Want to be Friends.

"A postcard for father," Kasumi mused to herself. Pocketing the bills in her apron and tossing the junk mail, Kasumi went to look for her father. "Hi. Bringing Ranma from China. Saotome." ‘Hope it’s good news,’ she thought to herself.

Kasumi went up to the Dojo. Kneeling down, Kasumi slowly opened the door to the Dojo. Peering into the dark room, she saw her father in front of the their mother’s shrine. He was shaking, on the edge of breaking down once again. Over the past few years, he had slowly climbed out of the dark pit he had found himself after their mother died, but he was far from over her. Softly, she closed the door and left. Now was not a good time. If it was good news, it might bring him out more. If it was bad – it would keep till later, after dinner maybe.

With that in mind, Kasumi set the letter on the edge of the counter and left to hang the laundry.

Later that day, a very upset girl flew through the kitchen on her way to break some bricks that were desperately begging to be reduced to small bits. The sudden gust of wind, created by the rapidly moving storm front that was Akane, caused some unimportant papers on the counter to be rustled and one inconsequential postcard to fall into a trash bin.

=====

Some time later:

"Leggo y’ ol’ fool!" Someone shouted from the front of the house followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

"We have visitors." Kasumi smiled to herself as she covered the melon she was cutting for a healthy snack.

Answering the door, she was surprised by the sight of a big panda, apparently carrying something. She was further surprised when the panda lifted said something and deposited a shy looking pig-tailed figure on the ground in front of her. The figure was dressed in somewhat damp Chinese-styled clothing. A red sleeveless top and dark pants that cinched around the waist and ankles. The red highlights that might have been missed in otherwise dark hair shined brightly under the now sunny sky.

"Hi, I’m Ranma Saotome. Sorry ‘bout this." Ranma-chan looked away while playing with her pig-tail as she made her introduction. When the ridicule, laughing, pointing, or just plain slamming the door in the face of the obvious freak didn’t happen, she cautiously looked up at the taller woman.

"How can I help you?" Kasumi inquired helpfully. ‘Saotome, now where did I hear that name before?’

The panda held up a sign that read ‘Is Soun Tendou here?’

"My, what a well trained panda." Kasumi considered, wondering if she were really asleep right now. "Is it house broken?"

Ranma-chan smirked as she glanced over at the animal in question. "Yeah, you could say that." Suddenly, she lit up with a rather rakish grin. "But he’s really dirty. I suppose he otta stay outside till I can wash ‘im off." Ranma-chan continued with a smirk. "Wouldn’t wanna make a bad impression would we?" The last was said more to the panda than to Kasumi. She was still upset that he didn’t even give her a chance to get some hot water first. However, that was because he thought Ranma would try to make a break for it. And he was right.

"Wonderful," Kasumi replied, not really wanting to have to clean up after a panda. "Just follow me and I’ll see if we have anything to eat for your pet."

With the mention of food, Genma missed or didn’t care about the pet reference. The two followed Kasumi around the side of the house.

As Ranma-chan followed she thought the backyard would be big enough to practice in. But the sight of a dojo brought a bright smile to her face. It had been awhile since she had had the benefit of a dojo to use. ‘Okay, maybe it isn’t such a bad place.’ The sounds of someone practicing in the dojo only increased her mental score. Someone other than pops to spare against would be a welcome change.

For a brief moment, Ranma put the thought of returning to China on the back burner of her mind. Oh, she still was going to go back to look for the cure, but she could wait until they all saw that she was unfit to marry. Then she and her father could return to China. Ranma knew no girl would want to marry another girl, even if she really was a boy.

"Here we are," Kasumi announced stepping up onto the back porch. "If you’ll just wait here for a moment, and I’ll get something for your panda." Kasumi stepped into the kitchen shaking her head, trying to remember what panda’s ate. She really would have to start paying better attention to those nature shows. Who knew she would be having wild animals coming to visit?

Genma, for his part, looked around the yard for any signs of his old friend. ‘Hmm, sounds like someone is practicing in the dojo, maybe he is teaching a class.’ Genma was torn between wondering over to see his old friend and waiting for Kasumi to return. Just as he started to walk toward the dojo, Kasumi stepped out holding a plate filled with scraps from dinner the previous night.

"Here you go, Mr. Panda. I hope this will be alright."

