Thanks to Dave Eddy.

Once again, be nice, even revised, I still think this is pretty juvenille,
but then, it was my first fic.



HERE WE GO AGAIN - a Ranma 1/2 Fanfic (continuation)
----------------

Don't sue me, OK? I don't own these, Rumiko Takahashi and Viz do.

***

Chapter 1:  New friends and Old
-------------------------------

Ryouga ran out of the Dojo, tears glistening his eyes.  "Damn you, Ranma,"
he growled, "this is all your fault.  I don't even have a place to live now,
unless I happen to find my way home."  A light rain started to fall.  "Damn
Nerima weather," he muttered.  He starting to take out his umbrella.  "Last
thing I need now is to go pig."  He stopped, and tears once again started to
flow.  Ryouga continued to trudge down the street, just letting his feet
lead him where they would.  Today, he welcomed his poor direction sense, and
hoped it would take him far from the Dojo.  After a few hours, the rain let
up.  Ryouga continued to hold his umbrella, and glared at the morning sky
suspiciously.  "You aren't trying to trick me, are you?"

"Hey, sugar, you usually talk to the sky?"  At the sound of the voice,
Ryouga looked around.  He was right in front of Ucchan's.

"Hi, Ukyou," he said.

"Get in here, I'll make you some breakfast." She opened the door for him,
and dragged him inside.  "Have you been lost all night? So, what's new?"

"We can't be cured."

"Hmm?"

"The Jusenkyo curse.  There's no cure."

"WHAT?!?!"  Ukyou stuck her face into Ryouga's.  "Talk."

Ryouga told her a summary of the events of the preceding night leaving
himself out.  Ukyou's face grew paler and paler.  "Oh, no.  Poor Ranchan.
And Shampoo and Mousse..." she trailed off.  "Hey.  You said 'we'" she
accused.

"Uh...I did not!"

"You did!  You were cursed too!  Oh, Ryouga.  Wait.  How come no one new?"

"Ranma promised to keep it a secret."

"So what do you turn into now?"

"Girl."

"Like Ranchan?"

Ryouga snorted.  "Better."  He realized what he said and scowled.

"But what did you turn into before....oh my!"  Her eyes were wide and she
started to laugh.  "Y-you w-we-were P-p-chan!" She could barely hold the
laughter in.

Ryouga looked at her with a wry smile on his face.  "Damn, my secret's out."

"Akane didn't know, did she?  I don't know how she didn't see it.  I don't
know how I didn't."

"No."  Akane's name made him miserable again.  "And she's not going to find
out."

"Are you sure?"

"Ranma will keep the secret, he's a jerk, but he's a jerk that keeps his
word."  He pounded his fist into the counter.  "Damn it, what am I supposed
to do now?"

"Well, sugar, you're going to eat that okonomiyaki, for starters."  She
looked at him closely.  "You look like hell.  When was the last time you
slept?"

"Uh......."

Ukyou sighed.  "I thought so.  Well, you can crash in the back room for a
few hours."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked and tried to find his way to the
back.

She sighed again and led him there.  "Because I have this thing about
helping the pathetic.  And you're kind of my friend.  Sleep well."

***

"Well, I start next month."  Tenno walked down the street with Nabiki and
Akane.  Ranma walked along the fence as usual.  He looked at the course
plan, then looked at the girls.  "Spit it out."

"Huh?" the other three replied at once.

"Why did no one want this job?  Why was that Hawaiian nutcase so anxious to
foist it off on me?" Tenno demanded.  Ranma started to chuckle.  "What's so
funny?"  The girls looked guilty.  "Why do I have a premonition of doom?"
Ranma started to laugh.

"Uh," Akane began.  "It's not the job that's the problem.  It's who comes
with the job."

"What is that supposed to mean?  What have you gotten me into?" Tenno
started to sweat.

"It's not THAT bad," Nabiki said defensively.

"What's not that bad?!" Tenno yelled.

"What they're trying to not tell you is that you end up teaching Akane,
Ukyou, and me."  Ranma laughed and jumped off the fence.  "Not to mention
Nabiki and Kuno in another class."

"Other than the fact that I'm LIVING with three of my students, what's wrong
with that?" Tenno asked.

