Chapter 2: Enter the Piglet

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Ryoga walked quietly in the direction he desperatly hoped was his home. `That lowsy Ranma better not cheat on Akane or I'll kill him!' He thought back to the events of that night. That Tejina Musha... he'd heard of the Musha Clan before, but where? Maybe a good night's sleep would help him remember.

Suddenly, the lost boy's train of thought was interupted by a small "Bukkwee..." He looked in towards the small pig call. There, walking slowly across the street, was a little pink piglet with a red bandana tied around her neck. Suddenly, she fell to the ground. The good-natured boy hopped over to her side and scooped her up. `Poor little thing! Must be lost.' Hey, they had something in common!

Meanwhile, back at the Tendo Dojo, neither Teji nor Ranma could sleep. Sure, they didn't expect anything to happen, but they had to share the same futon (seeing as there was only one) and something about laying in bed, backs softly touching, with the opposite sex just felt awkward.

But time flies when you're sleeping. The sun rose above the earth and chased away the early morning dewdrops off the cherry blossoms. It was a beautiful Saturday. Breakfast was fairly normal, with small talk like "so how did you sleep?" and "lovely morning, eh?"

"Ranma," Tejina addressed the boy after the meal. He turned to face her. "We never got to finish our match the other day. Want to take up where we left off?"

"No way," Ranma replied, waving his hand in front of him. "If I had known you were a girl, I never would've fought you in the first place. I don't hit girls." Teji pouted and leaped into the koi pond, instantly turning male and grinning. Ranma shook his head. "You're still a girl in there."

Suddenly, the door creeked open and a very tired looking Ryoga, piglet in hand, slowly walked in. Ranma and Tejina (female once more) bounded up to greet him. "Hey, Ryoga," Ranma laughed, eyeing the pig. "You finally nail yourself a girlfriend?" He smiled, amused with himself.

Ryoga smacked Ranma upside the head. "Don't make fun of my little K-Chan!" He growled. The pig-tailed boy rubbed the lump that had formed where fist met skull. He beamed happily. "The "K" is for "kawaii"."

The little piggy squeeled upon seeing Teji and leaped onto her shoulders, happily bouncing on them. "Ack!" Teji reached back and grabbed the pig, looking closely at its bandana. `What the---?' It looked familiar... GISAKU-CHAN'S LUCKY BANDANA! "Hey, Ryoga," she said, "Mind if I borrow the pig for a sec?" Ryoga shrugged and she hopped off toward the bathroom to avoid questioning.

"Gisaku-Chan...?" she asked, once in the safety of the bathroom walls. The happy piglet nodded and dashed over to the furo. She let the water run until it got hot, then she jumped in.

"Teji-Chan!"

"What do you think she's doing with K-Chan in there?" Ryoga asked the shrugging Ranma as he sat down on the sofa. Nabiki padded in, munching a pork bun.

"How was your night, Ranma-San?" she asked, wry smile plastered on her face. Ranma squinted at the girl menacingly and snorted.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Nabiki," he said, eyeing the bun hungerly before settling back on the couch. "But nothing happened." The money-grubbing girl chuckled and walked off toward her room.

"I-I... I can't believe it's you!" Teji gasped happily. Instead of the little pig, now a girl with shoulder-length brown hair sat before her, tieing a towel around herself. "But... how did... you...?"

The girl, Gisaku Lynn, put up a hand. "You may not believe this,, but..."

FLASHBACK---

Gisaku growled as she finally made her way to the top of the hill over looking Jusenkyo. There was already somebody up there, but she couldn't really see him too well... he had on a cute little bandana, though. She sighed deeply, taking in the fresh air.

Suddenly, she heard a girl scream angerly and some red-head and a panda dashed by, knocking the boy ahead off his feet. He crashed into her and they both toppled off the hill and into the spring water below. Gisaku felt herself slip unconcious... must have been the hard crash and the fall. When she woke up, she saw that she was laying on the edge of one of the springs. Nobody was in sight and she stood on four wobbly legs... wait a minute...FOUR?

She looked herself over and discovered that she had a round pink body, a curly tail, and little hooves. A pig???!!!

END FLASHBACK-

"I turned back to my regular self when I fell into a hot spring." Gisaku explained, looking at the dripping faucet and sighing. "Every time I hit cold water, I turn into a piglet. Hot water turns me back... but only until I get splashed again."

Teji nodded slowly. "I know exactly how you feel." she said with a similiar sigh. Gisaku stood up and snorted.

"How could you know how I feel?!" she demanded. "You have no idea what it's like to turn into a pig!" Teji slowly got up and began running the cold water. She turned back to face her friend.

