Ranma Nibunnoichi - Reflections
A. V. Morgan
Part Thirty-Two: A Shocking Proposition
Dr. Tofu had risen almost an hour before dawn and promptly tripped over the boy, sprawled over a thin mat, sleeping on his floor. In this fashion, Fa Shen once again became conscious of her transformation into a boy. She barely heard Tofu's apologies as she sat up… as HE sat up and confronted himself. He had no choice, since he was painfully aware of the throbbing ache in his groin distracting him from the complaints of a full bladder. Gritting his teeth, he rose and followed the doctor into the bathroom. His mind flashed over the previous evening, untangling itself from the memories recently grafted into it and concentrating on what had happened after he parted company with Mousse. He arrived at the clinic at ten-thirty; Tofu had pointed out the time as he came in, saying they had an hour to talk before they should go to bed. Fa Shen had pushed aside Mousse's request and proceeded to vent his frustration. Simply put, he was beside himself. The only thing Fa Shen had to cushion the blow of his inadvertent sex change was the memories that came with the new body. The problem was, they had a tendency to make him think he was someone else. Ranma.
"Ah! That is what I feared," Dr. Tofu had replied, sadly.
"It's very strange, actually. On one hand, I remember waking up a few hours ago as a girl here in the clinic, but now I also feel like I crawled out of that spring months ago as a different person," Fa Shen elaborated. He shuddered, "I've been knocked for a loop a few times in my life, and at least once forgot who I was after fighting my way out of a dragon's belly. I am not sure how to deal with these memories of being Ranma."
"Well, consider the bright side at least," Tofu pointed out, leading him into his office and offering him a chair. "Obviously, you have gained the ability to speak Ranma's native language and you are familiarized with the current situation and circumstances. All of the things you did not know when you woke up are now revealed. Our main concern is to weed out any conflicts that emerge from having Ranma's personality in addition to your own."
"Which is sort of odd, since I got it from Ranko."
"I suspect Ranko will have many of the problems you will. Especially if she unearths the memories she has from you. The only effective remedy for either of you is to consider your thoughts and actions carefully and decide if they express your true intentions," Tofu proposed.
"Do you believe there is any danger in using these memories to help me deal with being male?" Fa Shen asked in concern.
"I believe that any experience you have to call upon is useful. Even bad experiences can help you be a better person. It is not uncommon for people to draw on experiences derived through other people, or say, characters in stories. Considering that the three of you are embodiments of the same soul, I doubt that sharing your experiences would be harmful. The only thing that sets you all apart is your individual perspectives. That will be true as long as you all live."
"So, I'm not going to turn into Ranma if I do?"
"I doubt a year of being Ranma can undo a lifetime of being yourself, Fa Shen. Certainly, this makes you different from what you were, but only you can determine who you are. The real question, for all of you I suspect, is really one of gender. You all have the experience of a year of flipping from male to female several times a day, but suddenly you are all stuck as one or the other, and," Tofu smiled in sympathy, "at least you and Ranma are stuck as the opposite of what you are most comfortable with."
"I am not happy about being male, nor do I like having my personality shift towards Ranma's in order to deal with it," Fa Shen winced in agreement.
Tofu studied him thoughtfully for a moment. Out of clinical interest, he proceeded to point out the assets of Fa Shen's present form and prompting his opinion on each. After twenty minutes, he decided that Fa Shen could appreciate his new body, and even confessed to a healthy curiosity about it. After assuring him that it was perfectly natural for Fa Shen to explore his new condition and satisfy his curiosity about his anatomy and physiology, Tofu concluded, "It seems to me that you are more upset at not being female than you are about being male. Is that correct?"
"I guess that sums it up. I like being a girl. I loved my body and I want it back," she insisted passionately. "As soon as I can, I plan to visit my grave and get it back."
"So, you only need to get by as a boy temporarily. Even Ranma was able to cope with being a girl for a month here or there, when he could not change back for one reason or another."
"Are you sure that's not because he was really Ranko?"
