"The waterfall he mentioned is a fair bit out of town. We probably won't be able to make it today, so you have camping gear?" Akane asked
"Of course I do. How about we stop by my house to pick up my pack and tent?" Aiko said.
"That works."
"So… why does the guy call himself Pantyhose Taro?"
"That's his name. To put it simply my Master was given the honor of naming him and he decided that was the best name for a young man to have. I'll explain more as we hike. Needless to say, the guy's a jerk." Akane sighed as she remembered the trouble he had caused. "I still owe him for the trouble he caused last time he showed up and he pulls this stunt…"
A sudden loud clanging caught Akane's attention, and she and Aiko turned around to see that Soun had entered the room and dropped a large pile of weapons onto the ground.
"Uh, Dad… I don't think I need them…Dad! Don't put on the armor again!"
The Most Beautiful Woman in the World
Part 4: Accepting it
"I'm home!" Ranma shouted, "Well, for a minute at least!"
Genma looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "Leaving again so soon boy?"
"Yeah. Can you get some of the camping stuff back out. Going to need it." Ranma said before dashing down to her room.
Genma wondered for a minute what his son was planning to do, It wouldn't be the first time a Saotome had suddenly needed to grab a pack and run out of town for a bit. But it usually involved more angry shopkeepers. With a shrug he pulled Ranma's old pack out of storage, shoving his personal tent and a few basic supplies into it before heading out the front door. Maybe there was a hint there.
The teenage girl and man with glasses were, he guessed, the hint. The girl was holding two large backpacks herself.
The girl looked up at him, blinking.
"There's a katana sticking out of your backpack." Genma pointed out.
The girl blushed. "Dad!" She complained.
"So, who are you two?" He asked.
"Oh. I'm Akane Tendo. I'm a friend of Aiko's." The girl bowed.
"Tofu Ono. I'm her brother-in-law." The man gave a little bow too.
So this was the girl who held the key to his son's cure. "Genma Saotome. Err… Aiko's told me about you." Honestly why did Nodoka have to get cute with a false name?
"And she'd mentioned some things about you." Akane said with a smile.
Genma snorted, "I bet. Nothing good I imagine."
"She called you a genius." Akane smiled, likely in memory of whatever conversation she had had with Ranma.
"Bah. Knowing my child it was the most insulting way to call someone a genius ever conceived." Genma said dismissively. "So what exactly is going on?"
"My wife's… she's been…" Tofu looked like he was about to start panicking, but a glare from the younger girl, "She's been kidnapped!"
"An enemy of my Master decided grabbing my older sister was a great way to get what he wants, the moron." Akane said, "About the only thing it's going to get him is a beating."
"Congrats Pops, now I know that there are in fact worst people to be students of then you." Ranma popped out of the house, wearing one of her hardier blue chinese outfits, holding her backpack. Genma noted wryly that she was wearing one of the bras that had been brought to help cement her cover.
"You bring shame upon me child!" He snapped.
"Look in a mirror old man if you want to find shame." Ranma said. "OK Akane, ready to go."
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Genma said to his son.
"I'll be sure to not do anything you would do either Pops." Ranma replied back.
"Nice meeting you Mr. Saotome." Akane bowed, and Tofu gave him a nod.
"So… why do you have a katana in your backpack?" Ranma asked her.
Akane blushed again, "Dad snuck it in, I think."
A few hours had passed, taking a train, getting off, and hiking through the wilderness for a few hours had been nice. Ranma still remembered the constant wandering that had characterized her childhood, and it seemed that Akane wasn't exactly a stranger to training trips. Tofu seemed to be the one carrying the bulk of the camping gear for the trip, Ranma figured it was a male ego thing. She knew if she was a guy at the moment she'd probably be insisting on carrying more.
Though, from what Ranma could tell Akane was capable of carrying all their packs, and them. At the same time. With one hand.
This was demonstrated when she casually pushed a fallen tree out of the way of the path. She "pushed" it by knocking it into the air and sending it sailing off into several other trees with a palm strike. Ranma raised an eyebrow at that, but Tofu didn't show any particular reaction. She wondered for a moment just how strong this girl was, and decided that when they finally got a chance to spar she'd find out.
Eventually the sun started to set, and Akane stopped at a clearing a short distance from the trail. "How's there sound?" She asked.
"Looks good to me." Ranma walked over and set down her pack, pulling out the tent and beginning the long practiced procedure of setting up her camp.
"Done this often?" Tofu asked, setting his own pack down and sitting down on a nearby rock.
