Neko-phobia Part 1: Akane-san Wa Neko-chan Da Yo
by David Eddy <dje@progress.com>
A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2.
The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property of Takahashi Rumiko and
her licencees.
See the author's notes at the end for credits and rambling.
C&C is welcomed! Please!
=======================================================
Akane was cooking... under Kasumi's supervision.
"Kasumi-oneechan, I'd like to make some cookies. Would you help
me?"
Kasumi had smiled lovingly at her youngest sister. "Of course I
will, Akane. What sort of cookies did you want to make?"
Akane had hung her head a little. "Something... simple. Would
you help me choose, oneechan?" She looked up. "I want them to be
delicious!"
"I think we can do that, Akane. Why don't you find an apron and
I'll get out a recipe for you?"
"Akane, stop!"
Akane looked at Kasumi, salt canister in her hand. "What is it,
oneechan? I was about to add the sugar."
"What are you holding in your hand?"
"The sugar... why, that's the salt!"
Kasumi picked up the sugar canister from its home. "Here, *this*
is the sugar."
"What are you *doing*, Akane!?"
The smile fell from Akane's face at the exasperation in Kasumi's
voice. "I'm just going to add a few spices to make them more
interesting," she said uncertainly.
"I don't think that cinnamon, paprika, and oregano would combine
to make a pleasant flavour."
Akane looked at Kasumi in surprise. "But they all smell nice."
"Yes, but when you put them together...." Kasumi frowned
thoughtfully at Akane. "You do well at chemistry, don't you?"
"Eh?" grunted Akane indelicately, caught unaware by the change of
subject. "I got an A last term, oneechan," she said proudly.
"That's very good! When you're doing experiments, what happens
if you don't mix the chemicals properly, Akane? If you use the wrong
amounts, or the wrong chemicals?"
Akane frowned. "Then it doesn't work, or the results are wrong.
Once we had a small explosion." She tilted her head, looking at
Kasumi curiously. "Why do you ask, oneechan?"
"Cooking is a form of chemistry, Akane. The end result is
measured in terms of nutrition, taste, aroma, and texture."
A look of comprehension dawned on Akane's face.
* * *
"Ranma, would you like a biscuit?" Akane's voice was nervous as
she stood, holding a plate of cookies in the shade of the large cherry
tree by the dojo.
Ranma was working out, doing katas and conditioning exercises in
the humid heat of early afternoon. He was wearing only his ubiquitous
Chinese black pants; his torso was covered in a film of sweat. He
turned to face Akane and looked suspiciously at the plate held in
Akane's hands. She had arranged a number cookies on it in a pleasing
pattern. He leaned over to examine them closely.
The cookies looked normal enough: The star shapes produced by a
cookie cutter were clean and precise; the cookies were a pleasant
golden-brown; and the texture looked okay. They smelled nice, too.
But... experience was a hard teacher.
"Did Kasumi cook these?"
Akane shook her head. "I... I cooked them especially for you,
Ranma." She smiled winningly. "Don't they look nice?"
"You cooked them?" Ranma looked at her accusingly. "Are you
trying to poison me?!"
"What do you mean?! They're perfectly alright!" Akane's
expression became angry. "You stand there and accuse me of attempting
to poison you and you haven't even tried one yet?!" She dropped the
plate and pulled a mallet from nowhere and cocked it in both hands
over her head.
"Eh? Why shouldn't I? You can't cook at all! Unfeminine!"
Akane was now emitting a blue aura; her eyes were ablaze. "Ranma
no..." The mallet descended quickly, Akane's final word becoming a
kiai. "...BAKA!!"
Ranma managed to dodge the hammer blow, but he felt a tingle as
it whistled past his body and noted a momentary glow about the hammer
out of the corner of his eye as he jumped out of danger. Akane chased
after Ranma, the mallet again cocked over her head. Ranma
backpedalled into the pond, his normally-excellent coordination
deserting him, his expression shocked. He quickly disappeared under
the water. Akane ran to the edge of the pond and waited for Ranma to
emerge.
The murky waters of the pond started to still. Akane stood
radiating fury, mallet still cocked, a hunter waiting for her prey to
emerge.
Kasumi stepped onto the porch and called to the waiting Akane.
"Akane, would you please do a little shopping for me? I need some
things for dinner."
