Chapter 4: The Hell...

I do not own Ranma ½ so please don't sue. This fic is semi-dark. It's rated M for a reason. This is not a Ranma-chan or lock fic even though Ranma may be a girl for long periods in it. For anyone who is wondering, this is not a Ranma gets stuck fiction and Ranma does not go out with a guy. Enjoy.

"Talking"

Thought

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Heh, me lead you? Lady look at me, I don't even know where the hell I am half the time!

- Jay, Dogma

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Nabiki was a logical person. Everything could be reasoned out even if it required some research to find the answers. It was too bad that the world decided to toss everything that she knew out the window.

She could feel a headache coming on as she tried to figure out what the hell had happened in the last 24 hours. Ranma was... What was Ranma? That was the real question. An associate? No that wasn't quite right at the moment. A friend? Maybe. A sibling? If what Hitohira obaa-san had offered was true, then yes. Other than that she was drawing up short on defining Ranma. It made her head hurt.

The one thing that she could latch onto was magic. Apparently it was real and it liked to screw with the established laws of physics and reality as she used to know it. And wasn't that a scary thought. What all could magic do? How much did it influence? Could everything she once 'knew' to be fact all be lies? It opened a door that could not be closed? Pandora eat your heart out.

Nabiki turned her head to the side and looked out her door towards the living room. Ranma would be sleeping on her couch until an apartment could be prepared for her, him, IT, whatever. It now made sense why Ranma had turned down her offers. Suddenly changing genders in front of a camera might not be a good idea.

She wasn't really looking forward to tomorrow. She would be demanding answers for the crazy whirlwind of events from the previous day. She just didn't know if she really wanted to know the answers.

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He had been accepted. Granted he wasn't sure about Nabiki after the he showed his curse, but she didn't blow up at him or call him a freak so he would wait to see which way she would go. Yesterday had been a rather uphill battle of emotions. He had worked up the courage to show them the curse thanks to Nabiki and Hitohira-san had barely batted an eye before explaining that she had some knowledge of magic. Did she know of a cure? No, that would be too much to hope for given his situation.

The real problem he was facing now was that he had gone through that emotional roller coaster. HE had let his emotions go and cried like a little girl. Why? Even after pops had rejected him, he had forged onward without looking back. He had tried getting along with other people until they found out about the curse and in some cases literally ran him out of town, but through it all he had just kept moving. The road had always been his life as far as he knew it. Now... now he was sleeping in the apartment of his potential friend/sister. It was all very confusing to him.

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"Oh well, best get these old bones to bed." The declaration was a private joke to the spry old woman who was finishing the dishes. It wasn't that she didn't feel her years, but magic did wonderful things for keeping the aches out of the old joints. She half wondered if the children would catch onto any of the little play she had set up the other night. Certainly numerous circumstances had played their part in bringing everything together, but a well-timed tripping jinx and some mood enhancers didn't hurt matters. It was a bit manipulative on her part, but she'd be damned if her line was destroyed. It helped that she actually felt for the poor children and probably would have adopted them anyways.

She stood up and walked over to her bookcase. She pulled out a book and opened it to reveal a hidden compartment with a scroll in it. She carefully rolled it open and took out a brush. She blacked out a branch under her and her husbands name and then drew in two new lines from her name. "Now all that's left is the Blood Rites."

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Morning came and two groggy teenagers started shuffling around. One was searching for coffee while the other was stretching out in the living room. The coffee deprived one finally found her mark and started guzzling down the brew from the automated coffee machine. She sat there taking in the view of the now male occupant of the room as he stretched every crick out of his body. "I wish I was that limber."

"Huh?" Nabiki shook her head as Ranma turned his attention to her while touching his right foot to the back of his head.

"Nothing, just go back to stretching." Ranma shrugged and continued his routine as Nabiki sat down while sipping her coffee. If this is what she had to look forward to every time she woke up, well it was worth the weirdness.

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"Dammit, I wanted to be a guy today!" Nabiki snickered after an old lady with a pail nailed Ranma with water. It was still strange to see the curse in action. The fact that it bent the very rules of reality was starting to take a back-burner to the almost comical reactions from Ranma every time someone accidentally splashed him, which turned out to be quite often.

Nabiki was a little miffed that Mai had wanted them out of the house that day and promised to tell them more about magic and other things the following day. The plastic in her hand made that an acceptable trade, but only for the moment.