"Traveled around wilderness for I think over half my life." Ranma answered, "Was homeschooled up until High School. So yeah, I know how to set up a tent." In the time she had spoken, she had managed to get hers up. "If you need any help…"
Tofu shrugged, "I used to do a lot of training trips out in the wilderness when I was a young martial arts student like yourself. I can handle a tent."
"Ack!" Both Tofu and Akane looked over to Akane. She had gotten out her own tent. In the process of setting it up she had somehow gotten the tent poles tangled around her, the elastic cords wrapping up her legs. With a thud Akane fell to the ground, "I hate this stupid thing!"
"It… takes Akane some time to set up camp." Tofu said diplomatically.
"So, what's with this pantyhose guy?" Ranma asked once she got the fire going and the three sat around it.
Akane sighed, "He's… he's difficult. Like I said, my Master was the one to name him. It's some silly law in his home village. He was bathed by him after helping his mother give birth, and by their law he named him… well, Pantyhose Taro."
"Uh… why?"
"The Master is perhaps the single most vile, perverted, hideous old troll to ever live. The world is a better place with him gone." Akane said.
"Right…" Ranma was beginning to want to meet Akane's Master, if only out of pure morbid curiosity. "What's this guy's name anyways."
"Hapo-" Tofu began, before Akane slapped her hand over his mouth.
"Don't say his name!" Akane hissed. "I'll write it down for you later."
"Come on now Akane, aren't you being a bit silly." Tofu said.
"My father spoke the Master's name once. In a week he was back and I had to suffer his perversions for two years." Akane said, "So no, not risking it. I'll write it down for you later Aiko. We should get back to talking about how to handle Taro."
"How good a fighter is he?" Ranma asked, "I mean, I guess the goal of this little journey is to beat him."
"As a Martial Artist... not that good." Akane said, "The real problem is that curse of his…" She frowned.
For some reason, the way Akane said curse set off alarm bells. "His… curse…?"
Tofu nodded, "Well, in his case I don't think he sees it as much of a 'curse', he's had it his entire life."
"Oh, hey, Aiko spent years in China. I bet she's heard of it." Akane said, "It's this place in China… a whole bunch of magic springs that give people that fall in them a curse, what was it called again?"
"Jusenkyo I believe." Tofu said.
Upon hearing that name, Ranma instantly turned pure white. She felt her heart jump out of her throat. "Ju-Jusenkyo… nope! Never heard of it!"
"Not surprised. Most people don't talk about it except to say to stay away from it." Tofu said.
"Anyways. The point is that, at birth, the Master bathed him in one of the magic springs. I believe it was called the… uh…" Akane glanced over to Tofu.
"It was called the Níuhèmànmáorénnìquán." Tofu said, "Spring of Drowned Yeti Holding and Eel and Crane while riding an Ox."
"...wait what." Ranma said. What kind of spring was that?
"Trust me. Magic is weird." Akane said, "Anyways. With a touch of cold water he becomes some kind of towering flying monster thing. WIth tentacles. He got that somehow from a Spring of Drowned Octopus…"
Probably jumped in that spring too later. Ranma thought. She remembered how early on she had spoken with the Jusenkyo Guide's daughter Plum on any sort of cure to be found at Jusenkyo itself. In particular she remembered hearing about the Spring of Drowned Man, wondering if that spring would cure her by "overwriting" the curse to turn into a girl. Turns out Jusenkyo doesn't work that way, and instead the curses mix. In the end all agreed that turning into a girl was better then turning into some kind of hermaphrodite.
"I think you should stay hidden Tofu." Akane said, "You can heat up some water and sneak up on him, change him back. Hot water reverses the change Once he's a regular human again we beat the crap out of him for kidnapping my sister and go home."
"What if he manages to avoid getting changed?" Ranma said.
Akane frowned, "We'll still beat him up. It'll just be harder. I've gotten a lot tougher since the last time he showed up. I bet I can take him. And I'm pretty sure you're at least as good as me, Aiko. The two of us can handle him."
"What about him?" Ranma pointed to Tofu.
The doctor grinned, "I'm not half bad, but my main specialties aren't much use against a giant monster."
Akane let out a yawn, "Well, with strategy cooked up, I think we should get some sleep. It's going to be tough tomorrow."
The day came, and Pantyhose Taro woke to the smell of someone cooking. He didn't have a tent, just a sleeping bag for when he slept in his human form, so he had wondered if his hostage would whine. Instead she hadn't said a word of complaint and now was, again, making breakfast.
