*Hello, hello. Is this thing on? Good evening readers, I've got the next batch of chapters ready for your enjoyment. I am posting everything I have written to date, tonight. It might be a bit longer until I get new material up after this since I will be in Florida on vacation.*

"Willow, Dr. Tofu said you had to take it easy." Akane frowned at her friend who was sitting up in bed typing on a laptop she had gotten from somewhere. Akane was still feeling guilty about nearly getting her killed.

"I can't relax Akane. I have to figure out how to counter those spells Negi Springfield hit me with."

"You're not going to fight him again are you?"

"I have to Akane. It's my final test."

"But what if you go all black and veiny again?"

Willow sighed. "It's aggressive magic. I don't know why that kid can control it and I can't"

"Maybe the reasons." Akane said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Negi wasn't attacking you, at least not at first. You challenged him. You tried to defeat him in order to gain power in your guild."

"When you put it like that it makes me sound like the bad guy."

"Sorry I didn't mean it that way."

"No. It's fair and you're right. I just don't know what to do about it. "

"What are the terms of the contest?"

"Huh?"

"What did your sensei tell you, exactly? Kill him? Knock him out?"

"I must find and defeat him without any aid."

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"Well that opens up all sorts of possibilities." Akane grabbed Willow's hand and shook it. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akane Tendo of the Tendo School of Indiscriminate Grappling, also known as Anything Goes Martial Arts. "

"What?"

"My family's martial arts school. It has two main rules, "accept any challenge and do whatever it takes to win.' Once combat commences the only rules are those set by the challenge as the conditions for winning, and those can be fudged."

"Sounds underhanded."

"What do you expect, we were founded by an infamous panty thief and pervert."

"Akane, you are so mean to me." A high pitched voice said from somewhere below eye level. Willow looked down to find a wizened monkey attached to her chest.

"AHHHH!" she screamed.

Akane grabbed Happosai and flung him through the roof. "Sorry about that. You know the 'speak of the devil' quote, right?"

"What was that?"

"That was my dad's master and founder of our school, Happosai. He has a tendency of showing up when people mention him. When he gets too annoying we usually ship him to Antarctica or Timbuktu and we'll have a week or so of peace before he shows up again."

"That's the founder of your school? I think if it were me I'd switch."

"Hard to do when you're born to it. Us younger generation try to bring some honor to it. Back to what I was saying though, by the rules of my school anything can be used as a challenge. I've participated in martial arts take out, martial arts figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, martial arts ping pong…"

"Ping pong?"

Yeah there was a batch of super soba that got mixed up with that one. I got a little carried away and Ranma had to pull me out. I've also been in dozens of traditional challenges." Akane shrugged, "You could challenge the kid to arm wrestling."

"I'm pretty sure that whatever the challenge I give at least needs to be magical in nature."

"What about an indirect contest like a race or a maze or something?"

"That may work."

"Great. Let me make a few phone calls and we will set something up." Akane got up.

Willow reached out and grabbed her hand before she could walk away, "Akane I'm sorry about before…"

"Hey you weren't entirely yourself," Akane smiled and squeezed her hand. Before Willow could say anything Dr. Tofu came into the room.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Rosenberg?"

"Fine"

"Well you've made a remarkable recovery. I don't see any reason why you can't go. Although I'd have to warn you against using aggressive magic for the time being." Willow glanced down at his bandaged arm where she had electrocuted him and nodded, swallowing painfully.

"Great!" exclaimed Akane. "We can head home and get a bath before dinner."

"Ah…I'd rather not," Willow hedged.

"Come on, you've been in here for two days and there is only some much you can do with sponge bathing. "

"Uh, when did you sponge bath me?"

"When you were first brought here. You were covered with ash and dirt and you were so badly hurt…" Akane stopped and her eyes shown with unshed tears. "I'm sorry. It was my fault." Tears fell unchecked and Willow's heart just about broke. She gathered the younger girl into her lap and held her, stroking her hair and murmuring incomprehensible comforts. After a minute she forced Akane to look at her.

"Hey, you did exactly what I asked you to and probably saved several people in the process. The last time I was like that, I nearly destroyed the world. Don't cry Akane." Willow placed her hand under Akane's chin and lifted her face until she could look her in the eyes. "You did the right thing." Akane smiled weakly. "So you mentioned a bath? I am feeling a little grimy." Akane led Willow out of the clinic and back to the dojo.

"Tadima!" Akane called as she entered the house.

"Welcome home Akane. Hello again Rosenberg-san."

"Hi Kasumi. Willow and I are headed for a bath."

"Alright lunch will be ready soon."

"Do you need any help?"

If Willow hadn't been in a state of blind panic at this point she might have noticed Kasumi blanch and hesitate. "Um no that's alright Akane. You go and have your bath." Kasumi hurried back to the kitchen, forgetting the warning she was about to voice to Willow.

