Ranma Nibunnoichi - Reflections
A. V. Morgan
Part Forty-Two: The Betrayals of Love and Lust
Ranko stood on the edge of the engawa, facing the koi pond, and stretched her arms up over her head. Altogether, she had been incapacitated by the loss of Ranma and Fa Shen's ki for just under a full day, and the combination of spiritual paralysis and fits and spurts of physical exertion had left her body a bundle of knots. The urge to step into the yard for a decent workout fought with her desire to protect Ranma and Fa Shen's secret from their mother. She compromised by drifting into the yard and flowing into a slow kata that would loosen and warm her muscles without betraying her recovery. As she moved, she thought about the things that happened, and mused on how quickly the cool, clear night had settled in around Nerima. She had missed the sunset while she was getting dressed and styled. Smiling, as her body moved freely despite the deceptively tight looking cheongsam, she found herself rejoicing in her escape from the confines of Ranma's psyche. No longer was she compelled to question and fight her instincts every step of the way. She knew she was still heavily influenced by his experiences, but it did not really bother her if she found herself acting like a boy. The point was, she no longer had to fear acting like a girl. She could just be natural.
It was an intoxicating liberation.
In spite of her inner joy, her steps suddenly faltered. To anyone watching, she caught the slip so quickly they might not have noticed the mistake. It did not matter, since the only person who mattered was painfully aware of it, and what caused it. Resetting herself, she started the kata over, but her thoughts were stalled on what had happened when she "let herself be natural". The key to that, being herself, was following her instincts, but she wondered if that meant her instincts betrayed her this afternoon. Frowning, she rephrased that. What she did was selfish, and while it did not betray her, it betrayed both Ranma and Fa Shen.
Again, she stumbled as the guilty thought coincided with a difficult step, forcing her to add a correcting maneuver to the kata, violating it's form. Gritting her teeth, she acknowledged that she had done the same with their triumvirate. She made an impulsive choice, and threatened to violate the integrity of their coexistence.
"Damn!" she muttered, aborting the exercise and falling still. Turning on her heel, she returned to the dojo and sealed herself inside. Arriving where she had been when it had happened, she chuckled grimly. "Returning to the scene of the crime. You'd think Pops'd taught me better." Shaking her head, she knelt down and tried to focus on what had happened. Everything had been fine when Ranma and Fa Shen entered the trap mirror. Ranko had selected an exercise to strengthen her focus, and when she felt the circuit open, she had been surprised by how well she was able to adjust to the impact of their passion. So many years of disciplining herself in the art—at least as she remembered it—had given her the foundation she needed to embrace that sexual heart, and set her mind above it.
In truth, it was not easy at all, it just had not been as impossible as she had initially feared, after being blown away the first time. It took discipline, and she had discipline to spare, to adapt herself to the overpowering impact and allure of pleasure. It was close enough to pain in that regard that she could cope with it, as long as she was mentally prepared. If they went at it while she was not fighting or training, she knew she would not fare as well. The power that came with the activity had to be channeled, or it would simply floor her.
Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath, she moved on to where things went wrong. Satisfied with her ability to function under the onslaught of power and pleasure, her attention had turned to the mystery itself. It was simple curiosity, a desire to understand what she had harnessed, and discover exactly how she could control it. To use it, she really needed to know how it worked. Falling into a trance, she had delved into the circuit and danced through the minds of her other selves. All their thoughts, memories and emotions hung naked before her awareness, like glittering sculptures of light. Some were abstract and amorphous, while others were vivid and engulfing landscapes. As she wandered, she was inspired, guided by instinct to grab hold of the fabric of their lives. With delight, she opened up the doors of Fa Shen's memory, embracing it as she had Ranma's the day of her creation. She was shocked by the many parallels of their lives, discovering that she had overcome the flaw in Ranma's personality that had blocked off everything in her that was Fa Shen. She welcomed a life of rigorous training under the hand of Pa Shen. She suffered the many insane events that traumatized the other girl.
It had seemed to take a long time, but it happened in the blink of an eye. The other half of herself unfolded, and suddenly Ranko felt whole. She had an understanding of where she came from, the things that shaped her both consciously and unconsciously, and where her path deviated from these two tributaries. But even as she was conscious of mending the foundation of her own psyche, she was drawn to the conflicts that were tormenting her other selves. Both of them were having difficulty assimilating and accepting the year of Ranko's ascension. In concern, Ranko had focused on the flaws that stabbed through the minds of Ranma and Fa Shen like massive shards of broken crystal. As she stared in disbelief, her instincts told her that those shards were pieces of herself, things above and beyond memory and experience, that threatened their sanity. In each, a part of Ranko that their opposite could have embraced which they themselves could not.
Ranko opened her eyes and stared across the dojo. "I didn't mean any harm. I only meant to help!" she cried softly. But that did not matter. She had been impulsive, she had reached out to reclaim those fragments of herself without examining them. Once they were in her possession, there was no giving them back. In retrospect, it was probably best for Ranko that she had claimed them, but there was a difference between what those shards were to her, and what they were to her progenitors. The core of her own masculinity, in Fa Shen, and the core of her own femininity, in Ranma, that the mirror stripped away from her to create the copies. As she watched, the wounds in both their minds were healed, as pure Yin bled off from Fa Shen into Ranma and pure Yang flowed the opposite way through the open circuit. Now, instead of just being bound to Ranko, there was a channel directly between them. Taking back Copy-kun and Copy-chan only made Ranko more whole, but while echoes of the memories those two possessed would remain in Fa Shen and Ranma, the passions behind them did not.
