Greetings all, I've made a few small changes to this story and I'm 
hoping you'll find it a bit better.  I think this is one I'll be continuing.
C&C is appreciated, send it to brenda02@sprynet.com
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	Genma Saotome stood in the front hall of his and Nodoka's 
house.  As much as he missed the open road, he knew how much he'd 
miss his wife.  *But my mind's made up and I can't let anything stop 
me.*  He thought to himself as he adjusted his pack.
	Nodoka walked up to the five year old boy standing beside him 
and knelt down to hug him.  "I'll miss you Ranma."  her eyes glistening 
with tears.
	"I'll miss you Mom."  Ranma replied as he hugged her back as 
best he could.
	Nodoka stood up and walked up to her husband.  "I'll miss you 
both.  Please hurry back."
	"I'll miss you more than I can put words to, and I'll dream of my 
return every night.  But I owe it to the boy to properly train him in the 
arts.  And I can't do that here."
	"Well, try to visit in nine months."  She said with a smile 
appearing on her face.  "The doctor called today,"  She said as she took 
his hand and placed it on her still flat stomach, "and you're going to be a 
father again dearest."
	Genma froze.  He stayed frozen for several minutes.  Ranma 
was looking up at him with a puzzled expression.  "Well, the Anything 
Goes style is very flexible.  Indeed I think that periodic short training 
trips could do just as well as an extended one.  Possibly better now that 
I think of it. . . "
	And so the universe changed.

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfict
Surreal Genius
By Brendan O'Donnell

	In the Tendo Dojo Soun Tendo looked at the postcard in his 
hands through his tearful eyes.  The card had a very short message on it.  
"Coming to visit, with Ranma."  and the signature, Genma Saotome.
	"Oh, how I've waited for this day!"  Soun Said as he put down 
the card "KASUMI!  NABIKI!  AKANE!"

	On a street alongside the Canal a large Panda and a girl were 
fighting.  The panda was a typical looking Panda, white fur and black 
fur on a bear like body, it's fighting stance and the speed of it's 
movements were what deviated from the typical image of a Panda.  The 
girl was wearing Chinese style clothes and a large backpack, and her 
red hair was bound back in a braided pigtail.  As she fought she was 
yelling "I can't believe you only mentioned something like this while 
we're on the way there!"
	The Panda growled back at her jumping toward her.  She 
leaped over the Panda with a full somersault, she came out of the move 
precisely timed so her feet lashed down on the Panda's back.  The 
Panda was thrown forward to fall in a heap a few feet down the street.  
The Redhead assumed a ready combat stance and waited.  The Panda 
came to it's feet and assumed a similar stance.
	"Oneechan!"  Cried the small form who was running through the 
rain, One umbrella open to protect her from the rain, two other tucked 
under her arm.  She looked a great deal like the young woman fighting 
the Panda, except she was about ten and her red hair was loose and 
shoulder length.  The Redhead stopped, shifted out of her combative 
stance and looked at the little girl with a slightly annoyed expression.  
As the girl reached the pair the Panda had also relaxed into a non 
hostile stance.
	The elder Redhead suddenly sighed and shook her head.  
Taking the two closed umbrellas from the young girl she said "Sorry 
Noriko,"  as she opened one while handing the other to the Panda.  
	From behind the younger girl a somewhat older looking 
Nodoka Saotome approaches.  "Now you two run ahead and make the 
introductions to the Tendo's, Noriko and I will follow as soon as we 
finish shopping."

