Andrew Kelvin was just going shopping for his family, he wasn't expecting a drunken driver to swerve off the road and barrel towards him, and he was scared out of his wits.

It is often said that people reach their greatest in traumatic situations. Running faster than a professional sprinter when chased by a mountain lion, or lifting a car that friends or family are trapped under. Andrew Kelvin was a short, small boy who was picked on at school, his greatest talents were playing pretend and drawing on the computer, neither of which he was exceptional at, otherwise he was just your average run of the mill 2nd grader. He had few friends and was shuffled between two parents with full time jobs who had been divorced since he was little. He knew that cars were dangerous and that you would get hurt or worse if one hit you. He also knew that they were supposed to stay on the road.

Andrew Kelvin was special. His mind was unique and ultra sensitive to physical surroundings, but it was more than that. Andrew Kelvin was a latent telekinetic, who had raw, untapped mental power. Andrew Kelvin liked stories of super heroes and often pretended he was one. When the car careened off the road towards him he screamed in primal terror and his mind went into overdrive, consciousness falling to subconscious and lashed out against the offending vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle was lucky; he had already passed out at the wheel, so he never felt the pain of his death. Passerby watched in amazement and horror as the car swerved off the road towards the small child. They saw a most amazing thing, the child's arms reached out protectively in fear trying to guard against the offending vehicle and his entire body glowed a pale blue, wind swirled violently around him and a blast of blue force shot out from the startled youngster crushing the car and stopping it with a violent crunch.

Andrew Kelvin was scared, he had glowed like a super hero and used an energy attack like a super hero. He knew enough about super heroes to know that people didn't trust super powers and that is why many heroes kept secret identities. All these people around him had just seen him use super powers. They would kill him! He stood stunned for a few seconds and saw his father starring at him in horror on the other side of the street, having been on the way to pick Andrew up from his mother's.

Andrew Kelvin ran. He ran as if his life depended on it, not truly sure if it did. He trusted his comic books more than his parents, they just shuffled him back and forth and thought very little of the comic books he borrowed from friends and bought with his allowance, calling it dangerous fantasy. Andrew Kelvin would never see his parents again.

Ryoga Hibiki was lost, he didn't know where he was, he knew it was some sort of park and that people were speaking English, a language he barely understood, he decided it was late and he should set up his camp for the night here, he would try to find his way home in the morning. As he was setting up camp a smaller, tired, weak looking boy came up to him.

"Hello, are you camping?"

"Yes, my name is Ryoga, what is yours?"

"Andrew, can I camp too? I have to run away." the smaller boy looked downcast and frightened. Ryoga thought himself a nice person and decided to let him join.

"Okay, you can join me, I'm lost, and I have to find my way home to Japan. If you are running away you can come with me. Why are you running away?"

Andrew tried to tell if he could trust Ryoga, the boy had big fangs, just like some super heroes, and seemed to have the strength of a super hero because he carried such a big backpack. Andrew decided that this boy might be a super hero too and they could form a team. "I got a super power and people saw it so I had to run away. Are you a super hero too?"

Ryoga thought out loud, "Well, I like to help people and that's what super heroes do, my parents tell me when I see them that I should be a good person and help people in need so I guess I am a hero. And I am really strong, so I guess I am a super hero too!"

"Okay, I'll come with you then and we can be a team!"

"Alright, but it's really hard to travel a lot so you have to keep up, I get lost easily so you have to stay close."

"Okay, I'll follow you."

Ryoga pulled out some bread and water and shared it with his new friend. Andrew helped Ryoga set up camp and they went to sleep sharing a tent.

Ukyo watched as a small gaijin boy, well equipped for travel, with a blue and black bandana approached her and her father's okonomiyaki yatti. He smiled at them and approached.

"Hello, have you seen my friend, he wears a bandana like mine except its yellow? I think he got lost again."