"At the time, there was no difference," Tofu shrugged. Rather than drift into discussing Ranko, Tofu proceeded to introduce Fa Shen to the practical aspects of being male, starting with a brief examination and then a trip to the bathroom to cover various aspects of hygiene. Once he was sure Fa Shen could cope with going to the bathroom, he excused himself, leaving the boy in the bathroom alone with the suggestion that there might be things Fa Shen wished to explore in private. This served to remind Fa Shen that "Ranma" had indulged his curiosity about becoming female, without prompting, the first time "she" bathed. Fa Shen never had the luxury of remaining ignorant of sex in his former life. She had demanded answers as soon as she had been confronted by boys and men interested in defeating her for the purpose of marriage. What she had learned had a great deal to do with her aversion to males from that point on. Alone in the bathroom, Fa Shen was forced to admit that, while she never wanted a man to force himself on her, it did not mean she had not been curious about men. It was simply ironic that she had to be one before he was able to indulge her curiosity.
A half hour of experimentation, however, had not revealed all the mysteries of manhood, as Fa Shen discovered in the morning. His rush to relieve himself was interrupted when he dropped his pants and discovered his penis proudly straining upward, fully engorged. A small cry of shock escaped his lips, followed by a groan of frustration. "What the hell is wrong with this thing!?"
Dr. Tofu heard the complaint and poked his head out of the shower. "Are you having some difficulty?"
Fa Shen turned around to face him and gestured helplessly, flushing with embarrassment, "I can't go to the bathroom like this! Not unless I stand on my hands! And, before you say anything, this is NOT my fault! I was NOT playing with it! I just want to pee!"
Dr. Tofu suppressed the urge to laugh, and shook his head at the boy's chagrin. The poor thing looked ready to cry in frustration. "Relax, Fa Shen. The thought never even occurred to me. That is, erm," he flushed faintly. "This is actually a normal occurrence for men. Sleep can induce a mild state of arousal. Complicated by a full bladder, you can become fully erect. That, ah, condition pinches off the connection between the bladder and the urethra."
"What am I supposed to do!? I really gotta go!" Fa Shen began to exhibit traces of Ranma as the dilemma taxed the boy's feminine psyche.
Tofu sighed and gestured haphazardly, "Just… push it down. It's not a rock, Fa Shen. Even like that it's, ah, rather flexible. Just make sure you have it aimed correctly before you cut loose." The doctor retreated into the shower, and did his damnedest not to burst out laughing. One did not become a physician without some sense of physical humor, but nothing could prepare a man for helping a girl-turned-boy master the art of peeing while standing up.
Fa Shen considered the instructions and timidly brought his hands forward. With his thumb and forefinger, he proceeded to "aim" for the toilet bowl, wincing at the discomfort caused by bending the swollen organ. The previous evening, he had learned how to relax and let gravity take over. After several minutes, he decided he could sooner thread a needle with winter mittens on. Applying a little effort, he felt a slight obstruction give and hastily corrected his aim as urine shot out under intense pressure. A few moments later, he was wondering when he drank the contents of a lake. Eventually, the ordeal was over. He remembered to shake before putting himself away, and flushed the toilet in relief. The final remark, "What!? Oh, now you go all soft again!? Gyaaaaaah!!" was too much for Tofu. He roared with laughter as Fa Shen raced out of the bathroom.
In something of a temper, Fa Shen made his way down stairs into the clinic. It would have been simpler to slip into the memories and let that persona deal with the quirks of manhood, but he had been too proud to take the easy route. He refused to admit that being male intimidated him. That approach had worked the night before, and the results had been pleasant, if ultimately messy and shocking. He had to check his memories to establish that the consequences were normal, but at least he had resorted to it after the fact. Shaking his head, he wandered into the waiting room, choosing to avoid the area where Happosai had slept the night in the examination room, and settled down on a couch. Until he could return to the dojo and find out what had happened when Ranma returned home, he would stay out of the doctor's way. He was quickly lost in though, passing the time by thinking through what had happened and what still had to be done.
Sometime later, his brooding was interrupted by a tapping on the clinic's glass front door. Rousing himself, he peeked out the window and saw Ranma. It had to be Ranma, since last he saw, Ranko could barely move. Bounding over to the door, he unlocked it and invited her in.
"Ranma? It is you, isn't it?"
