Muyami Academy
What if they ALL went to the same school?
Previous chapters at: http://members.xoom.com/bellchan/
Thanks to my prereaders, T.H. Tiger, Bombadil Goh,
Jeffrey Cornish and William Morse. Also thanks to Jed Hagen
and Stardragon for surprise C&C. ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 characters and stuff, and Inu-
Yasha characters and stuff, not to mention Ursei Yatsura
characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Rumiko Takehashi.
Tenchi Muyou characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Pioneer &
AIC. Mamono Hunter Yohko characters and stuff copyright
1999 AD Vision, NCS, Toho Company, LTD, Mad House, and
I don't know who else. Koko wa Greenwood characters
copyright Yuki Nasu. Mint na Bokura characters copyright
Wataru Yoshizume. Other characters and stuff also copyright
the creators and owners.
Chapter Nine
Round and Round
(part B)
***
Three stories up, on the roof of Matsukata Hall, Ranma
and Ukyo sat and stared at each other.
"So you're not really engaged to Ryoga?" Ukyo asked.
"Nah," Ranma said. "It was just a cover story. But he's
taking it too seriously. I might have to tell him the truth."
"And what is the truth, Ranma?"
Ranma stared off into the distance. "It's kind of
complicated," she said. "Anyway, I could ask you the same
question." She glanced back at Ukyo. "When I was young,
Ukyo, you were my best friend! What's all this stupid talk
about us being engaged? It makes no sense!"
Ukyo frowned. "First things first, Ranma," she said.
"Just tell me one thing. It may seem like a weird question,
but... you were a boy then, weren't you?"
"Um..." Ranma said, glancing down at herself. "Well,
yeah, I was... but I can explain...."
"You... you mean to tell me you've had breast implants?"
she asked, grasping for an explanation. "Have you had the full
operation, or are you...."
"Get your head out of the gutter!" Ranma growled. "It's
just a stupid curse!"
"A curse?" Ukyo stared at Ranma in confusion.
Ranma nodded. "I fell into this pool at Jusenkyo, the
training ground of accursed springs, and I got this stupid curse.
I become a girl when I'm splashed with cold water, and a boy
again when splashed with hot...."
*SPLASH* From nowhere, Ukyo had produced a kettle
of steaming water. She watched in amazement as Ranma
transformed into a guy.
"It's really you!" she exclaimed.
"Well, of course," Ranma-kun said.
"So when you're hit with cold water, you become a girl?"
*SPLASH* Ukyo had somehow produced a pitcher of
cold water.
"Yes, that's right," Ranma-chan said.
"And hot water makes you a guy again?"
*SPLASH*
"We've already been through this part," Ranma-kun said.
*SPLASH*
"Ukyo," Ranma-chan said.
*SPLASH*
"Would you please...." Ranma-kun said.
*SPLASH*
"KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!" Ranma-chan yelled.
*SPLASH*
"But it's so much fun!" Ukyo said.
"Not for me it isn't!"
"Oh well," Ukyo said, putting the kettle and pitcher away.
"So, it's just a Jusenkyo curse. That explains it, then. I guess I
should have realized...."
Ranma-kun blinked. "You know about that place?"
Ukyo glanced away. "Well... I guess you could say I've
heard about it.... anyway, this is all finally starting to make
some sense. So, you're still a guy, you're just attending school
as a girl?"
"Yeah," Ranma said. "I really didn't have a choice."
"What a relief!" Ukyo laughed. "For a moment I thought
I was really engaged to a girl!"
It was Ranma's turn to be confused. "What would be
wrong with that? Or... are you saying that you're... gay?"
"What? No, of course not!" Ukyo exclaimed. "Look, I'm
not really... that is... well, I'm not a guy."
Ranma stared at Ukyo for a full minute.
"What are you, then?" he asked.
"A-a girl, of course!" Ukyo said, her face turning red.
"And before you ask, yes, I've always been a girl, and no, I'm
not about to show you my breasts! You just have to believe
me!"
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Well, okay, fair enough.
