Ranma Nibunnoichi - Reflections
A. V. Morgan
Part Forty-Four: Entangled Unraveling the Mess
It was late in the evening when the expedition reached its starting point in Shanghai. While it technically would have been a shorter flight to, and overland journey from, the capital city of Beijing, Cologne had suggested the round about route via Hong Kong to avoid the seat of the communist government. Also, the amazons had agents and allies in Shanghai, one of whom met Nodoka at the airport and escorted her to a safe house—more of an apartment over a shipping warehouse—where the others could safely be released from the trap mirror. Because travel in Mainland China was severely restricted, being heavily regulated by the government, the amazons had long established something of an underground railroad by contracting their services as protection for carefully chosen trading companies. Thus, the first leg of their journey would be assumed by Cologne and four of the five girls riding on a caravan delivering goods to the interior. They had just enough time on their arrival to gather for a meal, renew their provisions, outfit the escort as proper amazons, and return the rest of the party to the mirror, before the convoy of trucks departed.
It was a boring and tedious job for Ranko, Ranma, Ryouga and Mousse, only made worse by the fact that they were divided among the four vehicles. Each girl had nothing to do but sit in a cab containing just herself and the driver, except in Ryouga's case, since Cologne rode with her in the lead vehicle to ensure that she did not expose herself as a fraud. Ranma seemed to be having greater ease accessing Fa Shen's memories, and would respond automatically in Mandarin when addressed in that language, while Ranko seemed to have completely assimilated their predecessor's amazon heritage. On the plus side, the drivers were used to amazons riding shotgun, and knew better than to harass them in any way. Like the rest in the mirror, they had nothing but time to reflect on the events of the past few days, and worry about the week to come. The caravan moved off into the night, and would stop only to refuel and change drivers until they reached Zhengzhou, about a thousand kilometers to the northwest, where the cargo would be transferred to a boat headed up the Yellow River. The biggest complication was finding a way to let people out of the mirror at rest stops to relieve themselves and get in a hot meal. This was simplified by transferring most of the gear to one of the trucks, so that only people were liable to get dumped out when the trap was opened—usually between the parked vehicles, where few witnesses could possibly see their appearance.
In the usual haste of these periods of liberty, there was no time for idle conversation. Those who spent most of their time in the mirror had plenty of time for conversation there. Nodoka took advantage of the opportunity to get to know the original members of the fiancée squad in greater detail, and fret over the things she learned about past occurrences and future intentions. Akane and Shun both got their ears thoroughly chewed off by Nodoka, for letting their desperation push them into becoming boys, but Ukyo got the worst of it for admitting her intention to get a genuine curse if it would help her win Ranko. It did give her an opportunity to enlighten Nodoka completely about her engagement to Ranma, the theft of her dowry, and her resultant exile from womanhood.
"So the fact is," she had concluded, "My options are pretty limited. I can marry Ranma and be a woman again, accept Ranko as a substitute and maybe be a man for her, or go ronin and live the rest of my life as a man. I think marrying Ranma would be fine, but I don't expect to be favored over Akane and I'm already in love with Ranko from everything that's happened this year."
"Well, this is a problem," Nodoka complained wearily. "I might be able to make reparations for the sto- lost dowry, but it certainly does not mend all the suffering you have endured. At the same time, Ranma and Ranko are both overburdened with other suitors. I have been given to believe that one of them will be declared Ryouga's wife at the end of this journey, so I am at a loss for what to say to you, Ukyo-chan."
"Me too, Mrs. Saotome. Me too," Ukyo sighed. Still, she could not lose hope. From what she had seen, Ryouga was on the outs with Ranma and Ranko. Rather than say something and jinx it, she held her peace. In spite of her belief that she would be fine if she took the curse, all she had to do was look at Shun and Akane to see the potential danger. If she did get cursed, there was every chance she could lose her womanhood for good. It was a sobering thought that kept her close company during the days and nights on the road.
On the day they reached Zhengzhou, and transferred to the boat, Ranma finally confronted her mother with the conclusions she had reached while she had nothing to do but think or sleep. Seeking out an isolated spot on the deck of the river barge, she leaned against the rail and talked to Nodoka about the impact of Ranko's memories on the boy she had been. While she would live with the marks of that year, the experiences that had come with it, the boy she had been was fighting to reassert himself. Turning into a girl in love had done nothing to prevent that from happening, and mysteriously, most of the passion of that night had evaporated.
"I'll probably always love Ryouga, and I'll wonder if I really should have been a girl, but the fact is, I grew up a boy—your son—and I can't stand to lose that," she finally got to the point. "As much as it hurts, I can't chose Ryouga if it means I can't be your son. An' since that's what's really bothering me, I can't pretend I picked Akane over him. I picked me, Mom. An' I…" she sighed and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
"Are you trying to say you don't want to marry Akane, Ranma?"
"I dunno. I mean, I'm not gonna fight the engagement, but I think what I want to say is I just don't wanna get married. I'm just not ready for something like that," she confessed. "I wish you didn't hav'ta push this so much. Why can't I start with just seeing if I can deal with just havin' Akane as a girlfriend?"
"Would you like that?" Nodoka smiled gently.
"Well, yeah, I guess," Ranma frowned. "I do like the violent maniac, in spite of everything, and for such a macho tomboy, she can be kinda cute, y'know? But, what if she doesn't really want a guy like me? I mean, I know I'm pretty sexy an' all, when I'm a guy—well, I'm pretty hot as a girl too," she laughed, posing almost instinctively, before continuing. "Anyway, it's not like I don't think she could want me. I just don't know if she really likes me, or if she's just freaked about losin' Ranko."
"You want to start the relationship fresh," Nodoka surmised.
Ranma nodded. "Right now, I'm mostly worried about getting Fa Shen fixed an' goin' back to bein' a guy. I suppose I coulda done that already, but…" Ranma shrugged, and risked a bit of the secret, "If something goes wrong, and she can't get turned back into a girl, then the next best hope is to find some way of trading bodies with her."