"Well, Kuno's a nutcase, a pervert, and a moron," Ranma began. "If he sees
you change he'll probably fall in love with your female side, and will be
convinced you're some sorcerer holding her captive.  Ukyou dresses up a lot
like a guy, and wields all these spatulas, and is another of my fianc�es.
Nabiki will be regularly using your class as a place to do business.
Akane's an uncute violent maniac tomb-hey!!"  Ranma's speech was interrupted
by Akane kicking him into low earth orbit.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane fumed.

"And Ranma will be regularly getting Akane mad with him, fighting Kuno, or
getting into other trouble," Nabiki finished.

"In other words, my class is a war zone," he summarized, then shrugged.
"Can't be worse than taking classes with engineers."  Tenno looked at the
rapidly disappearing Ranma.  "Oh dear.  He will come down in time for my
lesson, won't he?"  Tenno's stomach growled, and he blushed.  "Uh, anyone
know a good place to eat?  My treat."

"Well, Ucchan's is on the way," Nabiki suggested.  "Ukyou owns it.  She
makes great okonomiyaki."  They walked down the street, Tenno listening
attentively as Nabiki told him of what had gone before.  Akane glowered.

***

"Welcome to Ucchan's!" Ukyou sang out as the trio entered.  "Oh hi, Akane,
Nabiki.  Where's Ranchan?  And who's your friend?"

"Don't speak to me about Ranma!" Akane growled.  Ukyou's mood brightened.

"Ukyou, this is Tenno.  He's our new border, and the new math teacher at
school."  Nabiki filled in.  Ukyou's eyes widened, and she nodded to Tenno.
Tenno nodded back.

"Ryouga told me about you," Ukyou commented.

Tenno grimaced.  "Give me a chance to clear my name."

"Don't worry about it, sugar.  You did what you could."  Ukyou flashed him a
smile.

"Ryouga's here?" asked Akane.

"He's in the back, sleeping.  I found him wandering outside.  He looked like
a starved puppy, so I fed him and gave him a place to crash."  Ukyou
scowled.  "He sounds like a buzz-saw."

Tenno's stomach growled again.  Nabiki laughed.  "Can we have three
specials, please?"

"Coming up!"  Ukyou got to work, and put three steaming okonomiyaki in front
of the trio in seconds.  As Tenno dug in with gusto, and finished his well
before the other two.  Ukyou giggled.  "It's always nice to see someone
appreciate my work."

Tenno blushed.  "It was excellent, Ukyou.  How much do I owe you?"  He
pulled out his wallet and paid the bill.

Tenno waited for the other two to finish their meals.  "Uh...can I meet you
two at home?  I think I need to talk to Ryouga."  Akane looked confused
while Nabiki looked disgusted, but they both nodded and left.

Tenno took a deep breath, and asked Ukyou to get Ryouga.

Ukyou disappeared into the back, and returned a few minutes later with an
embarrassed Ryouga.  "Honestly, Ryouga, how did you get lost back there?
There's only 3 rooms!"  Ryouga started to explain, but stiffened when he saw
Tenno.

"You."  The ice in that one word sent shivers down Tenno's spine.

Ukyou looked at Ryouga and Tenno.  "If you two plan to fight, outside.  I
don't want my store destroyed again!"

Tenno gulped and shakily smiled.  "Don't worry, Ukyou, Ryouga's not a
murderer, no matter what he wants to think, and last I checked I wasn't
suicidal."  Ukyou looked at him in surprise.  "Do I look like a martial
artist to you?"  Ukyou nodded in understanding, and went back to her
counter.

"What do you want?" Ryouga demanded.

Tenno sighed.  "Look Ryouga, I don't like having someone hating me,
especially for something that's not my fault.  I didn't design the curse. If
I had, don't you think I'd be smart enough to have a way to cure it before I
was cursed too?"  Ryouga looked up at him, shocked, and Ukyou gasped.  "Yes,
Ryouga, I also turn into a girl. I don't know what you became before,
Ryouga,  I think Ranma might, but he's not telling.  I don't want to know if
you don't want me to.  But I'd like there to be peace between us."

Ryouga was silent for a moment.  He realized that the other man had given
him an opening, one that he could use to hurt him very badly.  "When I was
younger, Ranma beat me every day at lunch," he began.

Tenno looked at him, shocked.  "Ranma beat you up?  He didn't strike me as
the bully type."