Mr. Konji thought, he hadn't seen any little boys with bandana's recently except this one, in fact he had never seen a little boy like that before. "No, I don't think I have seen your friend, what is your name, I'll tell him if I see him."

"My name is Andrew, and my friend's name is Ryoga. What do you sell here?"

"We sell okonomiyaki, this is Ukyo and you can call me Konji-san. Would you like to buy some okonomiyaki for breakfast Andrew-san?"

"Yes, I'll have that one." Andrew took a seat on a bench and pointed to an option listed on the menu above the yatti and pulled some money out of his pocket. He watched with fascination as the okonomiyaki was made and Ukyo carried it over to the boy taking the money and giving it to her father. Ukyo sat with him and watched him eat.

"Are you traveling somewhere? Where are your parents?" Mr. Konji asked.

"I ran away, I'm traveling with my friend who gets lost, we were trying to help him find his home. I hope I can find him again." the boy looked unhappy, "He has a very bad sense of direction, we met 3 months ago in America and we finally made it here in Japan last week, I don't even know how we got here, I just followed him and somehow we ended up on a plane to Japan, and when we made it out of the airport he got lost. Luckily he taught me Japanese and I did chores for people in houses here to earn some money to eat and continue looking for him."

Mr. Konji frowned; somehow this boy had avoided immigration with his friend and had run away from his home in America for some reason or another. It sounded like his friend must be Japanese to teach this young one Japanese. Mr. Konji didn't think it was right for this small child to be traveling on his own. "Well Andrew-san, why don't you stay with us until you find your friend, you can help Ukyo carry ingredients for me from the shops nearby when we run low. I run a traveling yatti so we can continue looking for your friend."

"Thank you Konji-san!" Andrew bowed at the tall man in the black suit with the giant spatula who made the good food. He turned to the other kid Ukyo who wore a similar outfit to Mr. Konji. "Will you be my friend Ukyo-san?"

"Okay, I'll be your friend." Ukyo smiled at the new friend. "You can call me Ucchan!"

"All right Ucchan, you can call me Anchan!"

"Anchan, do you know how to make okonomiyaki?"

"No, but I can try to learn if you want."
"Okay!"

Mr. Konji smiled at Ukyo's new friend, he showed the little boy how to make okonomiyaki and was surprised to find the boy was quite the quick study. "Are you sure you didn't know how to make okonomiyaki before Andrew-san?"

"No, but I cook a lot on the road, me and Ryo-chan take turns."

"How old is your friend?" Mr. Konji was worried he had though this boy had some sort of guardian called Ryoga but now it sounded like it was just another little kid.

"Ryo-chan is 7 just like me!" Andrew smiled.

Mr. Konji nodded and sent the kids to get some more ingredients, he didn't approve of such small kids traveling alone, somehow the Ryoga one had ended up in America and then found his way back with a runaway there. It didn't make any sense. Mr. Konji resolved to find a guardian for this boy and make sure his friend got home if he could.

When Ukyo and Andrew got back with the ingredients a little boy in a martial arts gi ran up and snatched an Okonomiyaki off the yatti, much to the surprise of Mr. Konji. He tried to run off with it. Ukyo yelled, "Stop theif!" and tried to stop the boy with her battle spatula, he kicked her out of the way.

Andrew was upset; his new friend was being stolen from. He used his power to blast the little thief. The boy in the gi got blasted away as Andrew glowed a bright blue for a second but held on to the okonomiyaki. He looked guilty as he landed expertly. Andrew was panting and looking scared, everyone else seemed surprised.

"I'm not a thief!" said the thief.

"Yes you are, you tried to take that without paying!" screamed Ukyo.

"But pops said it isn't stealing if you can get away without paying, and I don't got no money." pouted the boy, "How did you hit me without touching me?" He asked Andrew.

Andrew looked scared and then held himself as tough looking and brave as he could puffing up his chest in an adorable manner. "I am a super hero! Your daddy is wrong, unless you pay, it's stealing. Super heroes punish thieves!"