Nodoka placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "To be honest, I've been wondering if that wasn't possible myself," she confessed with a squeeze. "It says a lot to me that you put that much thought into doing the right thing. I suppose your father tried to push the marriage in the hopes that it would prove your manliness in spite of the curse. I know I would have wanted that reassurance if you were still in Ranko and stuck with the curse. I know I was rushed into marriage, and it seems normal enough, but perhaps I did not know my husband well enough before marrying him."
"I'd think so. I can't believe you'd marry him knowin' what he's like!"
Nodoka chuckled. "Well, he and I will have words, I can assure you that. But, for now, if being true to yourself is enough to make you declare yourself my son, I won't hold you to the rest. You might need the time to consider the prospect of marriage, either to Akane or to Ukyo," she modified, revealing what she had learned about Ukyo's claim. "That poor girl. Marrying you is the only hope she has of restoring her honor. Even if she wants Ranko more, to win her she must lose everything. Keep that in mind, my son. It may yet come down to who you would harm the least. To that end, I will let you resolve the matter for yourself, if you can."
Ranma sighed. "She is my best friend. I'm glad you're not ignoring her like Pops does. With him, it's all about Akane. Though, to be honest, sometimes I think it's about Soun," Ranma put in thoughtfully. Seeing the odd stare from Nodoka, Ranma explained, "I dunno, really, but it's like… Pops has broken just about every promise he's ever made. I get the feeling that this one promise to join the schools is like his only chance to redeem himself. As if keeping this one promise will save him from bein' a complete waste of a human being. That it proves deep down he really does have some honor."
On the opposite end of the boat, Ranko slipped up to Fa Shen's side, watching the boy stare at the countryside. She did not really need to ask what was on her male twin's mind. She could simply look and see the ghost of a world that had passed while Fa Shen was entombed in the spring. It was only at moments like these that she was truly aware of the shock her former self endured with every new thing he confronted in the modern world. Ranko's memories had given him a long pole to help him keep his balance, but the culture shock was still there. Looking at his old home, his heart could not help but break to see that the world he knew was dead and lost, and more than a thousand years worth of mourning waited to capture him at every turn.
After five days of scrambling madly across more than half of China's width, the group finally reached their destination in the heart of the Bayankala Mountain Range. Because of the compact, it was possible to go non stop from Zhengzhou to Quinghai Province by having most of the party sleep and camp in the crystal chamber while pairs took turns carrying it as they traveled by boat, foot or the wayward farm truck. The deeper they got into the interior, the more travel by foot was mandated, but without the need to actually stop for rest, there was always someone fresh enough to run as the mirror's courier. In fact, the high level of exertion was an additional plus, since it taxed the young martial artists' endurance and increased their metabolisms, contributing to the break down of their curses' locks. With the exception of Shun, who had switched from the soap lock to a chisuiiton lock, so that Shampoo would not be executed on the spot if she reappeared, it was expected that Mousse, Akane or Ryouga would revert back to normal by their next bath or dousing.
Because of the way the pairs were chosen, to minimize conflicts and distractions, neither Ryouga nor Akane were given a chance to speak to either Ranma or Ranko alone, and clear the air between them. Furthermore, the two outcasts of the party were never paired together by their own decision, with Akane typically partnered with Ukyo, and Ryouga constantly attended by Mousse. Strangely, Shun and Fa Shen seemed to have come to an understanding and put their sexual misadventure behind them. Because of his condition, Akane was often a third to Shun and Fa Shen during meals and rest periods, as the former girls compared notes on being boys.
As usual, Ranko and Ranma had pulled a double shift as runners, moving with a syncopated grace and efficiency through the more familiar routes of the last leg of the journey. Both of them felt like they were going stir crazy from their time inside the mirror, so they made the most of their freedom by turning much of it into a running battle to hone their skills and work on their weaknesses. Having both switched to native outfits tailored to their female forms, pretty much anyone who saw them flash by took them for a pair of amazons and did their best to stay out of their way. This also meant that word of their passage flew through the countryside, along with descriptions of their skill and beauty, to reach the ears of local amazons who might have pegged one of them as the now infamous "female Ranma" of last spring's tournament upset. Instead, deciding there could not be two such girls, they sent out scouts to challenge the outsiders who had the gall to "pass themselves off" as amazons.
Thus, as the twin red-heads made the turn that would deliver them to the Guide's hut in the valley of cursed springs, they blew through a stunned contingent of warrior maidens who cursed profusely and took chase. Too excited about being so close to the end of the frantic journey, Ranma and Ranko did not even notice they were being chased. Pouring on a burst of speed, they sprinted down the road, quickly leaving the war party in the dust. This bought them enough time for a short, stunned encounter with Prince Herb, his retainers, Lime and Mint, and an assortment of Musk warriors, when the two girls stumbled through their camp on the fields at the mouth of the valley. The confrontation began as Herb emerged from his silk pavilion intent on paying the Guide a visit. One look at the twins, as they came to a panting halt, leaning slightly against each other for support and staring at the armed men who moved instantly to surround them, spurred Herb into motion.
"Surely my eyes do deceive me!" he called out in disbelief.
"Herb!" the two called out in smiling surprise.
"Good! You got here early!" Ranma picked up.
"Hey! Remember me?" Ranko grinned.
"Ranma! By the Dragon, you've been twinned!" Herb twitched, an odd grin coming to his lips. "Lime! Bring me the ladle!"
Ranma and Ranko's eyes bulged. "N-now, wait… just hold on a second." They both backed up a step, hands up in warding gestures as they tried to figure out what they had done to earn such a threat. As soon as they moved, they were hemmed in by a circle of spears.
"Here it is, Herb!" Lime announced, handing Herb the Chisuiiton.
"Excellent!" Herb seized it and dipped the magic ladle into the bucket of water. "And to think, you came to me!"
"Hey, don't do that! What's the big idea!" the girls cried frantically.
Herb grunted and simply lashed out with a ladle full of water, forcing the girls to twist desperately to avoid getting splashed without skewering themselves on the razor sharp spearheads. "The idea, O worthy adversary, is that I am not interested in marrying a man. Thus," he lashed out with the water again.
"Marry!" they shouted, dodging again. "What kinda nonsense is that!?"
"Come on! We're only here to borrow the Kaisuifuu!" Ranko pleaded.
