Chapter 7.

"Aaaaa! That really hit the spot," Ranma exclaimed as he set his bowl and chopsticks down. Glancing upwards, he smiled at Xanixi and continued, "That was the best Beef Lou Mein I've ever tasted!"

Smiling, Xanixi bowed her thanks and replied, "You're very welcome but, I did not make this. Storm made it and if I say so myself, this is the best one she has managed yet." Frowning, she bent closer to him as Storm gathered up the bowls and made her way to the sink and whispered, "Actually, this is the only time she has managed to make something edible. The other times she decided that she wanted to cook, she almost killed me. Likely, I'm a dragon and have a cast iron stomach...so I can eat just about anything and manage to survive."

"I HEARD THAT!" Storm yelled as she glanced over her shoulder, fists clenched in anger. Lifting her right hand, she pointed at her ears and growled, "I can hear a pin drop with these ears! So, don't think I couldn't hear you!" Turning around fully, she faced her adoptive mother and exclaimed, "It's not my fault that my fist attempt at cooking decided to grow legs and attack me!"

Ranma tried hard not to laugh at Storms exasperated expression but as soon as she said those words about her first attempt at cooking, he cracked up with laughter. Rolling on the floor, Ranma gasped out, "T....t...that s..sound.....l...like how ...A...Akane cooks.....except...everything ....s..she cooks grows legs and tries ta kill me!"

Xanixi snickered for the first few minutes before it turned into full blown laughter at the picture of a green blob chasing the pigtailed boy around the room as it had done with Storm. "You know, you were lucky that I was in my draconian form and managed to fry it to a crisp or you'd have been too injured to train!" She laughed harder while clutching her belly. Ranma gauffed loudly as he tried to calm down. However, after hearing Xanixi's explanation of how the blob(as he liked to call them) was destroyed the first time, he exploded into laughter again and exclaimed, "That's usually how we get rid of Akane's attempts except I usually beat it into submission first!"

Growling in anger, Storm stomped up to him while carrying a sopping wet dish rag and threw it in his face while yelling, "It's not funny! I could have been killed!"

Unfortunately for Ranma, the water in the rag was ice cold and there was enough of it to trigger his curse. Removing the rag from her head, Ranma-chan yelled, "Whadja do that for!"

Recovering from her laughing fit, Xanixi blinked as she felt the strange magical aurora from the pigtailed boy activate. Glancing towards him, she gasped in wonder and exclaimed, "You've been to Jusenkyo! So that's what I senesced."

"You were making fun of me!" Storm yelled before her eyes registered the site of a busty red head in the male Ranma's place and gasped, "How......"

Nodding his head he answered both questions at once, "Yeah, it really sucks because I'm a water magnate." Ranma-chan sighed, she was used to this since it happened so much but that didn't mean that she liked it. "Stupid curse!" Ranma-chan grumbled as she wrung her pigtail, removing the excess water.

Lifting an eyebrow, Xanixi murmured,"You're really lucky that you turn into a human and not an animal."

"I guess I am," she replied, standing. Quickly, Ranma-chan made her way over to the fire pit where the tea kettle sat and doused herself with the warm water. "But, it still sucks," he growled quietly.

Storm blinked in amazement as she watched him change back into a boy before grinning," Either way, you're still you. Nothing can change that even if you switch genders. Besides," she moved closer and poked him in the chest and teased, "You're very pretty as a girl and if I was this Akane you keep mentioning, I'd throw myself in the nanichuan just to make us the perfect couple!"

Ranma's head snapped towards her and he glared, "Don't even say that! You don't want to be cursed like me. This curse I have makes me think that it has a mind of its own and always wants to keep me as a girl....well I'm a _guy_and I'm going to find the cure for this and not have to change into a girl again."

Storm frowned as a memory of a tall boy wielding a boken, started to surface, shrugging mentally, she decided to continue teasing him as she edged closer to the door to make a quick getaway, "Oh, I don't know.....I'd say you have someone back home who wants to date your girl form and would really would enjoy giving you a kiss!"