But... wait a second! You were at the boy's school where I met
Ryoga, weren't you? You only showed up two days before I
left, but...."
Ukyo nodded. "I've been living as a guy for years,
Ranma."
"And my dad knows this? That you're really a girl?"
Ukyo's face became even redder. "Well, I sure hope so!
Why would he engage his son to another boy?"
"I was wondering the same thing. Although, to be honest,
I've only your word that we're really engaged. I don't
remember anything about it."
"And then you two abandoned me! My life as a girl was
over! How could I endure the teasing, the humiliation, the
rumormongering? I swore, from that point forward, to turn my
back on my girlhood and live my life as a man!"
"What a waste."
"And I swore revenge on you!" Ukyo continued. "But
then, when I finally tracked you two down, you ran off to
China! So I followed you there, and... and...."
"You didn't go to Jusenkyo, did you?"
Ukyo frowned, and cast her eyes downward. "Yes. I
followed you all the way to Jusenkyo."
Ranma produced a pitcher of cold water and upended it on
Ukyo's head.
Ukyo smacked the pitcher away. "I don't turn into
anything, you idiot!" she yelled.
"Well, that's a relief," Ranma said. "Still, you can't go
around saying I'm your fiancee, Ukyo. Everyone thinks I'm a
girl."
"So? Everyone thinks I'm a guy. What's the problem?"
Ranma blinked in momentary confusion.
"Well, okay, I guess that's not a problem," he said, "but
there's a different problem. Akane and I are engaged."
Ukyo's eyes flashed angrily. "You've got another
fiancee?"
"Hey, it's not like it's my fault! It's something my father
and hers came up with!"
Ukyo frowned. "Your father mentioned it to my father,
way back when," she said. "I... I'd sort of hoped that it had
been forgotten." Then she brightened up. "Still, if you and
Akane are both girls, you can't tell anyone about it, can you?"
"No," Ranma said. "That's why I had Ryoga pretending to
be my fiancee... and why I kind of said that Akane was
engaged to... you...."
"You said I was engaged to another girl?"
"How was I supposed to know you weren't a guy?
Anyway, I didn't know you were going to school here!"
Ukyo stood and pulled out her giant spatula.
"Ranma," she said, "give me one good reason why I
shouldn't kill you right here and now."
"Guys aren't supposed to beat up on girls?"
"That's not going to cut it! Anyway, you're a guy at the
moment!"
"Um... my fiancee would protect me?"
"I'm your fiancee!"
Ranma stood up. "I don't fight girls," he said. "So if you
want to attack me...."
But Ukyo wasn't looking at Ranma. She was looking at
the ground, three stories below.
"Ranma," she said, "why are Matsukata and Sakagawa
fighting?"
"The two dorms are fighting?"
"No, the two statues!"
Ranma glanced down and blinked in surprise.
"Whoah," he said, "check it out. They're really going at
it!"
***
Mr. Matsukata and Mr. Sakagawa had been very close
friends for many years. They had rarely ever argued, and as
devout Jesuit priests they were sworn against fighting and
spent their time trying to help others. They had founded the
school together, and had always taught the values of loving
your enemy and turning the other cheek.
Tonight, all of that had been tossed out the window.
Matsukata and Sakagawa were involved in the biggest
knockdown, drag-out fight the school had witnessed in a long,
long time. At least, their stone images were -- if the real
Matsukata and Sakagawa were aware of it, then they were
spinning in their graves like tops.
Matsukata laid his stone Bible upside Sakagawa's head.
The gathered students gasped as bits of stone clattered on the
pavement and bounced into the grass.
"All right!" Daisuke exclaimed. "Go Matsukata!"
"Shouldn't you be rooting for Sakagawa?" Shinobu asked.
"After all, he's the namesake of the boy's dorm."
Daisuke shrugged. "I just want to see a good fight!" he
exclaimed.
Sakagawa caught Matsukata on the chin with an uppercut.
The heavy statue stumbled backwards, each step shaking the
ground. Daisuke and the other boys cheered loudly.
