A Reflections Mini-Sequel
A. V. Morgan
Part Nine
Ryouga stood with one hand desperately clenched over his nose to staunch the bleeding. With his eyes closed, he finished counting slowly to ten. When that failed to settle the emotional chaos evoked by Ranma's proposition, in the wake of a day of unsettling twists and upheavals, he upped the count to one hundred, wishing he could get the image of a certain red-headed girl laying gloriously naked in his arms out of his head. He had been trying, very hard, to keep up with the erratic personality shifts that had suddenly overtaken the Saotome triplets, but there simply had not been enough time to adjust. He got the main thrust of it, that having three personalities did not make them any less the same person than having three bodies to put them in. For a moment there, two of them had been Fa Shen, and seemed poised to go at it right in front of him over who had to be Ranma. In spite of himself, Ryouga almost wanted to see that. With the evolution of his own curse, the idea of someone literally screwing themselves had a sick and seductive fascination for him. He had not been able to get that image out of his head earlier, even when one of them took the initiative, playing off of Ryouga, to reclaim the identity of Ranma.
"Ranma! This is all your fault!" Ryouga growled, still pinching his eyes and nostrils shut. Those words came easily enough, to sum up the impact of the day's—the past week's—events. It was not, perhaps, the best response to the proposition to resume his relationship as Ranma's lover.
"Ry- Ryouga!?" Ranma instinctively shivered and pulled her shirt closed.
Daring to look at her, Ryouga sighed to see Ranma's assets covered, both by silk and one forearm crossed defensively over the other as Ranma held the Chinese tang closed with a self-conscious fist. He almost gasped at the look of rejection, the whiff of fear in her eyes. "Stop looking at me like that!"
"Y- you d- don't WANT me?" Ranma did her best to make the question seem offhand, indifferent. Her eyes veered away from Ryouga's face though, unwilling to find an answer in his eyes. On a deep level, it would not surprise her to be pushed away. Nothing made Ryouga more angry or stubborn than the belief that someone was playing with his feelings, and Ranma's inability to admit her true desires had turned their relationship into a game of musical chairs.
"WANT you?" Ryouga demanded curtly, crossing his arms and staring at her. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he confessed, "I WANT you so bad I can hardly see straight! I WANT you so much I'm willing to take whatever part of you I can get my hands on!" He sagged a little and turned away, adding in a smaller voice, "I want you more than I can stand."
Ranma blinked, not sure if that made sense. "Huh?" she challenged brilliantly. Ryouga flinched and stormed over to the water, taking a quick dip to cool off and change genders. "What did you do that for?"
Ryouga shook herself and began to squeeze the excess fluid out of her shirt as she adjusted her clothes and climbed back out of the water. Blushing, but speaking in an off-hand tone, Ryouga stated, "I can't be a guy around you right now, or I'll blow a gasket. What was the big idea, coming on to me like that!?"
"Uh, er… well, you an' I… you know… I mean, you an' Ranko wouldn't… well, because of the law… I just thought…"
"You just thought!? It doesn't sound like you were thinking!" Ryouga snarled, thankful that her female form was a lot less hormonally unbalanced. Well, it had a different order of hormonal imbalance, but having only one head dictating her course of action made navigating through social situations a great deal easier. "Just… tell me… Tell me I didn't watch the three of you tear yourselves up over me over… over sex," Ryouga bit her lip, avoiding eye contact with the red-head. Granted, the idea that Ranma wanted Ryouga, hell, that each version of Ranma wanted Ryouga, was not exactly bad for the lost boy's ego.
Ranma stared at her lover. She thought she had explained everything. She had told the truth about the bind she had gotten into, as Ranma and Ranko, because of her feelings for him. Only, Ryouga was not asking for confirmation of those feelings. Her look evolved into a glare as the implications of Ryouga's words started to penetrate. As if offering herself to him—her body and affection being the most valuable things she could give as an apology—somehow made her cheap. As if the only thing that mattered to her was getting laid. "What are you trying to say, P-Chan?" she asked innocently, in an icy voice.
"Don't CALL me that!" the lost girl snarled.
"Then don't act like such a pig!" the red-head snapped back.
"PIG!?" Ryouga roared, hand flashing out to catch Ranma by the collar. "You wanna explain that before I knock your head off, BITCH!?"
"Oh-ho ho! Pot calling the kettle now, innat so, BITCH!?" Ranma smirked cattily, making no effort at all to raise a defense. Part of her welcomed the thought of getting into a royal battle with Ryouga, every bit as much as she would a more sensual entanglement.