Mr. Konji was astonished; he now had an idea as to why the boy had run away. Not many would accept a child with a power like that, whatever it was this Andrew had done. The small boy who had tried to steal the okonomiyaki was obviously a martial artist of some sort and looked hungry, he felt sorry for the boy. "Tell you what son, If you spar with Ukyo here I will let you have that okonomiyaki for free if you win."

"Sure!"

Ukyo took up a battle stance with the spatula and tried to flip the thief, who just flipped and kicked Ukyo into the ground. "It's not stealing now since I won right?"

"No it's not, since I said that would be okay, but no running away with stuff without paying for it or earning it in some way. What is your name boy?"

"Ranma Saotome! Oh look, here comes pops!"

A few weeks later Ranma had become good friends with Ukyo and Andrew. Andrew didn't use his powers much since he said they were very hard to use, but he took turns sparring with Ranma with Ukyo. Both of them lost every time but Andrew got a lot closer to winning as he had great strength from traveling and seemed to know some sort of martial arts, which he said he had learned from his friend Ryoga. Genma was glad to find some good sparring partners and a free food source for his son.

One day Ukyo mentioned to her father that she had a crush on Ranma and wanted to marry him, Mr. Konji like the idea and sought a deal with Genma. Genma agreed to make Ranma and Ukyo fiancés and to take the yatti as a dowry and bring Andrew and Ukyo with him when he left.

Genma asked Ranma a question off when they were away, "Boy, what do you like more, Ukyo or okonomiyaki?" he asked as the boy ate the okonomiyaki.

"Okonomiyaki!" He replied as he scarfed down the okonomiyaki.

The next day Genma decided to leave, but Mr. Konji was having second thoughts, when Genma tried to take the dowry and kids Mr. Konji explained that he had decided that the dowry would be exchanged upon the marriage and that he had decided to keep Ukyo with him. Genma was disappointed at the loss of a food source that he had been trying to procure, but at least he had gotten a few free meals himself out of the deal. Genma was about to leave with Ranma when Andrew came up.

"Thank you Mr. Konji for your hospitality but I want to leave too, maybe I can find my friend, I'll follow Ranchan so that you don't have to worry about me being alone."

"Err..." Genma intoned.

"Don't worry Ranchan's pops, I can fend for myself and I won't slow you down. I just want someone to travel with until I find my friend."

"All right, you can come with us, but you'll have to train with Ranma and don't expect me to feed you. If you lag behind we will leave you behind, got that?"

"Yes sir!"

Month's later Ranma and Andrew were looking for cats, Andrew loved cats. He used to have one at home. They had to find them and put them in a pit in an abandoned building for training. Neither had any idea what the purpose was but they listen to Genma cause he would hit them if they didn't listen. Andrew normally lagged behind Ranma at everything, not quite being as skilled or fast, he was a little stronger and tougher though and he had his power which occasionally worked. Today, Andrew was excited though because he had gotten the most cats, he was really good with cats and they came right up to him and liked the happy cat smell on him from petting the other cats.

Once the pit was full, Genma began the horrendous Neko-ken training to make the boys invincible, the manual said nothing about the number of children you could put in the pit so he just tossed them both in covered with scraps.

The cats meowed and attacked to get the food and Genma ignored the howls of pain from the boys.

"Ranma, I think we should hit the cats away and then give them the food, that way they won't hurt us."
"But they are so fast and have claws and teeth!"

"Well, just pretend you do too, they don't know any better and if you try to scratch them they will think you can."

Ranma and Andrew fought the cats but it was a loosing battle. They battled and battled and slowly removed the food and showed dominance over the cats. After the food was gone Genma pulled them out and asked if they had learned the technique. "I'm not sure, we fought off the cats and it hurts all over from the scratches though." replied Andrew.

"Well, doesn't sound like you learned the technique, let's try again."

"NO!" shouted Ranma.

