A/N: A content warning: At the beginning, this gets a bit explicit. Not quite lemon status, but still a bit explicit. Later on, it gets into lemon territory; because of what's happening at that point in the chapter, I have to write all the way through two people having sex. The scene wouldn't work without it. I don't go into much detail; indeed, it's basically an internal monologue through that whole scene.

Ranma padded down the hallway, heading for the furo. For once, she wasn't soaking wet from a dip in the koi pond. Of course, she'd ended up in it that morning, like most mornings, but she'd changed clothes without changing back to a boy. At the time, she'd thought it wouldn't be a big deal, but the smell of pond water that continued to waft from her skin was starting to get annoying.

As she was about to slide the door open to the outer bath, she heard the door from outside open. Glancing to look, she was surprised by Ryoga, letting himself in. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He shouldn't have ended up anywhere without her help— after the gymnastics tournament, they'd led him back to his parents house and gave him strict instructions not to walk anywhere that took him outside. It had been a few days since then, and she and Akane had already stopped by twice, so that they could take him anywhere he needed to go.

Ryoga looked sheepish. "I thought I could go out and get the mail," he replied. Ranma put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. He looked away. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't leave the house. Should've listened. At least I found my way here."

Ranma sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you got lucky," she replied with an eyeroll. She glanced around. Seeing nothing but an empty hallway, she walked up to him, put her hands on his shoulders, and put her lips to his in a soft kiss. After a moment, their kisses started getting deeper, their tongues clashing as she pulled him closer, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Ranma let out a squeak as Ryoga's hand found its way to her rear, and then let out a groan as she pressed her body against his.

They both nearly jumped out of their skin at the sudden touch of an extra hand on each of them. Their eyes flew open and they looked to see Akane's grinning face, as she stood with one hand each on the small of their backs. "Good morning you two!" she said cheerfully. "So nice of you to put on a show for me." She looked to Ranma. "Now, the agreement we had said that you could have all the guys you want, so if you really want to keep Ryoga for yourself, that's fine. But, it seems more efficient to mess around with both of us at the same time. I know I'd love the experience."

Ranma looked to Ryoga, who blushed. Akane turned to the boy. "What do you say, Ryoga? It would let me have two guys at once, and you could get two girls, too. I know you're nice to look at with your clothes off; I've seen every inch of you on the videot…"

Ranma gave her a puzzled look, and she grimaced. "Oh, Ranma, one thing I forgot," she said. "When I made Ryoga have sex with you, I told him he had to let me hide a camera in the room."

Ranma's eyes bulged. "There's a video of it?"

She nodded.

"Has anyone else seen it?"

"I made a copy for Kasumi."

Ranma reddened and hid her face. "Oh, Kami, your sister's seen me having sex. With somebody besides you."

"She might be willing to give you a peek at some things to repay you—"

"No! No, that's alright. Getting involved with two sisters is a little weird, even after all the stuff we've done together. I'm just worried that our dads might find it."

"Nah, don't worry. The original's locked in a box in my closet, and Kasumi keeps her porn in a steamer trunk in her closet. They're secure."

Ranma deflated. Ryoga looked interested. "Steamer trunk?"

"She's as big of a hentai as me, but she's too shy to go after guys. She kinda has a collection." She looked back and forth at both of them. "Do you guys want to watch the tape?"

Both blushed, and Ryoga gave Ranma a shy glance. "We should. Watch it. Together." Ranma nodded.

She grinned. "So what about what I was asking? Are you two going to make me sit on the sidelines while you're swordfighting? I'd love to get a little closer, and Ryoga, I can't imagine you don't want to see a little more of me."

Ryoga rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, ah, I saw you already. When I was a pig in your room. And then you two…"

"Oh, that's right! I forgot about that. And I bet you wished you were in the middle." She looked to her fiancé, giving the redhead her best puppy-dog eyes. "Ranma?"

Ranma shrugged. "I like the idea. Ryoga?"

He was still blushing. "I, uh… I don't see why not. I mean… you're the only person I've been with, and since you two are already…"

Akane wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling them to her. "Oh, how I love my life. Were you two heading to the furo?"

"I dunno," Ranma replied. She looked to Ryoga. "You want me like this, or…"

"Doesn't matter."

Akane yanked them toward the door. "No need to waste time, then. Let's go."

A few minutes later, the three of them were undressed and getting cozy in the furo. Ranma, changed back to his male form, sat in the middle with Ryoga on one side and Akane clinging to the other. She rubbed his chest. "Have I told you recently that you're the most amazing, wonderful fiancé in the world?"

He chuckled. "A couple times."

"I think I have the two hottest guys in Nerima in my furo. If I died right this second, I would die happy." She looked past him to Ryoga, and ran a hand along one of her breasts. "You like the view, Ryoga? Ranma's girl side has nicer curves than me, but I still get looks."

Ryoga looked down shyly. "You've got more muscle than most girls. But you don't come out looking like a man like those bodybuilder girls. It suits you."

Ranma leaned back with his eyes closed. "Boy, does it."

Akane chuckled and ran her hand down his chest, then his stomach, heading toward something she wanted to massage. Right as she reached it, though, her hand bumped something else— Ryoga's hand, as he was started to give Ranma's thigh a feel. Their heads snapped up and they looked at eachother, and Akane's lips curled into a sly grin.

"So, Ranma. What would you think about watching the two people you're screwing make out with eachother?"

Ranma's head snapped up and he paled slightly, as the blood rushed from the top half of his body. "That actually sounds… really hot."