"Ranma, we're not stopping somewhere again so you can change back. That's the third time in less than an hour. Just suck it up and go with it. We're almost to the mall anyways." Ranma's near insistence that he change back into a guy was starting to wear on her. It was like he was ashamed of being a girl. Granted it was strange, but Nabiki didn't particularly see what was wrong with it if he'd just stick with it for awhile.

"Fine." Another thing that Nabiki noticed was Ranma's need for some 'support'. She was surprised that the announcer at that underground fighting ring didn't decide to give her the stage name Chichi.

"It works out in the end you know. Mai did tell us to get clothes for both of your forms. It would be odd for a guy to walk into the girl's section alone and I'm certainly not going to pose as your girlfriend so going girl only makes sense. That and no one will question a girl in the guy's section. Let's get a move on. We've got cash to burn and we both need a new wardrobe."

Ranma felt a chill go down her spine at that declaration.

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A giant pile of bags was waddling down the mall with a brunette leading it to the exit. If one looked close enough, they would see the rosy cheeks of a thoroughly embarrassed teenage girl poking through whenever the bags shifted the right way. Ranma had to admit that if martial arts was clothes shopping, then Nabiki would be a master. She had tried to protest when Nabiki had dragged her into the area with girly clothes and bras, but the girl hadn't even listened to the protests as she whipped through every rack holding clothes up to either Ranma or herself. Some clothes got tossed on the rack and some clothes got tossed on a spluttering Ranma.

"Set them down here Ranma, the cab will arrive soon." Ranma sighed in relief as she deposited the clothes on the ground. It was more of an embarrassment to be holding them than it was a chore.

"Nabiki, I don't need all those bras and those girl clothes. I'll do just fine with the baggy stuff I bought on the guys side." Nabiki rolled her eyes at Ranma's whining. She seriously needed to grow up.

"Well I kind of noticed you sagging earlier Ranma, along with every guy from the apartment to the mall. Trust me, you'll want to wear the bras." Nabiki couldn't help smirking as Ranma's cheek's pinkened when she finally caught on to what she had said.

"Don't mean I'm going to wear it. It ain't manly." Ranma had to keep sticking to that didn't she. It wasn't like Nabiki couldn't somewhat perceive the problem Ranma was facing.

"Whatever Ranma. You're going to have to suck it up eventually and start wearing some undergarments or you're going to really start sagging. That and you won't be able to keep the guys off of you." Ranma's indignant look at her was priceless. The girl-boy was too easy to goad.

"I ain't that weak. Only real girls are weak." She wasn't a real girl so he'd definitely be keeping the guys off.

"Excuse me, what was that Ranma?" She didn't really just say that, especially considering her condition.

"Real girls are weak. Of course you'd need protecting from other guys. You're a girl and girls are weak." It was a fact. Girls are weak. Pops had drilled that into Ranma day and night. Heck, it was the reason why he had disowned Ranma in China.

Nabiki didn't even notice the cab pull up beside her as she reddened in anger. She was weak! She, the Ice Queen, was WEAK! "Ranma, you can walk home for all I give a damn. Just leave me the hell alone."

Ranma was perplexed at Nabiki's change in mood. What was she so angry about? "Nabiki what's..."

"GO! Get home on your own Ranma. Just ask Hitohira-san for your clothes when you get back." Nabiki turned her back on Ranma as she started shoving clothing bags into the cab before yelling at the driver to head towards her apartment. Ranma stared at where Nabiki had been wondering what went wrong.

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Ranma sat alone contemplating what had just happened. Women were weird and weak. It's the one reason why his father had disowned him. His father had looked as pale as a ghost after the guide explained that the curse was permanent and he had then looked at 'her' in disdain. He had immediately turned on 'her' in the hut and flat out disowned 'her'. So why did Nabiki react that way? He had only been telling the truth.

He hung his head and flicked one of 'her' boobs almost hoping that it would fall off. "Now what's got such a pretty young girl such as yourself looking so down?"

Ranma looked up to see an elderly woman sit down beside her. If she didn't know any better, this was the same old lady that had hit her with water earlier in the day thus leading to her current predicament. "I ain't down, just thinkin."

The elderly woman frowned and bopped her over the head with a ladle. "Such crass language from a young girl is unacceptable. Who taught you manners child?"

"Ow, ain't nobody taught me manners ya old bat. Didn't need that sissy crap on the road." This earned Ranma a harder whack on the back of the head by the ladle wielding lady.

"Hmm, I suppose that explains your crassness. Honestly, I can't imagine a mother that would allow her girl to be so crass. The woman deserves a good dressing down if she let you go like this."