"Yeah. And you're Fa Shen. They told me about you last night."
"Do you…?"
"I remember meeting you in the dream," Ranma anticipated the question. She studied him in faint shock, and shook her head. "Even with the memories, it's too weird seein' you in my body."
"No argument there!" Fa Shen laughed. Leading the girl over to the couch, he flopped down and asked, "So, if you're here, does that mean it's safe to go back to the dojo?"
"No. I don't know. I was up before everyone else, and I came over here sort of on impulse," Ranma replied.
"That explains why you are still in your pajamas." Fa Shen grinned.
Ranma blinked and looked down at herself. Slapping her forehead, she sighed. She had been in such a hurry to get away from Mousse, she had forgotten she was dressed in the pajamas Nodoka had picked out for her last night. "Stupid. I'm used to sleeping in my clothes."
"You're resisting the memories?" Fa Shen probed. He watched as the girl shrugged and moved to the opposite couch and sat down cross-legged.
"No point fightin' them, but I keep disconnecting at odd moments." Ranma propped her hands on her crossed ankles and straightened her spine.
Fa Shen nodded. "They're useful, but… they're not really me, either. So, if you rushed over here on impulse, you must have something you want to tell me," he suggested, shifting into a similar pose.
"A lot of things, actually. Mousse challenged Ranko to a marriage duel last night, and I discovered a way to heal her. Mousse caught on and pushed me to get your help healing her. He asked me to help train him to beat Ranko, too," she sighed, biting her lip and averting her eyes.
Fa Shen sensed there was more than she was saying at that. Clearing his throat, he confided, "Actually, Mousse told me his plan. He asked for my 'blessings' and asked me to help him also. I did not think he would actually challenge her until I gave him an answer."
"He might not have. I get the idea, from what Cologne said, that my idea for getting us all back to Jusenkyo set him off." Ranma quickly outlined the plan to use the compact to ferry everyone to China, via Mousse Air. "He wants to have a claim to her before she gets anywhere near the amazon council."
"Ah. That makes sense." Fa Shen frowned hard at the girl. "There's something bothering you. Something you're not telling me," he accused gently.
Ranma flushed deeply. "I don't know how to tell you. It, ah… has to do with healing Ranko. What it takes to heal her."
"Is there a problem? Will it endanger her?" Fa Shen worried.
"It might freak her out, but she doesn't need to know about it. No one does. I discovered a way to recharge her ki, but I can't do it alone, and… well, she uses ki from both of us, so… you're sorta the only person who can help me," Ranko was skirting around the point, unable to say it straight out.
"I don't understand. I mean, sure, I'll help you. Just teach me what to do and I'll be happy to donate my ki too!" Fa Shen smiled, delighted to hear that there was something he could actually do to help Ranko. It was something he had resumed worrying about when he came down from Tofu's apartment.
"Yeah, well. Thing is, you DON'T understand, and I don't want you to freak out," Ranma hunched, still refusing to meet Fa Shen's eyes.
This evasiveness fully roused Fa Shen's suspicions. Ranma was implying that, while there was a cure for Ranko, something they could do, Fa Shen was not going to like it. In a careful voice, he declared, "I am not sure if you can understand this, but Ranko is sort of like a daughter to me, Ranma. On a spiritual level, she's like our child. I'm not going to leave her in that condition if there's anything I can do about it. So, stop beating around the bush and just tell me, exactly, what we have to do to cure her."
Ranma cringed and took a deep breath. "Last night, when I got home and talked to Ranko, she noticed that I transferred some ki to her when I touched her. Somehow, something I had done had generated or freed up some loose ki," Ranko began, building up to it. "I had an idea what might have caused it. There was something, uh… I woke up in the middle of something the other Ranko started. The only way to check if it had something to do with that was to check Ryouga, since he had been… he did it too. When I learned that he had the same kind of loose ki built up, I knew what generated it."
Fa Shen frowned. From her acquired memories, Ranma and Ryouga tended to fight, but last night "Ranko" and Ryouga had been on a date. Her own expertise in the area of manipulating ki, or rather the studies she undertook to master it, suggested only one sort of activity that could result in what Ranma was describing. "You had sex with Ryouga," he droned in flat shock.
