"Hiyah!" (Boom!)
"Yaah!" (Bang-Bang!) 'Grr... must his majesty's challenge be so loud! I can hardly hear myself think, let alone train,' thought Akane, listening to the sounds coming from the Arena. She has been inside the Champion's training hall since after breakfast on orders from Prince Tshugo.
She continued to think, 'I should go out there and help my fellow Champions defeat the enemy, but his highness said he wanted all his Champions in top condition for the challenge. And with me being the newest Champion, he wanted me to get some more training in before I battle, but I feel ready now!'
"Hiiyaah!" she yelled, splintering the wooden training dummy with her ki punch. "Oops, another one destroyed," she said.
"That is the sixth one you've broken today, miss. Please be more careful, we don't have an endless supply of these things," said the training sensei, removing the broken dummy.
"Sorry sensei," she apologized.
"No apologies needed, you just need to focus your emotions a little bit better this time, okay?" he replied.
"Yes sensei," answered the girl. 'Huh? I guess the challenge is over now,' she thought, turning her attention to the silence, as the sensei replaced the broken dummy with a fresh one. A loud bang told her otherwise. 'Guess not,' she told herself thinking some more.
The sensei smacked her over the head for being distracted.
"Ow! That hurt!" she whined, rubbing the top of her head.
"Ignore all distractions, focus on your next attack, then deliver said attack," the sensei told her.
"Yes sensei, sorry sensei," answered Akane, bowing at him and returning to her training. 'Ignore, focus, deliver,' she repeated to herself, 'Ignore, focus, deliver. Ig-'
"Greetings Akane! How is my newest Champion fairing with her training?" asked the newly arrived Prince Tshugo.
"Greetings my- Ow!" replied the girl, rubbing the spot on her head where the sensei smacked her for being distracted again.
"A fine Champion you are," answered the sensei. He turned his attention to the Prince, "She is very undisciplined and very sloppy too. How she beat the Captain is beyond me."
"She has a lot of untapped power and skill, that is what she showed me in her battle with the Captain," said the Prince.
"She would be able to tap into it if she only would wear her armor," responded the sensei.
"Yes thank you for bringing that up," replied Tshugo, turning towards Akane. "Why aren't you wearing your battle armor?" he asked her.
"Forgive me my lord, but my battle armor makes it too hard for me to move around. Besides, I'm much more comfortable in just my gi, sire," she answered.
"As you wish, but you will wear your armor for your fight tomorrow, correct?" he wondered.
"Yes I will, sire," said the girl.
"Good. I must be going now, but you keep up your training for a little while longer. Then you will go freshen up before retiring to your chambers," responded the Prince.
"Yes, your highness," she replied with a bow.
"I leave her in your capable hands, sensei," he says to him.
"Thank you, sire," answered the sensei, with his own bow to the Prince.
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When Ranma was cleared by the medical personnel, he ran over to his father. "Pop! Pop, you okay?" he asked.
"Uhhh... AHH!" was his father's response.
"Don't move, he might have broken a few of your bones with that last kick," said the boy.
"Did you get... get the license number of that pick-up?" wondered Genma, trying to move.
"Idiot," replied his son, rolling his eyes.
"No, I believe he is still confused on his location," said one medical staff member.
"Sir, how bad is he hurt?" asked Ranma.
"He isn't hurt much. I've already given him the healing elixir you all received, he'll be a little sore later, but he should be fine by tomorrow morning. All your group needs is a nice, long, relaxing bath," answered the man.
"A bath?" said the boy, horror struck.
"Yes, there are some private baths back there behind the changing rooms," he told the teen, pointing at a door not too far away from the challenger's bench.
"Thank you," replied Ranma, as the medical person walked away. A bath, just what the doctor ordered. 'Great, just what I need, a bath with a pig and a panda,' thought the boy.
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Akane was walking back towards the Champion's wing, after having completed her day of training. 'I can't wait for my battle tomorrow. Finally, I can show his highness how good a Champion I can be," she thought.
"Excuse me, miss?" said a voice.
"Yes?" she asked, turning to face the page.
"Thousand pardons miss, but there is someone who wishes to see you," answered the young boy.
"Who?" she wondered.
"A woman, miss. She has a small child with her too," responded the page.
"Very well, show them here," ordered the girl.
"Yes miss," he replied, without a glance back.
'I wonder who they could be?' she asked herself.