An old fire seemed to stoke at the old lady's words. Ranma may have been disowned, but no one spoke of his mother like that. "Hey, don't you start bringing my mom into this. She ain't the one that raised me and she died before I got to know her so don't go talkin bout her like that!"

The elderly woman nodded her head sagely. "I see. Your father raised you then. Such a pity, men are so foolish and weak."

"What are ya talking about? Women are weak. Pops always said they need protectin." The older woman raised an eyebrow as Ranma became more agitated.

The old woman shook her head and scoffed, "Yes, protecting. I'm sure some women do fall into that category, but if a woman can get a strong man to protect her, then is she really weak. Men are typically physically stronger, but a katana or a naginata can level the playing field. A good girl will leave the 'protecting' and decisions to men. A smart girl will do the same, but will be ready should her man fail. A clever girl will lead a man by the nose and he will be none the wiser before a knife slips through his ribs. That is the way of the world."

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "Weapon's are for the weak and a knife in the back is dishonorable. Ain't listenin' to this no more."

The old woman raised an eyebrow. "As I said before, men are foolish and weak child. And rather crass I would have to assume as well."

"Anybody can take away a weapon, then what're ya left with?" Ranma felt smug as she had just won the argument.

"I use hand to hand training and my brains child. Did you honestly think just having a weapon would be the limit of my knowledge or the knowledge of others? Only a fool relies on one way of tackling a problem. By using weapons and proper hand to hand combat, I have a wider breadth of tools and knowledge in my arsenal. I can even pretend to be frail and then catch my enemies by surprise. You could pretend to be a ditz or use your feminine wiles to ensnare your enemy and then deal with them. It is why solely relying on hand to hand skills and the belief that women are weak is foolish child."

Ranma wasn't quite sure how to counter that argument. It did make sense. In fact, it followed the spirit of the 'Anything Goes' philosophy quite well. So why was it that pops had always scoffed at weapons? They did train with staffs sometimes, but he had expressly forbidden swords or knives. He had even ripped him away from one of the masters he had been learning from when the master started to move away from disarming to actual sword techniques. "Uh."

The old woman smiled toothily at Ranma's response. She knew that she had won. "Again, how are women weak? I tell you this, you are weak because your father has poisoned your understanding and reasoning child. He is either a fool or was molding you to one purpose or another. I suggest you take a good long time to think about adjusting your beliefs and tactics child. You never know when a pouting face can be more effective than a sharpened sword."

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Ranma knocked on Nabiki's door in hopes that she had returned home. She couldn't deny what the old woman had said, though 'he' had always thought his father was right. It was still rather confusing. The door finally opened. "Nabiki..."

"10,000 yen." Nabiki barely looked at him as she looked over her fingernails after opening the door.

Ranma blinked. What did 10,000 yen have to do with anything? "Look Nabiki, I just wanna say..."

Nabiki turned towards Ranma. She had a carefully adopted a neutral expression as she cut off what she was going to say. "I said 10,000 yen or I'm shutting the door."

Ranma dug through her pockets and pulled out a wad of yen before handing it to Nabiki. Nabiki flipped through the money and lazily turned back to look at Ranma. "What do you want and make it fast? Time is money."

"I just wanted to come by and apologize damn it. Why're making this so hard?" Ranma was starting to get frustrated. What was with this girl? Didn't she understand that she wanted to make up?

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "What's to apologize for? You simply stated what you believed and that's that. Now I've got a portfolio to put together and your times almost up."

Ranma was starting to lose it. "What the hell Nabiki? I'm trying to apologize and ya ain't even letting me. I thought we were friends or siblings or something."

Nabiki finally lost her cool. She barely knew Ranma and he dared to use friendship and familial relations against her. He DARED. "And that gives you the excuse to belittle me! You know what you're just like the rest of them. You don't understand me."

She got up in Ranma's face and poked his chest with each punctuated word. "YOU. ARE. NOTHING. TO. ME."

Ranma looked stunned as Nabiki slammed the door in her face. The emotions were roiling off of her as she tried to calm down. Why was it so hard to calm down right now? Why was she almost on the verge of tears? These questions were plaguing both of their minds as they walked away.

Nabiki wasn't sure why, but she felt like she had just torn a piece of herself out as she slammed the door in Ranma's face. She'd just have to console herself by plotting out her stock options.