As this comprehension dawned, Ranko had desperately reached out, mostly to Ranma. In some relief, she realized she had not destroyed his love for Ryouga, but she had removed the passion of Copy-chan that drove it. In his own way, Ranma had also fallen in love with Ryouga that night, but it was now no stronger than his love for Akane. Turning to Fa Shen, Ranko could see no danger from stripping away the yearning love Copy-kun kindled for Akane. What the passions of the copies would do to Ranko herself, she could not guess. In addition, sparing Ranma and Fa Shen the copies passion for each other did little, now that they were bound to each other's essence.
In the heat of the moment, neither Ranma nor Fa Shen had sensed what Ranko had done. If anything, she had left them utterly at ease with themselves. Ranko could not feel proud of herself, since a lobotomy could accomplish the same thing. Fighting her way out of the circuit, sensing that the couple had already changed places, she had used the last of her influence to compel them to withdraw from each other. As they did, she noticed one last thing. Just as the mirror had granted the copies Ranko's memories, the union she had just severed had allowed the memories of all three to pool. Everything up to the moment Ranma and Fa Shen switched places, all three remembered in one fashion or another.
"The next time they switch, they'll find out what I did," Ranko moaned.
Covering her head with her arms, she rocked on her knees. What she had taken from Fa Shen had eased a burden he had carried from the moment he awoke. But even Fa Shen would be upset about what she had taken from Ranma. Both of them would suffer from the loss of Copy-chan and Copy-kun's acceptance of their gender, while Ranma and Fa Shen were stuck as the opposite sex. The could no longer lean on what they had borrowed from Ranko. They had the memories, but they would have to find their own acceptance.
Of course, Ranko had not gotten off easy either. Where she had been gender neutral after the split, she was now polarized. The intellectual understanding she had expressed earlier, about being both a boy and a girl, had now become a harsh reality. She NEEDED the curse, or she would soon go insane. Her very psyche had an erotic tension, as one side was aroused by the other. Mixed in with that, the potential for loving Ryouga was now fully realized, as everything that happened on that date with him became part of her. Squeezing her eyes shut, to cut off tears that wanted to spill down her cheeks, she fought off the realization that, in Ryouga's mind, it was Ranma… That night had bound Ryouga to Ranma. It belonged to Ranma. No matter what happened, that night would stand between Ryouga and Ranko.
The thought evoked a bitter laugh.
Wiping her eyes, she stood and scowled at herself. That was what kept causing her to stumble. Not that she had stolen Ranma's love for her old rival. No, Ranma had her own love, her own reasons to pursue Ryouga. It was weakened, but strong enough to compete with what she felt for Akane. The problem, the betrayal, was that she wanted to take Ryouga away from Ranma. The love was so powerful, she did not think she could fight it. Maybe flee, but fight or flee, she knew she would get hurt.
"I don't know what to do," she confessed to the shadows. Unable to resolve her guilt, but at least able to face it, she exited the dojo, and slipped into the house. Skirting the party, she slipped into the washroom to check her appearance, finding her make up smudged from when she had scrubbed her tears away. Experimenting a little, she discovered that the techniques she had learned to preserve the integrity of her clothing could also be used to restore her face. She lacked the skill to do the make up itself, but somehow, she could tell her ki to put it back the way it had been. The old tailor had to have been some kind of sorcerer. It figured someone could teach her magic if they just told her it was really martial arts!
The house was lit up like a lantern, spilling curtains of radiance across the yard. Ranko found herself admiring the play of light as she made her way along the engawa from the furo to rejoin the party. As she came to the opening to the Tea Room, she spotted Ranma gulping down the last of her meal. Seated at the head of the table, just to Ranma's right, were the couple of honor, Mousse and Shun, who had reached some kind of truce about the wedding. Around the table from them sat Fa Shen, Nabiki and Nodoka, all picking at their meal while kibitzing, and of course, Cologne, beaming with pride. Ukyo was helping Kasumi as hostess; Nabiki had decided to make it up to her for the loss of business in recent nights by hiring her as a "caterer". It was a bald faced payoff to keep the martial artist around in case Happosai showed up. Forty-million yen had brought out Nabiki's generous side, it seemed. Spotting Ranko on the threshold, Ukyo smiled brilliantly and winked, pointing out a place setting for her intended, next to Nodoka at the foot of the table.
Ranko put a smile on her face, and was about to join her mother, when Ranma bounced up and darted past her, shouting her intention to go check up on Ryouga and make sure Akane had not poisoned her with one of her dinners. Ranko stopped spinning in the wake of Ranma's exit, and found herself looking at her mother. Nodoka shook her head and rolled her eyes, while smiling in maternal indulgence. Remembering that they needed to discuss something, Ranko went and sat next to her mother. Nabiki had checked her paperwork and concluded that Nodoka was the best "courier" for their flight to China. The ticket had been purchased in her name, and Ranko was supposed to check with Nodoka to make sure she understood the plan.