"Don't FUCK with me, Ranma!" Ryouga cocked her fist threateningly.
Ranma snorted, "Yeah, I got the message the first time. You wanna explain it maybe? When did you start having a problem with fucking me, Ryouga?" There was a dangerous edge coming into Ranma's voice now. The descent into truly vulgar language was uncharacteristic of their fights. It was like taking the gloves off, stating that they were headed into a very serious conflict, a contest with wounded pride on both sides. A fight with everything on the line.
Before Ryouga could respond to the challenge, anger paving a direct path to a familiar destination, the loud crash of a body erupting from the surrounding woods, and the singing of metal as a tremendous spatula swept in, forced the two girls to dive away from each other for cover.
"What the hell is going on here!?" Ukyo demanded, reaching the end of her head long charge. She unconsciously recovered from the mighty swing and brought her trademark weapon up in a threatening position. Her eyes were locked on the unmistakable form of Onna-Ranma, sprawled next to the fire.
Ranma and Ryouga were too shocked by her appearance to reply.
Ukyo took the moment to collect her wits. It had been difficult enough trying to track Ranma and Ryouga down through the woods. Following the trail of trampled grass and disturbed bushes in the dark was no easy task, but fortunately the Saotome triplets had made no effort at stealth to and from the cascade pools they had visited twice that day. However patient Ukyo forced herself to be in her pursuit, the delay had only fed her anger, abetted by thoughts of Ryouga tossing Ranko aside to try and seduce Ranma again. Frankly, she had been privately pleased by the idea of Ryouga betraying Ranko like that, since it would destroy the relationship that had started during the trip to China and give Ukyo a better chance of claiming Ranko for her self.
Unfortunately, she could not stand the notion that Ranko had obviously gotten hurt in the process. The image of Ranko's tear streaked face filled her with an urge to make bacon out of the lost boy. Or girl, she noted in distaste as her eyes flickered to the other form sprawled before her. But Ryouga could only distract her for an instant, compared to the impossible sight of Ranma.
"Why are you a girl now!? I thought your curse was locked, Ranma!" the chef challenged. Ukyo had fully expected to arrive and find a female Ryouga seducing the male Ranma, like before. But, that had to be Ranma, her befuddled brain insisted plaintively. She had come directly from meeting Ranko and Fa Shen, both in girl form. Cursing under her breath, she suddenly wished she had caught on to Ranko's distress and gotten the details from her before dropping the bomb about Akane. Despite whatever turmoil she had been in, Ranko had shoved it aside to express her concern at finding Ukyo storming out of the village. The okonomiyaki chef had failed to take proper advantage of her concern, instead goading her in pursuit of Akane at the news of her recent disaster. That had been pretty stupid, Ukyo accused herself.
Which was more or less the line of thought she had been on when she spotted the campfire and began her charge. Frankly, she was amazed she had caught them by surprise at all. She had been so focused on the gleam of fire light that had become her beacon, she had almost blundered into the tributary before catching herself, bursting through the bushes and stumbling to a halt on the opposite bank of the stream fed pool between her and her targets.
Before circling around and crossing over down stream of them, she had gotten a glimpse, silhouettes only, of a boy and girl poised on the verge of intimacy, which made the scene she interrupted twice as confusing. Since both of them seemed locked in an embarrassed silence, stealing angry or wounded looks at each other, Ukyo pressed on. "Look, one of you was a boy just a moment ago. I SAW it from the other side of the pool!"
Ranma groaned. "Ucchan…"
Metal clanged as Ukyo swatted her over the head, "You don't get to call me that! At least not until I get some answers, you jackass!"
"Why?" Ranko winced, rubbing the top of her head and warding off another blow. "I mean, why are you even out here trying to attack me, Ukyo?"
Ukyo ignored the plaintive response. "I'm here because of Ranko. Since it looked like the two of you were about to get into a cat fight, maybe I'm wrong about what's going on, but I swear to you, I am going to get to the bottom of this!" Ukyo promised, with a threatening shake in Ryouga's direction, as the bandanna-clad girl made to stand up.
"Fine. But you're interrupting a fight, so make it quick," Ryouga growled.
"What do you think is going on, Uch… Ukyo?"
Ukyo gritted her teeth, but ignored the slip. "I thought Ranko had caught the two of you getting frisky, or at least that Ryouga dumped her over you. In any case, she looked like someone ripped her heart out when we met, and I had a feeling I'd find you two together if I came looking." She sneered, "Then again, knowing you two, if she'd caught you fighting it'd be just the same as catching you flirting, or something. It can be pretty hard to tell." As she said this, she prodded at Ranma's chest with her spatula. Her shirt was still unfastened and had fallen open when she dodged, showing off most of her assets.
