Hi, I've gotten some complaints about the awkward truncation of 
the text so I'm reposting chapter two in two parts.


Ranma Saotome: Master of the Mystic Arts
By Brendan O'Donnell
Chapter 2

	"You've never even met this Ranma?  And one of us is getting 
engaged to him?!"  Akane proclaimed, glaring at her father across the 
table.
	"Hey look at this as an excuse to tell Kuno to get lost," 
Nabiki commented in a conspiratorial murmur to her sister.
	"Would you quit it about Kuno!  My boyfriend is my own 
business."
	"Well seeing as how you refuse to kiss him, hug him, or hold 
hands with him, and hit him every time he come within three feet of 
you..." Nabiki commented looking at her sister.
	In response Akane crossed her arms before her chest and turned 
away with a loud "Humph!"
	The doorbell rang.
	"That must be Ranma!" Nabiki said excitedly as she ran to the 
door, closely pursued by her father.  A second later they ran back 
around the corner, followed by a panda that calmly walked into the 
room.
	"Stupid excuse for a father."  Muttered a red haired girl as 
she walked around the bear, taking off her backpack with one hand.  "I 
told him we should get some hot water first but oh no, go to the 
Tendo's first, and by the way you're getting engaged to one of them."  
Rooting through the backpack she pulled out a large metal thermos.
	Soun blinked.  "You wouldn't be..."
	The red haired stranger looked at him and responded, "Ranma 
Saotome, sorry about the confusion."
	Soun grabbed her and pulled her into a fast hug, knocking the 
thermos and backpack from her hands.  "Oh I'm so glad you're finally 
here!  I've waited for this day for so..."  Blinking he grabbed Ranma 
by the shoulders and pushed her to arms length to look at her.  Staring 
at her chest he backed away.
	"Oh what a cute girl you've found for us to marry," Nabiki 
commented sarcastically.
	"Girl..."  With a small yelp Soun collapsed into a faint.
	"Ah great," Ranma commented as she picked up the thermos.  
Tossing it to her left hand she walked over to Soun, and crouched down 
to touch his forehead with her right hand.  "Hmm."  A low-level probe 
showed her no obvious problems so she directed a light trickle of power 
through her hand.  "Wake up."
	With a start Soun woke.  "Uh, what?  Saotome?  Ranma?  Girl!?"
	"Calm down," Ranma stated as she stood and opened the thermos. 
 "It's a strange story," she said pouring a cupful of hot water.  "But 
it's got simple consequences."  She poured the hot water over her head. 
 And changed into a taller black haired boy.  "Spring of Drowned Girl." 
 He poured another cup, which he immediately flicked into the Panda's 
face.  "Spring of Drowned Panda."
	"Oh my," Kasumi commented, the only Tendo in the room not 
frozen with shock.
	Genma wiped the hot water from his face and commented, "Weren't 
you concerned about going too fast, boy?"  He glanced at Soun and 
extended a hand for him to grab.  "Don't worry old friend, I can 
explain everything."
	Soun pulled himself to his feet with Genma's help.  He looked 
at his old friend.  "Explain.  Yes, an explanation!"  He paused and 
looked at Genma.  Tears streamed down his face.  "It's been so long 
since I've seen you, old friend.  Come into the living room, and we can 
all hear your story."
	"So that's what happened," Soun commented softly as he stood 
and walked to the door overlooking the garden.  "The true horror of 
Jusenkyo has been shrouded in mystery for so long."
	Ranma snorted and looked at his father.  "Nope, the true 
horror's described in the brochure where Pop got the idea of training 
at Jusenkyo.  And if he actually spoke a word of Chinese or had thought 
to ask the guide about the place it might have mattered."
	Genma scowled.  "Ranma, stop whining like a girl!"  He reached 
out and grabbed Ranma by his shirt and threw him into the Tendo pool.  
"The path of a true martial artist is the path of peril and conflict!  
Have you forgotten, aren't you prepared to lay down your life for the 
art?"
	Ranma stood in the pool.  His eyes narrowed.  "Life, not 
manhood!"  Focusing his energy Ranma quickly sliced his hand through 
the pond's surface in a semicircular pattern.  He brought the hand up 
in an arc ending with his hand pointed at his father.  A fierce stream 
of water shot along that path crashing into Genma, knocking the panda 
on his back.
	Ranma leapt from the pond, and with two steps was on the 
walkway at the door.  Genma rose to his feet and assumed a defensive 
stance.  Ranma remained at the doorway in a guarded cat stance.
	Soun stood and stepped between the two cursed martial artists. 
 "Calm down you two.  Ok, let's see if I have this right."  He turned 
to Genma.  "Cold water turns you into a panda."  Holding up a steaming 
kettle he poured it over the panda's head.   "But hot water returns you 
to normal."
	"No need for it to be that hot, Tendo."
	Soun walked to where Ranma had switched to a more causal 
posture.  "Cold water turns you into a girl, and hot water turns you 
into a boy."  He extended the kettle toward Ranma, who grabbed it out 
of his hands.
	"Hot, not boiling!"
	With a grin Soun Tendo clasped Ranma on the shoulder.  "Well, 
it's no problem after all."  With a grin he turned Ranma to look where 
his three daughters were sitting.  "My eldest daughter Kasumi, my 
middle daughter Nabiki, and my youngest daughter Akane.  Whoever you 
choose, she's your new fiancee."
	"He wants Akane," Nabiki stated simply.  Her sisters looked at 
her.
	"I have to agree Nabiki," Kasumi responded with a nod of her 
head.
	"What, why would I...  It's bad enough with Kuno!..."
	"Well, isn't a fiancee the perfect excuse to dump Boken Brain?"
	"Quit reminding me about everything that's wrong with my 
boyfriend!  Besides what proof do I have that mister boy-girl here 
isn't worse than Kuno?"
	"Haven't you kept saying that no one could be worse than Kuno?" 
 Nabiki responded.
	"First off!"  Ranma stated raising his hand.  "I have no 
intention of getting engaged to someone I met twenty minutes ago!"  He 
looked at Soun.  "I respect family honor, but if you can't wait a few 
months for the sake of your daughters happiness..."
	"I... "  Tears began to stream down Soun's cheeks as a brief 
look of shame was swallowed by a look of desperation.  "Please! For the 
sake of the art!  At least think about..."
	"It's family honor so I'm not saying no.  It's the rest of my 
life so I'm not saying yes.  I just want to wait."
	"And what about me!?"  Akane shouted with an angry glare at 
Ranma.  "There is no way I am getting engaged to some weirdo like you!"
	Ranma looked at Akane.  He felt the anger building inside him. 
 "Then we won't get engaged!  Even if I believed in coercion, I don't 
want to marry some short tempered tomboy!"
	"What did you call me!!"
	*Anger can be a potent tool, but if you let it control you, you 
risk destroying part of yourself.*  Taking a breath and releasing it, 
Ranma closed his eyes and reached up a hand to massage his forehead..  
"Sorry, insults are too easy."  Lowering his hand he looked Akane in 
the eye.  "All I want is to pretend that this entire engagement 
agreement doesn't exist for a few months.  Is that ok with you three?" 
 He glanced past Akane to direct a stare at her two sisters.
	"As far as I'm concerned I don't even know you!"  Akane 
responded as she turned and stormed upstairs.
	Ranma glanced after her, then directed his attention to Mr. 
Tendo who was now grasping his arms and staring into his face, tears 
flowing down his cheeks.  "Promise me you'll choose a fiancee in a 
month.  If you don't...  The Dojo..."
	"Three months.  Then I'll make a decision about the engagement 
question."  Ranma replied pulling his arms free.