Fortunately, Nodoka had been informed of her role in the mission to save Fa Shen's womanhood, but she had not realized they were leaving the next morning. When Ranko explained it to her, Nodoka hastily completed her meal, shocking everyone with her imitation of Ranko during her Martial Arts Dining phase. There was no question where her children got their natural speed, though their manners were still in need of polishing. After Nodoka excused herself to rush home and pack for the flight, the wedding feast came to a close. The bride and groom had been offered the downstairs guest room, and were about to sneak off toward it, before anyone summoned them to help clean up the aftermath, when Cologne spoke up.
"Before anyone else wanders off, I need to collect all the Instant Nyanniichaun packets and destroy them," Cologne announced to everyone in the room. Seeing hesitation on everyone's faces, she elaborated, "I know, Ryouga has most of them, but I saw some of you pick a few up when he dropped them. I am certain most of you would think twice about using them after hearing they are self locking, however, I cannot take that risk. The product has been banned and I swore to destroy the packets we had."
Shun, Mousse and Ranko reluctantly handed the packets they had snatched to Cologne, who gathered them up with the empty packet she had retained for informational purposes. A few voices were raised, asking to know what Cologne had learned from the Jusenkyo Guide.
"Well, gather round, then. I will tell you as I finish dealing with these," the old woman promised. Everyone returned and settled around the table. Cologne asked Kasumi for something she could use to destroy the packets, and she quickly returned with a small, indoor brazier. While Kasumi set it up and lit it, Cologne began to explain, roughly outlining the nature of a curse. She then repeated the tattoo analogy for the benefit of everyone besides Ranko and Fa Shen. "Like all curses," she stated, moving on to the specifics, "the magic of the instant versions is only active during the transformation itself. The form created by a curse is permanent and true unless the magic is reactivated, until which, the form it replaces is bound up in the dormant part of the curse."
"And the instant curses are just on the surface of one's ki, and not rooted deep within it, like a normal curse," Ranko inserted.
Cologne nodded and continued. "When a temporary curse is locked, there is a chance of that original form, or a cursed form the instant replaces, being forever lost if the infected part of the ki is shed before the curse is unlocked. The same danger exists with the original instant curse formulas, if they are locked, since the locking is the cause of the problem." Which meant, it did not matter if they were a victim of the improved instant, water proof soap, or the chisuiiton. The risks were identical. Seeing that everyone seemed aware of this, Cologne moved on.
"Now, the people who designed the curse locking formulas for both the soap and the new instant curses were not entirely stupid. They knew that if the instant curse was locked for a week or more, the original form of the subject would be lost forever. That is about how long it takes for surface ki to be converted to chi. So, the formula is supposed to last only up to a week. Unfortunately, the thing that breaks down the formula is some component of living physiology or metabolism, which they have not identified, and as we all know, these things are different from person to person," Cologne pointed out ruefully. Picking up the used packet, from the pile she had collected, she finally explained her demand. "That's why the improved product was banned, because it was common for uncursed clients to be permanently altered by it."
"Oh dear! You mean, Father might remain a woman?" Kasumi gasped.
"Oh, the horror," Nabiki quipped, smirking.
Cologne nodded sternly. She carefully fed the pile into the flames of the brazier. "I have some thoughts as to how to minimize the risk, but with him absent on a training mission, I cannot advise him or Genma." After getting all the facts from the Guide, she had spent much of the afternoon and evening puzzling over them. During the feast, she had come up with an idea for breaking the locking formula. She assured Kasumi she would leave a message detailing her idea that the girl could give to her father, if he contacted her while the rest of them were in China. Returning to her main point, she continued. "As for cursed individuals, locking an instant curse is virtually certain to have some kind of permanent effect. A small percentage remain in the instant curse form, which is to say, these people somehow manage to shake off the original curse and thus cannot return to either of those forms."
"Actually, the same thing can happen to a normal curse victim who gets locked by the chisuiiton," Fa Shen interrupted. "It is a known danger of the traditional Shokei Fist training."
"Ah, if I recall my history correctly, you apprenticed in the Shokei Fist, did you not? Perhaps you should tell us about that when we are through here," Cologne suggested. Fa Shen nodded and Cologne resumed once more. "Most cursed victims reported having their original or cursed form replaced by the instant form—depending on the temperature of the water used to activate the instant formula—and a few ended up with mutated curses." This was the danger Genma, Ryouga, Mousse and Shampoo needed to fear most. They had a greater chance of ending up with hybrid curses, since their original cursed forms were the ones superimposed upon by the instant. "The only good news is that the evidence suggests that the older the curse was, the greater the chance of coming out unscathed."
Smiling at the hopeful looks on Shun and Mousse's faces, as they clung to the hope they would not end up with mutated curses, Cologne decided to propose the solution she had come up with. "Now, this might also qualify as good news, but as it is untested, I cannot guarantee anything," she temporized. Seeing she had everyone's attention, she continued. "As I mentioned before, metabolism is a factor in breaking down the locking formula. There is a physical component, some sort of residue which remains after using the soap, which is probably what the body can break down. As martial artists, you all have high metabolisms, so the important thing to emphasize is that you must not draw upon your ki or expend a great deal of chi as you accelerate your normal training regimens," Cologne advised commandingly.