Ranma hastened to do up her front, her amorous feelings all but expunged between Ryouga's strange rejection and Ukyo's intrusion. Taking a deep breath, she decided to cut to the chase, "I don't see why I gotta explain this to you, but since you're butting in I might as well make it simple." Ranma's mouth worked abortively for a moment while her brain tried to organize the day's confusion. Blowing her bangs our of her eyes, she grumbled to a start, "Well, thing is, noting's as simple as we thought, an' there's a lot you don't understand."
"Like I can't tell things have gotten too complicated," Ukyo twirled her spatula, grabbing it at the neck, just below the broad, flat blade, and grounding the other end at her feet. "I'll make it even simpler. I'll ask the questions and you answer. First question, did you steal Ryouga from Ranko?"
Ignoring the menace of that question, Ranma stood up and looked Ukyo in the eye. "No. She gave him back to me. I didn't even ask—hell, I couldn't ask. I don't even know how much trouble I'm gonna be in when Mom finds out the truth," she confessed, looking away uncertainly at the end. Nodoka had given Ranma a choice about being a girl and marrying Ryouga, and she understood the obligations she would face if she did. It would not be easy to tell her mother that she had lied—to herself as much as to Nodoka—about wanting to be a man more than she wanted to be with Ryouga. It was true, in the sense that she had been raised to believe that, but she knew now it was not true in her heart. Of course, now she had some doubts about the wisdom of admitting the truth to herself. Glaring at Ryouga, she added, "It might not matter. He seems to have a problem with being with me all of a sudden."
Ukyo was surprised by that, and turned to blurt at Ryouga, "Ranko dumped you? And, you didn't try to seduce Ranma?"
Ryouga blanched and blushed in quick succession, "It's a lot more complicated than that. They're all the same, Ukyo. I can't make any sense of it, but I know they all want me. They all say that Ranma wants me, loves me… but they're all Ranma. I don't know what to do! I can't be with one of them without knowing the other two are going to be hurt by it!"
Ranma started and turned on Ryouga. "That's why you're being such a jerk!? You- you're not- you weren't accusing me of being a slut?" The look on Ryouga's face was priceless. She clearly had not understood what Ranma had been about to come to blows with her about.
Ukyo's eye twitched, but she interjected impulsively, "Well, if the shoe fits…" This was more than enough to tear Ranma's eyes from her lover.
"Hey!" Ranma shouted hotly, and turned on Ukyo.
"I never-!" Ryouga finally mastered her voice to deny, but snapped around like a homing missile to target on the source of a slighting remark. "Ukyo! You take that back! How dare you call Ranma a slut!"
"All I'm saying is… well, come on, Ryouga, even you have to admit what Ranma's been doing is, well…" Ukyo backpedaled nervously. Hastily, she tried to return to her questions, and the implausible hope of getting answers that made sense. "Forget that. Why? Why would Ranko give Ryouga to you!?"
This brought Ranma and Ryouga up short. Ranma sighed heavily and gestured over to the fire, "You better sit down. This is gonna take some explaining." Once Ukyo and Ryouga had joined her around the flames, Ranma carefully rehashed the day's events for Ukyo. Ukyo confessed that Cologne had already shed some light on why Ranma and Fa Shen were being intimate, and the matriarch's assertion that the trio had been wrong about the division of their identities, making the discussion much shorter. Obviously, the triplets had stumbled onto that truth themselves, but Ukyo still had some difficulty following the description of how Fa Shen had shaken off Ranma's identity and stumbled upon the feelings Ranma had been denying in order to assert her manhood. Ryouga's account proved to be much easier for her to follow.
"…I don't really understand it, but that's why Ranko dumped me," Ryouga concluded, after describing everything up through the scene that unfolded around the campfire earlier.
"Because, according to them, that was the only way to make Ranma pull herself together?" Ukyo clarified, watching the red-head flush with embarrassment. Ranma nodded, though, and Ukyo turned to her. "That doesn't make any sense," Ukyo frowned unhappily. "The whole point of dating Ryouga was to turn you into Ranko. How is being with Ryouga supposed to help you be Ranma…?"