"A pig isn't so bad..." she said, splashing her face. Gisa watched in awe as she saw the girl's body grow taller and muscular. "When you consider I turn into a man." Gisa blinked, then shook her head.

"That sucks." she said, going up to the sink and trying to hold back the snickers of seeing her female friend become male. "At least you make a hot guy." she laughed as she looked at the water. "But don't tell that Ryoga guy, okay? I don't want him to know. Or anyone, for that matter." With that, she splashed herself and became the pig from before.

"You're a weird little piggy." Teji remarked as he picked up the small bundle and hurried to the living room where Ryoga and Ranma were.

"What were you doing?" Ranma asked as Teji tossed K-Chan to Ryoga and plopped down next to the pig tailed boy. He lifted an eyebrow. "And why are you a guy?"

Teji waved a hand and laughed. "Uhhh... nothing. No reason." he answered, watching as Ryoga tucked the little pig in his arms. K-Chan squeeled happily. 'She seems to be enjoying herself...'

"Ranma!" Akane dashed into the room with a smile. "I just heard on the radio that there's some martial arts compitition this weekend. The winner gets to go to China and you can cure your curse!"

Ranma and Teji stood quickly upon hearing this and Ryoga and K-Chan secretly began to listen in. "Well," Akane continued, realizing that more information was wanted. "It's for couples only. It's a martial arts swimming combat tournament at the beach" Everyone else in the room sighed.

"Guess they can't enter then." Ryoga said with a smug smile. If he couldn't go, at least Ranma couldn't go either. "I mean, they'd just switch sexes once they hit the water."

Ranma's eyes went wide with excitment. "Wait, that's perfect!" he exclaimed, looking at Teji. "Me and Teji will partner up. I'll have to be the girl and she can be the guy!" Teji clapped his hands excitedly. Ryoga huffed and K-Chan whined sadly.

Akane's face went slightly red. 'He's going to go with her?! Well, they really want a cure and they're not exactly going to do anything when they're the wrong gender.' She sighed. "Yeah, I guess." Ranma and Tejina began to dance and cheer.

"So," Ryoga said casualy, stroking his pig, "What is this martial arts swimming combat tournament all about, anyway?"

"Simple. The couples fight against each other in the water." Akane replied, smiling at the little piglet. "Kind of like when we went against Azusa and Mikado in the ice skating thing, but with swimming."

"Ha! No problem!" Ranma said confidently, crossing his arms for emphasis. "You all know that if it's got 'martial' in it, I don't lose."

Teji nodded and grinned in the same confident manner. Akane sighed as the two idiots bragged and laughed with each other about how they would win easily because nobody's better than them and all that. K-Chan cocked her head.

"So Ryoga," Akane changed the subject as she watched her fiance` and the other 'boy' leave the room, probably to go train. Ryoga looked up with a slight blush. "Where'd that little piggy come from?" She kneeled beside the small animal and strolked her ears.

"I, uh, found her yesterday." the fanged boy replied with a weak smile. K-Chan crawled away from Akane and onto his shoulder. She stood back up and stretched her arms.

"Hmmm... I haven't gone for my jog today," the short haired tomboy stated as she stretched her tired leg muscles. "Hey, you want to come with me? I'll help you find you're way home."

Normally, as we all know, Ryoga would heartily agree. But today he had more important things on his mind. "N-n-no thanks, Akane," he stammered, standing and cradling his pet in one arm. "I mean, I'd love to but I've got some things to do right now."

Akane shrugged. "Okay then, I guess I'll see you later." With one more pat of the little pig's head, she headed out the door. Ryoga slowly made his way to the bathroom and set K-Chan on the edge of the sink.

'If I can't get my cure, neither can Ranma!' he thought angerly as he started to run some cold water. 'I feel bad for that Tejina girl, but sacrafices have to be made, huh?' With that final bit, he splashed himself with the water.

The boy seemingly vanished into a pile of clothes, when suddenly a little black piglet wearing his bandana darted out from under them and squeezed through the bathroom door. 'What?!' K-Chan could hardly believe her little eyes. 'He turns into a pig, too? Wait a minute...' Everything fell together for her and she gasped. 'HE'S THE BASTARD THAT KNOCKED ME INTO THE SPRING! I'll kill him!' With that, she darted after him.

P-Chan listened to Teji-Kun and Ranma-Chan's conversation from a corner. "Okay, so we better get to the beach and do some training." Onna-Ranma said and the black haired 'boy' nodded in agreement, then tilted his head.

"I don't exactly own any swim trunks." He said as the red head face faulted. She scratched the back of her head and laughed with a slight blush.

"Well, uh, I guess you could borrow a pair of mine, if you don't mind." she answered. Teji nodded and the pair headed for the guest room to change.