The last word had barely left his mouth before Akane had pulled away and grabbed Ryoga's arm, yanking him in front of her. With theatrical zeal, she threw herself on him, pulling him close by the hips and crushing her lips against his. He was so surprised that it took him a few seconds to even move, but he eventually overcame his shock and started kissing back. Ranma watched, mesmerized, as Akane leaned down to kiss Ryoga on the chest, then turned and made a kissy face at her fiancé, all while stroking Ryoga under the water.

She turned back to Ryoga. "C'mon," she whispered, "let's give him something to look at." She pressed her lips to his neck and started sucking gently, chuckling at the shiver that ran through him. Not used to that type of contact, he put his hands back and gripped the edge of the furo for stability. Akane stopped and took hold of his wrists, placing his hands firmly on her breasts, then went back to his neck. She gave his butt a squeeze and let out a moan, hoping that Ranma could hear. After all, she was thinking less of feeling up Ryoga, and more of putting on a good show.

She jumped as she suddenly felt another body press against her back, and while she was still against Ryoga's neck, a new pair of lips started sucking her own neck. She stopped and let out a shaky breath, glancing back to see Ranma's face next to hers. "Kami," she whispered. "I've always wanted to be between two guys. The guys I used to mess around with would never do it." She reached back to give Ranma's rear an affection squeeze, then let out another moan as Ranma's hands slid past her to do the same to Ryoga. Despite the hot bath water, she shivered.

"I love you," she whispered over her shoulder. "You have no idea how much I love you. I know it sounds crazy to say that when there's another boy with us, but it's the truth. This is a dream come true for me." She let out another moan, acutely aware of the two male parts pressing against her from both sides. She leaned back against Ranma's chest, only to nearly faint as he leaned forward, past her head, to put his lips to Ryoga's. From her position in between, she could feel Ranma's movements as he pawed at Ryoga.

She stopped and patted them both on the arm. "We should move," she said quickly. "Let's take this to your room, Ranma. Before I end up having to scrub the furo again." He nodded and stood, with Ryoga following. Akane remained where she sat for a moment, before shakily dragging herself to her feet and following them, her head swimming.

Ranma, now a girl, sat across from Akane, wolfing down the ice cream sundae in front of her. Akane laughed. "Too macho to eat ice cream as a guy," she said, shaking her head. Ranma looked at her. "Hey," she replied, "I always wanted to try one of these fruity things, but I would've been too embarrassed as a guy."

"I guess I can understand that," Akane said, taking a bite of her own. "You wouldn't ever dress like that as a guy, either." Ranma glanced down at the clothes she and Akane had bought earlier— a tube top that screamed "80s" and a pair of shorts so tiny that you could nearly see her giblets. She blushed. "Yeah, well, the pervert in me likes dressing up as a girl," she replied.

Akane looked with satisfaction at her own new outfit, very similar to Ranma's. "We're stopping by Ryoga's house to let him enjoy all this, right?"

Ranma grinned. "You got two guys; only fair that he gets two girls."

"Having two guys was my biggest wish since I hit puberty. Never forget that you gave me the thing I wished for more than anything else." She sat and thought for a moment. "We just need to find another girl so that you can have two. And we could go all-girl."

Ranma nodded before turning her attention to the television on the wall, where a news anchor sat at a desk. "We'll get back to American correspondent Tom Tucker for an in-depth report on conveniently placed news reports in television shows, but first, a special documentary report from China."

The screen cut to a very familiar-looking mountain range, where a reporter addressed the camera. "I'm in central mainland China, and behind me is the legendary Bayankala Mountain Range of the Qinghai Province." Ranma pointed excitedly. "Hey!" she said. "I've been there!"

The report continued. "The peoples of this area revere this, Amesores Mountain, as a local deity." The camera panned to get a wide shot of the wilderness around them. "What hidden secrets lie buried in its stony depths? The conditions here in this Amazon village are…" He pointed. "Oh! Look at that!"

The wall by the television suddenly blew apart in a shower of rubble. When the dust cleared, Ranma found herself looking into an angry pair of eyes she'd hoped to never see again. The purple-haired Chinese girl stared back. "Ranma," she said simply.

Ranma started to tremble. "Sh— Shampoo!"

Shampoo scowled. "Die!" she shouted, lunging and stabbing her chúi at the redhead, who barely managed to evade. She struck again, and Ranma countered by grabbing the window shade and tearing it down, throwing it in her face. She fought to get it off as Ranma dove for cover.

Freeing herself, Shampoo looked around, and Akane pointed to the hole that the girl had entered through. "She ran out that way," she said, and Shampoo broke into a sprint, darting outside. Ranma emerged from a cabinet, and Akane leaned near her. "So," she said, "you're friends with a cute Chinese girl?"

"'Friends' is not the word."

"Think she'd be game for a four-way?"

Ranma jumped to her feet. "No! No, no, no, no, no! C'mon! We gotta go! Now!" She grabbed Akane's wrist and dragged her away.

As they walked home, Ranma told Akane the story of how she knew Shampoo. As she listened, Akane was hopeful to put a positive spin on things. After all, the girl was very cute, and she rather liked the idea of messing around with a foreigner. It was exotic. "So," she said, "do you think there's any chance at all to settle things peacefully? She's awful cute. Maybe we can make friends with her and have a little fun."

Ranma shook her head emphatically. "No way!" she responded. "She can't be reasoned with at all. She's from a nutcase tribe and nothing will stop her. The only good thing is, she doesn't know I'm cursed. When I was running, if I changed, she wouldn't know it was me."