Akane looked over at Kasumi, then down at the pond. There was
still no sign of Ranma. After a moment she released her grip on the
mallet and dropped her hands to her sides, her shoulders slumped
forward and her head hung in a pose of dejection. "Hai, oneechan."
With a last venomous glare at the pond she walked into the house.
"Baka!"
* * *
Soun and Genma sat on the porch playing shogi, the occasional
clack of the tiles barely heard over the singing of the cicadas. All
the shoji in the house were wide open to catch any passing breeze. An
electric fan hummed to itself, trying to move the still, humid air
about. Nabiki sat near the fan, reading a manga. Ranma sat
comfortably on the porch facing the pond, brooding.
Kasumi stepped out of kitchen, wearing an apron, looking slightly
concerned. "Ranma, has Akane returned yet?"
"Eh? No."
"I sent her shopping over two hours ago and she should have
returned well before now."
"She can take care of herself."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd try and find her, Ranma."
"But..."
Soun looked up from the shogi board. "Yes, Ranma, go look for
Akane. It would be terrible if anything had happened to her."
"But I.... Hai." Ranma uncurled from his seated position and
ran out the gate.
* * *
An hour later, Ranma was running in a ground-eating lope back
towards the dojo. `Akane, where are you?' he asked to himself
worriedly. `The shopkeepers remember seeing her, and I found where
she did the shopping for Kasumi, but that was hours ago.' He turned a
corner, his eyes quartering the surroundings, his every sense on
alert. `She wasn't at the park, nor under the bridge, nor was she in
any of the other places she likes to go. She wasn't even at school.'
Ranma turned another corner, and saw Akane lying by the dojo gates.
For a moment it seemed as though his heart had stopped.
"AKANE!!" Ranma sprinted to where Akane lay. He knelt by her
and lifted her head. "Akane!!"
The dojo gates slammed open as Kasumi, Soun, Nabiki, and finally
Genma came running at his cry. "Akane!" repeated Ranma, shaking her
gently, his face filled with concern.
Akane's eyes flickered, then opened slowly. "R... Ranma? What's
wrong?"
"Are you alright, Akane?" asked Kasumi, kneeling by Akane
opposite Ranma.
"I... I don't know." She sat up slowly. "I feel fine. Why are
we in the street?"
"Let's go inside," said Nabiki.
Ranma stood easily and offered a hand to Akane to help her up.
Akane ignored it and stood up under her own power. Kasumi grabbed
Akane's shopping basket and also stood.
Ranma, the last one through the gates, slammed them closed with a
crash.
In the living room, Kasumi served tea. "Akane, what happened
after I sent you shopping?"
Akane frowned and at length finally shook her head. "I can't
remember. I bought the things you wanted and had started home.
Then... Ranma was shaking me."
"You don't remember anything?" asked Nabiki.
"No. But I don't know what you're all so worried about. I feel
fine."
"I think you should visit the doctor, Akane," said Kasumi.
"I don't think that's necessary, oneechan."
There was a pregnant pause.
Soun looked sternly at Akane for a long moment, then delivered
his judgement. "If you don't think it's necessary, Akane, then don't
go. But I want you to promise me you'll go immediately if you begin
to feel odd."
"Of course, otousan. Thank you." She looked at the wall clock,
then turned to Ranma. "Ranma, isn't it time for our sparring
session?"
Ranma grunted. "Do you feel up to it?"
"I've just said I feel fine!"
He shrugged. "Whatever. Meet me in the dojo in five minutes."
* * *
The lowering sun lit the undersides of the gathering clouds
brilliant crimson. Ranma sat on a big rock by the pond, relaxing
after dinner and contemplating the beauty of the sunset. A small
corner of him, which usually only surfaced when he meditated in this
way, wished that Akane was here with him sharing the sunset. But
Akane had been cold to him at dinner and had said she wanted to have
Kasumi look at her bruises and to take a bath.
The sparring that afternoon had been unusual compared to all
their previous sparring sessions. Instead of merely defending as
usual, Ranma had taken an active role, spending most of his time
attacking, feeling out Akane's defences in detail, trying to get her
to lift her speed. He had pushed, and pushed... but finding the right
level was difficult; if he attacked too hard Akane had no chance to
block his blows and he ended up hitting her. It had been hard, so
hard to force himself to continue.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Akane's disappearance
had shaken him. In retrospect it was not surprising, but at the time
he had felt guilty and had determined to do whatever he could to lift
Akane's skill level until she could hold her own against their
enemies.