She poured some rice and meat in a second bowl she had laying around, holding up the food to him. "Good morning Pantyhose Taro. I made breakfast!"
Taro muttered under his breath about how she wasn't a fighter in the slightest and it wouldn't be right to hit her. "Fine." He grabbed the bowl and started eating, keeping an eye on Kasumi.
"I do so love camping." Kasumi said with a gentle smile, "So many fun things I get to do!" Taro didn't notice that she wasn't looking at him when she said that.
Morning came, the camp waking up early.
"The waterfall is down this way." Akane pointed. She looked over at Aiko, "Now are you ready? This guy won't be easy if he changes."
Aiko grinned, "Don't worry Akane, I've taken on some strong guys."
Tofu stayed back, starting up a small fire to heat a kettle full of water. Aiko and Akane snuck forward, around ten minutes they spotted a small campsite. The camp was next to a river, a small waterfall falling down from a nearby cliffside a few meters away from it. There, Akane saw two people. Her sister, Kasumi, and Pantyhose Taro. Akane snarled at the sight of the young man who had three times now made her life more difficult. Stepping out from the trees, she called out to him. "Pantyhose Taro! Give me back my sister!"
Taro looked up and scowled at the sound of his hated name. Thankfully, from his perspective, Akane was a fighter and thus it was perfectly acceptable for him to pound her into the ground. "Well good morning to you Lil' Miss Butch."
"Hello Akane! You missed breakfast, I'm afraid." Kasumi said helpfully.
Taro stepped in front of Kasumi, "Listen here Butch, you're not getting your maid back until I have a new name."
Aiko jumped in front of Akane, her own expression dark. "Hey! Listen here pal, snagging people's sisters does not get you what you want. It gets you an ass-beating."
Taro glanced over at the new girl, "And who the hell are you?"
"Aiko Saotome. If you know what's good for you you'll back off, Pantyhose Freak!"
Taro's eye twitched, glaring at Aiko, before her turned back to Akane. "Humph. Whatever." He looked around, before smirking. "I see your little boyfriend is missing. And you brought a new "friend" with you. Well, congrats Tendo, glad to see you finally came out of the closet."
Aiko's jaw dropped, her face turning red. "W-wh-what!?"
Akane just rolled her eyes. She had no idea if Taro was just taunting her, or if he genuinely believed she was a lesbian. It was hard to tell with him. (Not that Akane wasn't used to hearing some whispers. It wasn't her fault that she liked fighting, didn't care much for makeup or most girly things, kept her hair short, and so on. None of those things were any indicator of her sexual orientation and anybody who thought it was could stuff it.) She ignored his taunt and took another step forward, keeping Taro's focus on her. "Look, Taro, the old pervert isn't here. You're not getting a new name like this."
"Well then you can just turn around and go get him! She's not coming home until I have a good name!" Taro snapped childishly.
Akane muttered under her breath about how "Awesome Taro" was not a good name at all. "I'm not leaving without my sister, Pantyhose! So let her go before I have to hurt you." Before Akane could take another step towards Taro, he pulled out a bottle of water. He held it over his head in the manner one would hold a loaded gun.
"Not one step closer, or else I'm going to have to beat some humility into you."
"As if."
"Please, it took you, your beard, your crossdressing buddies, and the man who destroys compasses all together to beat me." Taro laughed, "And I'm even stronger now!"
Akane sighed, "Look, Taro, please stop this. There has to be a better way, but there won't be unless you let Kasumi go!" Taro's sneer made his answer obvious. So with a sigh of resignation, Akane took another step towards him. Taro laughed, and motioned to pour the water over his head. However, to his surprise no water touched him. Looking up at his hand, he realized that the bottle was no longer in his hand.
"What!?" Taro looked behind him, noticing that Kasumi was gone as well. Turning back towards Akane, he noticed Aiko reappearing next to her. A smug grin was on her face, holding Kasumi over one shoulder and the bottle in her other hand.
Akane was impressed, she had seen Aiko enter the same stance she had seen her use the previous day when she used the Umisenken to sneak past all those boys. Akane had known the technique was strong, but to be able to snatch someone out of someone's hands without them even knowing was at a completely different level.
Taro, noticing that his threat was now empty, took a step back. "Now wait a minute Tendo... " Akane started walking towards him… so Taro turned around and ran towards the river as fast as possible. Akane was faster, she caught up to him, grabbed him by his arms, and with a shout flung him away from the water and into a tree.
