Chapter II
Genma jumped in the flood water and grabbed both boys as their bodies floated to the surface. He halted them out and laid them down on the porch side by side. He had changed into a large Panda with all the water and in this case it helped him. It gave him the strength he needed to haul them back to the porch. He climbed up onto the porch.
Genma grunted and pushed Ranma's chest down to force any water out of his lungs. But nothing helped. Maybe it was his paws? They couldn't perform proper CPR?
Genma then shared a confused glance with Soun when he saw Ryoga hadn't changed by the water. Ranma was a girl when he went in, but now Ranma was male—which was beyond strange and was counterintuitive to the curse. In fact, it was bizarre that both Ryoga and Ranma were both in their regular 'male' bodies. Had the lightning strike done something to reserve it?
Stranger things were known to happen after they came back from Jusenkyo—from over-obsessive fiancees, to magic items that claimed to curse Jusenkyo curses, to odd characters who wanted to kill Ranma and Genma over past transactions, to love triangles between a various of parties, and a variety of other outlandish things…
Soun said nothing with Genma's glance.
Akane didn't know about Ryoga's curse. Basically, she was the only one in the family that really didn't know about it. The family just kept it a secret from her because if she knew the truth about Ryoga—that he was really P-Chan—then all hell would break loose! And she loved her pet pig.
When it came to Ranma reverting back to his male self, now that was a bizarre circumstance! Was it even capable lightning could even reverse such a thing?
Akane leaned over them. She heard nothing, touching her ear to their mouths. "They're not breathing!" she said scared.
She immediately started mouth-to-mouth on Ranma. Soun gasped. It was like Akane didn't care what anyone thought of what it looked like. All she wanted to do was save Ranma's life.
Genma Saotome shrugged and then followed suit and did the same to Ryoga—putting his lips to Ryoga's. He then accidentally slipped and a large paw hit Ryoga's stomach. Ryoga spit up.
Both boys coughed up water.
"Aw yuck!" Ryoga wiped his mouth of fur and animal spit. "That's disgustin', Pop!"
Gemma tried to say, "I was trying to save your life," but it came out all garbled. He then suddenly produced a sign-post that read: "You owe me your life!"
Akane lifted her face.
Ranma coughed. He gasped when he looked up at her. "Akane?"
"You weren't breathing," Akane said with a thankful smile. She then turned to Ryoga. "Wait, Ryoga—why did you just call Genma, Pop?"
Oh my god! I just kissed her—No, it was CPR. Her lips were on mine! But wait? I fell into the water? I didn't change?
He looked at his body and he noticed he was wearing his own clothes. Huh?
He turned to…
Ryoga?
But how can I be over there if I'm here?
"Ranma?" he said to the other.
The other looked at him. "Ryoga?"
"Are you two okay?" Akane said confused.
"No, we're not!" Ranma and Ryoga said in unison.
"What happened?" Ranma asked.
Kasumi told them.
"How is this possible?" Ryoga said. "You're in my body?"
"And you have mine?" Ranma said. "The lightning strike, it must've done something when we fell into the water!"
"That's impossible! Lightning can't switch our minds!"
"But how come you're not…" Ryoga stopped short from saying, "You're not P-Chan?"
"The lightning in conjunction with the water must have created an electrical exchange that switched your consciousnesses with each other," Happosai said, suddenly appearing in the tea room from the hallway. "It's extremely rare, but I've seen it happen. Ryoga's conscious mind is inside Ranma's body and vice versa. But—" Happosai looked at Ryoga.
"Don't say it, Freak!" Ranma in Ryoga's body warned him. Why Ryoga's body hadn't changed.
Happosai remained quiet about it, but he mused audibly.
"H-how do we switch them back?" Akane asked Happosai, as if he had all the questions.
"I don't know," Happosai said. "I've never known a 'Switcharoo' to be reversed. That's what I heard it called. An old Buddhist monk told me about it when I was in my youth. And he even introduced me to two people it actually happened to pretty much in the same manner."
"A 'Switcharoo'?" Ranma said. "That's a stupid name for it."
"I didn't name it," Happosai rebuked harshly. "It's a freak of nature, I was told, and very rare. No one has been able to reverse the process, according to the monk. Those people I met never switched back and had to live out the rest of their lives that way. I'm afraid you two are stuck in each other's bodies until we figure this out."
