Title: Chaos Returned: Chapter 2a
Author: MJRD
Rating: PG-13 for now
Feedback: Please! C&C craved: meghan@zizania.org
Archive: Eclectic Unlimited
Fanfiction.net - MJRD
Disclaimer: I own neither Gundam Wing nor Ranma ½. It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery; that is the intention of this. No copyright infringement intended.
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NOTE: This is set in 199 AC, about two years after the events in Endless Waltz. All five of the pilots are working for the Preventers. The Ranma timeline is the same as canon (manga) except for happening in the GW universe: knowledge of the colonies, slightly higher tech level. Genma and Ranma arrived in Nerima in 194 AC. The fight with Saffron occurred shortly after the formation of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. The GW pilots are about 19 years old, while Ranma is 20. The age difference and passage of time would change behavior patterns somewhat; some characters have matured (I don't think that really counts as OOC)
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The short walk to the apartment had been made in relative silence. After a moments confusion upon their arrival they had been sent around back by a cheerful young woman who had been arranging some flower pots in front of the 'Akai Kouma' (1)
Duo whistled and pushed his wet bangs out of his face as they entered the second story apartment. "Nice place . . ."
"Duo, move. The rest of us would like to get out of the rain as well," Wufei grumbled from the small porch.
The braided boy grinned as he moved further into the kitchen. "Sorry, 'Fei." He bounced around the apartment as the others sorted themselves out. The full kitchen gave way to a living area/study, while a bedroom was separated from the rest by a traditional Japanese screen. "Not bad, doesn't look like a bachelor pad - wonder if he has a girlfriend or something."
Heero rolled his eyes as he looked over at Duo, who was poking at the contents of a bookshelf, then glanced down at the kitchen table. "I doubt it." He held out a blueprint that had been lying amongst books on the table.
Trowa looked over Heero's shoulder at the blueprint. "That looks like the place where you guys did the stakeout about a week ago." Heero nodded, then spun around at the sound of a door closing.
A petit young woman stood near the entrance in the kitchen, the water dripping from her ponytail onto the floor the only noise in the suddenly quiet apartment. She raised an eyebrow at the five young men staring at her and muttered to herself, "I can't believe that Sally talked me into this."
After placing the bag she had been carrying on the counter, the young woman turned to face the ex-pilots again. "Hi, I'm Morisato Ranma. Sorry 'bout this." Her right hand went behind her head in a familiar nervous gesture.
Heero glared at the girl. "Ranma is male." His gun had appeared in his hand again.
"I told Sally this wasn't going to work," She rolled her eyes and muttered, then took a deep breath. "Just give me a moment to explain, would you? I told you that there were a few things that you needed to know about me before I left - this is one of them."
Duo looked the girl over. She could be Ran's twin: same hair, same eyes, both drop-dead gorgeous. They also move the same way, have similar expressions, same taste in cloths - wait a sec . . . that's the outfit Ran was wearing earlier, it's too big on her. This is beyond weird. The irritated look on her face lessened somewhat when Duo spoke up. "We told Une we'd give him, err . . . her, uh . . . Ran a chance to explain things before we made any judgments, remember?"
Heero glanced over at his partner with a slightly puzzled expression, then nodded. The gun was no longer aimed at the young woman but was still out, signaling his continued mistrust.
The girl sighed again. "Could you, please, put that thing away? I promise that I won't do anything to threaten any of you!"
With a final glare and a glance at Quatre, who simply looked confused, Heero made the gun disappear once again, bright blue eyes tracking the movement with interest.
"Okay, why don't you go take a seat and I'll try to explain this mess." She gestured toward the couch and the living area. "Just give me one moment."
The five boys exchanged a look, then headed over to the area indicated. Wufei glanced over at Duo as they found seats. "Why did you defend her - she can't be the guy we met earlier."
Duo shrugged. "Not quite sure myself, but we did promise Une and there is something weird going on here. She looks like she could be Ran's twin, and she is wearing the same clothes that he was earlier - I doubt that she managed to mug and strip him. And she knew what Ran had told us before he left. There has to be some way to explain this!"
"There is . . . but you may not want to believe it." The group jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to see the male Ranma standing next to the couch with two glasses of water in his hands. He walked over to the coffee table and set the glasses down before turning to face the group. With a sigh, he asked, "Did Une mention my curse at all?"
Wufei looked up at him with an expression of distrust. "She mentioned that you blamed a lot of what happened to you on the old Chinese curse 'May you live in interesting times.'"
Ranma blinked. "Well that one too, but that is not the one I'm normally talking about."
Duo gawked. "So, just how many curses do you have, then?"
A thoughtful look crossed Ranma's face. "Umm, well, there was the Dragon Whisker, the Nekoken, the fiancée thing, and I suppose the whole water magnet bit could have counted. But I think it's down to just the two now."
There were several blinks, and then Ranma shook his head. "I guess I should just show you - you won't believe it otherwise." He picked up one of the glasses. "Cold water."
With that he dumped the contents over his head. Duo's eyes widened as he watched the muscular - very male - form in front of him melt and reform into the smaller, well curved - very female - form of the young woman who had walked in earlier. This can't be happening. It's impossible . . . His thoughts were interrupted as Ranma picked up the other glass.
"Hot water." Again the contents were emptied over her head and the process was reversed: height regained, shoulders broadened, feminine curves reshaping into sharply defined, masculine, muscles.
Silence.
The collective blink was almost audible.
Slowly the disbelief and shock that ran rampant across every face transmuted into varying expressions. It is happening . . . and since when has anything in your life been normal, anyway?
Duo seemed almost amused. The soldier's mask had settled firmly into place on Heero's face. A similar look of non-expression covered Trowa's features while Wufei stared, eyes wide. Quatre's eyes were glazed and his jaw slack.
Duo looked over at the others and grinned while pushing Quatre's jaw back into place, "Hey, Kat, watch the drool, man." Quatre turned to glare at the braided man, as Duo continued, "So, do we need to watch what we drink in this place or is there another explanation?" Duo turned and aimed the smirk at Ran.
Ran relaxed enough to return the smirk. "Nah, the water here is safe enough. Spring of Drowned Girl, in Jusenkyo, China. 'There is tragic legend, very tragic, of young girl who drown in spring 1,500 year ago! Now whoever fall in that spring take on body of young girl.'(2) " His voice was slightly mocking as he quoted some unknown source. "Cold water turns me into a girl; hot water turns me back into a guy."
Wufei finally blinked and forced out a question. "Are you truly female when . . . ?"
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "You wanna check?"
Wufei became even more flustered. Trowa shot him an amused glance and turned to Ran as he changed the subject, apparently accepting the explanation for the time being. "There was another topic that was mentioned that Une felt you should answer the questions about." Trowa's expression was wary as he faced Ranma.
"And that would be the mention of psychiatric treatment in my file?" Ran asked with a blank expression. At Trowa's nod he continued. "The Nekoken - cats and I don't get along very well."
Duo looked like he was going to ask more, but the half-hidden look of pain in Ran's eyes dissuaded him. "Well, then, let's get to work!"
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(1) Red Foal
(2) Guide's speech from manga.
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