Rurouni Ranma
by DarkFyre99
Disclaimer: Neither Ranma ½ nor Devil Hunter Yohko belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a while. Ranma ½ is the creation of Takahashi Rumiko. Devil Hunter Yohko is the creation of looks it up Gaku Miyao.
Exposition warning: This chapter contains a lot of long, stimulating explanations, as a dramatic and exciting change of pace to the previous chapters. You have been warned. :p
(These chapters keep getting longer and longer, don't they? )
As always, I'd like to thank the folks at fukufics dot com for their help.
Chapter Four: "Consequences"
Yohko sent her Soul Sword back into subspace, now that the minor crisis had passed.
Ranma, meanwhile, was once again rewrapping up his own sword. "You know, that ability really comes in handy. I still haven't figured out why this thing won't work with Hidden Weapons Style. I'm really getting tired of lugging it around all the time." He tied the chord around each end of the bundle, re-creating the improvised strap. He slung the whole bundle across his back.
"I'll trade you. I'd rather not have a transformation that tears off my clothes, and a sword I can use without having to transform."
"Good point."
"Ranma-san, you didn't even transform. Again."
"There was only one of them, Azusa-chan, and by the time I got this thing unwrapped, you and Yohko had pretty much taken care of it. The sword itself is magical enough that I can use it effectively untransformed. Which is fortunate, since I still haven't figured out how to transform."
"Oh. I'm sure Grandma can figure that part out. Shall we get going?"
Ranma offered Yohko his arm, which she took with a grin.
"Is it just me, or are people not staring at the two of you in those getups?"
"You noticed. After a year of this devil hunting stuff, the whole neighborhood seems to know about Azusa-chan and I." Yohko grinned impishly. "The fact that Chi put up fliers advertising my services probably has something to do with it. Here we are, home sweet home." She pushed open the door to the house, and called out, "Mom! Grandmother! We're home!"
"Welcome home, Yohko-chan." A short old woman appeared, a wide grin on her face. "Ah, so it is you, Ranma-kun. Nice to see you again." A woman in her mid thirties followed behind the old woman and gave Yohko a wink.
"Um... have we met?"
The elderly woman frowned. "Don't tell me you've forgotten your old granny Madoka, have you, Ranma?"
Yohko and Ranma both grew pale, as they slowly turned towards each other. They stared at each other for a moment, before screaming in unison, "Aaah! I've had sex with my cousin!"
Yohko continued on melodramatically, "Oh the tragedy! I finally found a hunk with whom to share my life, and he's my own cousin. Will I ever know true love, or must Ranma and I run off to the southern United States, where such incestuous relationships are permitted?"
"I highly doubt you actually had sex," Madoka chuckled, "but don't worry, you two. I'm not actually your grandmother, Ranma, that's just what you called me when you and your father were training near here about twelve years ago. Given your reactions, I'm sure I have welcome news."
Ranma pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't tell me... you and Pop arranged a marriage between Yohko and I."
"You've got it!"
Yohko collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face, "No! That's even worse! It's not fair! It's not fair!"
"I don't understand. I thought you'd be happy..."
"Auntie Madoka, on the way here, Ranma explained that he'd renounced his family name because of all the marriages his father had arranged for him." Azusa looked at Yohko in concern. "He couldn't really marry the one fiancée he wanted to without dishonoring the others. Because it wouldn't be fair to the one he wanted to marry, he won't marry any other fiancée his father had arranged for him. And... well... given what happened last night..." The younger girl blushed.
Madoka frowned. "I still find it hard to believe that you two actually had sex."
Yohko began to blush as well. "Well, you see... the demons had destroyed Ranma's camp and all his stuff ... and Mom didn't sneak any condoms into my pack like she usually does, the ONE time I really needed them too, so..." She looked down and mumbled something.
Yohko's mother looked puzzled for a second, then said. "Oh! Wasn't that a bit painful, dear?"
"Huh?" The girl looked at her mother for a few seconds, an equally puzzled expression on her face. Suddenly, she jumped up, her hands covering her butt. "Ew! Mother, that's gross!"
"Besides, if Yohko-chan had done it that way, she wouldn't be able to transform either..."
Ranma glanced from Yohko and her grandmother. "I'm obviously missin' somethin'..."
Madoka turned to Ranma. "You see, her devil hunter's transformation requires a girl to remain pure in both body and spirit, so that means no sex, of ANY kind, with men." The old woman glared at Yohko, who blushed and looked down again. "As she should know damn well by now."
"Oh. I see. If you'll excuse me..." Ranma turned and walked out the front door.
"Ranma?"
Madoka shook her head. "I'm guessing from the expression on his face that you didn't tell him about that little detail."
"It wasn't any of his business."
"I'd say he disagrees. So... what, exactly, did the two of you do? Your reactions are a little extreme for heavy petting."
After one last mournful look at the closed door, Yohko began blushing and stammered out, "Well... we kinda had sex... as girls..."
Madoka looked at her granddaughter, blinking. "What does that mean?"
Azusa spoke up. "It means that Ranma-san has a curse that turns him into a girl."
"Ah. Hmm... interesting. I wonder if his father still has your dowry. Since he can turn into a girl, it might be interesting to see what the Bracelet of Kuan-Yin can make of him."
"That bracelet was yours, Grandma?"
"Yes. A friend was kind enough to give it to me after your mother... well, needless to say it didn't work as I'd hoped. I take it he used it?"
"Yes... but will you excuse me, Grandma? I want to change, then go look for Ranma."
"Not so fast dear. Give him a chance to cool off first. I want to know exactly what's been happening since you left a week ago..."
- + -
Ranma sat on the Mano family's roof, watching the sun go down. He had heard Yohko jump up there as well, but he wanted her to make the first move.
"Ranma?"
He didn't look at her as she sat down beside him.
"Ranma? I know you're mad at me..."
"I'm not mad at you, Yohko. I'm disgusted with myself. I almost did something horrible last night..."
Yohko had a hurt expression on her face. "Having sex with me would've been 'horrible?'"
"Not at all, but the consequences would've been. You've been given a gift Yohko, one I almost destroyed out of ignorance. If it hadn't been for a simple accident..."
"It's my choice, Ranma."
"Yeah, but last time I checked, it takes two. I had a right to know that there were consequences beyond the usual ones..."
"Don't worry about it. I'm getting stronger every day. The transformation only makes it easier to use my powers; it isn't the source of them. Otherwise Grandma wouldn't been able to use the devil hunter's ring at her age."
"But if you lose the transformation, you lose that edge. What you're doing is too important to put that at risk for a few hours of pleasure."
"Oh."
"Don't look like that. There's always my girl side..."
"Um... Ranma? No offense, but..."
"But you're not interested in girl on girl action."
"I'm sorry." Yohko looked down at her swinging feet. "It wasn't that it was unpleasant..."
"Just didn't curl your toes, huh?"
"Sorry."
"Not your fault. I know I'd feel the same way if our positions were reversed, and you were a girl who turned into a boy, and you wanted to have sex while you were a boy..."