"Do you want to learn the technique or not boy?"

"I don't wanna go back in there. They will hurt us more."

Andrew shook his head, "They don't wanna hurt us Ranma, they just want the food and we had it on us. It might hurt but doesn't all our training hurt?"

Genma nodded, "See boy, your friend knows what this is all about, you have to get attacked by the cats to learn the technique! Once you learn it the book says you should be able to get out of the pit on your own by scratching the cover on the pit to pieces with the Neko-ken!"

And so they went into the pit again, Ranma determined not to be considered a coward. This time Andrew started immediately pretending to be a cat and be bringing food for the other cats and Ranma did the same. It didn't help much and they had to fight of the cats again. Screaming in agony their minds changed and adapted to the situation. They got deeper and deeper into the cat state. Each time they were thrown in they learned to behave more and more like a cat. Finally, it happened, the Neko-ken was learned. There was an inhuman YOWL from first Andrew and then Ranma as they tore at their restraints and slashed them to ribbons letting the other cats eat the food without hurting them. They then leapt at the cover of the pit, slashing at it as it fell in blocks and leapt out of the pit. "I can cut things with super power cat claws!" exclaimed Andrew.

"Me too! And we can do cat stuff too. I guess all those cats taught us by fighting us!"

Genma was ecstatic, they had somehow learned the technique, the full thing. They were now nearly invincible. Then he noticed something, they were no longer moving like humans, it was creepy. Andrew moved to a chair and began purring as he licked his wounds. Ranma was playing with one of the cats which had come out of the pit, rolling around on the floor and acting like a cat, moving like a cat on all fours.

"What are you doing boys? Stop behaving like animals!"

Andrew looked up, "I think that's what the technique teaches, it teaches you to be able to act like a cat so much that you can become like one. I feel much more comfortable being a cat right now so let me be."

Genma frowned, Andrew had always been more talkative than his own boy, less rebellious, and more independent. But Andrew was also a lot less skilled, he learned most techniques allot slower and the Neko-ken was the first technique he had learned just as fast as Ranma. But Genma realized that he couldn't have the boys going around pretending to be lazy felines all the time. Nodoka would kill him if she saw their son chasing mice and lying about in the noonday sun.

"Sorry boys, but I want you to stop! NOW!"

Andrew though at bit, "I don't wanna, but I might feel more like it if we released our friends from the pit and stoped being with cats I think I could stop using the technique, but I REALLY want to do cat things right now, especially when I look over there at that other cat Ranma is playing with."

Ranma looked up, "Yeah pops, we are cats too now!"

"NO YOU ARE NOT! Let all the cats out and start behaving yourselves!"

Yup, they learned the Neko-ken, using it compelled them to act like cats, and so did seeing a cat compel them to enter the Neko-ken state, but they could resist it, and partially control it at Genma's demands and threats.

School was starting, and Ranma and Andrew were walking to their first day of Jr. High, up ahead there was a boy being led by a strange black and white dog. On seeing the boy Andrew froze, and then ran ahead. Recognizing his long lost friend he leaped and tackled him. "RYO-CHAN!"
"Huh?" Ryoga was knocked over in surprise. He rolled over and looked at his attacker trying to pin him but the attacker pulled out of the way and got up pulling Ryoga up. Then Ryoga saw his face and the blue bandana.

"Anchan! Where have you been, I got lost!"

"I couldn't find you, please meet my new friend Ranchan! Ranma Saotome, meet Ryoga Hibiki!"

Ranma and Ryoga shook hands, "How come you got lost?" Ranma asked. Ryoga looked at the ground sheepishly, "I have a family curse, we always get lost. Luckily I found my way home last week and my dog checkers is taking me to school. Checkers doesn't get lost so she is leading me. I haven't seen Anchan since I was 7, he traveled with me from America to Japan, don't know how I got to America, or how we got back, but we lost each other once we got out of the airport."
"You're going to school too!" exclaimed Andrew, "Ranchan's dad is having us go to school for a while so that we can be well rounded martial artists... I think he actually got in trouble with a truancy officer for not having us be in school though is the real reason."