Aiko sat Kasumi down. "Hey there." Taro got up and started running towards the two.
"Oh hello, are you a new friend of Akane?" Kasumi asked as Akane jumped in front of Kasumi and punched Taro before he could reach the two.
"Yup!" Akane said, "Met her a couple days ago at school. She's pretty great. Oh yeah this is my older sister Kasumi."
"Nice to meet you."
"I… hate you…" Taro said, pulling himself off the ground and rubbing his bruised face.
Akane put her hands on her hips and gave Taro a good glare. "Well then, maybe next time you want a new name you won't be a jerk."
"Don't even think about running to the water pal." Aiko added.
Akane let out a little sigh of relief. She had been sure that this would involve a difficult fight. But instead thanks to Aiko the entire issue would be resolved quickly. "Now, if you apologize I'll-" Akane stopped talking as she felt something hit her head. Something cold.
Another cold impact hit her head, and Akane looked at the now cloudy sky. A raindrop hit her face, followed by another. Within a few seconds, a drizzle fell over the forest.
Taro smirked.
"Oh come on!" Aiko shouted in frustration.
From two years of having a Jusenkyo curse, Ranma was fairly sure the curse itself had a sick sense of humor. It often felt like the transformation would be timed to cause maximum embarrassment, annoyance, or pain. And as such, Jusenkyo weighed the scales, and found that letting Taro transform would cause more annoyance to all involved then not. Cologne said this was all something called "confirmation bias" on her part, but she wasn't the one with the curse. With the rain coming down, Pantyhose Taro made his change.
Ranma's eyes drifted up as he changed into a monster the size of a building. The first thought was that it was a massive winged minotaur, yet there were several things on top of that. Eight tentacles seemed to sprout of its back, twisting like they had a mind of their own. However, there was some things that Ranma didn't expect. Its arms and eel like tail were covered in shimmering green scales, its hands tipped with claws. Taro rose up to his full height, his wings flapping out, and released a loud bellowing sound, like a roar crossed with a cow's moo.
Flying low along the ground, he rushed towards Akane. Raising up his fist, he threw it down in a punch that could smash her into paste. Akane slid to the side, narrowly avoiding the newly formed crater. Several tentacles flung out at her, but Akane ducked under them and kicked several away.
That's when Ranma jumped into the fray, she kicked Taro hard in the back. The tentacles lashed out at her without him even turning around. "Gah!" Ranma jumped away from them, "Ugg slimy things." She muttered. She noticed that Taro was busy focusing on Akane still. This made her scowl. The monstrous jerk was ignoring her!
Ranma jumped up, landing on Taro's head. "Hey! Pantyhose jerk!"
Taro peered up at the new person on his head, with a growl he threw his fist at her. He failed to hit Ranma, but instead smashed down to top of his head.
"Wow." Akane said as Ranma jumped out of the way, "He actually fell for that."
Taro glared at the two people, rubbing his now bruised head. His tentacles lashed out, trying to grab the two. Both of them jumped in opposite directions, He swung his fists at Akane, but that just let Ranma kick him hard in the side. Taro growled, this wasn't working as he expected. Akane had gotten a lot better since the last time he had been around her, and her new friend was no slouch herself. Still, he hadn't played all his cards yet! He flew into the air, diving down at Ranma this time. Ranma jumped to the left, avoiding the impact, but that was expected.
What Ranma didn't expect was a thick black ink shooting out of the tentacles, drenching and knocking her down. The stuff was oddly sticky. It pinned her to the ground, the drizzle not washing it off quick enough. Taro grunted in satisfaction, turning his fist towards her. Ranma winced, raising her arms up to brace for the hit…
The blow never came, as Akane grabbed Ranma and jumped into the air away from Taro, pulling her away from the sticky ink. She was easily carrying her bridal style, Akane's brown eyes shone with concern, looking directly into Ranma's "Are you OK?"
Ranma felt her face heat up. "I… I'm fine…"
Tofu was glad he had the foresight to cover the fire pit before the rain started. Still, it would be a while before he could safely use the kettle. He could hear the roars and sounds of battle a short distance away.
"Tofu?"
"K-Kasumi?!" Tofu straightened up, keeping his focus. While he could generally stay sane around his wife now, if she caught him off guard there was still the impulse to do something silly. "You're safe!"
"Oh yes I'm fine." Kasumi gave him a gentle smile, "Akane and that new friend of hers are handling the situation.
Tofu frowned, "I'm guessing it's ending in violence after all."