"I went to a boy's school with Ranma.  A very cruel one, that often made
students fight to get their fair share of food.  Ranma always did better
than me.  I came to hate Ranma.  I challenged him once, and he ran from the
fight."

Ukyou, who had been silent till now, interrupted.  "He waited three days.
It's not his fault you have the world's worst direction sense."  Tenno
glared at her.  "Just keeping it honest."

Ryouga swallowed.  "I didn't see it that way at the time.  I still didn't
for a long time.  I just thought he ran away. He went to China, and somehow
I managed to follow him, all the way to the springs.  It was there Ranma
knocked me in.  He didn't even see me.  He just saw me as an obstacle to be
got around, like a rock.  I fell into a spring, and was cursed."  He
shuddered.

"I eventually came here.  I challenged Ranma, and in our first match we did
something to hurt Akane.  That was when I first met her.  Then, when I
attacked Ranma later, I got wet.  Akane found me in my cursed form, and took
me as her pet.  A year has passed, and she never made the connection. I fell
for her hard."

"It was soon after that when the real trouble began.  Ranma started
collecting suitors.  Kodachi, nutcase sister to that loon, Kuno.  Shampoo.
Ukyou."  Tenno looked over at Ukyou, who smiled sadly. "Others showed up.
Mousse, who loved Shampoo.  Ukyou's transvestite admirers."  Ukyou growled.
"A bunch of guys who wanted to marry Akane.  All the guys wanted Ranma dead,
all the girls wanted Ranma for a husband."

"I don't get it.  Didn't you people see that those two were so idiotically
in love?" Tenno asked.  Ukyou hissed and even Ryouga stiffened, but then
relaxed and slumped further.

"I think of any of us, I'm the first to see that, Tenno.  We were all pretty
blind.  You've been here days and you saw what it took me a year to accept.
None of us thought they loved each other.  Almost everybody thought agreed
that the match stunk, and we did everything to break it up. And everything
we did brought them closer."  He started to take another breath, but was hit
by his backpack.  Ukyou stood there, furious.  A faint blue glow surrounded
her.

"Get.  Out."  She pointed at the door.  "You may have given up, Hibiki, but
I haven't.  Ranchan's mine."  She looked at Tenno.  "Stay out of this,
Tenno.  I may follow the code, but don't get in my way or I'll kill you. Now
get out." Ryouga picked up his pack and sighed.

"Ok, Ukyou, I'll go.  But please think about it. You're kind of my friend
too, and I don't want to see you hurt like I was."  He walked out the door.
Tenno looked after him, then looked at her.

"Go after him.  Make sure he doesn't get lost and end up back here.  I don't
want to see him again."  Tenno nodded, and walked after the lonely young
man.

Ukyou watched them leave.  Tears welled up in her eyes.  "I won't give up, I
won't!  Ranchan's mine," she whispered fiercely.  "Mine!"  She look at the
door again.  "Hibiki Ryouga no baka."  She fought the urge to cry, and went
back to work.

***

Tenno caught up with Ryouga and gently steered him towards the Tendo's.
"Come on Ryouga, you can stay with me for a while.  My room's at the Tendo's
is big enough for another person."  Ryouga stopped and shook his head.

"No.  I can't go back there.  Akane will find out.  She'll hate me.  Ranma
already hates me.  I'll just wander for a while."  He turned to leave, but
found Tenno's hand on his shoulder.

"No yourself.  Ukyou asked me to get you somewhere safe, and I will.
Besides, I doubt Akane and Ranma hate you.  Ranma's not a hateful person.
Akane thinks of you as her friend." Ryouga stiffened for a second.  "Come on
Ryouga," Tenno prodded. "You have a story to finish.  From what you were
telling me, you'd be the last one to give up, not the first.  What changed
you?"

"You.  Nabiki.  Shampoo.  Even Mousse.  When Nabiki pulled that fool stunt
with the water, you sounded so concerned.  I mean, here was a girl you
barely new, and you cared.  You cared about me, and Mousse, and even
Shampoo.  Even as you broke our hearts, you were breaking your own.  I
didn't know there were people like that.  Well, aside from Kasumi, and she's
different."

"Yes, she's scary at times."  Ryouga looked at him suspiciously, then
shrugged and continued.