"Ew..."
"... so you wouldn't get pregnant. Why the 'ew?' I know why I'd not want to do it, but..."
"Because I walked in on this boy I kinda liked with another boy, and they were..."
Ranma thought about it before a mental image appeared. "Ew... At least you were willing to try..."
"Only because you didn't want to stick something in some place where it didn't belong." Yohko grinned. "Besides, I've always been kinda curious, and you were really a boy, a very cute boy, so..."
Yohko's mother called out from below. "Ranma! Yohko! Dinner's ready."
Ranma turned to Yohko and offered a tentative smiled. "So, whadda ya say? Wanna be friends?"
Yohko returned his smile. "We already are. Race you to the dinner table!" She jumped off the roof, followed closely by Ranma.
- + -
Ranma looked nervous as she entered the old woman's study. "So, Granny..."
"No need to be nervous, Ranma. After all, I can hardly blame you for Genma's actions. Besides, Yohko is far too young, not to mention inexperienced, to marry quite yet. Since I understand you've decided to be friends, rather than lovers, there's nothing for you to worry about. Except for learning about your own powers. Let's step into my office."
"Huh? Isn't this your... yow!" Ranma started in surprise as the floor slowly began lowering beneath her. A good ten meters below the house, the hidden lift stopped. About her was a large room that resembled a cross between a dojo, a shrine, and a traditional healer's office. Unusual looking artifacts peeked out between the books and scrolls on the shelves that lined two of the walls. Yohko, seated on a stool in a corner, waved at her.
Madoka switched on her computer. "OK, first things first, we'll take some pictures of your sword, and put them on the devil hunters' network. Hopefully, someone there might recognize it, or the writing on it, and give us some information. In the meantime, let's see if we can invoke an implanted memory, or something like that."
After she had finished taking pictures, the old woman pulled out a stool, and planted herself upon it. "Now, Ranma. I want you to pick up your katana," she paused for a moment as the young woman complied with her instructions. "Alright, draw the sword and hold it, pointing towards the sky, above your head. Very good. Now, repeat after me, 'Bai sha pawaa ofu gureisukuru!'"
Ranma blinked momentarily, then complied. She wasn't surprised when nothing happened.
The short old woman hopped down from her stool, to stare into Ranma's eyes. Nodding to herself, she said, "That didn't seem to work. Try this one... 'Shundaa, shundaa, shundaa... shundaa katsu hou!'"
After yet another unsuccessful attempt at a henshin phrase, Madoka jotted down something on a notebook by her computer, then turned back to Ranma. "Okay, that didn't work. But I think I'm narrowing things down... where's my reference book? Ah, there it is."
"Um... Grandma? I don't think that's your reference book. That's your 'American Anime of the Eighty's' magazine."
Madoka stared at the object in her hand. "So it is. Silly me. Ah, here it is." Putting away the glossy magazine, she pulled out a huge, ancient looking tome and dropped on the table. The elderly Mano coughed a bit from the huge cloud of dust billowed out from it. "Now, then... henshin phrases... henshin phrases... Ah, here we are... let's see..."
The computer beside the elderly devil hunter chimed, before calling out, "You've got mail."
"That was fast... I'll be just a moment, dears." The elderly Mano scooted her stool over and opened her new e-mail message. "Hmm... Yohko-chan, did you know that they sell cream to increase your bust size?"
"Grandma!"
"Alright... alright. We probably won't see any results for at least a week. First things first, Ranma-kun, we'll have to get you enrolled in school." Madoka waited for the inevitable complaint... which didn't come. "Then, we'll start your training in swordsmanship..."
Yohko felt a sweatdrop forming. She was long accustomed to her Grandmother's shark-like grin whenever the subject of training came up. This was the first time she'd seen that grin answered. It did not bode well for her currently unbruised state...
- + -
Ogawa Chikako spotted her best friend as she stepped out into the schoolyard. As always, Yohko was seated underneath their customary tree, no doubt having leapt from her classroom's window on the second floor. She had no idea where she'd gotten that habit from, not to mention how Yohko could possibly do that without flashing anyone in the process.
Chi dropped to the ground beside Yohko, carefully opening her lunch as she looked at the cheerful devil-hunter. "You're in a good mood. I take it you heard about the new guy in 2-D."
The hoop-haired girl grinned as she daintily put a piece of chicken into her mouth. "Yep. Quite the hottie. Mysterious, too."
"Indeed. Rumor has it that he's a genuine ronin," Chi gave her friend a sideways glance. "Have you heard the weirdest rumor on this guy yet?"
An unfamiliar red-haired girl in an oversized boy's uniform sat down on the other side Yohko. She placed a long, narrow duffle bag beside her as she opened up her bento. "Hey, Yohko."
Yohko absently handed the girl a thermos. "Here you go." She ignored Chi's wide-eyed stare as the redhead poured the contents of the thermos over her head, becoming a very handsome boy in the process. "Ranma, I'd like you to meet my best friend Ogawa Chikako. Chi, this is Ranma, formally of the Saotome clan." The hoop-haired girl grinned at her gaping friend. "According to Grandma, we've been engaged since we were children." She gave her friend a victory salute. "Lucky!"
"What's the catch?"
"Catch?"
"Yeah. I know you, Yohko. There's got to be some kind of catch. You just don't have that kind of luck with boys." Chikako began ticking off points with her fingers. "If the guy isn't taken already, then he's about to become the victim of some demon, or actually is a demon in disguise, or he turns out to be gay, or he's actually a she and happens to be a cross-dresser, like that motocross racer you were hung up on for a while, or..."
Chi blinked, then turned towards Ranma and asked, "You are a guy, right?"
Giving the girl a glare, Ranma growled out, "Yes."
"So what's the catch?"
Yohko lost the happy expression on her face. "You remember that Ranma's ronin, right?"
Chikako blinked. "That rumor's true?"
"Yes. His father apparently engaged him to a lot of girls, and he couldn't marry the girl he wanted to without dishonoring all the others, so..."
"So?"
"He won't marry anyone his father engaged him to. Including me. And with that whole 'lose my transformation if I have sex with a boy' thing, it means we'll have to be 'just friends.' Damn the luck!" Yohko pouted a bit before returning to her meal.
Chi glanced at Ranma, "What about his girl-side?"
Ranma answered, "She tried it, but didn't like it."
"Oh," Chi muttered, before adding, "I'll put the word out that Ranma's off-limits."
"Why should Ranma suffer because of my damn luck?"
"That's alright, Yohko. I prefer to be off the market anyways. I need to focus on my training, remember? You're a big enough distraction as it is." Ranma winked, causing the oddly coifed girl to blush. "Speaking of training, you did bring those flashcards, right?"
"Oh, right." She reached up the sleeve of her school uniform, pulling out a deck of apparently blank flashcards. She held one up to Ranma.
"Spirit."
"Right. This one?"
"Life."
"Nope, Ran-chan. Try again."
"Oh... it's divine energy, not life."