"Oh yes." Kasumi said, "I don't think Akane minds too much." She looked up at the clouds, "The rain should be stopping soon."
"You think so?""
"You get a feel for this sort of thing, after a while." Kasumi said.
Tofu grinned and hefted the heated kettle, "Time for me to save the day then?"
Kasumi smiled, "I don't think you'll need to."
Aiko was surprisingly soft.
It surprised Akane, she would have expected Aiko to have some obvious muscles like she did. It had always bugged Akane, a little, that her lifetime of martial arts had left her with a fairly muscular body, lacking any sort of feminine softness. She was glad that she didn't get any bulging muscles, at least. Yet here was Aiko, nearly as strong as her yet still having a perfect feminine figure. Akane wondered how she did it.
"Ah… Akane…." Aiko mumbled, blushing. "Thanks… you can let me down now."
Akane felt her own face heat up, "I, uh... OK." She let go Aiko, setting her down as the rain washed off the ink. "Got to watch out for ink, by the way. Sorry about not warning you about that."
"It's… OK." Aiko muttered.
Akane turned to glare at Taro, the cursed chimera form growling, his tentacles writhing. "Pantyhose Taro!" She took a step towards him, "Keep your gross gunk… off my friend!"
Taro's eye twitched, he took flight again and charged at Akane, she matched his charge. This time she was ready. Aiko was behind her and she could see Kasumi a safe distance away. Reaching down her blouse she pulled out a firecracker like the one she had shown Aiko the other day. Taro's eyes widened, after all, last time he had come over she hadn't known that technique. "Happo Fire Burst!" Akane shouted, throwing the small firecracker directly into Taro's face.
The explosion nearly knocked Aiko off her feet. Taro himself was blown back, slammed against the ground. Several trees near the edge of the clearing were knocked over, scorched black by the heat of the explosion.
"What… what the hell was that!?" Aiko said.
Before Akane could explain the terrible power of the formally sealed technique, she saw a jet of fire erupt straight towards them both. They leapt to the side, and Akane's jaw dropped as she saw Taro standing. He looked a little scorched, but didn't appear very injured. "What!?" The last time the Master had been able to knock him out with that! Now he could withstand it with ease. "How!?"
Taro snorted with smug satisfaction, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
Akane frowned, he had somehow become tougher by an order of magnitude, "Those scales!" They had to be some kind of natural armor. With a roar, Taro opened his mouth and another stream of fire shot out of it. With that, it hit Akane just what Taro had found to add to his cursed form.
"Oh come on!" Aiko shouted, voicing her realization and frustration, "Are you seriously telling me there's a Spring of Drowned Dragon?"
Taro's response was to somehow smugly breathe fire at them. He took to the sky again, ink shooting out of his tentacles and fire out of his mouth. He was clearly herding Akane exactly where he wanted her to be. Akane growled, throwing another Happo Fire Burst. This time he made it explode prematurely with a short burst of flame. He was still knocked back a bit, but this time he stayed in the air.
"Akane!" She looked to her side, seeing Aiko landing next to her. Aiko glanced over and grinned. "OK… I have a plan. Stick close to me, OK?" She held out her hand.
Akane found herself smiling back, "Sure."
Aiko nodded, and turned to Taro with a sugary sweet smile. "Ohhh Taro~"
Taro stopped his charge, his expression showing his confusion at this sudden change in one of his opponents demeanor.
"I was wondering, how about we go out to the mall after this?" Aiko said, her tone having completely changed to that a bubble-brained little girl.
Taro actually landed, staring at the girl and wondering what had gotten into her.
"I saw the cutest dress there the other day. I just know it would look adorable on you." Aiko said, her expression that of sunshine and puppies.
Akane gawked at her friend. Taro was stunned.
"We can paint our nails afterwards." Aiko said happily.
"Oh my." Kasumi said quietly in the distance, and that was the cue for Taro to snap.
Embers coming out of his nose, he roared and rushed directly at Aiko, his fists igniting. Aiko jumped out of the way, pulling Akane with her. The punch made a even bigger crater then the last one.
"Oh, and then we can stay up all night. Eating ice cream and watching some romantic movies!" Aiko continued to speak. "We'll be the best girl-friends ever!" This, if anything, made Taro even angrier. His tentacles started spouting flame, yet Aiko didn't make any offensive move. She kept dancing around his attacks, holding onto Akane and leading all three combatants in a circle.
Taro growled, he wanted nothing more than to crush this irritating little brat! Yet she didn't have the decency to hold still and die. Plus she just would not shut up!