Willow stood outside the bathroom door which Akane had just gone through torn between the desire to go in and deathly afraid of what she would do if she did. She heard a door shut inside the bathroom. She plucked up her courage and poked her head in. It was a laundry room. Akane's clothes were laying on top of a basket. There was a door opposite the one Willow was standing in where Akane must have gone in, ~Naked. Come on Willow. Get a grip. You survived High School PE. Just don't look.~

Willow got undressed. She heard a shower head turn on just as she reached for the door handle. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. There staring at her over its shoulder was a large spotted cat. Willow shut the door, put on her clothes, stepped out into the hall and screamed her head off, running down stairs in the process.

~Kasumi. She's alone in the house with that thing.~ Willow checked her mad dash out of the house and veered toward the kitchen where Kasumi was still preparing lunch.

Kasumi heard Willow's scream from down stairs, "Oh dear, I know there was something I forgot to tell Rosenberg-san." Just then Willow came tearing into the kitchen. She turned and crouched defensively in front of Kasumi.

"By the way Tendo-san, did you know you have a jaguar in your bathroom? And I'm not talking about the car."

Kasumi sighed. "Come sit down Rosenberg-san. I'll make us some tea." Kasumi set the tea kettle on to boil. "We are guessing that Akane acquired her curse while in China and as far as we can tell she doesn't know she has it."

Willow put together what Kasumi had said and drew the natural (for those used to dealing with the paranormal) conclusion. "Akane is the jaguar."

"Yes"

"What's this curse you speak of? You make it sound like you've dealt with this kind of thing before"

"You know of Ranma?"

"Akane's ex-fiancé, the one who ran off to China to marry another woman." Anger bled into Willow's tone.

"Both he and his father are cursed along with Ranma's childhood friend, Ryoga; Shampoo and a boy who hung around Shampoo named Mousse.

"They all turn onto jaguars? Is it like lycanthropy?

"No. Ranma turns into a female version of himself, Shampoo turns into a house cat; Ryoga, a piglet; Ranma's father, a panda and Mousse turns into duck." Something Akane had said about Ranma during their time in the hospital finally clicked when she had told her the black haired boy and the red haired female where the same person. "All the curses originate from the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo which is near Shampoo's home village. And before you ask, there is no known cure. Ranma and his father searched extensively for one and Shampoo's great grandmother, who is matriarch of the tribe has never heard of a cure and she is over three hundred years old.

"Magic user?"

"One of the best I know."

"Hmm, how is it that Akane is unaware of her curse?" Willow asked and then immediately answered her own question. "She was really out of it when I first saw her. I guess she had already been to the place Ranma was and stumbled through one while fleeing. How did you find out about it?"

"Nabiki. She tried throwing water on Akane to snap her out of her catatonic state."

"Instead all we got was a large wet and depressed kitty." Nabiki finished for her sister as she came through the door. "As for why she hasn't figured it out since you brought her around…" Nabiki shrugged. "By the way how'd you manage that?"

~It heard to ignore someone when they are in your head.~ Willow projected into Nabiki's mind and smiled smugly.

"Lunch is almost ready. Nabiki can you please go get father and Akane," Kasumi asked.

"Sure." Nabiki glanced at Willow dubiously as she left the room. Willow chuckled and Nabiki poked her head back in. "That's creepy you know."

Kasumi gave Willow a confused look and Willow just shrugged still chuckling to herself, then paused. "Kasumi why haven't you told Akane she has a curse?"

"We just got her back Rosenberg-san. We didn't want to risk pushing her back into a depression."

"Please call me Willow. I think it would be better to find out from her family, gently, then to be caught out in a sudden downpour in the middle of the city and be confused as to why everyone is screaming."

Kasumi sighed. "Perhaps you are right, but after lunch."

"Hey Kasumi. What are you doing down here Willow. I thought you were going to take a bath."

"Uh, Kasumi decided she needed some help with lunch, but you were already rinsing off."

"Really, because I could have sworn that I heard you scream and run away." Akane looked hurt.

Willow stared at Kasumi and Nabiki, who wouldn't meet her eyes. "Uh-uh. Sorry guys, I'm not going to sit here and eat while Akane believes that I think she's horrifying." Willow turned to Akane, "Especially when the opposite happens to be true." She held out a hand. "Come with me and I will show you why I was startled.

Akane sniffed and tentatively took her hand. Willow escorted her out to the koi pond and stepped in drawing Akane with her. As Akane stepped into the water, Willow watched the change. Willow dropped Akane's hand as it thickened into a paw and Akane dropped down on all fours. Akane looked startled and Willow felt confusion and panic cloud her mind.

~Easy Akane~

~Why are you so much higher in the water? Why can't I stand?~

~Look at your reflection.~ Dread filled Akane's mind as she looked at the water just below her chin. Akane backed up out of the water and looked ready to bolt. Willow held fast to her mind. ~Be at ease Akane. I feel your mind. It is not the mind of an animal. You understand me.~

Akane nodded her head slightly. ~Your sisters knew~ Willow thought coming out of the water. She knelt down in front of Akane. ~They tell me it's a Jusenkyo curse~

Kasumi walked over to them with a tea kettle and blanket.

"Rosenberg-san." Willow glanced up at Nabiki who was motioning her to come over. She glanced at the blanket clad Akane talking quietly with her sister and reluctantly went with Nabiki.