Matsukata recovered and delivered a roundhouse kick worthy
of any champion kickboxer. More bits of stone flew through
the air.
Like everyone else, Yohko stayed well clear of the fight.
She was not entirely sure why carved stone had suddenly leapt
to her defense, but she wasn't about to refuse the help. She had
yet to devise a good strategy for fighting animated rock, and
for now, Matsukata was taking a much greater beating from
Sakagawa's stone book than she'd managed with her sword.
In any case, she wasn't used to playing to such a large
crowd.
Another heavy punch drove Matsukata back to the steps
of the girl's dorm. Students scrambled out of the way. The
statue tripped and toppled backwards, landing hard on the stone
steps.
There was a loud crack, and Matsukata's right hand, the
one clutching the book, tumbled down the steps. It came to
rest near the stone giant's feet.
There was a loud crack, and Matsukata's right hand, the
one clutching the book, tumbled down the steps. It came to
rest near the stone giant's feet.
"Way to go!" Daisuke called out. "Book him, Sakagawa!"
Sakagawa lumbered across the lawn, stone Bible raised
high overhead, prepared to deliver the killing blow. Matsukata
glanced about in desperation. One massive stone hand reached
out to wrap about a nearby flagpole.
The metal produced a wrenching scream and then snapped
like a toothpick. Without getting up, the statue turned and
placed the rounded end of the pole against the steps.
The students held their breath. As if in slow motion, the
Sakagawa statue, unable to stop its forward motion, impaled
itself on the makeshift spear.
The sound from the impact was deafening. The spear
threatened to buckle. Sakagawa came to a halt, the pole buried
into its chest. There was a loud cracking sound, and the statue
of Mr. Magobee Sakagawa, co-founder of Muyami Academy,
shattered into six pieces, which fell into a heap on the
sidewalk.
A ragged cheer went up from the gathered students, which
faded as Mr. Katsushi Matsukata's statue stood and swung the
flagpole about.
Perhaps for the first time, students really took notice of
the statue's glowing red eyes. They seemed to glare
menacingly as they swept over the crowd. Students began to
push backwards, giving the statue as much room as possible.
One student stepped forward rather than back. Also
perhaps for the first time, students really took a good look at
Yohko Mano in her red silk dress and with a glowing sword in
her hand.
Deep, inhuman laughter, like that from the throats of a
thousand dead souls, echoed across the lawn. Many of the
students were paralyzed by fear, and a few fainted dead away
on the spot.
"Now, Devil Hunter," the voice said, "you shall pay for
the breaking of the gate's sacred seals!"
The statue raised the broken flagpole over its head.
Yohko braced herself, sword held out before her, but it was not
clear to anyone how she might avoid a steel spear driven by
muscles of stone. Those muscles tensed, ready to thrust the
jagged pole forward...
...and in one massive explosion, the statue shattered into a
million bits.
The flagpole clattered down on the pile of rubble, all that
remained of Mr. Matsukata. Standing near the pile of shattered
stone was a small, wrinkled woman balancing on a tall walking
stick. One hand was still held out, index finger extended, as if
she'd caused the statue to shatter merely by touching it.
"Bakusai Tenketsu," she said. "The blasting point. A
very useful technique, in certain situations...."
Everyone in the crowd seemed to visibly relax, but Yohko
only gripped her sword more tightly. The destruction of a
stone statue was hardly the end of the battle. Her eyes
penetrated the darkness, searching....
There. In the air just above where the statue had
crumbled, she could see it... a patch of darkness thicker than
anything around it, like a pool of India ink spilled onto the
night.
Yohko gripped her sword and lunged forward. For a
moment, few seemed to notice, and those that did only watched
her with mild interest or amusement.
Then her sword plunged into the shadowy pool of
blackness, and a horrific scream ripped through the night. It
was the sort of scream that you felt along your backbone as
well as heard. The pain-filled keening descended into a
guttural growl. The crowd stumbled backwards, giving the
half-seen shadow demon a wide berth.