"And besides, we're both already stuck this way!" Ranma wailed.
"What is this!?" Herb straightened. "Mint! Hot water!"
"Right away!" the wolf-blooded boy raced away. In a flash, he returned and jumped into the ring of spears, pouring hot water over the girls' heads as he landed. Turning he looked at them, "Herb! They're still women!" He stared at their chests for but a moment, before meeting their eyes with a grin.
"Interesting," Herb mused, before handing the magic ladle over to boy in the tiger striped outfit. In the background, the party of amazons burst on the scene, and came to a startled halt. The dozen warrior maidens gaped at the score of Musk warriors surrounding their prey and snarled through clenched teeth. It had not pleased them to be led to the edge of Jusenkyo, and it disturbed them more to arrive in a Musk encampment. Barely had they sorted themselves out when some of the men turned and stood them off with their weapons. A runner was immediately dispatched to warn the tribe, while the rest edged forward, straining to hear the exchange. "I see that Cologne made use of what I left her. How strange that she would implore me to bring the Kaisuifuu to release you, when she was the only one who could lock your curse. But, tell me first, when did you fall into the Chaunshontsuniichaun!?"
A call from one of the outer guards alerted his captain to the amazon's presence, causing the man to signal for his prince's attention. Herb held up a hand to stall the twins' response and bent his head to hear the report. At Herb's command, the captain hurried over to parlay with the amazons, coming back toward Herb a moment later with the blue-haired leader of the hunting party. While this was happening, Herb turned back to the twins and prompted them to answer his question. He noted that the amazon's eyes locked on the red-heads as she approached, and did not stray toward him.
Ranma and Ranko looked at each other. Ranko shrugged and answered. "I guess the old ghoul didn't really explain anything. I didn't get cursed by the Chaunshontsuniichaun, actually. It was the Mirror of Broken Souls," she paused to see if he knew what she was talking about. Seeing him scowl, searching his memory to find the reference, Ranma cut in to quickly describe the mirror's history and powers. The amazon, waiting for her turn to speak, listened in, taking the opportunity to become informed about her quarry. Once Herb nodded, accepting the cause of Ranma's split, Ranko continued. "Also It turns out this is my natural form. Pops doped my mom with Togenkyo water so I'd be born a boy. Now, what's this about wantin' to marry me?"
Herb chuckled, taking in the annoyed glare she was giving him. Nor did he miss the look of surprise and intrigue on the waiting amazon's face. "Truly, you say. This is how you were born? How? How could you be so perfect a match for Her?" he demanded in puzzled disbelief.
Ranko's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me this is because of Fa Shen!"
Herb's eyes widened. "You know Her name." Equal surprise registered on the face of the blue-haired amazon, who barely contained her reaction. Suddenly, the dragon prince realized it was no longer merely an inconvenience to have amazon witnesses present. With a clipped gesture, he directed the guards to herd the rest of the amazon party into their midst, where they could be more easily detained. If he could just keep control of the situation, maybe he would not be forced to kill them all and start a war.
Oblivious to the maneuvering going on around her, Ranko rolled her eyes, "Well, duh! I AM her reincarnation, you idiot." This was simply too much for the first amazon. In any society, it was unlikely for every member to be fluent in all the lore and history of her people, but there were those few names and legends even the most ignorant could recognize. There had already been rumors about the Council's interest in the red-head who defeated Shampoo, and many waited to find out if Cologne would succeed in helping her great-granddaughter bring home the boy she had turned out to be. It had been wondered, mostly in humor, what the boy would think if the unlikely happened and he was proven to be what the girl before her was claiming. Lunging forward, to challenge what Ranko was saying, she forced the captain to gain an amazon wife.
Ranko could not help but turn to stare when the captain exploded into motion, catching the distracted amazon off guard and rendering her unconscious. No one else bothered to notice the commotion. Ranma was too busy staring down Herb angrily, still upset at the marriage threat. She just took Ranko's distraction for an opportunity to put in her two cents. "Geez, Cologne really didn't tell you anything! Anyway, that's who the Kaisuifuu is for. Fa Shen is locked as a boy," Ranma revealed, totally glossing over the little matter of Fa Shen's resurrection and following transformations.
Herb flinched back. "What!?"
"Maybe we need to explain this," Ranko suggested, dead pan. Turning to Herb, she scowled, "But first, why don't you tell us where you get off thinkin' you can just lock us as girls and we're gonna fall all over ourselves to marry you!?"
Herb sighed. Looking over, he noticed the captain of the guard's predicament. The rest of the amazon party had just been ushered to the center of the gathering to see what had happened. Two of them were instantly at the blue-haired girl's side, while the rest narrowed hateful glares on the captain, who was protesting his victory. As soon as the woman woke up, things were going to get even more complicated. Rather than witness that scene, Herb returned his attention to Ranma and Ranko and concluded, "As you are, it seems, just women at present, perhaps we should adjourn to my quarters to speak."
Gesturing to his men, to keep the amazons under control, he turned and led the way into the silk pavilion. The recently defeated amazon's maroon-haired second loudly demanded to come along. With a nod to Mint, Herb directed him to bring the girl along. Marched in at spear point, with Lime holding them firmly by an upper arm, Ranma and Ranko had little choice but to follow. As they were seated on cushions, Herb resumed speaking. "When I returned home from my quest to recover the Kaisuifuu, I was compelled to relate my adventures to my father. When I reached the point where I had locked you in your female form, for your insolence, my father interrupted and took me into his private gallery. There, he showed me a painting of Fa Shen, and asked me if that was the form you had taken. To my surprise, there was a perfect resemblance. It was then that I was told of the legend of the Nyanniichaun's creation."
Ranko and Ranma exchanged looks.
