The Tears of a Dragon: Book 1 The Mandarin Chapter 9: Hearts on the Line, a Ranma + Oh My Goddess! Crossover fanfic

Chapter Nine: Hearts on the Line

There was definitely something different.

Ranma couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something different.

Oh, Akane still got mad at him, still called him a baka when he did something dumb; still walked in on him nude in the bath… She was still the Akane he knew…

But different.

He had watched her for the four days to the match, trying to figure out what exactly was different. Bit by bit, it came to him.

She was acting more like Zhu-Shu.

He couldn't deny it by the fourth day. She was still getting angry with him when he said something badly, but she'd been much calmer and more controlled about it. And when she had walked in on him, she had been more… deliberate. And in other subtle ways, she had been… affectionate. A small hand touch here, brushing back his bangs there. And she had lost the faint awkwardness of her movements, the feeling that she was bludgeoning her way through invisible walls, and all traces of tomboyishness from her form, if not from her attitude. True, she had seemed a trifle preoccupied and distracted, and claimed that she was feeling kind of out of touch with everything, but she moved with the same liquid, thoughtless grace that made Zhu-Shu so mesmerizing. He found himself being fascinated with just watching her walk.

He finally had to admit, if only to himself, that she was… cute.

No, he corrected himself, she went way past cute… gorgeous wasn't even close… she was, quite simply…

…Beautiful.

As they entered the main hallway of St. Hebereke's School for Girls, he had to tear his eyes away from the sway of her hips… the lithe way she…

Fortunately, Kodachi interrupted his wandering thoughts.

"Well… I see the clumsy cow has arrived. Are you ready to free my Ranma from your vile clutches?"

Akane's eyes narrowed. "No. I'm here to use you as a floor mop."

Kodachi laughed in a stilted manner and gazed over Akane's shoulder to Zhu-Shu and a currently female, due to a small accident with a little old lady with a water scoop, Ranma. "And these two?"

"My coach and my second." Akane growled. Ranma could see that Kodachi was already making Akane seethe.

"Ah." Kodachi started to dismiss them, then she took a closer look at Ranma. "You! The pigtailed girl! So… we meet again." She smiled viciously. "I still owe you for the other day. Perhaps I'll cripple her so I can show you a proper thanks."

"Anytime." Ranma replied.

Kodachi laughed at the ice in her voice. "I suppose we should be sporting." She stuck out her hand. "May the best girl win!"

Akane started to reach for it, then grabbed Kodachi's wrist and turned it to show her palm.

Kodachi feigned horror. "Oh, however did these tacks get between my fingers?" she said unapologetically. "Well, I must be off to my dressing room… I am so looking forward to this match." With another dose of her maniacal laughter, she skipped away.

"She has a very black aura." Zhu-Shu murmured, her voice soft and still accent free.

Akane nodded.

"That's the color of sickness… the color of despair. She's not as confident as she acts."

Akane turned to raise a quizzical eyebrow.

"And she's not quite sane." Zhu-Shu added.

Akane harumphed. "I don't know about her sanity, but she's definitely twisted." She hefted her bag and began walking towards their dressing room. "But what I don't understand is why you are spending so much energy showing me people's auras." She waved a vague hand. "I mean, everyone's been glowing for days. Isn't it tiring?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not, Akane-chan." Zhu-Shu protested. "Somehow, you've gained my ability to see auras."

Akane stopped. "What?"

"You're seeing auras. You have been ever since we blended chi."

"Say what!" Ranma blurted in shock.

Zhu-Shu turned to Ranma. "When I was teaching her the Dance, something got out of control. I don't know how, but we blended chi… entirely."

"Th– that's not supposed to happen, except… except…" the redhead blanched as she looked at them. "…to lovers." she finished in a whisper. She closed her eyes as it felt like something inside of her was dying and taking her with it. She sighed. "Oh, well. I suppose it was inevitable."

She wasn't looking at them, or she might have seen the pain his words caused in Zhu-Shu's eyes… or the sheer rage that burned in Akane's. Then she was picked up and bodily slammed six inches into the wall and had to meet Akane's infuriated gaze.

"Ranma Saotome. You… you… BAKA! I'll have you know nothing of the sort happened!" The fire in her eyes was hotter than Ranma had ever seen. "I don't care how little you think of me–" she snarled, "but I will not stand here and let you insult Zhu-Shu's honor that way!"

Ranma tried to say something, but Akane slammed her back into the wall. "I asked. I even tried seducing her! But she wouldn't. She thought she would betray you if she did, and she realized I was angry and jealous ... over you!" She turned and threw Ranma against the opposite wall. "And you accuse her!? If I weren't engaged to you, Ranma… I would go to her" She stood over the smaller girl, who had slumped to the floor and was staring in shock at her. "But I told you something the other night, and I told you not to forget it! But I can see you can't even do that!"

Ranma met her eyes and whispered, "You said you love me…"

Akane's hands opened and closed in fury as she started to say something several times, then finally just screamed "MEN!" and stormed into her dressing room, leaving a speechless Ranma behind looking at Zhu-Shu's tapping foot. Down the hallway on either side, small crowds of girls looked on excitedly.

Ranma looked at Zhu-Shu's tapping foot. "I– I suppose that could have gone better."

Zhu-Shu's foot continued its slow deliberate tapping.

"You're mad at me too, aren't you?"

The tap continued for a few more beats, then stopped. "Do you really think so little of me?"

Ranma closed her eyes at the ice in her voice. "No… I think the world of you Zhu-Shu."

"But you casually assumed that I seduced your fiancée behind your back?"

Ranma curled her knees up against her chest as she sat against the wall. "What was I supposed to think? I mean–"

"You were jealous."

Ranma shrugged. "So what. It's obvious she wants you more than me anyway."

"Not true. I told you the other night on the roof when Kodachi nearly kissed you that Akane was only mad because she got jealous. She started thinking why would you want her when Kodachi was rich and pretty and sexy and not clumsy. Things she felt because of the way you treated her in the dojo while she was trying to train, and the way you call her sexless, and a tomboy. I know your first impulse in a stress situation is to lash out, but because you do that, you made Akane feel like you didn't want her. And why would you want her when there was Kodachi?"

"But I don't want Kodachi. I– I wanted Akane."

"But have you ever said so to Akane? No. Even the next morning when Kodachi was chasing you, you used Akane as an excuse, not as the reason for why you didn't want to date Kodachi. That was not a great way to make Akane feel like you really wanted to be her fiancé. Is it any wonder she felt hurt? Or jealous? With all the insults you've made about her sexuality, you given her a need to feel wanted, and when she saw me feeling sad, she thought she could cheer me up, and maybe feel like someone really cared about her. She wanted me to make love to her, to make her feel loved, and she thought sex was the way to accomplish that. She wasn't thinking about how badly she could hurt anyone else, or how badly she could hurt you. She wasn't thinking about how it could destroy our friendship, because I wouldn't have been able to let her go if I had allowed her to go so far. I love her, Ranma, and the only reason I stopped her is because you're my friend and she's your fiancée." She made the sullen girl look into her eyes. "If she were free, I would give up my family, my honor, everything I am, just to be her love. If I could have her by my side forever… but I will not betray a friend! Akane knows this. There wasn't anything you could have said to have hurt her more…"

Or me. The words weren't said, but they hung in the air between them nonetheless.

Ranma looked away, not saying anything for a long moment. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked finally.

"Because nothing happened. Ranma, she just wanted to feel loved. In so many ways she was just as confused about how she felt as you are, but she needed some sign that someone cared, that the doubts and fears she had weren't real. And even though I refused her, I gave her the sign she needed. She wasn't trying to hurt you."

Ranma put her head between her hands. "That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt!"

Zhu-Shu sighed and knelt down in front of the red-head. "No, it doesn't. Anymore than it doesn't hurt me that I had to say no. Ranma… I know the fact that she even tried hurts, but look at it from her side too, please. You can't even bring yourself to ask her on a date, even though you said you were going to. She's felt you flash hot and cold, between resenting her because she's your fiancée, and actually caring about the fact that she's your fiancée. She's spent years trying to hide the pain she's felt from losing her mother, to keep everyone at arms length and not let them get close enough to cause her that kind of pain again, but you got in… and that's what scared her so badly. The fear of losing you made her a little crazy."

"But you heard her! The only reason she's with me is because of this stupid fiancée thing our dads arranged!"

Zhu-Shu reached out and lifted the red-head's tear-streaked face and made her meet her gaze. "If you truly believe those words, Ranma, you are a bigger fool than Kuno."

Ranma sniffed and turned away. "I don't know what to think, Zhu-Shu."

Zhu-Shu sighed. "Then let me ask one last thing. Do you love her?"

Ranma's blue eyes locked on the floor. "I– I don't know."

"Then why are you crying? She's handed you the keys to her heart, given you her soul for safe keeping. Which is more important, Ranma? Your pride... or Akane? She might have started out doing this for the gymnastics team, but her reason for allowing me to teach her the Dance was for you, Ranma. She went through all of this for your sake. Will you deprive her of the only thing she seeks to win?"

Ranma pushed herself upright. "I– I… Tell Akane I'm sorry. I've got to go think."

Zhu-Shu closed her eyes. "Very well. Just… before you do anything, please, if you still trust anything I say, then believe that Akane loves you."

There was the sound of Ranma's footsteps walking away… then getting faster and faster until she was running. An explosion of conversation started up at the end of the hall, but Zhu-Shu ignored it. She opened her eyes and looked after the departed red-head, trying to quell the storm of emotions roiling in her breast. For a long moment she stood and watched the entrance before wiping her eyes and turning to the dressing room.

Ranma, you really are a baka…

Akane stood by the window, staring blankly while idly playing with her braid and humming a sing song tune. At her feet lay a bouquet of black roses surrounded by a faint haze of white powder.

Zhu-Shu stopped at seeing her. "Akane?"

Akane giggled. "Zhu-sa-ma-I-was-thin-king-of-you." she sing-songed as she turned and moved towards the other girl, snagging her foot on her bag and tripping. She did a handstand and flipped, her legs catching Zhu-Shu on either shoulder as she bore her over and down. Akane landed sitting on Zhu-Shu's chest and looked around. "Zhu-sa-ma, where-are-you?"

She lifted her skirt at the muffled reply and looked down at the Chinese girl's face between her legs, giggling again. "Silly Zhu-Shu. You're not supposed to be there. Ranma is!" She raised a finger to tap her cheek thoughtfully. "Except I'm mad at him!" She giggled madly, nearly tumbling over.

"Are you ok?" Zhu-Shu asked, worried.

"I'm Fiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnneeeeee…" Akane giggled again and reached down to pull her panties aside to reveal her bare pubic area. "See! I shaved so I'd be just… like… you... Just for Ranma." She placed a finger on Zhu-Shu's nose. "And then he had to make me mad at him." She trailed her finger down Zhu-Shu's face and up her pubis. "So… none for him!" She let her panties go with a snap as she giggled and this time did fall over.