Thick black tendrils shot out at Yohko. She dodged and
swung her sword, slicing through two of them. The creature
screamed again, and a dozen tentacles flew at her. It was all
she could to avoid them, twisting and flipping head over heels
away from the creature. She landed awkwardly on some of the
stone rubble and stumbled backwards, but strong arms wrapped
around her waist and lifted her to her feet.
Yohko spared a moment to glance back at her rescuer. He
was a boy she'd never seen, with thick black hair, a handsome
face, and a powerfully muscled body. The tail end of a pigtail
flopped over one shoulder.
"Yohko, be careful!" the boy admonished, and she could
see real concern in his eyes. But how did this boy know her
name?
And then she was dodging black tentacles again, trying to
bury her momentary fluster and concentrate on the task at
hand.
The creature attacked. Yohko dodged and sliced away a
tentacle. Again, it attacked, and she avoided its grasp while
wounding it.
Then she saw a flash of red light, followed by a flash of
brilliant blue-white. Tenchi and Ryoko stood beside her, their
own soulswords in hand. There was another sound, like
wooden blocks clacking together, and Lady Ayeka's wooden
wards appeared in rings floating about the beast.
Yohko smiled. This demon was the same as the one last
night. The four of them were more than a match for this entity
-- she could sense the kill.
Just like last night. The phrase rolled around in her head,
until it stuck to a frightening thought.
What if this was the same demon as last night? What if
they hadn't killed it then?
What if they couldn't kill it now? What if it returned
again and again, night after night?
The more she thought about it, the more certain she
became that this was not merely a similar demon, but the same
demon that they'd dispatched the night before. And the thought
that it would return again and again to threaten her friends and
classmates turned her stomach.
As the creature broke through Ayeka's wards, and Yohko
leaped up and over the tendrils reaching out to ensnare her, she
wondered how they could kill or seal this shadow-demon away
for good. There had to be a way!
***
The figure was an amorphous blob, with tendrils that shot
out and then contracted again, but it could be clearly seen
through Principal Ikari's night-vision equipped widow. The
three who fought it with brilliant swords of light, and the crowd
of students that ringed them in, could also be seen clearly. If
that were not enough, several video screens had dropped from
the ceiling to provide close-ups from several angles and with
several different filters to enhance the picture.
"Very, very good," Principal Ikari said. His face was as
impassive as ever, but one couldn't help but feel that inside, he
was dancing around like a delirious fool who'd just won the
lotto. "This is much better than I had hoped. Doctor Natsume,
are you getting good readings of this?"
"You bet!" the voice from the video screen on the desk
said. "Audio at all levels, video at all levels, electro-magnetic,
the works. I'm getting everything you asked for!"
"Very, very good," the Principal said again. He scowled,
and steepled his fingers in apparent glee.
Chief of Police Daisuke Ido was on the edge of his seat,
transfixed by the scenes before them. He was blissfully
unaware that he was crushing his notebook in one hand.
"My God!" Ido exclaimed. "What the hell is that?"
"Your prime suspect in the murder of Mr. Jihara," the
Principal said dryly. "Would you like to head down the hill to
arrest it? Or would you prefer to let my students handle this?"
***
Ranma watched Yohko spring back into action. He
wanted to leap in too, to beat this shadowy demon about the
head and shoulders, or the nearest equivalents thereof. But he
knew from his few previous demonic encounters that a mortal's
blows -- even a skilled mortal such as himself -- had little
effect on a demonic being.
He hated it. It made him feel useless, and that was one
feeling Ranma couldn't stand.
That sense of dread, which he'd experienced off and on
every since waking from last night's nightmare, had returned
with a vengeance. This time, he knew what it was and where it
came from -- the demon in front of him. It was after his friend
Yohko, for some reason, and although he didn't possess the
abilities of Yohko, Tenchi, or the two alien girls, he was still
determined to do anything in his power to protect his friend.
A hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him back through
the crowd. Cold water washed over him. and he -- now she --
shivered. She turned to see Akane holding a telltale empty pail
in her hands.