Ranma nodded. "It was happening as I woke up. I was too… ah… blown away to even think until way after it was over. It wasn't me… I…" she shuddered and her head bowed to her chest.
Fa Shen blinked and stared. "You're saying we have to have sex to heal Ranko." The boy gulped as Ranma nodded faintly. Half of his mind was whirling in absolute shock that either of them should have awakened in such a compromising position. Worse, he had been wishing all night long that they had woken up in the opposite bodies. If Fa Shen's wish had been granted, it would have been HER confronted with that awakening! Without thinking, he flowed over to Ranma and pulled her into a sympathetic embrace. Fa Shen would have reached out to any girl who had been taken that way unawares, but if she was also a boy in her own mind!? "Oh, Ranma…!" he moaned in sympathy.
"Gyaaaaa! Not this very minute!!!" Ranma pounded Fa Shen hard in the chest, sending him flying across the room. She stood up in terror, panting, unable to believe the news would provoke such an amorous response.
Fa Shen righted himself and glared across the waiting room. "You idiot! I was trying to console you! You think I wanted to…!?" Fa Shen almost gagged.
"Jeez! First you say, 'we have to have sex…' then you jump on me and start moaning my name!? What was I supposed to think!" Ranma shouted, face scarlet with fury and embarrassment.
From the door, Dr. Tofu cleared his throat and asked, "I am afraid I missed something. WHY is it the two of you need to have sex?" He hoped he could get an explanation of this very surprising development without seeing his clinic destroyed in the process. Ranma and Fa Shen turned to him, all color drained out of their shocked faces, and then keeled over unconscious.
Nodoka had returned from the bathroom, where she had proudly displayed the brilliant restoration of her natural hair color to Ranko and Kasumi, before Cologne could explain her pronouncement. Confronted with Nodoka's own questions at this sudden miracle, pleading for an explanation of how the "blessed" water could have affected her, Cologne begged for a moment to reflect. As she worked out in her head how to reveal what she had discovered, people awakened by Nodoka's rush through the house, exclaiming the miracle, had filtered into the Tea Room in confusion. Ryouga, surprised by Nodoka while trying to find his way out of the closet under the stairs, was the first to arrive—still in plaintive search of the bathroom. Shampoo soon followed, trailed by Nabiki, Ukyo, Soun, and Genma—still in panda form and looking shell shocked. The last to arrive were the damp and hastily dressed Ranko and Kasumi. Seeing her oldest sister struggling to half carry Ranko in to the table, Akane rushed over to help. With each arrival, the volume of querying voices rose until Cologne finally shouted for silence.
"Now that everyone is present, I suppose I can explain what has happened to Nodoka. With your permission, of course," she deferred to the matriarch of the Saotome Clan. Nodoka nodded eagerly. Cologne took a deep breath and proceeded to tell the history of Togenkyo and the powers of the water naturally distilled from the Great Tree that was the backbone of the floating island. "Hundreds of years ago, the island kingdom drifted along the coasts of China and word of the water's power to transform animals into men and cause the women who ingested it to bear only sons spread through the mainland. For many, the water was sought to ensure the birth of suitable male heirs, but the enemies of the Jokezoku saw this as a way to destroy us from within.
"Initially, we were caught unaware," Cologne frowned, recalling the seeming tragedy she had witnessed. "While strange, there seemed no reason to suspect foul play was responsible for the birth of only male children for an entire generation. It was never uncommon for us to bring in strong women from outside to sustain our ranks. We suspected nothing until a foe used the water against a full grown warrior and turned her into a man.
"Once other explanations were ruled out, and it was established that it was the water of Togenkyo that was responsible, we devoted our resources to developing a cure or antidote to restore that woman to normal. In a few years, we succeeded," Cologne smiled, indicating the bottle before her on the table. "This antidote could reverse the transformation, and we learned of a taint that marked those who had been exposed to Togenkyo water. In most cases, the taint was revealed by a change of hair color in both the mother and the child. This allowed us to restore all of the boys born in the new generation who had been conceived as girls."
Nodoka blinked and once again studied her hair. "Does this mean…?"