Zhu-Shu untangled herself from Akane's legs and rose to her knees. She examined the madly giggling girl and looked around to see the roses. She dusted her finger and looked at it. "Poppy." she muttered disgustedly. "With several other ingredients I suspect."

She sat the still giggling girl up. Akane looked at her and smiled. "Zhu-sa-ma! You were between my legs! Naughty girl!" Zhu-Shu grimaced.

"Definitely more than just poppy." She reached behind her back and pulled out her herb case, opening it to withdraw a small vial. "It's not a real antidote, but the effects will offset the worst of this. But there are going to be some side effects, especially with what you're already on." she said as she looked at Akane. "It will make you capable of fighting, but…" she noted the wide eyed look Akane was giving the bottle. "Well… I suppose it really couldn't make you less inhibited."

Akane snatched the vial out of Zhu-Shu's hand. "Sake!"

Zhu-Shu looked on in astonishment as she drained the vial. She blinked a few times and stole a quote from Kasumi. "Oh, my. You weren't supposed to drink the whole bottle!"

Akane sat with her head tilted and blinked a few times as her pupils un-dilated, then looked around the room as if she'd never seen it before. Her gaze came to rest on Zhu-Shu and a strange look came to her eyes. She stretched, cat-like, then stalked over to the Chinese girl on all fours and meowed. Then she batted the confused girl over and crawled up her until they were nose to nose.

"Akane?" Zhu-Shu asked nervously, staring at the purring girl in shock.

"You. Are. Purrrrrrrrr-fectly. Sexy." Akane said as she nuzzled Zhu-Shu's face, then her eyes fell upon her bag and the black roses laying by it and her eyes lit up. "Oh! Playtime!" She giggled and leaped upwards.

Zhu-Shu caught only a glimpse of the blur that hit the door as a rain of Akane's clothes began to fall…

Ranma wandered along a canal, and kicked a rock despondently. What was she to do?

Akane said she loved her… but she had asked Zhu-Shu to sleep with her! And somehow… they had merged chi. She believed Zhu-Shu that they hadn't done anything, but still… the merger had to show that the desire had been there even if the actions had not, right?

She sat on the edge of a bridge and stared into the water. What was she going to do?

"You look troubled, young lady. May I possibly be of some assistance?"

Ranma started at the quiet and kindly voice and turned to see a woman giving her a friendly smile. She was fairly tall, and an obvious foreigner, with long grey hair and pale skin. She was very pretty, the tattoos on her cheeks and forehead seeming to add to her beauty. She was dressed like a college student, and a book bag with the words Nikomi Tech hung from her shoulder. Something about her smile made her feel like the world was suddenly a much better place to be. Shyly, she smiled back.

"I'm okay, I guess. Just trying to think things out."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like to talk? Sometimes, all you need is a different viewpoint," she said sweetly, reminding Ranma so much of Kasumi, but even more so. It was like she stood in a beam of sunshine that shone just her.

Ranma shrugged, somehow instinctively knowing she could trust the other girl. Like nothing she could say would ever make the taller girl judge her, or condemn her, or treat her unkindly. Everything about her made Ranma want to open up to her. "I guess. I mean, if you really want to hear about the mess I call my life."

"Surely it can't be so bad as that?" she said with a gentle smile. "My name is Belldandy, Ranma. I am always willing to listen anyone's troubles and help in any way I can. Would you like to go over to that ice-cream parlor? My treat."

Ranma smiled, never even questioning how she knew her name. "I never turn down ice cream."

Z hu-Shu caught up to Akane at the ring, where she prowled like a playful tigress. She had changed into the black and orange striped tights she'd brought somewhere during her blur and twin ribbons lashed behind her like tails. Then she caught sight of Zhu-Shu and waved, bouncing over to plant a kiss on her nose before giggling and bouncing into the ring again.

Zhu-Shu sighed. She was still as high as a kite… but at least the lethargy the poppy would have induced seemed to have been fully countered.

A commotion arose at the door as they opened and the audience started to filter in, along with Genma and the other two Tendo girls. They took seats at the front, the audience choosing not to argue with a giant panda. Kasumi looked at Akane and asked, "Is she ok?"

Zhu-Shu shook her head. "She had a really bad fight with Ranma, then Kodachi hit her with some kind of weird drug that started to put her to sleep. I tried to give her something to keep her awake, and she took far more than I intended. Now, I am not really sure what she is going to do."

"Oh, my." Kasumi looked worried.

Akane meanwhile had lashed her ribbons to the overhead beams and was using them as a swing. She swung back and forth in lazy arcs, staring off into space dreamily. The crowd buzzed with whispers as the seats filled with students from both schools commenting on her odd behavior.

Finally Kodachi entered, a small frown crossing her face when she saw Akane had made it to the ring. She greeted Kuno as she proceeded to the ring where she threw off her robe to reveal a skintight black leotard with a stylized rose design in charcoal grey. She stepped into the ring, a black rose between her teeth. Akane looked at her curiously and dropped to the mat, ribbons once again lashing like a cat's tail.

The Referee looked at her nervously before proceeding with her opening. "And now the Champions of the Schools! In this corner… From St. Hebereke's School for Girls… Kodachiiiiii Kuuuuuuuunnnnoooo!"

Kodachi waved to the cheering crowd and threw her rose into the audience. The announcer turned to Akane. "And in this corner… umm… what's your name?" she finished in a stage whisper.

Akane stared at Kodachi intently as she murmured her name.

The Referee stepped back and continued. "And representing Furinkan High… Akaneeee Tennnndoooo!"

The Furinkan students broke into cheers as Kuno threw roses at the stage.

"Champions to the center!" The Announcer called. Akane looked at Kodachi with her head tilted to one side as she tucked her ribbons behind her back.

Zhu-Shu blinked. Wha– ? I didn't teach her that!

The two girls approached each other and the Referee made them shake hands. Kodachi had to get another dig in. "Well cow, are you ready to lose your claim to my Ranma?"

Akane gave her a curious look. "Over your dead body." She tilted her head the other way and reached out and snagged Kodachi's leotard by the V between her breasts and pulled her close. "Or maybe not, cute and psychotic."

Kodachi sprang back as Akane turned and giggled all the way back to her corner, her hips swaying provocatively. Kodachi stared at her retreating form. "Y– y– you dare!"

"You betcha!" Akane answered, pulling down one eyelid as she stuck out her tongue. Then she leaned over the ropes and whispered conspiratorially at Zhu-Shu. "I don't know why'd she want him though. He's a bitch! Thinks nothing of ripping out hearts. Maybe I should let her have him." She looked at the stricken Chinese girl and winked. "Or maybe I'll go to her. I'm already a slut, right! He said so! Wanna bet I can get her out of that outfit before the end of the fight?" She giggled and leered at Zhu-Shu. "Hot girl-girl action, doncha know."

"Akane, please! Don't be like that." Zhu-Shu pleaded. "You aren't yourself right now! It's what Kodachi drugged you with!"

"I can't hear yooou!" Akane sang as she rolled to look at Zhu-Shu upside down. "My head is full of fluff and my ears are ringing!"

"That's the bell! Look out!"

"Whups!" Akane giggled as she dodged Kodachi's club attack. She flipped to the top of a corner pole and shook her finger. "Naughty, naughty! Attacking while I'm talking about Ranma. Bad girl! Mommy spank!" She jumped over another blow.

Kodachi steamed. "How dare you mock the Black Rose!" she screamed as she launched the club straight at Akane's head.

At the top of her leap, Akane's ribbons reappeared and intercepted the club, knocking it flying before they quested downwards after Kodachi.

Kodachi laughed and knocked them away with her rope, the cord standing as stiffly as a sword.

"Just what we've come to expect from the Flower of Martial Gymnastics, Kodachi Kuno! She handles the rope as if it's a rod!" the Announcer called.

Akane landed while dodging another blow, inadvertently stepping on Kodachi's discarded club and stumbling. Kodachi took advantage of her misstep to clobber her with her stiff rope, revealing it wasn't a rope at all.

"Wait a minute," the Announcer cried. "It is a rod! A rod disguised as a rope!"

"Akane!" Zhu-Shu screamed as Akane reeled away from Kodachi, dazed by the blow. She yelled at the Referee "Kodachi's cheating!"

The Referee looked at her and shrugged. "So long as it's not a bare handed blow."

Kodachi laughed and twirled her clubs, then jabbed at Akane, who just barely dodged as she was recovering. Then she dived against the ropes as with a pong, spikes sprang from the club and clipped her ear.

"She's using spiked clubs!" Zhu-Shu yelled at the Referee.

The Referee turned to look, but as she did, the spikes snapped back into the club. "I don't see any spikes." she called back.

"I do all this so that I may date Ranma!" Kodachi cried to the crowd. "Oh how inspiring the lengths to which I'll go!"

Akane had regained her balance and giggled. "Dream on cutie!" she cried as a ribbon shot out to snare Kodachi and drag the girl into the ring. "She's mine! Lock, stock and cute little curly red pubic hairs!" She pulled her ribbon and sent Kodachi spinning like a top to careen into the ropes.

"An ingenious attack from the crazy girl from Furinkan High!"

Kodachi meanwhile had spun into the corner and caught her leotard top on the turnbuckle. As she straightened there was a loud rip, and Kodachi's entire left sleeve tore free.

Kodachi looked down at her torn leotard and screamed. "You wretched girl! Look what you have done!" She grabbed her clubs and swung repeatedly as Akane jumped and dodged.

As Akane jumped over her, a pair of ribbons wrapped around Kodachi's waist and spun her to face the mischievously smiling girl. "Now, now. Temper will get you no-where with me. But for being really cute when you're angry…" she leaned forward and the entire crowd ceased all noise as she kissed Kodachi on the lips.

Kodachi stumbled backwards as sounds of disbelief, and the occasional cheer, echoed through the crowd.

"This match has… has taken a truly unexpected turn! Can a kiss be considered a bare handed blow? It certainly has set our Champion reeling!"

The judges consulted in a flurry of voices before their flags came up. "Valid! No hands or feet involved!"

Kodachi wiped the back of her hand across her lips, a lost look in her eyes, then Akane giggled again and Kodachi's eyes flared. "So! Now you would toy with my Heart! Such insult cannot be allowed! You dreadful girl!"

She launched a furious assault on Akane, but Akane's ribbons kept intercepting them. Akane skipped backwards as she sing-songed "Dachi and Akane sitting in a tree– whups!" The ring's ropes blocked her as Kodachi grabbed a hoop from her second and screamed "I shall punish you!"

The ring flew at Akane's throat, but she dodged the hoop, the ring continuing until it sliced through the top of the corner pole she'd been next to. She stared at the cleanly sliced pole and mumbled "Whoa… Burma shave." as Kodachi's ribbon reached out to snag the hoop and draw it towards Akane's back.

"Watch out!" Kasumi and Zhu-Shu screamed in unison as the crowd drew a breath in horror.

Akane sensed the ring at the last second, and did a mid-air cartwheel as she flipped to balance on the rope on one foot.