"Oh. Perhaps we could go on a date, afterwards." She said, sweetly. Taro froze at that, date…?
"After all… we both know you need a Beard."
The entire universe seemed to freeze. Then, Taro erupted in a rage he hadn't felt before in his life. Akane gawked at Aiko, just what on earth was she planning. She stood there, grinning as the raging chimera rushed them both. Akane was ready to move, but she saw a spark in Aiko's eyes. A confident smile… it was like she had already won. So she stood by her friend, truststing her for the moment. Though she did clutch her hand a little tighter.
Taro was almost on them, smoke and fire pouring off him. looking more like a demon than anything else. Tentacles and fists converged on the two girls, and Akane was ready to move out of the way. Then Aiko made her move, throwing up her fist in a spiraling uppercut. She met Taro head on.
"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"
A tornado appeared around them. In an instant, Taro was caught in it. The "Rising Dragon Blast" trapping him and battering him at all angles. Taro roared, shooting out flame in an attempt to force his way out of the tornado. That didn't seem to have any effect, and if anything Akane noticed the winds seemed to get stronger. She and Aiko were in the eye of the storm, somehow untouched by the raging winds around them. "Ready?" Aiko mouthed to Akane, who nodded, her own victorious grin forming. Still holding hands, the two of them jumped. Aiko letting them be carried up by the winds she controlled.
The sailed over Taro, suspended in the air for the briefest of moments. He noticed them, and his eyes narrowed, but couldn't do much else as several rocks gathered by the tornado hit him.
"Good night…" Aiko began.
"Pantyhose!" Akane finished. The two dived straight down, their feet impacting his cow face. He was driven to the ground, the tornado fading as the source of the heat quickly and painfully slammed into unconsciousness.
Akane jumped off Taro, glancing over at Aiko. "Aiko… that… was… awesome!"
Aiko couldn't help but puff up with pride, "Yeah, it was. I figured he'd be a big enough hot-headed idiot to use it. Plus, you know, the fire."
Akane nodded, getting a basic understanding of the technique from standing in the middle of it. She looked up, "I think you cleared out the rain."
Aiko looked up, the clouds were indeed gone. "Hah! Awesome!"
"Goodness me."
Aiko and Akane glanced over to see Kasumi coming out of the forest, Tofu beside her.
Tofu had an eyebrow raised at the devastated landscape that was once a picturesque river shore. He examined the unconscious Pantyhose Taro, and turned back to his wife. "You were right. They could handle it by themselves."
The first thing Taro felt as consciousness returned to him was hot water hitting his head. "Ahhhggghnnnn…" He moaned, every part of his body hurt.
"Are you ready to discuss this like a reasonable human being?" Akane's unhappy face loomed over him.
"God damn it…" Taro muttered, how could he have lost again.
"Now now, Akane. No need to be angry." Kasumi said, leaning over him and placing a warm wet towel over his forehead.
He noticed the new girl, Aiko, was just smirking at him. Taro growled, he would make her pay later. "He isn't acting reasonable Akane, I think we need to hit him again."
Akane sighed, "Don't worry about that yet Aiko. Especially since Tofu just paralyzed his limbs with pressure points."
The doctor chuckled at Akane's announcement.
Taro found, to his discomfort, that this was correct. "Great." He muttered. "Not like it doesn't hurt too much to move anyways. Got to humiliate me a little more don't you."
"Well it's not like Akane didn't try to talk things out first." Kasumi said, standing behind Aiko.
Wait.
Kasumi was standing behind Aiko… but Kasumi was also standing over him, tending to his wounds.
Aiko noticed it too, and Taro voiced her confusion with his own.
"Why the hell are there two of you!?"
Akane growled and slapped Taro on the side of head, making his pain just a little worse. "What do you mean 'why'? You're the one who cursed her!"
"Cursed?" Aiko said.
"What the hell are you talking about!" Taro said.
"Last time you tried to get your name changed. You brought that cursed water? It spilled all over Kasumi!"
Taro blinked, he remembered the water spilling, but not it hitting anybody. "Wait that doesn't make sense. Why isn't she like a priest then?"
Akane showed great restraint in not beating him again. "Because it was water from the Spring of Drowned Twins, you idiot!"
"Wait are you saying that was in the water I brought… is that why you tried to stop me?"
"Yes!" Akane shouted, with the tone of one who saw that someone had finally got it.
Taro growled, "Why the hell didn't you tell me!?"