Herb noticed the three girls were not curious, and presumed they had all heard the tale before. For the benefit of the new amazon observer, he simplified matters by repeating what Ranko and Ranma had just told him. Herb was satisfied to see that she was as disturbed by the news as he. If they were speaking the truth, about being reincarnations of Fa Shen, and that She was locked in male form… From what they said about the Mirror of Broken Souls, there could be one more "Ranma" and logic dictated it would be a male. Picking up this thread, he asked, "If what you said about this mirror is true, why do you think the Kaisuifuu would help a male copy become female?" Before either Saotome could open her mouth, he interrupted himself. "Fa Shen, you said. Fa Shen is locked as a boy…" He frowned. "Ah, so that is where the Togenkyo antidote comes in. Some how, all three of you have been stripped of male form. I take it you tried to combine Instant Nanniichaun and chisuiiton water to regain your manhood and something went wrong," he deduced, thoughtfully.
Ranma and Ranko nodded. "Something like that," Ranko hedged uncomfortably, rather than try to explain precisely how Fa Shen had been seduced by Shampoo.
The maroon-haired amazon cut in, "Is it true? Has Fa Shen come back to life, as the legends of the springs suggest?" The twins turned their attention to her for a moment and hesitantly nodded again.
Herb looked up to the heavens and muttered a silent oath. The amazons believed strongly in reincarnation, and quickly accepted the return of a lost "sister" to the tribe. However, there were very few human based springs, and the possibility of an actual resurrection ridiculously slim. Almost impossible odds, but the chance was worth investigating. He nodded to himself and resumed, "Very well then. It might be that I will not wed either of you. But I will get to that later. I will tell you now, when my father learned that the Sacred Spring had given us a 'daughter' of Pa Shen, after so long, he informed me that I must take you as my wife."
This did not impress Ranma or Ranko.
"What about the other one? The monkey-girl. Didn't you say I looked like that girl?" Ranko demanded, grasping at once for a way for Ranma, Fa Shen and herself to dodge this latest absurdity.
Herb sighed. "It is true that you do, but there was no way she could be joined to the dragon bloodline. As I have said to you before," he stressed with distaste, "the Musk do not actively seek animal brides anymore. As a physical reincarnation of Fa Shen, she qualifies as a rare exception. What you may have overlooked, is that her animal nature would be emphasized in her descendants, making her unsuited to my line, and thus useful only for starting a new monkey heritage or strengthening an existing monkey bloodline. As there was a man who desired the latter, she has already been taken as a wife"
"Okay, fine. She's not available. That still doesn't explain why it's so important for you to marry one of us," Ranko huffed.
"In all honesty, I am not entirely pleased by the necessity. However, my father's will is law, and it is essential simply for that matter," Herb pronounced. "Since that is no doubt insufficient for you, I can tell you only what has been revealed to me. Even though Fa Shen did not manifest the potential of Her mother's gift, it is preserved in Her blood, as She was preserved in the Sacred Spring. If I were to wed a human cursed in Her image, Her potential would be unsullied. The children I sired would have renewed vitality, and powers that have been lost to the Royal Line, through generations of breeding with pure humans, would be restored."
"Sheesh. You talk about her like she's some kinda goddess," Ranma complained irritably. Blinking in surprise, she suddenly realized that everyone had been speaking in Mandarin the whole time, including herself. That still caught her by surprise. Before this trip, it was usually only Ranko, and of course Fa Shen, who lapsed into Chinese. Being reminded of how much a part of her Fa Shen was, even if she was not consciously aware of it, forced her to think hard about where all of this was going.
Ranko chewed on her lip, her eyes lowered in contemplation. This was not a good situation. If it was that important to the Musk, there was no way the trio were going to be able to talk Herb out of it. Given her history with the Musk, the last person Fa Shen would willingly marry was a dragon prince. Ranko did not think it would help to point out that they had to unlock the instant curse very soon or Fa Shen would not be able to marry any man, but Herb would probably use that to force Fa Shen into it. If Fa Shen, or maybe Ranma or Ranko, did not agree to marry Herb, he would refuse to unlock the curse. A quick look at Ranma told her that she was thinking the same thing. Without giving it another thought, she slipped the magic compact into her palm and softly opened it, exposing the reflective glass so that only Ranma could see it. Ranma caught the motion and nodded, before fixing her gaze in the mirror. As soon as Ranma was sucked in, Ranko quickly closed the mirror and thrust it into the folds of her shadow.
"Whaaaat!?" there was an outcry of alarm from Herb's entourage, as Ranma seemed to pour into Ranko's hand and disappear. Several armed men rushed in at the sound.
"What have you done?" Herb demanded.
"Sh- she just vanished!" cried the maroon-haired amazon.
Ranko tossed her head and crossed her arms. "Calm down. I just sent Ranma to talk to Fa Shen." More importantly, Ranma could warn everyone of the trouble that had come up and prepare them to come out fighting, if Ranko could not talk her way out of this mess.
Herb snorted. "I never took you for a sorcerer, Ranma."
"Ranko…. Never mind. It's a long story." The remaining red-head studied the dragon prince intently. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Are you going to let us use the Kaisuifuu?"
"I had not known whom it was Cologne wished to set free," Herb murmured evasively, posing in regal contemplation. "Her message to me only stated that her retainer, Mousse, had switched a bottle of chisuiiton water for a bottle of Togenkyo antidote and caused an amazon girl to become locked by an instant curse. It was not wise of her to leave out the fact that the amazon girl in question is in fact Fa Shen brought back to life," Herb frowned, standing up and dismissing the guards who had entered at the outcry. "That last part is very astounding. You must tell me how it happened."
"I'll get to it. Right now I wanna know if you're going to do what you promised, without any strings attached," Ranko also stood up, forcing herself to stand loose and casual, but entirely on guard.
Herb turned his back and continued speaking. "I have already discussed the situation with the Guide, so I am aware that time is limited. If Fa Shen is not unlocked soon, She will remain stuck as a man," he admitted. Turning around, he offered an unpleasant smile. "I would have to guess, from what I see, that there was another, perhaps your mother or hers, who proceeded you and I into the Nyanniichaun. Some one my father, or his, might have chosen for a bride, had he known of her existence. It cannot be a coincidence that you are a perfect match for Her in your true form."
"Cologne said the same thing," Ranko admitted, seeing no reason to deny it. "Does that mean you'll just marry me, and let Fa Shen be stuck as a guy?" she challenged hotly.
