Ranma Nibunnoichi - Reflections
A. V. Morgan
Part Thirty-Nine: Poetic Justice
Fa Shen's scream of grief quickly turned into a roar of anger. Nabiki, still encumbered with Ranko, had only made it to the top of the stairs by the time the unhappy boy discovered the permanence of his condition. As the angry outcry grew nearer, warning of his imminent return, she glanced at Ranko and desperately wished she was at full strength. Nabiki knew none of them were fit to challenge Fa Shen's wrath. Not that Ranko did not try to intercept the boy as he flew up the stairs at them. With perfect timing, she launched herself at the naked boy and clamped on with her paralyzed death grip, thinking to weigh him down until he could be reasoned with, but she did not count on the flood of energy that poured into her and gave her the strength to flinch back in surprise. While she berated herself for forgetting he would be charged up after his intimacy with Shampoo, he carefully shook her off of him and laid her down in the hall without pausing.
"No! Fa Shen! You can't fight her in that form!" Ranko cried out in desperation, as he charged into the guest room. Ranko pushed herself up to her hands and knees, amazed to discover she had enough command of her body to even rise to her feet if she wanted to. Pushing that aside, she reminded herself that Fa Shen had none of Ranma's hang ups about beating up girls, and Shampoo had given him more than enough reason. The problem was, Fa Shen probably would not kill her, meaning a certain defeat for Shampoo, and Ranko did not know if Fa Shen in male form would be considered an amazon. Beating the girl up could result in a pre-consummated marriage.
"Who said anything about fighting!?" Fa Shen shouted, picking up the bucket Shampoo had activated the Instant Nanniichaun in, and smiling as he confirmed it was still half full. With no ceremony, he dumped the remaining fluid over Shampoo's naked form. The sight of water approaching Shampoo was enough to make Ranko leap, screaming, back out of the room, just as she managed to enter it. The shock of cold and transformation was enough to snap Shampoo out of his sobbing. While he gasped in disbelief, Fa Shen went to the closet and rummaged around in Ranma's belongings.
"What are you doing, Fa Shen? Why did you turn her into a boy? What's that going to accomplish?" Nabiki edged into the room trying to sound calm and rational. When Fa Shen turned around, holding a small block of soap in his hands, Nabiki's eyes widened. "What is that?"
Fa Shen ignored her and advanced once more on Shampoo. The formerly sexy and cute-as-kittens girl made a somewhat bishonen male, the flat chest and change in plumbing the only certain evidence that she had become a boy. It was the only thing that saved him from looking absolutely ridiculous with Shampoo's familiar hair style. His only move so far, clasping one hand to his chest and the other to his groin, had sufficed to leave him looking pole axed. He was too devastated by the confirmation of his transformation to resist when Fa Shen roughly began scrubbing the bar of soap over his damp skin, working up a heavy lather.
Ranko, recovering from her initial fear of Shampoo turning into a cat, had crept into the room and instantly knew what Fa Shen had found in the closet. "It's the water proof soap!" she moaned. "Fa Shen's locking her into that form with it!"
"I thought that stuff just washed off after a while," Nabiki mumbled, while at the same time acknowledging to herself that it was a fitting retaliation.
Fa Shen responded, not even pausing while he spread the thick lather over Shampoo's skin, "It will, but it works better on the cursed form. The magic is similar to the chisuiiton, but by putting it into the soap the temperature of the water doesn't matter, so it can lock either form." Shampoo stiffened and stared into Fa Shen's eyes in agonized shame. Fa Shen met her eyes with an adversarial calm, "I would suggest you use more of that chisuiiton water before this washes off, Shampoo. It would be a shame to have to kill you because you changed back before I did."
Ranko and Nabiki exchanged wary looks.
"Shampoo understand," he finally spoke, bowing his head as new tears spilled over his cheeks. Surprisingly, his voice was still a soprano, having only dropped to the pitch of most girl's voices. "Shampoo thank Fa Shen," he added in a choked sob. This made the two girls gape and tilt dangerously forward, right on the edge of toppling over. Fa Shen simply grunted, pulling the pins out of the purple hair and letting it down, rubbing the soapy lather into his scalp.
"What!!?" Nabiki and Ranko shouted in disbelief.
Fa Shen looked up at them, scrubbing his way down the slender neck and shoulders to work on Shampoo's back. "For locking me in this form," Fa Shen indicated himself with a look of faint disgust, "she's lucky I didn't kill her on the spot. I may be entitled to be male on a temporary basis, but it is a serious crime to make it permanent. Even Cologne would put her to death for it. But, there are two problems. First, that it happened to me was an accident. Second, that she intended it for Ranko…" Fa Shen cut himself off and tightened his hands fiercely, making Shampoo gasp in pain as the fingers dug into his back. "She has to redeem herself for what she has done to me before she can answer for this insult to Ranko."
Ranko cringed, but protested, "But, if it's a death sentence to turn an amazon maiden into a man, why would she even think of doing it to me!? Aren't I an amazon now too!?"
This was where Fa Shen quit scrubbing, shoving Shampoo away and throwing the soap at him. Rising and wiping his hands on the towel Shampoo had used earlier, he snapped, "Well, that's the loophole. You were a man, and an outsider. If I had been you, what we just did would have consummated the marriage. As her husband, you would only be an 'honorary' woman, meaning that technically you would have declared yourself a man and she could force you to remain in that form with the lower status. That's what you would get for 'accepting' the marriage. To continue to pursue you, Mousse would then have to prove you were woman enough to claim a husband of your own and dissolve the marriage with Shampoo." Glaring at Shampoo, she concluded, "I shouldn't have to tell you that would be almost impossible for Mousse to do."
Ranko turned on Shampoo, suddenly awakened to her own rage.
Fa Shen resumed, "I'm guessing she did it because of Ryouga sleeping with Ranma, to make her claim stronger than Ryouga's. At the same time, it puts Mousse on the ropes, since he could not consummate a marriage with you if you were stuck as a boy. She would win the council decision by default, even if he managed to defeat you." In spite of his anger, Fa Shen recognized that most amazons would think Shampoo had been correct to attempt this, even though they would condemn her just as quickly for bungling it. Because of the risk she took, she deserved some respect.