	Soun Tendo was sitting at a low table opposite his three 
daughters.  From right to left he looked over them and thought about 
how sad he was that their mother couldn't see how well her daughters 
were doing.  On his left side of the table sat his oldest daughter Kasumi.  
She was dressed in a simple dress with a frilly apron over the front.  
Her long light brown hair was tied in a loose ponytail by a white ribbon, 
and rested on her left shoulder.  Her calm peaceful look reminded him 
of her mother, but since she always looked like that he could look at all 
the similarities without breaking down into tears.  Most of the time.  In 
the center of the table was Nabiki, Kasumi's younger sister.  She was 
dressed in a fancy kimono, her short hair framing her face with it's 
cheerful, slightly eager look on her face as he explained about his friend.  
And finally next to Nabiki sat Akane his youngest daughter.  She was 
dressed in her gi, her long black hair falling straight down her back to 
where her red ribbon tied it.  Her annoyed glower worried him slightly, 
but he felt sure that she'd cheer up when the Saotome's arrived.
	"A fiancÈe?" Kasumi asked in response to his explanations 
regarding his friends arrival.
	"Yes, his name is Ranma Saotome, and he is the son of my 
good friend Genma.  If one of you marries him and caries on the Dojo, 
it's future will be certain."
	"Wait a minute!"  Akane retaliated, "Don't we have some say in 
this!"
	"Hey, let's meet him first, he could be really handsome."  Akane 
pointedly ignored Nabiki's quiet comment to her.  Noticing this Nabiki 
shifted her focus to her father and added "Right Daddy?"
	Soun laughed and stood walking to the sliding doors from the 
room to the backyard.  While he looked out the he continued his 
explanations about his friends son.  "Ranma has been training for many 
years.  He recently returned from a two year trip to China."
	"Oh, sounds impressive!"  Nabiki commented.
	"Hmph, training in China doesn't automatically mean he's any 
good."  Akane commented in her still annoyed tone.
	"So how old is he?"  Kasumi asked.
	"Is he good looking?!"  Nabiki added.
	"Younger men are so... young."  Kasumi continued
	"What's he like anyway?"  Nabiki finished.
	Soun laughed cheerfully for a moment, then looked over his 
shoulders at his three daughters to reply.
	"I don't know."
	"You don't know."  Nabiki echoed with traces of Akane's 
annoyance creeping into her voice.
	"This'll be the first time we've met."
	The three girls looked at their father's back with expressions 
mixing mild shock with varying degrees of annoyance.  Then there was 
a knock at the front door.
	Soun ran to the door shouting "Ah, you're here Saotome-San!"  
Nabiki was right on his heels.
	Kasumi and Akane followed at a slower pace.  "I hope he's 
older."  Kasumi said quietly.  Then they stopped as their father and 
sister ran back around the corner with a expression of confusion and 
slight fear on their face.
	Following them was a grim looking Panda walking slightly 
behind a redhead in red shirt and black pants who looked back at the 
Panda and said.  "I'll do the talking for now."
	Soun looked forward and asked.  "You wouldn't be..."
	"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry."
	"AH! I'm so glad to finally meet you!"  He shouted as he 
grabbed Ranma into a tight embrace.
	"He is pretty handsome!"  Nabiki added from behind her father.
	Who suddenly blinked as his expression shifted from joy to 
shock.  He experimentally tightened and loosened his embrace then 
grabbed Ranma's arms so he could observe the red head at arms 
length.  What he saw caused him to back up in shock.
	Nabiki walked around him and quickly ID'd what had shocked 
her father so, Ranma's rather ample breasts.  She prodded one with her 
finger, then confirmed her suspicions with a squeeze which provoked 
Ranma to comment quietly "Their real, you can stop that."
	Nabiki looked at her father and said in a truly annoyed voice.  
"He's a girl!"
	Soun considered this a moment then decided the best response 
was to faint.  Which he did.

	Soun opened his eyes.  He was lying on his back in the family 
room with his daughter Kasumi putting a wet cloth on his forehead.  She 
was saying "Poor father, he must be so disappointed."
	"He's disappointed!  He's not the only one!  Look at her! Some 
fiancÈe!" Nabiki shouted as she looked at a slightly tired looking 
Ranma.
	"Stop it Nabiki. Whatever the circumstances she's our guest!"  
Akane replied in a much less annoyed tone.
	"Ah, Father's coming around!"  Kasumi said.
	"This is your fault Daddy!  Don't you know the difference 
between a boy and a girl!"  Nabiki said to him.
	"My friend had told me he had been blessed with a son."
	"Where do you see any sons in this room?!"
	"That's enough Nabiki, boy or girl, a guest is a guest!"
	"Besides there's some... complicated things we'll have to 
discuss, and I'd rather wait for mom before we start."  Ranma added.  
She then looked at Kasumi and added.  "Mom wanted us to head 
ahead while she went shopping, she wanted to help with dinner.  She 
should be here soon with my little sister."
	"Oh that wasn't necessary, you shouldn't have to exert 
yourselves like that."
	"Mom felt she did.  You can discuss it with her, but she's pretty 
hard to dissuade once she makes a decision."
	"Let me show you around."  Akane said as she walked to 
Ranma and offered her a hand up.  "Want to be friends?"  She added 
with a smile.  Ranma returned the smile.