"Ukyo, there isn't much making me different from Ranko. With all our memories and experiences shared, there aren't any differences at all, except for the stuff that's happened since the last time we, er, you know, merged an' all," Ranma confessed sheepishly, fighting the urge to illustrate with her hands rather than spell everything out. With a heavy shrug she pushed on, "Ranko an' I both had to give up bein' the real Ranma. But I still pretty much thought of myself as Ranma the night I went out with Ryouga. The idea was, if I could accept my girl side, I'd want to be Ranko, remember?"
Ryouga and Ukyo nodded.
Ranma nodded as well, and continued, "It was supposed to work 'cuz as Copy-chan I was totally female, totally a girl that had fallen for Ryouga. But there was something I never admitted to anyone. I'd felt that part of me from the moment I got the curse, and I could never totally suppress it. I hated the fact that I spent over a week as a girl with no memory of who I really was. I was pissed about being stuck as a girl, and kinda scared, 'cuz I knew damn well how much of a girl I was inside. I was pretty ashamed too, 'cuz the mirror let everybody that girl," she confessed. " No one really gave me a hard time about it—thank God—but right away I was set up on a date with Ryouga."
Ryouga squirmed, shifting nervously as attention was directed her way.
"Okay, so you were still trying to be manly, or something. That's what I'd expect from you," Ukyo waved Ranma on. "But, if you felt so bad about being a girl, why did you still go along with the date?"
Shaking her head, Ranma responded, "I fought so long to keep those feelings from taking over, changing me. It was kind of a relief to be able to stop. It's just, like I said, I didn't really need to date Ryouga to be a girl." She sighed wearily, "I mean, I felt really pathetic about going on the date to begin with. I thought it'd destroy me, as Ranma, to admit I'd fallen in love with him, even if I hadn't been myself at the time. But part of me hoped for that—to just shatter and maybe go back to bein' like Copy-chan. Part of me just didn't think the date would work out at all. I was pretty sure that my past as a boy disgusted Ryouga." Ranma looked over at the lost girl, and suddenly smiled fondly, "But then you went on about how you felt about the old me.
"You started talking to me as Ranma, not Ranko. It's funny that my memories as Ranma actually made me more…" she paused to search for the right word. She smiled as it came to her, "…responsive to you. We fought all the time, but you were also one of the few people I could count on. Before that night, you never really saw me as a girl. My curse didn't change the way you treated me at all. Like, how I sometimes wouldn't notice I had changed, you couldn't spot me as a girl to save your life! I think you were the only person I could act totally like a girl around and not have to worry about you thinking I had any doubts about my manhood. You just couldn't think of me as a girl, not even with that damn koi rod makin' me throw myself at you."
She stifled a groan. If she had not been utterly ignorant about sex, Ryouga's sense of honor would not have been enough to protect her virginity through the nights they had spent together. There had been nothing she would have held back to please him and win him under the powerful love spell. "I'll admit, I thought of myself as Copy-chan the same as that. I knew she had… I knew you had feelings for her. I expected you to be disappointed when you realized I wasn't her."
Her body tightened, and her voice dropped, "When we got to talkin'… When you told me that you… you basically went through hell just 'cuz you wanted to say a respectable good-bye, it hit me. I didn't have to become someone else for you," she pulled back to rest her elbows on her knees and looked into Ryouga's eyes, letting the remembered awe of that moment shine in hers. "As weird as it was, me bein' a boy originally, you had feelings for the real me," she acknowledged, feeling a little weird. She was saying all this to answer Ukyo's question, but only by speaking directly to Ryouga could she manage to expose herself like this.
Ukyo was squirming in her seat, uncomfortable with the way Ranma was expressing herself. Not telling Ukyo directly, but letting her witness the confession of her private thoughts and feelings to Ryouga. In spite of her discomfort, she listened raptly as Ranma continued.
"Instead of hating me, you accepted me the way I was, a boy who turned into a girl," Ranma scooted closer to Ryouga's side and put her arms around the lost girl. With a smile to herself, and a gentle squeeze for Ryouga, she resumed, "Akane's plan sorta backfired because of that. There I was, admitting I was a girl, to you and to myself, but what you said made me want to go on being Ranma. Go on being the person you loved. That's the difference between me and Ranko," Ranma finally turned back to Ukyo, now that she had reached the heart of the matter. Now, she could elaborate, "Ranko turned into a girl to stop bein' Ranma, that's why it was so important for her to be called Ranko. When she gave Ryouga up tonight, she let go of the one part of her that was fightin' to stay Ranma."