Shampoo looked up at Ranko pathetically, "Shampoo only do to protect Airen from Ryouga and Mousse!" That made Ranko close her eyes and strain to contain herself. She could almost forgive Shampoo for trying to force her into marriage, but implying that she needed to be protected from either Ryouga or Mousse really was an insult. Shampoo reached out a pleading hand, "Shampoo no mean to force Ranko be man, was just to make stronger for challenge and to fool council! Shampoo plan to help Ranko get Kaisuifuu, become woman again!"
Ranko turned her back and marched to the window. She did not trust herself to speak. Nabiki, however, came forward a pace, addressing Fa Shen. "What happens to Shampoo, now that you've turned her into a boy?" Between them, Shampoo continued to lather his arms and legs, completing the process started by Fa Shen.
Fa Shen sighed. "Shampoo is not a boy. I don't know what happened to Shampoo. Maybe while I am looking for the Kaisuifuu to fix this 'accident' I'll find her. Until then, I will do my best to take care of this outsider boy, 'Shun', so no amazon girls challenge him to a matrimonial battle. I understand he is very strong, and many would think he'd make a good husband and strengthen the tribe," he responded with a meaningful casualness.
Nabiki blinked, recognizing double talk when she heard it, and understanding that Fa Shen was creating this fiction on the spot to protect Shampoo. With her keen mind, she realized instantly how serious the situation had become for Shampoo. With a shudder, Nabiki thanked the heavens she had not been born an amazon. Given her habit of bending—and sometimes breaking—rules, she would not fare well in a society with such harsh laws and harsher punishments for those who defied them.
Shampoo, now dubbed 'Shun' blinked once, then lurched to his feet. With the new identity had suddenly come new hope and opportunities. Shrugging off the dreadful contemplation of how he had doomed himself, he clung to the one thing that really mattered. Facing Ranko, he raised his voice, "Ranko! Shun challenge for hand in marriage!"
Ranko whipped around and stared at the effeminate boy. Nabiki and Fa Shen jerked, giving Shun and Ranko sharp looks, before looking at each other and sighing heavily. "Should have seen that one coming," the boy and girl grumbled at the same time.
Fa Shen walked over to where Ranko was fisting her hands and gnashing her teeth in fury. Taking her by the shoulder, he led her out of the room. Out in the hall, he bent close and spoke to her. After a while, Ranko relaxed, searching his gaze for a moment, and then returned to the room.
Stopping right in front of Shun, she declared, "I can't fight you until I recover. Because I have already been challenged, you have to fight my challenger to determine who I will face first. If the winner of that fight cannot beat me, I will face the loser." With that said, the anger drained out of her, and she reached out to take the boy by the shoulders. Now that they were both standing, she realized that the boy was a little taller than Shampoo had been. He stood about Ukyo's height, and the androgynous features and long hair hanging straight down only increased the resemblance to the okonomiyaki chef. "What are you thinking, challenging me as a man!? Don't you realize that if you win, you have to stay that way?" Ranko demanded.
"Sha… Shun know what doing. Shun make good husband for Ranko. Shun know is okay for outsider husband to take nyanniichaun curse if wife also have male form. Make better mate for cursed wife, and can be honorary woman if strong warrior," Shun argued, instantly seeing a way to benefit from Shampoo's shame. In a much smaller voice, he added, "Shampoo give up self to pay for insult and dishonor to Ranko."
Ranko rolled her eyes, "But, you can't get a nyanniichaun curse! You're already a girl! You can't lock yourself in this form and get cursed on top of it, don't you remember what the old hag said when my curse was locked!? Jusenkyo can't curse you over the Chisuiiton!"
Shun looked down. His mind was racing. Fa Shen had not been lying about Cologne's reaction to what he had done. Once she learned of it, no matter how dear or important Shampoo had been to her, she would pronounce sentence on her great-granddaughter. There was no hiding it either. It was far more dangerous to cover it up and have the truth come out later. Besides, Fa Shen had to tell Cologne exactly how she had been stuck as a man to retain her own honor, so Shampoo's honor could not be spared. Fa Shen had given him the best chance of survival. The typical response of her tribe, to members who violated the ban on changing sexes, was to ignore their true identity and treat them as an outsider of their adopted sex. By punishing Shampoo this way, Fa Shen had cancelled the debt Shampoo owed her for her actions. Cologne would turn a blind eye to the matter, unless Shampoo's true form was restored. If Fa Shen was still stuck as a man, Shampoo would be put to death. Of course, that was also the punishment she faced for trying to do it to Ranko. It was ironic. If she had succeeded, she would have been fine, but because she failed, she was doomed. With a sick smile, Shun met Ranko's eyes.
"Shun know other way to become permanent man. Is also way for Shampoo to die with honor," he declared.
That made everyone stare at her in confusion.
"What the hell are you talkin' about!?" Ranko roared.
"Shun know how mirror work now. Is simple, make male reflection, let soap wash off, Shampoo be executed and then is nothing but Shun, who normal man," he spelled out with an eerie, fatal grin. Nabiki, Fa Shen and Ranko simply could not respond to that. It was too insane. Obviously, Ryouga had not been the only one to contemplate exploiting the mirror for a cure. Shun's grin grew wider and suddenly became genuine, "Also, no more become cat!"
Ranma and Akane had remained locked in silence, following Akane's proposition, for several long minutes. Then, Ranma had carefully explained the desperate reasons that led her predecessor, Copy-Ranko, to drag Ryouga into the bushes. Emphasizing that it would not have happened if the girl had not feared losing her affection for Ryouga, after merging with Ranma-chan, if the two had actually visited the mirror to free Fa Shen. She had done it to ensure that whoever she became next would love him as much as she did. With a scowl, Ranma admitted she had succeeded. It was hard to be angry with her since she was gone now, except as an intimate part of Ranma. Reminding Akane that she only offered her virtue as proof of her feelings, Ranma told her she was already convinced and argued against rushing into bed. They were supposed to be looking for Fa Shen anyway. Akane did not want to back down, since once she voiced the impulse, she found herself wanting to follow through with it, whatever the consequences. However, Ranma refused to discuss it, dragging them both to their feet and resuming the walk to Dr. Tofu's.