"Well, we have to figure something out. If she's here, she's not going away anytime soon."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll think of something."

"Think we'll be safe at Ryoga's? She's just as likely to find us at home as his house."

"I'm kinda afraid of her wrecking his house, but… I think it's okay. We're going to be inside for a few hours, anyway."

A couple of hours later, the three teens were curled up in Ryoga's bed, the only boy present basking in the glow of having two girls on him at once. Ranma gave Akane a squeeze. "You think we should call home?" she asked. "Any idea when Kasumi is making dinner?"

Akane stretched. "Not for a while, but I'll call her anyway. Make sure she doesn't worry." She climbed out of bed. "Mind if I use your phone, Ryoga?"

The boy murmured an unintelligible reply.

"I'll take that as a yes. Be right back."

She headed out of the room. Ranma smirked at Ryoga, then wrapped an arm around him and started nibbling on his ear. He let out a moan and turned to face her. Their lips came together and they started making out, and from what Ranma could feel pressing against her under the covers, Ryoga was replenished enough from their last tryst that she could start him going again.

She didn't have the chance, though, as Akane picked that moment to rush back into the room. On her face was a look of shock, which itself was itself to instantly stop the other two from what they were doing. Ranma sat up. "Akane?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"Shampoo's at our house. Kasumi told me over the phone."

Ranma slapped a palm to her face. "No, no, no. How could she know we lived there?"

"Apparently she followed your father home. He's cowering under the table."

"Moron." She scratched her head. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I'd ask you what to do and call her back."

Ryoga sat up next to her. "You two could both stay here tonight."

Ranma brightened. "Yeah! Just tell Kasumi not to say where we are where Shampoo can hear. She's not going to stay the night waiting on us. We can get back safely in the morning."

Akane nodded and left. Ranma leaned against Ryoga and gave him a gently kiss on the neck. It sent a shiver down his spine. She lay back and reached up to rub his back. "Where were we?"

The next morning, the two of them snuck into the house, Ranma in his male form. Sure enough, Shampoo was nowhere to be found. With a sigh of relief, they plopped down at the table. After a moment, Genma entered. "Ranma," he said, "get ready to train. You need to be on your game with that Amazon girl coming around."

Ranma shook his head. "Uh uh," he replied. "If we train in the yard, you're going to kick me in the pond. If you kick me in the pond, I'm going to turn into a girl. Right now, as a guy, she doesn't know who I am."

"Boy! You—" He stopped abruptly, staring out into the yard. The others turned to look, and Ranma and Akane jumped at the sight of Shampoo, who was stepping onto the engawa. She looked at those in the room. "Where Ranma?" she asked. "Ranma back yet?"

No one answered, and after a moment, a look of recognition crossed the girl's face as she realized that Akane was with the girl she'd seen the day before. She swung a chúi, which Akane dove to avoid. "You hide Ranma!" she shouted, as Akane jumped up, ready to fight. She didn't have to, though, as Shampoo's attack had angered Ranma to the point of action. He jumped to his feet. "Leave her alone!" he screamed, kicking the chúi from Shampoo's hand. It flew into the air and landed directly on her head. She stood for a moment, dazed, before crumpling to the floor.

Everyone stared in shock. "Oh, no," Ranma said.

"She's gonna come after your guy side now!" Akane chimed.

"I'm pretending we're not related," Genma said.

Shampoo stirred and sat up. She stared ahead through unfocused eyes, before shaking her head to clear it. She stood and padded over to Ranma, who recoiled. "Please, no kiss of death," he muttered, leaning away. She stopped and stared for a moment, before throwing her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his.

"Ooh!" Akane said softly. She'd been eyeballing the girl already; while the previous day Shampoo had been fairly covered up, on this day she'd shown up in a cheongsam that only reached about mid-thigh, and it showed off enough to drive Akane to distraction. If the girl weren't trying to kill her, she would've already made a pass at her. Now, though, she was suddenly interested in Ranma, and that meant that she had a shot.

Ranma, meanwhile, wasn't at all enjoying the sudden attention. As soon as he regained his senses, he turned his head in a desperate attempt to avoid her mouth, though with her clinging to his neck, he wasn't able to accomplish much. Finally, when he couldn't take any more, he managed to wedge his hands between their bodies and pushed her away.

Akane took that as a time to pounce. She tugged on Shampoo's arm, and motioned for her to follow. Shampoo gave her a quizzical look, but complied. Akane led her to the engawa and out into the hallway, while Ranma edged his way out the other door.

Leading her a few steps from the room, Akane stopped and turned to Shampoo. "You like that boy?"

Shampoo nodded. "It Amazon law. If Amazon woman is defeated by outside man, Amazon woman must marry man. It way of getting strong men to make babies with."

"What about losing to outside women?"

"Amazon woman who lose to outside woman must kill outsider, even if it mean chasing woman to ends of earth."

"Aha! I get it!" Shampoo looked at her in confusion, and Akane waved her hands dismissively. "Nothing. Nothing. Well, we might have to work out a deal for that boy."

Shampoo turned apprehensive. "What you mean?"

"It just to happens that he's the man I'm going to marry."

"No! Shampoo marry! It law!"

"Well, maybe we can both have him. Sometimes he and I like to find other people to spend time with."

Shampoo gave her a blank stare.

"You know, all three of us… at once…"

Shampoo still stared at her blankly.

