Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and so do all the characters in it. I just wrote this for fun so don't sue me. Teenagers ain't got that much money, anyway.
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Coming of the Duck Chapter One:
Complications
The rain came down hard on Nerima that night. Unfortunately for a certain martial artist, who had been charged with finding her fiancée's pet pig after she booted it out of the house. 'Stupid tomboy...' she thought. 'Why can't she seem to figure out that dumb pig's secret anyway?' Ranma wearily trudged along the sidewalk beside her school. 'I give her enough clues... You'd think she ain't got no brain in that thick head of hers.' She walked throughout the town for a few more hours, the rain stopping somewhere in that time.
She noticed a slight rumble emanating from her stomach. 'Ohhh man...' she thought, holding her stomach. 'At this rate I ain't never gonna find that stupid pig.' She sat down on a park bench she happened to come across. 'Akane's gonna kill me...' Her stomach rumbled again. 'I guess it's better than starvin` to death.' She got up and headed home.
"This is for Shampoo!!!" Yelled a voice from above as he fell toward Ranma, his foot extended for a kick. Ranma leapt out of the way in reflex, barely dodging the unexpected rival.
"Mousse! Wha-what are you doin' here?!" She said in surprise.
"Ranma I challenge you!" He yelled as he left several throwing knives Ranma's way. Ranma skillfully dodged them and landed in a ready position several yards from her opponent.
"Bring it on!" cried Ranma as she leapt at Mousse, extending her foot in a kick toward Mousse's head. Laughing, Mousse ducked under it.
"After tonight you will have no claim over my precious Shampoo!" claimed Mousse as he countered Ranma's advance with a throwing knife from behind.
"Oh yeah right like you could beat me!" she screamed as she spun in midair, the knife slicing the side of her shirt. She landed directly in front of Mousse, her back to him. She ducked and spun around for an uppercut.
"Fool..." Mousse muttered to himself, but still loud enough for Ranma to hear.
"Hey! Who you callin` a fo-" cried Ranma as Mousse's knee collided with the side of her head.
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"Ouch..." whispered Ranma to herself as she sat up, holding her head. "What's with this headache... Hey! Where the hell am I?!" Ranma checked her surroundings as several memories began to surface. 'Oh yeah...' she thought. 'The fight with Mousse... How did he manage to hit me anyway?' Ranma got up and brushed herself off, thinking about the dojo. "Oh man I bet they're all worried sick!" Ranma sighed. "I guess I better get going." She started walking back, thinking to herself.
"Tadaima!" said Ranma as she entered the house and wondered at the lack of response. 'Hmm, I must have been out a while. Everyone is asleep.' she thought to herself. She went to the refrigerator and grabbed something to eat, then walked upstairs toward her bedroom. She had thought about taking a bath, but her eyelids decided against it as she laid down on her futon. 'It can wait...' she thought, drifting off to sleep.
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"Get up boy!"
"Mmmhhfff..." mumbled Ranma half-asleep.
"Oh to think!" ranted Genma, while crying to himself. "My only son can't even get up in the morning! How can he call him self a man! And he even slept as a girl... Oh father..." he knelt on the floor. "Where did I go wrong? Oomph! He cried as Ranma kicked him through the window and into the koi pond.
"You were sayin` somethin` Oyaji?" She laughed to herself. "Jeez... Some father you are." Yawning, she walked out of her bedroom and into the furo. She closed the door behind her and undressed. 'Oh boy am I ready to be a guy again.' She thought anxiously as she sat on the bench and washed herself. Finishing, she rinsed off and stepped into the warm water of the furo. Lying down, she closed her eyes and waited for the change.
Nothing happened.
Her eyes shot open when the familiar tingle was not felt. She looked down at her body. "Wha-what?! N-no..." Seeing she didn't change, she panicked. 'Maybe the water isn't hot enough.' She thought and started to heat the furo up a bit. "D-damnit why won't I change back?" She sat there thinking for several minutes before giving up. Getting up, she started walking toward the door when Akane came in, stark naked.
Akane jumped and blushed slightly. "R-Ranma..." she whispered. Ranma backed away from Akane nervously. "Ranma!" Akane said, with malice. "You pervert!" she snarled and slapped her, sending her back into the furo with a splash.
"Jeez Akane it ain't my fault you walked in on me!" Ranma said defensively. "Akane...? What's wrong?"
"Y-you didn't change... How? Wha?" Ranma bowed her head in shame as Akane put her robe on and walked downstairs with a bewildered expression.