The couple arrived to find she was not present, and the doctor was still busy conferring with Nodoka. After asking them to call the dojo if Fa Shen showed up, they hit the streets again to continue the search. For over an hour, they raced through the ward, spurred on by an occasional classmate's claim of having seen Ranma's girl form pass by earlier. Neither of them thought to wonder why so many students had cut classes to loiter on park benches or street corners, and none of the students seemed to wonder why Ranma was apparently chasing herself down. The one time a girl commented on the oddity, it was to ask if "Copy-chan" was out chasing boys again. If a rumor like that had gotten around, it was hardly a mystery why the students were cutting class. The boys would be making obvious targets of themselves, and the girls would be eager to catch them in the act and gossip about it. Because they were so used to Nabiki's factors being reliable sources of information, Ranma and Akane never became suspicious that they were the only ones who seemed to have seen Fa Shen rampaging through the streets.
Thus, it took more than an hour for the two to decide there was something fishy going on, and agree to head back to the dojo to see if anyone else had any luck. On the way back, they gradually encountered the other searchers, who reported being led on a wild goose chase too. Even Ukyo—who had met up with Soun and Genma on her way back to report that Kodachi reached Tatewaki at school before the chef could stop her—had joined the futile search. Ranma and Akane had run into Ukyo first. Then, the three of them ran into Kasumi as she returned leading Ryouga back from the market. Cologne and Mousse had met them at the next intersection, approaching from opposite streets. Two blocks from the dojo, Genma and Soun stumbled into view. They had made the round of all the bars in Nerima, and quenched their thirst at every stop, apparently. After comparing notes, it was concluded that not even Ryouga could have eluded the search they had conducted, and with him there would have been the chance he was not even IN Nerima while they were searching. By the time they reached the dojo, the only people who had not met up with them were Nabiki and Shampoo.
"Didn't Shampoo take off first?" Akane asked.
"Yeah, and Nabiki was last to leave. She had to go back for her coat," Ranma observed. She frowned. "I can't believe we left Ranko in the house alone," she suddenly cried, slapping herself on the forehead. Bursting into a run, she raced ahead into the house. The others picked up their pace and poured in after her. Because Ranma had stopped as soon as she entered the house, the others crashed into her and ground her underfoot before piling up in a heap in the genkan. It took a minute to sort themselves out and discover what had stopped Ranma in her tracks. The answer proved to be the sight of two oddly familiar boys sitting on the steps of the stair case along with Ranko and Nabiki. The four all had grim, thoughtful faces, and looked reluctant to speak. Even Nabiki was too preoccupied to comment on the slapstick arrival of family and friends. As voices rose in query, Ranko cleared her throat and called out:
"Someone restrain Mousse."
That was a good way of announcing that there was some bad news coming, and one only had to look at the purple haired boy sitting behind Ranko to dread what it was. He had been dressed in one of Ranma's white, silk, Chinese shirts and a pair of black pants, both of which were slightly baggy on his slight frame. Cologne took one hard look at him before her eyes glazed over and she clutched a hand over her heart. Mousse, with his glasses resting atop his brow, only saw a blur of colors, and was so busy squinting to figure out what everyone was staring at, he was unprepared for Ryouga fulfilling Ranko's request. With casual indifference, he slammed his fist down on top of Mousse's head with a jarring crunch, as the boy's spine compacted to absorb the blow. Mousse blinked once, as his glasses fell to the tip of his nose, miraculously unbroken, then folded to the floor unconscious. Ryouga then looked up, and found himself staring at a male "Ranma" with red hair.
Everyone else with their wits half gathered was also staring at Fa Shen, a bit disturbed by the subtle difference. Ranma recovered first, after the sight uncapped memories that belonged to Fa Shen, shouting "Lo Shen! Die!" and launching herself at his throat. With wide eyes, Fa Shen jumped over the railing and raced down the hall and out into the yard. Ranma tore after him, completely out of her right mind. Ranko blinked several times and then looked down the hall thoughtfully.
"I wonder why I didn't have that reaction?" she mused.
"Ranma?" Ryouga and Akane belatedly challenged. Before they could race after the girl of their dreams, Ranko leapt lightly over the rail and cut them off. It was hardly an impressive move, and any teenager could have pulled it off, but seeing Ranko function even at an average level for a normal person shocked everyone. That made it easy for her to stall them.
"Wait," she pleaded, laying a hand on each of them, lightly grasping at their upper arms. "Ranma will probably snap out of it in a moment, and there's stuff we need to talk about first."
Snapped out of their concern for Ranma, the pair suddenly realized they were standing shoulder to shoulder. Before Ryouga could flinch back, Akane produced her mallet and pounded him to the floor. "Don't TOUCH me!" she roared, huffing and backing up, rubbing at where they had been in contact with disgust. She had not forgotten his betrayal, but rather than continue punishing him, she withdrew behind Ranko. Through gritted teeth, she repeated to herself, "Ranma loves him. I can't kill him."
Ranko sighed, and then led her into the Tea Room, gesturing for the others to follow. Ryouga picked himself up, rubbing his head and wincing, as he went over to pick up Mousse. Dragging the boy along, he followed the rest into the common room and found a seat at the table. Cologne shook herself and brought up the rear, one eye never leaving the purple haired boy.
"Can you explain what has happened in our absence?" the old woman inquired, sitting down where she could look at Ranko and still see the person Shampoo had become.
Nabiki reached out and stopped Ranko from answering. Fa Shen had prepped his former twin, but Nabiki felt herself far better suited to starting this tale. Clearing her throat, she explained, "I am afraid this is partly my fault. Shampoo was mistaken about Fa Shen's absence. When she checked upstairs, she found Fa Shen in the guest room and mistook her for Ranko. Ranko was actually locked in my room because we agreed the drugs affecting them made it wiser to keep them separated. Because I thought she was up to something, I did not correct Shampoo, hoping if I played along and let her clear the house I would find out what she was up to." Nabiki paused as she received a number of annoyed glares from people who just realized how she had given them the runaround. "After you all left, I snuck back in the house to wait for Shampoo to make her move. She slipped into the guest room with a bucket of Instant Nanniichaun and seduced Fa Shen, thinking he was Ranko," she continued.
Cologne groaned, suddenly seeing exactly what had happened.
