This is the new stuff. What I've written recently. I am trying to keep
the pace consistant.
C&C/whatever is welcome.
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FFML Submission Form. (Cut and paste.)
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Title: Ranma-chan
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: What if. Not Original Flavor
Author: Luigi Mattera
Email: mattera@tiac.net
Homepage: (Soon!)
FFML Archive Number: (Uh?)
Date Sent to FFML: December 30th, 1997
Size: 91,526 Bytes (This Part Only!)
Summary:
A long and stressful period results in a usual turn of events with a very
different outcome. Ranma Saotome gets his head bashed in by Akane Tendo..
and is seriously injured. Total amniesia. The good news? He springs back
very quickly. The bad news? His new personality is female.
This is a serious look at a one shot anime episode.
A "what if" scenario, inspired by the fanfics who create characters from
a female Ranma.. and then fail to give them any personality.
Chapters 6 & 7
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- Chapter 6 -
Onishi Yohko carried the girl with her back to her cousin's
apartment. She was unconscious for the entire trip. Yohko wondered
what kind of person could take a hit like she did and somehow manage
to survive with little injury. Yohko glanced around, making sure that
she was not being watched. Yohko did not want anyone to see her.. or
she would be forced to risk an explanation that she didn't want to give.
Satisfied that she was alone, Yohko looked up and jumped. Launching
herself into the air, she landed on the roof with ease. Yohko glanced
down at the ground again. Jumping into the air, she shot across
Nerima, Saotome Ranma on her back.
....
The dinner crowd at Ucchan's was usually smaller than the lunch
crowd. Around dinner time most people simply lacked the energy for
the madcap rush that accompanied them during the day. The few people
who did arrive did so for the food and surprisingly quiet atmosphere.
Tonight was a rather slow night, and for Ukyou it was a toss up
between feeling good for being able to relax and feeling somewhat
upset at the loss of money.
One of her male customers had even taken a liking to her. In the
past, this would have upset Ukyou, but with the recent wedding fiasco
it did not bother her nearly as much as she thought it would. Even
Konatsu seemed to get the message to stay away, but she was uncertain
how the cross dressing ninja really felt. He did keep his distance,
so he did respect her wishes - even if they hurt him in the process.
She wasn't interested in a potential relationship, though. At least
not quite yet. She knew that she was not completely over Ranma and
she did not want to repeat the previous mistake she made in falling
for someone so quickly. He at least acted as if he understood this,
or understood what little information she had told him. His reply had
almost appeared as if he had personal experience with that kind of a
problem. For now, he was willing to wait.
The effect that Ukyou had on Konatsu was clearer. It was if he had
walled himself in, locking out everything. While he was still nice to
the customers, and to her in general, something else lurked
underneath. Something which Ukyou was certain that she didn't like.
She had already seen it - at times he would lose his respectful
addressing of her.
Ukyou had even seen him out of his kimono.. He looked so different.
Ukyou didn't mention it to him, but she was certain he knew. Hiding
yourself from a kunoichi was next to impossible. She had no idea what
the implications were. Konatsu was still very confused about his
life.. and that only made it difficult for Ukyou to predict how he
would react. He'd respect her wishes, but would he take it out on
someone else?
....
Kuno Tatewaki stalked the streets of Nerima. He had left the mansion
before supper and his stomach growled in complaint. Kuno paid it
little attention, since supper at his manor would have entailed him
dining with his sister. That was a particular experience that he
decided to forego this night. He would need all of his mental
abilities to puzzle out the spell and any stomach irritation would
only make the task more difficult.
He had wondered where Gosunkugi dwelled, but fortunately fate smiled
upon him as he had stumbled across a book owned by the wasted student.
This very book had his address written inside. It had taken Kuno some
time to understand the strange writing that the address was written
in, but he had puzzled it out after about a week's effort. Why
Gosunkugi would use such a strange method of addressing his place of
dwelling was beyond Kuno's mind, but to him commoners often did
strange things without cause.
He would return the item in question, and in doing so, gain his
answers. He had considered calling another public vehicle, but one
trip inside such a foul smelling machine was enough for his tastes.
Instead, he decided to take the trip on foot to allow himself more
time to plan out when exactly to confront the foul sorcerer Saotome
and free his two beloved.
Returning the item itself was no easy task. Japan has one of the
worst address systems in the known world. Kuno contacted the post
office in an attempt to locate the whereabouts of Gosunkugi's
dwelling, and the commoners on the other end had suggested that
he.. the horror.. use a map! Kuno refused to stoop to such a level,
but here he was, map in hand, walking through the streets of Nerima.
He felt like a tourist, and to him a tourist was the only thing which
was worse than a commoner. He would be glad when this trip was
finally over.
Hefting the old leather carrying case containing the scroll and his
writing tools, he continued to pace on through the night. Samurai
could travel long distances without tiring in full armor. A simple
jaunt through a city without armor was nothing to him, and he
traveled at a fast pace to make the task more challenging.
....
Akane sighed. She was having no luck whatsoever in tracking down
Ranma. He.. no, she had disappeared. It was almost as if Ranma had
pulled a very Ryouga-esque move. Akane paused in her walking. She
had always wondered how Ryouga managed to get so lost so quickly.
Could it be that Ranma covered such a large distance because she moved
so damn fast? If that was the case, then Akane knew that she had no
real chance of finding the wayward girl..
Akane shook her head. It had only been a day and she was already
getting confused as to what Ranma was. She also had her doubts as to
what would happen should Ranma get his, err her memory back.
Why did this have to happen anyway? With all of the other things
that they managed to survive through, for everything to end on such a
freak accident.. it just wasn't fair.
With all of the dangerous possibilities that could happen, Akane
wanted to find Ranma as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, for Akane
that meant doing something that she knew she hated..
Akane started to move, her pace rapidly picking up into a jog. Time
was definitely against her.
....
Ukyou sighed to herself. Closing time was nearing, and once
Ucchan's was finally closed she could get on with the cleanup she had
to do. After that, she had homework to do. Some nights she barely
made it to bed before midnight, and that was with little or no breaks
at all. Konatsu helped with cleanup, but even with him around the
chores which needed to be done only seemed to increase. It was an
extremely demanding routine for anyone, let alone a girl in high
school who also had collegiate entrance exams to study for.
Ukyou was uncertain of her plans once college approached. There
weren't any real schools in Nerima, and shuttling back and forth
between here and her school would only increase the pressure on her.
It was a challenge she was looking forward to. A month ago she had
hit a low point with the wedding, but after a difficult emotional
period, she had started to make plans to finally get on with her
life. It meant an end to the craziness of the past year, but she
actually felt good about that.
All of the continued insanity would fall heavily on Tendo Akane's
shoulders from now on. In a way, the constant fights with Ranma had
left her as an observer. Someone to kidnap, sure, but a side thought
in a different battle. Now that the two had all but practically
settled their differences..
No.
Not entirely.
Both Ranma and Akane still had a long way to go, if what Ranma told
Ukyou was right. Now that Ranma had all but established Akane as the
"leader," she would find herself more and more the target. How long
ago had Ranma made his decision? How long would it take the others to
understand that the decision was his to make in the first place?
Ukyou didn't know. Shampoo didn't appear to be giving up any time
soon.
Ukyou wondered if he was really worth all of that. She paused. Did
that thought really run through her head? She shook her head to try
and clear it. She had specifically tried not to think about him these
past few weeks after the wedding. Maybe she was finally starting to
bring her feelings under control.
....
Kuno Tatewaki arrived at the residence of the pretend sorcerer,
Gosunkugi. He sniffed to himself as he looked around. Leave it to
that miscreant take up dwelling in one of the lower class sections of
Nerima. He personally ignored these locations, never having any real
nor business reason to frequent the area.
It irritated him. These houses, these.. apartments all looked
identical. No distinguishing features were to be found in this area of
Japan. Only numbers on a doorway. He glanced at his map again,
disgusted with it's inaccuracy.
As he searched along the apartments, Kuno became aware of several
men standing behind him. At first, he paid them no heed. They
continued to stand behind him, and Kuno glanced irratedly over his
shoulder.
He frowned at what he saw. Ruffians. Lower lower class, the dregs
of society. People who's existence he never even bothered to
acknowledge. Kuno watched as they walked towards him. Still, in this
case he would be forced to deal with them. To him, this was a
monumental waste of time. His task could not be delayed.
Kuno turned towards the group. He was in no mood for such a
distraction. "To what reason does filth such as yourselves bother the
Blue Thunder?"
One of them giggled. "Looky 'ere," he said. "We've got ourselves a
fop. A foppity fop."
The others laughed at his joke.
Kuno Tatewaki sighed, and dropped his bag and map to the ground. He
was a fool for trying to deal with scum such as this. There was only
one thing that their puny minds could possibly comprehend.
The group watched him. "Sooo," another drawled out. "He wants to
play rough, does he now?" The others snickered.
Kuno raised his bokken, held in one hand. "The Blue Thunder does
not play."
"Blue Thunder? What looney bin did you escape from?"
Kuno snickered. "A house better than the madhouse you are from."
"Enough chatter, you dickhead. Just give us your money and we might
let you live." The sound of steel being unsheathed echoed quietly in
the street.
Kuno gripped his bokken with both hands. "You threaten the life of
the Blue Thunder?" He lowered it as thunder echoed in the background.
"For that you shall suffer. Have at you!"
Kuno charged the group.
....
Akane halted in her jog a block from her desired destination. The
jog had occupied her attention, taking her mind off of the problems
that she had to deal with. How to deal with this situation, though?
Akane frowned. It was the least dangerous of the possible solutions,
though she did not like the idea of what she needed to do. Akane knew
that she could be just as stubborn as Ranma was.. even if she didn't
openly admit it to anyone.
None of this would have mattered before the accident, but now..
Tendo Akane felt that she would have to change her ways of dealing
with things to help Ranma. Even if it meant dealing with things she
would rather not. Akane closed her eyes, trying to figure out what to
do. In the past with Ranma around, nothing mattered. Now.. Akane had
to start doing things herself again. There wouldn't be anyone to bail
her out this time.
....
Yohko made it back to her cousin's apartment, still carrying the red
haired girl on her back. Placing the girl gently on the floor, she
pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. A few locks later, her
cousin's door swung open. She picked up the girl and carried her
inside. Placing her on the floor of the small living room, Yohko
walked into Mina's room. Opening a closet, she pulled out a futon and
unrolled it on to the floor. Yohko paused as she heard soft groans
coming from the living room. Silently she stepped back into the
living room. The girl was moving. Yohko kneeled quietly beside her.