Cologne turned to Nodoka, and gave her an odd smile. "It seems that even in this day and age, there are those who will do anything for a son. I know this might be difficult for you to face, but there is an even chance that your son should have been your daughter."
"Oh! No! How could this have happened!?" Nodoka cried.
Cologne sighed and glanced over at Genma briefly. "If you were not aware of taking any special measures to birth a son, perhaps you need to speak to your husband. Or perhaps his Master."
Akane stared at Ranko and gulped, "But…"
Nabiki spoke right over her, laughing, "You mean, Ranma might actually be a girl!?" She gave Ranko an ear-tickling grin and winked, before rolling over in gut-wrenching hysterics.
Soun blinked slowly, several times before turning to Nodoka. "I hesitate to ask, Nodoka, but… if Ranma IS in fact a girl…" he blanched, "Is he still bound by your contract with Genma?"
Nodoka was just staring at the bottle in shock. Genma was even more arrested. Neither breathing or moving, the panda held one paw to its heart, waiting for it to beat again. Finally Nodoka ground her head around to look at Cologne. "Is such a thing even possible!?" she demanded in a small voice. Cologne nodded gravely, trying not to look at Ranko.
Ranko herself was staring at the bottle, putting things together in her head, and striving not to pass out. Without a word, she lay back and covered her face. Not surprisingly, her movement caught Nodoka's attention.
"Are you alright, Ranko?" Nodoka asked in immediate concern, grateful for the distraction. As she moved to the girl's side, Ukyo and Shampoo exchanged glances, looked at Ranko, and then silently rose and walked out through the open shoji into the back yard. A moment later, Akane jumped up and followed them out. Mousse, now fully aware of what had happened, what might now happen, grabbed Ryouga and dragged him off to the bathroom. Nodoka gave a confused look at the sudden exodus of young people and returned her gaze to Ranko, still waiting for an answer. "Ranko?"
"'M fine," she finally breathed. "I feel a little dizzy though…"
Nodoka repositioned herself at the girl's side and suddenly realized something. "Wait. You… this was the medicine you used on Ranko?" she turned to meet Cologne's eye. Cologne kept her eyes level but said nothing. Nodoka frowned, "Was- was it the correct medicine? Why did Ranko need an antidote for water that turns things male?"
Cologne saw only the slimmest way out of telling the actual truth. Like any good lie, part of the truth would suffice. "I was not aware of such a need. It is purely a coincidence that it was beneficial in her case," Cologne admitted.
Nodoka felt an ache begin at the back of her eyes and quickly pinched the bridge of her nose. When her vision cleared, she looked down at Ranko, who had moved her hand to stare up at her. For the thousandth time, she was struck by how similar she was in appearance to Nodoka herself at the same age. For the first time, she was capable of drawing the obvious conclusion. With her eyes suddenly as wide as saucers, she gasped. "Oh! No! It can't be!" she moaned, tentatively reaching down and taking the girl's face in her hands. "A-are y-you… Are you my s-son?" she begged in a horrified whisper.
Ranko could not look away. Her head was in a firm grip, her mother's face lowered to the point where she could not effectively look away. In the background, Genma finally keeled over unconscious with a resounding boom. Unwilling to close her eyes, Ranko licked her lips and… smiled in sudden relief. "No. I am not Ranma," she stated clearly and honestly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "I've had days when I thought other wise, but that was an effect of the curse."
Nodoka sagged, unintentionally resting her forehead on Ranko's. "Dear Ranko, forgive me. It's just… you… From the look of you, you really could be my daughter. With what I just heard…" she pulled the pair of them back up and hugged Ranko, unable to complete her sentence.
"That's okay, M- Mrs. Saotome. I understand," Ranko hugged back limply. Even though she had dissociated herself from Ranma, there was enough of him in her for her to nearly panic under these circumstances. When Nodoka held her back and looked into her eyes again, Ranko had to ask, "Not to be rude or anything, but… if I had been Ranma…" She bit her lip and then forced herself to continue, "Would you have made me do it?"