"Shampoo thought drugs confuse Ranko, make her think she Fa Shen, so Shampoo humor her," Shun cut in at this point, volunteering to explain why Fa Shen had gone along with Shampoo. Blushing, he continued, "Fa Shen not know Shampoo use chisuiiton water to make permanent. When Fa Shen find out, he punish Shampoo."
Cologne finally turned to her former great-granddaughter, and demanded, "Who are you?"
Shun blazed a deeper red, lowering his eyes in shame, "Am called 'Shun'. Am challenger to marry Ranko."
Cologne could not help but smile faintly at the tenacity of her former heir. With a strange thickness to her voice, she nodded her head, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Shun. You look like you would make a fine husband for her. I wish you luck in your challenge."
Ranko let out a breath she had been holding. Fa Shen and Shun had been right. Faced with an "outsider male" Cologne had been willing to completely ignore the truth. Taking a new breath, she proceeded with the story Fa Shen had instructed her in. "Fa Shen has banished Shampoo for the crimes she committed against her and myself. Because of her special status, and because she was a victim of Shampoo, she retains her identity as Fa Shen, but will act as a man for the duration of her search for a remedy, if that is required of her," Ranko forced herself through the formal phrases.
Cologne coughed. "As I recall, the girl was under the influence of drugs. It would only be appropriate to force her to live as a man if she were competent and willingly abused her special status to act as a man. As we are in a foreign land, I shall leave her behavior to her own judgment. It would be more convenient for her to pose as a man for now, but I will not require it of her," she dismissed. With a heavy sigh, she turned to the group. "Let it be known now that Shampoo is a fugitive from tribal justice. If she appears to you seeking aid or succor, know that you could be condemned for helping her. For your own sake, I urge you to simply apprehend her and turn her over to me for sentencing and execution."
This made everyone rear back in shock.
Turning back to Ranko, she reached out and took her hand, "As the head of her family, I apologize to you for Shampoo's actions against you. I deeply regret that this has come to pass and pray that you will be satisfied with her death, should she return from her banishment to pay for her crime."
Ranko choked back sudden tears and outrage. It simply blew her mind that Cologne could really be like this, damning her own heir for this stupid mistake. "The last thing that would satisfy me is her death!" Ranko shouted. "I know it was wrong, but it's not such an insult to me. She's my friend! I don't want her to die! There has to be another way!"
Cologne gave her a sad smile. "It warms my heart that you could forgive her so easily; that you care even that much. I too wish there was another way. I have no desire to see her dead, believe me. But, the law is the law. I wish she had not been so rash!" Cologne had survived so many tragedies, she had made so many sacrifices, and along the way she had learned to face them with composure. For Ranko's sake, she allowed her mask to drop for a moment and reveal the agony she felt at this sudden blow. As the girl's eyes widened, she slipped the mask back up and silently praised Fa Shen's quick thinking. While Shampoo's life was forfeit, Cologne's great-grandchild would still live. Looking at the boy she had become, seeing the longing look he directed at Ranko, Cologne decided that, while Shampoo had lost her future, the boy "Shun" had found a way to keep pursuing the one part of it that had really mattered.
Ranko looked over at where Mousse was beginning to wake up and bit her lip. Impulsively, she turned back to Cologne, "What about Mousse?"
Cologne frowned, understanding exactly what Ranko was asking. The blind boy would not be willing to turn a blind eye to Shampoo's act. His recent insult to her had caused him to stand off a bit, but his obsession was unwavering. He would not accept her transformation or her doom. At the same time, he would not be able to fight it. Turning to Shun, Cologne tested, "I believe you are aware of Ranko's special status?" She received the expected nod. "As an outsider familiar with our ways, I assume you are aware of the privilege you are allowed if you marry Ranko. Do you intend to take a female form if Ranko reclaims her male form?"
"Shun want to be perfect mate for Ranko."
Cologne turned back to Ranko, "I am afraid to say, the only hope Mousse has of being with the one he desires is through you, Ranko. As co-husband with Shun. It is unusual, but because he is an amazon, and Shun is not, he can pursue his challenge with you even if you are defeated by Shun. It is a rare privilege granted to amazon males, and he would retain a higher status over an outsider husband. Enough that he is permitted certain liberties with a FEMALE co-husband."
Shun grit his teeth at this. He had not thought of that.
Ranko sensed his tension and asked again, "Are you certain there is no way for Shampoo to redeem herself?"
Cologne folded her arms and bowed her head.
While Cologne was thinking, Ukyo interrupted. "Um, is it possible for an outsider GIRL to challenge an amazon woman for marriage?" When the weight of attention shifted to her, Ukyo winced and began to sweat. "I'm just curious!" Confronting a wall of glares, she threw up her hands and snarled, "Okay, I'm more than curious! I'll be honest, my chances with Ranma are pretty slim, and because of all that's happened, I really fell in love with Ranko here. Do I have to become a guy to try and win her, or can I try just the way I am!?"
"Ukyo…" Ranko hunched down, feeling uncomfortable.
"What!? You want to just be friends!? I wish that was enough, Ranko, I really do! I suppose we can't talk about what Shampoo's done to get her hands on you, but let me tell you, Sugar, she's not the only one that determined!"
"Oh, for cryin' out loud! I can't marry EVERYONE!" Ranko shouted.
At this point, Mousse sat up and shook his head, jumping right in with a grumpy question, "Now who's trying to marry you!?" Settling his glasses on his nose to take a good look at who was present, he turned around and spotted Shun. With a gasp, he rushed forward and began to pat him down in a panic. "No! Nonononono! This can't be happening!" he wailed, before Shun punched him square in the face, sending him flying across the room.
As he picked himself up and stared back in shock, Ryouga leaned over and muttered, "Meet Shun. He's challenging Ranko."
"Shun!?" Mousse barked, glaring in suspicion. Straining with other senses, Mousse immediately confirmed his initial identification. Shun was Shampoo. He knew what that meant. Wailing again, he cried out, "What has happened to my beautiful Shampoo!!?"