A curtain of grey started in the distance, the edge near the
lowering sun glowing orange-crimson in stark contrast with the dark
slate of the clouds from which the rain came. Ranma felt himself
slipping into a true meditative state as he watched the progress of
the distant rain.
It was all about speed. Akane already had plenty of power. She
was quick, too, but not compared to a top-rank martial artist. He
wondered idly if her speed was untrained, in which case her potential
was high, or if it was the result of intensive speed training by her
father and she was close to her limits.
No, it was natural. Her speed when attacking him with her mallet
was evidence enough of that.
Her father. It occurred to Ranma that he had never seen Soun
train Akane... yet he must have in the past. Could it be that he had
been expected to take over her training... and he had not? No,
something would have been said.
But... Akane had not trained seriously in Kempo since he had
come, and their past sparring sessions had been little but exercises
in ego for him. Guilt assailed him. Akane had been able to defend
herself before he came into her life. She had done so regularly
because of Kunou's stupid pronouncement. But for whatever reason,
when he and his father had moved in they had brought with them enemies
against whom she had no chance at all of defending herself. Maybe
this, too, was a curse... the curse? Ranma pushed *that* thought to
one side. Akane would one day be his wife, and it was *his*
responsibility to keep her healthy. He had to train her. Giri.
Waitaminutewaitaminutewaitaminute! When had he decided that he
wanted to marry Akane? That uncute, unfeminine tomboy who had tried
to kill him earlier today with her cooking?
But the words felt hollow, untrue... and the look that had passed
over her face when he had rejected her cookies earlier today, just
before she got angry, tore at him as he replayed the incident in his
memory. Perhaps, Ranma thought, it's time to be honest with myself...
and Akane.
But what of Ukyou? What of his obligation to her?
The sharp *ding* of a bicycle bell jerked Ranma back to reality.
"Nihao!" Ranma looked up to see Shampoo on her bike, descending from
a jump over the garden wall. She was on a collision course with his
head.
Ranma leaned out of the way. Shampoo missed him and landed in
the pond instead. He tensed himself to run from the cat that would
soon emerge from the pool but was distracted momentarily by the change
sweeping through him as the splash of Shampoo's landing hurled water
over him.
The water cleared from Ranma's eyes and her first sight was of
Shampoo, her short silk dress clinging wetly to her delectable curves,
standing in the pond with a soup carrier in one hand. She was
smiling.
She wasn't a cat.
A synapse spat in Ranma's brain. Shampoo's curse had been cured.
"Shampoo!" Ranma jumped off the rock into the pool next to
Shampoo, her red braid dripping water, and grabbed her by the
shoulders. "You're cured! Tell me how you did it!"
Shogi pieces went flying as Genma leaped from the porch straight
into the pond. Now a panda, Genma attempted to grab Shampoo as well.
She twisted out of onna-Ranma's hands to avoid the panda's grip.
Ranma tackled Shampoo, submerging both of them in the pond. They
popped up, Shampoo hugging Ranma's face to her chest, Ranma with big
eyes trying to get away form her. Genma materialised a sign saying,
"Tell us!" and used it to lambaste Shampoo, usually hitting Ranma
instead.
Finally Ranma squeezed out of Shampoo's grip and clocked Genma
behind his round furry ears. "Stop it, oyaji!"
Shampoo stood in the pond and looked angrily at the soup
container which was now bobbing in the pond. "Husband waste the ramen
Shampoo cooked for him!"
"You're cured, Shampoo!" said Ranma intelligently.
Shampoo smiled at Ranma. "Aiya. Of course Shampoo is cured. Is
Shampoo a cat?" She struck a pose. "Shampoo is a whole woman now."
"How did you do it? Tell me!" Genma held up his sign and knelt
down in a pose of supplication.
"That not matter." Shampoo glomped onto Ranma again. She spoke
in a seductive voice. "Now Shampoo is a whole woman again, Ranma can
marry Shampoo. When do we get married, husband?" With that she
jumped again to embrace Ranma.
On the porch, Soun was kneeling by the upside-down shogi table.