"Nabiki, who I thought was such heartless mercenary,  also got to me.  I
mean, of anyone, she'd be the last I expected to do something selfless like
that."  He looked at Tenno.  "You do something to people, you know that?"
He commented, then grimaced.  "I watched Mousse with Shampoo, and became
disgusted with him.  I mean, here's a girl who's given him no encouragement,
and he's still chasing her.  And then Shampoo.  She was sitting there,
crying, and I realized, this girl loves a man who's scared of her."  He
smiled a bit.  "If you ever want to beat Ranma, get a cat.  It's his
greatest weakness."  He paused.  "And his greatest strength."

"I thought she was so pitiful, and so sad," Ryouga started to talk faster.
"It was then I realized I was just like her.  I grew so angry at myself.  I
just wanted to die.  Then, when I made my choice, and Ranma made that STUPID
comment.  I snapped.  I just wanted to fight him, and make him kill me.  I
would have, too, if you didn't stop me." He paused.  "Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it."

"After I ran out, I eventually wandered over to Ukyou's.  She took me in,
and I told her about the curse.  And she wasn't horrified.  She was
intrigued.  Like Akari was before I ended it with her.  She lent me a place
to sleep, and then you guys showed up later that day."

"Akari?"

"This girl who trained Sumo pigs."

Tenno looked at him in surprise.  "You're kidding me."

"Nope.  I beat her best Sumo pig and she wanted to marry me.  She didn't
even care about my curse.  She liked it."

"You turned into a pig?" Tenno asked in an odd voice.  He started to shake.

Ryouga scowled as he realized what he said.  "Yes."  He looked over and saw
Tenno trying to hold in laughter.  "What's so damn funny?!"

Tenno exploded with laughter.  "Women CALL men pigs, but you really WERE
one!"  He burst.

Ryouga snorted, furious, then began to smile.  Then he to, began to laugh a
little.  It was nice to laugh again.  "It really sucked at the time.  I
mean, I HATED pigs.  That's why I broke up with Akari.  She only liked me
because I REMINDED her of pigs."  He shuddered.

Tenno sighed.  "Ryouga, come on, we're almost there."

***

Nabiki was NOT pleased.  For the first time in her life, someone had pulled
one over on her.  Tenno had brought home that idiot Ryouga, and invoked the
"emergency guest" clause in their tenancy agreement.  She sat at the dining
room table, scowling at Tenno.  Ryouga was in the back, talking with Ranma.

"That's not fair, Tenno.  That was intended for real emergencies, not
picking up strays."

Tenno sighed.  "Look, Nabiki, I didn't know what else to do.  He needed a
place to stay.  I just couldn't let him wander the island.  He's so lonely,
and he reminded me of how lonely and sad I felt before I accepted my curse.
Just let him stay for a few days.  We'll be leaving soon."

"We?"

Tenno shrugged.  "I'll still pay for training, but frankly, I still feel
like I'm intruding.  Besides, it's too crowded, and something tells me the
rent I'm paying is awfully high."  Nabiki scowled.  "We'd be better off in
our own place."

"We?" Nabiki repeated.

"Ryouga needs a caretaker right now.  Besides, I like him.  He's very
lonely, Nabiki.  I just can't but help."

"You sure you're not turning into Kasumi?"

Tenno started.  "Good God, no!"  She looked at him in surprise.  "Sorry, but
she scares me a little."

"KASUMI?"

"Please, let it go.  I like her a lot, but she sets me on edge.  She's TOO
nice."  He frowned at the argument forming outside.  "Oh, hell."  He got up.
"I better break that up before they kill each other."

"Tenno? Wait." Nabiki stood beside him, her hand on his arm.

"Hmm?"

"You can't help everyone, you know," she said, releasing him.

Tenno sighed, and shook his head.  "I know.  I know.  It should stop me, but
it doesn't."  He went outside.

Nabiki just sighed.  "You care too much," she said to the receding back, too
softly for him to hear.

***

Ranma and Ryouga stood in the Tendo's yard, staring at each other warily.
Ranma broke the silence first.  "Are we going to fight now, Ryouga?"

Ryouga stiffened, and his hand curled into a fist.  "I don't want to fight
you Ranma.  Just please, don't push me."