Cologne heaved a great sigh and proceeded to tell him the bad news, sparing none of the details. Three big points hammered the boy into the ground. Shampoo had given her virginity to Fa Shen. Shampoo was banished for locking Fa Shen in male form. Shampoo was condemned to die for that, and for her intention to do that to Ranko. It was as he lay in a heap of agonized devastation, staring with broken longing at Shun, that Ranma and Fa Shen dropped into the yard and passed into the house through the room, oblivious to everyone present. They were too absorbed in animated conversation, with Ranma cheerfully instructing Fa Shen in the use of condoms with the help of visual aids. It was pure luck that the most important part of the illustration occurred as they passed through the gawking crowd. Even Mousse fell silent in complete surprise. No one moved as the pair exited into the hall and climbed the stairs. A moment later, the faint sound of the shoji sliding shut and foot steps overhead in the guest room announced they had reached their destination.
Nabiki was the first to speak. "That's our Ranma. Jumping in with both feet. No second thoughts," she smirked.
Kasumi was a quick second. "Oh good, she already knows how to use a condom! I am so proud of her!" she sighed in relief. Everyone twisted their necks jerking around to stare at her in absolute disbelief. Kasumi blinked at suddenly finding herself the center of attention. "What? It's very important to practice safe sex. I just wish I had time to get her fitted for a diaphragm," Kasumi lamented. Soun, purple with embarrassment and chagrin, was the first to topple over. After a chorus of thuds, only Cologne and Kasumi remained upright. The girl looked at the old woman with a smile, and offered to fix her a cup of tea, as if nothing more momentous than a breeze had just stirred in the room. Cologne graciously accepted, still too stricken for outright laughter.
As Fa Shen and Ranma entered the guest room, they were distracted from their conversation by the need to clean up the mess left over from Shampoo's banishment into male form. As they cleaned, Fa Shen finally filled Ranma in on what had actually happened. Ranma had already heard the beginning of it when she snapped out of her uncharacteristic rage, a bit shocked to be taken over by Fa Shen's memories, and asked why Fa Shen was a boy. The two had come to a stop on a rooftop, their clothes flapping a little in the breeze, struggling with odd feelings as they confronted each other. Fa Shen proceeded to describe what had happened when Shampoo snuck into the guest room, using Instant Nanniichaun and chisuiiton water to lock him in male form, and then seducing him. Ranma had been very shocked and asked if they had used a condom. Fa Shen had not understood what she meant, so Ranma described her confrontations with Nodoka in the restaurant's bathroom, reaching into her pocket to pull out a handful of condoms and the vibrator she had been given the night before.
"What's all that?" Fa Shen asked in confusion.
"Well, these are what I'm talkin' about: Condoms," Ranma said, handing Fa Shen one of the foil wrapped objects. "My Mom gave these to me and told me to keep them handy at all times." When she returned home from the date and went upstairs to talk to Ranko, she had left the purse in the guest room. Later, when she was getting ready for bed, she had dumped everything in the little black purse into a pocket of her pajamas. She included the vibrator because she had not thought it a good idea to leave that loose in her room. She knew enough of the Hidden Weapons technique to obscure the mass and bulk so that no one would spot her carrying it all in the thin pajamas. When she swapped outfits with Fa Shen, she had automatically transferred all her belongings into her pant's pockets. Growing up with Genma, she had long been in the habit of keeping anything important on her person, so it had not taken much thought.
"And, what's that for?" Fa Shen indicated the slender cylinder.
Ranma blushed, "Ah, that's a vibrator. I think it was supposed to distract me from havin' sex with Ryouga." She laughed, "So far, the only time I've used it was when I WAS having sex with Ryouga. He found it when he was going for another condom, and couldn't believe I didn't know what to do with it, so he decided to, ah, demonstrate it on me."
Fa Shen gave her an odd look, reaching out a hand to examine it. In his former life, he had noticed that older girls had similar possessions, but the girl he had been then was well known for her aversion to sex so that might be why she was never given a lesson on the use and significance of dildos. After turning the smooth, tapered object over in his hands, he shrugged, "I've got something a lot better than that, if you're interested."
Ranma stared up at him and blushed. It was the first direct comment on what Fa Shen's transformation had suddenly made possible again. "Ah, yeah. If the hair color's the only difference, I think I know that already," she chuckled, trying to take the shift in topic in stride. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she added, "I take it things weren't that bad with Shampoo, then?"
Fa Shen scowled faintly, "Let's just say, I'm no longer intimidated by what we were planning." He shifted a little uncomfortably, noticing that the effects of the drugs, while diminished to the point where he was no longer incapacitated, had not entirely worn off. What had followed his liaison with Shampoo had cooled him off considerably, but the proximity of Ranma and the topic of conversation was swiftly summoning an erotic tension. Giving her a slightly hungry look, he tried to ask nonchalantly, "Are we still planning to, ah, do something to help Ranko?"
Ranma sighed, realizing that she too was beginning to be affected by the legacy of Copy-chan and Copy-kun. It amazed her that a simple change in hair color was enough to dispel the awkward sense of looking at "himself" while the remaining features were enough to arouse the feelings Copy-chan had for her opposite. "We have to. The longer we wait, the worse it could be for her," Ranma confessed. With a frown, she pulled out a packet of Instant Nanniichaun and added, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I had hoped to be able to use this and do it as a guy."
Fa Shen recognized the packet and sighed. He still did not know if he would be as willing to make the same sacrifice as "herself". Clearing his throat, he asked, "Are you worried about what your mother will think?"
Ranma shrugged, "I can't even understand what Mom thinks. When she thought I was Ranko Tendo she was a lot more understanding, but once she knew I was me, she got a lot more uptight about me havin' sex as a girl. It doesn't make a difference to me, I'll do it with you anyway. Ranko needs it, and it's still a lot of fun. I'll just have to wait to find out what it's like as a guy." She looked up at Fa Shen, "What do you think? Is it good as a guy?"
Fa Shen blushed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. It was nice. It's kinda odd though. I'm a girl, and you're a boy, and we've both only had sex as the opposite. It's just too weird!"
Ranma laughed. "Well, tell ya what, when we're both back to normal, we'll do it as ourselves to make up for it," she suggested casually. Putting the condoms in her hand back in her pocket, and the packet back in her shirt, she nudged him in the arm with her elbow. "Come on, I'll race you back to the dojo!"