Hoping to reinforce her point, Akane put her hand on the girl's thigh and started to slide it up, reaching the hem of her dress and pushing it up. As soon as Akane's hand went up far enough to cup her butt, the realization hit the Amazon like a ton of bricks, and she leaped back, scowling.

"You no touch Shampoo, pervert girl! Shampoo no share husband! Shampoo not interested in having other girl!" With that, she raced back to the washitsu, only to find it empty. She spun around and faced Akane. "Where he?" she demanded. Akane shrugged. "He probably ran away outside," she replied. "He loves me. He didn't like you kissing him." Shampoo gave her an angry look and ran outside, jumping over the wall and out of sight.

A moment later, Ranma's head appeared upside down from above the doorway. "She gone?" he whispered. Akane nodded, and he jumped down, sitting next to her at the table. Akane sighed. "That girl is so sexy," she said. "I really hope she changes her mind about a three-way."

"Are you outta your mind?! That girl's crazier than Kodachi! She's capable of killing people!"

"Still…"

"Did you tell her I was the same person as the red-haired girl?"

"No, and I didn't use your name, so she's still clueless. It's probably the best way to deal with the kiss of death thing, though. Just tell her about your curse, and she'll only be worrying about trying to marry you."

"That ain't better. She might come after you."

"I could probably take her. I'd rather take her to bed. Hey!" She brightened. "If I have to challenge her for you, do you think she'd agree to mud wrestle? We could sell tickets…"

Ranma sighed. "Don't think like that. She could really kill you. We need to get rid of her, and that's all there is to it."

Akane shrugged.

The next morning, Kasumi was getting breakfast ready, and her sisters sat at the table. Kasumi looked to Akane. "Akane?" she said. "Could you go wake Ranma up? Breakfast will be ready soon." Akane jumped up. "Gladly!" she replied, racing to the steps.

As she dashed to his room, she contemplated the possibilities. His father was out sparring with hers in the dojo, so he was alone in there. More than once, she'd woke him up by initiating some sort of sex act while was asleep. It was rather fun to watch him squirm in his sleep until he awoke from whatever she was doing. It always put him in a good mood for the rest of the day.

She made it to his room and quietly opened the door, pausing in confusion at the sight that met her: Ranma, male, laying on his bed in his boxers and an undershirt, with a very naked Shampoo pressed against him, one of her arms draped across his chest. Akane brightened— he must have changed his mind! She slipped in, gently laying down on his other side and kissing him on the neck. He stirred, and in his half asleep state, didn't realize where she lay. He reached over and grabbed Shampoo solidly by the breasts.

They didn't feel right. He'd played with Akane's enough by then that he knew them by touch.

He opened his eyes slowly, and, seeing who was in front of him, yanked his hands back like he'd been shocked. He sprang to his feet, only then seeing Akane laying on the floor. She stood, while he looked at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy?!" he hissed. "It was one thing to stick me with Ryoga, but she's dangerous!"

Akane was confused. "Huh? I didn't let her in. She was already in here. I figured you'd changed your mind about her."

Ranma paused, then rushed to the window, which he'd closed last night. It was wide open. He slumped. "She snuck in," he muttered. He spun around. "Let's get outta here without waking her up," he said. The last word barely made it out of his mouth, though, before the girl stirred, sitting up. She looked to Ranma, smiled weakly, then rose, stretching. Ranma turned to run, grabbing some clothes from atop his dresser, slipping past Akane, and grabbing her hand to drag her behind him. Shampoo, still naked, gave chase as they hurried downstairs.

Kasumi stared in surprise as the naked Chinese girls sprang into the washitsu just after Ranma rushed in, with Akane behind both of them. "Shampoo," she said sweetly. "What a… lovely… surprise." Akane smirked, then leaned forward and gave Shampoo a firm smack on the butt. Shampoo jumped and spun around.

"Hey, China doll," she drawled.

Shampoo looked offended. "My name Shampoo!"

"Shampoo, I told you yesterday. You can do whatever you want to Ranma, so long as I get to eat Chinese, too."

Soun, at the opposite end of the table, looked up from his newspaper. "Akane, please don't talk like that in my presence."

"Sorry, daddy."

Shampoo gave her a defiant look. "Shampoo no share!"

"Then Shampoo doesn't get any closer to Ranma than what you managed during the night. And now that Ranma knows you can sneak in through closed second-floor windows, he's probably going to work really hard to make sure you can't do it again."

"Damn straight!" Ranma spat.

Akane grabbed his hand. "We're going to school now. Don't follow us. If you change your mind, come back here later." With that, she pulled him to his feet, and they headed off.

The morning passed without incident, and by lunchtime, Ranma and Akane were both much more relaxed than they'd been at the start of the day. As they sat together in their classroom, Akane pulled two bentō boxes from her bag, and Ranma's mouth immediately started watering. "Oh, yes," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Kasumi makes such good lunches!"

Akane smiled. "Oh, Kasumi didn't make this," she said. "I did." She set the bentō in front of him. He opened it, paused, took a sniff, and turned to her, his expression unreadable. "What exactly is this?" he asked. Her smile faded a bit. "Curry," she replied. "I haven't had a lot of luck with cooking, but I think I got it at least close to right this time."

Ranma gingerly picked up the chopsticks inside, grabbed a piece, and placed it in his mouth. The tears that followed clouded his vision for a moment, before he choked it down. Akane looked worried. "It still isn't very good, is it?" she asked. Then, she smirked. "Well, I think I make up for my cooking in a few other ways." She grabbed a piece of her own lunch and ate it, coughing as soon as she got it down. Her expression turned sheepish. "That seemed a lot better when I taste-tested it," she said quietly.