Beside him stood Akane, Kasumi, and Nabiki. All had been drawn by the
noise of Shampoo's dramatic arrival and were watching the unfolding
scene with fascination. As Shampoo embraced Ranma, Akane could
finally stand no more. Her aura flamed. She ran over to the pond,
hoisting the top of the stone lantern on the way, and tossed it at
Ranma and Shampoo. Shampoo saw it coming and managed to jump clear in
time. It hit onna-Ranma on the head, again submerging her. Shampoo
glared at Akane.
Akane ignored her and stood over the pond, hands clenched at her
sides. "This time, stay down there!" she yelled to the pond before
spinning and stalking back into the house. "I'm taking a bath!" she
said to Kasumi as she went past her.
Shampoo left and onna-Ranma staggered out of the pond carrying
the huge stone lantern. She plonked it back onto its stand and sat
down on the porch and started to wring her hair out before removing
her shirt and wringing that, too. Soun and Genma righted their table
and began to replace the game pieces. Kasumi wandered back into the
kitchen and Nabiki headed towards the stairs.
The return to what passed for normality in the Tendo household
was shattered when the scream of a lost soul rang out from the depths
of the house. It went on and on, finally collapsing into sobbing.
"Akane!" shouted Kasumi. She sprinted for the bathroom, for once
ahead of Ranma who followed her closely. Nabiki grabbed onna-Ranma's
arm as she went by.
"Let Kasumi deal with it," she said to Ranma. "And cover those
up before otousan has a heart attack." She pushed past Ranma and
hurried down the hallway to the bathroom.
Ranma wandered into the kitchen and changed herself back to male
form using the kettle that Kasumi kept hot all the time. After
refilling it he walked back into the living room, a towel draped about
his neck, and knelt down at the table. He looked nervous, sitting in
seiza.
For a time, the only sounds which could be heard were the
enthusiastic singing of the cicadas, the clack of shogi tiles, and
occasional sobs coming from the bathroom. At length the bathroom door
opened and the three Tendo girls emerged, Akane in a bathrobe with her
hair damp. Ranma watched closely as the three girls came in.
Kasumi's expression was grave. Akane looked as though her world had
ended. Ranma found Nabiki's expression more than a little odd... she
was boiling mad, absolutely furious in a quiet way. He had never seen
her like this before, and he found himself wondering if Nabiki was
capable of killing.
Kasumi went into the kitchen while Nabiki guided Akane to her
usual seat at the table. Ranma covered his continued observation of
Akane by changing into his normal, comfortable seated posture. Nabiki
went into the kitchen briefly, and reappeared with the large kettle
that was kept hot for tea and Ranma. Kasumi followed with a tray
which she set on the table. Tea things were on it, plus a tumbler of
cold water. A thrill went up Ranma's spine. Cold water. Could it
be...
"Otousan... ojisama," said Kasumi calmly. "We have tea."
Soun and Genma came over to the table and sat. Soun accepted a
cup of tea and drank. He waited until the others had been served
before asking the only possible question.
"Kasumi... what has happened?"
"Otousan, it would be best to demonstrate. Akane, please forgive
me."
Akane looked up briefly with haunted eyes before closing them and
nodding. Ranma's spine chilled anew as Kasumi took the untouched
tumbler of cold water and moved towards Akane. She up-ended the
tumbler over Akane's head.
The bathrobe fell loosely to the floor. A lump under it stirred
briefly. Ranma leaned over to get a closer look, heart in his throat.
A black paw reached out and pushed the robe aside, to reveal a white
cat with black socks, ears and tail.
Akane had become a cute little cat.
"Waaaa!" cried Ranma as he backpedalled inelegantly across the
porch and yard to plaster himself flat against the fence.
* * *
Soun lay on the tatami mats, crying, his daughters clustered
about him. It was a scene very similar to that when Ranma and Genma
first arrived... except that Akane too was crying and Nabiki was
utterly furious. Kasumi took refuge in making fresh tea for
everybody, her expression calm. Somehow the simple operations of
making tea helped her find her wa and by the time she has finished,
she was once again centred.
"Please, otousan, drink some tea. Everything will be alright."
Tears streamed down Soun's face, but he sat up from his prone
position and accepted a cup of tea from Kasumi. "How can it be?" he
asked in a broken voice. "Now my daughter will never marry Ranma!"
There was a pregnant pause. Ranma looked uncomfortable.