Nabiki blinked. "Since when is she that good?"

Kodachi angled her hoop at Akane again. Akane frowned and lashed out with her ribbons. Gold fire flickered along their length as they slashed Kodachi's hoop into pieces.

"And Akane razors Kodachi's hoop!" The Announcer screamed as Zhu-Shu did a double-blink. That definitely wasn't part of Shiva's Dance.

Akane giggled. "That's not playing nice! I'll teach you to play with sharp things!" She giggled again as her ribbon blurred into a flicker of golden light that played around Kodachi's waist and spun the girl around. She staggered after she stopped spinning and small wisps of thread fell from the halter top and g-string Akane had left of her leotard. Shreds of black cloth littered the ring, and only her right sleeve remained intact. Murmurs of appreciation arose from the male students in the crowd at the sight of how little Akane had left of Kodachi's outfit. Akane sat down and bounced on the ropes as Kodachi took stock and catcalled "Now play nice or I'll take the rest."

Kodachi's fists clenched as she howled "You BITCH!" She grabbed her clubs. "I will pay you back for this a hundred fold! Now! Witness the secret technique of the Black Rose! The Blow of a Thousand Hands at full frenzy!"

Akane laughed as she dodged the massive volley of blows. Air pressure from the misses shattered the first two rows of bleachers and sent spectators flying. Screams of panic went up from the crowd.

"My God!" yelled the Announcer. "It looks like she's using twenty clubs! There's no doubt about it! The madwoman from Furinkan has definitely raised Kodachi's ire as well as her hemlines!"

Akane's ribbons reached down to grab a ball from the sidelines, and she leaped high, her ribbons forming a tight spiral as she launched it like a bullet down at Kodachi's still futile attempts to hit her. The ball smashed down through the volley of clubs and exploded loudly against the mat as clubs rained down around Kodachi.

"And the truth is revealed!" The Announcer called, still clutching her mike amid the wreckage Kodachi had made of her table. "She was using twenty clubs!"

Kodachi looked down in disbelief at the clubs surrounding her, then over to where Akane was casually strolling along the rope singing a nursery rhyme. Her eyes hardened. "This is only the beginning!" she cried as she pulled her ribbons from somewhere. "The true essence of Martial Gymnastics is control of an endless array of weapons!" The ribbon reached out to snag a bell from the wreckage around the ring and she hurled it at Akane.

Akane intercepted the bell with her ribbons and it fell to the mat in four pieces as she laughed. "Oho! Trying to ring my bell and we haven't even been on a first date!" Her ribbon slithered around in a spiral to smack Kodachi on the rear with a loud crack. Kodachi jumped and a blush spread across her cheeks at the yelp she had let out. Akane stood on a corner pole and looked at her with her head cocked. "Whaddaya know, I think she liked that!"

Kodachi eeped and grabbed a chair to throw at Akane, but as she turned, she found Akane right in front of her. The chair clattered to the floor as her momentum carried her against the other girl and she stared into the strange expression in Akane's eyes. Only she heard the words Akane spoke. "Yep. You need a good fucking." But the tone made her stagger backwards a half dozen steps in shock.

She stared at Akane as her heart hammered. Akane stood there like a hyper-eager airline hostess. Her feet were together and her hands were behind her back as she leaned slightly forward while her ribbons danced behind her back like tails. On her face was a friendly smile…

Wind whistled through the silent auditorium.

Like a trapped animal, Kodachi looked around wildly, finally spying her brother looking at her coldly. In almost terror, she snagged him and hurled him at Akane.

Whatever spell had existed for that frozen moment broke as Kuno yelled and swung his bokken. Akane moved aside and used her ribbons to hurl Kuno into the crowd.

"Use of brother valid!" The judges called as Kodachi began to hurl everything she could at Akane.

"It's a battle for the ages!" the Announcer called. "The Black Rose is in rare form today, but her opponent isn't giving an inch! What will happen next! And all our male fans are wondering, I'm sure, will Kodachi lose any more of her outfit? It's still anyone's match!"

Zhu-Shu was still watching slack jawed when the panda, seemingly uninterested in the match, tapped her on the shoulder and offered her a cup of tea.

"Mister Saotome! This is no time to be relaxing! Akane's higher than a kite! She could be killed!"

The panda gave the ring an eye, then shrugged unconcernedly as he sat down with his kettle and tea cup.

Kodachi was still desperately attacking Akane, who seemed to be having more and more fun blocking her attacks and snipping more of Kodachi's outfit. The right sleeve was now gone and only a thin band covered her breasts. She'd also lost the right side of her bottom and only a single strand kept the cloth covering between her legs. She was despairing because Akane still only seemed to be half paying attention and hadn't stopped giggling. As the rebuff to one last attack severed the cloth between her breasts, her eyes fell on the kettle next to the panda. Heedless of the loss of her top and the whistles of appreciation from the crowd, she snagged the kettle and held it triumphantly.

"Hah! Even a cockroach will surrender in the face of the Attack of the Boiling Water!" She leaped to pour steaming water on Akane but was unsuccessful.

"And Akane retreats!" the Announcer yelled. "But then that water does look hot!"

Akane leaped high to avoid the splashes, but Kodachi anticipated her. As she descended, the kettle was slashed apart right in front of her and as a cloud of steam covered her a nonsense yell came from her mouth.

Nonsense to everyone but Zhu-Shu. It was Mandarin Chinese for Dragon's Egg Shield. The same technique she used to shield herself. But that would mean Akane was using the Song School of Sword Dance's secret techniques…

A golden globe of light dropped from the bottom of the cloud of steam, revealing a completely dry and unharmed Akane. She dropped into a perfect stance atop a corner pole as the globe faded, her ribbon wands reversed in her hands as she held them like paired swords, the ribbons around her lashing like angry serpents. "That was mean!" Akane called as her ribbons flashed out to wrap the nearly nude Kodachi and hurl her through the air, the last piece of her leotard fluttering to the mat.

"Is this it?" The Announcer called. "Has Akane stripped Kodachi of not only her clothing, but victory as well?"

A shrill whistle came from the airborne Kodachi and the ring shuddered into motion towards her. It crossed the wreckage to intercept her and as she landed smugly, she struck a pose and cried "Out is an impossibility for me!" She laughed maniacally. "And the loss of my clothes means nothing! I shall prevail! I shall win my Ranma from you! I refuse to be beaten by a perverted girl like you!"

Akane looked at Kodachi's dramatic pose and giggled. "Ya know, you're especially cute when you're naked and angry." Her ribbon lashed across Kodachi's nipples, electing a gasp of involuntary pleasure from the girl. "But Ran-ma sa-ma is mi-ine! No-ot your-ors!" She frowned. "Even if he does think his best friend slept with me!" she added sullenly.

A shocked hush crossed the auditorium. In the silence a shocked "Oh, my!" came from Kasumi, and the thud of Nabiki's soda hitting the floor was like a rock fall.

Akane's eyes hardened as she looked at the still stunned Kodachi. "And you! It's all your fault! If you hadn't tried to kiss him!" Her ribbon lashed across Kodachi's nipples again and made her arch her back. "Then you tried to steal him!" The ribbon lashed between Kodachi's legs. "Then you had to come to my school– " flick "and attack me!" flick "Then chase him!" Akane's blows came more and more frequently and Kodachi's eyes were glazing. "And then you had to be Kuno's sister! And cute! And rich!" with every exclamation, Akane's ribbon struck again. Kodachi stood frozen, her ribbon falling from nerveless fingers as her breath came in short gasps.

"Then you had the nerve– " Akane yelled, raw fury in her eyes now. "To try and take him from ME! Take that! And that! And that! And that!" Akane punctuated each statement with another blow. "WHY! CAN'T! YOU! UNDER! STAND! THAT! I! LOVE! HIM!"

As the last blow landed between her legs, Kodachi could take no more. She screamed as her body convulsed in a massive orgasm and she fell to her knees. Adoring eyes fell on Akane's tear streaked face and she whispered "I'm sorry, Mistress…"

Then she fainted.

Akane collapsed to her knees in tears as the shaky Referee stepped up to her and raised Akane's hand. "And the winner is…" The Announcer spoke in a quiet voice. "Is Akane Tendo."

Zhu-Shu rushed forward to shelter Akane as the crowd erupted in wild cheers…

"So ya see, I don't know what to think!" Ranma said as she finished the last of her ice cream and sighed. She couldn't believe she had poured all of this out on Belldandy, but somehow, it really had made her feel better to have it all off her chest.

Belldandy had been daintily nibbling at her ice cream as the red-head had told her about her problems, listening and commenting only as needed to help Ranma carry on, but as she finished she laid down her spoon and pushed her remaining ice cream over to the distraught girl. She had come by to check on how her spell had been working, but had decided upon seeing Ranma that the poor boy needed a shoulder to cry on… so to speak. After hearing about the fight she had just had, she felt a least partially responsible for Ranma's despair, since it had been her spell that blended Akane's chi and psyche with Zhu-Shu. It was seeming to have the desired result in Akane, but some of the things Keiichi had said combined with Ranma's story made her a little worried about the Chinese girl. She was going to have to look into that, but first, she felt compelled to help Ranma.

"I do hope you won't think this is intrusive of me, but everyone makes mistakes. I think that your Akane must really love you to be so affected by what you say."

Ranma looked up from the new bowl. "Ya really think so? So why'd she want to sleep with Zhu-chan?"

"Well… humans have a very deep need to feel loved and to love. It's one of the most wonderful things about them. But those needs sometimes can cause people to do things in a kind of desperation. When they have too much of a need to feel love, they may try to find it wherever they can. They may not even realize that it's what they're looking for, but sometimes the need is so great that no price seems too great, no action too extreme. I think she felt a need for love so badly that she couldn't consciously control herself, so she sought it from someone she felt almost as close to as she does you."

Ranma looked at her curiously. "Really? I mean I've seen stuff like that on TV and stuff, but real life ain't like that."

Belldandy smiled. "Whether you believe it or not, it is. Humans will do anything for love. Beyond hope, beyond fate, beyond even survival, love is the motivator that will make a man or woman overcome any hardship, any danger. Love has changed the fate of the world more times than anyone will ever know, Ranma. It has changed the course of more worlds than you could ever even conceive. You never know, in some worlds, perhaps even you have dared to challenge the gods for love."

Ranma chuckled. "You really believe in love, huh?"

Belldandy smiled. "Absolutely. My Keiichi is the most wonderful person in the world, and I'd do anything for him, and I think he'd do anything for me. But love's course isn't always smooth. We've had many trials and setbacks, but love makes it all worthwhile, and allows us to forgive the mistakes we make and concentrate on the successes."

"So maybe I'm overreacting, huh?" Ranma licked the spoon thoughtfully.

Belldandy gave her a gentle smile. "That's for you to decide. To err is human, after all. How many times have you forgiven your father for what he's done? Has Akane truly done anything worse? Didn't you admit that Miss Zhu-Shu is desirable, that had you not been separated you might have even fallen in love with her yourself? With her being such a good friend to you both, can you truly blame your Akane for turning to her in a time of need?"