They jumped at the sound of a boom. Looking in the direction it came from, they heard a second boom, and watched as a section of the outside wall crumbled down. A familiar figure stepped through the opening. "Darling!" Shampoo shouted, bouncing over to him. Ranma was less enthusiastic. "If you're going to follow me to school," he said, "at least use the door."

She produced a metal tray with a lid, and set it in front of him. "Dutiful wife make delicious lunch for airen!" she said with excitement.

"You ain't my wife!"

Akane shrugged. "Aw, eat it, Ranma. It's not like my food was up to snuff today."

Shampoo smiled and lifted the lid, and what was inside made both teens spring to their feet. It was Ryoga, in pig form, apparently cooked as a meal. Ranma grabbed him, frantic, as Akane let out a blood-curdling scream. "Ryoga?" Ranma whispered, shaking the little pig. After a moment, Ryoga stirred, looking at Ranma with grateful eyes. Ranma sighed, setting Ryoga gently on the table. "I'll get him some hot water," he said to Akane. As he did, though, he found that Akane wasn't next to him anymore. He looked just in time to see Shampoo lean back almost to the floor, just in time to dodge Akane's fist.

Akane stared at the Chinese girl, fury in her eyes. "You show up at my house," she growled. "You sneak into my fiancé's bed in the middle of the night. And now, you try to kill his best friend?!" She stepped toward her. "I'm not trying to make friends any more. You want to go? Let's go!"

Ranma jumped. "Akane?" he said quietly. "Let it go. She's really dangerous. Please!"

Akane spun around, her eyes still filled with fury. "You don't think I can beat her?!" she hissed. Ranma leaned away, slightly afraid, and she softened. "I'm not afraid to fight for my fiancé," she said. "If she's not going to compromise, I'll run her off. Take care of him, and I'll tear her apart." She turned to Shampoo. "After you, bitch," she said. Shampoo smirked and jumped out the hole in the wall, with Akane hot on her tail. Ranma spun, grabbed Ryoga, and started running. "Ryoga," he said, "we need to change you and get out to Akane in a hurry. She's in real trouble."

A few minutes later, Ranma was racing toward the athletic fields. Ryoga had begged him to go alone, fearing that his own directional challenge would be a hindrance. As a result, the boy was waiting in a restroom with strict instructions not to take a single step. Ranma rounded a corner, and stopped dead at what was in front of him— Akane, unmoving, lying on the ground. He walked toward her slowly, kneeling beside her. She was motionless, but there weren't any signs of injury. The only thing unusual was the fact that her hair was wet, which made no sense. "Akane?" he said, giving her a gentle nudge.

Her eyes snapped open, and she glanced at him before sitting up, putting a hand to her head. Ranma sighed. "Thank the Kami," he muttered. "I thought she'd kill you for sure. She's dangerous and doesn't fight fair at all. You really shouldn't have fought her."

Akane squinted at him. "Do I know you?"

Ranma stopped dead, mouth hanging open. "Uh… what?"

Akane went from looking confused to a very familiar state of arousal. "Ooh… I don't think we've met. I'm Akane Tendo. It's nice to meet you." She raised a hand up and started feeling his chest, as she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "Really nice," she muttered. "I love when the transfer students are sexy."

Ranma deadpanned. "Akane! What are you talking about? It's me! Ranma!"

They were greeted by the sound of running footsteps, as a group of their classmates reached them. Akane stood. "Hi, guys," she said. Her friends Yuka and Sayuri flanked her. "Akane!" Yuka cried, squinting at her. "Are you alright? We were worried!" Sayuri gave her a disapproving look. "That girl was tough," she chimed.

Akane waved a hand dismissively. "Aw, that little cat-eater didn't have anything on me."

"You were flat on your back!" Ranma shouted.

Akane glanced at him. "I do my best work like that." She looked to her friends. "Is he a transfer student?"

Yuka and Sayuri looked at each other. Sayuri spoke up. "Ranma? He's… been here a while. You know that, right?"

She shrugged. "No. Never seen him before. Though I wish I had…"

The other girls gave each other a startled look. "Akane," Sayuri said slowly. "Ranma is your… fiancé. You two live together."

"Fiancé? Me?"

"Of course!" Yuka replied. "You've known him for months! He's Ranma!"

She stopped. "Ran… ma? It does sound a little familiar… Where do I know that name from?" She grabbed her head as a searing pain hit her like a lightning bolt. Ranma rushed to her side and held her for a moment, before she straightened and looked at him. "I know!" she said brightly. "It's the same as that German tank commander!"

"That's 'Rommel'."

"Oh." She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess it just sounds similar."

Ranma was more than alarmed by her selective amnesia. He grabbed hold of her arm. "C'mon," he said. "You need to see Doctor Tofu. We'll grab Ryoga from where I left him."

"Oh! You've met Ryoga and Doctor Tofu?"

He blushed. "With Ryoga, it was a little more than 'met'."

Akane stopped dead, grabbing hold of his arm. She looked at him, an ever-so-slightly crazed look in her eyes. "How much further?"

"Ah…" He looked away shyly. "Enough that you'd like to hear about it. You really don't remember any of this? We were in the furo together, and then we had a three-way. And we did it again after Shampoo showed up. And for crying out loud, I'm the reason you know Ryoga in the first place! I knew him from my old school!"

