The characters of Ranma 1/2 Universe is the sole creation of Rumiko Takahashi
and various companies.  I am using them without prior permission from the
creator.  Hopefully I will not be sued.

Special thanks to Octavian and K Yee for helping this poor story teller with his grammar.

Thanks to Jason Liao for his C&C.

Ranma 1/2 : Kasumi's Wish Chapter Four
Created by Long Ngo
Started March 28, 1998
Finished April 5, 1998 

       The silence of the night was broken by a shout emanating close by. Suddenly a red-headed young girl with a pigtail slid into view from around the corner followed by a large panda. The encounter between girl and panda attracted a crowd of viewers. Rumors began flying around as to who these two were.  Why the panda was picking on the young lady? A few young men even thought about helping the cute redhead. That was until the panda ripped a sign from the ground, bashed the young girl and carried her off.

Tendou Residence

       "Nabiki, I'm worried about Kasumi." Looking into Akane's face, a person could see the concern the young Tendou had for Kasumi..

        "I am too." Nabiki's expression mirrored Akane's.  *Ever since she heard father's announcement, she had noticed Kasumi's unusual behavior.  Could it be that Kasumi wants this engagement? How does she know this boy? Hmmm, If this is true then I think Kasumi was blushing* Nabiki smiled inward. She just had to find out if it was true or not.

       Akane could not understand it, one moment Nabiki was really worried then the next she seems to be a little more relaxed and had that predatorial look on her face like she was planning something. "Nabiki, will Kasumi be alright?"

       "I'm not sure yet but I think so." Nabiki smiled for a second.

       As for Soun, he was just looking at the kitchen door. Unaware of the conversation between his two daughters, he had lost all his prior excitement on meeting his best friend and was lost in worry for his eldest daughter. Of all his daughters, Kasumi would be the one he would miss the most, if he ever lost her. She reminded him of a time when laughter could be heard from the backyard. When the Tendous were truly a family.  Something which seems so long ago. A time when his loving wife was still breathing and enjoying life. Kasumi reminded him of Kimiko. Kasumi was everything his wife used to be and more. To Soun, when Kimiko died, the Kasumi that he knew also died that day. Gone was the carefree child who would laugh and play games with her sisters.  Now there was only a motherly figure, a housewife. All too often, Soun would be depressed at how things turned out in life. He would hide himself behind a newspaper in hopes that all the problems of the outside world would help cover up the problems he had at home. They were not physical problems or financial ones, but emotional ones. The ones that seem so hard to remedy.

       All three Tendous were suddenly interrupted from their deep thoughts by a loud commotion at the gate to their home. Nabiki, remembering the postcard and the supposed arrival of Tousan's friend and his son, shot to her feet and ran to the door. Seconds later, Soun and Akane could see Nabiki running back through the hall with a look of fright upon her face. Following the fleeing Tendou was a large panda carrying an uncooperative passenger upon its shoulder. Upon facing the Tendous, the huge panda deposited its struggling luggage.

       Looking at their new guest, Nabiki could not figure out if the red-haired stranger was a he or a she. Looking at Soun, "Are these friends of yours Tousan?" Nabiki asked.

       Turning his attention away from the huge panda, Soun, unable to say anything due to the shock of the unexpected arrival of their two guests, could only shake his head vigorously.

        After a few moments their guest reluctantly stepped forward, "I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry about this."

       *So this is Ranma,* Nabiki thought. "He is cute," she exclaimed. *Might this be the boy Kasumi is interested in. She has some good taste. I didn't know you had it in you sis.* Nabiki thought.

       The tension, broken by Ranma's statement, shook Soun out of his daze as he gave Ranma a joyous hug. Now after so long, the Saotome and Tendou clan would soon be united. As Soun began forcing the breath from Ranma, a part of his subconscious was starting to tell him something was amiss. As Soun's mind tried to contemplate this train of thought, while hugging Ranma, he felt two foreign pieces of anatomy a man should not have pressing against his chest. Finally, reality hit him. Soun was hugging a young girl and not a young man. Disengaging him quickly, Soun again went into a state of shock.

        "What a disappointment. What were you thinking Tousan? Does this look like something a man would have?" Nabiki sarcastically said, all the while poking Ranma's ample chest. *Was I wrong? This can't be the boy that Kasumi was blushing over. Does this mean that Kasumi is a les.. No!! I will not accept this. Something is wrong with this situation.* Nabiki's mind went into hyperdrive trying to figure out what was going on.

       Soun couldn't handle being in shock twice on the same day shook his head before fainting.

       "Would you please stop that?" Ranma asked Nabiki through clenched teeth. He was so embarrassed. First, he was dragged to the Tendous kicking and screaming like a child. Then to top it off, their first impression of him was of a girl and not a guy. Finally, Mr. Tendou had to faint right in front of him and now a girl was poking his chest. *Could the day get any worse?* Ranma thought to himself.

       *Ranma is here.* Kasumi smiled and started coming out of the kitchen. Suddenly she heard a thump sound. She had forgotten about Otousan fainting.

       Nabiki was thinking too deeply to have noticed Ranma's request. Every few seconds, Nabiki absentmindedly squeezed one of Ranma's breast. Something was missing but Nabiki did not know what. *Arggggg!!!!* Nabiki racked her brain for a plausible answer. This did not make any sense and the only one that did was absurd.

       Ranma noticed the new girl that had just entered the hallway and could not help but notice the air of calmness that surrounded her. She had long brown hair and somehow looked elegant wearing only a light blue casual dress. What surprised him was that, she was heading his way with a kettle in one hand and a towel in the other. She was the only one that did not show any kind of negative expression toward him since he arrived, although he had just met her. Suddenly Ranma was as shocked as Soun when this strange girl poured the content of the kettle on him. He felt the change take place. He grew taller and the clothing that was loose before now fitted him perfectly. *How did this girl know about his curse?* every fiber of Ranma's mind shouted at him. All he could do was stare at her with his mouth hanging. What was more surprising, though Ranma could not see it, was Genma's expression. It was the look of a deer caught in the headlight of an oncoming car. "How...how..how did you know about my curse?" Ranma stuttered.

       Kasumi hated lying and knew that they would not believe her even if she told them the truth so she avoided the question. "Oh my, Otousan fainted!!" Inward Kasumi was smiling to herself. To everyone, she was acting like the same old Kasumi they knew but deep down, she had changed. Ever since the kiss on New Years Eve, she realized what was missing from her life and could not bear to return to just being the Kasumi of before. Hopefully she could change that. She wanted a happier life, a life where her smiles came from her heart and her laughs were one of joy. Looking down at her father, Kasumi smiled. Since Ranma entered their lives, Otousan had not been the same. The depression that had gripped his very being since Okaasan died had slowly vanished. Throughout all the fiancee problems, kidnapping and rivals, the Tendous had experienced one of the happiest times of their lives.  Looking down at Soun, Kasumi was glad Ranma had entered their lives. Maybe this time, she could repay Ranma for his deeds which he had yet to accomplish and make him happy.

        Meanwhile, Nabiki had face faulted at the transformation. *Curse? What curse? Where was the red-headed girl? Where did this boy come from?* These thoughts were whirling around Nabiki's mind as she went into shock. The day had not been going well for her. To top it off where once she was holding a very ample breast, now was replaced by a muscular chest of a very handsome man. No woman, even someone like Nabiki, could stay calm when a woman's breast deflates like a ballon in their hand. Uncharacteristically, Nabiki could not handle the shock and fainted as well.

To be continued