"As a matter of fact, if I had a choice between one who was a woman at heart and one who was a man, I find the first far more attractive… Ranko," he smiled, hesitantly acknowledging her professed identity. "Fortunately, because She is an amazon, I have no need to withhold the use of the Kaisuifuu to secure Her promise to wed. I need but defeat Her," Herb pointed out succinctly.
Ranko expelled the breath she had been holding in a rush. "Damn." Defeating Herb in battle was no small feat. Their past conflict had not revealed the full extent of Herb's mastery of ki manipulation, but had caused Herb to boast that he was a master of all known forms. It was possible that Ergot's descendants had learned from the humiliations the ancient dragon prince had suffered against Fa Shen and Herb might be a match for her ingenuity. Ranko quickly searched through the list of techniques she had gained through Fa Shen's memories, and tried to imagine how they would have played out in the Battle of Mount Horaisan. If Fa Shen, or Ranko, fought Herb now, they would need to find a bigger mountain and hope there was something left of it when they were through.
"I thought you would be relieved," Herb smirked. "If I am not forced to take you or… does the other one still go by Ranma?" he interjected curiously. Ranko nodded and he continued. "I see. I was about to say the two of you would be free to use the Nanniichaun, if I did not take one of you as a bride, but I find myself wondering if you would. Unless I am mistaken, you have taken a feminine name, Ranko," Herb imposed thoughtfully. Studying her more carefully, taking in her amazon appearance, he crossed his arms. "Ah, I see. Very clever, Cologne," he muttered to himself. Pointing a finger at Ranko he challenged, "I do not believe you are merely posing as an amazon. Elder Cologne has deemed that you are still a reincarnation of Fa Shen, even though She has been resurrected. You are not just a woman in body, but a woman in spirit as well!"
"That is the Law," the maroon-haired amazon announced airily.
Ranko fumed. So much for keeping that a secret. Defiantly, she spat, "I am still getting cursed, Herb. I am as much a man as I am a woman, and…" she spluttered to a stop as she was splashed from behind by Lime. Whipping around, she confirmed that the Chisuiiton was the culprit. She had not even noticed the silent signal to the tiger-boy. For the first time the precise wording Cologne had used, when she first described its function, came back to haunt her. It used cold water to lock one's form. Not specifically the curse, but the form one held in cold water. The temperature of the water summoned the cursed form, but the power of the lock would effect her normal form, making it curse proof. Lunging forward, she cursed, "Damn you, Herb! Unlock it! Now!"
Herb chuckled, "Now, Ranko. We both know that if you got cursed now, you could only be locked in male form. Think of it as insurance. You may have learned that Fa Shen was a ki master, and a prodigal genius at that. In a battle between us, I could not be certain of victory, so, as long as there is another I can challenge as well, who will satisfy my father's demand, I must guarantee her availability. If I claim Fa Shen as my bride, I will unlock you and allow you to reclaim what manhood you will. My challenge is to Her first. If She is willing to meet it, then She will be waiting for me by the Nyanniichaun in the morning. As there are no grounds for the Amazons to object, you may take the party that accompanied you here and go," Herb dismissed them.
"What about Ai Xiadou and her husband?" the amazon demanded, naming her superior, worriedly. Normally, an amazon brought her new outsider husband home with her, but the Musk often refused to play along.
"Kai Yaun was reckless. It is fitting for him to accompany you until an arrangement is worked out with his bride. Now be gone!" Herb commanded irritably. He really did not want Ranko to linger long enough to challenge him on the spot for the Kaisuifuu. "Lime! Mint! Take them to the Guide," he ordered his personal retainers, hoping to hurry things along. The pair acknowledged the command, Lime seizing Ranko while Mint grabbed the maroon-haired amazon, and dragged them out of the palatial tent. In short order, Ranko and the amazon war party were standing outside the Guide's hut. The two Musk boys retreated a bit, but could not quite pull themselves away from the sight of so many healthy female endowments.
There was a quick discussion, in which Ranko admirably convinced the war party that she was an amazon, courtesy of Fa Shen's memories. Kai Yaun and Ai Xiadou separated from the group as the young woman finally regained consciousness and went to work on the poor man. Haiu Dai, the maroon-haired second in command, asked Ranko when Cologne was supposed to arrive, prompting her to pull out the mirror and free her friends and family. The commotion, as the crowd outside the hut almost doubled in an instant, brought the stocky guide out of the hut in a hurry. While everyone was sorting themselves out, Ranko grabbed Ranma, Fa Shen and Cologne to explain what had happened during the conclusion of her audience with Prince Herb. By the end of the conversation, they were all back to speaking Japanese.
"I was afraid something like this might happen," Cologne sighed.
"If you were, why didn't you warn any of us?" Ranma demanded. Finding out that Herb had locked Ranko against getting cursed had deeply upset her, and it took both Ranko and Fa Shen to keep her from racing back to Herb's camp to take the Kaisuifuu by force.
"To be honest, I did not foresee things starting out this bad. I assumed, when Herb showed no interest in you the first time, that he was ignorant of who Fa Shen was, or at least how to recognize her. I should have known his father would have enlightened him," Cologne berated herself.
"So what do we do?" Fa Shen asked. Obviously he and Ranko both needed the cure to the Chisuiiton, but he wondered if there was some way to regain the initiative. "I mean, now that I have Ranma's skill added to my own, I'm certain I could defeat him in the marriage challenge, and Ranko's twice as powerful as I. Is there any reason not to just go along with his demands?"
"I think the first thing to do is make it so he won't just move on to challenging Ranma," Ranko proposed, turning to look at Ranma. "I know you weren't planning on getting cursed, but if you hit the Nanniichaun now, the worst Herb can do is lock you in guy form. It might be enough to keep him from tryin' to challenge you too."
Ranma looked down. "As long as I don't get locked before Fa Shen is cured, I suppose that's fine," she agreed, turning to look for the guide. "I just hope we can trust the guide to lead me to the right spring. Hey!" Without warning she sprinted away, shouting, "Ryouga! Mousse! Look out!"
"What?" Ranko turned around. The two temporary girls were looking back in confusion as Ranma raced at them, oblivious to Lime and Mint approaching them with the Chisuiiton. "Oh no!" she gasped, raising her hands and focusing her chi. "Mokotakabisha!"