"If the lock is broken down, then what happens?" Mousse asked.
"Well, as I understand it, there is a difference between the outcome for a normal victim and a Jusenkyo victim," Cologne stated, warming her hands before the brazier and staring deep into the flame. "The instant is only capable of two transformations, and it tends to override a genuine curse—but only partially. The first transformation asserts the form held in the instant curse. The second transformation removes the temporary curse. Now, with instant curses, the trigger is set by the temperature of the water used, so in our case the first transformations had a cold water trigger. On a normal victim, hot water is then required to reverse the transformation. On a Jusenkyo victim, however, a pre-charged transformation gets stored in the temporary curse. Thus, cold water will trigger the instant curse again, summoning back the form from the original curse, while hot water will trigger the Jusenkyo curse instead, summoning back the true form of the victim. The form from the original curse would be lost."
"That sounds like a good way to prevent a curse mutation," Mousse observed cheerfully.
"Well, it's only a theory, but it fits everything I know about the interaction between true and temporary curses," Cologne hedged carefully. "I don't know of any Jusenkyo victim who was lucky enough to reverse an instant curse with hot water. Cold water seems to always find them first."
That was hardly surprising, and those who knew cold water's malice best made unpleasant faces and sounds of frustration. Before anyone could voice another question, an interruption in the form of a sword-wielding maniac, also known at Tatewaki Kuno, burst into the room calling out the boy he intended to murder.
"Kuno!" Ranko yelped in surprise.
"Oh no," Ukyo swayed, quickly setting down the tray she was carrying. In all the confusion, she had forgotten her earlier mission. She was supposed to keep Kuno from hearing about Ranma and Ryouga. To that end, she had abandoned the paralyzed Fa Shen and taken chase after the psychotic gymnast. Kodachi had foiled Ukyo's pursuit in the simplest manner, by racing directly to Furinkan High School. The chef had hesitated upon reaching the perimeter of the school grounds to consider what would happen if she showed up back at school after being excused for a family emergency. With the student body spilling out of the building for lunch break, enjoying the unseasonable warmth of the last days of winter, there was little chance of her going unnoticed. Hopping to the top of the wall, to look for Kodachi, she caught sight of the girl bounding up to her brother and realized it was too late to prevent her from informing Kuno of Ryouga's conquest. She lingered just long enough to see the boy explode with fury, though she could only guess at what exactly Kodachi had said. With a sigh, Ukyo left, hoping that Nabiki was up to the level of damage control it would take to deal with the rumors that would start with those who had been close enough to the Kunos to pick up on the situation.
"Ukyo!" Fa Shen moved to the chef's side.
"I'm sorry, Fa Shen. This is my fault," she moaned under her breath.
"Hibiki, you foul cur!" shouted the kendoist, in a threatening pose, his head whipping around in search of the lost boy. "Show yourself that I might smite thee and avenge the honor of the glorious red tressed goddess…!"
"Ranko!" a voice intruded from the door.
"…Ranko!" Kuno corrected automatically, at the sound of Nodoka's voice. Turning as a somewhat breathless and disheveled Nodoka entered the room and stopped to catch her breath. Relaxing her guard he bowed his head to her. "Well met, noble scion of the Saotome Clan."
"Oh. You're already here," Nodoka slumped a bit, before straightening and drawing her sword. "I have told you before I will not condone these assaults on my daughter!" she challenged.
"Alas! Did you say, truly, Daughter?" Kuno gaped.
"Indeed! It seems I was wrong last night, as her identity was not truly known until this morning," the proud matriarch nodded gracefully. Taking an offensive stance, she repeated her challenge, "But enough of this! What cause have you to enter these premises bearing arms and such malice!?"
"Good grief! Your mom's as bad as Kuno, Ranko!' Nabiki grinned.
"No more noble a cause than to champion the honor of your beauteous daughter, Ranko! She, whom the gods themselves must certainly adore, from whom I take the very inspiration of my breath, for whom I must stand to remove this unspeakable insult as rendered by odious, perverted molester, Hibiki Ryouga!" he answered in as few words as possible. For Kuno, anyway.
"How does he get it all out in one breath?" Ranko gawked.
"He probably siphon air from head," Shun suggested.
Kuno and Nodoka ignored them.
"Do you dare speak ill of my daughter's fiancé?" she raised a haughty eyebrow, tightening her grip on her sword.
"Mom!!!"
"Hush, child," Nodoka soothed, flicking an eye at Cologne to explain the engagement she referred to, the question that yet lay before the amazon council. Ranko, not getting the hint, almost lurched to her feet before Cologne leveled her cane to restrain her and whisper the explanation.
"I cannot ignore the impertinence, the unseemly exploitation of my beloved orchid's innocence by that worthless vagabond, Hibiki, which has brought upon your house this shameful engagement!" he affirmed staunchly, unperturbed.
"Oh ho! Tell me you do not dare to impugn my daughter's honor with such baseless slander!" the woman's voice turned to ice.