Her answer came pretty quickly; "Akane! Akane! Here she is momma!" called Kym-Sui, running all out towards the older girl. Kym-Lei soon appeared with the page showing her the way. A puzzled look is on Akane's face, watching this young child running to her.
"Oh, Akane, I missed you so much!" cried the child, giving her friend a big hug. But her friend didn't return the gesture.
"Hello, young one. How do you know me?" she asked, looking down at her.
"Huh? Akane, it's me, Kym-Sui. You remember me, don't you?" wondered the little girl, looking up at her friend.
"No I don't, who are you?" repeated Akane.
"Please child, this is not a good time to play games," said Kym-Lei, arriving within speaking distance.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't remember either of you," answered the puzzled girl. She got down on one knee, prompting Kym-Sui to release her hold on the older girl.
"Please don't be mad with me, young one, but I'm afraid I don't have any memories of-" said Akane, stopping due to a slap in the face from the little girl.
"Kym-Sui!" yelled her mother.
"You have to remember, you just got to. You're my best friend, Akane," sobbed Kym-Sui, as tears began streaking her young face. She gave Akane another hug, which wasn't returned right away.
The older girl was motionless for a moment, before wrapping her arms around the child, saying, "Oh, Kym-Sui! Kym-Sui, I'm so sorry. I remember now."
"You... you remember?" asked the child.
"Yes, I do remember you, you and your family," said Akane.
"That is marvelous news, child," replied Kym-Lei, giving the girl a hug too when she stood up.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" wondered the older girl.
"Kym-Tai told us everything, dear. I thought that maybe Kym-Sui and I could persuade the Prince to let you go," answered the mother.
"I was never under arrest," responded Akane, smiling.
"That is good news," said Kym-Lei, putting the girl at arms length. She added, "But I thought you wanted to go home?"
"I am home," replied the older girl.
"No, I mean your home in Japan," said the child's mother.
"This is the only home I've known," stated Akane.
"But what about everything we talked about?" asked Kym-Lei.
"I'm sorry, but I don't remember that," apologized the girl.
"You're acting very peculiar," said the mother.
"I'm sorry, but the miss mustn't be late for dinner," called the page, interrupting before Akane could answer. He began ushering the Kyms out of the courtyard.
"Bye!" said Kym-Sui, waving reluctantly.
"Bye!" replied the girl, waving goodbye to her friends. Akane restarted her walk to the Champion's wing thinking, 'What did she mean by I was "acting very peculiar" anyway?' She shrugged, shutting the door behind her.
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"A bath? He told you that all we needed now was a bath?" asked Ryoga, dumbfounded from Ranma's relayed conversation with one of the medics.
"Yep, exactly what he told me. Great, one round done and this challenge is over. I mean, what can we do? We can't risk our curses being discovered," said the boy.
"Guess there isn't a choice, boys," replied Soun. He, Ranma, Ryoga and Genma were huddled together inside the changing room, trying to think of a way out of this dilemma. Kuno on the other hand, wasted no time in thinking and headed to the baths long before the others had reluctantly entered the changing room.
"Doesn't seem to be anyone else here, that's a good start," said Ranma, glancing around the changing room, checking for any unfamiliar presences. Finding no one, he returns to the discussion the others were having.
The changing room was a simple structure, much like the Tendo's bathroom, but with some distinct differences. Instead of marble countertops and a cupboard that stored a change of clothes for everyone that the Tendo home has encountered many times; there were wooden benches that ran alongside with the wooden stalls, like a locker room. In front of the benches were wooden stools. The stalls contained a hand-woven basket on the floor for dirty clothes. In each stall there was also a pile of fresh towels for privacy. The band of men were surprised to find their traveling packs lined up against the stalls.
A small note on top of one said, 'I had a few of my men bring your packs here, just in case you needed them.' It wasn't signed, but they knew who it was from.
"It's a good thing Kasumi packed an extra change of clothes for everyone, she even had some for Kuno," smiled Soun, throwing the clean clothes at the others, and putting Kuno's pile next to his bokken.
"Yeah," replied a downhearted Ryoga, beginning to take off his shirt, "A good thing."
"Still mad at the Champion for destroying your umbrella, are you?" asked Akane's father.
"Mm-hmm," grumbled the lost boy.
"Then this should cheer you up nicely," said the man, pulling something out of his overstuffed pack.
"Hey! One of my spare umbrellas! How?" wondered Ryoga.