"Right. We're human, so it's easy to get the two confused. Which is what makes fighting youma a lot of fun at times, since unlike demons, they can more easily disguise themselves as human. Thankfully, they tend to revert to their true forms when they attack. And this one?"
Chikako glanced from Yohko to Ranma and back. "Um... guys? There's nothing written on them."
"That's because these have auras imbedded in them. Ranma needs to learn how to identify the various types of magical energies. Using the wrong type of energy can be worse than useless. It could actually heal an opponent, or give them a power boost."
"You really had to learn all this, Yohko-chan?"
"Not initially, since I AM a devil-hunter, and my earliest foes were devils, demons, and other assorted infernal nasties. But I can encounter other beings, such as the things we fought last week, so learning this stuff important. Especially since Ranma's powers are based on elemental energy, and not divine energy like mine. Not to mention he was originally trained as a ki-user."
"Oh." Chikako turned back to her lunch as Yohko held up the next blank flash card. "You know, Ranma, that was quite clever of you."
"What was?"
"Declaring yourself ronin. The laws that protected self-declared ronin were repealed with the Meiji restoration, after all, so legally you're still a Saotome. Your parents are under no obligation to recognize your status as one. They still have every right to make major decisions in your name until you reach your majority. That includes resisting your adoption into another family. If they do that, traditional families would recognize that they are completely without honor, and you ignoring your parents' wishes won't reflect badly on your own honor. If they do respect your status as a ronin, then they can't take advantage of you anymore. It's a lose-lose situation for them. As I said, quite of clever."
"Of course it was." Ranma began chuckling nervously.
Yohko looked at her male friend suspiciously. "You had absolutely no clue about any of that, did you?"
Ranma blushed. "No," he admitted ruefully.
"Thought so. Oh, that reminds me. Chi, are you doing anything this weekend?"
"No, why?"
- + -
Ogawa Chikako placed her hands on the small of her back, stretching backwards with a groan. "Note to self... home repair sucks." She glanced at her companion in the restoration of the shrine's roof. Grinning, she pressed the stop button on her stopwatch. "Nine minutes... a new personal record, Ranma."
"Huh?"
"You managed to go nine minutes this time without looking at Yohko. You've both got it bad for each other. Why on earth are you doing this to each other?"
Ranma glanced at the bridge, where Yohko was arguing over the restoration of the main compound's wards with Uncle, and one of the miko the Imperial Ministry of Historical Sites had sent, as they walked towards the shrine. "I can't marry her, Chi. I'd love to, but then I'd love to marry Kasumi, or even Akane if things had gone differently. It isn't fair for anyone involved, but that's the way it has be. That's why we agreed to be friends. To be anything else would be leading her on, which isn't fair to her."
"Haven't you ever heard of 'best friends with benefits'?"
"Huh?"
"You know..." Chi looked at Ranma's blank expression. "No, I guess you don't. Look, sometimes friends can get physical without it expecting it to lead to marriage. You're both attracted to each other, and you both are involved in a rather dangerous profession. Why not just enjoy the moment and each other?"
"There's also her devil hunter's transformation..."
"So stick to 'A' or 'B.' I just hate watching the two of you be miserable together over something so stupid." Chikako blinked as a stream of water struck Ranma in the back of his head, changing him into a girl. A rather peculiar sounding laughter and several splashes soon followed.
Ranma grabbed a nearby towel and dried her hair. "Stupid sprites."
Yohko accidentally startled Chikako when her friend leapt to the roof, a kettle in her hand. "Here you go, Ranma!" After changing Ranma back, the hoop-haired girl knelt behind him, hugging him from behind. "You ready to take a break yet?" She asked huskily, whispering in his ear.
"I told you before, I'm not interested, Ayoko!"
"Hmph! I don't see why not. You weren't engaged to me, after all."
Mano Madoka's voice shouted out from inside the shrine. "Ayoko! If you ever want to get the Bracelet of Kuan-Yin, you'll get back in here and leave Ranma alone!"
"Fine!" Ayoko strutted to the edge of the roof, turned to look over her shoulder, and tossed Ranma a saucy wink. "See you later, Ranma-kun!"
Chi blinked when Ayoko stepped off the roof, grabbing the edge to swing onto the balcony below. "Ranma, how on earth can you tell the two of them apart? Especially since she keeps dressing like Yohko."
"It's simple," Ranma said as he dried his hair again. "Ayoko has a lot more ki than Yohko does. Without access to her devil hunter heritage, Ayoko seems like any other well-trained martial artist to my ki senses." Ranma grimaced, "Not to mention I have far too much experience with girls making passes at me simply to 'win' me from another girl. The only reason Ayoko's interested in me is because it'll piss off Yohko." He shrugged before grabbing another shingle. "At least it's good training in reading the difference between life and divine energy."
"Ah."
A stream of water struck Ranma in the back of his head, triggering the transformation. "Stupid sprites."
From her seat on a pile of rocks close by, Amakoi no Mizukami laughed merrily. It was so much fun to have humans here again.
- + -
Ranma, Yohko, and her family were wishing the Chan's and Touru goodbye when an angry Ayoko, dressed in a fluorescent green version of Yohko's devil hunter's outfit, stormed up to them. "What the hell is the meaning of this?" Ayoko shouted, pointing at the 'this' in question.
"It's no picnic for me either," Tenno Nezumi grumbled, the hue of his fur having been changed to the same eye-bleeding color. The winged rat was clearly not pleased with his new ward's attitude, or his appearance either.
Yohko giggled. "That color looks good on you, cousin."
"Don't get me started on the color," the new magical girl and her scruffy guardian beast growled simultaneously.
Ayoko glared at Yohko and Madoka. "I should've known you guys would get me a defective devil hunter's talisman!"
- + -
"You got somethin' for me, Granny?" Ranma asked as the lift carried her and Yohko down into Madoka's office.
"Yes. We finally got a response on the writing on your katana's blade. It's very ancient, but it's apparently from one of the pre-Cataclysm civilizations. I'm amazed that there is anyone out there that recognizes it, even if they can't read it."
"Pre-Cataclysm?" Yohko and Ranma chorused out together.
"Yes. In the earliest days, gods, demons, youma, and various spirits haunted our world. Our universe is formed from the intersection of the Five Realms, so it was an all-you-can eat buffet for anyone who could breach the dimensional barriers and enter our world. Of course, the inhabitants of our world suffered from their predations, and were caught in their inevitable conflicts. Fortunately, this was before intelligence evolved.
"In time, intelligent beings did evolve, mankind. And it just so happens that on every world in our universe that evolves life and intelligence, there arose champions against the outsiders that would exploit it. Beings gifted with the powers to hold back the darkness and protect all life. Sometimes the power was gifted to a bloodline, the power being passed from mother to daughter..."
Ranma looked startled. "Mother to daughter?"
"Yes. Although a paternal lineage would've been more appropriate for warriors, continuity was deemed far more important. A man could impregnate a woman and never know he was a father. A woman will always know she's a mother. That's why the world-spirit chose women as its champions. The Mano family, by the way, is descended from one such bloodline, leading back over 2000 years to the time our ancestor traveled to Japan from China.