"I'm not sure I get it," Ukyo complained half-heartedly. She tried to contain her annoyance as Ryouga cocked her head in confusion. With a heavy sigh, she tried to clarify, "I mean, okay, you still thought of yourself as Ranma, when Ryouga made a real woman out of you. My point is, you didn't have much of a choice at the time. You were stuck as a girl. Now that you have a choice, how can you still want to be with Ryouga? Why do you HAVE to be with Ryouga, why do you HAVE to be a girl, in order to be Ranma?"
"It isn't really about that. Don't get it?" Ranma flicked a twig into the fire. Ranma leaned into Ryouga, tightening her embrace and staring off into the dark over the flames. "Ranko might be able to explain it. I suppose if I look at like her," Ranma trailed off and shook her head. "Actually, Fa Shen got it first. I was jealous of Ranko. Not over Ryouga. I mean, I pushed him on her hoping they'd be happy together. I was jealous 'cuz she got away with deciding to be a girl. She took control of her own life, but since I had an obligation to be Ranma, I still had to be a man-among-men. But I'd already proved to myself that I was as much a girl as a boy, and that maybe I was happier that way." She sighed heavily, shifting her gaze to study Ryouga's profile. "Ranko didn't just give me Ryouga. She was telling me it was okay to be a girl if that's what I wanted—it's okay to want the things I wanted. She was telling me to decide what it meant to ME to be Ranma," she finally revealed, surprising both Ukyo and Ryouga.
But the silence could not last. Ukyo jumped up shouting, "That's just GREAT! ALL of you WANT to be girls!?" She watched Ranma cringe under her outrage, but she could not really help herself. It had been building up since the fiasco with the mirror started. "Are you INSANE, Ranma!? First Ranko, now you! I suppose Fa Shen was a forgone conclusion! But you! How could you possibly WANT to be a GIRL, Ranma?" she demanded, anger overlaying deeper feelings of hurt, rejection and disappointment.
Ranma stood, unable to take Ukyo's rebuke sitting down. Sounding defensive and irritated, but managing to keep from being angry, she declared, "Because I AM a girl. I should have been a girl from the beginning maybe, but even with just the curse, no matter what I said different, when I have this body, I AM A GIRL!"
"But you were a boy," Ukyo protested, her stance growing a bit weaker, less certain. "You were male for sixteen years, I don't understand how you can turn your back on all of that just because you got laid by this jackass here!"
"Do you mind!? I'm not deaf, you know!" Ryouga grated.
"You don't have to ask me! You're the one who turned her back on bein' a girl, just because my crooked old man conned your father outta your dowery! What right do you have to object!?" Ranma shouted off without thinking.
Ukyo reared back, lip trembling as shock and hurt slipped out before a flood of pure outrage, "You! You JACKASS! No, You ASSHOLE! I didn't CHOOSE to become a boy! I didn't have a choice after your father HUMILIATED me! How dare you throw that back in my face!"
"Then don't give me the same bullshit, Ukyo!" Ranma retorted, taking a deep breath to curb her temper. "I didn't have any more choice than you did. Even when it became an option, I didn't have a choice, 'cuz I hafta be a MAN," Ranma suddenly turned male as that last word was emphasized. "Remember that pact my old man made with my mom? Better yet, remember why I was even a boy to begin with? Who made those decisions, huh? Tell me I had it easier than you did!" Ukyo was not able to respond to that challenge, so Ranma set it aside. "Anyway, I never said nothing about givin' up bein' a guy. I can be both, remember. But if the only thing anyone cares about is tellin' me what I'm supposed to be, an' how I am supposed to be, an' no one listens to what I want to be, or how I want to live my life, then WHAT'S THE POINT?"
Ukyo recoiled. "Wh-what's the point?" she stammered.
"I thought you understood," Ranma deflated a little. "I mean, you've been so hot to nab m- Ranko that you're threatening to get a curse if that's what it takes. Ryouga was able to figure it out, and he promised to do it too—even if it was an accident he really did get a girl curse." Ukyo blinked, flushing slightly as Ranma confronted her with her most recent obsession. "Well, pay attention, 'cuz this is what you'll face if you get cursed: If you really turn into a guy, no matter how you fight it, you will realize one day that you are a guy for real. Who you are doesn't change, but believe me, everything that makes a guy a guy will be happenin' to you, an' you might not see it comin' but when you suddenly look at the guys around you and understand you're one of 'em, and have been for a long time, it will be too late to go back."
There was a short pause, and Ryouga timidly spoke up. "Are you serious? Is that what I can expect from this curse?" she asked, gesturing to her body. This was one time when her experience with a curse did not give her an accurate insight. Ryouga had strenuously avoided pigs, and the prospect of getting to know any of them well enough to identify with them.