Finally, he spoke. "She must have been cursed with Jyusenkyo water,"
he said.
"Has Ha... the master been about?" asked Soun.
Ranma shook his head.
"He's still at that gymnastics competition in Kobe," spat Nabiki
contemptuously.
Nabiki leaned forward. She couldn't believe that everybody could
be so dense! Couldn't they *see* the obvious answer? There was only
one possible culprit, and the thought of what had been done to Akane,
to *her family* made her so angry she could hardly speak. She held up
her finger to get everybody's attention while she composed herself.
"I don't think Akane was cursed with water from Jyusenkyo."
Everyone at the table stared at her.
"Look at the facts," she continued, her voice intense. Her
throat ached from the effort of control. "Shampoo is no longer cursed
and refuses to say how it was done. Akane is now cursed and her
cursed form *just happens* to look very similar to Shampoo's." Nabiki
looked around. Incomprehension everywhere, except Ranma who was
beginning to get the idea. "It must have been Shampoo or that demon
grandmother of hers," she said, spelling it out. "They must have
somehow transferred Shampoo's curse to Akane. Remember, Akane
disappeared this afternoon and cannot remember what happened during
that time."
Ranma's eyes blazed at this. Nabiki watched as he looked at
Akane for a long moment then got up and bounced out of the compound in
the direction of the Nekohanten without saying a word. Akane stared
after him, her eyes first big in amazement and disbelief then narrowed
in anger.
"Why that... unfaithful, inconsiderate, transvestite, perverted
BAKA! I guess he just showed his true colours! He's gone off to
cuddle that Chinese strumpet! Now that she's no longer cursed he
can't wait to go to her!" Akane gathered herself, ready to leap up
and run after Ranma with intent to perform grievous bodily harm.
Kasumi placed her hand on Akane's shoulder. She looked a little
nervous. "Akane, please wait. I think that all may not be as it
seems."
Akane relaxed a little under her big sister's influence. "What
do you mean, Kasumi-oneechan?"
"Remember when Shampoo first came, Akane. Ranma never encouraged
her, not really."
"But I'm a cat! He hates cats!"
"I think you should be patient and watch what happens. You may
be surprised."
"I agree."
Akane glanced over at Nabiki, and stared. Nabiki was smiling
nastily. "What?"
"I agree. I think Ranma's gone to tell Shampoo exactly what he
thinks of her, Akane." Her smile twisted into an expression of mock
concern. "I *do* hope she survives the experience," she said
sarcastically.
* * *
Ranma landed outside the Nekohanten. Oddly, it wasn't open for
business. Only a few lights were on inside. A sign on the door said,
"Closed due to unforseen circumstances. We apologise for any
inconvenience. Please come back again." Ranma ignored this and flung
the door open and ran inside.
"Nihao, Ranma! Husband want ramen?"
Ranma quickly scanned the interior of the restaurant, his senses
extended fully. What he saw added fuel to his fury.
The tables and chairs had been stacked against the walls, leaving
the bulk of the floor-space empty. A large tub sat in the middle of
the floor with three braziers spaced about it. Some ribbons still
hung from the ceiling but there were many more and some other,
unidentifiable things in a pile near where Shampoo stood, posing
seductively with her broom.
It looked like the site of a ritual.
Ranma glared at Shampoo, holding himself back from attacking her.
An ugly part of him which wanted to unleash his full fury on her was
straining to be released, yanking at the restraints of morality,
honour, and intelligence. He held it back firmly, knowing that a
ritual of this nature was almost certainly beyond Shampoo... and
besides, bloody scraps of meat don't answer questions.
Ranma stared at Shampoo for a long moment, bringing his temper
under control. Finally he spoke.
"Why?" he ground out. "Why did you do it, Shampoo?"
Shampoo tried to look confused but didn't quite succeed. "What
do you mean, husband?"
The demon inside Ranma surged against its restraints. "WHY DID
YOU TRANSFER YOUR CURSE TO AKANE?!!"
"But... but... Shampoo not know what Ranma is talking about."
Ranma sawed back on his temper, bringing it under control again,
but his eyes blazed. "Shampoo... normally I don't like to hit
girls... but I think in this case..."
"You think in this case what, son-in-law?" asked Cologne
contemptuously from behind Ranma. She moved so that she was next to
Shampoo.