"As I was saying, sometimes the power was gifted to a particular bloodline, like the Mano family. Sometimes, the power was gifted to a spiritual line. And sometimes, the power was imbued in a particular artifact of great power, and was given to mankind, not an individual person, to be wielded. In time, the champions banished most of those that did not belong here.
"With most of the 'first ones' banished, humanity was free to prosper. Around the champions, tribes gathered, and eventually settled down. Thus, our earliest civilizations were based on magic, rather than technology. Our planet produces a tremendous amount of elemental energy, which the knowledgeable can tap into, and the long war with the 'first ones' had generated a lot of practical knowledge.
"The champions represented only a small portion of the magical energy available for use, and as time went on, the various civilizations tapped more and more into the world's power. It didn't take long before all the world's power was being used, and as more people were born, there was less power available for everyone. In time, some people became greedy, and began gathering more and more power for their own, exclusive, use.
"These people modeled themselves after the champions. Some tied their powers to their bloodlines, but the general bloodline, not the maternal one. Some tied it directly to their souls, but not a spiritual line. Some bound it into artifacts, then greedily horded these artifacts. In time, the freely available magic of our world became so weak, that the average person wasn't able to tap into it anymore.
"That was when some people realized that if OUR world had all this magic, then the moon, our sister world, must also have its own magic. Moon-based magic had been around for generations, but it was tied to the waxing and waning of the moon. Some highly intelligent individual realized that if they could actually travel to the moon, then they could tap into all that energy directly. Thus, the Silver Millennium was born.
"It was the greatest civilization the world would never see, for it was based on the Moon, humanity's first colony, not on Earth. This civilization would eventually reach each world of our solar system. Great care was taken not to repeat the mistakes of Earth. Like the Champions of old, each world's power was bound to a single, matriarchal bloodline, as well as being bound to a spiritual line as a backup. There would be no lost bloodlines this time, nor would they become diluted, simply because some men can't keep their pants up.
"They bonded each world's power to artifacts as well, to ensure that each world's power would be portioned out fairly, and to create habitats in which humans could prosper. It was almost a utopian society, ruled by a benevolent matriarch, which was protected by the primary guardian of each world. But each utopia has its dark side. The Silver Millennium needed those with both magical talent and intelligence to grow, and naturally attracted the best and brightest of the Earth. This troubled the kings and queens of Earth, whose own civilizations waned as a result.
"In addition, not everyone was accepted. The Queens of the Moon wanted certain traits, for each world could only support so many, and they turned away those who wouldn't fit into their great society. Those rejected became bitter and jealous. As the Silver Millennium grew and prospered, the Earth waned. The Rejected had the power, drive, and intelligence the Silver Millennium needed, but they lacked the character traits, such as compassion, honor, and self-sacrifice, which were desired. I'm sure you can see where this is heading.
"The War was devastating. The Earth, solely because it is the cradle of life, survived, but the Silver Millennium did not. All that power locked, unwisely, into bloodlines was lost. All the artifacts that had been created over millennia were lost. The greatest human civilization, which had stood for over a thousand years, was utterly destroyed. All of the Earth's civilizations were wiped out. It would take millennia before civilization would return to the Earth.
"That was the Cataclysm... the loss of access to most of the world's elemental power."
Silence reigned for a few minutes, before Yohko breathed out a reverent, "Wow."
"Yeah," Ranma echoed. "Granny, no offense, but I've seen a lot of magic. It doesn't seem that uncommon."
"Many of the Champions' lines survived, of course. The world-spirit established those as a barrier against those who would exploit our world, and it set things up so that their powers wouldn't be easily lost, though lost they can be. Nor did all the created bloodlines perish in the Cataclysm, and those that survived saw their powers increased. But never again would magical talent be so ubiquitous that even the smallest village had several inhabitants with magical powers of some kind or another. When was the first time you saw any kind of magic, Ranma?"
"Jusenkyou."
"Magic tends to attract magic, so it's your own Jusenkyou curse that increases the odds of you encountering more magic. Plus you must remember that while the Cataclysm cost us access to much of the world's magical powers, that loss was of the world's most useful power, elemental. Ki, a form of life energy, is still fairly ubiquitous. Most serious martial artists can tap into their ki to a greater or lesser extend. It's a form of magic, but most people don't see it that way.
"Spiritual power is still around, and people still dedicate their lives to the Kami, or summon demons, but elemental power remains rare... primarily because there are so many human beings around. There's probably as many mages today as there were back in the Silver Millennium... but there's a thousand times a many human beings as there were back then. And most of those people probably don't even know that they carry the potential to wield that form of magic, let alone are trained in its use.
"But enough history. Let's get back to your own magical powers, Ranma-chan. As I said, my source identified the katana's symbols as pre-Cataclysm. Given that the Bracelet of Kuan-Yin is designed to awaken the powers of so-called 'magical girls,' as well as being a devil hunter's talisman, it means that you are either possess a Champion's bloodline or are the reincarnation of a previous Champion."
"Grandmother, Rat-san must've had Ran-chan try out ten different magical girl outfits before she found one she liked the looks of."
"Yes, but the Champions tended to have much more practical outfits than those of most 'magical girls.' The Champions were created by the World-Spirit, which is a very pragmatic entity. Most didn't have any kind of transformation, and most of those that did were clad in armor and weapons, not attractive, and sometimes revealing, costumes of 'magical girls' created by human beings. You are the 108th Devil Hunter, Yohko, because our line had to be reawakened after the main line was lost during the Cataclysm... and the kami who did it for us was a bit of a pervert."
"Pervert?"
"Most magical girls get a get a 'twirly-naked light show,' while yours lacks the light show, giving everyone a free peek." Mano Madoka grinned impishly, "Also, why do you think He doesn't want you sleeping with men, but has no problem with you sleeping with women? Rumor has it He likes to watch."
Yohko's answer was to blush deeply.
"But to get back to the subject on hand, since it seems you are a reawakened Champion, your transformation is probably relatively simple. My contact said to try grasping the hilt of the katana, picture yourself clad in your armor, and will yourself into it."
"Alright..." Ranma grasped the hilt of her katana firmly, closed her eyes, picturing herself wearing the armor and cloak she had worn back in the mountain shrine. She then 'pushed' herself into image she had created. She didn't even need to open her eyes to realize that she had been successful. "What? No twirly-naked light show?"
"No, no naked twirly light show," Yohko said grumpily. "That outfit just appeared."
Ranma walked over to the full-length mirror in Madoka's office, and gave herself the once over. It was the first time she'd really scene the outfit in its entirety. The breastplate was made from a silvery-white metal, which fight snugly over her torso leaving no doubt that she was female. It fit her curves too well to do otherwise. Across her chest, centered just above her breasts, was a pattern of blue-embossed ivory, forming a pair of crescents, their open ends facing each other. The arms of the crescents nearly touched the large emerald in the center of the pattern; so whole pattern resembled an infinity symbol.