"Shhh," she began. "Everything will be fine."
"Huh? Where am I?"
"Somewhere safe. Don't think about anything until the morning, okay?"
"I guess that will have to do."
Yohko reached out with her arms. "Here. Let me help you get out of
those things."
"No, wait, don't."
Yohko smiled. "Don't worry. I'm a girl."
"But I don't want to change. I just bought these clothes."
Yohko nodded. "I can tell. Just try and get some sleep."
"Oh, all right. Good night Ami."
"Good night." Yohko scratched her head. Who was Ami?
....
With the last of the customers gone, Ukyou closed the front door and
flipped the door sign over. While her place was not a large one,
there was still quite a bit of work which needed to be done before the
store opened again the next morning. Even small restaurant require a
great deal of effort to keep running smoothly.
Time to get started. "Konatsu!"
"Hai, Ukyou-sama?" came the quiet response from beside her. At the
same time Konatsu spoke, Ukyou shifted towards him.
Ukyou sighed. "I wish you wouldn't do that!"
Konatsu smiled. "You're getting better. A month ago you would have
been on the ceiling."
"And you'd be flat on the floor after I got down," Ukyou finished
dryly. She blushed. "I'm sorry that happened."
"I.. didn't realize that you would take it that way."
"Still, there is work to be done."
"Hai. I'll start with the grill."
Ukyou nodded. "I've got to check the refrigerator to see what we
need."
"I don't think we're in that bad of a situation."
Ukyou turned towards the grill, stepping on the loose floorboard.
It creaked with her weight. She frowned. "Konatsu?"
"Hai?"
"One of these days you're going to have to show me how you move so
quietly."
"Perhaps when we have some free time."
"Perhaps." Ukyou walked to the back of the restaurant where she had
the larger refrigerators located. Pen and paper in hand, she began to
take an inventory of what she had.
Konatsu pulled out a bucket of water. The grill was always the
hardest part of the cleanup.
....
Gosunkugi Hikaru hated this part of his day. He really really hated
this part. He always delayed coming home at night, since the trip was
never a pleasant one. He'd spend hours in the library, pouring over
old texts about magic. Anything that he could get his hands on. Few
people paid attention to him, and he ignored them, intent on his
studies. The few times he did speak with the librarians they seemed
shocked. He never understood why, nor did he really care.
His family had never lived in a good neighborhood. The rent in this
area was cheap, yes. The gang which floated around the area drove
rent down. Way down. He never saw any other tenants, which suited
him just fine. His only concern was getting at Saotome Ranma. He
spent many hours searching for a way to get him away from Tendo Akane,
only to come up empty handed. To this day, he had no idea of any
spells that worked, not that it stopped him from trying. He had
nothing else to lose.
Every night he would come home, and try a new spell on the gang.
Nothing would happen, and they would laugh and throw him into a
dumpster. Since he was so good at getting a laugh out of them, they
never bothered to steal anything from him.
Gosunkugi's parents were out of town. They were usually out of
town. Rarely were they home. He had no problems being by himself.
The only person who he spoke to on occasion was a Kuno Tatewaki, who
was so full of himself that it was hard to tell if anything that he
said got through. At least it was someone who listened to him.
Gosunkugi was worried tonight. He had broken his pattern, and cast
a spell a the library. He didn't know what would happen when he ran
into the gang, since he had no other defenses this night. So he was
trying to be sneakier than usual. It was hard to tell if it worked
since no one paid any attention to him to begin with.
At least tonight he had remembered to put the candles strapped to
his head out. It did make it more difficult for him to see, but he
hoped that the lack of light would be worth it.
He stopped just outside his family's apartment, eyes wide. The gang
that had terrorized the neighborhood was sprawled out across the
street, looking like they had been through hell. Had his spell
actually worked? Had he managed to summon an avatar to defend him as
the spell had said that it would?
Kuno looked up in time to see Gosunkugi walking slowly down the
street. He was hard to see in the dim lighting. Walking up to him,
he addressed the small boy. "Gosunkugi."
Gosunkugi's eyes snapped up. "Hai, Kuno-sempai."
"I wish to speak with thee."
"Hai."
"Where is your place of abode?"
Gosunkugi responded with a blank look. "Huh?"
Kuno sighed. "Where do you live?"
"Oh. Follow me."
"The Blue Thunder does not follow."
Gosunkugi shrugged, and pointed the way.
As Kuno Tatewaki sat in Gosunkugi's apartment, he had to admit to
himself that it was a quaint little place. He would never say such a
thing openly, but Gosunkugi's parents apparently did have some taste.
He watched as Gosunkugi slowly went through the preparations of making
a meal.
Kuno would never stoop to such a menial task, and yet.. to be free
of his sister's cooking. That almost made the idea of cooking for
himself thinkable. Almost. The aroma in the air did have a different
effect on Kuno's body, which cared little for aristocracy. His
stomach growled. Loudly.
Gosunkugi paid little attention to Kuno as he got his dinner. He
did hear Kuno's stomach. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
Kuno sighed. "The Blue Thunder has not time for food."
"You can't study magic on an empty stomach."
Kuno grumbled. As little as he expected Gosunkugi to actually know
about magic, he had to grudgingly admit that he knew less
himself. "So," he began slowly. "What would you have me eat?"
Gosunkugi smiled. He had a concoction that he wanted to test to see
if it would help him learn magic, and he wasn't too happy with the
idea of using it on himself. Kuno had taken care of the gang, and as
such he owed it to him to be as helpful as possible. The avatar spell
mentioned little about being friendly to the summonee, but he decided
that it could only help in this case.
....
Akane was interrupted from her thoughts by a loud crash. Startled,
she looked around wildly. A garbage can behind her had somehow
toppled over. Cautiously walking towards it, she jumped back in
fright when a cat scampered out of the darkness and bolted down the
street.
Double checking to make sure that the cat wasn't pink, Akane
breathed a sigh of relief. Shampoo was the last person she wanted to
see right now.. well maybe aside from Kodachi. Akane couldn't fathom
which of them would act worse on learning what happened, and truth be
told, she didn't want to think about it.
Akane felt that it would be best to simply tell the truth, even if
it meant that there would be problems. Akane grit her teeth. No
point in thinking about it either - she would just postpone the
inevitable. Better to do it now. Akane walked up to the front door
of Ukyou's restaurant.
She halted as she saw the "closed" sign. Never having visited Ukyou
after Ucchan's had closed left Akane in a bit of a bind. She knew
that most places like this had a backdoor, but she didn't know where
it was. Turning towards the window, she peered inside. She saw
Konatsu cleaning the table in front of the grill, his back turned to
the window. Akane knocked on the glass, and she was surprised as he
shifted to peer behind himself. She didn't knock all that hard -
could he really have heard her so easily?
....
The grill finished, Konatsu started to work on the counter top.
While the work itself was rather boring, he liked to challenge himself
by being as quiet as possible. As such, he could hear Ukyou
rearranging things in the back. She'd be done soon enough. Konatsu
had volunteered to help her out, but Ukyou insisted that the job of
inventory be handled by her alone. She considered it too important to
trust to anyone else, no matter how much Konatsu helped her now.
Konatsu paused as he thought he heard something behind him. It
sounded like someone was knocking on the glass. Who would be doing
that at this hour? Konatsu could have sworn that he saw Ukyou change
the sign from "open" to "closed." Turning slightly, he looked over
his shoulder, and saw Tendo Akane standing at the window.
His curiosity up, Konatsu walked over to the window and looked
Akane in the eyes. With a hand gesture, he indicated the door. Akane
nodded, her head motions almost frantic in nature. A soft click was
all that was heard as the door opened. Konatsu kept the door well
oiled.
Akane stepped inside, her eyes darting around the interior. "Where
is Ukyou?"
"In the back. I'll go get her."
"Please."
Konatsu shifted to the back of the restaurant, stepping through the
back door. Ukyou was on her knees, rearranging something inside the
refrigerator.
Konatsu gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Ukyou-sama."
"Eh? What is it now? I'm busy.." Ukyou's voice trailed off as she
glanced at Konatsu's expression.
"Something wrong?" Ukyou grabbed her spatula. "Burglars?"
Konatsu shook his head. "No, not like that." He paused for a
second, looking at Ukyou. Memories of his "life" with his step family
returned to him, and he shook his head.
Ukyou watched Konatsu intently. At times he remembered something
about his past, and the effect it had on him was dramatic. She
wondered if he would ever put what happened behind him.
"Ukyou-sama," Konatsu finally breathed.
"Yes?"
Konatsu set his jaw. He didn't like having to do what he knew he
had to. "First, I think you had better.."
Akane sat down quietly by the grill as Konatsu had walked through
the back door. Her nervousness made it hard for her to pay any
attention to her surroundings. She focused her eyes on the dish cloth
in front of her, swirling it around on the tabletop.
She nearly jumped out of her skin at the argument which erupted
from the back of the store. A minute later, the voices quieted down,
and Konatsu stepped into the doorway. Ukyou followed closely behind
him, and she sat down behind the grill. Konatsu continued to stand
where he was.
Ukyou simply looked at Akane. She could tell just by looking at the
girl's face that something had happened. The fact that Akane was
acting so meek only scared her more. What could have happened?
Ukyou cleared her throat. "I think you had better start from the
beginning."
Akane nodded, and took a deep breath. "There's been an accident.."
Ukyou drew back in horror. She suddenly had a sinking feeling.
Akane would never visit her at this hour of the night. "Wha.. what
happened?"
"Ranma.."
Ukyou felt sick to her stomach.
Akane's next word was a whisper. "I.."
Ukyou jumped out of her seat. "You did what? Don't tell me you
actually managed to hurt Ran-chan!" Her surprise quickly turned to
anger. "If I had my spatula.."
"You don't," Konatsu finished for her.
All the color drained out of Ukyou's face, and she collapsed back
into her chair. "How.." she began weakly. "How did you know?"
Konatsu let out a long sigh. "Do you have any idea how many times I
made a mistake in front of my step family? How many.. things happened
to me as a result? I don't want you to repeat the same mistake."