"Indeed! Could there be any other reason for so worthless a suitor to win the hand of my fair goddess?" Kuno implored.
Nodoka sniffed and scowled, "Then you, sir, are in grievous error! I say to you now, and you are not to question it lest you love not life, this girl," she pointed at Ranko, "is a virgin. I find myself quite vexed that you would grasp at any excuse to protest the affairs of honor of my house at every turn. I bid you, quit these premises 'ere you quit your life!"
Kuno flinched back. Turning to Ranko, he demanded, "Is this true?"
Ranko, blushing furiously and glaring, snapped out, "Not that it's any of your business, and not like it isn't goin' outta style fast, but yeah!"
Nabiki fell over laughing, while Fa Shen looked like he wanted to crawl under the table. Kuno just opened and closed his mouth in abject embarrassment, until a movement by Fa Shen drew his attention. Taking a second look, which caused him to whip around fully and stare, he gasped, "Saotome! Can it be you!?" he clutched at his head, as if someone had just driven a railroad spike into his skull. Squinting, he edged forward until they were millimeters apart. Reaching out to touch the brilliant red hair, he flinched back. "Nay, these eyes that have pierced the veils of deepest sorcery can not lie! Well do I know thine face! Too many times have I stared it down in battle, you can be no other! What means this, this transformation?"
"Would you… please… stop breathing on me?" Fa Shen begged through gritted teeth, just barely restraining himself. His brain was telling him he should only be this close to kissing the other boy in nightmares and very bad productions of Romeo and Juliet.
"Forgive me," Kuno backed off instantly, glancing at Nodoka. "I can see that the dark spell has been lifted from your family. Truly, restoring your sister to her proper place has brought sanity and unity to your house. One could not doubt your noble birth, to see the dark stains lifted from your heads." He sheathed his sword and stepped up to Nodoka, bowing low. "I humbly entreat your forgiveness. It seems I have fallen prey to my demented sister's cruel lies. Even so, I cannot quit my suit of your daughter. It is not my place to tell you the man who holds claim to her is unworthy of her. Be that as it may, should you see the truth of this, I beg you consider my petition for the hand of Saotome Ranko."
Ranko stared, bug eyed, at Kuno. While this could hardly come as a surprise, there was a certain, gut wrenching terror aroused the instant she grasped Kuno's intention to marry her, however backhanded the proposal. It was enough to make the contents of her stomach heave, but the real cause for panic came from Nodoka herself. One could not listen to Nodoka banter in archaic tones of nobility and brandish a sword with just as much enthusiasm as Kuno, and not dread that the woman might find the True Blunder of Furinkan High an ideal match for her daughter. Ranko would be screaming in protest, if she did not have her hands clamped to her mouth as her insides twisted with revulsion.
"I will let this insult pass," the mother relented, evoking a pleading whine of despair from her daughter. "But, I am not inclined forgive you entirely your past transgressions. Leave and do not darken my sight again 'ere I bid you," Nodoka banished him, disturbed somehow by his very presence. Of said past transgressions, Ranko had given her an earful on the train the night before. Without a word, Kuno complied, letting himself out the front door.
"I think I'm gonna go puke," Ranko raced out of the room.
"Me too!" Fa Shen followed her.
"I wonder why it took him so long to show up?" Nabiki wondered.
"Pardon me, but are you done with your packing so soon?" Kasumi asked Nodoka in amazement. "That was so quick!"
"Oh, no," Nodoka blushed, waving the idea off. "I was headed home when I saw that boy racing toward the dojo with his sword drawn. He seems to have a strange habit of attacking my children."
"You have no idea," Nabiki chuckled. Standing up, she smiled to Nodoka. "Let me call you a cab, since you had to run back here. I'll send Fa Shen with you to handle the luggage and walk you back, ne?" Nodoka nodded gratefully. When the red headed teens returned to the room, Fa Shen quickly agreed to go with Nodoka, and Ranko volunteered to go drag Ranma back to the dojo. She would probably have to carry the other girl home, since she'd be beaten and unconscious after explaining why she went over to check on Ryouga and Akane.
Coming into sight of the Hibiki home, Ranko shook her head and grinned at the suddenness of her arrival. For once, when things went wrong, they had turned out for the better. As she had left the dojo, Nodoka had objected to Ranko heading off alone at night in her "weakened condition" until Ranko pointed out that Ryouga's house was a block from the nearest train station, and declared that she would be safe enough on the train there and back. Thinking that would calm her mother, she turned to leave, and was surprised when Nodoka grabbed her and stuffed her into the cab with herself and Fa Shen. When she protested, Nodoka told her she was having the driver swing by the Nerima station to drop Ranko off. Taking the train was always part of her usual short cut to Ryouga's house, but riding inside one, going the full route at much better speed, she made it there in record time. She just had to live with the disappointment of losing another opportunity to cut loose and go haring off over the rooftops. Figuring the time since Ranma left ahead of her, her twin would only have about a twenty minutes lead now.
That was just enough time to show up and witness the explosion.