The same silvery-white metal was used on the bracers on her forearms. A similar ivy pattern, this time in dark green, decorated the end closest to her elbow. The only protection given to her upper arms were the shoulder guards, but given how lightweight the breastplate and bracers were, she wasn't too worried. The armor had to have been enhanced with magic. The gauntlets of her armor were leather, though tightly woven mail protected the backs of her hand and fingers.
A dark-green, heavy leather skirt, accented by silver studs around the lower edge, protected her hips and upper legs, while matching soft-soled leather boots protected her feet and lower legs. A strip of leather, of the same dark green color, protected her throat. Peeking out from under her bangs was a golden diadem, with an emerald in its center. She noted wryly that her hair, which brushed her shoulders, seemed a little more styled than she tended to keep it. A dark green cloak, edged in silver like the skirt, completed the outfit, flowing from her shoulders down to her calves.
She bowed her head and touched the sapphire on her chest, willing the return of her normal outfit. The jeans and t-shirt she'd been wearing returned an instant later. She grasped the hilt of her katana, and willed the change again, this time with her eyes open. The armor returned just as quickly. This time she just touched the sapphire, pleased that nothing happened. Returning to her civilian clothing, she began an iaido kata, willing the transformation just as she drew the katana. She was pleased to note that while the transformation required her to be just touching the hilt of the katana, reverting back required a bit more effort.
Yohko's grumpy voice interrupted her experimentation. "Ranma, if you keep that up, I'm going to get jealous."
"Yohko! That's enough of that. It's not Ranma's fault that he has access to an unmodified Champion transformation."
"Sorry, Grandma, but I AM jealous. No perverted transformation. No ecchi outfit. No silly transformation phrases, no melodramatic posing. It's not fair."
"Yohko, you've never said anything about this before."
"That's because every single magical girl I ever met has the same problem! Sure I've got a perverted transformation, but the outfit is actually tame compared to some of the others I've seen. Ranma doesn't have that problem. The only problem she has is that she can't store her sword in stuff-space. Big deal."
"It is a big-deal, Yohko-chan. Without this sword, I can't transform. Right, Granny?"
"That is correct. Just like your devil hunter's talisman is the key to your powers, Ranma's katana is the key to hers. And unlike your ring, it is rather substantial. However, while you can't store it in 'stuff space,' I'm informed that with a little practice, you might be able to summon the blade if it's nearby. Not quite as secure as 'stuff space,' but better than having to carry it around all the time."
"Cool."
- + -
"I got it! I got it!" Mano Madoka's joyous shouts echoed up the shaft in her study, to Yohko's bedroom, where Ranma and Yohko were currently studying for an exam. The pair looked at each other, before rushing to the old woman's study.
"What ya got, Granny?" Ranma shouted down to the Mano family's underground vault.
"Come down here, and I'll show you."
A minute later, the two were stepping off the lift and walking towards where the older devil hunter sat before her computer. Ranma glanced at the screen, and asked, "So what do ya got, Granny?"
"The latest copy of the Saotome family codex. On CD-rom, no less."
The two looked at each other, then asked, "Codex?"
"It's sort of like your family tree, but includes a lot more details... including magical affinities. For over a thousand years, most of the greater families have been trying to strengthen their bloodlines through careful breeding, and so have families like ours. The devil hunter clans have always been perilously close to extinction. Right now, only Yohko and Ayoko remain to carry on our clan's legacy, and my branch of the family almost fucked things up... literally."
"Grandma, I'm sorry about..."
"Yohko, you and your mother have got your grandfather's family's sex drive. That was my father's mistake, falling prey to the lure of the Saotome blood."
Ranma stared in surprise. "We are related after all?"
"Distantly. Yohko and your mother are third cousins. But then again, most of the traditional families are distantly related by blood. Unfortunately, with the modernization following the Meiji restoration, some of the traditional bloodlines have been waning, lured by Western ways."
Yohko looked puzzled. "What did you mean by 'the lure of the Saotome blood?' What's so special about Ran-chan's family?"
"Obviously, the Saotome clan is one of the strongest 'ki' bloodlines that exist. The Kamiya clan is just as strong, but the Saotomes are notorious for something that is irresistible to many of our clans: their flexibility. The Saotomes have always been fast learners, and possessed the willingness to employ unorthodox techniques in their Art. Both traits are highly valuable, even to the non-traditional families. Unfortunately, that unorthodoxy tended to spill over to other areas, which makes them a bit... unstable.
"A relatively stable Saotome has always been considered valuable addition to a family, and during my grandfather's generation, the Aino clan seemed to have lucked out with adding Saotome blood to their line. Granted, they had a strong sex drive, but as long as you don't let it overcome your common sense, that's not too much of a problem. It's even an asset if you happen to be married to one." The old woman gave the pair a lusty grin that made the two teens cringe.
"Unfortunately, the next generation turned out to lack that common sense. There were a number of scandals among the children of my husband's older siblings, but your grandfather, Ranma, was actually pretty stable compared to his cousins. Your aunt and uncle are almost normal, though your mother is quite squirrelly when it comes to sexuality. Compared to her cousins, though, she's practically discreet. While I understand your cousin Minako is a bit of a free spirit, she's not nearly as boy crazy as Yohko is. You yourself seem to be rather restrained, considering your mother's side of your family.
"Yohko's mother was sexually active before she was fourteen, and pregnant and married by sixteen. And divorced by eighteen. She never had a chance to awaken to our clan's power. Yohko came very close to following in her mother's footsteps. If that had happened, our branch of the Mano family would've lost access to our devil hunter powers. I would've been too old to train Yohko's daughter properly, so the only option left would've been to train Ayoko, and she's been poisoned by my sister's bitterness and jealousy over not being the heir of our family.
"The main branch of the Saotome clan isn't known for their honor or ethics. If it weren't for the fact that they are such powerful martial artists, and the fact that they have ties to so many other clans, they probably would've been wiped out by a blood feud. Of course, most clans are aware of the Saotome clan's reputation, but the lure of the Saotome blood is still attractive. Ranma's older cousins seem to be quite stable, and when Genma started selling his son's hand in marriage, the heads of many families thought it would be worth the gamble. Including myself. We weren't planning on pursuing the marriage until after we found out what kind of man you grew up to be, of course."
Madoka grinned evilly. "You do know you've just become one of Japan's most desirable bachelor in the eyes of quite a few families, don't you Ranma?" She laughed when Ranma paled. "A Saotome going ronin like you did is like waving a sign that says 'We've got a good one here.' I image that there are quite a few parents and grandparents telling girls close to your age to seek you out to wed you." She laughed as Ranma began pounding his head against the table.
"By the way, I got my report from the private detective I hired to investigate your father. It's not good news."
"Huh?"
"I figured you might want to know what your father has done in your name, so I hired a private detective." Madoka tossed a folder across the table to Ranma. "Take a look yourself."
Ranma leafed through the report, Yohko reading over his shoulder. "What the hell?"