"We tried!" Akane growled back, "But you didn't listen! You're always like that Taro! You can't help but be an ass and refuse any help or any attempts to talk!"
"You're cursed!?" Aiko said to both Kasumis.
Taro's eyes widened in realization. "That… that's how you were able to always get out of whatever I tried to tie you up with, you had help!"
The Kasumi above him nodded, "Oh yes. When you first grabbed me, I managed to discreetly get some cold water on me, I always carry a spare set of clothing for such a need. From there it was so much fun playing with you Pantyhose Taro."
Taro felt his eye twitch. "Oh… oh god damn it all." She had been messing with him the whole time. He made a mental note to never underestimate Kasumi Tendo again. He sighed, "OK, so when is the old freak going to come out and laugh at me."
"Ah, err… you see, Taro… that's part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Akane said, "First off, Kasumi doesn't live at my house anymore. She's married and lives with her husband.
Taro glanced up at Tofu, "Well, congrats. You're living the dream of men everywhere." He said, glancing over at the twin Kasumis.
Akane slapped Taro on the side of the head, "Don't be a pervert."
"Ow I'm injured here!" Taro grumbled, "OK fine, so kidnapping her was a bust."
"Second…" Akane frowned, "You see, the Master is… gone."
Taro didn't like the sound of that. "Gone?"
"As in, buried. I should know, I took care of it myself." Akane said .
Gone. Happosai was gone. Happosai was dead and buried.
"I… he… I can't… ever… get my name changed. The freak is…!?" Akane nodded. Taro took this information in, took a few deep breaths to try and calm down. It didn't work.
He burst into tears.
"Nooooooo! It can't be that! I'm stuck with this stupid, awful name forever!" He sobbed openly, leaving Aiko looking rather uncomfortable. "Damn it all!"
"Taro… Taro!" Akane grabbed his shoulders, "Listen! I think I can still help you."
Taro looked up at her, with teary eyes. "How?"
"I have an idea. Just stop crying, apologize to Kasumi, and agree to behave and I'll help you, OK?"
Taro sniffled, "Oh.. fine." What did he have to lose?
Akane smiled, "OK Tofu, you can undo the pressure points now."
Ranma found herself in the back of the group as the hike towards home began. Her eyes were currently locked on two, three technically, people. Kasumi and Taro.
They had Jusenkyo curses, just like her.
Taro didn't seem to mind his much. Then again, Akane had told her he had been cursed his entire life. Ranma supposed that if she had been swapping sexes since the day she was born she'd be used to it and not mind it. That left Kasumi, who from what she could gather had only gotten the curse around a year ago. How had she been dealing with it? Was she looking for a cure? Ranma supposed she didn't have the advantage of an oracle pointing the way. Obviously kissing Tofu hadn't done it. She wondered, for a moment, just what was it about Akane that would cure her. She dismissed the thought as magic just being weird.
"Hey, Kasumi…"
The one currently not talking to her husband turned back to look at her. "Yes, Aiko?"
"Ah, um… about the curse…"
"What about it?"
"Doesn't it bug you? I mean… being split in two like that can't be good for the head. Are you looking for a cure?"
Kasumi smiled, "Oh it's not that big of a problem. It's not near as complicated as that. As for a cure… Tofu searched around for one, for a bit. But he couldn't find any, and I don't really think it's worth the trouble."
"But, you're cursed! Every time water hits you you're… you're…" Ranma shivered as memories of when she was first cursed. That fear of losing her identity, the strange and different sensations that being female had given her. She still remembered the complete emotional breakdown Shampoo and her mother had guided her through when she learned that to her horror she got periods.
"Oh, it's a little inconvenient, yes." Kasumi said, "But it has its advantages, you know. I'm never late for an appointment since I can be in two places at once, studying and learning is so much easier too!"
"If you say so." Ranma mumbled. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't really thought about how different the curse made her for some time. She was currently dressed as a girl, even if the "dressing" at the moment consisted of wearing a bra and panties with her usual outfit. Everyone around her thought she was one. In fact, Ranma realized, if Kasumi hadn't brought the subject up, Ranma would have barely noticed she was a girl until it was time to change.
Two years of having it had made the change almost unnoticeable in Ranma's mind, if she wasn't thinking about it. She hadn't changed at all, there was not a single bit of an "act" that existed. She was Ranma, acting like Ranma would. "Aiko" was just the thinnest of masks. She wasn't acting like she thought a girl should act, yet nobody doubted she was one.
Did that mean the curse had affected her mind?