	"We mainly use the attic for storage, but there should be 
enough room so that you can set up whatever you need.  Just ask me 
before rearranging anything please."
	"Thank you."  Ranma replied looking around the compact room 
with it's sharply angled ceiling.  Closing his eyes he extended his 
perceptions.  The house was well located, with strong currents of 
mystical energy circulating through the entire area.  And as he reached 
out his mind he felt the presence of benign spirits suffusing the 
entire house.  "This'll be perfect."  *Yes.  It'll take a few days to 
set things up for the spell, but then I shouldn't have any worries 
about someone trying to sabotage my equipment.  Baka Oyaji.*
	"What did you want to set up here?"  Kasumi asked.
	"Hmm?"  Ranma glanced at her.  "Oh, I just need someplace quiet 
and private to decipher the secrets of the universe."

	Akane jogged down the street, and at the entrance to the Tendo 
Dojo she pivoted to enter, a contented smile on her face.  The grin was 
swallowed by an expression of shock as she looked into the yard where a 
series of loud shouts had erupted.  "What?"  She ran to look.
	Genma was unleashing dozens of blows at Ranma, all of which 
were blocked by his son as he retreated toward the pond.  Suddenly 
Ranma crouched under the barrage and kicked at his father's legs, 
knocking them out from under him.  Genma caught himself with his hands, 
then pushed off to vault over the pond.  He landed in a defensive 
posture, then blocked his son's flying kick.
	Akane looked on.  "Hmm, they're pretty good."
	"High spirited."  Kasumi smiled as she looked up from setting 
the table for breakfast.
	The two combatants leaped, clashing together over the pond in a 
flurry of punches and kicks, which ended with Ranma knocking his father 
into the pond with a kick that threw himself to the rocks.
	"I win, Oyaji." Ranma commented with a smug grin on his face.
	"Oh my!" Kasumi declared, looking at Genma.  "What do Panda's 
eat?  Oh yes!"  She pulled out a large plate of bamboo and set in on 
the table.

	"I don't want any argument's from you, boy.  We'll be staying 
for a while and you'll be going to school!" Genma declared.
	"Ok," Ranma responded.  "Did you happen to pick up some books 
and that, or will I have to shop for myself?"
	Genma blinked a second, then pulled out a leather 
backpack/satchel.  "Uh, here."
	"Hey Ranma, time to get going," Nabiki commented as she glided 
around him with a grin on her face.

