Soun seem unusually worried. He was looking through a huge stack of papers at his table. They roughly translated to, "a lot of bills" and, "deep trouble". The Tendo school of indiscriminate grappling had had an extremely low attendance for the last year and was pulling the family under. The effects weren't currently the most visible, sure there were a few less items bought out of but if it kept going they wouldn't be able to even pay for their meals.

*poke*poke* ^Hmmm^ Soun looked up to see her youngest daughter, Akane. She seemed so innocent. ^How could I let her down?^ he thought. Her short blue hair flowed across her soft face.

^Father, I just wanted to ask if perhaps we could adopt an exchange student. I heard about him in school. The guy doesn't have anywhere else to because his last family it's to late to cancel, he's already on the plane...^

^Thank you, Akane. Why don't you run off now. I'll think about it.^ Akane did as her father asked. She didn't like the look of depression he held but what was she to do? ^It's a sweet idea Akane had, but how could a afford such a thing when I can't even pay for ourselves?^

^You know, daddy,^ Nabiki came out from the room behind. She was a women capable of immense trickery to get the thing she wanted. Still, she was a person just the same. ^If we had someone from out of the country surviving and living here...a normal everyday person...it might get some more people to join the dojo. They're all scared off by the more destructive advanced fighters, I don't even need to mention their names. It would be another plus if that person learns to spar well.^

^Really Nabiki? I never had thought of that. I have the best daughters in the world. Thanks for the idea.^ Soun gave her daughter a light hug.

^No problem, daddy.^ She then whispered to herself, ^I also heard he's pretty cute.^

^Hmm??^

^Oh, nothing.^

*************************

"Aaaah, I was getting cramped on there." A young man, about Ranma's age stepped off of the plain. His head carried a baseball cap adorning the New York Mets emblem, he had dark blue baggy pants and a black Tee shirt. "I wonder why I chose Japan out of all those places. The babes are in Europe." The guy had a voice, right around Ryoga's range. His brown eyes glistened as they searched the area for a sign of his adoptive family. It was going to be a difficult task with the hundred of people constantly circulating the area. There had to be something that would set them apart.

^Ranma! You baka!^ Echoed through the air.

"Hmm....I think one of the people I was staying with was named Ranma." He pulled his way through the crowd. The air was willed with odors of people's perfume, body odor and jet fumes. Not the best smell in the world. The yells got louder and louder as the he approached the baggage claim, they had to be it. Finally, some people started coming into view, jumping left and right through the people. One was black haired male. He had a red shirt of some strange style. And the girl...she had blue hair, something the man hadn't seen before on someone naturally. The girl apparently was bashing the hell out of the guy. Not a normal occurrence in an airport. But still people just kept moving by it, almost ignoring it. "Hello?"

^Ohmigod! It's him! Just like in the picture! You almost made us miss him, baka!^ cried the girl extaticly.

^It's not my fault!^ he replied, ^I didn't know I was suppose to bring his name card.^ "You are Zack, right?"

"Yup. You finally switched to English. You're...."

"Ranma, and that's Akane."

"Akane, eh? That's a very pretty name." Zack swept Akane and pecked a kiss, then getting his skull caved in by Akane's mallet from subspace.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Welcome to the family, man." Ranma said, before he started laughing.

Zack's world started to go in circles as he started to pass out until all went to black. A large bump appeared on his head where the Mallet made it's initial impact.

"Akane! You didn't have to hit him so hard. Now I gotta carry him!"

"Hummmphhhh!" She turned her back to him.

"Wh-wh-where am I?" Zack opened his eyes to a world of black. Jumping up, a mallet swung underneath him the size of himself, then disappearing. Then two huge faces appear from the darkness, laughing in his face a scary laugh. One that would chill someone to the bone going to a high pitch then disappearing. Another mallet appeared, coming straight down, like pounding pistons, after one disappeared another appeared right over himself. They relentlessly came one after another, there seemed to be no escape. Then one came down on all four sides, trapping him. Another hovered overhead, seeming ready to fall any minute. Zack clawed at the sides, unable to climb the walls they created. Their sleek sides were just ungrabbable. He could feel the wooden type anvil lower slowly, pushing him against the ground. Unable to move, he screamed, shooting awake. His body was in a dead cold sweat.

"Whoa...it worked." Ranma said. His eyes were full of curiosity and interest. "I thought he wasn't going to get up."

"Well, I do have the voice."

"Yeah...you can really yell. It got him up though."

"Baka!"

Still breathing hard, he studied his surroundings. Slowly it was coming back to him. Looking back and forth between the fighting duo, their names came back. "Ranma you bitch! You hit me on the head! You could've just slapped me like regular girls!"

"Bitch? What is that in English?" Akane asked Ranma.

"Why'd so say my name and point to her, baka!? That's a girl's name!" Ranma retorted.

"What is a Bitch!?!? I can't find it in my dictionary!" Akane dropped her book, shaking Zack, "Is that bad? Tell me!"

"Er uh.....it means your pretty."

Akane dropped him, saying, "at least someone thinks so."

On the other hand, Ranma had just grabbed Zack. "Don't call me Akane again! Okay!?"

"Okay, okay." Zack shivered a bit. He didn't need to wake up to that much excitement.

Kasumi was then just entering, noticing the disturbed guest. "Ohayou Zack-kun."

"Er....what did she say?"

"Good morning."

"Huh?" Zack peered to his other side, where he had somehow missed this third person. This she, must have been hidden by the immense jumbled blur he was first getting. His headache still linger, clouding his thoughts. Too bad that egg sized bruise had to be placed in his head.