She groaned as she cursed her father's idiocy for thinking up this plan. Then she cursed her own for going along with it.
Akane slowed down to match Aiko's pace, "Hey. That technique, the Hiyru Shoten Ha, that was great!" Her eyes sparkled and her smile was bright. Would Akane be giving her that smile if she knew that she was a man? "That another Saotome School trick?"
Ranma found herself smiling back at Akane. "Hah. Nope. That's one that Granny taught me…" The two friends continued to talk about martial arts throughout the hike.
The next day they found themselves back at the Tendo Dojo. Taro had become pensive, wondering just what Akane had planned.
"We're back!" Akane announced as they passed the front gate, in an instant Soun was there. He hugged Kasumi, sobbing.
"My little girl, you're safe! Oh thank you thank you!" He said, before suddenly noticing Taro. "You!" He was suddenly looming over him, his eyes aflame and his countenance demonic. "How dare you hurt my precious daughter!"
Faced with the wrath of an angry father, Taro did the only thing he could. He got down on his hands and knees and shouted. "I'm sorry I'm sorry!"
"Now now Father." Kasumi put her hands on Soun's shoulders, "Taro apologized and I'm not hurt. So calm down."
Soun's anger faded, "Well, if he's truly sorry…"
"Well then. Now that I'm back, come on Tofu. We should get home."
Tofu nodded, "See you later Akane."
Akane waved bye to her brother-in-law. Soun sobbed a little about how they should stay a bit, but Kasumi insisted they had work to do. Ranma was quickly realizing that the Tendo household was one in which the women were in charge.
"Now then, follow me Taro." Akane said, Ranma trailed behind the two as they entered Akane's house. They went into a large room on the first floor, the door itself was… weird. Ranma noticed the several dozen spiritual wards taped onto it. Akane pulled open the door, and Ranma was assaulted by the strangest room she had ever seen. Ranma knew what magic felt like, and this room was full of it. Artifacts and scrolls were scattered around the room. There was also underwear, piles upon piles of women's underwear. Akane marched in, unconcerned, searching near the back of the room. "Where is it… ah!"
Akane pulled out a small box from a pile of bras, "Here it is." She headed back to Taro and opened the box to show it to him.
Ranma looked over his shoulder, it was a jitsuin. An official stamp used for signing documents. "This is…?"
"This is the Master's Seal. He obviously doesn't need it anymore so…" Akane pulled out piece of paper started writing.
"I, Happosai, being of sound body and mind, hereby declare as my last Will and Testament that the one known as Pantyhose Taro henceforth be named-"
Taro's jaw dropped, "That…"
"Well? What do you want your name to me?"
"Y-You know what I want!" Taro said.
Akane sighed and finished the sentence, writing down "Awesome Taro." She then dipped the seal in ink and put it down. "Here. Show this to the people in your village. I suggest you not mention how you got it."
"This… this…" Awesome Taro said… "Thank you! Thank you oh god thank you!"
"I know it's probably not… well, really legal, but at this point I think it's the best you can get."
"I'll take whatever I can at this point. If the letch is really dead and gone then hell, it's not like any other way will work! Thank you!" Taro grabbed Akane into a hug, and actually kissed her.
"Hey!" Ranma grabbed Taro by the back of his collar and pulled him off her, "Show your thanks some other way!"
Akane grumbled about boys, but didn't seem too mad. Especially since Taro was so busy dancing around in joy now. "I suggest you, uh, stay out of Japan from now on. It'll probably be best to avoid getting caught."
"R-right… still… thank you!" Taro laughed gleefully, running out of the room and out of the house, leaving Ranma and Akane.
"Well, uh, glad that's over with." Ranma said.
"I'll say." Akane said.
"Why'd you help him anyways? He's an ass." Ranma asked.
Akane shook her head with a smile, "Yes. He is. But seriously Aiko, Pantyhose Taro. I'd help anyone with his problem. It's just the right thing to do." She looked around, "Now then, where's that scroll…"
"Scroll?"
"You know, the one I was going to let you see the other day?" Akane pulled out an old looking scroll. "Here it is." She held it up to Ranma, a grin that looked rather mischievous on her face.
"Oh! That! Great!" She grabbed the scroll, remembering just how powerful that technique had been. "Let's see…" Ranma rolled it open, examining it closely.
Frowning, Ranma flipped the scroll over. It didn't help. She tilted it to the side, nothing. Held it right up to her nose, examining it closely. Nothing. "This the worst handwriting ever!" She shouted. "I can't read this at all!"
Akane just giggled.