"Ranma-chan," Akane said with emphasis, "don't you
think a girl like yourself should be a bit more careful?"
Ranma's eyes widened. She hadn't realized that she'd
been in boy form since her conversation with Ukyo on the
roof. What if someone had noticed?
Not that anyone around her was looking her way just now.
All eyes were riveted on the demonic battle taking place on the
sidewalk that joined Matsukata and Sakagawa Halls.
Yohko, Tenchi, and Ryoko seemed to have the creature on
the defensive. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief -- this creature
was no more powerful than the one they'd killed last night.
And then, the creature sprang up into the air, sailing over
its three attackers... and straight at Ranma and Akane.
People screamed and started to flee... but Akane was still
looking at Ranma.
"Akane, you idiot!" Ranma yelled. "Look out!" And
then, since she didn't really expect Akane to move or dodge in
time, Ranma grabbed the girl and tossed her a good twenty feet
-- well out of the way.
From out of the darkness, a thick tentacle as black as an
oil slick slammed into Ranma's forehead.
***
Yohko turned just in time to see Ranma knocked to the
ground. In some ways it was exactly what she'd been wishing
for Ranma only an hour ago, but now that she saw her friend
lying crumpled on the ground, she knew it had been the hurt
and the anger talking. She didn't want to see any of her friends
hurt, even those that had apparently betrayed her.
Ranma wasn't moving. The demonic blob lay between
Yohko and Ranma, and at the moment Yohko wanted to slice
straight through it and check on her friend, but the rational part
of her mind knew that if she, Tenchi, and Ryoko could keep the
demon busy, then someone else could pull Ranma to safety.
Her sword swung down, cleaving into the side of the
shadowy beast. It screamed in soul-wrenching agony, and
Yohko knew that the creature was nearly finished. Once again
Ayeka attempted to surround the creature with her wards, and
this time it barely managed to shake them off.
Ryoga sprang from the crowd. Standing over Ranma's
still form, Ryoga bellowed, "Foul spawn of Hell! How dare
you lay a tentacle on the one I am to wed? Prepare to die!"
"No!" Yohko yelled, as Ryoga slammed his fist into the
dark, oozing mass. The black shadow-substance enveloped his
arm up to the elbow. Shouting in incoherent rage, Ryoga
plunged his other fist into the demon.
Now both arms were buried in the creature. His powerful
blows had had no other apparent effect. He struggled to free
his arms, when suddenly the black mass surged forward,
swallowing the boy whole.
"Ryoga!" Yohko screamed. She took a step forward, but
didn't dare slash or stab the creature for fear of hitting the boy
inside. Ryoko and Tenchi were on either side of her, equally
hesitant and wondering what to do.
The blob began to whither and shrink. Moments later, the
demonic blob faded entirely, leaving Ryoga standing there,
with all eyes on him.
Nothing appeared to be amiss. At first.
"Ryoga?" Yohko called out, taking another step forward.
"Are you all right? What happened to the...."
Her voice trailed off as Ryoga looked up. His eyes were
glowing red, as the statue had earlier.
"So, Demon Hunter," Ryoga said. Only it wasn't Ryoga's
voice, but the deep, echoing voice of the demon, sounding like
a chorus of lost souls speaking in unison. "So, Demon Hunter,
Seal Breaker, Gate Opener. I am no match for you and your
friends, and you destroyed the stone body that I borrowed. But
I ask you this: can you harm this body, the borrowed form of
your friend? For if you cannot, then your doom is assured."
The creature laughed evilly, and then, roaring a challenge,
charged straight for Yohko.
Not knowing what to do, Yohko leapt up and over
Ryoga's outstretched arms. She landed on her feet and spun to
face her foe, her mind racing. If she could knock Ryoga out....
Yohko blinked. Still screaming, Ryoga charged off into
the night. For a short time his battle roar could still be heard,
along with the crashing of trees and fences that happened to be
in his way. Then everything faded to silence.