	"You sure seem to be pushing Akane to get engaged to me."  
Ranma commented to Nabiki as he hoped to from the fence to where she 
was walking a dozen feet ahead of Akane.  "I don't suppose you're 
interested in getting this Kuno guy unattached?"
	"Kuno!?" Nabiki proclaimed in a thoroughly disbelieving tone.  
"Well you haven't met him yet.  Trust me only an idiot would want him 
for a boyfriend."  With a worried look she glanced backward for Akane, 
then sighed in relief as she saw her sister hadn't gotten close enough 
to overhear them yet.  "Do you know anything about magic?"
	Ranma just managed to force himself not to freeze in shock.  
"What do you mean?"
	"Well since Akane suddenly decided Kuno was her boyfriend last 
month I've tried to find some reason she'd suddenly stop hating him for 
being such a complete jerk and deciding to accept his 'date me' offers. 
 Not that she's actually dated him mind you.  Or even stopped hating 
him really."  She shook her head.  "It can't be drugs, and hypnosis 
shouldn't work like that by what I've read.  Of course magic isn't 
possible, or at least wasn't supposed to be possible."  She glanced at 
Ranma with a wry grin on her face.
	"My curse is proof that magic isn't impossible, and you're 
hoping to learn that I've spent the last eleven months studying magic 
under the earth's sorcerer supreme, right?"
	Nabiki looked at Ranma, then laughed, putting her hand to the 
back of her neck.  "Yeah, silly huh."

	"Beloved Akane Tendo!"
	Ranma glanced away from the gates to the school to look at the 
source of the cry, a tall student wearing the traditional Kendo uniform 
and holding a large bouquet of red roses who was running toward the 
trio.
	Akane's sigh was full of resignation and a little tiredness.  
"Kuno."
	With a flourish Kuno tossed the bouquet to Akane who casually 
caught it.  "Truly the beauty of these perfect blossoms pales before 
your radiance, Akane Tendo."
	Akane glanced at them.  "They're as cute as all the other 
roses."
	Kuno stepped foreword and grabbed Akane's hands, which 
involuntarily jerked away.  "Hands off!"  Akane declared with a scowl 
as she dropped the bouquet and knocked his arms away.  
	"But, my love!" Kuno responded stepping forward while spreading 
his arms to hugging position.  Akane responded with a kick knocking him 
back to the school.
	"This is the way you treat your boyfriends?" Ranma asked as he 
stepped up too her.
	"Shut up."
	"Hold, how dare you stand so close to my beloved Akane Tendo?!" 
 Kuno stated as he rose to his feet, shifting his grasp on a boken he 
hadn't been holding a second before.
	"Hey I'm..."
	"Wait!  Before a challenge can be issued it is first proper to 
offer ones own name.  Therefore listen well, I am the mightiest warrior 
of this school, undefeated master of the sword, the rising star of the 
World of Kendo!  My peers call me the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!  I 
am Tatewaki Kuno."
	Ranma looked at him quietly a moment.  "I'm Ranma Saotome, Heir 
of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  My father's a 
friend of the Tendo family and we're their guests for a few months."
	"You think yourself worthy to share the roof of my Akane 
Tendo?"  Kuno stepped foreword slashing at Ranma with his boken.  Ranma 
calmly flipped backward, landing casually on the trunk of a nearby 
tree.  Kuno's follow up slash missed Ranma and cut the tree in half.
	"Would you cut that out!"  Ranma shouted angrily as he avoided 
Kuno's thrusts and stepped close to the kendoist.  "Whatever your 
problem with that violent girl is, I have nothing to do with it! And I 
want nothing to do with it!"
	"How dare you speak that way about Akane Tendo!"  Kuno screamed 
as he attacked with a flurry of thrusts, which Ranma avoided, with a 
short set of backflips followed by a leap into the air.  As he 
descended Kuno thrust upward, while Ranma struck out with his fingers.
	It started to rain.

	"Mr. Saotome?"  Akane asked as she walked into the shed she had 
seen the panda carry Ranma into.  "Ranma?"
	"Damn rain," Ranma muttered to herself as she considered a 
small kettle.  "I was winning too.
	"Check your throat," Akane responded.
	"Akane?"  Ranma glanced at her, then looked down to examine a 
thin bruise at the base of her neck.  "Hmm, Better than I thought."  
She picked up the kettle and poured it over her head.
	"Even match I guess," Akane commented.
	The now Male Ranma quickly toweled his hair and responded, "Not 
really."  He smirked, remembering his own 'signature' move before the 
rainfall had begun.  "Why are you here anyway?"
	"We have the same homeroom, and I don't want you to be late for 
your first day."
	"Well I figure being male for my first day is more important, 
but you're right."  He walked out of the shed, and paused at the door 
and glanced at the panda.  "Thanks for actually being helpful this time 
Pop."