Akane was thinking hard; in fact, given what he'd just described, she was trying harder to remember than she ever had in her entire life. "I don't remember any of that," she muttered. "I don't remember ever doing anything with Ryoga. How could I possibly forget something like that? A three-way with two guys would be a dream come true…"

"Yeah, that's what you said at the time. Now come on!" He dragged her toward the school.

A few minutes later, they were walking with Ryoga, en route to Doctor Tofu's clinic. They'd discussed ways of jogging Akane's memory, but had yet to find anything that worked. Ryoga paused, then poked the other boy's chest. "Maybe your other half would jog her memory," he suggested. "Maybe this goofy memory thing only erased your boy side."

"Hey!" Ranma cried. "You might be right!" He ran to the nearest house, searching frantically for a garden hose. He found one after a brief search and quickly turned it on himself, splashing water onto his head. He felt the change after a moment, and dropped the hose, staring at a shocked Akane. "Is this familiar?" the redhead asked.

Akane pointed. "How… how did you do that?" she asked in amazement.

"I'm cursed. Cold water turns me into a girl and hot water turns me back to being a boy. You don't recognize me like this? You don't remember what a Jusenkyo curse is?"

"You can be a boy or a girl at will?"

Ranma nodded slowly.

"Jackpot!" She rushed to Ranma and wrapped her in a bear hug, reaching down to give the girl's butt a squeeze.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Akane!" she complained. "We did this already!"

"Kami, your girl side is sexy…"

"Akane!"

"Does your girl side like boys or girls? Or both?"

Ranma slapped a palm to her face. "Both halves like both!"

Akane looked toward Ryoga. "So, I can have a three-way with two guys, and then you can change and Ryoga can have two girls?"

"Gah! We did that already, too! I was just telling you about it! And we just messed around with Ryoga yesterday! That's it!" She grabbed Akane's hand and started dragging her. "You're getting to Doctor Tofu's clinic right away! I want the old you back!"

After a few more minutes, the two of them plus Ryoga sat in Doctor Tofu's office, as the young doctor stared, perplexed. "Nothing appears to be wrong with her at all," he said. "Akane, how did you feel when you woke up?"

"Refreshed."

"Her hair was wet," Ranma added.

Tofu put his hands over his mouth. "Could it be?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder. "A legendary martial arts technique… I've read about it, but was never sure that it really existed. But this, this is it for sure. Akane's been attacked with the Xi Fa Xiang Gao technique!"

Ranma's eyes widened. "What is it, Doctor Tofu?"

Just then, Genma burst into the room, in panda form. "HE'S RIGHT!" the furball communicated through his normal sign language. "I SAW IT ALL!" He grabbed another sign. "EVEN NOW, AS I…" At that point, Ranma smacked him over the head, thrusting a cup of hot water into the bear's hands.

A moment later, Genma sat, back in human form. "It was surreal," he said. "I wasn't sure that I could believe my own eyes. The speed at which the girl moved; it was incredible. She had Akane knocked down in just a few seconds, and was finished in barely half a minute."

"Ranma," Tofu said, "the Xi Fa Xiang Gao is a two-part technique. The victim has a special herbal shampoo applied, and once it's there, the attacker presses certain pressure points on the scalp. If done correctly, it allows the attacker to selectively erase memory. Getting the right pressure points is very difficult in normal circumstances; doing it at the speed your father is describing would require a degree of skill that I can't even comprehend, especially in a girl your two's age."

Ranma looked sadly at his fiancée. "Is there a way to cure it?"

"Maybe, if I had the shampoo. I have several books of Chinese herbal potions; if you could get the shampoo, one of the books may have the formula needed to counteract it."

Ranma grabbed Akane by one arm and Ryoga by the other. "C'mon!" he said. "We need to find that formula!"

About a half hour later, Ryoga had been taken home, and Ranma and Akane entered the Tendo house. "I'm home!" Akane called cheerfully, and her sisters came running. Kasumi started looking Akane over, worried, while Nabiki stared in disbelief. "Akane," she said, "is it true that you completely forgot Ranma?"

"Who?"

"The guy standing behind you."

Akane spun around and saw Ranma. She grinned. "Oh, hello," she said, arousal obvious in her voice. "Want to see my bedroom?"

Ranma hung his head. "I've seen it more times than I could count."

"She really has forgotten about him," Kasumi said.

Ranma jumped as a pair of panda paws landed on his shoulders. He spun around, ready to smack his father, only to see Shampoo behind him, holding a pair of fake panda arms. "I fool you!" she said gleefully. Ranma wasn't laughing; in fact, he was furious. He grabbed her by the shoulders, intent on forcing the location of the antidote shampoo out of her, but she mistook his move as one of affection. She glomped onto him, squeezing him while muttering in Chinese.

Bam!

Shampoo suddenly found herself flat on her back on the floor, courtesy of Akane, who landed a punch against the Amazon's head. Shampoo looked up at her, in shock, while Akane looked equally shocked. "Why did I do that?" she wondered aloud, staring at her fist. Kasumi started to get misty-eyed. "Some part of her does remember him," she whispered.

Shampoo scowled. "You is stronger than Shampoo thought!" she said, springing to her feet and leaping on Akane's back. She whipped out a bottle of Shampoo, but Ranma was faster, snatching the bottle and his fiancée in one motion. He dragged Akane off down the hall, heading for the furoba.