After several minutes more, Daisuke said, "You know, I
don't think he's coming back."
***
Belldandy laid Ranma down on her own bed.
"Two times in two nights," she said with a sigh. "At least,
this time, it's no more than a light concussion. But perhaps
Ranma should learn to keep away from demons?"
"She's not going to be happy," Akane said. "The stupid
baka was trying to save me, and not watching out for herself.
She's usually better than that."
Yohko watched her friend with obvious concern, while
others watched from the doorway. "I'm glad it's nothing
serious," Yohko said. "It's really my fault, or at least, mine,
Tenchi's, and Ryoko's. We should have kept the demon
hemmed in."
"Well," Belldandy said, "considering the crowd around
you, I think you three did a marvelous job. Nobody was
seriously injured. Ranma just needs a little rest, and she'll be
fine. Just leave her with me. I'm sure she'll be up and ready to
see you in an hour or so."
"But what about Ryoga?" Yohko asked.
Belldandy sighed. "The police have been notified, Yohko,
and Principal Ikari has said that his own agents are looking for
the boy. We have no idea where he is -- he could be miles
away by now. Hopefully, the demon will eventually leave him,
although Principal Ikari seems very intent on capturing both
Ryoga and the demon alive." She shrugged her shoulders.
"There's little else we can do. If it helps, I have a feeling that
the entity was not truly evil, and should not cause any harm to
him...."
Akane nodded, and grabbed Yohko's arm. "Come on,"
she said. "There's nothing more for us to do. Aren't you
hungry? You've just had a big workout, and you didn't get to
eat beforehand. Let me make you something."
Yohko smiled. "Thanks, Akane," she said. "That's very
kind of you."
Belldandy smiled as she closed the door, then turned to
look at Ranma again.
Keichi and Kyosuke were down the hall with Madoka.
Principal Ikari had promised that it would be repaired first
thing tomorrow morning, but for now they were trying to rig a
blanket to cover the hole in Akane and Nanami's room.
Belldandy sighed, deciding that dinner was finished for the
evening. She gathered up the dishes and placed them in the
sink, glad once again for the small luxuries that the President's
dorm room offered. She began to sing softly as she washed
dishes and put things away.
Presently the teakettle whistled. Belldandy removed it
and poured herself a cup of tea, making sure that there was
enough for Keichi, Kyosuke, Madoka, and even Ranma when
she awoke.
She turned to set the kettle on the table, and unexpectedly
tripped. The kettle, quite full of steaming hot tea, sailed across
the room and landed on Ranma with a splash.
"Oh no!" Belldandy exclaimed. She took a step forward,
then stopped. She placed her hand to her mouth in shock.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed. "Oh, my! So that's Ranma's
curse! Oh, how awful it must be for you! You poor, poor
thing!"
***
Ataru knocked on the dorm room door. Ukyo, dressed in
her casual 'okonomiyaki chef' clothing, answered.
"Ukyo-chan!" Ataru said, grinning like a fool. He
grabbed her hand. "How lovely you look this evening...."
Ukyo yanked her hand away. "Very funny, Ataru," she
growled. "Are you bothering me for any particular reason?"
The girl-crazy boy cleared his throat, and said, in a much
lower voice, "Ukyo-chan, I have indeed come here for a
reason. You see, after tonight, I have one pair of underwear
from every girl in the school... every girl but one."
Ukyo blinked. "What does that have to do with me?" she
asked.
Ataru frowned. "Come, Ukyo," he said. "What do you
take me for? Surely you don't think that a man of my refined
tastes cannot spot a beautiful girl, no matter how she is
dressed?"
Ukyo's face flushed red. She grabbed Ataru by the collar
and yanked him into her room. She held his face up to hers.
"What is it you want, you little slimeball?" she said
through clenched teeth.
"Just one item from your underwear drawer," Ataru
gasped, "assuming it's designed for a girl of course. Just that,
and your secret is safe with me, Ukyo-chan."