The demon surged again inside Ranma, and this time broke free.
"Kun baba, this is all your fault!" he yelled, launching himself
towards the pair.
Cologne found herself fighting for her life. She was shocked at
how easily he had dispatched Shampoo despite also being fully engaged
against her. She analysed his moves even as she struggled to block
them, looking for a weakness, admiring in spite of herself how he
brought the speed of the Kashuu Tenshin Amiguriken attack to all his
movements while at the same time maintaining a stunning power in his
attacks. She saw now that Ranma had been holding back in his
previous encounters with her, using only as much force as necessary...
but now, for the first time, he was truly fighting beyond himself, and
there was something in his eyes that frightened her. She was growing
desperate, for his power and speed were growing with each moment and
she could not hold him off much longer.
Ranma was growing impatient. As usual, the old ghoul was holding
him off but for some reason he was able to block everything she threw
at him, which was just as well given how she liked to use pressure-
point moves that could win a fight in one blow. An ugly part of him,
the source of the hot blaze of anger that filled him, delighted at the
growing desperation he could see in her eyes. He wanted to break off
but he could not risk her getting in some paralysing move. His only
choice was to finish the fight quickly before he did something he
would regret.
He summoned his ki, amazed at how easily it came. He felt light-
headed with power. He darted in to begin the dragon's spiral.
Cologne saw what he was doing and yelled. "How dare you!" she
cried as she attacked him desperately, trying to break his
concentration.
"HIRYUU SHOUTEN HA!"
* * *
"Look!" cried Kasumi, wonder in her voice. "How beautiful."
Everyone followed her pointing arm. Even Akane looked up, yanked
out of her black study by Kasumi's voice and the beauty of the
display. A red-orange glow was just fading from the low clouds,
tendrils floating down, fading rapidly but pulsing with terrible
power. Soon the display ended.
"I don't think that was a firework shell," said Genma.
Nabiki noted the direction from which the display had come. She
smiled slightly to herself. "Yes, how beautiful."
Kasumi looked at Nabiki, a slight expression of concern on her
face. Akane stared off into the distance, thinking about what she had
just seen. Could it be?
Thunder rumbled. Soun, Kasumi and Nabiki looked at Genma
accusingly. He held his hand over his stomach guiltily.
Kasumi laughed lightly. "Perhaps I'd better prepare some supper.
I'm sure Ranma will want some."
* * *
The sensation of the change awoke Ranma with a jerk. She sat up
and almost immediately regretted it. Aches and twinges were all over
her body, but she felt no major pain.
She was sitting in the ruins of the Nekohanten. It was raining,
the warm rain of summer. Nearby, half-concealed by inky shadow, lay
Cologne and Shampoo. They looked battered but not bloody, she was
relieved to see.
Onna-Ranma stood and exhaustion assailed her. Her legs felt
weak, but she tottered across to the others and checked for a pulse on
each. They were alive. She was glad; she would not have wanted to
have been responsible for their deaths.
A voice attracted Ranma's attention. Some people were standing
on the street, looking at the Nekohanten's remains and pointing...
fortunately, not at her. She was glad for the shadows cast by the
wrecked walls. A part of her regretted destroying the cafe as it
would no doubt cause hardship for them, but another part felt
gratified and happy. Disgusted by the feeling of satiated blood-lust,
Ranma wiped her hands convulsively on her legs, trying to wipe away
the feeling.
Voices attracted Ranma's attention again. A crowd was gathering.
It was time to go.
She had done enough. She crept out the back, down the alley
there, and tiredly set out for home. Sirens began to sound in the
distance.
* * *
Ranma felt vaguely surprised to see the lights of the Tendou home
shining over the garden wall. The rain had stopped. Too tired for
strong emotion, she pushed open the gate and walked unsteadily in.
"Ranma!"
She was almost knocked off her feet by Akane, who was crushing
her ribs in a boa-constrictor grip. Ranma went red in the face.
"A-Akane! I can't breathe!"
Akane released Ranma, who leaned forward and blew a little.
"Ranma, are you alright?" asked Kasumi.
"We were worried about you!" accused Akane.
She nodded. "I'm just tired."
Kasumi said, "Would you like some brownies? I saved some for
you."
Genma turned and ran for the kitchen. Ranma watched this display
of gluttony with a kind of detached dismay and shook her head. "I
just want to sleep."