A moment later, he dragged her inside and pushed her roughly to the sink, pushing her head in and shampooing her hair as quickly as he could. She struggled. "Hey!" she shouted up to him. "I like playing rough just fine, but this is all pain and no sex!" He scrubbed for another moment, then yanked the tap on to rinse her head. He stood back, staring intensely.

"Akane… do you remember me?"

She gave him a coarse look. "Next time you pin me down like that, take my panties off first."

"Akane!"

"You're the new kid. I saw you earlier. Good enough?"

He slumped against the wall. "No," he answered sadly. Just then, Doctor Tofu appeared in the doorway. "Ranma!" he said. "It won't work with that shampoo. You need a different one that counteracts its effects. What does the bottle say?"

"4-1-1."

Tofu pulled a small book from his pocket and looked in it. "Then you need number 9-1-1 to undo it."

"Where do I get it?!"

Tofu smiled. "Don't worry. This book has directions for mixing it."

A familiar voice came from the hallway. "Oh, Doctor Tofu! You mean Akane can be cured?" Tofu's glasses instantly fogged at the sight of the girl he loved, as Kasumi stepped into the doorway. He twisted his hands, ripping the book in half. Ranma's cry of horror fell on deaf ears. "Oh, Kasumi!" Tofu said with a chuckle. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here…"

"Oh, imagine that!" He twisted the book again, sending shredded pages flying. Ranma dropped to his knees, groaning as he watched his only hope fall apart in front of him. Then, he jumped to his feet, racing from the room with Akane following a few steps behind.

She caught him as he ran into his room. He threw his dresser open and started feverishly packing a bag, while she looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing in such a hurry?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I need to go to China to find that shampoo. It's the only hope for you now."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."

He turned, and was faced with a much more serious expression than she'd been showing since her memory had vanished.

"You're going to more trouble than I've ever seen a guy go to for a girl in my whole life. We really had something, didn't we?"

He nodded and turned, digging through his dresser. "I'm not going to rest until we get it back."

She put her hands on his shoulders and pressed herself against his back. "Can I have a little time with you before you go, then? You're supposed to be my fiancé, and I can't remember even kissing you. Let's spend the night together."

"Couldn't hurt," Nabiki said from the doorway, causing both teens to jump. They looked to see the other Tendo sisters watching them. Ranma shook his head. "I'm afraid it would hurt," he replied quietly. "Her brain's pretty scrambled."

"It doesn't sound like it," Kasumi said. "Not from what Doctor Tofu said. Nothing's really injured."

Ranma blushed. "Is there any way we could not talk about me having sex with you two's sister?"

"Of course," Kasumi said with a knowing nod. She turned and tugged on Nabiki's arm. The middle Tendo leaned in the room. "Quit worrying, Saotome," she said. "If it will make her more comfortable, go for it." They left.

Ranma hung his head. "Why is so much of this stuff public?" he muttered. Akane ran her fingers through his hair. "Please?" she whispered. He paused, then set down the clothes he was holding. "Alright," he said. "I can leave in the morning. It would be nice to spend some time together first. I could be gone a month."

She took his hand and tugged him toward the door. "Let's not waste any time," she said. "I want something to remember until you get back." She led him from the room.

Ranma look into Akane's eyes from an inch above her, where she lay on her bed with her legs wrapped around him. Her hands snaked up, grabbing hold of his back as their lovemaking began, Ranma breathing hard and Akane letting out an occasional squeak or moan.

Ranma squeezed his eyes shut as tears threatened to make their way out. This wasn't a new position for them, but it always meant a lot to him. She was his whole world, after all. After the newness of getting tackled by her had worn off, he started having feelings for her that he'd never felt before. Emotional feelings. Then, Ryoga showed up and almost cut her head off, and she showed her vulnerable side. Comforting her, and seeing her truly and fully return the affection he felt, made him realize that he was in love for the first time in his life. After that, nothing in the world could compare to the time spent doing what they were doing at that moment.

It wasn't the sex that was the best part. It was good, for sure, but it wasn't the best part. What he enjoyed the most was being close to her— the feeling of her arms around him, and running his fingers through her hair. The soft, slow kisses that they gave each other throughout. Laying his forehead against hers as they caught their breath. These were the things that he pictured every time he needed to think about something happy.

And now, they were gone. Or, at least, possibly gone. If he couldn't cure her of Shampoo's touch, there was no hope that any of that affection would ever come back. She, through no fault of her own, saw him exactly the same way she'd seen him when he first arrived. He was a hot guy; little more. Sure, she seemed to have a little grasp of what they'd had, but only as much as someone who'd been told about it. It was obvious that she didn't remember what lovemaking used to be like. He could sense it— the affection just wasn't there. The idea made him want to cry, and he squeezed his eyes shut again to stop it from happening.

Akane moaned softly, and he sighed. Getting to hold her afterward would be better than nothing. At least he had that much, even if it partially felt like he was holding a different person.

"Mmm…"

He laid his face against the pillow in front of him, letting the side of his head rest against hers.

"Ooh… …nma… Mmm…"

He wrapped an arm under her head and cradled her, straining to feel any of the love that they used to have. Anything.

"Ranma…"

His head snapped up as he thought he heard something impossible.

"Oh, Ranma…"

One of her hands wound its way into his hair, and she tightened her hold on him. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Ranma… oh… oh… Kami…"

She squeezed him tighter, yanking his body against hers as she lightly dug into his back. She let out a gasp.

"Ranma!"