Oddly, when she approached the house, it was dark, except for a dim light emanating from Ryouga's room. Curious, she hopped to the top of the sound wall and stretched up on her tip toes toward the window. It would have been easy to jump up and cling to the window sill, but if Akane was in there it was a good way to get hammered over the horizon. Finding herself unable to see anything but the ceiling of the bedroom, she decided she had little choice and edged back, glancing down to check her footing, and measure the distance over the ground. To her shock, there was a familiar body laid out on the ground underneath the second story window.
"Ranma! You idiot!" she hopped down and checked the other girl, taking her presence there, unconscious, as a sure sign that Akane was indeed in the room. Shaking her head, she picked her twin up and made her way to the front door. "I bet she took one look at you and clobbered you for 'spyin' on her'. Ah well, I didn't think anyone was home either," she sighed and rang the door bell.
From inside the house came a couple of surprised thumps, a distant clatter and then foot steps rushing down the stairs to the door. Ranko adjusted Ranma's weight and stepped back a bit as the door opened and a disheveled and endearingly female Ryouga, dressed only in a robe, appeared.
Ranko's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, Ryouga. Am I interrupting anything?" she teased, taking in the girl's flushed and sweaty appearance.
"Ah! No! Ah ha ha ha ha! I was…! That is, me and Akane…! What I mean to say is, Akane and I were… uh… just… just working out. Yeah! That's all! We were just getting a little exercise!" she babbled loudly, nervously rubbing the back of her head.
Ranko's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "In your bathrobe?"
"What!?" Ryouga's eyes snapped wide open. She glanced down and resumed laughing nervously. "Oh! Uh… Well… What I meant to say was, Akane and I WERE just working out. As in, we're done now! And, ah… well, you see, I needed a bath! That's right. Always a good idea to take a bath when you're all hot and sweaty… after a workout, I mean! Right?"
Ranko schooled her features into a mask of calm, and nodded. "This is true. Geez, Ryouga," she shook her head and rolled her eyes, trying not to read anything into the manic grin Ryouga was giving her. "You need to calm down. The way you're acting, a body'd think you were up to no good, or somethin'."
Ryouga flinched and twitched, quickly shaking her head, as if she was climbing out of a pool of water. "Oh, no! Everything is fine… I'm good! Akane's good! She's better than good, she's fantastic!"
"That's… great, Ryouga. Um. Can I come in now? Ranma ain't exactly heavy or nothin' but, I think she needs to lie down," Ranko pressed, taking a step forwards. Ryouga blinked, turning her head to look inside the house and blocking the door almost inadvertently. Looking back, she sighed and offered a more genuine smile, "Sure, Ranko. Sorry about that. I just wasn't expecting any visitors." Taking a step back and sweeping an arm in invitation, she added, "Come on in, Akane just went to start something for dinner. There's a couch in the living room where you can put Ranma down."
Ranko nodded, not expecting Ryouga to lead the way. Entering the common area of the house, the mentioned couch was no where in sight, but with Ryouga, any room she had ever been in might potentially be a part of her house, as far as she was concerned. Laying Ranma on the floor, she found a cushion to prop up her head, and went in search of the kitchen. On the way, she bumped into Ryouga coming out of a closet with a confused look on her face.
"I guess Mom and Dad moved the kitchen," she muttered.
Ranko rolled her eyes and grabbed the lost girl. "That's okay, I am sure I can find it. Thing is, are you really sure you wanna be in the kitchen while Akane's cooking? Maybe you'd like to finish your bath first," Ranko suggested pointedly. Waving a hand in front of her nose, she laughed, "Whew! Man, I really suggest the bath, you reek! What kinda workout were you two doing anyway? Smells like you're training for the Cat Fist!"
Ryouga stiffened and started laughing nervously, "Cat Fist! That's funny! No, ah… you see, I was… well, we're having fish for dinner! I, uh… well, I had to clean them you see… and this is kinda funny, but, well, I sorta tripped and landed on the tray I was carrying them on, you see. So, there I was, all covered in fish guts! Silly me!"
Again, Ranko stared at Ryouga in disbelief. "Fish guts, huh? Are you sure your brain didn't snap when you turned into a girl?"
"Oh, no. I'm fine! Really. It's kinda nice, actually!" she gave a reassuring grin and rubbed the back of her head some more. "Anyway, you're right. I should go take a bath. I'll go, ah… you know, take a bath now. You wait right here!" she insisted, grabbing Ranko by an arm and making "stay" gestures as if Ranko was a dog.
Ranko looked down at Ryouga's hand on her arm, then back up in askance, "You want me to stay. Right here. You want me to just stand in the middle of the hall until you're done bathing? What? Do you expect me to get lost or something?"
Ryouga gulped and looked off to the side. "Well, now, I dunno. In this house, that might be possible. Thing is, I really REALLY don't think you should be in the kitchen with Akane right now. Alone that is. Well, I mean…"
"Don't bother. I don't wanna be there if I don't hafta. Trust me," Ranko shook her head meaningfully. Shrugging, she offered, "I'll just, uh, wait with Ranma then, until you get done with your bath. Oh, and… about that. There's something I should warn you about…"
Ryouga blushed furiously, and interrupted. "Don't mention it. I think I know what you're gonna tell me."