"Ask Ranma," answered Soun.
"Ranma?" said the teenager, turning to his friend.
"Since this was suppose to be a fight, I figured you would use your umbrella. So, I asked Kasumi to pack an extra, in case your first one broke, and most likely it would've broke, the way you fight," explained the boy with a slight smile on his face.
"Yeah you're- Hey!" replied the lost boy, a little slow on the joke, but he still laughed at it.
"Sorry, old habits die hard," apologized Ranma.
"Thanks anyway," said Ryoga.
"Now we're even from when you helped me," responded the boy with a pig-tail.
"Not by a long shot. I saved your life, you only saved me from getting eliminated in the next round," the lost boy corrects him.
"Yeah, yeah sure," said Ranma.
Soon after their little conversation, everyone; minus Kuno; had wrapped a towel around themselves before entering the baths. "Can't put it off any longer," said Ranma, looking around. The baths weren't anything like the Tendo's bathroom. Large tubs, some large enough for eight people, lined one side of the room. The other side had slightly shallower tubs with buckets to the side of each of the tubs.
"I guess these tubs are for rinsing," said the boy, sticking his finger in the water of one of the tubs, "Cause this water is cold."
"Let me see," replied Ryoga, bending over to put his finger in,
"Yeah he's right, it is co-Whoa!" Ranma had pushed him into the tub.
"Sorry 'P-Chan' old habits," laughed the boy.
Soun and Genma weren't laughing at what happened, but stared with their mouths open instead.
Spitting out the water in his mouth, the lost boy yells, "That's not funny, Ranma!" He had remained unchanged.
"Huh? How? What? Why? How?" stuttered Ranma, "You... you didn't change. Why didn't you change?"
The same question seemed to dawn on his friend at the same time, "Hey! Why didn't I change?"
"Because your curses don't exist here on the Nyajan Plane," answered a voice.
The band of men was startled by the unknown presence.
"Who's there?" demanded the boy, forgetting about his towel and getting in a battle stance.
"No worries about me, I come in peace," said Captain Johza, appearing from the changing room.
"What are you doing here? I thought you said only the Champions and the challengers are allowed in the Arena?" asked the teenager.
"The Battle Pit. Only the Champions and the challengers are allowed in the Battle Pit. Besides, Prince Tshugo ordered me to escort you back to the dining hall for dinner before taking you back to the 'dungeons'," explained the Captain.
"Okay, but how did you know about our curses?" wondered Ranma.
"I don't. But the soldier stationed right outside the changing room door had overheard your conversation and told me what was said," answered Johza.
"Why was there someone at the door?" asked Soun.
"He was stationed there by the Prince, in case one of you had tried anything," said the Captain.
"Now, what did you say about the curses?" wondered the boy.
"I said that your curses don't work here in Nyajan, because they don't exist on this Plane. Meaning, if I went to your home and got myself cursed, I would be perfectly fine here, because the ripple caused by the dagger nullifies the curse's magic," he told them.
"That's a relief," sighed Ranma, taking a big breath.
"I don't understand, what is the significance of these curses?" asked the Captain.
"Our curses revolve around these cursed springs in our world. Each spring has a different curse, a spring becomes cursed when someone or something falls into it and drowns. After that when somebody falls in, they take the form of the original victim of that spring. The curses are activated by cold water. Hot water reverses the effects, but only until the next time the person is hit with cold water again," answered the boy.
"And who has what curse?" the Captain asked.
"I'm cursed to change into a girl," said Ranma, a little flush in the face.
"A black piglet," replied Ryoga, raising his hand, even more flush than his friend.
"I don't have one, but I know of theirs," answered Soun.
Genma on the other hand, doesn't say anything.
"Tell him, pop!" yelled his son, kicking his father into a vacant rinsing tub.
"No, I refuse to tell him," he stubbornly replies.
"Ugh... he's a panda," Ranma answers for him.
"And what about your other friend?" wondered Captain Johza.
"Kuno? Besides being naturally cursed with stupidity, he doesn't have a cursed form either," replied the teenager.
"Now I understand why you all were reluctant on entering the baths. Do not worry, your secret is safe with me and the guard at the door. I'll tell him to keep it quiet, for your honor's sake," the Captain reassured them.
"Thank you, Captain," said Ranma, talking to Johza's retreating back.