"Damn." Ukyou sighed. "I should have known something was up when
you had me lock my spatula up."
Konatsu simply smiled, but his smile quickly turned into a sad one.
"Akane-san.."
Ukyou looked at Akane, the heavy feelings crashing back down into
her. "What.." she paused, willing herself to continue. "Did you do?"
Akane simply let out a sob and collapsed onto the counter. That
shocked Ukyou. "Kami," she breathed. "You really _are_ responsible."
Ukyou found herself at a loss of words.
....
Kuno moaned in pain. The tiny apartment seemed to buck and topple
around him, and he collapsed on to the floor. He wanted to curse
Gosunkugi and the gods for his misfortune, but he was in too much pain
to speak. He looked up at Gosunkugi, who had backed up into the wall.
Gosunkugi's eyes were wide. He hadn't expected Kuno to have that bad
of a reaction. The instructions had mentioned something which he
thought translated into "upset stomach," but he wasn't completely
certain. He just assumed that it wouldn't be bad.
Kuno stuttered, trying to speak. "Food.." he croaked. "I must
eat.."
Gosunkugi scratched his head. There wasn't much left in his
refrigerator. What could he feed Kuno? Looking in the fridge, he
found the only thing which seemed remotely edible - a cold pizza.
Half of it was left. Gaijin food, that was. He wondered if Kuno
would eat it, but decided that he had no choice. Grabbing the slices
from the refrigerator, he handed one to Kuno.
Kuno gobbled it down. FAST. Gosunkugi handed him another. That
disappeared just as quickly. Within minutes, the remaining half of
the pizza was gone.
Kuno stood up solemnly. "Are you sure that drinking
that.. that.. concoction was a requirement?"
Gosunkugi gulped. "Hai."
Kuno shook his head. "No matter. I must learn the spell."
Gosunkugi nodded. "Very well. Let me see it."
"While it loathes me to do so, I must. Here it is." Kuno handed
the old scroll over.
Gosunkugi scratched his head as he looked the scroll over. It
looked nothing like any kind of magical writing that he had seen. The
instructions simply said to read the incantation aloud. That made
absolutely no sense.. no magic could possibly be that easy to do.
He looked back up at Kuno, who was staring at him impatiently. He
did not want to tell Kuno that the scroll he had was a fake, so he
decided to go through with it anyway.
"So," Kuno's voice was very impatient. "How do I learn to use it?"
"Please, Kuno-sempai. Wait a few more minutes."
"Very well. My patience grows ever shorter."
A sweatdrop formed on Gosunkugi's head. It was time to do the
unthinkable when it came to magic.. improvise! Scanning the scroll
quickly, he nodded to himself. "I think I have the answer."
"Then tell me."
"Okay. You need to do the following."
Kuno tapped his foot impatiently.
"Umm, right. Anyway. First, you take the scroll."
Kuno took the scroll.
"Hold it up in the air above your head. Use both arms."
Kuno complied.
"Now.. jump up and down ten times and spin around clockwise
fifteen times."
"WHAT?!?"
"Don't make any noise or you'll ruin your chances! I'll do the
counting."
Kuno harrumphed, but started jumping.
"1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7.. 8.. 9.. 10.. now spin!"
Kuno started to spin round and round like a top. Gosunkugi got
dizzy just watching him. He needed to think up the next part quickly.
He didn't seriously expect Kuno to finish this quickly. "When you're
done, and this is very important, run cold water over your forehead
while reading the incantation. I'll put your head under the kitchen
sink."
Kuno stopped spinning, and staggered dizzily. Gosunkugi wondered if
Kuno even had a chance of reading the incantation. The smaller boy
grabbed Kuno and shoved his head under the sink, turning on the cold
water. He took a step back, and hoped that Kuno was dense enough to
believe that he actually did something.
Kuno's eyes could barely focus on the incantation. Gosunkugi
waited, wondering what would happen. He fully expected Kuno to throw
up before he even had a chance to read a single word. What did happen
completely surprised him.
Kuno Tatewaki read the incantation aloud in a clear, strong voice.
A voice that somehow was not his own. "To the spirits that hear my
call, I ask for the power of old. To the spirits who can grant my
request, I ask that the power be restored. To the spirits who have
done this in the past, I ask to be accepted. Grant me my desire!"
A flaring blue light shined throughout the apartment. Gosunkugi
could only watch in amazement as the light engulfed Kuno. The scroll
disintegrated, and the light was absorbed into Kuno's body. Quietly,
he stood up. He had somehow found his voice. "The Blue Thunder has
been accepted."
Gosunkugi did the only thing that his mind could allow - He fainted
dead away. Kuno Tatewaki watched as the sorcerer collapsed to the
floor, and with a hmph walked over to the apartment door. "Could I
stay and thank thee I might.. yet more pressing matters demand my
attention!"
With that statement, Kuno walked out of the apartment.
Gosunkugi Hikaru simply lay on the floor for the rest of the
evening, mumbling, "It can't be true.. It couldn't have worked.. It
can't be true.. It couldn't have worked.."
....
Saotome Nodoka sat quietly in the living room of the Tendo
residence. The house was dark. Kasumi had retired to her room, and
Nabiki had disappeared an hour ago. While she had requested (at the
point of her blade, no less) that Soun and her husband Genma go
searching for the girl, she did not seriously believe that they were
doing so. Those two were probably in a bar by now, trying to forget
what happened.
For once, Nodoka couldn't blame them. Everyone was at fault when
Ranma was concerned.. including herself. She didn't realize then how
badly out of place her actions were earlier in the day. Still.. she
had just found her son after years of searching. To have him snatched
away in such a quick and brutal matter bothered her greatly.
How was it possible that Ranma's curse was locked? Nodoka had based
her decision on the assumption that the curse would force the "girl"
to listen to reason.
Now the girl who was once her son was lost somewhere in Nerima. The
situation was all the more urgent considering the normal "activities"
Ranma found himself involved in. How could she be able to cope with
what happened? Would she even survive the constant flurry of activity
that seemed to revolve around her son?
Saotome Nodoka sat quietly, desperately trying to think of a
solution. Her silence was interrupted by the telephone ringing.
Irritated, she picked it up. "Moshi moshi," she answered in a voice
to tired to care.
"Can I speak with Saotome Nodoka, please?"
Nodoka's expression turned to one of surprise. She recognized that
voice. "This is her.. Is this Kikuchi Ami?"
"Hai. I was calling to see how Ranma was doing."
The color drained out of Nodoka's face. Ami was the last person she
wanted to deal with right now. "She.."
A long sigh emanated from the other end. "Damn, I knew it."
"Now wait a second here! What right do you have to act like that?"
"I'm sorry, Saotome Nodoka. You have to understand my position."
Nodoka frowned. "How so?"
"I've been doing this for years now.."
*Uh oh,* thought Nodoka as her cheeks colored. *Here we go..*
"Ah shit, never mind. Oops, pardon my language."
"I.. uh.. accept."
"I've seen this happen _so_ _many_ _times_. Families have been
destroyed because of this. I don't understand why people don't listen
to me." She sighed. "So, what's your reason?"
Now it was Nodoka's turn to let out a long sigh. "You won't believe me."
"Try it. I've heard everything."
"Hai." Nodoka couldn't help but grin.
....
Ukyou sat quietly, having heard Akane's explanation of what
happened. She couldn't control her feelings. "Kuso.." Ukyou paused,
uncertain of how to continue. She blurted out, "I didn't give him up
for you to bash his brains in!"
Akane flushed. "I thought _you_ did give him up!"
"It isn't that easy! Do you think what I've been going through has
been a cake walk? You have no clue what I've been feeling!"
"I think you're right.."
"Think I'm right? Damnit Akane, how many situations have you been
in where there was no easy way out?"
"I.."
"How many? How many times?"
Akane gulped. "Just once, really. No, twice."
"And how did you deal with it?"
"I.." Akane paused. She looked down. "I didn't. I refused to
accept what happened."
"I see. Compared to all of us, you've been sheltered."
Akane blushed. "Ranma's always rescued me.."
"That's the problem. You have no clue how to handle this kind of
situation."
"Hai."
Ukyou sighed. "I don't know if anyone does. Now he, um, she needs
your help."
"I know."
Ukyou relaxed as she finally managed to somewhat calm down. "This
isn't doing Ranma any good. Where is she now?"
Akane stammered, "I.. I.." She looked down, her face flushed. "No
one knows."
"Wonderful. Just wonderful!"
"Will you please stop rubbing it in! I feel bad enough about it as
is."
Ukyou shook her head. "Better this lecture from me than Shampoo
taking your head off!"
Akane shivered. "Why do you think I came to you first?"
Ukyou nodded, and she stood up. "Konatsu, get my spatula."
Konatsu shook his head. "Ukyou-sama, please, stay here."
Ukyou looked shocked. "Konatsu? But.."
"Akane-san isn't in any shape to go anywhere. I'll look."
"You?"
Konatsu smiled. "I'm used to the dark. I can handle it better. If
anyone saw you they'd be suspicious. You haven't exactly been part of
the fighting recently."
"What if they see you?"
"They won't."
"I.."
"Ukyou-sama, please, I'm better qualified."
"I can't just sit around and do nothing!"
"Then don't. Take Akane-san home."
Akane said nothing during the exchange. Finally, she spoke up. "Am
I that useless?"
"Akane, hon, in a word.. YES."
"What?!"
"Do you think Ranma would continuously insult you about your skills if
you were actually any good?"
"He's not that dense.." Akane paused and saw Ukyou still looking
her in the eyes.
"Who am I kidding?" she groaned. "He _is_ that dense!"
"I told you so."
"I know." Akane sighed. "At least he's worse than I am."
Ukyou's eyebrows shot up. "Akane, did I just hear you say that?"
Akane blushed. "Yes.. this whole thing has me taking a good look at
myself."
"It's about time."
A tear rolled down Akane's face. "Not soon enough for him." She
started to cry again.
Ukyou shook her head. Glancing back towards Konatsu, she started when
she saw him dressed entirely in black. "Damn, that was quick."
"I have to be quick. Do you still want to go?"
"I'm going to drop Akane off first."
"Hai."
Konatsu turned to leave, but Ukyou stopped him. "Why? You're not
one to take action like this."
Konatsu shook his head. "I've.. seen too much grief. I don't want
to see someone hurt more than once because of a mistake they made."
His voice dropped. "I've felt enough of that myself."