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The door to Mai's apartment creaked open and Ranma slowly walked in to see Mai sipping some tea at her table. The older woman looked up at him and sighed before patting the spot beside her and gesturing for him to sit down

"Dear, what seems to be the problem?" While Ranma tried to hide his emotions, he read like an open book to Mai. You didn't raise a teenager once and forget the angst and emotional turmoil that came with it. She knew that this was coming thanks to Nabiki literally marching into her apartment and dumping Ranma's clothes on her couch without so much as a 'how do you do'.

Ranma stared at the teacup in front of her. What was the problem? Girls made no sense. First, Nabiki went over the top with what she had said earlier. After that, she had run into the old woman with the ladle and she tore at his beliefs. She had figured that maybe what she had said made Nabiki mad because maybe his belief wasn't completely right, but she didn't even give him a chance. "Me and Nabiki had a fight over something. She ain't even lettin me explain."

Mai nodded her head. Infighting was not unexpected. "So what was the fight about?"

Ranma shrugged her shoulders. "All I said was women are weak and she just jumped all over me and now she won't even let me explain. Some old lady came down on me too when I told her."

Mai could see where this was going. Nabiki was quite independent and a bit vain so a comment like that would set her off. It didn't help that she had practically been raising herself only to be disowned by a father that had a more traditional outlook. It might take time to repair Ranma's blunder and take even more time to fully disabuse the boy of the notion that women were weak. "I see. It might be best if you meditate and think over why this happened."

Ranma nodded her head. Meditation usually helped to clear the mind. Maybe she could figure out why Nabiki wouldn't even listen to her. "Alright I guess."

"Why don't you go change in the kitchen then? Your apartment will be ready this evening. The movers just need bring in your futon. I figured you might prefer a futon over a western style bed." She watched Ranma wander into the kitchen without so much as a word to her. She could tell that this little rift might be hard to fix. Why did teenagers have to be so stubborn?

The whole altercation might have had something to do with her meddling the other night. She probably shouldn't have been so liberal with the mood enhancers. It seemed that she miscalculated the duration of their effects. Given what Ranma and Nabiki had been through in the past few months, she should have seen this coming. Raw emotions worked both ways and they would do more damage than good if she didn't do something soon. She would have to find a way to have them make amends. She had put too many things into motion for it all to come crashing down now. Teenage angst was enough to make one want to pull out hair at times. Maybe that's why there were so many bald fathers in the world.

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Dinner was a quiet affair. The tension riding between Ranma and Nabiki was like a taught wire ready to break at any moment. Mai would have to fix this now rather than later. As the bowls emptied, Mai took her chance. "You both have been through quite a lot. I know you are both facing much emotional turmoil, but I would ask that you stop this silly little feud before it gains steam. We all know very little about each other. I hope that we can change that over the coming months."

She could see that she had both teens attention even though they were pointedly ignoring each other. "As I have gathered from listening to Ranma, he was raised by a rather chauvinistic father. Am I wrong Ranma?"

Ranma grunted. He didn't want to answer, but he still wanted to apologize. "I guess."

Mai nodded and turned to Nabiki. "I'm guessing your father was at least a little bit like that as well Nabiki even if it was less overt."

Nabiki nodded her head but didn't respond.

"You were both rejected for different, but similar reasons. Your fathers would not accept what you have become. In Nabiki's case, she had become an independent and gained her independence in a way that her father found undesirable. In Ranma's case, he became a she with cold water."

Both teens could agree with that, but it didn't resolve the issue at hand.

Mai decided to go for broke with her next statement. "There is only one real way to resolve this. You both will make up now and take time to talk about the beliefs that you have and how you came to those beliefs. I think you'll both be surprised. Now I think Ranma wished to apologize."

Ranma looked at Nabiki and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, I'm sorry I said girls are weak. It ain't easy cuz' it's what pops taught me. I guess I'll see if he's right or not."

Nabiki looked over at Ranma as if she was weighing him and sighed. "Fine. You get one more chance at this Ranma. Don't screw up."

Mai smiled. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

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Mai smiled to herself as she sat at her computer. The tension between her two children had dropped. She would need to set them both straight on how the world really worked, but she'd do so as needed. They both needed real world experience more than a few proverbs and lectures that really wouldn't sink in until later. She let her mind drift onto other plans as she sifted through her holdings and emails.

When Mai looked at her credit card statement, she lost her smile. You should never simply hand your credit card to a teenager and let them go clothes shopping, especially when you forget to set a limit and they are both teenage girls at least part of the time.

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Busy, busy, busy. Again, I will update as I can. Thanks for all of your comments and support.