"Besides the fiancée scheme your father had going, he's also accumulated a rather massive amount of debt in your name. It's a good thing you didn't marry into the Tendo family. It would've cost them their home and dojo, unless you could scrape up about ten million yen from somewhere. With you declaring yourself ronin, your status is kind of in limbo right now. Most collection agencies will go after your father, respecting tradition over the letter of the law, but not all of them will do that. It's fortunate you're still a minor, so Genma is still legally responsible if it ever came to court. But if you want the money from that auction of yours, you'd better get it soon."
- + -
Ranma nervously stepped off the train, his eyes nervously scanning the area behind his shades as he cast his ki around the area. Sensing no threat, he walked briskly towards his destination, hoping that his errand would be finished without incident.
Cloaked in a ki-shield, the Watcher saw the formerly pig-tailed young man step into the Nerima Fertility Clinic. The vigil had been long and frustrating, but finally the Watcher's patience had been rewarded. Soon, the hunt would resume.
- + -
"Hey, Yohko! You doin' anything tonight?" Ranma said upon returning to the Mano residence, seeing Yohko watching TV in the living room.
"No, Ran-chan. Why?"
"I just retrieved my money from the auction at the fertility clinic, and I figured I'd take you out to dinner and a movie to celebrate. Maybe even dancing later."
"Sounds like a date."
"Hey, if you can't date your best friend, who can you date? Just don't expect anything fancy. I wanna save most of my money, even if I did get a lot more for my 'deposit' than I expected. Especially since these two idiots came to the auction together, and started bidding against each other for the last lot. Practically doubled the price before they realized what they were doing." Ranma rolled his eyes, causing Yohko to giggle.
"Hey, their stupidity is your good fortune, right?"
- + -
In a bar in Nerima, Genma and Soun both sneezed.
- + -
Ranma and Yohko walked arm in arm down the city street. Ranma was sharply dressed in the suit that Yohko had helped him buy, while Yohko looked gorgeous in the Chinese-style mini-dress she was wearing. What he had originally intended to be a simple outing with a good friend had transformed into a Saturday night romantic type date. Which explained his nervousness. His "dates" (if you could even call them that) were rarely what people would call normal, and he didn't want it ruined by the kind of crap that intruded into his life. Especially given how expensive their outfits were.
Seeing no threats in the immediate vicinity, he returned his attention to Yohko. She seemed nervous as well, and was watching the crowded street more than she was watching him. She turned to meet his eye, and blushed. "Sorry. I keep expecting something to go wrong. I've never had a normal date. Something nasty always shows up to ruin things.
"Well, if something does show up, let me handle it. That dress looks too good on you to be destroyed by your transformation."
Smiling, Yohko leaned into him. "Such the gentleman. Just don't be too much of one once we get home."
"Yohko..."
"I know we shouldn't go all the way, but a little 'A' and 'B' would be nice."
"This beautiful woman wants me to 'molest' her," Ranma deadpanned, "I am so cursed..."
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"
Automatically sweeping Yohko into his arms, he jumped away from where they'd been standing. An impossibly massive umbrella passed through his former location, leaving a crater in the sidewalk where the couple had been walking. Ranma could see Ryouga through the dust his attack had kicked up.
He set Yohko on her feet, then glared at the bandanna wearing youth. "Yo! Ryouga! Do you think we can table this for once? I promised Yohko here a good time."
"Enemy of women! Because of what you did to Akane..."
"What? Broke off my engagement to her like she wanted me to?"
Ryouga continued to rant, "And for planning to molest yet another woman..."
"Um... I asked him to 'molest' me," Yohko volunteered.
"Besides, unlike some pigs I can name, I've never molested a woman," Ranma added.
"Don't get technical with me! Besides! Because of you, I've seen hell!"
"You were the one who followed me to China."
"I'm not talking about that! Because of you, I almost got castrated!"
The other two teens looked at each other, confused. "Um... Ranma's been living with my family for the last three weeks. How can that be his fault?"
"Because you left, Kasumi told Akane to have P-chan fixed if she wanted to keep him as a pet! I barely escaped the vet with my manhood intact!"
"What does that have to do with... wait a second. You followed Ranma to China. I bet you fell into one of the cursed springs!" Ranma stepped back as a blue-white aura erupted around Yohko. "You've been taking advantage of your curse to molest girls by posing as their pet! You pervert!"
Ryouga suddenly noticed that they had attracted a crowd, primarily one made up of angry young women... very angry young women. "Wait! It's not like that!"
"Hentai!"
"Molester!"
"Chikan!"
"Enemy of all women!"
"I bet you're the reason why my panties keep disappearing. I've been blaming it on my neighbor's cat, Choo-Choo-chan... I bet you are that cat! Child molester! She's only twelve!"
As the ring of righteous female fury closed upon Ryouga, the lost boy screamed out, "Ranma! This is all your fault!" Then the beatings began.
Ranma smirked. "Now that he had coming." Ranma took a second step back as the still furious Yohko, deprived of her victim, turned her glare at him.
"You knew about this?"
"Yeah. I promised Ryouga that I wouldn't tell anyone about his curse... he's so helpless in his cursed form, and I'd considered him a friend at the time. Then he went and became Akane's pet. I tried everything I could to clue her in without technically breaking that promise, but she never got the hint. Of course, it was only recently that I realized that I should've just told her outright, but I can be kinda dense at times. I sometimes wondered if she really knew and was using Ryouga to torment me, but if she actually knew, I doubt she'd try to do that to him."
Yohko's bright aura vanished. "Alright. But promise me you'll never put someone else's honor before your own."
"It's a promise. I won't ever make that mistake again."
"Good. At least we got the inevitable interruption out of the way early..."
- + -
Dinner had gone without any further complications, much to Ranma's surprise. The conversation had been pleasant, and the food delicious. Instead of the planned movie, Yohko and Ranma were attending a play. An American musical in fact, performed in English, which the pair could barely follow. The music was catchy, though, and much of the humor was physical, which helped keep things entertaining.
Unfortunately, the play was interrupted by a demon. Part of the scenery had been quietly leaching off the emotional energy of the audience, and as luck would have it, the demon within awoke while the two were enjoying their date. While the rest of the theatre panicked, doing more to endanger themselves than the demon was, the pair pinched the bridges of their noses.
"It was inevitable, I suppose," Yohko sighed.
"Yeah. I was kind of hoping that with Ryouga showin' up..."
"I know what you mean."
"Damn, that thing's ugly."
"And it has tentacles. I hate tentacles. I'm always afraid they'll do more than just get grabby."
"Shouldn't we be doing something by now?"
"Not much we can do until the crowd thins out a bit. Someone could get hurt if we start fighting now. At least the demon seems disoriented... he keeps attacking the scenery rather than going after people... probably because it was trapped in that fetish that some idiot decided to use as scenery."
"First rule of the theatre: check the scenery for demonic influences."
"At least a few people have common sense. Those two are heading for the fire exit."
"Looks like the most of the audience has left," Ranma said as he stood up. "Don't forget, let me handle this." He closed his eyes, summoning his katana. When his hand touched the hilt, he willed the transformation. The magic triggered his curse with a cold mist before transforming her into her Champion's armor.