Ukyou couldn't say anything in response. The kunoichi disappeared,
and Ukyou scratched her chin. "One of these days I've got to learn
how he does that." She looked down at Akane. "C'mon, sugar. Let's
get you home."
....
Nodoka finished her short explanation of her son's life as best she
could. Certain details she did not know, but she knew more than
enough. For a long time, Ami said nothing.
"I.." she stammered, having no idea what to say.
Nodoka chuckled. "Heard it all, have we?"
"Damn. I'm supposed to believe this?"
"Everyone here would vouch for me."
"I'll take your word for it.. damnit, she didn't change once while
she was here."
Nodoka sighed. "I don't understand that myself."
"Still, you had no excuse."
"I expected her to change back!"
Ami sighed. "I don't want to argue with you. Please, let me talk to her."
Nodoka took a deep breath. "Very well. I'll see that she stops by
tomorrow."
"Thank you. No wait, I'll come there myself."
"When can I expect you?"
"Tomorrow evening."
"Very well. I just want to fix what went wrong."
"I'll try my best. Please remember that I can't guarantee anything.
"I understand."
"Good night, Saotome-san."
"Good night."
Nodoka hung up the phone. Perhaps she had misjudged this Kikuchi
Ami. She really did care for Ranma. Reaching over, she turned on the
living room light.
....
Ukyou walked through the streets of Nerima, Akane shuffling
alongside her. She watched the Tendo girl, and shook her head in
sadness. Tendo Akane had gone from being brash and headstrong to meek
and subservient. The accident really did a number on her psychology.
Ukyou knew what an incident like that could do.. one such occurrence
had her spend ten years of her life feeling miserable.
What surprised Ukyou was Konatsu's reaction to what had happened.
He was never one to take charge, following her around almost like a
little child. Now, out of the blue, he did more on his own in one
evening than she had ever seen from him before.
Ukyou sighed. Konatsu was dangerous. He had easily given Ranma a
difficult fight the first time they met. She didn't know what her
rejection had done to his feelings. Konatsu appeared to be teetering
near the edge as is. If he went over it.. Ukyou was uncertain how to
stop him.
Ukyou decided to worry about that later. There were other more
pressing matters that needed her attention. She looked over at Akane,
who was barely paying attention to where they were going. "Akane, how
do you feel?"
Akane sighed. "Miserable."
Ukyou shook her head. Things didn't look good. At this rate Akane
would collapse long before finding Ranma. A thought struck her. Why
didn't Akane want help? Akane gave up very quickly when Ukyou
suggested that she go home.
"Umm, Akane?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you giving up so easily?"
"How so?"
"I'd have thought that you'd be the first to go after Ranma."
"What point are you trying to make?"
That stopped Ukyou in her tracks. She tried to think of a way to
get some kind of response out of Akane. *Time for the long shot,* she
decided.
"Umm.. Akane?"
"Now what?"
"Are you.." Ukyou paused. This wasn't easy to say, and the implications
of the idea were dangerous. "Are you sure that Ranma isn't faking it?"
Akane froze and glared darkly at Ukyou. Her eyes dripped venom. "I
don't believe you just asked me that."
Ukyou sighed. "It just sounds too much like a hair brained scheme
that he would come up with."
Akane shook her head, her sadness returning. "I've been given
enough proof."
Ukyou blinked. What could possibly count that much? "What.."
Akane sighed, interrupting Ukyou's sentence. "Let's just say that
she and I do not get along."
Ukyou blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
"I.. haven't mentioned much about Ranma."
Ukyou stopped in her tracks. "Like what?"
Akane continued to walk down the street.
"Hey! I want to know what."
Ukyou had to strain to hear Akane's response. "I don't want to stop."
Ukyou sighed. "Okay, then." She jogged forward, catching up to
Akane. "What about Ranma?"
"Ranma, well, she.."
"She didn't accept it?" Ukyou asked.
"That's an understatement."
"Ahh.. right."
Akane gave a sidelong glance to Ukyou. "I'm tired."
Ukyou nodded. "I'm exhausted as well."
Akane shook her head. "No. I'm tired of making so many mistakes."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Yes it was!" Akane shouted. She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Don't you understand?"
Ukyou scratched her head. "I'm totally lost now."
"_This_ Ranma isn't anywhere near as forgiving as the old one."
"And?"
"_She_ is a completely different person. I made several mistakes,
and now I don't know how she'll treat me the next time we meet."
"C'mon, sugar. It can't be that bad."
Akane rubbed her jaw. "She's decked me once already."
Ukyou stopped in her tracks. The shock that went through her body
nearly caused her to topple over. "WHAT?"
"It was a surprise.. I didn't expect it. Kami, it hurt. I'm not
talking about physical pain either."
"Oh god.." Ukyou couldn't believe it. Ranma would never hit Akane.
Verbally abuse, yes. Physically strike.. never.
Ukyou's expression became hard. "I'll talk to her."
"No, don't. Please. This is my mistake. It's time I owned up to it."
Ukyou stared at Akane for a long time. "You really meant it when
you said that you had changed."
"Hai."
....
Kuno was exhausted. Learning the incantation took quite a lot out of
him. The fact that he had to stoop so low as to learn black magic was
one thing, but much to his surprise, he found it difficult. Very
difficult. Much harder than anything he had done in school. Perhaps
that was why the supposed sorcerer Gosunkugi had learned no real
magic. He was too frail to master any true powers.
Yet somehow Kuno had succeeded. The gods must be smiling down on
him. The spell was firmly in his mind. He hadn't tested it, having
no opponent worthy of his attention. To have used the power on the
fake sorcerer would have been a waste of his efforts.. and he didn't
expect to see any results in any case.
Still, he knew that the spell worked. He could feel it in his
bones. He also knew that his casting of the spell was not far off.
The power was heavy in his blood. He would finally free Akane and the
pigtailed one from that foul sorcerer!
Kuno started to laugh as he walked, his laughter ringing loud
through the night. The neighbors paid scant attention, having long
been used to the regular goings on of the Nerima crew. As such, he
wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. With a shout he
collapsed forward onto the ground.
Konatsu was on the rooftops, searching Nerima. He hadn't seen a
single person in the streets tonight. He wasn't sure if this was
unusual or not, but he knew that Ranma couldn't be that hard to spot.
Her flaming red hair was a very unusual color, so she should stick
out, even at this time of night.
He paused in his searching as his ears picked something up. Someone
was laughing.. at this time of night? Konatsu shifted his movements,
and perched on top of a roof.
Konatsu watched with some amusement as a wannabe samurai stumbled
forward into a crater on the sidewalk. His ears twitched as he heard
the man speak. He'd heard that kind of speech before, from his step
mother. She was trying to impress someone, and spoke something
similar. He didn't understand why. Nor did he understand why the man
was carrying a bokken. He vaguely remembered something, but at this
distance he couldn't tell any details. He did feel that Ukyou would
want a look at this.
Kuno collapsed forward, cursing out loud. "What manner of trickery
is this? Does someone else want to face the Blue Thunder on this
night?"
With a grunt, Kuno stood up slowly. Looking around himself, he
sighed. "This foolish government. Can they not even keep the
sidewalks in decent condition? Woe is me for being forced to travel
in such a crude manner!"
He started to walk down the street, but at a slower pace. "Tonight
is the last night I shall be kept away from the two I love."
....
Ukyou and Akane arrived at the Saotome residence. Ukyou noticed
that the lights were out, and she looked at Akane. "No one home?"
Akane frowned. "Kasumi is usually home."
Ukyou shrugged. "No matter."
Akane took a step towards the front door, but was halted by a hand
on her shoulder. "Akane.." Ukyou paused, uncertain how to continue.
"Yes?"
"I don't know how to say this, but.."
"What is it? More lecturing?"
Ukyou flushed. "In a way, yes. It's not about you."
Akane paused, lost in thought. "Someone in my house?"
"Hai."
Akane blinked. "Happosai?"
Ukyou shuddered. "God, I hope not. Not yet anyway."
Akane nodded. "Nabiki then."
Ukyou said nothing.
"I figured as much. She's already told Kuno about what happened."
Ukyou jumped in surprise. "What?"
"Don't you get it? Everything is a game to her. The only thing she
worries about is how much money she'll make off of it."
"Akane.. I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. She's gotten away with too much."
Ukyou blinked. "She's your sister."
"That's right. She's my sister, and my problem."
"Akane, wait, that's not what I meant.."
Akane held up her hand. "Please, spare me. That's exactly what you meant."
"I.." Ukyou sighed. "I don't know what to say. I'm surprised that
you're not angry."
"I have no strength left to be angry. I barely have the strength to
stand." A light turned on in the Tendo residence. Akane looked up.
"Time to go inside."
Ukyou nodded, and the two walked forward.
....
A knock at the door startled Nodoka from her thoughts. Standing
quickly, she walked over to the door and opened it. She squinted as
her eyes adjusted to the light. "Yes?"
"I'm back, Auntie."
"Akane-chan?"
"Hai."
"Come inside!"
"Thank you." Akane stepped inside, and Nodoka noticed Kuonji Ukyou
standing behind her.
"Good evening, Kuonji-san."
"Hello, Saotome-san. I trust Akane will be in good hands?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Saotome-san, watch after her."
"I will."
Ukyou's voice dropped to a whisper. "She's a zombie."
Nodoka nodded.
"Good night, Saotome-san." Ukyou turned around and stepped into the
walkway. She leapt straight up.
"Good night."
Nodoka shook her head as she closed the door. That good for nothing
Genma had caused too many problems. She turned to Akane. "Akane-chan?"
"Hai."
"How do you feel?"
"Tired, auntie. Dead tired. Where is everyone?"
"Kasumi is upstairs. Your father and my husband are out somewhere,
and Nabiki.." Nodoka tapped her chin. "I don't know where Nabiki
went."
"No Happosai?"
Nodoka shuddered. "Thank Kami, no."
Akane smiled softly. "He's the last person Ranma would want to see."
"I know."
Akane turned towards the stairs. "I'm going to go to bed.. I can
barely stand. Please, wake me if you hear anything."
"Don't worry, I will."
Akane climbed the stairs to her room. Nodoka watched the girl
leave. "I think," she said to no one in particular, "that the
therapist is going to talk to more than one person tomorrow."
....