"Did you get them?" asked Nabiki eagerly.
Ranma looked at Nabiki. Nabiki was surprised to see that Ranma's
expression was slightly sad. "I confronted Shampoo and Cologne. We
fought. I won." Ranma shook her head. "I didn't find out why they
did what they did." She looked around at the faces of the family and
sighed.
Nabiki felt confused. Why wasn't Ranma interested in revenge
anymore, after what had been done to Akane? "They should be
punished," she said.
"Then do it yourself. I'm not a puppet who will dance to your
strings." Onna-Ranma looked at the ground, and Nabiki thought she saw
an expression of loathing cross Ranma's face briefly before she looked
up again.
"I want to go to bed." She looked at Akane, taking a half-step
towards her. "Akane, I..." She gestured vaguely, somehow indicating
Akane's curse and the events before and since. "Gomen, ne? Honto ni
gomen." Her voice broke a little on the last word.
Akane and the others watched mutely as Ranma stepped around them
and staggered into the house and trudged tiredly up the stairs,
supporting herself against the wall with one hand.
===================================
Author's Notes:
This is the final draft of part one of a series of at least four
parts with the working title of "Neko-phobia". The title of
this part translates loosely as "Akane is a cat!" (Its actual
meaning is not quite this but that's Japanese for you.)
The original idea for this story came from a "fanfic ideas" post by
Korhonen Kai Petteri (kkorhone@server.finhost.fi) in which he said
(in part):
What if Shampoo succeeded somehow moving her curse to Akane? (OK, I
got the idea from Joseph Palmer's 'Ninja no Himitsu', sue me.) How
would Ranma react to this, could he start to get more control over
his cat-phobia (he does, after all, in certain way care of Akane),
how would Akane react of seeing Ranma trying to control his phobia?
Shampoo would probably think that this would get Ranma to her.
I may as well stick with tradition and say, "This is my first fanfic."
Spelling and grammar weenies, the spelling used is *Commonwealth*
English so please don't gig me for "colour", "honour", "centred", and
numerous "s" <--> "z" replacements.
I'd like to thank my pre-reader Chris Jones <hamster@arn.net> for
his invaluable input. Thanks also to Kun-chan for some incisive
comments and everybody else who C&C'd to the original version. I
couldn't have done it without you.
This 'fic uses a fair few Japanese words. I've tried to use them
only where the meaning they express is more precise than the English
equivalent... or where there is no easy equivalent in English. I've
attached a glossary.
Baba: Old lady/crone/whatever.
Giri: Duty or obligation. It is a very complex and all-encompassing
thing, inextricably intertwined with honour.
Gomen: An informal way of saying "sorry". "Honto ni gomen" = "I'm
really sorry".
Hiryuu Shouten Ha: One of Ranma's ki attacks which causes massive
destruction.
Kashuu Tenshin Amiguriken: Ranma's "roasting chestnuts on an open
fire" attack. It depends upon extreme hand speed.
Kiai: The yell used by many martial artists as they perform some high-
power action is called a "kiai". Its purpose is to focus the
mind and body.
Kun: A perjorative more extreme than chikuso (damn) or kuso (shit).
*Not* -kun, BTW!
Ojisama: Uncle (very respectful). The Japanese also use this term to
refer to males not related through blood.
Oneechan: "elder sister", here used with a mixture of respect (o-
prefix) and familiarity (-chan ending).
Onna: Female. (Male is otoko.)
Otousan: Father. Here the usage is fairly respectful.
Oyaji: Old man (very disrespectful). Ranma uses this to refer to his
father.
Ronin: A warrior for hire (originally a masterless samurai).
Generally regarded as being without honour.
Shogi: A chess-like game. It is *not* go. (However, Soun and Genma
often play go in the anime.)
Shoji: The wood and rice-paper sliding doors in a traditional
Japanese house. There are many different varieties, each with
its own name (and purpose).
Seiza: A formal kneeling pose.
Tatami: A mat made from compressed rice straw and covered with
something (e.g. a stiff no-slip textured vinyl). They are 6'
by 3' by about 2" thick. They make a very firm but comfortable
floor, slightly less resilient than wood.
Wa: Peace, harmony. To find one's wa is to become calm and centred,
and is the object of many meditation exercises.
