Chapter VI

The water began to emanate with a magical glow after Ryoga made his wish. Then both he and Happosai were engulfed in a bright, white light—

They suddenly found themselves back at the Tendo Home, ten years earlier, and just inside the fenced perimeter that surrounded the property. The entire backyard was flooded with rainwater, but they had managed to find a low point.

Ryoga crouched down, the darkness of the sky blanketing the area for him to hide. Happosai was small enough just to stand next to Ryoga.

They observed the scene.

They had come back just at the exactly point that he (Ryoga's past self) and Ranma were tumbling into the water just after Nabiki tossed water off the back pouch.

Nabiki hit his past self in the face with the water not watching where she was throwing it. It didn't instantly change Ryoga (his past self) and he managed to grab a hold of Ranma as he plunged into the floodwaters of the backyard. The moment he splashed down, then he changed fully into his alternative self—P-Chan.

Ryoga (his future self) made a split second decision.

Using his Bakusai Tenketsu, or the Breaking Point technique, he touched the water next to him with a finger and forced it to separate like the biblical parting of the sea cutting a trench between the two martial artists, pushing them aside and away from the other.

Seconds later, lightning struck from the dark clouds above at the very spot where both martial artists had just been underneath the water if things had been left untouched. The lightning hit the ground and fizzled away. The fated 'Switcharoo' never came to be.

The water then filled the trench back in forcing the martial artists to return back to their spot.

This was crucial for the future and history to be changed.

But in doing this, did he create a paradox? He just prevented the tragedy from occurring. Would his future self not come back to the past to first kill his rival and then prevent the Switcharoo? That would be fine if things worked out that way. If it never happened, then he did his job.

Ryoga jumped out of sight and onto the roof. Happosai joined him.

"You did good, lad," Happosai said. "You prevented the Switcharoo."

Ryoga looked at himself. "If I prevented it, then why am I still here?"

"The universe needs time to re-order itself and to correct this time paradox," Happosai said. "Soon neither of us will exist, but ourselves in this time will continue to live on."

"I just hope I, or that Ryoga, learns how to better control his anger," Future Ryoga wondered. "I'd hate to see anything like this happen again."

"There's an old saying: The greatest accomplishments in life are the things you have to work hard for—it took ten years for things to come back around to now. Your double will eventually learn what you've learned, but it might take him a little longer. I believe everything will work out. Your anger stems from frustration, but I think Ryoga, that self, will learn to tame it." Happosai shrugged. "On the other hand, you had ten years to learn and you still didn't, and killed your rival with a massive and uncontrollable Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan blast. So, only time will tell."

Ryoga smiled, and nodded. "I hope I do, for future's sake," he said.


"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ranma cursed when he surfaced from the water.

Ryoga was no where in sight when he looked around, the water waist high where he stood.

But it was a good thing or Akane would see him as P-Chan. Akane was naive but she wasn't dumb. She would put two-and-two together quickly. Ryoga may have been able to fool her in the past, but this change was pretty cut and dry, so to speak.

"Where is that fool?" Ranma said.

He hadn't surfaced yet. Was he still hiding underwater somewhere afraid to come out? He would have to surface eventually or he'd drown.

"Oh my god! Are you two all right?" Kasumi said.

"What happened to Ryoga?" Nabiki said. "I know I splashed him with a bucket of water. I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was throwing."

"That lightning almost hit you two," Kasumi then said. "But why did the water split like that?" She explained what had happened and Ranma was in awe. "It was almost like a sea quake."

"A sea quake?" asked Ranma.

"A sudden disturbance of the sea caused by an eruption or an earthquake," Nabiki said. "But it was strange. From what I saw, it kind of looked like Ryoga's 'Breaking Point' technique."

"That's impossible!" Ranma said. "Ryoga's not that fast to do something like that!" Then again, Ryoga was able to do some very unique things—the Bakusai Tenketsu and the Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan being two of them.

The rest of the household raced onto the porch. "Ranma, where's Ryoga?" Akane asked.

Ranma looked around again. "I don't see him," he said.