Fa Shen took off after her, sprinting to catch up and give her back her vibrator and the extra condom. This reminded Ranma that she had been about to demonstrate how to use a condom, so she proceeded to repeat what she had learned from her mother as they approached the dojo.
The electric dildo now lay on the futon, wrapped in a condom, as the pair finished scrubbing the traces of soap and water from the floor nearby. As soon as Fa Shen mentioned the nature of both soap and water, Ranma had distanced herself and busied herself fetching rags and cleaning supplies while Fa Shen scrubbed and filled Ranma in on Shampoo's fate. Reminded that he had only doused himself briefly in hot water, when he raced into the furo, he suggested they take a bath, when he was done cleaning the floor and bundling up the soiled towel and rags. Ranma agreed easily, putting away the buckets and brushes and grabbing her bath kit. In a moment, they were headed downstairs to the bath. As they passed by the common room, Nabiki turned on them with a sly grin.
"That was awfully quick!"
Ranma and Fa Shen stared at her, taking notice of everyone else staring at them in mute embarrassment. With narrowing eyes, they realized what she was implying and retorted, "Nabiki! It wasn't like that! We just cleaned up the mess from earlier and made sure if the floor got wet it wouldn't cause someone to turn into a guy and get stuck that way!"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, accepting it as a reasonable assertion. Focusing on the bathing supplies in the girl's arms, she smirked, "Right. So now you and Fa Shen are just going to take a little bath together?"
Ranma nodded, not sensing the trap.
"Don't forget to take a condom!" Kasumi called out as they moved on toward the bath. Ranma just slipped a hand into her pocket and held a few foil packets over her head as she walked on.
"I don't believe this!" Akane fumed, rising to her feet to follow.
"They're not going to…!" Ryouga also rose to his feet.
"Whoa! Hold on a minute, you two!" Nabiki blocked the door. Pointing to Ranko, she cleared her throat and challenged, "Are you forgetting why? You do want Ranko to get better, right?"
"But…!" they both protested, petulantly.
"But what? I know you both want Ranma, but Fa Shen has to contribute too," Nabiki interrupted. "Should we find some Instant Nyannichaun? Give each of you a turn with both of them?" she pressed, looking frighteningly amused.
Ryouga pulled a handful of packets from his shirt, "That's no problem! I picked some up on my travels by mistake!" That drew everyone's attention, and Ryouga realized too late what he had done.
"Let me guess, you can't really read Chinese?"
"Say, have you tried to use those?"
"AAAHHH! You PERVERT!"
Packets of Instant Nyanniichaun went flying as Akane clobbered Ryouga with the table. Ryouga hardly noticed the blow, since the table lacked the focused power of one of her mallet strikes, and proceeded to race around to pick up the packets he had dropped in surprise. Shun, Mousse and Ranko each managed to grab a couple and tuck them away before Ryouga collected the rest. Not amused to see him shrug off her punishment, Akane snagged a pitcher of water out of Kasumi's hands, and slung it's contents at Ryouga, just as one of the packets tore open in his hands. The water splashed right through the cloud of powder, activating the magic, just before Ryouga was doused.
"Eeep!" cried a distinctly feminine voice, as the lost boy suddenly found himself a girl. Several people collapsed in laughter, as the water sailed on and caught Mousse, Soun and Genma. The two fathers took one look at each other and keeled over unconscious. The sight was enough to shock Akane out of her rage. She stood there staring at her father in disbelief as Ryouga and Mousse patted themselves down and blushed in fury.
Nabiki sighed and rolled her eyes, "Sooner or later, this was just bound to happen!" Standing and walking over to Ryouga, she pulled the torn packet out of Ryouga's hand and read the label. After the first month of the Saotomes moving into the house, Nabiki had decided it would be wise to learn Chinese, but she still had only a limited grasp of the language. Handing the packet to Cologne, pointing to the characters written in a little star-burst graphic, she prompted, "Am I wrong about that saying something along the lines of, 'New and Improved' something or other?"
Cologne held the packet and studied the text. "Why, no, Nabiki. This does seem to be an improved product," she smiled, clearing her throat to read on. "It says, 'New and Improved! Combined with our patented curse fixing Water Proof Soap formula, this fine Jusenkyo Product now lasts through several washings! Warning! Do not use on victims of actual Jusenkyo Curses!'"
"What!? What does that mean!?" Mousse and Ryouga demanded.
Cologne flipped that packet over and read some more. When her eyes grew wide as saucers, the two former cursed boys began to sweat heavily. Turning to look at Mousse, she offered a sympathetic smile, "Lucky for you, Mousse, nothing like this has happened before. Seeing as it was an accident, the council might be very forgiving."
Ryouga and Mousse gulped.
"Forgiving of what?" Mousse breathed nervously.
Cologne handed her the packet, pointing out the blurb on the back side. With shaking hands, she read it, and then almost jumped out of her billowing robes. "No! That can't be!"
"What!? What!?" Ryouga demanded.
"You! You IDIOT!" Mousse grabbed the lost "girl" by the neck and proceeded to throttle her.
"Don't tell me it's permanent!" Akane shouted, drawing Mousse's and Ryouga's attention back to herself, unwisely.
"Well, that's one possible outcome. We'll know in about a week," Cologne sighed. "If, as the comments on the back state, the lock is permanent, Mousse might be accepted by the tribe as a woman. If instead, this form over writes his natural or cursed form, a trip to Jusenkyo can bring back his male form or cure him of his female form. The latter might be dangerous, so I suppose he might be allowed to keep the female curse instead of risking the worst possible outcomes."
Ryouga almost fainted. Since she was already half choked to death, it was not far to go. With a heroic effort, she roused herself, and jerked out of Mousse's grasp to demand, "What could be worse than any of that!?"
Cologne composed herself. "Well, I am sure you've all been warned of the danger of curses combining if you try to replace one with another. Apparently, the magic used in this product is extremely unstable. There is a good chance you could be stuck with a hybrid woman-animal curse. If, instead, your present curse is over written, there is a very high chance of ending up with a hermaphrodite curse if you try to get a nanniichaun curse."
Ryouga wailed in a kind of devastated depression only she had the depth of experience to achieve.