Yohko stood up as well. "That thing's a demon, Ranma. Your attacks won't do much against it. They're the wrong type."
"But my defenses are strong against it. I need to test them, and this seems like a good opportunity." Ranma grinned, then batted her eyes and snuggled against the taller girl, much to her embarrassment. "Feel free to rescue me if I need it," Ranma cooed. "That way I can swoon over my savior, and maybe reward her with a kiss."
The unusually coiffed girl blushed. "Only after you return to being a male. Get going and kill that thing."
Ranma nodded. "Right." She reviewed what she knew of her powers already. The offensive attacks would be useless, but she did have a few techniques she considered to be "aggressive defenses." She hopped onto the back of the seat before her, and began running towards the demon, using the back of the seats as a path to the stage. "Yo! Ugly!" As the demon turned towards her challenge, Ranma detached the cape from her armor and tossed it towards the monster, imbuing it with her magic so that it would be stiff enough to toss it like an oversized frisbee.
Just before it reached Ranma's foe, the cape's stiffness vanished, causing it to billow out enough to wrap itself around the demon's head. Flaring her battle aura, she launched herself at the creature, delivering a brutal blow to the head. Ranma grunted as pain ripped through her as her kick failed to do anything except sprain her knee and ankle.
'Dammit! I forgot and used ki to enhance that kick instead of my magic. Granny wasn't kidding about aura incompatibility.' She ignored the pain in her left leg and leapt away from the demon, allowing her katana to drop in the process. She could always summon it back into her hand, after all. Her right hand reached behind her to draw out a weapon she'd noticed stored at the small of her back, back when she had been practicing her transformations.
The blue-dyed leather whip cracked out, the tip wrapping itself around the monster's leg. Instead of pulling it off balance, Ranma willed her magic into the whip, using it to siphon off its demonic energy. 'Can't do much with it right now than let it leech into the ground, but if I keep this up long enough, it won't have enough energy to fend off more physical attacks.' Ranma gritted her teeth, as the demonic energy aggravated the damage to her leg. 'Okay, this isn't working as I'd expected...'
Ranma saw Yohko, still untransformed, circling around behind the demon. The girl gave Ranma an inquiring look, clearly wondering if she should intervene. As much as she'd rather finish it off herself, she'd rather be on a date with Yohko. At her nod, Yohko invoked her transformation. Her dress ripped itself away from her body, revealing the girl's gorgeous body. A new Chinese dress, a bit more modest than what she'd been wearing originally, formed around her, and her soul sword appeared in her hand. Ranma was pleased to see that no speeches were made this time; unlike the last few times she'd seen her transform. Ranma fed more magic into the whip despite the pain, weakening the demon further.
Seconds later, Yohko's soul sword had run the demon through. The creature collapsed forward a few steps before disintegrating into dust, leaving only Ranma's slightly soiled cloak behind. Walking up and gathering up the cloak, Yohko said, "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I've been better." Ranma sank down onto one of the chairs on the stage, her left leg extended strait out. "Old habits die hard, I guess. I used my ki to fuel my kick, rather than my magic."
Yohko winced. "Ow. Here, let me heal it." Yohko placed her hand on Ranma's knee, willing her own magic into the limb. "If you keep using your ki, you'll just aggravate your injuries further, and using your magic to heal this kind of damage can be tricky."
"Thanks." Ranma summoned her sword and its sheath, stowing it before she began coiling up her whip. She sighed as the pain began to fade. "That's a lot better."
"Where'd you get that thing, anyways?" She gave Ranma's knee a squeeze. "There, all better."
"It was underneath the cloak. I was experimenting with the cloak one day, and I noticed that there was a whip at the small of my back." Ranma stood up and returned the whip to its storage hook. She turned around to point where the whip was stored behind her.
"You know, Ranma... if that whip was a ribbon, you'd have a frilly bow back there."
Ranma's eyes narrowed. "Very funny," she growled as she reattached her cloak.
A female's voice interrupted them from the side of the stagenearest tothe fire exit. "Hold it right there!"
The two girls blinked, and then turned towards the new challenger, instantly on their guard. The newcomer wore a white leotard, long white gloves, and knee-high white boots. Short, puffy pink sleeves barely covered her shoulders and upper arms, and an extremely short yellow, red, and black miniskirt covered her hips. A pair of feathered white wings sprouted from the small of her back, and a miniature pair covered her chest. The girl's long blonde hair was styled in a pair of buns, each topping a ponytail that reached to her knees.
"For Love and Justice, I am the pretty soldier in a sailor suit, Sailor Moon!" The new girl struck a pose. "In the Name of the Moon, I will... hey! Where'd the monster go?"
The two magical girls on the stage looked at each other, and shrugged. "We killed it," they chorused out together.
"Oh." The new magical girl seemed at a loss for what to do for a moment, before she gasped. "Oh! I got to go back to my date! Nice meeting you!" With a quick wave, the girl rushed back out the fire exit, pausing only long enough to turn sideways, since the wings of her costume were too wide to fit through narrow door. The caped man clad in a tuxedo, top hat, and a mask failed to sneak out of another fire exit on the theatre's balcony.
"Yohko?"
"Yeah, Ranma?"
"You're right. Your costume is a lot more practical compared to other magical girls."
"I'd still prefer yours."
Ranma touched her hand to her chest, becoming a girl in an oversized suit. "I guess that's it for tonight."
"Yeah, but I still expect my reward for saving you... and you'd better be a boy when you give it to me."
- + -
Mano Madoka looked at her two pupils, who were kneeling before her in the dojo, with attentive looks on their faces. She was proud that Yohko was finally taking her education as a devil hunter seriously, and in the six weeks Ranma had been here, he had proved to be joy to teach. As expected, the boy had an intuitive sense of tactics, and absorbed new techniques like a sponge. The fact that he had caught up with Yohko amazed her, but then you don't reach Ranma's level of ki mastery without a healthy amount of talent and drive.
Yohko had progressed in her skills as well, with a constant sparring partner like Ranma. The boy seemed to be able to judge a person's skill level quite accurately, and usually fought at just above her level. She was also glad that he wasn't going to teach at a dojo. The Art came easily to Ranma, and he lacked the necessary tact and patience to teach the basics effectively.
"Okay, children, listen up. Up until now, you've been learning about the main types of magical energy, their relationships with each other, and how to take advantage of your own innate magic. Today, you'll be doing more than just figuring out the best counter to a particular type of magic. You won't always have access to the appropriate type of magic. In fact you will, more often than not, face an opponent using just your natural powers.
"Theoretically, anyone can use any type of energy, but as you've noticed, people tend to be strong in one type of energy. Ranma's clan has long arranged marriages to ensure their bloodline is strong in ki, while our line has always had access to a lot of divine energy thanks to our legacy. However, if you're faced with an opponent that draws strength from your aura, or even worse dominates it, that strength will do you little good.