"Is he still underwater?" Akane wondered. "He may be unconscious. You have to look for him, Ranma! Ryoga! Where are you Ryoga?"

Ranma rubbed his ears. "Ow, Akane! You'll wake the dead with your all that shouting. I'll find him." He dived under the water, it was about a meter deep. And there was Ryoga, as P-Chan, trying to keep from floating to the surface holding onto a stone next to the pond. The darkness and the murkiness of the water helped him hide from the others' sight.

But it was obvious from the bubbles coming from his mouth that P-Chan was quickly running out of air. "Ryoga!" Ranma's said, air bubbles coming from his mouth. He pointed up.

P-Chan shook his head and refused to swim to the surface. He obviously didn't want Akane to see him.

Ranma had a thought.

Ranma swam to P-Chan and pried the pig from the stone. P-Chan tried to fight him, but Ranma won out. Then Ranma jumped to the surface, bursting through the water like a bullet, and landed on the roof of the house. He shook the water from his hair.

Ranma breathed out a sign of relief. "That was a close one, Ryoga," he said, "and your secret is still safe. Once again I saved your bacon from the fire."

"Ranma! Is Ryoga up there with you?" Ranma heard Akane's voice.

"Stay here, Ryoga," Ranma said, putting Ryoga down on the arch of the roof. He slid down, then hopped to the terrace porch roof. He leaned over. Akane was leaning out and looked up over the back terrace, holding onto a support beam. "Hey, yeah, Akane; things are good up here. Yeah, you know Ryoga—clumsy as ever."

Akane then pointed to the yellow rain coat, hat, and Ryoga's clothes floating in the water. "What's all that about? Aren't those Ryoga's clothes?"

Ranma looked. "Um, ah…" he started. He didn't have an immediate answer. "That's…a good question. Can you pass up a kettle with warm water and some extra clothes? I think Ryoga has some stuff in his pack? The sky looks like it's clearing up now."

"Why doesn't Ryoga come down? And why a kettle? Why is Ryoga not wearing his clothes?"

"The kettle is for me," Ranma said, he lied. "Ans the clothes are for the guy in his birthday suit."

P-Chan growled softly under his breath, barring his fangs.

Ranma looked up and hushed him. "Quiet, pig-brain," he said quietly. "I'm trying to protect your secret. If Akane knew it, I know you, you'd be like suicidal or sumthin'."

Ryoga snorted, but relented.

"He doesn't want to be seen right now, okay Akane?" Ranma looked back over the edge of the terrace. "The sudden, and powerful water-separation-thing, must have blown his clothes off. Don't ask me how." But he knew. Ryoga changed into P-Chan.

Suddenly, Ryoga took a tumble off the opposite side of the roof. Ranma looked back when he heard a squeal. He jumped back up and looked over the other edge of roof. P-Chan had landed safety and had splashed into the water than surrounded the front of the property.

P-Chan swam to a window and opened it. He crawled in. Ranma knew it was the lower bathroom window that had the bathtub and shower. If the guy was smart, he would change back to his normal self there using hot water.

Ranma returned to the other side of the roof, jumped down to the terrace, then flipped down. Akane was still standing there and Ranma almost bumped into her.

"So, where's Ryoga?" Akane asked. "Is he embarrassed to come down? I won't look."

"That's not the point, Akane," Ranma said. "A man's manhood is private domain. You may have seen me naked when we first met, but you haven't seen it since. You're just not ready for it."

Akane sneered. "Pervert! Tell me where Ryoga is!"

"Are you that worried about him, Akane? He's fine. He'll reemerge when he feels it's safe."

"Ranma!" came an angry shout from inside the house.

Ranma and Akane went inside. The rest of the family followed suit, curious.

As if on cue, Ryoga suddenly emerged from the bathroom soaking wet and wearing a towel. "How dare you tell Akane I was indecent on the roof of the Tendo house!" he said angrily. "And, uh, how dare you grab onto me when that powerful deluge hit us. You ripped off my clothes!"

To be continued...