"Don’t worry about him, he can eat anything," Ranma-chan supplied cheerfully. Genma didn’t respond, instead choosing to top off his hunger.

"M-my, what a well trained panda." Kasumi sweat-dropped at the sight of a panda using chopsticks to eat. "I-I-I’ll go get father for you." She left, not in a rush as that would be rude but she didn’t exactly take her time either.

Genma, upon finishing off his light snack, noticed Ranma staring off at the koi pond. ‘The boy is thinking about Jusenkyou again,’ he thought. Not for the first nor last time did he wish he had never heard of the place. Genma began to stalk up to the red head as he silently pulled out a sign that read: Don’t ever drop your guard, boy!

=====

"I am so sorry." Ranma-chan smirked at the cute girl with long dark hair who was apologizing yet again.

"Look. It’s okay, really. It’s his own fault for letting his guard down." Ranma-chan almost giggled. She shook her head. ‘Maybe I have spent too much time in this body.’ She quickly shelved that thought.

"It’s just that…" the girl, who had introduced herself as Akane, attempted. She looked doubtfully between their guest and her strange pet laying unconscious on the back porch.

After Kasumi had left Ranma and his father, both still in their cursed forms, to let Tendou-san know he had guests, Akane had finished her Sunday morning work-out. When she left the dojo after sweeping, she spotted a wild animal that looked like it was about to attack a girl. Thinking only for the girls safety, she rushed forward, broom in hand, and proceeded to send the animal into unconsciousness.

Ranma, for her part, had been preoccupied with her thoughts on how to get out of the engagement. There simply were too many things that had to be taken care of first. Number one among those was finding a cure. She was too young to even be thinking of marriage. Not to mention that she didn’t even know the girl, not that she thought that would help. The big problem, now that she had a moment to think things over, was that this was a matter of honor. That really complicated matters. She wasn’t about to be forced to marry some dumb girl, but she couldn’t just dishonor her self or family either.

=====

Soun Tendou came running into the living room, as soon as Kasumi had mentioned that Ranma Saotome was here. He was too excited to be understood by anyone. Seeing the pig-tailed youth, he gathered Ranma up in a big hug, his excitement overwhelming. ‘Now the schools would be joined!’

Nabiki came down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about just in time to see her father sweep someone up in a hug. Glancing over at her older sister, Kasumi could only shrug.

Akane watched on, almost going into shock. ‘H-how did dad know this girl?’ It seemed quite obvious they were well aquatinted.

After a minute or two, Soun grabbed Ranma’s shoulders and thrust her out to arms length. None of his daughters knew what to make of their father as he proceeded to stare at the young girls breasts. "Ranma?" His voice raising several octaves over the short name.

"Yeah." Ranma nodded uncertainly. The sudden embrace was the last thing Ranma had been expecting. She wasn’t sure yet how to respond. Part of her wanted to scream pervert and slam him into next week. Part of her wished her father would do that sometimes. And a very small part almost wished he would do that again. While she warred with her confusion, Soun Tendou promptly fainted.

=====

Tendou-san awoke to the concerned looking face of his eldest daughter.

"Oh, father! Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes. I just had the strangest dream." As he tried to sit up, he noticed a certain pig-tailed figure and began to sweat. "Y- you wouldn’t happen to be…"

"I’m Ranma Saotome." Feeling the need to lay back down, the Tendou patriarch did just that.

"Tell me, your father, wh- where is he?"

A quick glance at the unconscious panda laying outside threatened to bring forth all of the emotions that she had walled up inside her. "Th- we had… while we were training in China…" Closing her eyes she saw the cursed pool rushing at him, taking everything away from him. A girl. Opening her eyes she looked down at herself. ‘A stupid weak girl.’

"Oh my." Nabiki and Akane could only nod their ascent to that statement, misreading the play of expressions that crossed the young girls face.

"I- I’m sorry." Akane said after a few moments had passed in silence.

"Its okay, he’s use to it." The pig-tailed youth gave a brief smile, thinking she was referring to attacking her father again.

"Um, okay." Akane felt for the girl as she reflected on the loss of her mother. "Would you like me to show you around?"

Ranma blinked her confusion at the gi-clad girl.

"I’m Akane. Want to be friends?"

"Un." Ranma nodded. Akane was slightly taken back by the profound look of gratitude from the girl. Like a drowning man tossed a life line. ‘She looks like she needed a friend more than I do.’ Akane thought to herself.