Kasumi glanced up the stairs as Akane walked down. "Oh hello Akane how was your bath? Akane? What's the matter?" Kasumi said cheerfully.
"H-he didn't change..."
"Who didn't change, Akane?" Kasumi gazed at her with her usual expression. "Oh my! Ranma-kun! Why are you still a girl?" she said as she saw Ranma descending the stairway. Ranma said nothing as she came down, her head still bowed.
Sighing, Ranma looked around the house and glanced up at Kasumi. "Where's Nabiki and Mr. Tendou?"
"Oh Nabiki is at one of her friend's houses, and father is sick in bed." Kasumi responded. "Would you like something to eat?"
"No thanks, Kasumi. I need to go to the Nekohanten for a while. If anybody asks tell them where I am ok?" said Ranma as she walked out the door.
"Ok Ranma-kun." said Kasumi. "Come back for dinner!"
"Ranma! Wait!" cried Akane as she chased Ranma out the door. Ranma said nothing as Akane caught up to her and as they walked to the Nekohanten.
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-Ching!- Cologne looked up and saw Ranma walk through the door, followed by Akane. "Well sonny-boy! Come to marry my Shampoo at last eh?" she looked on curiously as Ranma seemed to sadden at the word marry. "Well lucky enough for you Mousse and Shampoo were sent back to the village last night. I was just here cleaning the place up so we could rent it out."
"Shampoo and Mousse left?" Ranma seemed surprised. "How come?"
"Nothing to worry about son-in-law. We are just having some diplomatic problems with the Musk and they asked us to come back for the time being. We'll be back before you know it." Cologne turned to head to the back of the shop. "Would you like some hot water?"
Ranma's face cringed up and it looked like she was about to cry. "Y-yeah, sure..."
Cologne nodded and turned toward the kitchen as warning bells started to go off in her head. This was not like Ranma at all. Where was the usual confidence and machoism? Something here was wrong. She grabbed a kettle and turned back to the dining area. "Ok son-in-law here's the hot water." she handed it to her and looked on as Ranma upended it over her head.
Steam came off Ranma as the water soaked her clothes and dripped to the floor. Cologne's eyes bugged out when she saw Ranma stay female. "Son-in-law..."
"I came here to see if you knew what was wrong with me." Ranma replied, downcast.
Cologne thought for a moment, and spoke. "Come with me son-in-law," she looked at Akane, "alone." Ranma glanced at Akane, who now looked slightly angry.
"I'll tell you what happens Akane." Said Ranma.
"Yes," Cologne said, "some of the things I do could possibly be dangerous. It would be wise if you stayed in here." Akane nodded and sat down. "Come, son-in-law." The two walked into a back room and shut the door.
"When is the last time you were a man, son-in-law?" questioned Cologne.
"Just last night before Akane sent me out of the house to look for Ryoga. It started raining and I turned into a girl."
"Did anything happen when you were outside?" she asked.
Ranma replied. "Not that I can think of... Wait! Yeah! I was attacked by Mousse!"
The old woman's face turned into a mask of curiosity. "Mousse, eh? I don't see what he could have done. Did anything else happen that night?"
Ranma thought for a moment. "Well, I was out cold for a while after the fight with Mousse. Other than that, nothing happened at all."
"Hmmm...." Cologne put her hand to her chin, thinking. "Anything could have happened to you during that time." She paused. "Hey! Sonny-boy stand back for a moment there." Ranma did as she was told and Cologne pulled a kettle out of a small box.
Ranma looked at the kettle. "Hey! That's that Kaisuifuu thing ain't it?"
"Correct son-in-law. Please stay there while I heat some water to use in here." Ranma nodded and Cologne turned toward the kitchen.
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"Oh, hi father! Are you feeling better?" spoke Kasumi as Soun walked out of his bedroom.
"Much better. Thank you Kasumi. Say.... Where is Akane and the boy?" he asked.
"Ranma and Akane went to the Nekohanten, though they didn't tell me why." Kasumi paused. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh just checking, Kasumi." He laughed, looked around, and yelled. "Hey, Saotome!"
"Yes Tendou?" Spoke Genma from the couch.
Soun responded smiling. "While I was in bed I came up with a plan for Ranma and Akane. Shall we go to the dojo?"
Genma looked at him, then at Kasumi. He smiled back. "After you, Tendou." They happily trudged to the dojo.
Genma sat on the dojo floor. "So old boy what do you got planned for our heirs?" he asked.
Soun followed suit, sitting as well. "Well, you see..." The two men talked for a while, and stood up.
"That's... That's brilliant!" cried Genma.