"Found out the hard way, huh? Sorry about that, Ryouga. I should have been the one to teach you about bein' a girl. Not that I don't think Akane can," she amended hastily, looking around for imminent hammer strikes. Seeing no threat, she continued with a shudder, "I mean, you know, about dealing with it from a guy's perspective an' all."
"Yeah, well. Akane sort of jumped in before you could offer."
"Yes. She's really 'helpful' that way, eh?" Ranko grinned.
Ryouga had to smirk in reply. The expression faltered as she noticed the way Ranko had been studying her through the entire conversation. The other girl had definitely given her a good look over, scanning her with a keen and appreciative eye. It was a perfect match for the look she got from Copy-Ranko at the point where she… he at the time… had finished stripping down in the park. While unsettling, it was also quite enticing. More than enough to make Ryouga turn and flee with a startled, "Eep!"
Ranko frowned, watching Ryouga race into the kitchen. "What did I say?" Deciding that it would take a while for Ryouga to even find the bath, much less bathe and make her way back, Ranko wandered back to check on Ranma. Making a quick inspection, she found no signs of blunt trauma. "Hmmm. I wonder what Akane clobbered her with?"
The sounds drifting out of the kitchen pulled at Ranko's attention. It was very difficult to sit still and not rush in to see what was going on. It was a bit like knowing a train wreck was in progress, and sheer morbid curiosity was urging her to go take a look. Tempting and terrifying at the same time, she fought the impulse until a pained squawk came from Ryouga. Jumping up, Ranko headed for the kitchen door. As she neared, Ryouga passed by the opening, a swollen hand flapping in agony and a huge meat tenderizer clutched in the other. Raising an eyebrow, Ranko realized now what the pile driver sounds came from. Akane was trying her hand at steak or abalone, Ranko guessed. "I guess the fish didn't pan out," she muttered.
"Ryouga? Can you fetch me that bottle of cooking oil over there?" an unfamiliar voice rang out. While Ranko blinked in confusion, Ryouga passed by again, carrying a large, plastic bottle of golden oil. "Thanks, Ryo-chan!"
"Who the hell is that?" Ranko asked herself, entering the kitchen. Looking over, she saw a very handsome boy juggling a huge wok and too many ingredients, half of which contributed to the meal spontaneously, while… Akane? It had to be Akane! No one else would pour talcum powder and a whole cup of wasabi into a dish they meant to eat! Unable to cope with the shock, all she managed was a pitifully weak, "Ohmygod. Akane's a HUNK!"
Said hunk set down his utensils and reached for the bottle in Ryouga's hands, just as the girl was unscrewing the cap. With absolutely no comprehension of his own strength, Akane gripped the bottle hard, expecting it to be slippery from previously spilled oil, and crushed the plastic bottle in Ryouga's hands. Ryouga barely had time to squinch her eyes tightly shut before the contents spewed out and drenched her from head to toe.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ryouga! Here! Let me help you!" Akane whipped around in search of a towel, and his eyes finally fell on Ranko. With a look of shock and instant, dreadful embarrassment, he babbled, "Ranma! What…? You… you look really nice in that dress. What the hell are you doing here!?"
Ranko stared back, but kept track of Ryouga trying to wipe cooking oil out of her eyes, and replied, "Uh, Ranko, actually. Thanks. And, I'm here to pick up Ranma."
Akane blinked, and turned to Ryouga. "Ranma's here too?"
"Ah! My eyes!" she finally complained, as she blinked them open and tried to focus through the pain. "Yeah, Ranko found her unconscious outside or something. She's laying on the couch." With an increasing whimper, "Ranko, could you please lead me to the bath. I've gotta get this stuff off of me!"
"Yeah! Sure! I'll talk to you in a minute, Akane," Ranko grabbed the exceptionally well lubricated girl and led her upstairs to the washroom. Leading her inside, Ranko helped her strip down and began to run hot water into a wash basin. "Here, the water's hot. With this much oil, cold water will just bounce off. Rinse as much of that stuff of as you can, and then we'll get the rest with soap, okay?"
"Sure. Thanks, Ranko," Ryouga blushed as the other girl drenched her with the hot water, and used her hands to help slick the mixture off of her skin. Ranko then picked up the spray nozzle and shot more hot water over Ryouga, scraping her free hand down her back to reduce the oil to a thin sheen. When Ranko reached for the bar of soap on the floor, Ryouga jumped, "Wait! Don't use that one! The normal soap is over by the furo."
Ranko set the block down and looked for the other bar. "Water proof soap, huh? Yeah, you wouldn't wanna add another layer of that, would you?" Picking it up, she began to wash Ryouga's back. "I'll get you started, and then let you finish up alone. I'll be outside, so just shout if you need anything. If not, I'll wait to lead you back down stairs, okay?"
Ryouga nodded.
Laughing gently, Ranko let herself out of the room. Once out of sight, she balled her fist and proceeded to gnaw on it. If Ryouga happened to end up stuck like that, Ranko was confident she'd definitely still want her. The image of her naked body was already branded into Ranko's mind. As her legs went weak, she sank down along the front of the door. "Take your time!" she called back through the door. "I'll just sit here for a while, if you don't mind."