	"This is our Dojo."  Akane said as she entered the building in 
question.  Ranma followed looking around in interest.  "You study 
Kempo, right?"
	"Somewhat,"  Ranma replied with a indifferent shrug.
	"Well, how about a little match, then."  Akane said with a grin.
	"A match?"
	"Just for fun, don't worry I 'm not going go all out."  Akane said 
as she adopted a ready stance.
	Ranma took a very relaxed stance opposite from her and 
indicated her desire to begin the match with a smile and a nod.
	"Ok, start!"  Akane said, then shifted her stance and lashed out 
with a strong punch.  Which Ranma avoided  by leaning slightly to one 
side.  She followed it up with a roundhouse kick, which Ranma casually 
leaned back to avoid.  A few more blows that were just as easily 
avoided and Akane was feeling her frustration begin to mount.  "What's 
wrong, fight back!"  She cried at him.  She was thinking to herself, 
*How is she dodging so easily, are my moves really that easy for her to 
read?*
	"Ok, try the real thing!"  She shouted as she lashed out with a 
full strength punch.  Ranma leaped over the attack which smashed 
through one of the boards in the Dojo wall.  Before she could turn 
Ranma tapped her in the back of her head.  In a real fight the tap would 
have been a fist knocking her into unconsciousness.  She turned 
realizing how easily she had lost.
	Ranma got a slightly sheepish look on her face, and started to 
laugh a quiet friendly laugh.  Akane's laugh joined hers a moment later.
	"Your pretty good!"  Akane said as she adjusted her Gi and 
started to leave the Dojo.  "I'm just glad your a girl."
	"What..."
	"Well, I'd hate to loose to a boy like that."
	Ranma stood in the Dojo, her cheer replaced by a look of 
calculation tinged with worry.

	The panda Ranma had entered the house with entered the bath 
room and lowered itself into the hot water of the tub.

	"This'll be your room, and your parents can sleep in the other 
guest room."  Kasumi told Ranma as they walked into a room.
	"My sister Noriko's also coming."  Ranma said.
	"Well, she can stay with you.  Oh, by the way I drew you a 
bath."
	"Um that might not be the best idea."
	Kasumi handed her some of the bathing supplies, and said 
"Here, you've been exercising right?"
	"...ok."

	Soun Tendo sat opposite a man in a plain gi, a bandanna tied 
over his hairless head, and glasses on his face.  Tears streaked both 
men's faces.  Soun looked out into the night and said "Ah, the path of a 
true martial artist is a perilous one."

	Nabiki leaned past the doorway into the kitchen and asked.  
"Hey Kasumi, who's that guy who's talking with dad?"
	"I don't know.  You tell Akane that the bath's ready."
	"OK."

	Ranma was rinsed the soap off her body with some cold water, 
then stood and went to the tub.

	Akane entered the changing room, and seeing Ranma's clothing 
in the hamper thought *I guess I'll have some company* as she began 
taking off her Gi.

	In the tub a figure with black hair in the same style as Ranma's 
was thinking.  *So should I stay like this, or change back and explain 
everything when mom gets here?*

	A fully undressed Akane walked up to the door, holding a 
towel before her.

	*Ah, who am I kidding.  I'm just waiting for Mom cause I don't 
like talking about this, I'd better go out like this and deal with it.*  The 
individual in the tub thought as HE stood.  As he put his left leg out of 
the tub he suddenly swiveled his head to the right where the sound of 
the door sliding had called his attention to the fact that Akane Tendo 
was now standing in the doorway looking at him.
	The two stood there like statues trying to decide what was 
appropriate to do in this situation.  With a quick downward glance 
Akane stepped back and closed the door.
	*I guess it's time for explanations.*  Thought the boy in the tub 
as he looked down in self contemplation.
	In the changing room Akane put on her Gi top, stepped out of 
the room and screamed.

	"Why hello Mrs. Saotome!"  Kasumi said to her visitor.  "And 
you must be Noriko."  she added to the girl standing beside her.
	"It's such a pleasure to meet you Kasumi."  Nodoka responded 
with a smile.  "I take it my son and husband arrived with no trouble."
	"Oh, I'm sorry, our only visitors have been a Panda and a girl 
who called herself Ranma Saotome."
	Nodoka sighed.  "I take it they haven't told you yet.  Well, I 
understand their reluctance but it's something you need to know."  At 
this point she was interrupted by Akane's loud, drawn out scream as 
she ran through the house.  "I guess your sister has just seen part of it."  
she added.

	Akane ran screaming into the garden to a very large stone 
ornament.  "I'll drown that pervert!"  She screamed as she picked it up.
	"Now now, that shouldn't be necessary.  Akane right?"  Said a 
voice which sounded like a mixture of Ranma and Kasumi.  She turned 
and saw a woman in a kimono looking like a older more mature version 
of Ranma with brown hair standing next to her sister Kasumi.  Her 
father and another man in a gi with glasses and a bandanna tied to his 
head were walking out the door with Nabiki.
	"There's a pervert in the bathroom!  I think it's very necessary!"
	"This is just a small misunderstanding."  Nodoka said with a 
smile.  "I'll just let my son explain things to you,"  She sighed.  "Like he 
should have from the start."
	"Sorry about that mom."  Came a remorseful voice from the 
doorway to the rest of the house.  Everyone turned to see the 
"Bathroom pervert" dressed in the outfit which had been loose on 
Ranma but which fit him perfectly.
	"Who are you?"  Asked Nabiki in a deliberately detached 
voice.
	"Ranma Saotome, sorry about everything."  He responded.
	Akane dropped the rock.