Ranma put down the spoon in the empty bowl as she put her head on her hand. Her long red braid fell over her shoulder and she caught it and played with it as she said, "Love conquers all and all that, huh." She looked at her hair and recalled why she had grown it out. "I just wish I really knew if I loved her."

Belldandy smiled. "Your heart will tell you… every day. You just have to learn how to interpret it."

Ranma looked at her hair and blinked, then looked down at herself. "Oh man, I forgot. You must be kinda freaked out hearing a girl go on like this about another girl."

"Hearts don't have genders, Ranma. And love knows no boundaries. It doesn't matter who the one you love is, or how many loved ones you have, so long as you truly love them. Love isn't something that runs by silly rules made up by humans. It just is, and only our hearts know what is right."

Ranma looked at her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, thank you. You've been really kind and you've really given me a lot to think about; maybe even a solution."

"Think nothing of it, Ranma. Helping is what I do."

She rose and held out her hand to help Belldandy to her feet. "I hope I see you again sometime."

Belldandy's eyes sparkled. "Maybe."

Ranma gave her a smile. "I gotta get back to the dojo. I think maybe I owe Akane a real apology… for more than just today."

"Best wishes." Belldandy said as Ranma turned to go.

Ranma gave her a smile from the ice cream parlor's door. "Somehow, when you say that, I believe it just might come true."

Belldandy watched her walk down the street with a smile. It always felt good to help. As the red-head jumped to a rooftop, she reached out to the mirror beside the table, and in a sparkle of light, she was gone.

The nurse looked over Akane and sighed. "She'll be ok, but damned if I've ever seen this combination before. Kodachi's potions usually result in sleep, paralysis, or some other type of incapacitation in one way or another. I'd suspect she was on some kind of speed, but that's not something Kodachi generally uses."

"She took a ginseng potion to counter the sleepiness." Zhu-Shu said, a worried look on her face.

The nurse nodded. "Strong potion that. She's exhausted. I'd say the potion burned the other drug out of her faster then it would have gone normally, but it drained her in the process. She'll likely sleep till tomorrow. Still, it explains some of the strange behavior she was exhibiting, but not all of it.

Zhu-Shu blushed. "It was a nuptial potion. I was only going to give her a small dose, but she took the whole bottle."

"An aphrodisiac? Well, that explains that." The nurse smiled. "She'll probably not remember much of anything she did. Kind of a pity really. Kodachi has needed a come down for awhile. It's amusing that she had a hand in her own downfall. Still, I'd tell her to be careful. Kodachi's the type to hold very long grudges and she was utterly humiliated…"

The subject of the Nurse's comments sat in the locker room staring off into space. She was still nude, the marks of the lashing she had received a bright red against her skin. The other girls of the gymnastics team cowered around the room dreading her reaction when she finally moved. She had never been a kind mistress, and every girl there had felt her ribbon in a manner similar to what she had received at Akane's hands. They all feared her.

But Kodachi had not reacted yet. She was still contemplating the fight.

Finally, she moved. She stood and moved over to the full length mirror and stared at herself. For almost half an hour she stood there, the team barely daring to breathe lest they spark her wrath, yet she never moved.

At the last, she turned and walked to her locker, apparently not seeing the team. She slowly dressed, her motions almost robotic, then she turned, her eyes raising to look at the most senior girl of the team.

"I am unable to lead you now. You must be the captain. My destiny lies elsewhere."

To stunned silence, she turned and vanished out the door.

A strange procession traipsed home from St Hebereke's towards the Tendo dojo. Kasumi led, with a depressed Zhu-Shu at her side, followed by the panda carrying the unconscious Akane. Nabiki followed behind, carrying Akane's pack and listening to the conversation her sister was having with the Chinese girl.

"So the nurse said she'd be ok?" Kasumi asked Zhu-Shu again. "That all the effects would be gone when she awoke?

"All the effects of the drugs Kodachi gave her. I'm not sure about other things." She gave the unconscious girl a look and sighed. "I'm worried about how Ranma took off."

"Oh, I'm sure we can work that out." Kasumi said. "Once he's had a chance to think, I'll talk to him. I'm just glad the match is over with. Your teaching Akane really helped. I had no idea that you had taught her so much when you taught her the Dance! She could never do half the stuff she did in the ring before. I had no idea there was so much to it."

"There is more to it than Akane used, but not everything she was using were techniques from the Dance. Somehow, she absorbed the knowledge of the Song school as well."

Kasumi stared. "But– but how could she… I mean… she was never that good at ki before. If you didn't teach her…" Kasumi blinked in wonder.

Zhu-Shu lowered her head. "I suspect we shared a lot more than just a few memories and techniques when our chi merged." She looked at Akane and the heartbreak in her eyes was plain. "A lot more. I can't separate out my feelings from Akane's feelings…"

Kasumi stopped. "You shared her feelings?" She turned to Zhu-Shu, realization dawning in her eyes.

"No." Zhu-Shu said. "I have her feelings."

"Oh, my. Then that must mean you– " She broke off.

Zhu-Shu nodded. "I'm in love with Ranma too."

It was a long silent walk home.

Ranma had arrived home just minutes prior to find no-one home but the voodoo priest and Soun. She had taken one look at them playing Go and gone back outside to pace.

As she wore out the ground in front of the gate, her braid lashing like a whip at every turn, she went over and over what Belldandy had told her, trying to think of what she was going to say to Akane. It was so confusing how she felt.

She hadn't wanted to be engaged to Akane, yet somehow, she'd come to think of her as her fiancée. She wasn't really upset that Akane had asked Zhu-Shu for sex, but she was upset at both of them for not telling her about it. She'd realized that the threat Zhu-Shu had delivered the night she'd kissed Kasumi had been just a bluff, and that Zhu-Shu really was trying to help her with Akane, but keeping this from her had been wrong.

Hells, she wouldn't even have cared if Akane had succeeding in seducing Zhu-Shu, it wasn't that big a deal, especially with the idea she'd gotten while speaking to Belldandy, but the fact they had hid it from her showed they didn't trust her when it came to stuff like this, and that really hurt, since they had trusted her in so much else. It made it feel like she'd failed somehow, and in a worse way than normal.

Okay, so she didn't know much about any of that stuff, and the thought of trying any of the things Hiroshi and Daisuke suggested scared her silly because it sounded so ridiculous, and she was positive if she tried any of it, Akane would pound her into the ground, but she wanted to get it right… to… to…

Gods! At least admit it to yourself, baka! she thought. You want to be her lover. You can't get how nice her body looks out of your mind and you dream about her every night! Stop being a fool and tell her!

She looked down the street to see if she was coming yet, and she felt her heart stop beating.

She only saw one face. Akane's. And she looked so lifeless. The color drained out of her face as the returning group drew closer. Dread froze her in place, the blood in her veins turning to ice. Zhu-Shu was so somber…

A thousand screaming demons howled every insult she had ever said to Akane in her ears. A thousand whips flayed her soul with barbs of ice. She should have been there. Should have protected her. Should have shielded Akane with her body from all harm.

A hand on her arm startled her and she looked over into Zhu-Shu's shadowed eyes. "She'll be all right. Kodachi tried to win by drugging her. I had to give her something to counteract it. She's okay. Kodachi barely laid a finger on her before Akane defeated her. She just fainted afterwards."

The words sounded like they were coming from a great distance, but they broke the hold the ice had over her soul. With a shudder, she took a breath, her knees going weak. "Thank the gods."

"She's just exhausted. I don't know when she's going to wake up, but likely it'll be in the next twenty-four hours."

Ranma nodded her head in relief. "You say she won?"

"Yes."

Ranma hung her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see it. I– I'm sorry I ran. You were both right about me being a baka."

Zhu-Shu's hand on her arm squeezed hers reassuringly. "She told the whole school today that she loves you. Even Kuno could not have misunderstood."

"Yeah… I have it on tape too." Nabiki said. "I figure 10,000 yen a copy is about right."

"I'll– I'll look at it later." She stepped in front of Genma and took Akane into her arms. "I'll take her to her room. I want to be there when she wakes."

Zhu-Shu started to say something, then nodded her head in agreement. Ranma sighed.

"I'm not mad at either of you for what happened… I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me."

The small red-head disappeared into the building, leaving a stricken looking Zhu-Shu staring after her. Kasumi put a hand on the smaller girls shoulder. "It'll be all right Zhu-chan."

The Chinese girl nodded her head. "I'll be okay Kasumi. Thank you." She sighed heavily. "It's just, ever since I picked up Akane's emotions I feel like I'm caught in a whirlwind. I– I think I just want to go and meditate."

Kasumi noted the pleading look in Zhu-Shu's eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course. I'll bring you dinner in the garden."

Zhu-Shu attempted a grateful smile. "Thank you."

As the rest of the group re-entered the house while Zhu-Shu walked around to the koi pond, a silent form observed them from atop a phone pole. Cloaked in the gathering twilight, it seemed to fade into the background as it watched the Chinese girl sit on her favorite rock and begin a meditation trance. A soft sigh escaped from the figure. Zhu-Shu had done well. It looked like Ranma might finally have realized she cared for the Tendo girl, and that boded well for the morrow.

With a last long look at the figure in the garden, Ke-Lun turned to go.

Time passed slowly… day crawling into night, night crawling into dawn, dawn crawling into…

Akane awoke to a bright morning. She had a few faint traces of a headache, but other than that, she felt wonderful. Still sleep fogged, she lazed with her eyes closed and cleared her chakra and cleansed her ki, letting it flow through her body and wipe the lethargy of sleep from her mind.

It came to her then exactly what she was doing, and in the calm clear state of mind she found herself in, she realized it seemed she had always known how to do it, yet she could also clearly remember never having done so before.

Curious, she searched through the rest of her mind, astonished by what was there. A vast store of skills lay dormant in her mind, poised on the verge of her consciousness, and as she acknowledged them, it seemed as if a signal had been given. With an almost audible click, they settled into her mind and body as if they were her own…

And with them came memories…

She knew they were Zhu-Shu's, but the feelings they evoked were her own. They flowed through her consciousness and settled into their places in her mind, bringing with them Zhu-Shu's past.

She understood now, so much that had puzzled her about the Chinese girl and understanding nearly broke her heart. Zhu-Shu had spent her life training for a role she could never fulfill. There would never be an Emperor to serve, but the need to serve had been driven so far into her that it consumed her life. Her friends had become her only release for that need. Zhu-Shu could no more not serve than she could give up breathing, but she was caught between the need to serve and her own desires.

The fullness of that realization nearly made her cry. She could see the memories Zhu-Shu had of Ying-Ying and her feelings for her, the attraction that had grown over years… and the actions her aunt had taken when those feelings had been revealed… She could feel the hollowness Zhu-Shu felt when she looked at men… the utter lack of a response on any level beyond friendship…

Zhu-Shu might have learned to like men, Akane realized, but her aunt had ground it out of her with her lessons on how to please them. Zhu-Shu knew a thousand ways to arouse men, to seduce men, to please men, some of which had long ago become unconscious actions, but men would never be to her more than a rote set of reflexes. No matter how ground into her the role of seductress had been, she would never willingly consummate the role with a man.