"With practice, you can transform your energy into another form, or use it to manipulate ambient energy. Ranma-kun does this already with the Hiryuu Shouten Ha technique. He uses his ki to manipulate ambient spiritual energy, resulting in what Ranma calls 'hot' ki and the 'soul of ice,' which in turn invokes the tornado: which is primarily an elemental attack. As the youma you fought are particularly vulnerable to elemental energy, that tornado probably hurt it quite a bit."
"It did? You mean I could've used it again? Kuso... I was worried about those things absorbin' the ki from that attack."
Yohko blushed. "Sorry, Ranma."
"It's not either of your faults. This is what experience brings... assuming you survive to get it. There are four factors that will determine the outcome of any conflict you may find yourselves in: skill, power, the type of energies involved, and any elemental affinity. That last is especially important for you, Ranma-kun, since unlike your ki abilities and Yohko's devil hunter powers, your magical powers, besides being elemental based, also have an elemental affinity. You have a strong affinity for Earth magic, and a minor affinity for Wood. What does this tell you?"
Ranma thought for a few seconds, imagining the circled star pattern in his mind. "I'm particularly vulnerable to metal-based magic, particularly strong against water-based magic, and when faced by fire-based magic, the struggle would be rather... intriguing..."
"Very good. And since you have access to both ki, which is primarily life energy, as well as elemental energy, what does that tell you?"
The pause was longer this time. "I may not be particularly vulnerable to any magical power, but I don't have very much strength against demonic powers." He winced. "I just have to make sure I'm using the right energy at the right time. That's what went wrong with that demon at the theatre."
"Correct. And Yohko? Your powers are primarily based on divine energy. What does that mean for you?"
"I'm strong against demonic power, and weak against spiritual power. On the other hand, I'm vulnerable to elemental power, but somewhat impervious to ki energy." The girl didn't have to think. Madoka had been drumming this into her head for over a year now.
"Excellent. Azusa-chan? You can come in now."
The girl was grinning as she carried to short staffs into the dojo. "Hi Ranma-san, Yohko-san! Ready for some training?"
The two teens glanced at each other, before returning their attention to their Sensei. Ranma asked the question that was on both their minds. "What're those things, Granny?"
"These are simple power staves. They've been in our clan for generations, in order to train some of the more esoteric aspects of our powers. These staves can project low powered blasts of different types of magical power. You both know how to enhance your resistance to damage through your powers, but that resistance can become useless if the wrong type of power is wielded against you. In this exercise, you'll be taking hits. A lot. Ranma-kun, remain untransformed, and flare your battle aura. Yohko-chan, please transform and do likewise."
It was only after she'd transformed that Yohko remembered the nature of her transformation. "You could've turned around, Ran-chan," she said teasingly.
The boy shrugged. "It's not that I don't know what you look like naked, Yohko-chan." He deliberately undressed Yohko with his eyes. "In fact, I'm intimately familiar with your body, remember?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, grinning as the girl blushed. "If you're really uncomfortable about it, just let me know. Though you've never been shy about it before."
"Not really. I'm still hoping to get you in the sack..." A blue-black bolt of energy struck Yohko's behind, knocking her face first onto the floor of the dojo. "Grandma!"
"Pay attention, children. Now, to begin the exercise, I'll be using spiritual energy against Ranma, while Azusa-chan will be attacking Yohko-chan with demonic energy, just so you can get a feel of what a power you're strong against feels like. Then we'll use ki and divine energy respectively... though I'm sure Ranma is already quite familiar with what ki does against ki." Ranma echoed Madoka's grin as the boy nodded his head.
"The next blasts will be demonic and elemental energy, the powers you are weakest against. After that, we'll be mixing things up. Remember, energy can be both transformed and controlled. The goal is to keep the damage done to you at a minimum, and trying to use our energy to your advantage. Also, you are not permitted to dodge, just take the hit. Are you ready?" Madoka looked at the two teens, who nodded.
The old woman grinned evilly, and Azusa echoed the grin, causing the pair at the other end of the dojo to sweatdrop. This was going to hurt.
- + -
Ranma had just finished rinsing off the soap when she heard the outer door to the furo open. "Yohko-chan, I'm in here right now."
Yohko's voice answered from behind the sliding panel to the furo proper. "I know, Ran-chan. I'm too sore to wait right now." The panel slid open, revealing a bruised, but naked, Yohko, a towel draped over her left forearm. She walked stiffly to the rinsing stool, and gingerly lowered herself onto the stool. Washing quickly, she rinsed off, wrapped herself in the towel, and lowered herself gratefully into the hot water. Only then did she take a close look at Ranma. "Aw... no fair!"
Ranma, a towel tied firmly around his waist, shrugged from where he sat in the furo. "I figured I'd better reduce the level of temptation. After all, you remember the rule about the furo..."
" 'If you have sex in the furo, clean up after yourselves?' "
"I meant your grandmother's rule."
"Oh. And here I wanted to cuddle..." Yohko pouted cutely, batting her eyes at Ranma. "I'm sure it would help me feel better."
"Nothin's stopping you. As long as it's just cuddling."
Yohko crossed to the opposite side, and wearily dropped her head on his shoulder, a content smile on her face. "I feel better already."
Her expression changed to alarm when the far wall of the furo cracked, then fell apart. Framed by the hole in the wall was a purple haired girl dressed in Chinese-style armor, a scimitar in her hands. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw the pair in cuddling in the furo, before she growled, "Ranma."
Next chapter teaser:
"Hi, Ranma here again. I knew things were going too smoothly, and eventually someone would catch up to me. It looks like I'm really in hot water..." whap "Ow."
"Just read the next chapter teaser, Ran-chan."
"..."
"I meant out loud."
"Take a look, Yohko-chan."
"... Hey! No fair!"
"Well, turn in next time for 'Vacation Days,' the next thrilling chapter of Rurouni Ranma!"
"I wanna talk to my agent!"
Omake:
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"
Despite being surprised by the high-pitched voice shouting Ryouga's traditional "challenge," Ranma scooped up Yohko and leapt out of the way. Moments later, something massive slammed into the area he had just vacated, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust.
Yohko stared at the dense cloud. "What the hell was that?"
"Don't know. If it wasn't for the feminine voice, I would've thought that Ryouga had finally showed up."
As the dust settled, Ranma boggled at the foe that had attacked them. It was an enormous pig, nearly two meters tall at the shoulder. On the pig's back was a pretty girl wearing a simple dress. Both were glaring at him.
"Um... hi, Akari. What's up?"
The girl pointed accusingly at him. "Ranma! Because of you, poor Ryouga's 'Mr. Wee-wee' got snipped!"
"Huh?"
"Akane took P-chan to the vet and had him fixed! Now Ryouga's half a man, and it's all your fault!" Akari's sumo pig squealed his agreement.
"Wait... you knew Ryouga was posing as Akane's pet?"
"Of course I did! That just proved that Ryouga was once as virile as a pig! He was so manly! Now he's nothing but a eunuch. For castrating Ryouga and ruining my 'Mr. Happy,' " Akari pronounced, pointing accusingly at Ranma, "I will punish you!"