Nodoka looked puzzled for a moment. She heard a strangled sound from Nabiki and glanced over to see Cologne pantomiming seppuku to illustrate Ranko's question. Nodoka's eyes widened in instant comprehension, and she snapped back to look at Ranko. Instead of saying the first thing that came to mind, she composed herself. Reminding herself sternly that there was a reason, above and beyond the contract, why it was necessary for her to have a true son, she took a more aggressive approach. "Are you asking to satisfy curiosity, or is this another attempt to protect my son?"
Ranko winced and bit her lip. Carefully, she pointed out, "I heard what Cologne said. I wouldn't want to see Ranma die just because he turned out to be a girl, especially if it's not his fault. Especially," she emphasized, "if that's what he was supposed to be in the first place!"
"You don't understand…" Nodoka began.
"What's to understand!?" Ranko cried, long held anger over the contract overcoming the shock of Cologne's latest revelation. "Male or female, he's still your child! How could you ever hold something like this over his head!?" Ranko roared, growing red in the face.
"Why are you so angry?" Nodoka flinched back, honestly confused.
"Why is it so important for Ranma to be a man!?"
"It- That… It's supposed to be, 'Man-Among-Men'," Nodoka corrected automatically. Then she scowled and shot back, "And, as far as that stupid contract goes, that was not my idea! Genma, my husband, wrote that contract, and badly at that, to guarantee he would not violate my promise to my father, to bear and raise a true man! A man who could…" she cut herself off. That was not to be spoken of.
"Could what?" Cologne gently prodded.
Nodoka turned on her and almost shouted, before composing herself once more. "That is a private matter, and it only applies to Ranma if he lives up to his potential as a man."
"What kind of man? What does Man-Among-Men mean, if I may ask. As an amazon, I am afraid the concept is rather foreign to me," Cologne maintained, unflinching.
Nodoka pulled herself up and stated, firmly, "A true man can be recognized by many traits, but he does not possess them through acquisition. A true man does not strive to measure up, but to surpass measure, and so it would be an error to name his expectations. To attempt to define him is to deny him the most important trait, that being for him to define himself. To call him a Man-Among-Men is to say that he is recognized by his peers, for he stands out even among his own kind. If there is a virtue that defines manhood, he exemplifies it."
Cologne smiled evenly, "Indeed, that is an impressive standard. One I am well familiar with, as it is the same standard upheld by the amazons, though we do not regard these virtues the exclusive property of men."
"I suppose you are missing the point," Nodoka sighed. "While I believe women should aspire to equal heights, when possible, what woman can embody the qualities of a man? How could my son, if he were to be revealed as a woman?"
"In which case, he should simply die?"
Nodoka crumpled. In a tired voice, she rattled, "In such a case it becomes apparent that I failed from the very start. The whole agreement presupposes that he is a man. If he is otherwise, really a woman in men's clothing, it would not be possible for him to achieve his destiny. The contract can only be valid if he is male. I would have thought being born that way sufficient, but if a glass of water can strip him of that, I cannot see it as a failure of upbringing. If anything it is a misconception in the most literal sense!"
Ranko interrupted, in an agonized voice. "Even if he is a true man at heart?" She looked into her mother's eyes. It was so difficult not to hear this as Ranma, but at the same time, looking back on her own awakening and the decision she made to be female, for all she was as inclined to be male, she understood something of what Nodoka meant. Still, knowing Ranma as well as she did, she had to speak up for him.
Nodoka sighed. "That would depend. He cannot be aware of what we have learned here today. He has lived his life, a boy aspiring to be a man, and if that is never brought into question, and he is proven to be a young man of stature and nobility—a Man-Among-Men—then I may grant him his birthright and fulfill my promise to my father. If instead, he is revealed to be a woman, that birthright must pass on to 'her' son, and so on, until it is fulfilled."
There was a round of silence.
"What?" Ranko quailed.
"If Ranma literally is not a man, if he is my daughter, then my obligation must pass on to her," Nodoka explained. Taking a deep breath, "I would have to find her a suitable husband, and no doubt teach her everything she missed because she was raised as a boy."
"Why?"
"It is a debt I carry, and which any daughter of my line must carry until it is repaid," Nodoka stated succinctly. "I can say no more on this."