	"Ok, now it's time for the whole story."  Soun said as everyone 
sat around the table.  He considered his daughters, Kasumi's cheerful 
expression was unchanged, Nabiki had slipped into the poker face he 
only saw when she was helping him with the books, and Akane was 
quivering with barely restrained rage.  The Saotome's looked a little 
calmer, Ranma with his weary look, Genma's impassive expression, 
Nodoka looking like an older version of Kasumi, and Noriko looking at 
everyone else with a slightly puzzled look on her face.  He turned to 
Genma.  "This is my friend Genma Saotome,"  He began indicating the 
rest of the Saotome family as he named them, "His wife Nodoka, his 
son Ranma, and his daughter Noriko"
	"Are you really the same girl we saw?"  Kasumi asked.
	With a sigh Ranma replied "Yes, it's the result of a little training 
accident."
	"Where should I begin?"  Genma said aloud in a contemplative 
voice.
	"Try this."  Nodoka replied handing him a bucket of water.
	"Thank you,"  Genma replied, before dumping the contents of 
the bucket on Ranma who immediately turned into a Girl.  Her 
expression shifted to strong annoyance.
	"Why'd you do that?!"  Ranma shouted at his father.
	"Oh, what a terrible thing to happen!"  Genma started ranting.  
"Ranma, I am so ashamed of you..."  He was cut off by Ranma 
grabbing the front of his Gi and throwing him into the carp pond.  From 
which a large Panda immediately emerged.
	"Watch the hypocrisy Panda!"
	"Ranma,"  Said Nodoka.  She turned her head to the charging 
Panda, "Genma,"  Her quiet words froze them both.
	"Sorry mom," Ranma said.

	The group was reassembled around the table, with the now 
father and son contemplating a large teakettle on the table before them.
	"I have been training Ranma in the art of Anything Goes Martial 
Arts for many years."  Genma began.  "Two years ago we agreed that 
Ranma needed more focus to truly master the art."
	"Actually I was doing a little research on Chi, and I felt I needed 
to totally immerse myself in the subject to really understand it."  Ranma 
interjected.
	Genma glared at Ranma.  Nodoka looked at Genma.  Genma 
continued.  "Anyway it was agreed that we would spend two years 
traveling for the sole purpose of training in Martial Arts."
	"I've skipped two grades, and I thought I could afford to take 
the time off."
	"Ahem, We crossed over to China, and traveled for a long time, 
searching out and studying at the many martial arts sites.  Then one day 
about three months ago, we arrived at an ancient training ground in the 
Biankolo Range of Mountains, in Quinghia province.  It's name was 
Jusenkyo.

Flashback:
	The Jusenkyo guide was walking down the road followed by a 
small group.  Genma and Ranma were at the front, dressed in white 
Gi's.  Following them were Nodoka and Noriko, who were dressed in 
casual traveling clothes.  Everyone but the guide wore a large 
backpack.
	The road ended in a valley who's floor was covered with 
springs.  Bamboo poles stuck up from the various springs, and the 
ground between them.  "Here is Jusenkyo, the famous training ground of 
cursed springs."
	"Cursed?"  Asked Nodoka.
	"Yes, there more than one hundred springs, and each has own 
tragic story."
	"Ranma, lets go!"  Shouted Genma as he dropped his pack and 
jumped onto one of the poles.
	"No trouble."  Responded Ranma as he leapt onto another 
pole.
	"AH! SIRS!  What you doing?!"  The guide cried out as the 
two adopted a defensive one legged stance.  "I have not finished my 
tragic story!"
	"I wouln't go easy on you Ranma!"  Cried Genma.
	"You never do."  Was Ranma's quiet response as the two 
leaped at each other, clashed, and landed on different poles.
	"AH!  Please, very bad you fall in spring!"
	Ignoring the guide the pair leaped into another confrontation, 
this one leaving Ranma standing on a pole while Genma was knocked 
into a spring.
	"That was quick."  Commented Ranma as he looked at the 
spring Genma had fallen into.  Then suddenly a very large panda 
wearing his father's Gi top jumped from the spring.  "Wha- What's 
that!!"
	"That shanmaonichuan, Spring of drowned panda.  Tragic story 
of panda who drown there two thousand year ago.  Legend say 
whoever fall into spring take body of panda.
	"Why didn't you tell us sooner!"  Ranma screamed, then shifted 
his attention back to his transformed father who was leaping at him.  A 
second later Ranma flew through the air into another spring.
	"Ranma!"  Screamed Nodoka as she ran to the edge of the 
spring.
	"Oh dear, he fall in Nyanichuan, Spring of drowned girl."  The 
guide started as Ranma came to the surface.  "Tragic story of young girl 
who drowned there one thousand five hundred year ago.  Legend say 
whoever fall in spring take body of girl."
	Ranma felt the changes to his body, looking down he could see 
the changes to his chest, and with a quick yank at his Gi top the guides 
words were confirmed.  "AAAAAGH!"
	Ranma pulled the top closed.  He had the look of someone 
who's world has just transformed radically.  I.E., he was in shock.  
Then he looked up at the panda on the poles.  "OYAJI NO 
BAAKAAAAA!!!!!"
	"Wait! Ranma! Genma,"  Shouted Nodoka, trailing off as she 
saw her transformed husband leaping across the training ground 
followed by her son turned daughter.
End flashback.