"Drag her outside! She's gonna pop!" Nabiki warned. Akane, conscious of the fact that her home might not survive if Ryouga cut loose, raced forward. Grabbing Ryouga and throwing her over her shoulder, she ran out into the yard. Setting her down by the wall, Akane looked down at the shaking, crying girl, and suddenly felt horrible. Drowning in a sudden flood of guilt ridden grief, she knelt in front of Ryouga and bowed.
"I am so sorry, Ryouga!" she apologized. The hurt and betrayal she still felt, over the discovery that he had used his curse to take advantage of her, was suddenly diminished by the realization that she might have done something far worse to Ryouga. After so many months around cursed people, Akane had forgotten that the magic was inherently dangerous. Splashing one of the cursed to punish them for slights or insults, or to vent her temper, had become a habit for her. Akane had never really considered the effect that had on people like Ranma; the trauma of the first transformation relived with each application of water. "I was just so angry at you! I didn't think…!" she confessed bitterly.
Ryouga hiccupped and stopped crying, shaking herself out of the horrible visions of becoming a freak the next time her curse was activated. The sight of Akane's eyes welling with tears pulled at her heart, rousing her to comfort the girl she had secretly loved for so many months, "Hey, Akane, no. It's alright. I should be apologizing to you. You had a good reason to be mad at me. I should have told you about me from the beginning. I… I was just too afraid you'd hate me if told you, and the longer I waited, the worse it got." Ryouga shifted to her knees and reached out to her. "I really do owe you an explanation."
"But I… I messed up your curse!" Akane protested, refusing to look up.
"Oh, come on!" Ryouga laughed, "Turning into a pig was pretty messed up to begin with! It's not so bad to be turned into a girl instead. I've still got hands and I can talk… Who knows, I might even be really cute like this!"
Akane blinked and looked up at the nervous laughter. Taking a good look at her, Akane smiled and brushed her eye lashes with the back of her hand. "You know, you sorta do! Why is it when a boy gets turned into a girl, he looks so much better than real girls!?" she demanded, venting an old complaint with wry chuckle. While Ryouga searched for an answer, Akane returned to her misery, "Oh, but what if what she said happens!? Won't you hate me for that!?"
Ryouga sobered. Looking down, she examined her hands, taking her first good lock at what had happened to her. With a deep breath, she responded, "Well, we won't know until, what? A week or so?" Akane nodded. Ryouga sighed, "With my life, I get used to expecting the worst. Just of late, though, I've discovered that good things can happen to me. Maybe I'll get lucky, maybe I'll come out of this better, not worse. And… maybe that can happen with us…"
Akane pulled back and studied the other girl. "Wha… what do you mean?" she asked, uncertainly.
Ryouga clasped her hands nervously, unable to raise her eyes. "Did-didn't you ever wonder why I did it? Why I pretended to be your pet, why I always brought you gifts and fought with Ranma?" she asked, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Glancing up, she saw Akane lost in thought. Standing, and taking a few steps away, Ryouga pulled at her clothes, imitating Ranma by adjusting them to fit her new form. "When you took me in that first night, when you named me P-Chan… That was the first time in my life that anyone had been so nice to me. I can't tell you what it is like to be so small and afraid, never knowing if some one's going to try and eat you, and suddenly find yourself safe and warm in the arms of a giant. I can't tell you how it feels to 'belong' to someone. When I was P-Chan, things were so different from being human. What I felt, it's not like anything a human feels. When I became human, those feelings changed into love. But I also realized it was wrong, and I hated myself for taking advantage of you."
Akane frowned, struggling to understand what she was saying.
"It's funny, I was always me when I was in my cursed form, but I was never really myself. You see things and feel things different as an animal, and every time you found me and took me to bed, it touched off instincts that said it was right and normal. I was where I belonged," Ryouga went on, clenching her fists. "Animals have no shame. I wasn't exactly an animal, though. I knew you were a beautiful girl, and even as a pig, the part of me that was still a man was attracted to you. It wasn't enough to be your pet, I wanted you to see me as a man, but because of P-Chan, I was afraid to tell you how I felt."
Ryouga turned to look at Akane.
"What… what are… why?" Akane was completely at a loss.
"I don't even want to go into Ranma…" Ryouga seemed to change the subject. Gritting her teeth, she addressed it anyway. "When I told him my curse was his fault, he promised never to reveal my weakness. He realized how easy it would be for an enemy to use my curse to cripple me and then kill me. But, the next thing I did, I made him my enemy. He kept trying to stop me from getting close to you, and you protected me, both as P-Chan and as myself. Since it didn't seem that you two really cared for each other, It didn't seem wrong to think I might win you myself."
"That's why you were always fighting?" Akane covered her mouth, suddenly seeing how it all made sense. "You were fighting over me!"
Ryouga nodded. "Because of you, we never got around to clearing up the misunderstanding that started my quest for revenge. I forgot that Ranma was my first and only true friend, until I met you."
Akane stared at the girl, part of her mind wondering if the different form was what made this conversation possible. The image of Ryouga in his normal form still made her see red, when she summoned it, but this girl was like a different person. With a snarl, she realized he was like a second Ranma. "If you loved me so much, why did you sleep with Ranma!?" she demanded, trying to summon her anger.
Ryouga cringed. "Since you were the one to push us together, I suppose you know already," she retorted. "I didn't really have a chance with you or Akari. I knew I'd probably never be more than your pet, and the only reason Akari liked me was because I turned into a pig. I hate being a pig! It seemed kinda stupid to think I had a chance with girls who wanted me as a pig! Copy-chan was the one who made me see that, made me think there might be a girl who loved me for being a man. When she became 'Ranko' I was more afraid, but it was also better. She knew me for exactly what I was, and she still loved me. I realized I loved her for the same reason. I loved her because she was Ranma."
"You… loved… Ranma?" Akane's eye twitched.
Ryouga frowned. "I'm not some kinda pervert! I loved Ranma like a brother. I hated him because I started to think he might not have been a real friend. He had done so much for me, but I didn't know if he really cared or if he did it all to mock me. By the time I caught up to him in China, I'd spent too much time thinking about it, and the curse pushed me over the edge. But, can you really hate someone if they don't actually mean something important, deep down inside?"
Akane stiffened and turned away, struck by the question.