She tensed, then lay still. He didn't move for a moment, afraid that what she was yelling didn't mean anything had improved. After a moment, he slowly lifted his head to look into her eyes. She stared back, her eyes wide and filled with an emotion he couldn't completely figure out; some mixture of fear and recognition. Tears fell down both of her cheeks, and she pulled him close and started sobbing.

"Akane?" he whispered. "Do you remember me?"

She released him and he looked at her again. The tears in her eyes now looked happy, as a smile started to form on her lips. "Yes," she whispered. Her smile grew. "I remember!" She yanked him close again, nearly squeezing the air out of him with her grip. After a moment, she relaxed, and he laid next to her. They held each other for a moment in silence, as the tears continued to flow.

"I'm so sorry I forgot you," she whispered. "I can't believe I forgot how much I love you."

"It wasn't you. It was Shampoo's doing. It's not your fault." He looked into her eyes. "Are you sure your memory's back?"

She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "I remember everything. From finding you in the furo, to treating Ryoga to two girls at once. And especially how nice it feels to lie with you like this."

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. It was the most relieved he'd ever been.

That night, the two lovers sat on the engawa, staring out at the night sky, while their fathers and the other Tendo sisters sat inside. The two girls were watching television, but the fathers were enthralled in the rapid progress of joining the schools, and sat weeping tears of joy. Oblivious to the antics of the adults inside, Akane lay her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her with a sigh. "I'm so glad you're back," he whispered. "The real you."

"Me too."

They stared off in silence for another moment.

"Ranma?"

"Hm?"

"I haven't really brought it up before… are you sure you're alright with bringing other people into our fun? Like we've been doing with Ryoga?"

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, I enjoy it fine. Why?"

"Just thought you might be having second thoughts after everything that happened."

"Nah." He gave her a squeeze. "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Having second thoughts."

She shook her head. "No, I like it as much as I always thought I would. But it's all new to you, and I wasn't sure if you were feeling okay about it. A lot of people can't separate sex from love, y'know?"

"Well, don't worry. I figured all that out. I'm a pervert now. You converted me."

They both chuckled and went back to watching the stars in silence, but they only had a moment's peace. Ranma's highly-trained senses were what alerted him, as he heard the sound of feet land somewhere in the yard. He jumped up, and that was when he caught sight of Shampoo, who appeared to have jumped over the wall. He marched toward her, his jaw set, as Akane stood behind him.

"Shampoo…"

The Chinese girl was much more upbeat. "Airen!" she cried. "You marry Shampoo now, yes?" Her smile was wiped from her face instantly as Akane leaped from behind Ranma and took a swing at her. She managed to dodge the punch, but not the backhand as Akane yanked her arm back the other way. The hand connected directly with her mouth, and Shampoo stood, wiping the blood from her lips, as Akane seethed barely an inch from her face.

"I'm not letting you take my man!" she screamed, close enough to Shampoo that the Amazon leaned back from the sheer volume of her voice. Shampoo's eyes narrowed. "You remember?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet. "Too bad. If you no remember, you no have to die!" She leaped, but Ranma grabbed her arms in mid-jump. She took it as an opportunity to glomp him, but he promptly knocked her away. He stood for a moment, looking between her and Akane, and then sighed.

"I can't let you keep hurting Akane," he said. "I have to tell you the truth." He turned and walked to the edge of the koi pond, kneeling beside it. Those inside the house, who had been watching since the girl arrived, now stared in shock. Akane gasped. "Ranma!" she shouted, but he held up a hand.

"I have to," he said. "I'd rather she try to kill me than you." Akane just stared, tears coming to her eyes as his chivalry touched her to her core.

He turned away, reached in, scooped up a handful of water with both hands, and dropped it onto his head. The change happened immediately, causing Shampoo to recoil in horror. Ranma stood and fixed the Chinese girl in a level gaze.

"I'm not a boy," she said. "I'm a girl. The boy side was a disguise. It's been me all along."

Inside the house, Soun stiffened. "Saotome!" he screeched. "Is this true?!"

"Tendo, I swear this is the first I'm hearing of this."

Shampoo stared for a moment before reddening in anger, her grip tightening on the chúi she held at her sides. She raised one up with a cry as if to crush Ranma's skull with one blow. Ranma cringed but stood firm— she wasn't running anymore.

She was bracing for pain, but the blow never came. Opening her eyes a crack, she saw Shampoo standing close, her arms still raised while tears rolled down her face.

"Bie liao."

She turned and ran for the wall, leaping over it in a single bound and disappearing into the night. Ranma slumped and Akane wrapped her in a hug. Nabiki strolled to the edge of the floor, Chinese book in hand. "Bie liao," she said. "Goodbye forever. Sayonara."

Ranma wiped her brow. "She's gone forever," she said.

"Yep," Akane replied.

"Never have to worry about her again."

"Nope."

"Thank the Kami."

Akane rubbed her chin. "Too bad she wouldn't compromise," she said. "I would've loved to get a piece of that. But if the only way she comes around is to be a nutjob like that, it isn't worth it." She thought for a moment. "I wonder if Doctor Tofu knows a way to fry her brain, so she loses all the crazy."

Ranma rolled her eyes and turned toward the house. "Still ain't worth it. Besides, she's been the second one to try to take me away already. I'd bet money there will be more. Surely one of them will be a hentai."

Akane grinned. "I'll keep hoping."

A/N: How did you like how Akane got her memory back? I thought it was pretty creative. Seems appropriate for this particular fic. And did you get the reference at the ice cream shop? I immediately thought of that old FG episode the first time I watched the anime.