Kuonji Ukyou watched the door close from a nearby rooftop. She did
not know how well Akane would be able to hold up. She also doubted
that Akane would have any success talking to her sister. Tendo Nabiki
had her own way of doing things and never listened to anyone else.
Ukyou's thoughts were interrupted by a brick landing on the rooftop
next to her. She barely blinked, having seen it a few seconds before
it hit. She knew that it wasn't aimed directly at her. "Hello,
Konatsu," she breathed softly.
"Hello, Ukyou-sama."
Ukyou paused. She couldn't tell exactly what Konatsu meant when he
called her that. Not anymore, anyway. She'd have to discuss that
with him later. "Have you had any luck?"
Konatsu shook his head. "None. The only thing which looks vaguely
interesting is a wide crater in the ground."
Ukyou blinked. "A crater? Let me see."
"Very well."
A few minutes later, Ukyou stood by the shallow crater. Looking at
it for a few seconds, her gaze traveled upward, scanning the nearby
wall.
Konatsu frowned. "What are you looking for?"
"This," Ukyou replied, pointing at the shrapnel embedded in the wall.
"I don't get it."
"Hibiki Ryouga," she replied softly.
"I see. What do you think happened?"
Ukyou shrugged. "Ryouga is known for causing lots of property
damage. The more depressed he is, the more damage he does."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that this is probably nothing of importance." Ukyou
blinked. "Why were you here?"
"Some baka laughing his head off stumbled into it."
Ukyou perked up. "A baka, you said?"
Konatsu nodded. "Tall. Dressed like a wannabe samurai. Carrying a
bokken."
Ukyou frowned. "Kuno. I wonder what he is doing out this time of
night. Wait a second. Was he saying anything?"
Konatsu had a confused expression on his face. "Something about his
two loves?"
Ukyou sighed. "Akane and Ranma."
"Oh." Konatsu scratched his head.
"Long story. Let's keep looking."
"Very well. Ranma has up and disappeared then."
"I'm not surprised. I doubt that she would be out somewhere tonight
anyway." Ukyou paused.
"I guess we keep looking then."
Ukyou frowned. "Wait a second."
"What?"
She sighed. "Akane said that Ranma was a completely different person."
Konatsu's eyes were fixated on something else. "Continue," he intoned.
Ukyou frowned again, but spoke on. "Could it be that this Ranma is
smart enough to be indoors by now?"
Konatsu shrugged. "Possibly."
"Let's go check the shelters. I think I might know another place or
two that is open this late."
"Fine by me. I don't actually know the city that well."
"I guess you'll get to learn."
"What about this Kuno?"
"Was he shouting happily with glee about his 'pigtailed one'?"
"Umm.. No."
Ukyou grinned. "Then he hasn't seen her."
Konatsu scratched his head. "You're really going to have to explain
some of these people to me."
Ukyou shrugged. "I would if I understood them myself."
....
Kuno Tatewaki arrived at his mansion. He was weary. Pushing the
door open, he stepped inside. He glanced around the hallway,
wondering where all the vegetation came from. His sister must be
trying another of her plant experiments, and it did not concern him
in the least. Yawning, he walked to his room and got directly into
bed.
Tomorrow would be a new day.
Ranma-chan
- Chapter 7 -
By Luigi Mattera
mattera@tiac.net
The sun lifted itself into the air, climbing slowly into the sky.
Ranma rolled over in her bed, yawning as the sunlight entered through
the window. She pulled the covers over her head, not wanting to get
up. An alarm clock went off beside her. Her arm lanced out,
attempting to hit the snooze button. She only succeeded in knocking
the clock across the room. The alarm kept ringing. Ranma threw off
her covers, and groggily got out of bed.
Crossing the room without really being awake, she reached the clock
and started to fiddle with it, trying to turn it off. A minute or so
later, the alarm clock became silent. Ranma staggered back to her bed
and collapsed on it, asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
The door to the apartment unlocked, and Yohko stepped inside.
Stretching her muscles, she yawned as she closed the door behind her.
She kicked her shoes off and sat down next to the table located in the
small living room. She yawned again the moment she sat down, and sprang
back up to her feet. Muttering to herself, she stretched her legs out,
trying to relax her muscles. The workouts she did every morning
involved quite a bit of effort and they always left her tired
afterwards.
Being in a different part of the city made things a bit more
complicated for her. She could not stick to her normal routine, so
she had to revise what she was doing pretty much as her exercises
progressed. She really would have to take the time to do everything
properly, but she wasn't in this part of town often enough. She had
too much fun doing things spontaneously anyway to care much.
Yohko walked into her cousin's room. The girl was still asleep, and
Yohko noticed with some amusement that the alarm clock had been moved
from its original location. Yohko knew that Mina was notorious for
damaging her alarm clock every morning. She herself never had any real
problems waking up in the morning. That was probably the only reason
she had managed to keep up her morning routine for as long as she had.
Yohko scratched her head, and decided to let the girl sleep. Walking
in to the kitchen, she pulled a tea pot out of the cabinet. Yohko
filled the tea pot with water, and set it on the stove. Some tea would
help soothe her mind and body after her workout. Yohko then started to
scrounge through the kitchen, looking for something to eat.
Opening the refrigerator, she poked her head inside. She swung the
door open, and let out a gack as a carton of eggs tumbled out of the
side. Yohko ducked down, catching the carton, but not before an egg
hit the floor with a splat. Frowning, she muttered something to
herself as she put the carton back into the door. She started to look
around for a paper towel.
Ranma tossed and turned in her sleep. She found herself back at the
Tendo residence, walking through the garden. For some reason she could
not control her own body. She was walking but had no control over where
she was going.. yet somehow she felt as though what she was doing
right. That was what frightened her the most about it.
She walked into the Tendo Dojo, and her mother and father were there.
Her father looked at her with fear in his eyes, and her mother sat away
from her facing the wall of the dojo. Ranma was about to say something,
but her mother spoke first. "Sit down, Ranma. Sit down next to your
father."
Ranma found it impossible to disobey. "Hai." She sat down next to
her father, and her head bowed forward to the floor.
Ranma tried to look at Genma, but she could only move her eyes. "What
is going on?" she whispered.
Genma did not reply. He kept his head bowed low.
Ranma was really confused now. "What is going on?" she repeated.
Nodoka answered her. "You have failed, Ranma."
Ranma blinked. What had her mother said? "What are you talking
about?"
"You have failed in your pledge."
"Pledge? _What_ pledge?"
"Your pledge concerning your manhood."
"I am a woman!" Ranma looked down at himself. Her body was suddenly
male. Ranma's head started to spin. He looked back up at his mother.
Nodoka stood up quietly, drawing her katana. "You know the penalty
for failure."
Ranma's eyes went wide. He tried to get up, but his body was not
responding. Ranma watched in horror as his hands picked up a tanto
blade which was sitting next to him. He could not do anything to stop
himself. Ranma closed his eyes as he felt a pain in his belly, and
everything went black.
....
Tendo Akane woke up uneventfully at the Tendo residence. Yawning,
she walked down the stairs of the house, having temporarily forgotten
what happened the day before. Entering the bathroom, Akane smiled to
note that no one else had made it in yet. Akane never found the furo
empty in the morning. Kasumi made sure that the water changed every
day since she got up the earliest.
Akane had a vague recollection of her father being the first one up
to start the day, but that happened a long time ago.. while her mother
still lived. It shocked the family to see the effect that her death
had on Soun. Since then, he could not handle any emotional problems.
Perhaps if her mother lived her father may have handled the
situation between her and Ranma better.. but to be truthful, that entire
fiasco was as much their fault as it was his.
The thought of Ranma jolted Akane awake far quicker than cold water
could ever hope to do. Her mood took an immediate nose dive, to the
point where she decided to sit in the furo for a while. Today was the
one day during the week that school was out, and Akane was simply not
in the mood to do anything.
To lie around the house all day and do nothing was a very appealing
and easy option. With Ranma gone, life couldn't be the same. Akane
seriously considered it for a few minutes. The past few days had to
be the hardest that Akane faced in years. Not even the death of her
mother stirred the feelings she had now.
Akane closed her eyes, trying to forget what happened. She willed
herself to think of anything but the past few days. She tried to
think about when Ranma still existed, before the accident had
permanently changed his personality.
She failed.
What she did see shocked her. She saw her father, lying in bed as
he did for days after their mother had died. Her father, crying
constantly and ignoring his family. Her father, the emotional wreck
even to this very day.
However, her father's hairstyle changed. It looked hauntingly
familiar, and when she saw his face.. she bolted upright in the furo.
It wasn't Soun's face she saw.. she saw her own face on Soun's body.
*Am I destined to become my father?* she thought. *A man who can't
even face a single day without collapsing in tears? I can't allow
that to happen.. I can't just give up.. even if Ranma doesn't like me
anymore.. even I'll never marry him.*
Akane leapt out of the furo, and stormed out of the bathroom, not
even bothering to grab her robe. She had no time to waste. The first
thing she had to do was call Ukyou and hope that she found something
out the night before. That was the easy part.
The hard part was convincing her sister Nabiki not to try and make
any more money off of what happened.. She had no idea how to go about
doing that. Nabiki had never been rattled in the past.. no one could
get under the girl's skin.
Akane decided to try the simple approach, and ask Nabiki to control
herself. Hopefully Nabiki would listen to her. Akane stopped just as
she entered her room. Who was she kidding? This was the woman who
ruined her wedding to make a fast buck. She almost had Ranma
convinced at that point. Maybe if the wedding succeeded then Ranma
might still be around today.
Too many unknowns concerning Nabiki. Akane vowed to change that, but
she did not know the cost of such an undertaking. While getting
dressed, she paused for a minute to wonder what Ranma was doing.
....
Ranma awoke with a start. A kettle was whistling nearby. Looking
down at herself, she noticed that she was wearing pastel blue pajamas.
She looked around the room, wondering where she was. It was a woman's
room. Ranma stood up quietly, looking around. A simple wooden dresser
sat across from her bed, a large mirror sitting on top of it. On either
side of the mirror were all kinds of assorted cosmetic items.
Ranma glanced to her left, and saw a full length mirror hanging on
the wall. Briefly she stood in front of it and appraised herself. The
pajamas that she was wearing fit her quite nicely.. and matched her
eyes to boot. Whomever put them on her obviously had good taste.