The bullet of chi raced towards the Musk boys, aimed at the bucket and ladle in Lime's hands. In spite of her instant reaction, however, it was already too late. A sparkle of light reflected through the air as the ladle whipped towards Mousse and Ryouga, catching their attention in time to make them turn in that direction and receive a face full of water. The bolt of chi grazed Lime's back as the boy and his partner raced forward to glomp the pair they had just rendered permanently female. Mousse and Ryouga were too shocked to react as they were whipped around by the boys in a victory dance.
"The breasts are there to stay! The breasts are there to stay!" they sang joyously, as they cavorted in delight. As Ranma arrived, and Shun whipped around in shock, Ryouga and Mousse finally reacted with righteous fury, ripping open their shirts to flash the two boys, and then pounding the two of them into unconsciousness while they were distracted. Ranma grabbed the Chisuiiton and looked at her two friends in dismay.
"Oh, Man! I'm sorry guys!" she cried.
The two martial artists shuddered and looked back. The only thing on their minds was, "Thank God I'm not a duck!" and "Thank God I am not a pig!" respectively. This was immediately followed by synchronized wails of, "Aaaaaah! I'm a girl!" as it sunk in that even the hope of retaining part time manhood was washed away by the impulsive action of the Musk teens.
"Now you know how Shun feel!" the former Shampoo grated. Looking around, he cried, "Hey! Where Akane go?" Just when Ranma shouted out the first warning, Akane and Shun had been stretching their legs and commenting on how great it was to get out of the mirror finally. Akane had taken one look at the flying water and screamed like a girl—all things considered, he did have the right—before racing directly away from Lime and Mint.
Raising a hand to shade her eyes, Ranko made out a trail of dust clouds settling to Earth, and turned to the Guide. "Excuse me, where does that path lead?" she prompted.
"Ah! That is path to too fine special hot springs retreat. Is favorite spot for tourists and recent victims of Springs of Sorrow. Your friend have very good taste!" he smiled amiably. In the distance there came the sound of a body crashing into water. "Aiyaa! Forgot to mention. Is big drop off at end of path. Main spring at bottom of cliff, so is okay!"
"Uh, these aren't cursed hot springs, right?" Ranma gulped.
"No, no. Like big pool, nice and deep, no is cursed. Is perfectly safe…"
"Shun wonder, anyone know if Hammer-girl learn how to swim yet?"
"Akane!" Ranma and Ranko raced out of sight.
As usually happened whenever Akane found himself in more than a furo full of water, he thrashed at the surface for a minute or so before sinking like a rock. That was just long enough to notice the soapy bubbles mixed in with the froth of her panicked splashing. It was not enough for her to recognize what that signaled, as the restored girl sank out of sight. The foam on the troubled water did make a useful target for Ranko and Ranma as they dove from the top of the cliff to rescue her. When they dragged the waterlogged Tendo back to the Guide's hut, her restoration was taken as a bad sign for Ryouga, Shun and Mousse. While there was still time for them to retrieve their original cursed forms from the fabric of the instant curses, the only way to unlock them would instantly bypass the instant curse and restore their natural human forms. It was just the way the Kaisuifuu worked, heating the water it was exposed to and granting it the ability to reverse the Chisuiiton. As they gathered for dinner, putting significant distance between themselves and the amazon war party, Fa Shen spoke up and announced that the only way for them to avoid ending up with a sex-changing curse was to take advantage of the locking to master their curses.
"I don't know exactly what would happen," Fa Shen warned them cautiously. "I don't think any initiate of the Shokei Fist ever had two curses on them when they attempted mastery. What I do know is that true mastery was attained when an initiate could overpower the lock and assert their normal form. That broke the trigger for the curse and made it entirely subject to his control."
"So, I'd master the ability to change between male and female," Ryouga asked curiously. "That would be less annoying than changing with water, but I don't see how that really changes anything."
"Well, you're forgetting that there's the other form caught in the instant curse. Even if you break the lock, the next time you are hit with water, hot or cold, you'll change into that form permanently," Fa Shen pointed out. "Your animal forms will become your base forms, and you may, or may not, be able to summon one of the human forms over it. You might all be better staying the way you are for a couple of weeks until there is no trace of the instant curse left."
"Do you have to have a curse to be able to break the lock that way?" Ranko asked, considering her options for the future, in case Herb withheld the Kaisuifuu from her until he was married to Fa Shen.
"I don't think so. Maybe I should explain how you go about mastering a curse," Fa Shen offered. With everyone's encouragement, she began to spell it out for them. The key to mastering a curse was asserting one's true form, the default "mastered" form. Success in mastering a curse lay in an unhesitating acceptance of the cursed form. The trick was accomplishing that without losing one's grip on one's true form. It was the universal risk of the traditional Shokei Fist, though most students "broke in" their curses before locking them. "The idea is, the water trigger is a signal to your unconscious mind to transform, and a disciplined mind can train itself to recognize the ability to transform and learn to control it. The simplest training method is to practice trying to slow down or resist the water triggers, until you can keep from transforming in hot or cold water. The next step would be to initiate a change without using water to trigger the curse. The final test is to make yourself change when the curse is completely locked."
"That's not very helpful. None of us ever did anything like that with our curses when they were normal," Mousse complained.
"I know," Fa Shen admitted, bowing to the criticism. "But, with what happened to me, I've been thinking about my training, and I remembered that there were people who had better success starting with a locked curse. They claimed that it was not necessary to build up control, since the ability is created with the curse. All you have to do is accept that you can change, and that it is perfectly natural to be in control of it."
"Really?" Ranma piped up. That was an attitude that made a lot more sense to her. In a lot of her past training, she had been able to make incredible progress because she never doubted her ability to master a new technique, once she grasped the essence of it. Tilting her head, she wondered, "Say, Fa Shen. If you had this training, how come you never went through with mastering a curse? It would be a lot more helpful right now if you had, you know."