Men simply were not appealing to her, if not so strongly as to be an actual dislike. She had no more response to them sexually than she did to a rock. Even Ranma, much as she liked to look at him when he was female, evoked no real interest. He was like a pretty picture, nothing more. Zhu-Shu had toyed with the idea when she had first met him, but interest had died as he had proven that even as a girl, he was forever male. Zhu-Shu had become convinced she was doomed to a loveless marriage and what amounted to giving her consent to being raped. She wanted to see her friends happy because she was convinced she never would be. Duty wouldn't allow it.

Akane mourned for her. She herself had always liked men, and had never even thought about women until Zhu-Shu had arrived. The thought of liking them sexually had been alien to her, yet Ranma had awoken strange feelings in her that Zhu-Shu had helped her define. She did like men – Ranma had been right about her taking a long look that first day, and as frightened as she was, she had also been incredibly aroused. He'd been so good looking, and his response at the sight of her unclad body had drawn her gaze like a moth to flame for those long seconds before panic had set in. Half of her anger and calling him a hentai had been due solely to the feelings seeing his arousal had created in herself, the feelings that her body had betrayed her with its seeming eagerness to prepare for him. She had screamed as much from the aching stiffness of her nipples and the sudden dampness between her legs as she had from fear.

Then, the whole Fiancée thing had gotten her riled, and she'd hated him for being forced on her. What she had hated the most about Kuno and his idiotic challenge had been the forced attentions she'd had to fight off. If Kuno had just asked for a date, she might have gone out with him.

It wasn't until that day she had listened in on the conversation in the garden that she'd found out Ranma was just as unhappy with being forced, and that he had been taking it out on her as badly as she had been taking it out on him. It had robbed her anger over the whole thing of any justification. She had tried to find every reason for not liking Ranma before then, and yet, she had admired him for the way he had stood up to Kuno. As hard as she had tried to deny it, the attraction had been there for Zhu-Shu to see.

Zhu-Shu had complicated her life enormously, but Akane had to admit she had simplified it in some ways as well, ways which had confused her immensely. She would have bungled her relationship with Ranma, she was sure, and taken who knows how long to recognize or even admit to herself that she loved him, let alone that she loved him in either form. How long would she have fought herself over that? Over admitting that his female side fascinated her? How long would she have tried to convince herself it was perverted had she not admired Zhu-Shu for being strong enough to admit she preferred girls?

Kodachi had brought it all to the fore. She'd liked Zhu-Shu, and had been fascinated with her preferences, but until her jealousy had prompted her to try and seduce Zhu-Shu, she had still seen her as a much loved friend, too focused on Ranma to realize what she had come to feel for Zhu-Shu as well.

And Zhu-Shu's refusal to betray Ranma by allowing Akane to succeed in her seduction had shaken her, had shown her a side of herself that she would have rather not admitted to; a selfishness that was willing to hurt even her friends for a pointless revenge over something that had existed only in her own mind…

But Zhu-Shu had forgiven her… had sent Kasumi to reassure her. She couldn't show Akane her love directly, but indirectly, she'd done all she could to make sure Akane knew she cared. She'd given Akane all she could and still be honorable.

Then… had come the Dance.

Whether she had intended to or not, Zhu-Shu had given Akane the greatest gift she had ever received. Direct knowledge of what it was like to be in love. The traces of her memories of Ying-Ying had shown her what she was feeling in a way she couldn't deny.

Had the accident not happened, she probably would have spent several more months of being terribly flirtatious before she'd dared to admit to her love, even to herself. The mishap had changed that, it had changed a lot of things… She'd grown up a lot that night. She had realized she loved him… was in love with him…

…And with Zhu-Shu as well. That love had grown unnoticed, but it was there, and it was as real as her love for Ranma.

What she had gained from Zhu-Shu had enabled her to see how much she had hurt her, and how close she had driven her to committing what was for her the ultimate sin… Betraying a friend.

In Zhu-Shu's mind, betraying a friend was as bad as betraying her Emperor… and there was only one sentence for treason.

Akane had spent that first night following the accident trying to avoid thinking, wanting only to bask in the wonderful feeling she had gotten from admitting to Ranma she loved him. There had been too much to assimilate, so she had pushed most of it aside, but the shame at what her selfishness had nearly caused had refused to go. She had hated what life had done to her… had hated its unfairness in taking her mother, in forcing her to be engaged to Ranma, in having Kuno set all the boys at Furinkan on her. But her shame had burned it all out… all the anger she had over life's unfairness. Yes, she had dealt with a lot of disappointments, but her self-justifications had died with the old rage.

Then shock had set in over all the alien memories and she had forgotten all but the strongest impressions. Her mind had simply refused to deal consciously with everything else she had gained, and she had wandered through the week distracted, but functional. Only the lingering guilt had remained as her subconscious processed the alien memories…

That was what had sparked the rage at Ranma… the guilt that she nearly had done exactly what he thought she had… guilt and the need to defend Zhu-Shu ... the one who deserved the accusation least…

She couldn't remember too clearly what had happened after that, just vague memories… she knew that somehow, her current hyper-aware state was an aftereffect of whatever she had been hit with, and it was slowly fading. Still, it had enabled her to absorb all the knowledge she had gained from Zhu-Shu. It was like she had lived with her all her life and knew her like she knew her sisters, but the memories weren't hers anymore. They had faded to the background as her mind had re-sorted her Self from them. Only the skills had remained as hers, the skills and a strange new sensation at the back of her head…

She felt along the strange new sense, finally realizing it was a link… a connection between her and Zhu-Shu… like they were…

Twins… that's the only thing she could think of that matched what she was sensing, the description of the connections between twins.

That link let her know that Zhu-Shu was fighting her own rampaging emotions as well.

She wished there was something she could do to help. She knew she hadn't been all that easy to get along with, and compared to Zhu-Shu's, her thoughts and emotions raged like a wildfire. Calm, contemplative Zhu-Shu must be fighting a battle with what she had gained from her.

One thought came wending its way to the forefront out of nowhere and made her giggle… Zhu-Shu was probably having the hardest time trying to forget Akane's lack of skills at cooking.

Gods, she had been bad at that; her new skills cringed when they contemplated what she had used to call cooking. She was glad she'd never had a chance to cook for Ranma. He probably would have thought she was trying to poison him.

The thought prompted her to really take stock of what she had processed and what she found shocked her. She had trained with her father and knew a good deal of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, but she'd never driven herself as hard as Ranma had… she had never been a master.

Now…

She could recall the lessons with Zhu-Shu's grandfather teaching her the Song School of Sword Dancing… the years of training… learning how to focus her ki, channel it, use it… learning how to use the twin broadswords, learning first to dance with the swords, then extending her control to longer and longer ribbons… how to make them an extension of her body, alive with her ki…

And years of learning to cook, to sew, to do all the duties of an imperial servant, from lowest maid to Chamberlain… and the fun of using her martial arts training to make the other work easier… the joys gained by doing things better and quicker than her aunt expected. The disappointments of discovering that no matter how she excelled she could never gain approval…

And the whirlwind night where Zhu-Shu had learned the Dance of Shiva, the massive set of skills passed on in the same way she had passed them to Akane.

But Sarhia had only given Zhu-Shu the skills… not her memories or feelings or anything else beyond the Dance. Why had it been so different with her?

She had no answers and the clarity was fading… normal thought was returning and with it, the sensations of her body…

She was laying in bed, and from the feelings, she was in her pajamas. She smiled. It had probably been Kasumi; she always thought of those things. She took a long languorous stretch and purred at the sensations of the cloth on her nipples. Whatever she had taken had left her very sensitive and…

She opened her eyes and slowly scanned the room, seeing an exhausted red-head passed out in a chair next to her bed. Akane smiled, her gaze slowly wandering over Ranma's body, coming at last to rest on where her shirt had fallen aside to reveal one rosy pink nipple. She smiled as she felt her body once again responding, but this time she welcomed it, reveled in it. Akane slipped the sheets back noiselessly and tip-toed across the room. She knelt, a canary grin on her face, and gently began to lick at the proffered treat.

Ranma moaned softly as her nipple hardened, then her eyes fluttered open sleepily as a small gasp escaped her lips. "Wh– what are you doing?" she whispered.

Akane laid a finger against her lips as her teeth gently nipped and held the nipple and flicked her tongue across it faster. Ranma's eyes glazed and another gasp escaped her lips, followed by a moan as Akane's hand trailed down her body and slid inside the unresisting red-head's shorts to rub, her fingers finding plenty of lubricant. Ranma bit her lips to stifle her moans as Akane brought her to a climax, her body arching as her breath came in hard gasps, then she slowly relaxed with a soft moan. Her eyes opened to see Akane licking her fingers. She stared, questions huge in her eyes.

Akane giggled.

"Oh no… you're still high as a kite!" Ranma muttered.

"Nope." Akane propped herself on the arm of the chair next to Ranma's legs and looked up at her. "I'm fine. I'm just a little… well, a lot… horny. I guess in a way, this is to apologize. You aren't perfect, Ranma Saotome, but then neither am I. We're both going to have to learn a lot to make this relationship work. You tend to be thoughtless, and I, well, I do have a temper… but at least you're trying. I love you, Ranma. I know that for a fact."

She laid her head down on Ranma's breast as her arm went around her waist. "Even if our fathers all of a sudden called off our engagement, I'd still want you to be my husband. We will make this work somehow." She hugged Ranma tightly then lifted her head again, a impish smile on her face.

"This– " her head dropped again and Ranma felt her lips close around her nipple again for a few seconds before Akane released it. "– is a promissory note. When we work out our difficulties, and we finally get married… on that day, and not before, I will take you to my bed as a man, and have you be with me as a man should be. Until then… well… there may be occasions where I will want you to be with me like this. I've come to realize I like you as both a man and a woman, Ranma. I want to be with you, but I can't risk being pregnant. I will not dishonor our families that way. But I want you to know I want this to work… I want us to work."

"Oh, Akane… I am so very sorry for assuming you…" Ranma's voice trembled. "I– I want us to work too. I'm sorry I can be a– a– a jerk." She lowered her eyes. "I– I just want you to know that– " She stopped as Akane laid a finger against her lips.

"Before you go and give me permission to go and bury my head between Zhu-Shu's legs– "Akane told the blushing redhead. "– I will tell you why that will never happen. Zhu-Shu loves me, Ranma, but she loved you first, as a friend. She could not betray you, Ranma, anymore than she could betray her emperor, because in her heart, they are one and the same thing, with the same consequences. Even with your permission it would still be a betrayal because she knows she would have to give me up to you eventually, and she wouldn't be able to if we were lovers. She has my love and I have hers, but we will never be anything more than sisters, because if we become anything else it could destroy us. She could not bear to give me up and would destroy herself in guilt, and I… I would not be able to live with her suicide."