Ranma paused. Put them on her? Where _was_ she? The door opened
behind her, and a girl stuck her head in.
Yohko had settled down to breakfast when the kettle started to
whistle. Almost immediately after the kettle started to make noise,
Yohko heard a sound coming from Mina's room. Could the girl finally be
awake? She certainly had slept quite a long time. Yohko walked over to
her cousin's room. Opening the door, she poked her head inside.
Ranma jumped as the girl came through the door. She calmed down a
second later. The brown haired girl who stuck her head through did
not seem to be any kind of a threat, and that helped Ranma's anxiety.
She was still confused as to what was going on, and wondered what to
say.
Yohko watched the girl curiously. It wasn't every day that she saw
someone take a blow like she did and come out of it without a scratch.
Yohko decided that maybe it would be best if she started the
conversation. "Good morning," she began.
"Good morning." Ranma's reply was rather terse.
Yohko paused. Time to try another approach. She noticed the red
head standing next to the mirror. "Do you like the pajamas I chose
for you?"
Ranma nodded slowly. "Yes, I do."
She paused, unsure on how to continue. A few seconds of silence
filled the room, and the girl just watched her intently. Ranma found
the silence quite oppressive. She blurted out, "Where am I and who
are you?" and immediately felt embarrassed for her outburst.
Yohko giggled. She waived her hand towards Ranma. "Please, come
into the kitchen." She disappeared through the doorway.
Ranma paused. The girl wasn't taking things very seriously. She
walked out of the room and into the kitchen. The girl sat quietly at
a kitchen table. A tea kettle sat on the table, and two tea cups sat
next to it. She motioned for Ranma to sit down on the chair next to
her. Ranma sat down in the chair, and looked at the tea cup.
Yohko pushed the tea cup towards Ranma. She tossed a few tea leaves
into the cup, and poured some hot water into it. Ranma stared at the
cup. "Go ahead," the girl said. "It is not poisonous."
Ranma blushed. "I am sorry that I am not being a gracious guest."
Yohko shrugged. "All things considered, I am surprised that you are
acting civilized at all."
Ranma looked at the girl. "What were you expecting?"
"Well, you've woken up in a strange bed wearing strange clothing.
What should I have expected?"
"I don't know." Ranma fell silent, and drank her tea.
Yohko nodded. "Anyway, I suppose I owe you an explanation.
Although to be honest, I am not certain that I believe it myself."
Ranma looked a bit confused. "Do I want to hear this?"
Yohko shrugged. "I'll tell you what happened. You can draw your
own conclusions."
"Very well."
"Oh, I am being ungracious. My name is Onishi Yohko."
"Saotome Ranma."
Yohko blinked. She shook the thought off. Nah, it couldn't be.
Even if it somehow was the same person, she owed her an explanation.
"I was walking down the street when I saw you attacked from behind."
Ranma interrupted me. "So you rescued me?"
Yohko blushed and shook her head. "No. The guy who attacked you
ran off in some random direction."
Ranma found the story hard to believe. "I see."
"Do you want to see what happened to your clothes?"
Ranma's eyes narrowed. "Sure, might as well."
Yohko walked over to a corner of the room, and picked up a bundle of
cloth. Laying the material down on the table, she showed Ranma what
was left of her fuku. Ranma's eyes widened as she fingered the
clothing. She looked up at Yohko, and felt her back.
Yohko nodded. "All that damage, and you weren't hurt. Strange,
ne?"
Ranma shuddered. How could she have survived? She looked up at
Yohko. "I remembered someone charging me from behind. When I tried
to turn my head, he ducked down."
Yohko nodded. "He struck the ground and caused an explosion."
"How did he manage to do that?"
Yohko shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that it did not look
like any kind of explosives were used. Somehow he did whatever he did
with his finger."
Ranma suddenly had a strange feeling about who attacked her. She
ignored it, and tried to concentrate on the present. She looked at
Yohko. The girl did not appear to have any bad intent.. and there was
no plausible way she could have damaged her clothing in such a
fashion. Ranma scratched her head. "I'm supposed to take your word
for this?"
"Well, to be honest, I saw it happen.. and I don't believe it
myself."
"You don't?"
"... No."
Ranma frowned. "You're not telling me something."
"Well.." Yohko shuffled her feet. "Okay. I did stop him, sort
of."
"How so?"
"I slammed his head into the pavement."
Ranma blinked. "And?"
"He got up like nothing happened. By that point I hid you."
"So when he got up.."
"He acted like he had no idea where he was or what happened. He ran
off right after getting up."
"He didn't recognize you?"
"I attacked him from behind."
"You expect me to believe that's what happened?"
Yohko shrugged. "I don't care."
Ranma blinked. The girl's attitude was a strange one. "Huh? Did I
hear you right?"
"Hai. I don't care if you believe me or not. I just wanted to make
sure that you weren't hurt." Yohko indicated the door. "You can
leave if you want."
"I.." Ranma sweated. She had no clue where she lived. The whole
situation suddenly became very embarrassing for her. A quick idea
came to her. "I don't have anything wear!"
Ranma frowned as she lifted the fuku up. It was damaged beyond
repair. She sighed. "I can't use this anymore."
Yohko noticed the way that Ranma scanned the outfit. "How long ago
did you buy it?"
Ranma sighed. "Yesterday."
Yohko frowned. "That does suck." She looked out of the room for a
second, and then back at Ranma. "Ranma," she began. "I should tell
you something."
"What?"
"This isn't my apartment. My cousin Mina and her family live here.
I am just a visitor."
"Oh. So where are they?"
"Mina's parents are off on a vacation, and Mina herself is off with
her boyfriend."
"Left you alone, did she?"
Yohko shrugged. "Her boyfriend's appearance was expected." She
frowned. "Just not so soon."
"So why is that important?"
"Well, my clothing wouldn't fit you, but my cousin's just might."
"Would she mind?"
"She has stuff which she doesn't wear any more. I know which, and I
don't think she would care if I borrowed them."
"Are you sure about that?"
Yohko nodded. "Hai. I wouldn't suggest it otherwise. Mina would
blow her top. She's actually begged me to find a way to get rid of
some of the stuff."
"Why?"
"Her tastes have changed."
"Oh. Let's get started, then."
"Okay, but first things first."
"Eh?" Ranma looked a bit confused.
Yohko pointed to her clothing. "Sweats."
Ranma nodded. "Went for a jog?"
"You could say that. I had gotten back a few minutes before you
woke up."
Ranma smiled. "Bath time."
Yohko nodded. "Yes."
"I'd better get washed. Does this apartment have a furo?"
Yohko shook her head. "Sorry, it's too small. We only have a
shower."
Ranma sighed. "I could use a soak."
"You have to use the things you have to work with."
"Hmm. Right."
"I'll go first."
"Huh?"
"Well, this is my cousin's place.."
Ranma shrugged. She wasn't in the mood to haggle over a bathroom.
"Okay." Her stomach growled, and she blushed.
Yohko chuckled. "Haven't eaten in a while?"
Ranma sighed. "Not since yesterday morning."
"Why so long ago?"
"Uh, well.." Ranma didn't want to mention what happened to her.
"You don't have to tell me. I don't think it's that important so
long as you eat something."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Yohko sighed. "One of my friends is anorexic."
Ranma's face went pale. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay. She's trying to change her eating habits."
"So what is there to eat around here?"
Yohko scratched her head. "Not much, I'm afraid. There are some
eggs, among other things."
Ranma frowned. "Eggs," she muttered. "I think I can do something."
Yohko grinned. "Cool! Those things were never my strong point."
"Can't cook?"
"Well.. I make a mess. Eggs tend to go splat when they're around
me."
"I find that hard to believe."
Yohko simply pointed to the broken egg on the floor.
Ranma scratched her head. "Coincidence."
Yohko shrugged. "Bad karma."
Ranma still wasn't convinced. "Really?"
"Watch." Yohko walked over to the refrigerator, and opened the
door. She took the egg carton from the door, opened it, and took an
egg. Setting the carton back into the refrigerator, she closed the
door.
"All clear so far," Ranma commented.
"Trust me."
Yohko took a step away from the fridge. "Whew. Who knows, maybe
nothing will happen this ti.. Wah!" Yohko fell backwards, arms
flailing. The egg sailed high into the air, and crash landed in the
sink. Ranma let out a gasp as Yohko fell. The girl landed squarely
on her rear. "Ouch!"
Ranma sighed, trying to suppress a chuckle. "Yohko, you just
slipped on the egg on the floor."
Yohko shook her head. "No I didn't. Look down."
Ranma looked down at the floor, confused. "Eh? Where did this can
come from?"
"I don't know. I do _know_ that I didn't slip on the egg."
"Oh."
"Honestly, I think the things have it out for me." Yohko stood up,
facing the sink. She stuck her tongue out at the now smashed egg.
"At least there was no mess this time."
"There usually is?"
Yohko turned the faucet on. "Always." She faced Ranma. "Something
stupid always happens."
Ranma scratched her head. "Yohko.."
"What?"
"Where's the water?"
"Huh?" Yohko had barely time to blink as the faucet handle exploded
behind her, sending cold water flying everywhere. "Gack!" she cried.
"I knew it was too good to be true!"
Ranma dove under the table while Yohko opened the doors beneath the
sink. She started to laugh at the silliness of the whole thing.
"Does this kind of thing always happen?"
"All the time," replied Yohko, as she closed the water valve under
the sink. "Just ask my cousin."
"That's really bizarre."
"True, but I've won quite a number of bets with people who aren't
convinced." Yohko poked around the faucet after turning off the
water. "I knew it!"
"Huh?"
"The egg jammed up the sink."
Ranma blushed. "I'm sorry I laughed. That has to be a pain."
Yohko herself chuckled. "Nah. I'm used to it by now."
"You don't care?"
"It's just an egg. Oops, I've got to clean the mess up." Yohko
walked over to the towel rack located on the table.
Ranma chuckled to herself as she looked around the apartment. Such
a silly stunt made her feel better. "Say," she stated in a rather sly
voice, "Where's the bathroom?"
Yohko paid no attention to Ranma. "Just to the left and behind the
kitchen. The only door on the left."
"Thanks!"
Yohko looked up, and wondered where Ranma went. She couldn't figure
it out until she heard the shower turn on. "Hey!" She jumped up and
ran to the door. "I'm supposed to go first!"
