddenly drags us back to Japan to meet an old friend. Not that it's not kind of nice to be back. I haven't actually been inside a house in…a while. And yours seems really nice!" he beamed.
Hana smiled as the young woman complimented her home, it'd been years since they'd had a guest like her. "Well thank you, dear, I'm glad you like it. And I'm glad to hear your father is around at least. It's changed quite a bit in the past few years so I'm not surprised someone who hasn't been here in so long would get a little lost."
That provoked a strange, chuff-like bark from the panda which almost sounded like a laugh, to which Ranma rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he'll be vindicated to hear you say that," he said in a matter that reminded Hana far too much of her boys when they were being sarcastic. She'd wait to interrogate Mr. Saotome about the purpose of their visit then, let Ranma enjoy a little hospitality after roughing it for so long.
Akio took the opportunity to finally address Ranma directly. "I heard you also practice Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Does that mean you know kempo?"
Naoki groaned at Akio's eagerness and Hana shot the younger boy a concerned look. "Kind of," Ranma replied, looking up at Akio's earnest face with a smile of her own.
Akio seized on the moment, "Do you wanna check out the dojo while we wait for your dad? I'd love to spar with you, we don't get new martial artists in Nerima very often."
Hana was about to object but Ranma lit up at the suggestion. "Really? That sounds great!"
As the two beamed at each other Hana and Naoki shared a look, then a grin slowly spread across their faces. "You're excused you two. Don't spar for too long, though. Ranma," she spoke firmly before the two sailed off.
"Oh! Yes, ma'am?"
"You're invited to dinner, as is your father if he shows up before then." The young girl just nodded before she and Hana's youngest practically jogged down the corridor.
Naoki waited until dojo doors closed before turning to his mother. "It makes sense that he'd fall for a tomboy who does karate," he joked.
Hana was about to nod when he ruined the wholesomeness of the moment, "I'm sure her massive rack doesn't hurt either."
She spat her drink and glared at her middle child. "Tendo Naoki! You don't have to be interested in women, but you damn well better respect them in my house!"
Naoki's laughter was cut short by the panda, who suddenly stood up and trundled away. Hana swore it was searching for something.
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Ranma was legitimately impressed by the dojo. He didn't know that people could just have something like that attached to their house. "I'm pretty excited about this, I don't get a chance to fight new people very often," Akio was explaining. "Even the idiots at school who do keep challenging me don't really…challenge me anymore." That sounds stupid, Akio, don't say stupid stuff like that, he reprimanded himself internally. Ranma giggled a little though, which made him blush.
"Yeah, it's hard to keep your skills fresh if you don't mix it up."
Akio nodded. "Yeah, I'm still one of the best martial artists I know, I'm undefeated! But don't worry, I won't give it my all or anything, just a friendly spar."
The pink-and-or-red-head smiled for half a second before she processed the actual words, then frowned. "What? You saying I can't handle it?"
Oh. Oh shit, I didn't mean to insult her! Akio panicked. Instead of calmly apologizing however, since he was getting into fight mode, he put his foot in his mouth. "I just didn't want you to think I'd seriously try to hit a girl." Saved it. Wait, no, she's madder, shit.
Ranma gave Akio a cold stare before he adoped his "stance": standing straight up with his hands behind his back. Ranma hadn't planned on going all out either but now he was going show off. If it bruised the presumptive ass's pride a little, ah well. "Ready when you are, big guy." He said sarcastically. But also honestly; the guy was ludicrously taller than him, especially right now.
Akio took a second to get back into it before adopting a fighting stance. "…Do you wanna come at me first?" he asked, which made Ranma roll his eyes.
"Do y'all take it in turns here in Nerima? Seems weirdly limiting. Nah, way I see it you challenged me, so it's your move."
The Tendo fought an internal war about throwing the first punch. Whether or not the girl is good at fighting, she's definitely good at pushing my buttons, he thought before finally relenting and going for her.
It was a wide swing, purposefully telegraphed to give Ranma ample time to block or dodge. Like a flame she twisted out of the way, or had she even moved? Akio followed up with a faster, more direct jab which Ranma barely shifted to avoid. So far Saotome hadn't changed her pose, but she did smirk. The subtle expression awoke something in Akio because he started throwing punch after kick after elbow at Ranma, none of which connected.
At several points the pigtailed girl even jumped over Akio. Not Akio's sweeps, his whole body. Akio felt like she was moving so fast he couldn't keep his eyes on her, but she never made any attacks of her own. Well, not if you didn't count the adorably smug smirk on her adorable face. It motivated him even further, and despite his promise he was soon taking it all out in the hopes of scoring something against Ranma.
Akio thought he was getting somewhere when he started pressing Ranma toward the wall. His anti-air game was getting better: she'd had to block one of his overhead kicks mid-jump. In his intense rush, Akio threw a powerful kick which Ranma once again leapt up to avoid. "Got you!" Akio said as he unveiled his trick and went for an uppercut.
But she'd expected him to do that and was already twisting during her descent. Akio's fist grazed her pigtail as she dove past him, their faces centimeters away for an instant. The pigtailed martial artist landed behind Akio, spun around, and gently tapped the base of his neck. He slowly turned and stared directly into those big, beautiful eyes.
Ranma started laughing. The sound made Akio's heart flutter and he started chuckling as well. He was exhausted, sweaty, and a little frustrated that he hadn't come close to even touching her.
"Oh man, that was awesome," Ranma said as she patted his bicep. Then frowned, blushed a little, and squeezed it. "You've got some power in those muscles, huh?"
Akio didn't know how to respond to that, "I-I, uh, n-not that that does me any g-good if I can't hit or g-grab you," he stammered.
Ranma seemed oblivious to his nervousness. "True, but now I'm really glad you never got your hands on me." Akio coughed and looked toward the clock on the other side of the wall, hoping it'd hide his expression as he processed Ranma's phrasing. Which meant that he missed Ranma's blush as the pigtailed boy realized what he'd said.