Ranma stared in dismay at Akane's words.

"She was wise enough to know this… and despite her desires, she resisted me. I nearly broke her, Ranma. My jealous fit over Kodachi made me do something I regret now. I would undo the hurt I did to her if I could… but I can't. I'm just glad she's forgiven me." Her eyes came up to look into Ranma's. "And I have to ask you to forgive me too. I'm sorry. I love you and I regret what I tried to do with Zhu-Shu. I– I was jealous. I'm sorry."

"Is that what you meant when you said I didn't realize what kind of friend she was to me?" Ranma asked.

Akane nodded. "In part. Whether you realize it or not, she's taught you a lot about how to love as well."

"I– I just wish you both had trusted me enough to tell me."

Akane gave him a sad smile. "I wish we had too. I'm sorry. I– I…" She gave the red-head a rueful grin. "Would you accept that I was stark raving insane as a defense?"

Ranma smiled. "Only if you can accept my being a blind idiotic jerk for ever calling you a sexless tomboy."

Akane smiled and licked Ranma's still hard nipple. "Still think I'm sexless?"

Ranma shuddered "No." she pulled her shirt back over her breast. "I must say that sexless was probably the stupidest name I ever called you. Though I had no idea you'd ever do any thing like this."

"Well, get over it. Nabiki was being mean when she said your being half girl was perfect for me, but she was absolutely correct. I like you being both. I can't do anything with you as a boy until we get married, but damn it, Ranma, I want you! And as a girl, I can have you, without the fear of pregnancy or anything else. Get used to the thought, Ranma. I won't say I won't get mad, or even that we may do anything like this very often, but the possibility of this happening again is there. I also plan to try and teach you a lot more about being female, because I think the better you understand women, the fewer mistakes you'll make." She gave her a near smirk. "And it'll make you a better lover too. As well as give me an excuse for stuff like this…" Ranma didn't react in time to stop Akane from swiping her shorts and leaving her bare from the waist down.

"Hey!" She stopped when Akane captured first one leg, then the other. She stared down at Akane's face over a tangle of red curls. Akane was grinning evilly. "What are you doing? This is embarrassing. You have me displayed like an oyster! And why are you grinning like that?"

Akane looked her over carefully. "Humm… an oyster? You really don't look anything like one, but now that you mentioned it; well, what does one do to oysters?"

"Well, you– " Ranma couldn't finish the thought as Akane's head lowered, and she gasped as she felt the other girl's tongue delve into the opening of her vagina before tracing upwards to find the small bud of her clit. As Akane slowly ran the tip of her tongue around in circles, Ranma shivered. Akane's fingers gently spread her labia as her entire mouth descended, sucking softly as her tongue teased the small and highly sensitive area, and Ranma's thought processes ceased as a gentle fire seemed to slowly burn through her body at the sensations. Her hands moved almost on their own to grab Akane's head as her hips twitched.

Then she felt as Akane's hand trailed lower, her fingers dipping into the wetness lower down as she continued to lavish attention on Ranma's clit with her tongue. With her legs spread the way they were, Akane's finger met little resistance as she slowly worked it deeper inside. Ranma bit her lip to keep from moaning loudly from the pleasure the intrusion was causing. She had to grab a pillow off the bed and hold it against her mouth as Akane pressed her finger all the way in, and caressed her.

Akane's tongue began flicking back and forth faster as her finger withdrew, but she didn't withdraw it all the way, and Ranma bucked as she drove it back in forcefully. As Akane continued to work her clit with her tongue, her finger began pounding into Ranma with a steady rhythm, Ranma's hips bucking in time with her thrusts as she moaned into the pillow.

Then her eyes widened as she felt herself stretched, the single finger joined by two others as the fire in her loins burned intensely for a moment before she felt an overwhelming rush of golden fire burning through her body. She moaned, spreading her legs even more as she propped one on the desk and the other on the bed, her hips lifting off the chair as she thrust them against Akane's hand.

Akane's tongue left her clit as the dark haired girl smiled at her. "It seems you're liking this."

Ranma's only answer was to moan louder as she gripped the arms of the chair tightly, her hips leaving the seat entirely as her body strove to push itself against the relentless thrusting of Akane's hand. The pillow fell to the floor unheeded as her back arched and the glorious golden fire burned along her spine and exploded in her brain. Her breath caught as she groaned in pleasure, but Akane's hand pounded even faster. Wave after wave of molten ecstasy poured over her as she climaxed, but she had no time to even breathe before Akane's fingers created a second, and then a third. Her breath leaked out of her in a high pitched squeal as her body arched, frozen in her orgasm as Akane's fingers continued to drive into her sopping wet pussy. She could feel as her oils streamed around the plunging fingers to run down her thighs and coat Akane's hand, but was unable to move as the golden fire held her in its bewitching embrace, climax after climax building into a crescendo as one final massive orgasm shattered her brain and she collapsed.

Akane smiled as she slowly withdrew her fingers, starting to bring them to her lips before she noticed small smears of red. She giggled.

"Stay right there, Ranma. I'll be right back. And no getting dressed either. I am not done with you. Not by a long shot."

Ranma shivered as she curled her legs up on the chair and tried to catch her breath. She nodded as Akane smiled.

"Oh, and that shirt had better be gone when I get back, too," Akane added as she took a few tissues from her desk and cleaned her fingers. "Because when I get back, we're moving to the bed."

She giggled as she sashayed to the door and vanished down the hall.

"That was mean…" Ranma said weakly when Akane got back from the bathroom. "I had no idea girls could come that hard. I mean I've certainly never been able to make myself orgasm like that." She was still curled up in a ball and shivering, but fully nude, the shirt having obediently been removed and added to her shorts in the pile in the corner.

Akane smiled. "Obviously, you have no real idea how to make yourself climax as a girl."

"First time I tried I started bleeding everywhere. I've only tried a few times since." She whimpered as Akane sat down by her legs and spread them apart. "Please not again… I couldn't take that again… not right now."

"Relax, silly. I'm going to clean up the blood and apply some salve. You probably haven't noticed the tear yet with the nerve overload."

"You tore me? D– does t– that mean–"

"You're not in danger of being hauled off for a virgin sacrifice? Yes." She gave the red-head a rueful grin. "Sorry. Three fingers was probably a bit much for your first time."

Ranma blushed crimson down to her toes. She watched Akane in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "I don't get you. You've called me a pervert and slapped me silly for even looking at you cross eyed, and now you do this…"

Akane laughed. "Oh, I'm not done yet, but don't get used to it. I suspect that whatever Kodachi gave me put me in this playful mood. It had some weird effects."

"I'll say. You cut off Kodachi's leotard and whipped her to an orgasm while yelling at her about trying to steal me. She passed out." She gave a sheepish smile at Akane's raised eyebrow. "Nabiki made a tape."

"Humm… really… I'll have to ask Nabiki for a copy. I don't remember much past entering the dressing room. But just because whatever she gave me made me horny as hell, don't think I haven't wanted to do this for awhile now. All it did was give me the courage to actually do it."

A light knock on the door announced Kasumi's arrival. She looked at the two girls and gave an "Oh, my!" before slipping in quickly and shutting the door. "Zhu-Shu said she saw you walking back from the bathroom, so I came to see how you were doing."

Ranma had frantically tried to cover herself until Akane had smacked her on the rump. She stopped trying to move as a blush colored her almost down to her feet and she gave Kasumi a sheepish grin. "Ah… Umm… You're probably wondering what I'm doing to your sister," she said lamely.

"Oh, heaven's, no. I'd say rather that it's what she's doing to you. And to that, I'll say I'm relieved that if she's finally decided to play with you, at least she's playing with you as a girl."

"Kasumi!" Akane rolled her eyes.

"Well it is sensible, Akane. It would cause ever so many complications if you got yourself pregnant." Kasumi chided.

"I know that! No boy-girl stuff until I'm married. Right, Ranma?"

Ranma looked from one to girl to the other, wide eyed in shock. "Uh… I guess so." was all she could say.

Kasumi laughed. "Poor Ranma. Yes, I am the real Kasumi. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, but I happen to agree with Zhu-Shu about treating you as just another girl when you're female. So you're like another little sister. I've got quite a collection now, you know." She went to sit on Akane's bed in a swirl of skirts. "And you're going to be my sister by marriage too, so get used to me being a big sister. And like I told Akane a few days ago, big sisters are supposed to guide younger sisters in all kinds of things… sex among them. I don't mean to be embarrassing, but I'm not shocked by any of this either. You're both engaged, and hopefully mature enough to make your own decisions about this."

"I hope so. Took me by surprise though." Ranma muttered.

"And besides…" Kasumi continued. "It wouldn't hurt you to try and treat me like a big sister. I know you've been raised by your father to be tough and strong, but you're not alone anymore. And… well… until you find a cure, you are going to be my sister half the time." She took in the look that passed between Ranma and Akane at her mention of a cure. "That is… if you still want one."

Ranma looked at Akane's face, the gentle smile she had, and thought about what had passed in the last half hour and about what Belldandy had said about love. She had fought this curse tooth and nail, but really, what could she truly say was different about her? She was still Ranma, in either form. Zhu-Shu had told her that there were times to accept what couldn't be changed, to save your strength for fights that can be won. If she was truly to believe Akane, this was a fight she might be better off not winning at all.

Was it really so bad to be a girl half the time? A sudden thought occurred to her that made her smile softly back at Akane. Akane's happiness seemed to matter more than the curse. Was that what Belldandy had meant by her heart telling her what she really felt?

"I'm starting to think it might not be so bad a curse after all." she said quietly.

Akane's eyes met hers and for once, no words were needed. Akane's eyes said volumes. Ranma smiled as Akane finished applying the salve and patted her legs as she sat back. Ranma made no further move to cover herself or uncurl, her eyes never leaving Akane's. "I'm actually starting to think that being a girl part time might be a good thing…" Akane smiled shyly. "In fact… it probably wouldn't hurt if I maybe learned a little about being female, since I'm going to be spending at least half my life as one."

Some people just have a longwinded way of saying three little words…

Akane leaned forward and kissed her leg. "I love you too, Ranma." She gave Kasumi an amused look. "However, sister, dear, I was not yet done ravishing my lovely red-head."

Kasumi giggled. "Oh dear. Well I suppose I can certainly say you must be feeling better then."

Akane grinned as she nodded. "Yup. But I also intend to feel a LOT better soon." She stood and played with the buttons of her top. "Now, while I love you to death, I want some playtime alone with my fiancée."

Kasumi nodded and rose. "Well, it's just me and Zhu-Shu right now, so feel free to make as much noise as you want."

Akane giggled again as she looked down at the still curled up red-head. Her eyes trailed over her lasciviously. "Oh, there is one thing you could do for me, Kasumi. Could you bring me a bowl of cold water, a razor, and the shaving crème?"