"I'm Nabiki."

"Hi."

Kasumi spoke up, "I brought you some Ocha. I was thinking it would help you wake up."

"Thankyou...."

"Kasumi."

Zack took a sip. His eyes then squinted as a early warning of him spitting it out. The green stuff covered the floor. "...I'll stick to soft drinks."

"Oh my...I'll get some paper towels to clean this up."

Kasumi then trudged out the door lightly on her feet that almost gave no sound as she walked.

"Well, You're going to have to get up, we have school, and you'll start your Japanese lessons today. It'll make things a lot easier." Akane said.

Zack threw his head back in the pillow at the thought. "You aren't bringing me back there!"

"Ranma you take his leg, and Nabiki you take his other arm."

"?! What are you doing? He raised his head to glance at them grabbing his limbs, ready to drag him. "Okay! Okay! I'll go."

Zack trudged downstairs, there before him stood Mr. Tendo himself.

"Who are you?"

"Zack-kun! You're awake finally! The blow must've really gotten to you. But we can harden you up."

"Harden!? I've been in a New York City gang for years, how could I get any harder!?"

"We'll just have to see then," he playfully hit him in the stomach.

"Weird place, I wonder why he said that." Wandering a bit down the hall he came upon what looked to be the dinning table. It had a bunch of pillows laid around the lowly built thing. It was almost to the ground. There sitting in it, eating food with chop sticks no less, was a large panda. Now as if that didn't spark curiosity, or at least some interest. Zack sat down, on the other side of the table saying, "Hi bobo."

The Panda stopped for a second, then holding up a sign in English reading, "It's Genma!" With that, it was back to its food.

Zack facefaulted at this. Then Ranma and Nabiki entered. "Er...Nabiki," Ranma said, "the panda escaped again! We gotta get it back to the zoo."

"I'm not going back to the zoo, Ranma!!" Genma held up another sign, this time in Japanese.

"C'mon.....You're going." Ranma started pushing the plush bear till it slowly decided to move. No were else to go, it walked outside.

"Weird......what kind of f*ed up place do you guys live in?"

"....."

Ranma was walking on the fence. Akane was just below and so was Zack. She had her head turned in the opposite direction, showing her signs of anger lasting still from the kiss. She felt as if she was in between two bakas.

"Akane! You can't ignore me forever."

"Don't worry, the tomboy'll get over it. She was just a bit slow that day."

"Urusai Ranma! It just happened once, just look at yourself!"

Both then went quiet, mad at each other. They held mutual resentment.

*************************

Ranma dashed along the fence along with Akane and Zack on the ground. The school was just ahead a few hundred feet. It's huge face clock on the front of the building displayed only a few minutes before they would be late. Without looking, Zack ran around the wall, then bumping face to face with Kuno as he passed the gates corner.

"Who're you!?" Zack shouted in an annoyed tone as he measured up his aquantance.

"Alas, wither my Akane?" He finally let himself take notice of the obstacle blocking the object of his affection. "I'm Tawahaki Kuno, the blue thunder of Furinkan high school. Who're you?"

"I'm Zackary."

Zack felt a hug amount of belittlement as he had said his name. Somehow, Kuno had a way of blowing himself out of proportion.

"Where do you live around right now?"

"In Japan?" He asked, then seeing Akane and Ranma. Their heads were shaking back and forth irradicaly.

"Kuno!" Ranma bellowed.

"Saotome!? I have a score to settle with you...."

"Zack!" Nabiki hollered from the building. "Get in here! It's dangerous out there!"

Zack smiled an evil grin. "I knew she liked me."

*************************

It was a slow school day. Japanese was a hard enough language, but at least he could say, "konnichi wa". He wasn't exactly the most studious, but things came to him easily so he didn't need it as much.

*************************

Kuno stood up, outraged. "Zack is living with Akane too!? Why am I so unlucky!?" He then dashing off out of the classroom into the hall. Minutes later he appeared at Zack's class, in his kendo fencing clothes.

"Kuno?!"

"Akane, what do you have to do with her? You know my sweet Akane?"

"You could say that. I'm living with her now."

"What!?" Kuno unsheathed his bokken, pointing it at Zack. "Everyone is luckier than thou!"

"Wait Kuno!" Zack pleaded. "I have a better way to settle who gets the girl!"

"Oh?" Kuno loosed his grip, a bit curious.

"Follow me! The classroom isn't the right place for this!"

"That I will!"

Zack raced out the door with Kuno following close behind. Ranma and Akane were seated in the same classroom as he, and had watched the happenings in consternation. It took a few moments after they left for them to react, standing up.

"What the hell does he think he's doing!?" Ranma questioned rhetorically before he ran off close behind Akane.

Zack and Kuno had stopped in a corner of the hall still a ways off from the impending crowd of spectators. Facing each other, Zack asked Kuno a question.

"Ever heard of Roeshamboe?"

"No.....I don't think so."

"'Kay, I'll go first then to show you how as we go along. The last person left standing wins. You just stay there and don't move."

Zack ran up to Kuno and kicked his nuts as hard as possible. Kuno collapsed instantly, cradling his nether region. He looked like he was in extreme pain.

"Looks like I win!"

"Zack..." Kuno said slowly, "I shall never forget your treachery!"

"Looks there they are!"

"He beat Kuno!"

"Looks like we have another Saotome."

"Hey Ranma, think this guy could win against you in a fight?"

"No way!" Ranma laughed at the though. But he couldn't help but wonder how Zack had won.