Under the warm afternoon sun the birds sang their song and the leaves rustled in the wind while Soun Tendo cried. In his right hand held a postcard with a picture of a Panda on it. He flipped it in his hands and back again before silently reading the neat handwriting for the third time. Dear Daddy, We're currently in China but will be back in Japan soon. In fact we should arrive home the same day this postcard does. See you soon. Love, Nabiki *Oh, joy! My daughter and her fiancee will soon return home. And once they do they can be married and then the Saotome and Tendo lines will be united and the future of the dojo and my family will be secured!* Soun Tendo once again flipped the postcard over as more tears came to his eyes. Nabiki and Ranma ½ By: Mike Malaspina The forms of two young human teenagers raced down the rain slicked street. Behind them the form of a much larger creature struggled to keep up. The young man and woman slid to a halt and turned to face their pursuer, which happened to be a large black and white panda that looked like an over stuffed toy enlarged and brought to life. "Listen up old man! If you think for one instant that I'm going home for the first time in eleven years like THIS, you've got another thing coming," screamed the boy glaring at the panda. "Growf," grunted the panda who seemed to be thinking. "Don't hurt yourself old man," chimed in the girl with a smirk and the look of someone wanting a fight. The panda looked offended and in response took up the fighting stance that would have looked better in use by a man. The girl smiled and followed suit while her male companion silently mouthed, "Why me?" to the air. In a few minutes the girl had beaten the panda into unconsciousness. As the boy's arms wrapped around the girl from behind she was startled but almost instantaneously calmed down and leaned into the embrace resting her arms on top of his. "You know Ranma, the old man deserves it but you pick some of the absolute _worst_ times to fight," said the teenage boy as he rested his head on the girl's soft hair. "Yeah, he does deserve it!" She exclaimed pulling out of the loving embrace frowning. "And this isn't just some stupid fight, " a smile lit up her features, "it's a plan." "Well, Ranma, I'm proud of you," said the boy smiling, "We can now change back before we go home _and_ you were thinking things through. But you did forgot one thing." The girl's smile which had continually gotten bigger and brighter as the boy talked fell. "Oh, and what's that?" "How are we going to carry a panda?" "Damn." -------------------- "Kasumi! Akane," rang out the voice of the eldest Tendo as he finished reading the postcard for the... Imagine that, he'd lost count. "I have wonderful news. Come quickly!" In the kitchen of the Tendo home, the eldest daughter of Soun Tendo and his dearly departed wife Kimiko and pillar of the household Kasumi Tendo dried her hands on a kitchen towel before exiting to see what her father wanted. Meanwhile in the Tendo's dojo the youngest of the three Tendo daughters, Akane, smashed an innocent brick into a good amount of dust and numerous bite sized pieces. That is, if you would and could bite a brick. When she heard her father's summons, she stopped and debated between setting up one more final brick and going to see what he wanted right away. *It sounds important, practice can wait.* -------------------- As Akane and Kasumi sat across the table from their father, Akane's yellow gi made a sharp contrast to Kasumi's modest sweater and dress. Soun, prideful as ever of his children looked them over. *What did I do to deserve such wonderful little girls?* He thought to himself. He smiled and could barely hold the excitement in. *Finally, after all these years my three daughters will be reunited! I can't wait to see how excited Akane and Kasumi will be.* "Father, you wanted to tell us something?" asked Kasumi. "Oh!" Soun was broken out of his reverie by Kasumi's polite interruption, "I'm sorry, girls, I have great news. I just received a postcard from your sister; she will arrive home today!" "Wow, how long has Nabiki been gone anyway Dad?" Questioned Akane. "Eleven years, two months and seventeen days" stated Soun. "That's a really long time. Do you think she'll be a better martial artist than me?" Asked Akane hoping that she wouldn't be. Not that she wanted her sister to be a failure but martial arts was one of the few things that she was really, really good at. She couldn't cook or swim, but boy could she beat people up. "I'm not sure, Akane, but, if she is, you'll have to understand it's because she has been training constantly for 11 years with Genma who is my equal in the art. And though it shames me to admit it I have not been the best of sensei to you Akane," said Soun tears coming to his eyes. "Yes, you have Daddy! You've been a great sensei," Akane exclaimed, seeing her father on the verge of tears. "Really?" Asked Soun hope gleaming in his eyes. "Of course, Dad. Would I ever lie to you?" She lied. Since Mother had died Soun hadn't actively trained her except occasionally in the last year or so. "Thank you Akane. It pleases me so much to hear that my daughter thinks me a good teacher," Soun said, tears in his eyes, but tears of happiness instead of sorrow. /KNOCK! KNOCK!\ Came a startlingly loud knocking from the front of the house. "That must be the Saotomes and Nabiki now. I'll go let them in," said Kasumi recovering from the surprise first. "Thank you, Kasumi," said Soun as Kasumi stood, smoothed out her dress and went to answer the door. *Kasumi is always such a good hostess. If only she had a husband.. Or even a boyfriend!