Outside the Tendo home, and in the furo, two heated conversations were taking place. Certain similarities predominated. As Akane enlightened Ukyo and Shampoo about what had happened that morning and the ultimate cause and consequence, Mousse was endeavoring to relate the same details to Ryouga. The simplest details, confirmed by the shift in Nodoka's hair color and Ranko's continued existence after a hot bath, proved that Ranko was now, entirely, a girl. The question however, was, since she got that body from Ranma, did that mean Ranma was supposed to be a girl? As far as the amazons, and Ryouga were concerned, it was a strong argument. Among the amazons, because of the abuse of Togenkyo water, it was established that the gender of a child was that determined upon conception. Ryouga did not have any such excuse, just the vivid memory of the previous night. Since none of these five had listened to the rest of the discussion with Nodoka, they had no idea what the outcome of Ranma being exposed at this point would be.
"I think it's best that Ranma stays Ranneko for now," Akane declared.
"Shampoo agree, is best," nodded the purple head.
"I don't believe it! After all of this, the person I'm engaged to is a girl!" Ukyo wanted to strangle something. Instead she sighed, "Well, this really eliminates the differences between Ranma and Ranko. No engagement can hold up if the truth comes out about Ranma. I don't see any reason not to continue pursuing Ranko just because she's stuck as a girl."
"Shampoo so confused, not know if Ranko even want be boy again, but still love. Shampoo want castrate Mousse for trying take Ranko!" she growled.
"So, it doesn't bother either of you that Ranko is…? Well, she's a girl. Even if she gets a guy curse like Ranma's supposed to get, she's not going to ever give up her girl side. And you both still want her?" Akane challenged, plaintively.
"Is any different for Kitchen Destroyer?"
"Well, I don't know," Akane frowned. Did loving a girl make, well, loving her alright? She shook her head. "I'm just sort of confused. I sort of feel like I'd have to get cursed to be a guy too, if I wanted to be with her."
The other girls stared at her.
"I think maybe you're taking things a bit too far, sugar," Ukyo crooned.
"I didn't say I wanted to!" Akane fumed. She fell back into uncertainty. "It has more to do with being fair, or balanced. I mean, you're both talking like you want to marry her. Can you DO that if you're both girls!?"
That stumped her rivals.
"Is can happen in amazon tribe," Shampoo said meekly.
"Is that what she wants?" Akane retorted weakly.
"Akane, if you don't want that kind of relationship, no one is going to think less of you for letting Ranko go. Hell, most people around here will expect it. Whatever your problem is, don't criticize us for following our hearts," Ukyo shook the other girl lightly.
Akane huffed. "Look, at the moment none of us even knows if there's a chance. That's the only reason we're not fighting like usual. All of the promises, laws and excuses are gone. We're the closest thing Ranko has to friends. Before we go back to killing each other and making her miserable, why can't we stop and think about what we're doing and why?" she pleaded.
"Dammit, Akane," Ukyo crossed her arms in chagrin.
"Well, I am right, aren't I?" Akane clasped her hands in front of her lap.
"Shampoo not have to give up yet. No want to. Always can be friends with Ranko, but now is only hope be more. Not fair you ask Shampoo stop love her Airen. Not not fair!" the amazon sat down in the grass and looked inward sadly. She pulled up a handful of grass then watched the morning breeze blow the green blades from her open palm.
"Fine, but, what about Ranma? Do either of you plan to be friends with her? If she can keep the past a secret and go back to being a boy, will you eventually give up on Ranko and start chasing him?"
"Among amazon womans, Ranma woman, no matter what form. Is same Shampoo marry Ranko or Ranma."
"Look at me, Akane," Ukyo gestured at the male clothing she habitually wore. "I've spent so much time trying to be a boy I can't help myself. Hell, maybe I would get a nanniichaun curse for Ranko. If that's what it takes, do you really think I wouldn't?"
Shampoo hugged her knees and buried her face in them. "No is fair! Amazon womans is normal no can have nanniichaun curse! Shampoo no can be perfect Airen to Ranko!"
"Good grief! What have I started!?" Akane reeled back. "Look, guys, I was just making a point. If every person who wanted Ranm… Ranko… Hell, either of them! If people got cursed just so they had a hope of getting close to them, there wouldn't be a normal guy or girl left in Nerima!"