"So Ranma is a martial artist?"
"Yeah, my pop is training me to be the best and the heir of the Saotome school of Anything Goes martial arts. When I met Anchan he joined us on our journey 'cause he was lookin fer you. He's been learning too."

"Well, we better get to school; Checkers will show us the way! Come on Ranma, Anchan! Let's go!"

6 months later, "Wow, Ryochan is sure late for your match. I knew I should have led him here. You guys shouldn't have always gotten to lunch late, then you wouldn't miss the bread."

"Yeah, but the teachers are all jerks, just because I sleep in their boring classes they make us stay. And Ryoga takes forever to find the lunchroom, too bad you don't share a period before lunch with him."

"Well, this is the 3rd day, Ryochan knows we are leavin' for China today, he better not be late."

Genma came out to where the boys were waiting, "Well, the match over with? We gotta leave now!"

"Nope, Ryoga's lost again, can't we wait?" Ranma replied.
"No, we are leaving NOW!"

Andrew pulled out a pad and pen, "I'll leave him a note!"

Dear Ryochan,

Ranma's pop says we got to leave for China now, he won't let us stay for your match with Ranma. Too bad you can't come with us to China. Will miss you.

Anchan and Ranchan.

Mists parted above Jusenkyo, the legendary training grounds. Andrew didn't like the feel of this place, it gave him a feeling of dread. He wanted to talk to the guide but Ranma and Genma just leapt to the bamboo poles jutting out around the springs and started sparring. Genma yelled, "What is it boy, you a coward!"

"I think we should..." he was cut off as Ranma kicked Genma into a pool and the guide yelling trying to say something.

"Honored customers you fall in spring, very bad, I try warn you, spring have tragic story that Samonlinchuan, spring of drowned panda, very tragic story of panda that drowned in that spring now whenever..."

A panda in gi jumped out in Genma's place Ranma was stunned seeing such a odd sight. Genma didn't eve realize that he had changed he charged Ranma and knocked his surprised form into another spring.

"Oh no, this very bad, you fall in Nannichuan, spring of drowned girl, very tragic story of girl who drowned there about 1500 years ago, now whoever fall in spring change into a girl."

Andrew finally heard the guide and his eyes popped out as Ranma surfaced. The tall, pig tailed boy was no longer a boy with black hair, and was no longer tall, had flaming red hair, was now petite... and was a girl! Andrew promptly fainted from shock next to the guide.

"What's wrong with you?..." Ranma saw the panda starring at him with a look of shock, it Growfed and appeared more shocked, discovering it was a panda, it ran off in panic. Ranma looked down, he felt different, his voice had been different it couldn't be... "AHH!" Ranma screamed as she saw her breasts.

Ranma chased after the Panda to kill it for taking away his... her manhood while the guide tried to revive the other traveler to help chase the others down.

20 minutes later...

"So we change back with hot water but turn into these cursed forms with cold water?"

"Yes! You understand?"

"Is there a cure?"

"Is no cure, jump in other pools only mix curses, very bad. If there is cure village of Amazons nearby may know of it. They live near springs for over 3000 years. I show you there?"
"Yeah, anything to get a cure for this!"

Genma agreed and Andrew nodded, "Which way?"

A rainstorm and 3 days of travel later 3 very hungry travelers and a guide happen upon the Amazon village, the boy has brown hair, brown eyes, a gaijin appearance and a blue and back bandanna and carries a huge backpack, he looks very strong but and is very short, as tall as the girl standing next to him. She has flaming red hair tied in a pigtail and blue eyes and wears a dirty gi. Finally, there is a strange panda wearning a gi along with them. All four see the see a wondrous feast sitting at a table, the panda and girl are about to rush off but the boy grabs them. His stomach groaning but his great stregnth allowing him to hold them back.