"'Kay," Ryouga returned. She was just grateful Ranko had kept her clothes on and not offered to bathe with her. Ranko not being Ranma, and Ryouga being a girl, were apparently not enough to keep her from wanting to gobble up the lithe red-head. For fear the other girl might poke her head back in the door, Ryouga strenuously avoided touching herself anywhere too sensitive, as she lathered her body. Scrubbing hard and fast, she covered her body in a curtain of suds, then went to work on her hair. She was actually surprised at how thick the lather got by the time she picked up the sprayer and rinsed off with more hot water. Just as most of the soap and residue was sluiced away, she was startled by the onset of a familiar tingle through her body.
With a gasp, Ryouga froze. Slowly looking up and over his shoulder, he confirmed what he already knew. Frowning, he thought back, and confirmed his memory of being in hot water, and female, with Akane. Looking down, there was no question he was male. "Why did it wash off now? It was supposed to take a week…"
After sitting stock still for a long time. He pulled the basin over and filled it full of cold water. A quick step over to the furo confirmed that the water inside was still hot. He had turned on the heater before taking Akane to his room. Returning to the stool, he picked up the cold water and prepared to splash himself. The crash when it dropped from his hands would be enough to bring Ranko into the room, but it was not like she would not notice it when he came out as a guy. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the basin.
"Cold!" he gasped, just before the tingle passed through him.
With eyes pinched shut, he waited for the crash of the basin. A moment later, he was still waiting. The basin was still in his hands. Frowning in disbelief, he opened his eyes. "Yep. Still got hands," he muttered under his breath, and looked down. "Oh. That's not right. Well. They're right. But… what the hell? Why did I turn back into a girl?" Picking up the sprayer, she turned it on and wet herself down again. "Okay. Guy," he said. Changing the setting on the taps, he fired another burst of water. "Now girl. God. Cologne was right. That stuff messed up my curse," she sighed. Well, it beat being a pig. A cold chill went through her, and she quickly ran her hands over her body, and turned to stare in the mirror. With a sigh of relief, she reached a conclusion. "Good. JUST a girl. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she wept and bowed to whatever deities of fortune had finally smiled on her.
Looking at the bar of water proof soap, she asked herself if she wanted anyone to know about the change in her curse yet. It had definitely come too soon. There was no point telling anyone what had happened, unless they also wanted to get stuck with their new curses. It would make one hell of a surprise for Ranma! Ryouga paused. It was perfect for Ranma. It was exactly what she had promised Ranma. Ranma would think she did it on purpose, to win her away from Akane. Cringing, Ryouga realized Akane would kill her. "I am definitely going to keep this a secret for now!" she swore, reaching for the soap. When she was done, and had tested the results in the furo, she let herself out of the bathroom. Fortunately, Ranko took one look at her guilt ridden face and winked, gently ribbing her for alleged "naughty behavior" in the bath.
Ryouga wanted to crawl under a rock.
"Relax, Ryouga. You're only human," Ranko punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Don't think I didn't do it too. Eventually, you'll get over it."
"That's hard to imagine, Ranko," Ryouga blushed. Side by side, they descended the stairs, on their way back to the kitchen. Halfway there, they were distracted by the sound of Ranma's moans. Making a quick detour, they slipped into the living room where Ranma was sitting up and rubbing her head in confusion. Rushing forward and kneeling before her, Ryouga opened, "Hey, Ranma. Nice of you to wake up! Are you okay? What happened to you?"
Ranma paused, blinking as she met Ryouga's eyes. "Where am…" suddenly her face became deathly pale and she flinched back from Ryouga's outstretched hand. "You! How could you!? Who the hell was that guy!?" she yelled, jumping to her feet.
"That explains it," Ranko laughed. "She took one look at Akane and passed right out! Don't worry, Ranma, I found you under the window and brought you inside."
Ranma was staring at Ranko in shock, but Ryouga whipped around to gape at her with alarm. "Under the window!?" she screeched.
"D-did you say… Akane?" Ranma demanded at the same time.
At this point, Akane wandered in, drawn to Ranma's initial outcry. Ranko, growing suddenly confused at the reactions of the people around her, was nodding in response to both questions as Akane glanced from Ryouga to Ranma. Ranko also focused on Ranma, seeing the pale of shock blossom into the red of rage. Without warning, she stormed for the front door. "I can't… I can't be here. Don't!" she swung her arm sharply, cutting off the others before they could speak. Pointing at Akane and Ryouga, who had edged closer to each other, Ranma snarled, "Don't say anything. I don't wanna hear it. I don't even wanna think about it." Turning to Ranko, she hardened her glare. "Did you know?" she demanded harshly, looking quite ready to launch fists.
Ranko swallowed and stared back in confusion. "Know what?"
Ranma shook her head. "Never mind. I'm leaving. Are you coming?"
"That's why I am here," Ranko explained weakly. She turned to the other two, "You're spending the night, Akane? You'll be back in time for us to go, right?" she asked.
Before Akane could answer, Ranma shouted. "HE can stay here the rest of HIS life if he wants, but they're not coming along! Let's go!" Ranma grabbed her twin and raced out of the house. As soon as Ranko had her footing, Ranma let go of her and then sprinted toward home for all she was worth, not giving Ranko a chance to demand an explanation for Ranma's temper.