"No way!" Ranma said. "I ain't being stuck in this wimp of a body for the rest of my life. I want my body back!"
"Shut-up, Ranma!" Ryoga snapped back. "And I'm not a wimp!"
Ranma let out a couple of oinks, knowing how it would irk Ryoga. Ryoga retaliated by getting to his feet and grabbing Ranma by his shirt, he grit his teeth in anger.
"Anytime!" Ranma spat back. "I'm game whenever you are. I'll beat you even in your own body. It's not always physical strength that determines victory. It's all mental will!"
Ryoga smirked. "For once, you're no match for me," he said. "With your body and my tenacity to win at all costs, I'm invincible!" He laughed. "You're going down!"
Ranma didn't like the way Ryoga laughed. It sounded very evil.
"Will you two stop fighting," Akane said. "Honestly, even after this, you're still at each other's throats!"
"This is serious, Akane!" Ranma said.
Kasumi had a thoughtful look on her face. Nabiki noticed it.
"What's the matter, sis?" Nabiki asked.
"Why is Ranma, or rather Ryoga, not female?" Kasumi said curiously. "He fell into the water. He should have stayed the same. He's a boy now."
"I was wonderin' about that myself," Ranma in Ryoga's body said. He picked up a bucket of water. Ryoga looked at him shocked of what he was about to do.
"No! Don't Ranma!" Ryoga cried out, putting his hands up, as if that would stop the water from splashing over him. Then Ranma splashed Ryoga with it, but he didn't change. The water didn't change Ranma's body into his female form.
"My curse—it's gone?" Ranma said. "How? Why?"
Ryoga growled at him angrily. Even though he didn't change, he didn't like be used as a guinea pig to test a theory. What if he had changed? He'd be a buxom young girl right now and that would be totally embarrassing in from of Akane.
"How is that possible?" Nabiki wondered.
"When they fell into the water and it was hit by the lightning, it must have done something to nullify Ranma's curse," Happosai said. He said nothing about Ryoga's curse. "I don't know how."
Ranma snorted dissatisfied. "Now that's not fair!" he said.
"Why do you say that? You're finally cured." Akane said. Then she realized the situation. "Oh…" Then she smiled. "It isn't that bad. We'll find a way to get you back to your own bodies somehow. And when we do, you'll be cured, Ranma!"
"If it can be done," Happosai said dauntingly.
Both Ranma and Ryoga looked at him with concern. "And why is that?" Ranma asked.
"Because in order for things to return back to the way they were, everything must return back to the way it was, and that includes the curse," the old man looked at both of them in turn. "It all must return back to once it was, and I mean everything. If you get my drift? If it can be done."
"You're sayin' we're stuck this way?" Ranma said.
"For now, yes," Happosai said. "But I assure you, I'll do everything I can to help. I can't bear not to touch those lovely…So firm, so round—"
"Pervert!" Ranma said. He glared at the small martial artist with narrow, angry eyes.
Ryoga sighed and Ranma saw his rival's bleakness.
If they did find a way to change back, then Ryoga would once again be cursed with the pig. But if Ryoga stayed in Ranma's body, he'd never change again.
Ranma watched Ryoga begin to walk away. "And where do'ya think are you goin'?" he demanded.
"To contemplate my situation," Ryoga said.
"There's nuthin' to think about, fang-breath," Ranma said, even though he was the one with the fangs at the moment. It was probably a result from Ryoga anxiously grinding his teeth. "We're changin' back! And we'll use the freaks old magic mirror to do it. We'll go back a few minutes ago and stop you from slipping on the back porch and taking me with you."
Ryoga looked a little sad. "Do you want to be cursed for the rest of your life, Ranma? This is a way to nullify everything in one swoop. No more being afraid of water—a normal life again."
"Life doesn't bother me, I like my life, and I want my own body back." Ranma faced him determinedly. "Let's go get the old man's magic mirror. We're gonna reverse this thing now!"
"NO!" Ryoga shouted, and pushed Ranma away. Ranma had to actually catch himself as he stumbled backwards, the push being so forceful. "I'm not going back to the way I was. I can finally have a normal life. It'll take some time to get used it, but I'm sure I can handle it."