"I'll wait outside for you to finish up, so take your time," responded the Captain. Before he leaves, he asks, "By the way, is your fiancee cursed by any chance?"
"No she isn't, unless you count her bad cooking," said the boy.
Ryoga slaps him in the back of the head.
"Ow! Why did you do that?" asked Ranma.
"For insulting Akane, that's why," replied the lost boy.
"I'll show you insulting, pig boy!" shouts the boy, grabbing his friend's head and holding it underwater in the rinsing tub. "How's the water taste, pig boy?" the teen asks.
Getting his head out of the water, Ryoga yells, "(Gasp) I told you not to call me 'pig boy'!" and gets a hold of Ranma's head and holds him underwater. "Lets see if you like it, Ranma," says the lost boy.
Genma interrupts the squabbling saying, "That's enough boys."
"Genma's right, that is enough," agreed Soun. Both older men grab a hold of both boys. Genma holds back his son, while Soun had a grip on Ryoga.
"Ha ha... yes, a very entertaining group you are. I haven't laughed like this in years. Ha ha," said the Captain, leaving the gang to their own accords. 'Very entertaining, too bad about the challenge though, they make life here very interesting now,' he thought, opening the changing room door.
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Akane's meal had arrived with out a hitch. No attacking demons or appearances by Ranma's 'other' fiancees, although that idea was far from what she was thinking about. She had been thinking about her encounter with Kym-Sui and her mother earlier. Now laying upon her bed, she was having a conference with herself. 'Why couldn't I remember Kym-Sui, though I do now?'
When the child had said that Akane was her best friend, along with that slap in the face, it was like a dam in her mind had sprung a leak and her memories of the past few days came back to her. But now, that hole had been sealed up again, refusing to release anymore of her memories.
'I can't understand it. What's wrong with me?' She put her hands over her eyes, concentrating on her memories. She remembers the Kyms; her training alongside her fellow Champions; her horse ride with the Prince; her challenging the Captain for his title of Champion; defending Kym-Sui and her mother from some soldiers; pledging her loyalty to the kingdom; her dinner with the Prince after she was named Champion, but...
'I can't remember anything else,' she thought. She couldn't describe it, but she felt two strong presences; one of a deep, unknown love; the other a feeling of confusion, that maybe some of her memories weren't real.
All that thinking gave Akane a headache.
Then her sensei's voice sounded, "Ignore all distractions."
It changes to Prince Tshugo's voice, "You will wear your battle armor for your fight tomorrow?"
'Yes, I must remember to wear my armor for tomorrow,' she told herself, looking over at her battle armor, draped over a fitting dummy.
'No need to get myself worked up over nothing. It isn't that big a deal, not everyone can remember every little thing in their lives,' she thought, reassuring herself. She rolled over on to her side, pulled the bed sheets up over herself, closed her eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.
Deep inside Akane, a voice; a voice locked far away inside her; called out into the darkness, 'Ranma? Anyone? Please help me.' But the voice receives no answer.
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Dinner for the band of men was just like breakfast had been; Genma and Ranma arguing; the boy's father trying to steal food off of his son's plate; and both men getting booted around the dining hall, but unlike the Tendo's paper-thin walls, the stone walls of the castle fought back the people trying to break through.
After dinner, everyone went to the west wing for some sleep. Saying good night to the others, Ranma enters his room with a yawn. Sitting down on the bed, he grabbed his backpack and opened it. After some digging around, he found what he was looking for, a folded white tank top.
Putting the shirt on the bed the boy stands and begins to get undressed. Taking his red shirt off, he tosses it to one side. Lifting the tank top off the bed, he notices a small black box fall to the floor.
Bending down for it, he thought to himself, 'What's this?' Picking the box up, Ranma decides to open it. The felt box contained the engagement ring he bought for Akane shortly after their failed wedding. He remembers picking out the ring from the jewelry store. He thought the six diamonds surrounding a solitary ruby was perfect for Akane.
He had lent money from Nabiki to help pay for it and he still owes her for it too. He sees a note stuck on the inside of the box. He read the note.
It said, 'Found this under your pillow and thought you could use it, just in case. Nabiki. P. S. Not my idea, Kasumi's and Auntie Nodoka's.'
'Thanks ladies,' thought the boy, with a smile on his face, 'Have faith Akane, we're one step closer to getting you back.'
With that last thought, Ranma laid down on the bed and began to drift to sleep, not knowing what tomorrow could have in store for him or his friends.