Ranma gave her an embarrassed blush. "A– are you planning to shave me bare like you?"

Akane shook her head as she gave the smaller girl a grin. "Nope. But I AM going to mark you as mine."

Kasumi giggled as she closed the door, chased out by Akane's thrown pajama top. Akane stuck her tongue out at the closed door then laughed. "I swear, she never ceases to surprise me. If I didn't know better, I'd almost suspect she was contemplating either watching or joining in."

Ranma blushed even brighter.

Akane let her pajama bottoms drop and gave Ranma a cocky look as she put her hands on her bare hips. "Okay, my deflowered playtoy, I want you on the bed," she said as she licked her lips. "Now!"

Ranma uncurled and gingerly stood, her legs wobbly. "I– I still don't know that I could handle any more like that, Akane-chan."

Akane grinned. "Who said it was your turn? I want to cuddle a little, and then you are going to be returning the favor." She pushed the red-head back on the bed and crawled on top of her. "To be sure, I am certainly going to be giving you a few more orgasms, but I want some too, you know."

Ranma smiled shyly. "You – you really want me to play with you?"

Akane nodded. "Yes Ranma. I want you to play with me, and hold me, and touch me, and explore my body with your tongue. I want you to caress me, and make love to me, and show me how much you love me with your body. I don't know what I might feel like tomorrow or next week or whenever, but right this moment, I want you to be my lover and I want to be yours."

Ranma reached up to caress her face. "I– I have been wanting to be your lover too, Akane. I– I've been so scared…"

Akane closed her eyes as she felt the soft caress. "I know. I've been a terror. I'm sorry, Ran-chan. I've wanted you too, and I've been denying it since the first day I saw you. Gods, as scared as I was when I saw you in the furo, I've fantasized about that over and over again, how things might have been different if I hadn't been so shocked. I've dreamed about playing with you so many times." She turned to kiss Ranma's fingers. "I can't play with you as a guy, no matter how badly I want to, not until we're married. I absolutely won't take that risk, and I'm sorry, but please understand."

Ranma pulled her face down to kiss her. "I do Akane. And I'm kinda relieved you're thinking about both our futures. I'm still kinda shocked that you did this, but I'm glad it's not just Kodachi's drugs."

Akane shook her head. "No. I– I did more than just merge ki with Zhu-Shu. For awhile there, we might as well have been identical twins. I have her memories as well as mine, Ranma. I can remember her whole life, dimly, as if I grew up beside her in her home village. I– I should have told you earlier, I know, but I was so dazed and foggy after it happened. And I felt so guilty for what I had tried to do. I wanted you, but I was afraid to tell you and so jealous. I– I– "

"Hush, Akane. I forgive you. You don't have to feel guilty over it, okay? I honestly don't care that you wanted to sleep with her. I love her too. If we hadn't gotten separated, who knows? I'm sorry for how I acted. I guess… well– I guess I was scared I had lost you, just when I was starting to realize how badly I really did want to be yours."

"Silly. I told you I love you," Akane smiled as she lowered herself to lay her head on Ranma's breasts. "From the instant I realized what I felt for you was love, there has not been a moment where you have been far from my thoughts. Even when you piss me off, I still love you. Just please understand that I don't know if there will ever be a time when you will be the one and only person I love."

Ranma stroked her hair. "I don't care, Akane-chan." She tilted her head as she looked thoughtful. Akane blinked.

"What's up?"

Ranma smirked. "Nuthin, I just had a thought. I remembered somethin' the guy who was leading us around China told us about one night."

"What?"

Ranma shook her head. "Uh-uh. I don't want to tell you yet. I ain't sure about it, and I wanna talk to Zhu-chan about it first."

Akane's eyes narrowed playfully. "Keeping secrets already, humm? Guess I'll just have to torture it out of you!"

Her fingers found Ranma's ribs, and started tickling her mercilessly. Ranma giggled and managed an "Oh yeah?" before her hands reciprocated and a furious tickle war broke out. They rolled back and forth across the bed for several minutes giggling madly until finally Akane couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright! Alright! I surrender! Eeep! I surrender!" she rolled on to her back and lay panting as Ranma propped herself on her elbows and looked down with a huge grin.

"You should know better than to challenge me, Akane. I never lose!"

Akane grinned and reached up to caress her face. "No. And now it's time to claim your prize."

Ranma's fingers touched her belly button and trailed in little circles around it. "You really don't mind me playing with you?"

"If you don't start actually doing so soon, I'm going to rape you again."

Ranma giggled. "You didn't rape me. Shocked the hell out of me, yes, but I was perfectly willing to let you do whatever you wanted to me." She leaned down to blow softly across Akane's nipple. "I just want to be certain you really want me to return the favors."

Akane's hand grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down. "Nipple. Suck! NOW!"

Ranma laughed as she opened her mouth and enveloped the nipple, her lips sealing against the breast as she sucked, her tongue slowly circling. Akane closed her eyes and sighed at the pleasurable pressure. "Oh gods Ranma. I've wanted you to do that for so long."

Ranma was too polite to speak with her mouth full, but her other hand slid upwards to caress Akane's other breast, her fingers gently pinching her nipple as she played with its erect hardness. Akane moaned at how good it felt, but it just intensified the fire in her loins. "Lower," she begged.

Ranma released her nipple with a soft pop, and began kissing her way down Akane's belly. She paused briefly at her bellybutton as she lifted herself to hands and knees before she kissed onwards, and Akane spread her legs as she felt Ranma's nipples trailing across her stomach.

Then Ranma's mouth found her clit, and she let out a gasp as the first touch of the redhead's lips drove her into a small climax. She felt as Ranma wrapped her arms around her thighs and began exploring her labia with her tongue. Ranma lapped at her like an eager puppy, licking the oils that had been soaking her ever since she had so wantonly lapped at the other girl herself. She moaned in ecstasy as Ranma's tongue found her entrance, and drove her tongue deep into her. She shuddered as the eager girl lapped at her insatiably, Ranma's tongue striving to penetrate deeper as she sought to lick every last tasty drop out of Akane. The redhead's arms gripped her tightly as her face shoved into Akane harder, her moving chin rubbing against Akane's clit as her tongue licked and twirled inside and Akane shuddered through several small orgasms.

As the girl continued her wildly abandoned lapping, Akane's eyes fell on Ranma's uplifted hips, and the slit between Ranma's legs, where she could see the other girl had stopped bleeding, but was once again dripping with her arousal. Akane grinned as she tugged on Ranma's leg. "Hey, move your hips over here. I'm going to lick you too."

Ranma's tongue didn't stop as she complied, her tongue still trying to find every drop of Akane's fluids. As Akane situated herself and looked up at Ranma's hips, she smiled. If she was half as wet as Ranma was right now, the red-head was going to be busy for awhile longer.

She smiled as Ranma shivered when she felt Akane's breath on her clit again, but the smell of Ranma's arousal was too intoxicating to tease the red-head. She ran her tongue along Ranma's labia, tasting the sweet oils and lapping at their source as eagerly as Ranma, but the strain on her neck soon made her have to concentrate on licking the red-head's clit as once again her fingers found their way inside the other girl. Ranma gasped as she clenched around Akane's fingers.

"Do– Do you want me to do that to you too?" she asked softly between moans.

"Yes." Akane said breathlessly. "I ripped my hymen years ago, so you don't have to worry about tearing me."

"How– um… how many fingers should I use?"

Akane giggled. "I don't think you can fit more than three, Ran-chan. I can't."

"Are– are you enjoying what I'm doing?"

"Yes, but I'll have more orgasms if you work on my clit and finger fuck me like I'm doing to you."

The red blush on Ranma's hips made her giggle as she imagined how red the other girl's face was. "Umm, sorry," Ranma's voice came back.

"No apologies, Ranma. I loved what you were doing."

"You taste good."

"So do you. And feel free to do it some more, but you'll get lots more to lick if you make me come hard a few times."

Ranma's head dropped between her legs as her tongue lapped a few more times before she worked back up to Akane's clit, and Akane sighed happily as she felt the red-head's fingers probe her opening. She lay back as Ranma inserted one finger at a time until they were all slippery and then slowly worked all three back in at the same time. Akane's muscles gripped the fingers tightly as she shuddered. "Ohh, yes. Now, fuck me with your hand, Ranma. Pound into me as hard as you would with your cock!"

Ranma chuckled as she started out slowly, her tongue lashing against Akane's hard little bud as her fingers pistoned in and out, slowly picking up speed with each stroke. She shuddered as Akane began matching her rhythm, feeling as Ranma's internal muscles clenched around her fingers. She'd only used two this time, but Ranma's pussy gripped them tightly as she matched the red-head stroke for stroke. She wrapped her free hand around Ranma's shapely ass and pulled her hips closer to her face as she began sucking on Ranma's clit softly.

For long minutes there was no other sound but soft moans and the wet noises of their fingers pounding into each other as they synchronized. As their ki softly swirled and intertwined with each other, they meshed so smoothly that soon neither girl could tell who was doing what to who. In perfect unison, they drove each other to climax after climax, neither one stopping as they each strove to reach the heights of this divine madness. Faster and faster their fingers pounded, and their tongues lashed, until finally, as one body they convulsed in joined ecstasy, simultaneously crying out as their bodies arched backwards in a single massive orgasm.

They lay there panting together as the golden fire left them drained, and finally Akane sighed blissfully. "That was wonderful, Ranma. You came so hard for me."

Ranma purred, her face nosing between Akane's legs again as her tongue gently resumed licking up Akane's oils. Akane sighed in pleasure as she felt the other girl licking her thighs and her flooded vagina. She slowly drew her own fingers from inside Ranma and licked the red-head's oils off her fingers before lifting her head to press her face into Ranma's pussy, drinking in the taste as she lapped.

Then Ranma lifted her hips as she moved upright and turned to lie down next to Akane. Akane smiled to see her face glistening.

"You're a messy eater, Ran-chan. But that smile tells me you enjoyed the meal."

Ranma chuckled. "You taste better than ice cream."

Akane giggled and rolled to face the red-head, her lips finding their match and her tongue sliding into the warm wetness of Ranma's mouth as it twined together with hers. She savored the sweetness of her oils lingering on Ranma's tongue, knowing Ranma was tasting herself as well. The kiss lasted for long moments, until they had to break to breathe better. Ranma lowered her eyes as she sighed happily.

"I've wanted to do this with you for weeks, but this surpassed my wildest fantasies."

Akane smiled. "I'm glad. You were absolutely wonderful. I love the fact that you like how I taste so much."

"Is– um… was this your first time too?"

Akane nodded. "Yes. I tore my hymen quite by accident. I tripped and fell on my ass in a stream trying to catch a fish with my hands, and I sat on a rock. It hurt like hell, but fortunately my bathing suit didn't rip so I didn't get fully impaled. I would have hated to have had a rock be my first sexual encounter."

Ranma couldn't help giggling at the wry grin Akane had on her face.