"A lot of things happened between us, because of his curse," Ryouga continued. "I didn't really notice, until the koi rod, that Ranma could be as real as any other girl, but I couldn't let myself think about Ranma that way. It was just another reason to hate Ranma, that girl side. I doubt I could have let myself love Ranma like that if not for Copy-chan, and Ranma trying to be a girl."
"But, that wasn't Ranma. That was Ranko," Akane protested.
Ryouga shook his head, "It was Ranma, in mind and spirit. Ranko WAS Ranma until Ranma got free of her. Of the two of them, Ranko's probably the real girl. The girl Ranma would have been if she hadn't been turned into a boy. They're two version's of the same person, I think. The difference is, I know who Ranma is. Ranko's still tryin' to figure out who she is."
Akane nodded her head almost imperceptibly. "Okay, so we both have the same reason for saying we love Ranma instead of Ranko. If you say Ranko's the real girl, does that mean…?"
"I love Ranma the person. Guy, girl… doesn't matter. With a curse like this," Ryouga gestured to herself, "it can't really matter. If it means I can be with Ranma, I'll stay like this. I believe Ranma when she says that being a girl doesn't make her any less of a man. I believe it can be true for me."
"Do you mean that?" Akane bit her lip.
"Yes. So, don't worry about turnin' me into a girl," Ryouga returned to the original issue. "If I end up a freak, well, I guess that makes up for what I did to you, so I can't blame you."
Akane considered that for several moments. Just as Ryouga was about to wander away, she reached out and pulled her back, seeking out her eyes. "Do you… do you still… have feelings for me?" she probed timidly.
Ryouga carefully collected herself. Instead of making a direct answer, she said, "The worst thing about hating Ranma so much was still loving him anyway. Feelings don't ever die. The ones that do weren't real in the first place." She tried to pull away again, but Akane held fast. Ryouga, sighed. "I am glad we finally talked about this, but… we're going to be fighting over Ranma. Do you really want to complicate things?"
Akane looked around nervously, and leaned in close. As her gaze hardened, a certain resemblance to Nabiki appeared. "If you don't want to talk about your feelings, how about we talk about mine? I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that a certain boy has been watching me in my most private moments for many months now. I don't think I need to mention some of the things that boy has seen, but from what I remember, I don't have much left to hide from him," she droned menacingly.
Ryouga began to sweat and try to pull back in fear.
Akane tightened her grip. "Now, I'd normally be satisfied with beating him to death for invading my privacy, but that would hurt some one I care about. Since I have to spare him, I'd say he owes me double, don't you agree?" she shook the girl slightly. Ryouga nodded feverishly. "Good. So, here's the deal," she smiled, pulling something out of her pocket. "I have another problem, and you might be the one to help me with it. You see, Ranma has certain needs I am not sure I can meet. It would be nice to find out before hand if I can… be what he needs." Akane held up a packet of Instant Nanniichaun between two fingers. With a toss of her head, she commented, "Now, it would be nice to know if there are any feelings to 'complicate things' but I can't be picky, can I?"
Ryouga swallowed hard. "Akane…"
Akane studied the lost girl's panicked face and eased up a bit. "You owe me, Ryouga. I know this isn't exactly the sort of thing either of us would normally ever consider, but too much is happening too fast. If I have to get naked and do the nasty to have a chance in this game, then I'll swallow my pride and go for it. I have to know if I can do this, and there are times when your rival is the only person you can trust. I know you won't tell, since it would hurt you as much as me."
Ryouga hugged herself, both frightened and intimidated by Akane's demand. She had considered the price of being perfect for Ranma, the same sacrifice Akane was faced with. Confronting it so abruptly, however, she did not know if she was ready. "This… this isn't something to rush into, Akane," she tried to protest.
"You should have thought of that last night!" she snarled back. Putting the packet away, she smoothed down her skirt and spoke with more composure. "I am going to go get some things. You wait here, and I'll come get you. We can go over to your house, since there's probably no one there. If you're not here when I come out, don't bother ever coming back."
With that, she let go of Ryouga and rushed into the house. She slipped into Ranma's room to borrow some clothes and a certain bar of soap. Returning to her own room, she collected some other things. Stopping, she sat on the bed and spent a few minutes breathing deep, asking herself if she really meant to do this. For a long time, this had been her nightmare, succumbing to the pressure to become a man for the sake of her female husband. It was her greatest fear, and overcoming it would remove all the remaining doubts and obstacles between her and a relationship with Ranma. When she was sure she was willing, she considered Ryouga's feelings. She did not love him. She had only ever thought of him as a friend, and at present actually hated him. Was she forcing this on him in the hope of making him hate her too? She was not giving him a choice. It fit the technical definition of rape. Was this her revenge for his betrayal? Or was her excuse more real than she thought. Was it that she was simply terrified of trying this with Ranma and disappointing her?
Shaking her head, she stood up. "Stop it!" she commanded herself. Grabbing a backpack, she put the articles she collected into it and rushed downstairs. Pausing in the kitchen, she told Kasumi she was taking Ryouga to her home and spending the night to help her get used to being a girl away from the chaos that followed Ranma.
Kasumi considered her youngest sister's statement, and decided that part of her reason for retreating like this was to escape from the thought of what Ranma and Fa Shen would be doing for Ranko. With a smile, she responded, "I think that would be a good idea. I believe I have the number for Ryouga-kun's home, so I'll call you if anything comes up. Have a nice sleep over!"
"Thanks, Oneechan!" Akane kissed her on the cheek and rushed out to the back yard. In passing, she noticed Cologne giving Genma the bad news, and paused to see what kind of woman the heavy set man made. The main difference, the head cloth had been replaced by long black hair, and the glasses looked a bit overlarge on her face. The slender, muscled proportions of her body revealed that, in truth, Genma's bulk really had been mostly muscle. She almost wished she could be present when Nodoka returned for dinner. She hurried on, past her weeping father, who strikingly resembled Kasumi. Akane was a bit shocked by the image of Kasumi in her father's clothes, but shook it off, bidding her a quick farewell.
Ryouga was standing exactly where Akane had left her. The parting threat had been enough to keep her riveted in her tracks for fear of accidentally wandering off before Akane came to collect her. With few words, Akane took her hand and led her out of the compound and down the street.