"Stop calling me that," Ukyo growled. But she went to
her dresser and removed an item of clothing. It was of plain
white cotton, without print, lace, or other decoration, but it was
underwear for a girl and not a boy. Ukyo had always made a
few small exceptions to her otherwise male attire.
Ataru slipped the underwear beneath his shirt, then bowed
low.
"Thank you very much, Ukyo-kun," he said in a formal
voice. "My quest is now complete."
He paused, and then added, "As per my offer to every girl
on campus, I will return the stolen garment, in exchange for
your home address and phone number...."
With a loud clang, Ukyo slammed her battle spatula into
her dorm mate's face.
***
"My prime suspect," Chief Ido said, "is still on the loose."
Across the desk, Principal Ikari frowned and steepled his
hands. He looked exactly as he'd always looked, but this time
Chief Ido sensed mild disappointment in the man. Ido felt he
was learning to read the Principal rather well, all things
considered.
"Regrettable," Ikari said. "However, my people have been
warned, and are even now looking for the boy, as well as the
demon that possessed him."
"As are mine," Ido said.
"Yes," Ikari replied. "And yet, are either your people or
mine strong enough to capture it?"
"I don't see why not," the Chief of Police said, but the
statement sounded false even to his ears.
Gendo Ikari stared across the desk, letting the silence
envelop them for a full minute.
"Really?" he finally asked. "The creature was no match
for my students but then, my students have some unique
talents. As for your agents or mine...."
Ido nodded. "Point taken," he said. "What are you
proposing?"
"Nothing much," Principal Ikari said. "But an organized
unit, or series of units, trained and equipped to deal with
entities such as the one we saw tonight, might be a wise move.
Such could not, at present, be undertaken by the government,
but perhaps a private group, with the backing of a wealthy
corporation, and the cooperation of the local police...."
His voice trailed off. Chief Ido stood and put on his coat
and hat.
"Good night to you, Principal Ikari," he said. "We will
speak on this matter again."
***
Ukyo sat on her bed, in her room, a small clay bottle in
her hand. The bottle was tan in color, with a cork in the top
sealed with wax. She stared at it as if it were a magical golden
key that could unlock any door, and in a way, it was.
Her mind drifted back to the moment, months ago, when
she'd walked through the valley of cursed springs, known as
Jusenkyo. She could hear the marshy grass squish beneath her
feet, could feel the stiff wind whipping through the valley,
threatening to knock her over if she wasn't careful. She could
hear the cries of the birds soaring overhead, and the droning
nasal monotone of the guide as he explained, in broken
Japanese, the legend and the curse of the pool before her.
The Nanichuan -- the spring of drowned man. Ukyo had
stood for more than an hour in front of it, perched on the ledge,
unable to jump in herself, hoping and fearing that someone or
something might knock her in accidentally.
"I nearly did it, Ranchan," she whispered. "I nearly
jumped in... nearly cursed myself on purpose. When you
rejected me, I rejected my own femininity. The Nanichuan
seemed like the final step... the final solution. I could become
a man in truth, instead of all this pretending, and turn my back
on you and my shattered girlhood forever.
"And yet...." Tears began to fall down Ukyo's face. "And
yet... I couldn't... I just couldn't...."
She clutched the clay bottle to her chest and wept silently.
She slid sideways, her head hitting the pillow, and rolled over
to stare at the ceiling.
"I nearly threw my girlhood away completely at
Jusenkyo," she whispered. "But, deep down, I still had hope
that somehow, I'd meet you, and that you would... that
somehow you would...."
Ukyo squeezed her eyes shut tight and choked back a sob.
"And you... you don't even remember, and you're more a
girl than I am, and...." She smiled faintly. "And everyone
knows that we're engaged, but they think I'm the guy and
you're the girl!"
For a long time she just lay there, weeping silently.
Finally she dried her eyes, held up the bottle again, and stared
at it.
"I'm not a guy," she said. "But I could be, part of the
time, just as Ranchan is a girl, part of the time....
"Or Ranchan could take this, and be cured of his curse...."