"Wait, I don't think they will like us taking the food without asking first. I'm hungry too but I don't want this to be like that one town earlier where you guys couldn't pay and we were chased out of town."

Annoyed groans were emitted from the girl and the panda. The guide nodded. "Customer is very wise, that is prize feast for champion of Amazon tournament, only Amazon's allowed to enter. We very lucky to come on day of tournament, is only once a year, very good show, almost over, we talk with elders over there, maybe we get invited by champion to share in feast if we cheer loud!"

The guide led the 3 over to a bunch of very old ladies watching the match. An especially old one who couldn't be more than 3 feet tall and looked like some sort of old ghoul noticed them and hopped over pogoing on her staff. "Jusenkyo guide, you bring outsiders to see tournament?" she asked in Mandarin.

The guide nodded, "Customers speak Japanese and are very hungry, they martial artists and should appreciate tournament, maybe champion share feast Elder Ku Lon?"

"Well outsiders, welcome to our village, see that girl with purple hair up on the log, she is my great-granddaughter Xian Pu, I am elder Ku Lon. This is final round of the tournament, I shall ask Xian Pu to share her feast with you if she wins, make sure you cheer for her to give a good impression."

The girl, panda, and boy nodded and yelled, (and signed in the panda's case) "GO SHAMPOO!"

"Xian Pu, not Shampoo, oh well! She is not a hair care product! But if that is as close you can get to pronouncing her name I am sure she will under stand."

Shampoo finally knocks her opponent off and cheers go up in the crowd, the outsiders who had cheered for her, pronouncing her name improperly kept looking hungrily over their shoulders her prize feast. She jumped down and came up to them. "Great-grandmother, who is outsiders?"

"Shampoo, we will practice your Japanese with these outsiders, you still need to work on that and here is the perfect opportunity. The Jusenkyo guide brought them here so I assume they have curses from the springs. But right now they seem hungry, would you share your feast with these travelers?"

"Yes great-grandmother, Shampoo share food with travelers! Come join Shampoo victory celebration!" Shampoo led them to the table and took a bite, motioning to them to join in.

A feast later, where the guests impress Shampoo with their appetites and their fighting over food between the panda and two teens her age and soon they settle down and explain their predicament. Andrew, the boy, is un-cursed, but is traveling with friends who got cursed attempting to train at the grounds, he felt nervous and avoided the springs when he felt the chaotic energies surrounding the area and the other two got cursed. Ranma, the girl, who actually turns out to be a tall and handsome boy with a pig-tail in his true form is the son of the panda, actually a fat and bald old man with big round glasses. The came to see if they could get cured of the Jusenkyo curses. Elder Cologne, as the guest's pronounce her name, shakes her head.

"I am sorry to say we have no cure, oftentimes we use the cursed springs as punishment for misbehaving warriors as it is very harsh and as far as we know incurable. We do know of ways to make it difficult to change forms, but one forces you to feel pain from hot water and not be able to stand returning from your cursed form, and the other is waterproof soap, but that is in short supply and we can't just give it out, and it doesn't last very long at all. The Musk, an enemy tribe, uses a magical artifact that can lock someone permanently in their cursed form which they use with the spring of drowned girl to make wives from strong animals but they have no cure."
"Damnit! I don't want to be stuck as a girl half the time, girls are weak!"

Cologne bops Ranma on the head with her staff. "What did you do that for old ghoul?"

BOP! "Show some respect boy! And don't go around saying girls are weak, look around you, this village is proof that women are superior. In the Amazon village, the women are warriors, scholars, politicians, and men live in the houses and cook and do servant work. I think it would be good for you to stay here to get used to your new form and learn that girls are not weak. After all, you will be spending much time as one thanks to your curse."

"But pops said..."