In the furo, the boys were making no more progress than the girls outside. Mousse was taking advantage of Ryouga's second thoughts about Ranma to undermine his interest in Ranko.
"Look, you've already slept with Ranma," Mousse finally pointed out. "I heard what you were muttering last night when I led you out to the dojo. Frankly, I am happy for you, Ryouga. I know she hurt your feelings, but give her a break. Waking up like that? It has to give her some doubts."
Ryouga almost blew up. Instead, he dropped into a dangerous whisper. "Mousse, you don't know half of what you are talking about. It was Ranko who slept with me, or a part of her, and Ranma popped in right in the middle of it. She told me clear enough she wants to be a boy again, that she doesn't love me. She all but pushed me over to Ranko. So, don't even think I am going to stand aside and let you have your way with her!"
"So, if Ranma means nothing to you, if all you care about is Ranko, why do you flinch every time someone mentions Ranma's name?"
"Don't, Mousse. Don't go there."
"Where should I go then? What? Now that you've broken her in, you think I should go after Ranma instead? That way you can keep Ranko's cherry for yourself?" Mousse had to drive it in.
Ryouga roared and once more went to wring the blind martial-artist's neck. "You just don't know when to stop, do you!" He hammered the boy's face with the slow, powerful blows of a pile driver and all the passion of such a machine.
Mousse croaked, trying to get out a response. Ryouga loosened his grip slightly, daring the other boy to say something else. Mousse obliged. "Just- just like… you don't… kn-know how to f-finish… what you s-st-start!"
Ryouga dropped him and barked, "What?"
Mousse caught his balance and rubbed his throat. Staring the other boy in the eye, he accused, "You didn't even know there was anyone BUT Ranma until you got home. Yeah, sure, you called your girl Ranko, but in your mind it was still Ranma. Even Ranko didn't know the truth. You fell in love with someone you knew was a boy to start with. You fell in love with Ranma. You got her in the sack, stupid, and you think you can just walk away?"
Ryouga stared at him in confusion.
"Idiot," Mousse spat, wiping his mouth. "You're so wound up over Ranma, you immediately jump in and play white knight for Ranko, thinking you can escape the pain of being dumped. Let me tell you, if plan to really love a girl, you better toughen up your heart, because they can tear it to pieces just because THEY'RE afraid of getting hurt."
"I don't understand…"
"Think! If she really didn't care about you, why would she hurt you so bad you are afraid to be near her?" Mousse poked him hard in the chest. Shaking his bruised finger, reminding himself not to do that again, he added, "She drove you away to protect herself."
"Why?" Ryouga whined, in a sudden resurgence of pain.
"Ryouga," Mousse suddenly took pity on him. "She just learned she is expected to become a guy again. A guy who has to kill himself if he's found 'unmanly' by his mother. She can't afford to love you, thinking that."
Ryouga wanted to bash his skull into something. He should have figured that out himself. Mousse should not have had to risk his own neck to point out what Ryouga knew damn well himself. He loved her. Ranma. The boy he hated was the girl he loved. As soon as she started slipping back toward being that boy, he had instantly recovered that hate. "Damn him."
Mousse sighed. He had gotten through to Ryouga.
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you have your way with Ranko," Ryouga growled.
Mousse whimpered. Very slowly, very carefully, he explained his exact intentions, the scheme he had cooked up to prove himself to Shampoo. For that to work, his challenge to Ranko had to be legitimate, and it had to be won before the council could rule over her status, her right to claim a wife or a husband. It was a rare opportunity that only came as the result of an amazon warrior being reincarnated as a man. Until her gender was officially declared, it was a way for a man and woman suiting her to obtain equal status.
Ryouga stared at the other boy. Glaring, he commented, "If you want to have a chance with Shampoo, there's one thing you would still need to do."
Mousse, certain he had thought of everything, demanded, "What?"
Ryouga plucked the glasses off of Mousse's face and waved them under his nose. "You might wanna see about getting your eyes fixed. Glomping everything in sight, and calling inanimate objects 'My Beloved' isn't a good way to impress someone."