"Are you nuts?" Ranma said. "Listen! I'm not being you for the rest of my life. I have my own life to live. I've spent over sixteen years honing my body the way I like it and I'm not gonna discard it on a whim just to rid myself of some stupid curse! Give me back my body, Ryoga, or I'll take it from you."
"Just try it, Ranma," Ryoga threatened. "'Cause I'm not giving it up. You'll goin' hafta fight me for it!"
"With pleasure," Ranma said, holding up a fist. He clenched his jaw. "In the Dojo...NOW!"
"The dojo is flooded, Ranma," Kasumi explained.
"Everywhere is flooded," Nabiki added.
"Then right here," Ranma said adamantly. "I'll fight him anywhere!
"Ryoga, why don't you want to change back?" Akane asked him.
"'Cause he's cursed too," Ranma said, crossing his arms across his chest and smirking thinly.
Ryoga's mouth dropped with shock at Ranma's betrayal.
Akane expressed wide-eyed shock as she looked at Ryoga in Ranma's body. "You fell into Jusenkyo Springs, too, Ryoga?" she asked. "What do you change into?"
"You said you'd never tell a soul about that!" Ryoga vehemently blasted Ranma.
"Things are different now," Ranma said. "I want my body back and I'll do anything to get it. If that means rating out a friend, then that's what I gotta do, eh, P-Chan?"
Akane's face went pale. "Ryoga? You're P-Chan? Oh my god!"
Soun stepped forward. "It isn't that bad, sweetheart," he said, trying to be a voice of reason. "He didn't mean any harm."
"You knew about it, Dad?" Akane looked even more shocked, even betrayed.
Ryoga panicked. "It wasn't my fault, Akane. Ranma pushed me into 'The Spring of Drowned Piglet'. It's his fault! Believe me! I wanted to fight Ranma, but he kept running away from me. If he only came to fight me, none of this would have happened."
"That's a lie!" Ranma said. "I told you, I'd fight you any day of the week. You kept getting lost on your way to the appointed place. I waited almost a week in the vacant lot next to your house!"
"Lair! You weren't there when I finally arrived."
"I got hungry and left!"
"That makes you a coward!"
"You rotten, dirty—"
"I followed Ranma all the way to Jusenkyo, China," Ryoga went on, turning to Akane. "Because I wanted to confront him for past transgressions."
"Like I said, any day of the week!"
Ryoga continued his tale quickly. "I stood on the precipice of a cliff hoping I could see Ranma from such a high vantage point when I arrived at Jusenkyo. Then, and on purpose, Ranma knocked me off as he fled from his father being chased."
"Lair! You were just clumsy."
"It's the truth! And after I sunk to the bottom to the spring, and changed, I came searching for him in revenge, and followed Ranma here to Nermia. Akane, you then found me after I had changed into a piglet when I was splashed by a resident and brought me into your home. You cared for me, loved me, and kept me safe. You called me P-Chan, and I admit, I enjoyed the attention. I never had anyone care for me like that before."
"But I undressed in front of you," Akane said.
"I closed my eyes, honest I did," Ryoga said.
"Oh, now we both know you're lying there," Ranma said slyly with a smirk.
"Shut-up!" Ryoga shouted back. "I didn't have the heart to tell you, Akane….'cause...'cause..."
"'Cause I love you! I want to be with you. I want to be more than just your pet P-P-P—Chan. I want to be your husband. And have a litter of baby pigs with you." Ranma mocked.
Ryoga growled angrily. Yet again, Ranma betrayed him revealing how he really felt about Akane.
Akane looked totally shocked. She was speechless.
"Akane belongs to me regardless," Ranma then said. "She's my fiancée!"
"I don't belong to anyone!" Akane retorted.
"You know what I mean, Akane," Ranma said pointedly.
"Once I defeat you, she'll belong to me," Ryoga interjected, thumbing himself. "Then I'll use the Nanban Mirror to go back in time and take your place. Akane will believe that I'm you from the start and then I'll woo her and we'll get married. I'll be her husband and everyone will live happily ever after. I'll make sure you are permanently gone!"
"No one is going to 'Woo' anyone—especially me!" Ranma thumbed himself.
"Hey! Who says I want to get married, anyway?" Akane broke-in.
"You're mad!" Ranma said.
"For the first time in my entire life I know exactly what I want!" Ryoga smiled sadistically.
To be continued...
Author's Note: The Nanbun Mirror only appears in the anime not the manga