"I thought you'd say that!" said Soun. "Hurry! We must prepare before they get back!"
"Good thinking, Tendou." replied Genma and they skipped happily out of the dojo.
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"This is not good, son-in-law." said Cologne with a sullen expression. "If the Kaisuifuu did not work, then your curse was not locked by the Chiisuiton. I cannot possibly tell what has cursed you with the tools I have here. The Chiisuiton is only one of many things that have the ability to lock one's curse, ranging from simple amulets to a pregnancy."
Ranma's eyes showed bewilderment. "You don't think he—."
"No, son-in-law. If you were pregnant, the child would have its own aura. I can only see one aura on your body."
"Oh." she remembered to breathe. "Is there anything else?"
"Like I said, son-in-law, there are a host of things that could do this." Cologne said while Ranma bowed her head. "I will think about this while I am back at the village and will tell you something when I come back. For now, all I can tell you is to go home."
"I see." said Ranma as she walked back into the main area. She looked at Akane and shook her head. Akane sighed, and followed Ranma out of the restaurant.
Akane looked at Ranma as they walked home. "So what are you going to do about this?"
Ranma replied, looking ahead. "I dunno... Wait for the ghoul to get back I guess. That's what the she told me to do, and I can't think of anything else."
"Oh." said Akane and became silent again.
"Hey, Akane?"
"Yes, Ranma?"
"Thanks." she paused. "For comin', I mean."
Akane smiled. "Your welcome, Ranma."
Ranma looked up. "Hey! We're here!" They stepped into the house and sang a chorus of "Tadaima!" as they took their shoes off.
"O'kaeri!" replied Kasumi. "What did you two do at the Nekohanten?"
"Nothin'!" said Ranma. "I-I just had to ask the old ghoul somethin', that's all."
"Oh, did you have a good time?" Ranma shrugged and Kasumi continued, remembering something. "Oh! Father and Mr. Saotome wanted to see you two in the dojo, I believe." Kasumi smile seemed strained slightly.
"Ok I guess... C'mon Akane." said Ranma. Akane nodded and followed Ranma to the dojo.
They entered the dojo and saw two men sitting down in the center with a kettle between them. "Ranma," said the fat, bald one, "it is time to complete your agreement!"
"My agreement?!" screamed Ranma, running up to her father. "You're the one that made that stupid pledge!"
Akane cut in too. "Who says we wanted to get married anyway?!"
"Quiet you two. We know your true feelings toward each other." said Soun as he grabbed the kettle, emptying it on Ranma. "All you have to do is admit them..." he gasped. "Ranma?! What is the meaning of this?! Why are you still a girl?"
"Well you see-." Ranma spoke before Genma cut in.
"Tell us boy! Why aren't you a man yet?!"
"If you'd let me talk maybe I could tell you!" she replied angrily, and sighed. "I don't know what's wrong. I went to the old ghoul's place this morning but she couldn't think of anything, and she's goin' back to the village for a while. So I'm gonna be stuck like this until she gets back. Got it?"
"I see..." said Genma. He straightened up. "And to think I thought you were a man!" Genma ranted. "This girl in front of me can't even find himself a cure! What would his mother thi-." He stopped talking, and yelled out as Ranma kicked him through the door and, of course, into the koi pond.
"Stupid old man..." said Ranma. "Jeez..." She walked back inside to get something to eat.
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"Quack!" yelled the small duck.
"Stupid Mousse need shut up, yes?" Shampoo said as she hit the duck over the head. The duck fell over limply and the girl picked it up. With the duck in tow, she walked off the small fishing boat now in Mainland China. 'All Shampoo have to do now is find Amazon village... let see,' she thought, 'where Shampoo put map anyway? Oh no! Now Shampoo think like lost-boy!' she sighed. 'Shampoo miss Airen.'
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"Kasumi! Have you seen my suitcase?"
"Why no I haven't Akane-chan. Have you looked in your closet?" she replied.
Akane sighed and walked back upstairs to look. Ranma passed her on the way down. "Hey Kasumi is dinner ready yet?" Ranma asked wearily.
"Dinner will be ready in a moment Ranma-kun" Kasumi said cheerfully. "Why don't you take a bath in the meantime?"
Ranma paused. "Okay Kasumi." she complied and started towards the furo. She opened the door and undressed, dropping her clothes in the basket. She walked in and sat on the bench to wash off. 'I sure hope the old ghoul hurries up.' Ranma finished, rinsed, and stepped into the furo slowly, relaxing. 'What am I gonna do this time...'
End Chapter One.