Akane rolled off the bed and stood, grabbing the towel she had brought up earlier and tossing it to Ranma. "Now, wipe your face off. If I know Kasumi…"

She giggled again as she opened the door a crack and checked the hall, then squatted to collect the bowl and shaving supplies she had asked for. She draped the new towel over her arm as she stood and closed the door again, giving Ranma an amused grin. "And now, time to mark my conquest."

Ranma looked at her nervously. "What are you planning to do?"

"Trim you. You are entirely too wild down there for a proper girl."

Ranma swallowed hard. "Um… razors make me nervous."

Akane grinned. "It's either the razor or these," she smirked as she held up her free hand and long glowing golden claws sprang from her finger tips. "I think I remember how Zhu-Shu uses them to shave," she added, a thoughtful look on her face.

Ranma paled. "Um… I'll stick with the razor please…"

Zhu-Shu sat on her rock in the garden, her legs crossed into the lotus position and her hands resting on her knees. She hadn't moved since she'd finished her kata that morning, even when she had seen that Akane had woken a few hours ago. She'd told Kasumi that her sister was awake when she had come to retrieve the breakfast tray she had brought out to Zhu-Shu, listening as she had gone upstairs to check on her. When Kasumi had come back downstairs twenty minutes later, she had been humming merrily, pleased about something. Zhu-Shu suspected she knew what. She had sensed Akane was very pleased about something too.

She had to fight the wave of jealousy that the realization had brought, something she thought she'd never feel, but Akane's emotions had made her own hard to control. In fact, Akane's emotions made everything hard to control. She had had to struggle for the last five days against the tidal surges of Akane's emotional roller coaster. All of her years of mental discipline had barely kept her functional amidst the chaos her heart had become. She couldn't focus properly as she fought the desire to rush upstairs, break in Akane's door, and ravish them both…

It hadn't been easy… and… Ranma was going to be the hardest part of it all. She could tell he had come to terms with what had happened when he had been waiting for them to come home. Only Akane's condition had kept him from confronting her yesterday. And if what she was feeling through her shared chi with Akane was what she thought it was, then he would be coming soon. Akane was radiating a rather contented feeling that Zhu-Shu had learned to recognize from Sarhia and Ying-Ying: the smug warmness of pleasurable coitus.

So… she sat and she waited, praying to the Dragon for strength, knowing that sooner or later, Ranma was going to think he had found the perfect solution, hoping that he'd realize its impossibility and spare her, but knowing it was inevitable.

Ranma sat down in front of her, copying her meditation pose. She'd been so engrossed in her thoughts she hadn't sensed her until she had been right next to her, despite the strong scent of herself and Akane that almost made her drool in response.

Zhu-Shu opened her eyes, and the sight she saw made her want to roll her eyes. Ranma sat across from her in nothing but one of Akane's oversized sweaters, and from where she was sitting… She raised an eyebrow.

Ranma followed her gaze and blushed. "The heart was Akane's idea… she insisted it looked 'cute'."

"It does." Zhu-Shu replied. She closed her eyes again before her nose started bleeding. "Something significant has happened between you two. Your aura has changed." She strained to keep the jealously from ripping free, danced across a razor's edge to maintain her calm and be happy for the two of them.

Ranma blushed. "Umm…"

Zhu-Shu gave him a half lidded gaze. "Akane seduced the right person this time."

"Huh? How'd ya know that?"

Zhu-Shu sighed and repressed the urge to strangle him. "Your aura has changed, you are sitting oddly, Akane has trimmed your hair to suit her whim, your skin is still slightly flushed, your chi is jittery, your chakra are disarrayed, I can smell both of your scents… and perhaps most important – for the first time since I have known you, you seem to have an air of peace with being female… you finally seem comfortable in your body." Because you have been together, in each others embraces, and I envy you she admitted to herself. Ice seemed to creep across her soul.

"I keep forgetting you don't miss much." Ranma said ruefully. "Yeah, Akane had her way with me while I was too shocked to do more than enjoy it. We– we had a long talk too. She said a few things that made me rethink some things."

"Like your curse."

"Yeah. I think maybe… well… I think I can live with it. It just doesn't seem so bad anymore." She shrugged. "Maybe I should learn a little more about how to be a female."

"You have picked up a fair amount from observation, though you should learn to flirt less obviously." Because it makes me want to show you all the reasons I can for why I wish you would never change back her mind added. Savagely, she repressed the images her wayward heart fed her.

"Uh… yeah" Ranma blushed brightly and put her hands into the sweater, pushing it down to cover her curly red heart. "Anyway, I– I came down here to apologize… for a lot of stuff."

"I have already forgiven you Ran-chan. There is no need for further apology." she said quietly, dread quieting her rampaging emotions

"Yes, there is. I need to apologize for being a jerk and for being afraid you were after Akane… and… well… for not realizing how much you love me." She sat silently for several long moments as if summoning her courage to speak. "And… I wanted to ask you… to… um… Will you marry me? I remembered the guide saying somethin' about a custom, somethin' called… um… Sister-wives? I mean, if you marry me too, you can fulfill your quest and you can be free to have Akane and…"

…And there it was. A tornado tore at her soul as ice wormed it way through her body. So much worse than it had been when Ke-Lun had offered the same solution. Her heart and Akane's emotions screamed out their acceptance, but she knew what her answer had to be. In agony, she gave it.

"No."

Ranma stopped… and a tear rolled down her cheek. "But– but why?" she whispered.

Zhu-Shu sighed. Now that the answer had been given, her inner turmoil stilled, leaving her as frozen and alone as a statue on a mountaintop, despair all that she could feel… She stood and held out her hand to Ranma. They stood eye to eye for a second before Zhu-Shu stepped forward to embrace Ranma and to lay her head on her shoulder, Ranma's warmth not even touching the ice within her.

"Were you a woman who had fallen into the spring of drowned man, I would be the happiest woman in the world. But you are Ranma Saotome… and you are who you are, and all my wishing will not change that, nor could I truly desire it, because I love you just as you are. You could indeed fulfill my quest, for I cannot fight you, and I have all the proof of your love I need, but always, in the back of my mind, you will always be Ranma Saotome, the man. Even were you to never come to me as a man save for those times needed to fulfill my duties and produce an heir, it would still prey on me. I cannot make you pay for a failure within myself. I can't force you to spend your life as a girl just for my sake. My destiny is unhappiness, Ranma, I cannot bring that despair on you because I love you too much." She sobbed until Ranma's shoulder was soaked. "I love you and I hate myself for my weakness… for my failure. Part of me wants to say yes, to let you take me and love me and do with me as you will; to give myself to you and Akane and surrender for all time my honor, my duties, my hopeless destiny. Let love conquer all, let passion rule… but I see the hollowness of the lie and the misery it will bring… Even so, were you to ask me again… I could not deny you twice." Her voice broke. "You could take me and have your way with me as male or female and I would not be able to resist you. So much of me wants you to do just that..." she whispered. "…to just take me whatever my protests and claim me as your right by conquest, as a true Joketsuzoku warrior should be…"

They stood there for a long eternity while Ranma stroked her hair and she cried. Zhu-Shu clung to Ranma like a drowning victim as she shook with sobs. Ranma held her till the tears were out, and finally spoke.

"I'm sorry Zhu-Shu. I– I came to apologize and to try and make you happy, because… because I finally realized how much you mean to me… and now all I've done is cause you further pain. I'm sorry." She stroked Zhu-Shu's hair again. "I– I'd like to argue with you, tell you you're wrong, that we could find a way to work it out, but you've never been wrong in these things. You see so much more than anyone I've ever known. How could I tell you you're wrong this time? I trust you too much to doubt you no matter how much I want to."

"I am sorry, Ranma-sama… I am a failure as a woman…" Zhu-Shu whispered

"How can you say that? You are not! Not to me, not to anyone who knows you. You are the nicest woman I know, and none of it's artistry!"

"Yet I am a failure in the most basic thing a woman can be…"

"Oh, Zhu-Shu. You're not! Akane told me about what happened in the dojo, and I know that your emotions are all confused. Akane is acting like you, you're acting like Akane. Zhu-Shu... you are not a failure in anything! You are one of the most wonderful people I have ever known."

Guilt mixed with the despair and cut through her soul. "Don't say that! You don't know the truth! You don't know what I've kept from you!" she sobbed, her fists clenching as she shivered in Ranma's embrace.

"No. And I don't need to know to know that you care for me and would do nothing to hurt me or Akane."

She pushed out of Ranma's arms and tried to run from her then, but blinded by tears, she stumbled and fell. Ranma knelt and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zhu-Shu, whatever it is, it can't be as bad as all that." Ranma said encouragingly.

Zhu-Shu shook her head and whispered "Shan-Pu…" she choked as her throat tightened in despair and self loathing.

Ranma started, and took a deep breath. "What about Shan-Pu? Did she hurt you when we left the Amazon village?"

Zhu-Shu couldn't look at Ranma. "She– she knows you're not a girl…" she whispered, her hair falling over her face and casting it into deep shadow as she stared down at her hands, her fingers gouging into the soft grass of the garden..

Ranma stared. "I don't get it, if she knows I'm a guy, why'd she chase me all over China trying to kill me? I thought the law only applied to females?"

Zhu-Shu whispered something Ranma couldn't hear. Ranma took her in her arms and lifted her face to see her eyes. "Whatever it is Zhu-Shu… I'll understand."

Forced to meet her eyes, all Zhu-Shu could force from her throat were sobs. Then a voice came from behind her. "What my Great-granddaughter is trying to tell you, Son-in-law, is that she led Shan-Pu on that chase, so that Shan-Pu could wed you as the law requires."

Ranma looked up in shock at the new voice, and scrambled backwards in surprise. An old, old woman with long white hair stood behind Zhu-Shu on the path. Beside her stood the only girl Ranma had ever feared, and beside her…

Ranma blinked at the woman who stood beside Shan-Pu carrying a long clothed bundle. She was very elegant, and something about her seemed incredibly familiar, so much so that Ranma knew beyond any shadow of doubt that she knew her, but just couldn't give her a name. She was staring at her with utter wonder on her face, and a broad smile. Ranma hoped it wasn't in anticipation of her eminent death.

Zhu-Shu collapsed into renewed tears as Shan-Pu looked at Ranma with narrowed eyes. "Ranma should not make sister cry!" she said slowly and distinctly, the irritation in her voice strong though she didn't appear ready to attack. Then Ranma realized exactly what she had said, and paled further.

"S– s– sister?!" She looked in horror from Shan-Pu to Zhu-Shu. But all she saw in Zhu-Shu's tearfilled eyes was confirmation as she nodded and looked away in shame.

"Yes, son." the woman with the bundle said quietly. "The young lady who has just so ardently refused to marry you, despite her obvious love for you, is the blood-sister of Shan-Pu, your other Fiancée..."

Ranma blinked. "Son?" She looked in shock at her smiling face as more faint memories of that smile came back to her.

"Yes. You may not remember me, Ranma, but I'm Nodoka Saotome. Your mother."

Ranma's knees gave way and she fainted…