Andrew interrupted, "Ranma, I think Genma isn't exactly an expert on women, or much else for that matter, you saw the tournament, those women were not weak, they were skilled martial artists, I wouldn't be surprised if they could kick your pop around the block. Anyways, on our way you didn't seem any weaker sparring with me in your girl form, just kinda different. You are shorter but not all girls are short, and size isn't much of a weakness, but I will say that your kicks are stronger in your girl form, I bet once you get used to the balance of it and the reduced reach you will be just as strong in either form, the muscles are just arranged differently thats all."

Cologne smiled, the shorter boy was very observant and much more polite too. He was also very strong, if she played her cards right she could get him to marry her great-granddaughter. Although Ranma also seemed a good option and was much more skilled he was less obedient and very stubborn. She already hated the old man who had little respect and had already been locked up to keep in under control when he tried to steal some food, the short boy Andrew had caught him and convinced them to just lock him up until they left rather than kill him. Both boys were very strong and their martial arts skills when they sparred with each other had drawn the attention and amazement of most of the village. Cologne guessed that Ranma was probably better than Shampoo.

"Okay, how about I make a proposition to you two. You stay here for a month while we keep Ranma's father locked up, and Ranma, you will stay here as a girl. Neither of you are to pick fights, because if you win a fight as outsiders, you will have to marry the woman if you win. Feel free to fight with the males here however if you need more sparring partners, just remember that most of them have no fighting skills. I will let you stay with Shampoo and I and we will teach Ranma to get used to his girl form. If you both work hard and do work for us I will also teach you several techniques of ours. What do you think?"

Ranma and Andrew discuss for a while, Ranma doesn't like the idea of staying as a girl but new techniques appeals to him. Andrew feels that Ranma should stay here and get used to his curse and that this is probably the best place to do it as it is a female dominated society. He also wonders if they might know anything about his special abilities and would like training as well. Plus, they both agree that locking up the Panda for a while might be nice and teach the idiot a few things about stealing.

"All right, we agree, we will stay, but I don't like the idea of stayin' as a girl though."

Elder Cologne smiled an evil grin. She suddenly flipped over Ranma and poked him in the back with her staff faster than he could react. "Huh what did you do that for? That kinda hurt."

"I used the full body cat's tongue on you, it makes you very sensitive to heat, even lukewarm water will scald you! After the month is up I will give you a phoenix pill which will cure the cat's tongue and you will be able to turn male again. Not being able to withstand heat will also help you learn a special technique I think I will teach you if you behave."
"What, you mean I'll stuck as a girl?"
"Yes, it's best if you stay in your new form and get acquainted with it." Cologne splashed Ranma with a glass of water. "Now follow me to my hut, I have some chores for you to do."

Groans followed Cologne to the hut as two short teens followed her in. She put them to work cleaning everything, and cooking dinner and let Shampoo order them around. Ranma tried to cook dinner but was burned by touching the oven doors even when they were barely warm, so Andrew cooked and Ranma cleaned. Shampoo practically slave drove them making sure everything was spick and span and making Andrew make a huge meal teaching him to make ramen and hitting him whenever he made a mistake. Afterwards, Ranma was allowed to take a cold bath and Andrew took a warm bath up by some hot springs with some of the men in the village while Shampoo joined the women warriors in the bigger and better maintained hot springs through some bushes and bamboo fences.

When Andrew was relaxing in the spring he was joined by one of the few male warriors in the Village, Mu Tsu, who actually spoke Japanese well. Mousse, as Andrew pronounced his name, was a master of hidden weapons and showed Andrew that he could store weapons in a special ki space with a powerful technique, Andrew was impressed. When Andrew mentioned Shampoo and Cologne he discovered that Mousse had a crush on Shampoo and was determined to marry her. Sadly his poor eyesight had gotten in the way many times, he wore glasses but they didn't help much and he often mistook other girls or even inanimate objects for Shampoo. Andrew made sure Mousse put on his glasses once they got out so that he could recognize Andrew and he introduced him to Ranma and told him about Ranma's father. They all agreed to spar after dinner.