"Oops, sorry, didn't you have to clean the kitchen?"
Yohko frowned. "What about breakfast?"
"I think you can handle it."
"Riight. Oh well. Haven't had the bathroom stolen from me in a
long time." Yohko wandered back into the kitchen. "Now, let's see.."
....
Akane finished putting her clothes on. No school meant no fuku, so
Akane threw on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She really didn't
have time for anything else. Exams loomed closer and closer, and
Akane tried to push them out of her mind. Ranma getting hurt could
not have happened at a worse moment.
In a normal situation, Akane might have gotten some kind of leniency
from her school, but normal situations did not exist in Nerima.
Furikan's crazy Principal declared last week that no one could get out
of exams for any reason. This even included a death in the immediate
family. All of the students grumbled and complained, but he lived in
his own little world and thus didn't hear them.
Akane sighed. She, Ranma and Ukyou were half heartedly trying to
come up with a plan to get him to relent. It wasn't going to be easy
this time as it had been in the past.
Now Ranma was definitely out of the picture, and so were his grades.
Akane did not seriously believe that the girl Ranma had become could
possibly pass any of the exams.. but that problem was minor. Ranma
might not even survive to make it to the exam period.
Akane exited her room and came to a stop in front of Nabiki's. She
decided to put off talking to her sister until after she had spoken to
Ukyou. Hopefully she found some answers.
As Akane walked down the staircase, she noticed how strangely quiet
the house was. On a normal day, both Ranma and Genma would have been
up by now. Even her father didn't seem to be around, and Akane knew
that he hadn't slept late since their mother passed away.
So where did everyone go?
Akane scratched her head, and entered the kitchen. "Kasumi?" are
you here?
"Good morning, Akane-chan."
"Good morning, neesan. Where is everyone?"
Kasumi shrugged. "Soun and Genma still haven't returned from their
search. Aunt Nodoka is out in the dojo. Nabiki left before I woke
up."
Akane frowned. She knew that her father and Genma weren't looking
for Ranma, but she didn't feel like explaining that to Kasumi. She
paused. "Nabiki left?"
"Hai."
"When?"
"I don't know. All I know is that she slept here last night."
Akane sighed. Nabiki missing made for a very dangerous situation.
Akane hoped that she did not stop by the Nekohanten.. but she couldn't
call and find out. She did not want to raise any suspicions.
"Are you hungry?"
Akane looked at Kasumi, her thoughts interrupted. "Well..
Actually, no. Thanks."
"You sure? It's not like you to miss breakfast."
"I'm fine, really. See you later."
"Good bye."
Akane stepped out of the kitchen. She wanted to talk to Ukyou, and
decided to go directly to Ucchan's.. after a phone call.
Akane picked up the telephone. Scratching her head, she tried to
remember the number. At times in the past she'd try to make a point
to Ranma by forgetting it.. and her hints sailed right over his head.
Akane opened the phone book, and found the number. Ranma scribbled
it down, and it took her a few seconds to read it.
Akane dialed the number, suddenly impatient.
....
Yohko decided to avoid dealing with any more eggs. She did not want
to deal with any more problems for the rest of the day. Searching
through the cabinets, she managed to scrounge up some oatmeal.
*Oatmeal?* Yohko sighed to herself. *Mina's parents haven't been
shopping in a while, it seems.* Finding a pot, she placed it in the
sink. While the cold water faucet was out of commission, the other
one still worked. *Mina's parents are not going to be too happy about
that. Things always seem to turn out worse when I force the issue.*
Yohko lifted her head up as she heard the shower kick in. Ranma
seemed to be a little slow in the bathroom. Yohko reached for the
sink to turn on the hot water, and banged her head on the cabinet
above then sink when a scream ripped through the apartment.
"AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
Yohko jumped away from the sink, eyes wide. "Ranma!" she breathed.
Bolting for the bathroom, Yohko in her haste didn't notice that the
scream had changed octaves.
Yohko slammed into the bathroom door, but it held fast. Ranma's
voice died down seconds after it began, and Yohko knew that something
was wrong.
She banged the door. "Ranma!" No answer came from within.
"Ranma!!" Again, no answer.
"Shit!" Yohko nearly panicked. "What can I do? Argh! Think,
girl, think!"
Yohko closed her eyes, desperately trying to come up with something.
"The key! Mina's parents have a key!"
Yohko panicked again. Where did they keep the damn thing? She
slammed her fist into the door in frustration, and something bounced
off of her head and landed on the floor. "Ouch! That hurt!" Yohko
waved her hand around, and looked at the floor. What the heck bounced
off her head anyway?
"Oops," she said, face red. The key was lying on the floor. "They
keep it on top of the door frame."
Yohko's mind snapped back to the present. "Ranma!"
Quickly, she unlocked the door, and shoved it open. A thin haze of
steam floated out of the bathroom. *Ugh,* she thought. *Why did she
turn the temperature of the water so damned high?*
Yohko scanned the bathroom. Nothing seemed out of place. The
bathroom looked perfectly in order. She could see Ranma's figure
behind the fogged glass of the shower stall, sitting on the floor.
*Shit,* she thought. *Ranma better not have slit her wrists..*
Yohko grabbed the handle on the stall door, and pulled it open.
Thick steam flooded the bathroom, and Yohko gagged. She couldn't see
anything. Reaching into the stall, she dragged Ranma out. How did
Ranma get so damn heavy?
Yohko reached into the shower and turned down the water. The shower
had a single handle that changed the temperature as you turned it.
Yohko knew that cold water sucked steam right out of the air.
As her sight returned, Yohko didn't notice any blood anywhere in the
shower. Relief flooded her, but she remembered Ranma's unconscious
state. Turning her head, she finally got a good look at Ranma, and
she collapsed on to the floor, her eyes wide. She blushed and turned
her head away.
Ranma was male.. very male.
....
Akane tapped her fingers on the tabletop as the phone rang. On about
the third ring, someone answered. "Moshi moshi. Good morning!
Okonomiyaki Ucchan's."
Akane smiled. "Good morning, Ukyou."
"Akane! How are you doing?"
"I had a hard time getting up, but I feel better now."
"I'm glad to hear that. You were totally out of it last night."
Akane sighed. "No, I wasn't. The weight of everything just came down
on my shoulders all at once."
"Oh, I see."
"Look, can we get to the point? Did you find Ranma?"
"Ahh, I'm sorry. No I did not. That is, we did not."
"Now I'm worried."
"I do have some good news."
"Oh?"
"Kuno hasn't seen her."
A smile reached Akane's lips. "Are you sure?"
"No shouting at the top of his lungs. I'm positive."
"Whew. Now I feel a little better."
"Why are you bothered by that?"
"Well.. most girls find Kuno attractive."
"Before or after they meet him?"
Akane blinked. "Well.."
"I'm serious. Do you think that Ranma could possibly like him?"
"I don't know. I don't know what kind of person she is."
"I don't believe that anyone could be that stupid."
"Well.." Akane blinked. She nearly forgot the purpose of the call.
"Ukyou."
"Huh? Yes?"
"I'm coming over."
"Now?"
"Yes, now. We need to talk. Please."
"About what?"
"I'll.. I'll let you know when I arrive."
"Okay, but the place will be busy when you do."
"I don't care."
"Wait.. I'll keep my restaurant closed today."
"What? No, please don't do that for me."
"We need to find Ranma."
Akane blushed. "Oh. Right. I'll come over."
"No, I should come to the dojo. What if Ranma shows up?"
Akane's voice became frantic. "No, please. I have to go there."
"Okay, but who is going to be at your house?"
"Kasumi will."
"Oh. She can keep Ranma company if the girl does show up."
"Well.. actually.."
"What?"
"Ranma does not like Kasumi."
"WHAT?"
Akane looked around the room, and prayed that Kasumi couldn't hear
her. She dropped her voice anyway. "Kasumi is a little too.. well..
clueless for her."
"Now that is unusual."
"Hai. I'll be right over."
"Konatsu and I aren't going anywhere."
"Bye."
"Good bye."
Akane put the phone back down, and hoped that Nabiki didn't somehow
manage to listen in on the conversation. She did not want to believe
that her sister had rigged the telephone, but she wasn't going to take
any chances. She quietly walked over to the door, slipped her shoes on,
and left the house.
Unknown to Akane, Kasumi heard the entire conversation. She stood in
the kitchen, quietly contemplating her mother's memory before starting
to work on the afternoon meal. As such, hearing the conversation posed
no problems.
Under normal circumstances, this meant nothing. Most normal
conversation passed through and around Kasumi like she didn't exist.
For her this felt perfectly normal. Even Nabiki felt that she could
scheme with Kasumi nearby and not worry about the consequences.
In the past.
Ranma's earlier distaste with her managed to unsettle something deep
insider, changing her state of mind ever so slightly. Given time,
things would correct themselves. Due to this, Akane's one sentance
describing her did not quietly pass through. Somehow it managed to get
caught in Kasumi's consciousness.
*Clueless? How am I clueless?*
....
Yohko scratched her head in confusion.. and then remembered what
Mina had told her. The sex-changing martial artist known as Saotome
Ranma. Yohko had made the connection earlier.. but she shrugged it
off.
Ranma's unconsciousness forgotten, Yohko waged a battle with her
feelings. One part of her wanted to be mad because of the fact that
Ranma hadn't said anything, but another part of her understood why he
didn't.. wait a second? He? Ranma was a he? Yohko shook her head at
the implications. It couldn't be. Things didn't work that way with
her. Something inside of her swore that Ranma was female.
*Ranma is a guy,* one part of her mind argued.
*No she's not!* came the response.
*Oh? Look at the body!*
*That's not the reason, and you know it.*
Yohko blushed, and cursed quietly to herself. The feelings she
managed to drag out of herself put a dampener on her mood.
Yohko was startled out of her thoughts by a low moan. Ranma! She
had completely forgotten about the girl.. guy.. whatever she may be at
the moment. Yohko watched in surprise as Ranma stirred.
"What.. what happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell me."
Ranma looked up. "I don't.." Suddenly the realization of the
situation hit him.. with the force of a truck. Ranma started to
scream again. "AAA.."
Ranma's scream was abruptly caught short by Yohko's slap. "Ouch!"
he exclaimed as the blow caused him to reel back. Ranma sat quietly
on the floor as Yohko cradled her hand. "Damn," she whispered. "What
the heck is your face made out of?"