And that was what Ukyo wanted, of course. She'd been
'one of the boys' for nearly as long as she could remember, but
she didn't really want to be male. And she didn't want Ranma
to be female. She wanted to be Ranma's bride, and for Ranma
to be her husband.
But... Ranma was also engaged to Akane. If he were
cured of his curse, would he chose Ukyo, or Akane?
What if Ranma chose Akane?
What if Ranma really preferred being a girl?
If Ukyo took the curse, would that increase her chances
with Ranma?
Ukyo bit her lip, unable to decide.
One thing was clear to her: as long as Ranma was a girl,
and Ukyo was (apparently) a guy, Ranma and Ukyo would be a
couple, and Akane and Ranma would be nothing more than
friends. Unless... unless Akane was...?
No, Ukyo told herself. That could never be. Akane had
to be a normal girl.
Smiling, she cradled the bottle in the crook of her arm and
folded her hands across her chest. She imagined a male Ranma
kissing her, and it filled her with warmth. Then she tried to
imagine kissing a female Ranma, and... she just couldn't do it.
Even if she tried to picture herself as a guy, it simply didn't
work.
But if Ranma remained a girl, it would have to work.
Ukyo paused, then sat up. She reached into her shirt and
removed a crumpled pair of blue satin panties with white lace
trim.
"Ranma's panties," she said, and couldn't help giggling at
the thought, then frowned.
She got up and crossed the room. Wrapping the satin
underwear around the clay bottle, she carefully buried it in the
bottom of her own underwear drawer.
"If Ranma really wants to be a girl," she whispered, "then,
somehow, I'll learn to become a man for him. But if it's only
temporary, then at least, this way, Ranma and Akane will stay
apart, and that's a start. And once I've captured Ranma's heart,
I can give him this cure...."
***
"A cure?" Ranma repeated.
Belldandy nodded. "I'm very sorry, Ranma," she said, "I
didn't mean to learn the secret of your curse by accident...."
"Never mind that," Ranma said. "What's this about a
cure?"
"My sister Urd," Belldandy said, "is very good with spells
and potions. I'll need to talk to her first, but I'm sure she can
come up with something... if not a permanent cure, then a
temporary cure, at least."
Belldandy turned, and there were tears in her eyes. "Oh
Ranma! It must be awful, switching genders like that! I
wouldn't wish a curse like that on anyone!"
Ranma swallowed and nodded.
"But a cure," she said. "If it's really possible...."
*to be continued*
Miko!
Ranma sighed. Her whole life she'd planned on becoming a martial arts
Sensei. It had seemed like such a noble calling. She just hadn't
realized how much it resembled babysitting.
"It's a joke," Ranma said, sitting up. "All I meant was, what hit me?"
"Um... I did, Sensei."
Ah, thought Ranma. It begins to make some sense...
"Hmm? Nice try, Tamakaji, but we both know you can't lay a finger on me.
I may not remember what happened, but for you to get through my
defenses...."
"But I did, Sensei. You were distracted."
"A martial artist is never distracted, Tamakaji. Remember that."
"As you say, Sensei."
"Good. Next question. Why am I a girl?"
"Your niece threw water on you," the student said.
"Ah. This would be just before you didn't hit me when I wasn't
distracted?"
"Hai!"
Ranma put her hand to her head. "It's all coming back to me now. We were
all celebrating the opening of the new dojo, and the dormitory on the
third floor. All my family was here -- mom, pop, Kasumi and Tofu-Sensei,
even Nabiki. We were giving a short demonstration in the dojo, after
showing off your award for first-place in the all-Tokyo competition..."
Ranma stopped, glancing up at her student. "I didn't just dream that
part, did I? You really won, didn't you?"
"Hai, Sensei! Just last Saturday!" Kazayuki produced the blue ribbon and
beamed with pride. "You said I was the luckiest S.O.B. you ever saw!"
(Seven Fianc�es)
Nausicaa@sprynet.com Belldandy@angelic.com
Fan Fiction at http://members.xoom.com/bellchan/ranfan.html
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