When they got back Shampoo kicked Mousse out of her house after he tried to hug her, instead hugging Ranma who got mad. Andrew reheated the ramen and they had a short dinner. Colonge led Ranma upstairs to sleep in a guest room and Andrew was made to sleep on the floor, not that he minded, he was used to camping on the ground and he just rolled out his sleeping bag and promptly went to sleep, glad to have a roof over his head rather than a tent.

"So old ghoul, what is this technique you wanted to teach me so bad?"

Bop!

"That's elder Cologne to you sonny, and the technique I am going to teach you is called the Chestnut Fist, watch carefully."

Colonge lit a fire and once it was going strong she threw in a handful chestnuts from a huge bag she brought and waited for a bit. Once they were perfectly cooked her hands blurred. "Kaachu Tenshien Amaguriken!" Ranma was astonished to see her with handfuls of perfectly cooked chestnuts. All of them had been taken out and she began eating them. "The chestnut fist is a ki based technique where you increase your speed with ki so that you can move faster than normal. Once you can grab all the chestnuts without touching the fire or getting burned, you have mastered the technique. She threw in a handful of chestnuts into the flames and walked off.

"OWOWOW! Owie!" screamed Ranma as she got burned and plunged her hand into a nearby fountain to cool it off. "Damn old ghoul, how am I supposed to learn the technique if I can't touch the fire."

"So boy, you said earlier that you had some sort of special ability you hoped we could help with?" Cologne asked Andrew.

"Yeah, I don't have much control over it but I can kinda hit things with my mind, it is very tiring, I also sense stuff that is supernatural real easy, stuff that normal people don't notice, like Jusenkyo, I could feel the magic surrounding it and it gave me a bad feeling."
"You say you do this with your mind? Why don't you show me, hit that dummy over there." Cologne pointed to a training dummy.

Andrew took a deep breath and focused his mind, he glared at the dummy and glowed for a second, and the dummy got smashed without him touching it with a small shockwave of blue force. Cologne chuckled as Andrew nearly collapsed and started breathing heavily.

"So, you are a psychic, one with an energy sense and some minor telekinesis. I can teach you meditation techniques that will increase your telekinetic energy and allow you to use it more accurately to defend yourself and to do things, moving objects with your powers or attacking. We don't have any psychics in the village but we have in our libraries detailed information on training for psychics. Judging from your effort though I believe you many never reach a truly high level of ability with you telekinesis, and thus should save it for emergencies, you have enough skill in combat without it and a strong and enduring when no using it. I can also help you attune your psionic senses and teach you to better understand what you sense. Come with me."

Andrew followed Cologne politely and quietly to a library where she pulled out a book written in Mandarin. She went through some meditation exercises and had Andrew use his sense to 'feel' several magical items she possessed and then explained their natures; later on having him identify the items she held near him while blindfolded and guesses the natures of some new items through the sense. He seemed to be able to recognize the old items blindfolded but had trouble understanding the new items until they were explained to him. Cologne was still impressed with his progress and abilities and allowed him to take a break.

"Errg, I feel horrible, my stomach has been cramping all day, I think I am sick..." Ranma bemoaned to Andrew near the end of the month of their stay. Andrew broke out in a sweat and blushed, "Uh, Ranma, you've been a girl for a month now right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Errg, I think you should talk with Cologne and Shampoo about those cramps."
"Huh why?"
"Uh, I don't know much about it but I don't think it should be a guy that tells you. But girls got through something like that once a month I think. I am surprised you didn't notice Shampoo's period last week."
"Period?"

"Go talk to Cologne right now Ranma, I don't want to talk about it." Andrew blushed.

30 minutes later a blood curdling scream was heard from Ranma which could be heard all the way back at Jusenkyo. The guide worried that someone had fallen in another spring while he was cleaning the hut.