Ranma paid Yohko little attention. For the first time, he was
completely sane and male at the same time. Yohko's strike saw to
that. The full gravity of the situation crashed down on his head, and
he did not want to deal with it. Yet he had no choice. A memory
returned to him, sifting through what his mother had told him yesterday.
"Cold water.." he whispered.
Yohko looked up. "Huh? What did you say?" She saw Ranma stand up.
"Hey, what is going on?"
Ranma ducked into the shower, and Yohko watched in amazement as he
suddenly became a she right before her eyes. The blue eyed red haired
girl that Saotome Ranma became pulled herself out of the shower and
slowly turned off the water.
She turned to face Yohko, her face red. "I'm sorry. I guess.. I
owe you an explanation."
Yohko said nothing as Ranma picked up a robe and walked back into
the kitchen.
....
Huffing and puffing, Akane found herself at the doors to Ukyou's
restaurant. She ran the entire way from the Tendo house, and the
distance had an effect on her. Years of training were all that kept her
standing. She raised her hand to knock, but didn't have to. Ukyou
opened the door for her.
"Hello."
"Hello Ukyou." Akane stepped inside.
"Can you please tell me what was so important that you had to come all
the way over here? It would have been far easier for me to come to your
house."
Akane frowned. "I didn't want Nabiki to learn anything."
"Was she home?"
"With her it may not matter."
"You're telling me that she has the house bugged?"
"I don't wish to find out. I'm angry at her enough as it is."
"For telling Kuno, right?"
"Hai. I don't want her to know how I feel just yet."
Ukyou blinked. "Wait a second."
"What?"
"Did I just hear that from take-the-direct-and-violent-approach Tendo
Akane?"
Akane blushed. "Yes."
"So what do we do?"
"I don't know. I don't believe that anyone went up against my
sister."
"So people think that she would win."
"Either that or Nabiki blackmailed them into silence."
"I don't think that we have anything to hide."
Akane shrugged. "That only keeps her off our backs. We can't use
that to go after her."
Ukyou blinked. "We have to take her down in regards to everyone
else."
"Yes."
"Is she hiding anything?"
Akane shook her head. "I'm not going to blackmail her. To Nabiki
that is just a reason to strike back."
"She can't be that bad."
"Happosai hasn't bothered her. You haven't seen him retaliate."
"Oh boy. I think we're in trouble."
Akane sighed. "Forget I mentioned it. What about Ranma?"
"What can we do?"
"I don't know."
Konatsu popped up from behind Akane, startling her. "Hey, watch it!"
she growled.
Ukyou shook her head. "I knew he was there."
"You saw him."
"No, he's pulled this before. Konatsu.."
"I'm sorry, Akane-san. I just wanted to say that I feel bad about the
situation."
"Do _you_ have any ideas?"
"Actually, I have no idea."
Akane twitched. "Ukyou?"
"Missing persons?"
Akane shook her head. "Definitely not." Akane paused, lost in
thought. "Ryouga?"
Ukyou blinked. "The eternally lost one?"
Akane scolded Ukyou. "Don't you start calling him names!"
Ukyou shrugged. "Sorry."
"I thought of Ryouga because he keeps running into Ranma."
*He keeps running into you,* Ukyou thought to herself. She didn't
feel like telling Akane that, or she'd have to explain why he kept
looking for her.
Akane noticed Ukyou's lack of a response. "He can help!"
Ukyou waved her off. "If we see him."
"He'll show up! He usually does."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Akane paused again. "I want to talk to Ranma's mother."
"Where is she?"
"Back at my house."
"You mean that we get to trudge all the way back there?"
Akane shook her head. "No. We'll get her to meet us somewhere else."
"Here then?"
"Somewhere downtown. Then we can keep an eye out while we talk."
"Okay. Better than nothing, I guess."
"Don't complain unless you can come up with something better!"
"Sorry."
Akane dialed the number for the Tendo Dojo. Kasumi answered the
phone. "Moshi, moshi?"
"Oneechan, can I please talk to Aunt Nodoka?"
"Akane-chan? Hai, I'll get her."
"Thank you."
Konatsu spoke up while Akane waited. "Ukyou-sama?"
"Hai, Konatsu?"
"Do you need me to come along?"
Ukyou tapped her chin. "I think it would be best if we spoke alone."
"Hai."
"Don't be so downcast. I know how you can help!"
"How?"
"Open the restaurant."
Konatsu blinked. Did he hear that correctly? "Huh?"
"If someone else finds this place closed, then they might get
suspicious."
"You trust me to do this, Ukyou-sama?"
Ukyou's feelings fought a short battle. "Yes."
"I won't disappoint you!"
"Aunt Nodoka? Hai, this is Akane. Could you meet us in front of
Ukyou's restaurant? I need to talk to you about some things. You will?
Great! See you soon!"
Ukyou scratched her head. "Why meet here?"
"So you can have time to open!"
"Ah. Thanks!"
"I had to help."
....
Yohko followed Ranma from the bathroom into the kitchen. Ranma
slipped into the robe after stepping out of the bathroom, and she very
quietly sat down at the kitchen table. Yohko sat down at the table as
well, but said nothing.
Ranma let out a breath. The redness in her face hadn't dropped.
"I.."
Yohko waited patiently, curious to see what Ranma was going to say.
"I.." Ranma's voice dropped to a whisper. "Shit.."
Yohko frowned. "You don't have to tell me anything."
"No.." Ranma closed her eyes and looked up. "I have to." She
opened them again.
"I woke up yesterday in a hospital bed. I.. I couldn't remember
anything. My mind was a total blank.. but for some reason it didn't
bother me. I should have known better."
"What happened?"
"I.. I don't know."
"You don't know what caused the injury?"
Ranma shook her head. "No. You see, my mother and two other women
came to pick me up at the hospital."
Yohko blinked. She was totally lost. "I don't get it."
Ranma waived her hand. "Please. Something felt wrong when I first
met them. I could feel it inside of me. One of the girls, a Tendo
Akane, tried to feed me some lunch."
"I'm not following."
"I nearly threw up from it. When that happened, she attacked me."
"Ouch."
"Hmph. That's an understatement. Neither my mother nor the other
woman tried to stop her from giving the food.. and they weren't
surprised about it either. That turned out to be a bad omen."
"Uh oh.."
"No one spoke to me on the trip home, except for the other
woman.. Tendo Kasumi, I think was her name. Needless to say, she has
no brain inside her head."
Yohko interrupted. "You're being a bit insulting."
"I can't help it. I wanted to know what was going on, and she acted
like it was a totally perfect day, like the world had found total
peace or something. I couldn't take it. When we got home, I saw my
father who changed from a panda to a human right in front of me. My
mother then said that I was male and that the violent girl was engaged
to me."
Yohko gasped. "How did you react?"
Ranma laughed bitterly. "I was insulted of course. To be engaged
to another girl, and such a violent one at that?"
Yohko blinked. "How did you end up in the street?"
"Akane attacked me again.. I couldn't take what they were saying to
me, so I ran."
"Uhh.."
"It was a damn stupid idea."
Surprise lit Yohko's face. "I wouldn't say that."
"Trust me. I have no idea where my family lives.. nor why my mother
took me to the Tendo residence instead of my home."
Ranma stood up. "I'm sorry that I caused you so much trouble."
Yohko shook her head. "Don't even consider that." She paused.
"What happened in the bathroom?"
Ranma blushed. "I didn't believe my family because I hadn't changed
while I was in the hospital."
"It happened this time."
"I.. I know. I.. realize that now, as much as I hate the idea.
Damn, what happened?"
Yohko shrugged. "I take it you were naked both times?"
"Yes, I was.. I don't bathe in my clothing."
"I certainly don't know what to say. It isn't every day that I have
to deal with something like this."
"I know.. It's funny, how the situation has suddenly changed."
"How so?"
"Before I got in the shower, I had to believe you."
"You're right about that."
"I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble." Ranma clasped her hands
together, and looked confused.
Yohko noticed the expression on Ranma's face. "What is it?"
"I.." Ranma looked down at her hands. "My ring!"
"Huh? Ring?"
Ranma jumped and ran back into the bathroom, leaving Yohko
completely confused. She heard Ranma's voice. "I know I left it
somewhere.."
Ranma came back to the table. "Found it!"
"Huh?"
Ranma blushed. "Sorry, Yohko. She put the ring on her finger. I
think I have the explanation."
Yohko realized what was going on. "The ring?"
Ranma nodded, and walked over to the sink. "This ring," she said as
she put it back on to her finger, "may just save me."
Yohko looked confused again. "I don't understand."
Ranma turned on the hot water and ducked her head under it.
Yohko jumped. "Ranma!"
Ranma smiled as she stood straight again. "Yes! It worked!"
Yohko stood up and walked over to the sink. "I don't understand
your point."
Ranma flushed as she turned the sink off. "Yohko.. please.."
Yohko took a step back. Why the sudden change from Ranma? "Huh?"
"Please don't tell anyone what you've seen.. please!"
Yohko blinked. "Why?"
"What gender do you think I am?"
"Bisexual!"
Ranma jumped. "Yohko! Please!"
Yohko blushed. "Sorry. That was my poor attempt at humor." She
paused, noting the look in Ranma's eyes. Yohko decided to be honest.
"I think you're a girl."
Ranma hugged Yohko. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou" she sobbed.
Yohko had trouble breathing. "Gack.."
Ranma flushed and pulled back. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?"
Yohko found her voice after a second. "Not too badly."
Ranma blushed again.
Yohko paused. "Why did that matter?"
Ranma turned away, and walked towards the bedroom.
"My.. shapechanging doesn't change my feelings. I don't know if my
family will understand that."
Yohko suddenly understood the implications of the situation.. she
had just gotten herself into one fine mess. She grinned. It reminded
her of her youth. "Fine, I'll help, but only because I like you."
Ranma chuckled. "Now who is bi?"
Yohko jumped. "Ranma! Don't you think that.."
Ranma laughed, and stuck her tongue out. "We're even now!"
Yohko blinked. It took a second for her wits to return. "Why you.."
Ranma wrinkled her nose. "Get in the shower."
"Huh? Why now?"
"Because I can't get dressed until you get out."
"Oh. Okay then."
Ranma smiled. Now she had someone on her side.. but she wondered
how hard it would be to get anyone else to accept her feelings.