"What is it?" Willow asked after rounding the corner and where out of eye sight of the other two.

"Just saving you from another social faux pass."

"Wha…?"

"We understand being American you probably don't understand Japanese social interaction." Nabiki began. Willow frowned ready to argue the point but Nabiki put up a hand to forestall her. "But seeing my sister naked, given your preferences is pushing it."

"I know Nabiki."

"Tendo-san."

"Sorry, Tendo-san. I had no intention of bathing with your sister, but she kept asking. I didn't want to hurt her feelings."

Nabiki's smile was predatory. "Well isn't that convenient for you. Get free peaks all in the name of sparing her feelings.

"It's not like that, "Willow protested. "I wasn't going to look."

"So what, you don't find my sister attractive? Beneath your notice, is she?"

"No! I mean yes." Nabiki smirked and Willow sighed. "I mean yes I do find her attractive."

"And precisely how do you think she would have reacted if she found out about you after bath time, even if you 'didn't look'?"

Willow recalled Akane's mercurial temper. "Oh."

"Well this is an interesting situation. You force a confession out of us to spare Akane's feelings, yet you are not willing to do the same. I think that speaks volumes about what kind of person you are. Really you're no better than a dirty old man, getting cheap thrills all in the name of sparing her feelings." With each word from Nabiki, Willow's head sunk lower and lower.

"You want me to tell her."

Nabiki shrugged, "Up to you. Tell her and risk it or don't tell her and never find out. Tragic, but you wouldn't be the first." Nabiki walked around the corner. "By the way," Nabiki poked her head back around. "I didn't know about the bath. I was talking about her changing back to human sans clothing." She gave an impish grin and ducked back around the corner whistling to herself. Willow smacked herself in the forehead. She briefly debated the merits of flying out of there but turned and headed back inside. Something just wouldn't let her walk away yet.

Later that evening Willow sat in the bath, alone, and contemplated her conversation with Nabiki. She knew she had to talk to Akane but was at a loss as to how to go about it. Her last girlfriend Kennedy ~Whoa, already thinking of her in the past tense.~ was like 'I like girls and you like girls. Let's make out' while straightforward, it wasn't quite the approach she wanted to take with Akane. As far as she could tell Akane hadn't had any great revelation about her sexuality. She'd raised some flags, like her reaction to the contract kiss and her thoughts about Ranma tended to be about his female side, but she was more like Willow was before she met Tara.

I knock at the door startled her out of her reverie. "Hey Willow, it's Akane. Nabiki said you wanted to talk to me about something." As the door started to open Willow was thrown in a blind panic. She sunk down in the water and murmured a quick phrase, turning herself invisible just as the door opened to reveal a perplexed Akane. "Huh, I thought Nabiki said she was in here." Akane shrugged and closed the door.

Nabiki, who was perched in a tree outside ready to photograph the ensuing mayhem, cursed. Willow noticed her and with look teleported her directly above the furo then let gravity take over. Filling the slight drain of the teleportation spell, Willow climbed out of the bath, still invisible. "Not funny Tendo-san."

Willow was halfway down the hall when the invisibility spell wore of. Willow looked down and realized she had left her clothes in the laundry room. "Oh there you are, Willow…why are you naked?" Akane asked.

Willow turn beet red and snapped a glamour into place. "Whoa. You can conjure clothing?"

Willow shook her head, "Illusion."

"Oh." Akane colored slightly. "Do you need to borrow some clothes?"

"If you don't mind." Willow followed Akane to her room. Akane handed her a set of pajamas, then sat on the edge of the bed which was back against the wall.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Your sister, Nabiki, is a real piece of work, isn't she?"

Akane smiled. "She has her moments."

"Your sister felt that since I made them disclose something they'd been keeping from you, it's only right if I do the same." Akane waited for Willow to continue. "She thought you should know that I'm, you know, a little…gay."

Akane watched in amusement as Willow eyed her nervously. Finally Akane could no longer contain her smile. "Let me get this straight, you have no problems telling me I turn into my ex's worst nightmare with cold water, but you're nervous about telling me you've got a thing for girls?"

"Not precisely."

"Wait, didn't you already tell me this? Somehow I already knew. And whadaya mean not precisely?"

"I did tell you before in a dream, but you've acted like you don't remember it and it's not just, I have a thing for girls." Willow looked down then started for the door. "I'll crash downstairs on the couch."

As the door shut behind Willow sat stunned. ~She likes me.~

The next morning Akane found her PJ's folded neatly by her door. Willow was nowhere to be found. Akane seemed preoccupied all day. Kasumi and Nabiki exchanged worried glances. Finally as the sunset Akane closed her eyes and thought as hard as she could. ~WILLOW!~

~Dah!...Akane?~

~Oh good, I didn't know if that would work or not. Just so you know I understand what you were trying to say. I'm not going to make any promises, but I don't want to lose you either. Come back when you are ready and we will talk.~

Willow smiled they turned back to her opponent. "Sorry. Emergency call."

"Oh, that's alright. I believe it's your turn." Negi said.

"Huh?" Willow moved. "Checkmate."