"Why you!" Ranma growled, lifting his hands, he made grasping gestures with them, advancing a step and growling incoherently.

Giggling, Storm stepped backwards, hand placed on the latch of the door and continued to tease him by making kissing noises, "Oh! I know....you want him to kiss you is that it!"

Those words were the last straw for the pigtailed boy as he jumped towards her yelling, "You take that back!" Reaching out his hands to grasp her shoulders, he was shocked when his attempt met only empty air. That was when he noticed that the door was open and Storm was running in the meadow towards the forest while hollering at the top of her lungs, "I'm right aren't I! You really do want to kiss a guy!"

"Aaaaarrrrrggggg!" he screamed in fury and took off after her in a dead run. Storm noticed that he was almost on top of her and squeaked, "Eeep!"

Quickly, she turned around and began to run again while teasing him some more. After awhile, Ranma calmed down enough to noticed that she was just teasing him and then he began to relax and enjoy the thrill of chasing her.

Laughter rang throughout the valley as Ranma dashed after Storm. Both were heading towards Storms favorite training ground that she had shown him the other day. Ranma couldn't believe that it had been three days since he had arrived and they had managed to become good friends. For some strange reason, Ranma felt very relaxed around his new friend and each time he glanced her way, he got a niggling feeling that he knew her from somewhere before. Storm, Glanced over her shoulder and laughed at Ranma's expression of puzzlement and asked, "What's got you worked up in such a knot?"

Ranma sighed and replied, "I don't know but, everything you do...somehow reminds me of Akane." Grinning wryly, he rubbed the back of his neck and replied, "If it wasn't for those ears of yours and your long hair then, I'd say that you really _are_ Akane!" The dappled light that wove its way through the great canopy gave the forest an erie magical feel as Ranma watched Storms reaction to his words.

Storm stopped in her tracks, glanced at him while cocking her head and replied, I very well could be your Akane since I don't have any memories and you do seem very familiar to me. Grinning at his startled expression Storm continued, "You know, a few days before I bumped into you, I had a dream. I can't remember any of it...except...an image of blue eyes that I think are trying to say something to me, Storm sighed as she pushed another branch out of the way before glancing towards her companion. They look kind of like yours, she said teasingly and quickly turned around, facing the path once more and started off again.

Ranma stated in surprise while his thoughts tried to process this new information, Whoa! This is really strange. Storms been having weird dreams.Akane's missing.yet, Storm looks like Akane..Aw jeeze I'm so confused! Glancing upwards, he noticed that Storm had managed to wander quite a distance and shouted, "Hey wait for me ya tomboy!"

Starting at the feeling those familiar words brought forth, Storm whirled around and growled, "What did you call me you jerk!"

Ranma grinned as he came abreast with her and replied, "I called ya a tomboy, tomboy!"

Storm didn't know why, but those words made her angry. Taking a step closer, she growled, "You take that back or you'll be sorry..."

Ranma noticed her reaction and decided to try something that would get a rise out of her. A thought entered his head and just wouldn't leave, "Hmm, if I try that, then ....if she reacts the same way....it just might be true." Grinning, he swayed back and forth while replying teasingly, "Nope. You're a tomboy and and uncute one at that....built like a brick with thighs that are too thick!"

"Grrrrr! That's it! You're dead now!" Storm shouted as she lunged for Ranma, aiming to nail him in the stomach with a flying kick.

Ginning like a fool, Ranma dodged by leaping over her and called out, "Ha! You're too slow! Ya gotta do better 'n that!" Turning, he dashed off deeper into the forest, yelling all the way, "Tomboy! Too slow...can't catch me!"

Storm recovered from her missed attack to find Ranma a good distance away and immediately dashed off to catch up to him while yelling, "You better run! Cause when I catch you I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp for the fun of it!"

Turning while in midair, Ranma stuck out his tongue and teased, "I'd like to see ya try!" With those last two words, the two figures disappeared into the undergrowth of the forest. Both, oblivious to the sudden silence of the forest animals.

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