	Ranma was siting there suppressing the Rage he still felt when 
his father reminded him of what had happened.  He closed his eyes, 
focused on his breathing and made himself relax.
	"I see."  Soun replied as he considered the story.  "Well, this 
isn't so bad after all."  He took Ranma by the shoulder and pointed to 
each of his children in turn.  "My oldest daughter Kasumi, she's 19.  My 
middle daughter Nabiki, she's 17.  My youngest daughter Akane, she's 
16.  Choose any one you want, she's your fiancÈe."
	"Akane would be wisest choice."  Kasumi said.
	"Definitely."  Added Nabiki.
	"What! Why would I..."
	"Ahem!"  Attention shifted to Ranma who had closed his eyes 
and was touching his right hand's fingers to his forehead.  "Let me get 
this straight.  You want me to make a decision that will have a dramatic 
impact on both my life and the lives of your daughters, based on my 
knowing them for less than two hours?!"  He said quietly, raising his 
head to focus on Soun a glare he usually reserved for his father.
	"Ahhhhh..."  Soun started as he tried to think of what to say in 
response.
	"Out of respect for you and father I'll make this deal.  I'll make 
a choice in one year.  Until then you wouln't mention the engagement to 
us.  And if everyone decides that we're not compatible the engagement 
is off."  Ranma looked into Soun's eyes.  "Is that acceptable."  He 
finished in a tone that said only one answer was acceptable.
	"Um, yes... But you'll be living here!"  Soun said.  "You can't get 
to know them if your living across town!"
	Ranma sighed.  "Ok, that I can compromise on."
	"Hey! don't we have any say in this!"  Akane shouted.
	"Of course."  Ranma said.  "That's why we're discussing this."
	"Well I'm not marrying a pervert like you!"
	Ranma glaired at her, tightening his fist, wanting to retaliate 
"You walked in on me, you Uncute Tomboy!"  He yelled taking a step 
forward and galiring into her eyes.
	"What did you say!!"  Akane retaliated in a building Rage.
	Nodoka was looking at both of them, wanting desperately to 
stop this but knowing the two of them had to difuse it themselves.
	Ranma glaired into Akane's eyes, eyes who's rage was a mirror 
to his own.  He closed his eyes.
	*Damn!  Lost it!  Well only one thing to do.*  "Sorry,"  He said 
through clenched teeth, "I meant to say that idiot's an acceptable insult, 
but pervert is blatantly inaccurate."
	"Oh, shut up you lecherous peeping tom!"
	"Akane!"  Said Nodoka in a gentle yet firm voice similar to one 
she occasionally heard from Kasumi.
	"Oh, sorry Mrs. Saotome."
	"You're apologizing to the wrong person."
	"Let me go first."  Ranma said as he walked up to Akane.  
Bowing he said, "I'm sorry for not telling you about my curse earlier, but 
even after these three months it's still an uncomfortable subject for me.  
I'm further sorry for leting myself get so angry just now"  *I still want to 
do something for that Pervert crack!*  He thought
	Akane stood there for a few moments, felt Kasumi and Mrs. 
Saotome looking at her and bowed muttering.  
"sorryicalledyouapervert"
	"Not a great apology but it's accepted."  Ranma said with a 
slight grin.  Akane turned somewhat red and stormed out of the room.
	*Heh.*