"It's not like I ever expected something like this would happen, where I'd need that kind of experience," Fa Shen scowled. With a sigh, he revealed the cause of his mother's greatest disappointment in him. When Fa Shen had been an apprentice of the Shokei Fist, in preparation for mastering an alternate form, she discovered what form she was being asked to master, and refused to proceed. "There were a lot of forms I was interested in trying as an initiate, but my mother had already decided that my alternate form would be a man, because the type of animal she had been had never drowned at Jusenkyo. The only reason I was introduced to the Shokei Fist was to see if I could tap into my mother's animal heritage," she revealed. In order for Fa Shen to awaken it, she had to learn the Shokei Fist and then find that animal part of herself and manifest it by adapting the technique to summon a form she had never experienced. "I offered to take a different curse, but Mother insisted none were alien enough to prepare me for her true animal form. According to her, only masculinity was sufficiently alien, to prepare me for the next step." Now, ironically, she could complete that part of her training.
"Have you tried mastering this form, since you were locked?" Cologne asked, setting down her bowl and fixing the red-haired boy with a steady gaze.
"I have, but…" Fa Shen hesitated, then sighed. "I think there was a problem we overlooked. You warned us that night that burning off ki, or a lot of chi, would break down the part of the spirit where the instant curse is held, and the other day it occurred to me that surface ki is probably what is shed during sex to generate new life. I've tried everything I know of to override the lock and trigger of a curse, and there just does not seem to be anything there to effect."
That caused a lot of people to drop their utensils.
"You mean, when Fa Shen have sex with Shampoo, he lose girl form forever?" Shun demanded, growing sickly pale. At Fa Shen's nod, the purple-haired boy cringed and bowed in misery.
"Oh, it's not that big a deal," Fa Shen offered a reassuring smile. "I wasn't entirely sure, and I still needed to get the lock removed to be able to reverse the effect with Instant Nyanniichaun. I'm pretty sure that will put me back to normal."
"But, wouldn't that mean…?" Ranko trailed off, gesturing roughly at Shun and Mousse. "Well, you know. They ARE married. Doesn't that mean they've already lost their original curses?"
Mousse blushed and shook her head, "No. Ah… That's not a danger. Shun and I, er… we're not really that comfortable with these bodies yet."
"Not for lack of trying," Shun blazed in furious embarrassment. It was a knee jerk reaction to Mousse's admission, attempting to make sure that everyone understood that the former amazon was in no way intimidated by his masculinity. "We taking own sweet time to get to know one and other better," he added at once, to cover the remark. "Marriage happen so fast, and maybe not last too long, so is best just be like good good friends and so no one get hurt."
"Well, Akane went back to normal okay," Ranma pointed out. "I guess that means she and Ryouga didn't do anything they'd regret." Those two glanced up at Ranma, realizing finally that, even if Ranma suspected the worst, she had long since forgiven them—to be able to remark upon it so casually. "I guess that means ol' P-Chan is still safe, huh, Pork Butt?"
"Hey! Who are you callin'…!?" Ryouga responded automatically.
"Ranma! Stop picking on P-Chan!" Akane growled playfully, cutting in on Ryouga's retort. Ryouga and Ranma turned to stare at Akane. Ranko looked over thoughtfully. Akane offered her "cute" grin and shrugged. "What? So I miss my pet pig. At least I still have my friend," she reached out and patted Ryouga-chan on the head.
"Y-you forgive me?" Ryouga asked, wide eyed.
Akane sighed and looked at her seriously, "I think I've figured out that you have a hard time saying no to some things, even if you know they're not exactly the right thing to do. I might wish I hadn't told you all the things I did, but it's probably better in the end that they got said. You've made me realize that I do need to talk to people about things, and not be afraid they'll hate me for saying what I think. Can you forgive me?"
"Aww, come on, Akane. You didn't do anything bad to me," Ryouga waved her off. Looking a bit more serious, she added, "You scared me half to death, but you didn't really hurt me. That's probably a good thing, since I don't think I would have stopped you if you tried."
After a moment of silence, Fa Shen returned to the subject, "In any case, for those of you who would want to try and master your curses while they are locked, the best advice I was given was to meditate and envision yourself changing back into your normal forms. Since you've had curses for a while, you could focus on remembering all the times you changed back. The important thing is to not fight against the form you are in. If you are in conflict, you won't be able to achieve a state of peace."
Ryouga studied Fa Shen thoughtfully. She already knew her pig form was lost to her, but the idea of mastering the girl curse that replaced it was still tempting. On the off chance she did master it, there was no difficulty saying it just took too long or that fits of depression were responsible for burning off too much ki to generate heavy ki, to explain why she was stuck with her altered curse. Certainly, she would never have to be a girl except when she wanted to be. Looking at Mousse and Shampoo, she wondered if they would bother with mastering the new forms they possessed, and risk having their original cursed forms return when the lock was broken. Shrugging, she let it go and finished her meal. Ranma, Ranko and Akane had mentioned that there was a cool stream by the hot springs, and Ryouga itched to take a bath as soon as dinner was over.
When everyone was done eating, Ryouga was not the only weary traveler to grab a towel and bath kit and head for the hot springs. Not precisely everyone followed. Reinforcements from the amazon village had shown up during the meal, redirected to the springs by the Musk, only to be sent home by Cologne, with the original war party. But the rest of Nerima veterans, except for Ranma, seemed headed in that direction. Ranma had decided to enlist the Guide's help preparing a cask of Nanniichaun to take back home for her father. At the same time, she could take a dip to protect herself from the threat of being locked as a girl and regain her part-time manhood. Out of curiosity, Ranko hesitated, putting off her bath to follow Ranma and the Guide and find out the location of the Nanniichaun. Nodoka, Cologne, Akane, Ukyo, Ryouga, Mousse, Shun and Fa Shen all gathered along the stream and shed their clothing. Making use of conveniently placed boulders to shield the three groups they formed, so that the female boys and the male girls were all isolated from the uncursed women, as well as each other. Thus, Ryouga only witnessed what happened to Mousse, after she scrubbed herself down and rinsed the soap away. To Ryouga's complete shock, Mousse turned into a very confused duck.
