RYOGA'S REVENGE PART 1 -
"OWNER OF A LONELY HEART"
Akane Tendo was never shy in front of him. And who would be? He was a small, black pot-belly piglet - an animal - who couldn't talk; her pet named P-Chan.
But oh, he was much, much more.
Cursed in body only - doused with warm or hot water, he would emerge as his human self - he still had all the teenage urges and desires as any other human.
He was Ryoga Hibiki, and he was in love with Akane Tendo. Third and youngest sister of Soun Tendo's three daughters.
There was only one problem. Akane was engaged to Ranma Saotome, his sworn rival. A freeloader staying with the Tendo's along with his father. As they were also engaged, so it was allowed. Also cursed, Ranma and his father had their own "curses"to contend with.
When doused with cold water Ranma changed into a buxom, young girl, while his father changed into a giant Panda. Each visited Jusenkyo, a so-called secluded group of springs in China. Problem was, a shop in that same valley was selling maps to the springs to visitors, so it wasn't so secret. Signs were erected around the springs saying "No Swimming Or Be Cursed!" but unfortunately so many people found themselves taking "dives" into them.
Ryoga had been cursed when he fell into the spring of Drowned Piglet after an altercation with Ranma at Jusenkyo, at a cliff dwelling overlooking the springs. On that day, his life changed forever, and he was nearly eaten by the caretaker of the springs and boiled alive when he thought he as a piglet was food. After Ryoga managed to change back, he knew he had keep from getting wet for then on. But that was a struggle of its own accord. For when he was doused with cold water, he would change. And it was difficult to avoid all aspects of cold water, especially when it rained.
But being a pot-belly piglet did, sometimes, have its perks. For not even Ranma got to see what he saw of Akane on an almost repeated basis. She thought he was just a pig, that P-Chan was merely a dumb animal. Well, she thought wrong. And despite it being a secret lust, he enjoyed seeing her naked.
He was a guy, after all.
And yet, he was trapped in the body of an animal that wasn't truly his, once belonging to a long dead piglet that had drowned in the spring he had fallen into. It was like watching things through the eyes of another person. But even though he was in the body of a pig, he was still human inside.
And loved.
And he loved Akane Tendo.
Most recently, Akane and Ranma had had a vicious argument that ended up with Ranma incapacitated for a while when Akane delivered a god-awful, swift kick to his crotch. Ryoga relished that. After all, despite Ranma's mocking humor at times, his arrogance was much to be desired. And Ranma knew the things that he said to her would most assuredly insult her. But he never did think about the consequences.
Hence Ranma's punishment.
But not to say there weren't some drawbacks to being Akane's pet. She would roll over on him in bed and nearly crush him in one of her dream fits. He'd always managed to worm his way out from underneath her, but it was a struggle and he'd have to sleep on the floor. The floor was better than the "bed of death" as he called it, whenever he slept with Akane as P-Chan.
Akane undressed in front of him, had a shower, and then dressed again in her school uniform. If he wasn't dead set against it, he'd do something when he was alone to release all his sexual tension.
When Ranma and Akane left for school, he left as well and found himself someplace to revert back to his human self. But he found himself following the pair all the way to their school afterwards. Of course, he would never go inside the grounds, he didn't want to be noticed as he was known to Akane's friends. Then he'd have to explain why he was there. And he didn't want that burden.
He felt like he was the third wheel in a relationship that only had room for two. Akane thought of him as a friend, but he wished she thought more of him like a suitor. He could offer much more to her than Ranma ever could, and Ranma and he were rivals for her love. Although Ranma acted like he didn't care for her.
The school yard was empty now, all the students entered the building. And he looked through the closed gates of the outer encounter, his hands on the bars of the gate. It was symbolic really, as he often felt like a prisoner to his love.
"You'd better get inside or you'll have to clean up the classroom after school," a voice said behind him.
Ryoga turned his head and looked at a very thin, boney-faced student with dark circles around his eyes. He knew this guy, but he couldn't recall his name at the moment.
Then it came to him. "Gosunkugi, right?" Yes, he thought. The weird one. Not one of Akane's friends per sa, but familiar to her nonetheless. And a student at this school judging by his uniform. He was known to often dabble in "magic potions" and dark black hexes, of that kind of sort.
"You're one of Akane's friends, right? Ryoga Hibiki."
Ryoga nodded. He could recall at one time Gosunkugi had a thing for Akane, but he didn't know how interested he was in her. But this guy was so unappealing, Akane could never be interested in him. But why then, did he suddenly feel angry when he looked at Gosunkugi. Was it because he got to spend more time with Akane than he did? At school.
Being P-Chan didn't count.
"That's right," Gosunkugi said, "you don't go to school. You dropped out."
Ryoga had gone to school, he was even in the same grade school as Ranma. But he decided to pursue Ranma across the world instead, in revenge for his transgressions. Always stealing his lunch. At the time, that vengeance fed his emotions. He seriously wanted to pay Ranma back, but after everything that had happened, and becoming cursed - he began to regret it.
"What school did you go to?" Gosunkugi continued.
Gosunkugi didn't seem worried he was late for school. Ryoga didn't answer the kid's question. Instead he said, "None of your business. And yes, I dropped out. I had more important things to do."
"Wish I could." Gosunkugi sighed. "But my parents would kill me." Then he chuckled. "Not to say I couldn't skip a grade. I'm more intelligent than half the school body."
"Then why don't you?"
"Confidence. Other students would pick on me."
"There's things for that. It's called martial arts. Build your confidence instead of allowing your lack of self esteem to rule your life."
Gosunkugi mused for a moment. "Do girls like that? Akane takes martial arts."
That fueled Ryoga's anger towards this guy. He clenched a fist at his side. "You like Akane Tendo? How much?!" he growled.
Gosunkugi held up his hands in defense. "Little, very little, I promise," he stuttered. "I know you like her. Besides, a cute girl like Akane would never be interested in someone like me."
Ryoga's anger subsided. Knowing Gosunkugi admitted Akane would never be interested in him made Ryoga feel better. "True," he said. "And Akane's engaged to Ranma…" He let the thought trail off, but he fumed about it silently.
"Not to say, you don't have options with her."
"Few and unfavorable ones," Ryoga admitted. "She only considers me a friend."
"It doesn't have to be, you know." Gosunkugi smirked. "Ever try a love potion?"
The idea of ludicrous, but it got Ryoga's attention nonetheless. Gosunkugi did mix up "magic potions", did he really have such of thing? "What sort of love potion? Like that old song?"
"Ever better. I'm a self-taught chemist. Sounds sorta cliché, I know…but a true man wants a woman to fall in love with him naturally." Gosunkugi then sighed, shoulders slumped. "But guys like us don't have that option. We wander about hoping love strikes, but it never does. So we make love happen."
Yes, every guy wants a woman to fall in love with him naturally. But the latter was also true, some guys do have more luck than others. They're better looking, have more charisma, or money…or have an arranged engagement by their fathers.
"Mix it," he demanded. "How long will it take?"
Gosunkugi was momentarily slack-jawed. "I…I don't know. Tomorrow, I guess?"
"How much will it cost me?"
"Um, I haven't considered a price yet. But for the ingredients, labor and distribution…" Ryoga growled angrily. "Okay, it'll be free. Just meet me back here tomorrow morning and I'll have it."
"Good," Ryoga said. He didn't often do it, but sometimes a bully-mentality and a little manipulation did get desired results, especially towards someone who was susceptible to it like Gosunkugi.
And by this time tomorrow, he'll have everything he ever wanted. So it works.
To be continued…