Ranma looked at his oldest enemy. He couldn't believe it.  Ryouga ALWAYS
threw fists first and talked later.  "I'll...try."

"Ranma, I've hated you for years.  I've fought you hundreds of times, and
always lost.  But this once, I'm going to end it.  I want the fighting to
stop." Ranma started to speak, but remained silent at Ryouga's glare.  "I'm
not going to go after Akane anymore, Ranma.  I care about her too much to do
that to her.  She cares about you.  I see that.  I even see you care about
her, as much as you deny it."

"Ryouga..." Ranma started, but Ryouga's glare again stopped him.  Ranma saw
tears in Ryouga's eyes.

"Shut the hell up, Ranma, and let me finish.  I want it to end.  All this
business with your fianc�es.  It just has to end.  Akane thinks of me as her
friend, and you're the closest thing I have to one besides her and Ukyou.
It needs to stop."  Ryouga fought to hold back tears.

"Ryouga, your the closest thing I have to a friend besides those two too.
You're a jerk, but I like you.  I never wanted to be your enemy.  I don't
know what happened to you, but I'm glad, whatever it was.  Whenever I
thought about ending this madness, it was you that stopped me from going
through, because I was afraid of what you'd do.  I know you c-care for
Akane, but I l-lo-lo..."

Ryouga sighed.  "You love her.  You'll have to say it someday.  Better
sooner than later.  But I need to know.  Can we be friends?"

Ranma was silent for a moment.  In all this time, he never hated Ryouga.  He
really wanted to be friends, but something stopped him.  "Not if I have to
keep secrets from Akane.  We have to tell her about P-chan."

Ryouga stiffened, and looked down.  He was hoping it didn't come to this,
but knew it would.  "I know.  Can you help me?"

Ranma smiled, and placed his hand on Ryouga's shoulder.  "Hey, what are
friends for?" he said.  "Any ideas?"

***

The bickering that Tenno came out to break was the two discussing battle
plans.  He saw the two arguing by the pond, their voices steadily growing
louder.  Tenno picked up a board from one of the practice dummies in the
yard.

"I am NOT telling her for you!" Ranma yelled.  "No way!  She'll kill me."

"Well she'll kill me if I tell her!"  Ryouga retorted.

"Better you than-hey!" Ranma's latest foray was interrupted by his trip into
the water, as he was pushed into the pond by Tenno.  "What'd ya do that
for?!" the now-female martial artist demanded.

Ryouga started to laugh, and soon followed the other into the pond.  "What
the hell?"  Nabiki gasped from inside the house as she saw Onna-Ryouga.

Tenno laughed at the two girls and their outraged expressions.  "My first
day and I already am one up on my teacher.  This martial arts stuff must be
easy."  The two girls looked at each other and the next thing Tenno knew she
was in the pond, and the other girls were on the bank wringing out their
clothes.  "OK, maybe not quite so easy."  She said as she crawled to the
edge of the pond.  "So I assume you two aren't going to kill each other?"

"We were trying to decide how to tell Akane about a secret we kept from
her," Ranma said as she helped Onna-Tenno out of the pond.

"The pet thing?  Oh, you guys are on your own on this one.  I'm going to get
some hot water." Onna-Tenno shook her head as she went back to the house,
droplets of water flying off of her hair.  "I may be a fool, but I'm not
suicidal."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ranma called after her sarcastically.
She looked over at Onna-Ryouga, and an idea popped into her head.

***

That evening, Onna-Ranma, Onna-Ryouga, and a wet, shivering Onna-Tenno stood
outside Akane's door.

"Why did I get dragged into this?"  Tenno muttered to herself.  Louder, to
the two other girls, she asked, "Why am I here?  And why did we have to
visit the pool first?  I'm freezing."

"Akane likes you.  She's stronger than you and she knows it.  You have no
secrets from her.   You're like a second Kasumi," Ranma recited in a
sing-song voice.

Tenno shivered.  "I wish people would stop saying that."

"The combination of three good looking girls, all of whom she likes, plus
the shock of finding out about my curse, might keep her from killing us."
Onna-Ryouga seconded.

"Might."  Tenno shivered again.  "But you guys can take it if she gets mad
at you.  She kicks me once and I'm a grease spot!"

"The life of a martial artist is filled with peril," Ranma intoned.