* Soun began crying. "Why can't Kasumi meet a nic..." "Ahhh! Kasumi look out," screamed Akane interrupting her father's cry. "Huh?" Said Soun smartly looking in the direction that his youngest daughter was pointing. When he saw what she saw he too screamed out. "Kasumi, look out! There's a ferocious panda behind you!" "Oh, my! Where?" Kasumi looked around not seeing any pandas except the nice one carrying the little girl with the red hair, pigtail and wet clothes that had come in with Nabiki. "Father, I don't see any ferocious pandas." Soun face faulted. Akane just stared at her sister in amazement, jaw agape. The panda put down the girl and got a kick in the shins. Nabiki for her part sighed once again asking the sky, "Why me?" "Sorry, about this," said the girl who looked a little shame faced. "Who are you and where is Saotome and his son?" Questioned Soun as he returned to his feet. "And where is my daughter?!" "Right here Daddy," spoke up Nabiki moving out from behind Kasumi and into view. "There you are Nabiki but where are Genma and Ranma?" Asked Soun in a now calm voice. "I'm Saotome Ranma," said the girl. "Is that your panda?" Asked Akane breaking her self imposed silence. "You could say that," answered Nabiki with a smirk. "Well, then Ranma, I'd like to welcome you to my home!" Said Soun as he rushed forward and locked Ranma in a backbreaking hug. Soun's eyes went wide as he suddenly squeezed Ranma closer to him and then patted along his sides. "Urk!" He exclaimed before promptly fainting. -------------------- As Soun Tendo regained consciousness he prayed he hadn't felt what he thought he felt on Ranma's chest. *Ranma is a boy... So, I must have been seeing things. That's it! I was just seeing.. Errr, feeling things!* He thought as he began to hesitantly open his eyes still not certain in his 'seeing things' theory. "Ooohhhh... My head," moaned Soun wishing he'd kept his eyes shut just a little longer. -------------------- Kasumi gently dabbed a wet cloth at her father's head as a now male Ranma explained why he turned into a girl. "... got here was cause'a some old lady with a water scoop cleaning the side walk." Akane stared at him in disbelief. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself," she said. "I wouldn't have either, before it happened to us," said Nabiki. "Ah, the path of a true martial artist is fraught with many perils." Said Genma trying to sound wise but not pulling it off to well. "Perils! You ca...," Ranma's rant was cut short by the moaning of Soun. "Ooohhhh... My head." "Father, are you all right?" Asked a worried Kasumi. As he saw male Ranma he smiled broadly, "Yes, Kasumi, I should be fine!" He also noticed that the panda was, thankfully, gone and a man in a dirty beat up white gi with glasses was in his place. *Ah, there's Saotome.* "That's good to hear Mr. Tendo. I swear I can explain why I was girl!" Ranma blurted out. Soun fainted. -------------------- "Ranma, what do I always tell you about thinking before you speak?" Scolded Nabiki. Ranma allowed a smile to come across his face, "To do so." Nabiki tried to bat Ranma in the head out of anger but it ended up being a playful thing and the two found themselves in a hug quickly. "I'm sorry Nabiki. I'll try and think before I say somethin next time. I promise," said Ranma, who still a little adverse to public affection, blushed and smiled while letting go of his fiancee. "Thank you, Ranma. Why don't you all go downstairs and get something to eat? I'll explain to Daddy when he wakes up." Suggested Nabiki. Genma hearing food was up and gone in a shot. Kasumi smiled. "What a good idea Nabiki. Come with me Ranma-kun, Akane and I'll make you and Mr. Saotome some snacks." "All right," said Ranma and Akane in unison. They both looked at each other and blinked. Then laughed and got up. As they followed Kasumi down stairs Nabiki thought over how to say what she had to tell her father. At least one of the things she had to tell him. -------------------- As Ranma ate he sat in silence thinking. *I hope Mr. Tendo realizes that these curses are Pop's fault.. He wouldn't blame me would he? What if he doesn't think I'm good enough for Nabiki? It's not like we could just run away from her family. I mean I could leave Pops anytime but it's different with Nabiki. Damn, you old man! If this curse gets between me and Nab-chan I'm gonna kill you!* -------------------- Nabiki watched as her father sat up and turned to her, "Nabiki, what happened to me? I had the most disturbing dream that Ranma was a girl and then a boy. And then said he could explain why. And for whatever reason there was a panda with you when you first arrived. Hold on just a moment. If you're here then I didn't dream you arriving... What's going on?" Asked Soun in a rush. Nabiki sighed and began to very slowly explain what had happened over the last few weeks in the lives of Nabiki Tendo and the Saotome men. -------------------- As Nabiki finished explaining, her father was eerily calm and it bothered her. "Father, are you all right?" "Do you still love him?" He responded. "Huh?" "Do you still love Ranma despite the curse?" Nabiki looked shocked. "Of course!" She exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. "It's just a stupid curse. Nothing changes about Ranma except the outside and it's the inside that counts. I love him because of who he is not because of his body." *Though I have come to love his body as well.* She thought with a smile. "Then this isn't so bad after all!" Shouted Soun as he hugged his daughter, the tears beginning to flow. Nabiki had developed a twitch and would have been pulling her face off the floor but her father's hug kept her upright. Finally it was just too much and the second different Tendo today fainted for a family total of three times.