As the duck turned to stare at her, Ryouga scrubbed herself down again and rinsed one more time, but did not change. From a little ways down stream, there was a sudden scream of terror, and Fa Shen came racing around the boulder between the cursed boys' and cursed girls' bathing areas. "C-c-c…. CAAAAT!" he howled, unable to believe this phobia had infected him.
With wide eyes, Ryouga got up to investigate, finding Shampoo-neko sitting on a rock looking scared and ridiculous with her fur plastered to her body. "I don't get it," Ryouga whimpered. She picked up the cat and brought her back to where Mousse was quaking in misery. "You were both locked with the chisuiiton water. Why would you change back like this?" the lost girl complained, feeling very lost indeed. Focusing on Shampoo, she asked, "If you turn back into a girl, will Cologne have you executed?" The cat nodded and mewed piteously. Ryouga sighed. "I could use some water proof soap I suppose. I don't have anything else to keep you from turning into a girl," Ryouga informed her, picking up the bundle next to her bathing kit and unwrapping it to reveal the extra bar of water proof soap. When the cat nodded, Ryouga sighed and went to work lathering her fur, shaking her head in dismay. After rinsing her off, Ryouga picked up all the discarded clothing and let the two animals lead her back to the hot springs. The duck landed in the water and promptly turned into a dejected, male Mousse. Shampoo settled on the edge of the pool and stared at her former wife with obvious feline sadness. Ryouga took a deep breath and settled into the hot water, not surprised to turn back into a man, but no less confused.
Mousse looked up and squinted. Pulling a pair of thick glasses out of nowhere, he glared at Ryouga, "You didn't turn into a pig. The soap lock broke down, like mine and Shampoo's, but you were still a girl."
"Don't ask me. I don't understand why the Chisuiiton didn't work," Ryouga shrugged. Remembering the excuse he had planned to make, he added, "I guess I used too much chi or something…"
"What on Earth is the matter with Fa Shen?" Cologne's voice intruded, as the uncursed women made their way over to the hot springs. "Hold on a moment," her voice came again as she excused herself form the other women and approached the occupied spring. Nodoka, Akane and Ukyo paused, seeing the boys in the spring, and moved off to find one with a bit of privacy. Cologne, almost hidden under a thick towel, marched shamelessly toward the boys. "Ryouga! Mousse! You've turned back into men! And… Sh… Shampoo's cat is here," she made a quick mental adjustment to redefine her condemned great-granddaughter's status in a fashion that would not call for fatal actions.
"Elder Cologne," Mousse nodded in greeting, sinking a little lower in the onsen. "It seems that the Chisuiiton is repelled by water proof soap."
Cologne considered that. "Perhaps so. I would imagine, then, that the magic is too similar, and thus mutually intolerant. If that is the case, it was barely so. I am sorry Mousse; it looks as though you are no longer married. As your former husband, Shun, and my great-granddaughter are no longer among us, I would consider it a great favor if you would look after their cat until something can be done to redeem Shampoo, so that she can return to us," the woman requested, suddenly looking as old as she was.
Mousse blinked, and then carefully approached the cat, spilling a handful of hot water over her to demonstrate that what Cologne feared was not liable to happen. With a sigh of relief, Cologne settled on a submerged rock to soak in the hot water. A short time later, Ranko approached, leading a naked Fa Shen—covered about the waist with a borrowed towel—and his twin, Ranma. Newly cursed, Ranma was also a red-haired version of his old self. They took one look at the cat sitting by Mouse and Ryouga's onsen and retreated to find a different pool where they could warm themselves after bathing.
"Well, it looks like Ranma did it," Mousse muttered.
"I'll be right back," Ryouga announced, excusing himself and rising from the water. He wrapped a towel around himself and leapt to the top of a boulder to see if he could get a fix on the trio. Finding them on the path down to the stream, and in plain sight from his vantage, he jumped down to join them. At their stares, he confirmed what Fa Shen had already revealed, but with a handful of cold water, demonstrated what had gone differently for him, or rather her.
"You were right, Ranko," she admitted ruefully. "I guess I must have burned too much chi or something. But, I should tell you something. I'm not sure how it happened, but I got stuck like this that first night. I don't remember giving off a lot of chi, and I definitely did not have sex, but when I went up to wash all that oil off of me, I discovered that I no longer had my pig form."
Ranko stared at her for a moment then gasped. "Hot water! Oh, Ryouga! It's my fault! I made you use hot water to help thin the oil, and… the oil! I bet that's what broke the lock! I mean, over time your skin gets oily…"
"…and soap binds oil to water," Ryouga added in realization. She could remember how the water that turned her into a girl had a soapy residue that clung to her skin. The improved Instant Nyanniichaun formula had probably just included finely powdered water proof soap in the mixture. "But, what's that about hot water?"
"Cologne said… oh, you weren't there. She told us that if you changed back with hot water, you'd lose your original cursed form! I forget to warn you when I got there. I'm sorry, Ryouga!" Ranko begged for forgiveness.
"It's alright, Ranko. Like I said, at least I'm still human. Mousse just turned back into a duck and Shampoo is stuck as a cat now. I had to use my water proof soap on her," she explained, remembering she had been informed the next morning. Of course, that had already been too late.
"Well, at least it's just that. I guess if they went a few more days without a bath or anything, they might have gotten mutated," Ranma sighed. He completed bathing and rinsed off, followed shortly by Fa Shen and Ranko. The four present did not even notice they were mixed company, with two girls and two boys. They had all become somewhat inured to gender differences. When they led Ryouga to the onsen they had chosen, and climbed in, Ranma and Ryouga's transformations only raised a few eyebrows and a somewhat dejected comment from Ranko.
"Well, you two are a perfect match now. One turns into a boy when the other turns into a girl." It just did not seem fair. Ranko just hoped that this did not tempt Ranma to reconsider giving up Ryouga. If it had not been for Herb, it would have been Ranko that was a perfect match for the lost boy-girl. She sighed as she noticed that her comment had made both of them uncomfortable, causing them to edge apart slowly, almost casually. Returning to the news that the soap had provided a little protection from the Chisuiiton, she smiled and placed a soothing hand on Ryouga's shoulder, "Well, it looks like the soap lasted just long enough, Ryouga. At least you're not stuck as a girl."