"Great," Tenno sighed as they knocked on Akane's door.

"Come in." Akane's voice sounded through the wood.  They entered.  She
smiled at them faintly.  "Hi Ranma, hi Tenno, hi...RYOUGA?!" She stared at
Onna-Ryouga.  Then she started to glow blue.  "Raaaaaaaannnmmmmaaaaa!"

"Wait, don't hit me!  Just hear us out!  Well, me and Ryouga.  And don't
kill Tenno, she's just here as moral support!"  Ranma was fast-talking for
all she was worth.  "Remember when Tenno had that meeting with the other
cursed people?  Well Ryouga was one of them.  She-HE chose the girl-water."
Akane seemed to be in shock.  The blue glow left her, and she sat on the
bed.

Ryouga seemed reluctant to speak. "Tell her, Ryouga," Ranma said.
"She needs to know."

Ryouga took a deep breath.  "Akane, when I first fought Ranma, and you tried
to save him, I started to fall for you."  Ranma started to interrupt, but
Tenno put her hand on Ranma's arm and shook her head.  "As  time went by, I
really grew to love you."  Akane gasped.  "Yet, you only saw me as a friend.
Poor Ryouga, who Ranma was always picking on.  But I also kept a secret from
you, and forced Ranma to keep it from you.  I...I don't know how to say
this, Akane.  I wanted to be with you, but I couldn't as normal.  I was so
jealous of how you and Ranma felt for each other.  I wanted you to love me
too.  So when you started to love
P-chan, I never told you it was me.  I'm sorry, Akane.  I don't know if you
can forgive me, but I don't want you to hate me.  I wanted the fighting
between Ranma and I to stop, and that meant the lies had to end."

Akane was shaking.  Ranma went to comfort her, and stopped.  Akane was
crying, but there was a smile on her face.  "This was the secret? This is
what you two were arguing about?  Oh, thank god."  She was smiling, and
tears welled up in her eyes.  "Ranma, Ryouga, YOU JERKS!  How dare you scare
me like that!  I thought Ryouga was leaving forever or something!  I thought
I was going to lose one of my friends!"

Ranma and Ryouga looked at each other, confused.  She stopped, and started
to glow blue.  She turned to Ryouga.  "YOU were P-chan?" she growled,
"RYOUGA NO BAKA!"  Ryouga flew through the roof and into the air. She
whirled on Ranma.  "YOU! You kept it from me!  RANMA NO BAKA!" Ranma
followed Ryouga.  She turned to Tenno who had her hands up in submission.

"HEY! No beating on innocent bystanders!"  Tenno tensed for the kick that
would send her though the air, and probably kill her.  A moment passed
without pain.  Another.  Tenno looked up and saw Akane on her bed, crying.
She got up, and started to leave, but stopped at the door. "Remember what
she said, Akane.  Ryouga loves you.  Even she sees how Ranma feels for you.
Think about how you feel for them."  Quietly, she opened the door and went
to find Kasumi's first-aid kit.

Outside, Tenno found Nabiki, who had been eavesdropping.  "Mercurial girl,
isn't she?" Tenno commented wryly.

***

Ranma and Onna-Ryouga sat at the Tendo's table, wolfing down the breakfast
Kasumi made for them.  Even as she matched the male Ranma bite for bite, it
was clear Ryouga was uncomfortable being female.  Nabiki watched them and
sighed.  "It's a good thing you and Tenno are leaving, Ryouga.  I don't
think we could afford another two bottomless pits, even with Tenno paying
rent."  She turned to watch Tenno suffer through the particularly brutal
drills Genma and Soun were putting him through.  She smiled.  "Revenge is
mine," she whispered.

Akane came down the stairs, and saw Ranma and Onna-Ryouga stuffing
themselves at the table.  She walked to the table, and sat.  "Did you leave
any for me?" she asked angrily.  Ranma and Onna-Ryouga stopped eating.
Akane smiled when she saw how much food was left.  "Oh good, I didn't want
to have to kick you through the ceiling again.  Friends shouldn't do that to
friends."  The three looked at each other, and smiled.

Chapter 1 End


--
Christopher "God-boy" Angel
cja124@mail.usask.ca
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/7040/
"I'm your worst nightmare - a manga
nut with a power ring."  Green Lantern