Ranma turned to look at the lost girl. "It depends on how hard you fight it, Ryouga," he admitted, finally noticing he was male again. With a shrug, he added, "Maybe figuring that out is part of mastering a curse. But if you run into enough people who don't know you're supposed to be a guy, it'll start to happen. If enough people call you a girl—or treat you like a girl—often enough, you'll start to believe it. It don't mean you stop bein' a guy, but as a guy you have to deal with that. That's the hardest part. That's the part that can make you crazy, or make you hate yourself and beat yourself up. An' Ryouga, it's really hard to win if you start fightin' with yourself."
Ukyo shook her head, interrupting, "Maybe I CAN understand that, Ranma. I… It's pretty obvious you can be a girl, and I've thought it might happen since I found out how… complete the curse was. But you didn't really answer my question. I asked how you could CHOOSE to be a girl?"
Ranma skirted the fire, coming face to face with his former fiancé, and examined her features for a long time. Finally he spoke, his form shifting as the words started to spill from his lips. "It's really important to a lot of people for me to be a guy," she began, automatically adjusting clothes to accommodate her smaller stature. "I don't know if I ever really thought about it much—bein' a guy, I mean. What I did know was that it mattered to people around me, that people expected certain things from me 'cuz I was a boy. 'S funny, though. When I managed to live up to expectations, people just demanded or expected more from me. Especially my old man. I don't have to tell you that my worth as a person was based solely on my accomplishments as a man. But I could never satisfy anyone. No matter how much I had to be proud of, how much I accomplished, I was never a good enough man in anyone's eyes.
"It took me a long time, and I had to lose everything I thought I had to begin to get it, but here it is. My happiness was always dependent on making everyone else happy. Since I could never make everyone happy…" she grimaced. "Hell, I could rarely make ANYONE happy. The point is, I don't think I was ever happy. Actually, I think I've always been pretty miserable, but was too proud to let anyone see it, and I'd sorta gotten used to it.
"Maybe I never woulda known it myself if I hadn't lost everything," she modified, thinking back. "It's funny that the first time anyone came right out and showed any concern about me being happy with my life was when I was 'stuck forever' as a girl, and Akane set me up on a date with Ryouga. It's the first time I can think of where the whole point of doing something was for me to have a good time and find out if I could like my life. The funny things is, I did. I had a good time, and for once I could say I liked my life. I loved it," she sighed and tossed her head. "I expected things to go to hell right away, so I was ready for what happened when I got home. I guess it didn't seem natural for me to be happy, but at least I finally had a definition of happiness. That's why I chose to be a girl, though, Ukyo. It's not so much to change—to be able to be myself and be happy with that. I mean, it's not like I can never be a guy."
Ukyo did not know what to say. She could feel the stricken look on her face, the part of her that wanted to shout, "What about MY happiness?" Perhaps if she had not convinced herself that Ranko was "her Ran-chan", she would have blurted it out. Another part of her was thinking that Ranma had simply convinced her that becoming cursed was even more necessary. It was clear to her that if she really was a guy, nothing would stand between her and a relationship with Ranko. In fact, it would perfectly parallel the relationship Ranma had with Ryouga, a relationship evolved from friendship that transcended such things as sex and gender. Instead of voicing these thoughts, she stated in a dead tone, "So, you're really picking Ryouga, then."
Ranma blushed and glanced over at the lost girl. Clearing her throat, she confessed, "By amazon law, I'm already married to him. I made the choice over a week ago, and I can't escape it now." Certainly, once the details of her situation were sorted out by the elders, she would be forced to acknowledge that. It was simpler to just admit it now. Besides, it would clear up the mess Akane created by pounding on Ranma all day. No one would expect her to give the tomboy a kiss of marriage if she was already married to Ryouga, right? Ranma sighed, putting that thought out of her mind for the moment.
Ukyo hung her head. "You know what this means for me, then."
Ranma whipped her head around to stare at her "best friend". Ukyo did not need to be more specific. They both knew that Ukyo's only hope of reclaiming her womanhood was if Ranma married her. While either of Ranma's twins might fulfill the same contract, there was little chance either would claim Ranma's identity to do it—even if they were perfectly capable of being Ranma. "I- I'm sorry, Ukyo," Ranma murmured, looking down. This was what she hated about being Ranma, the expectation to provide for someone else's happiness, feeling the obligation to do the right thing for someone else, even at the cost of her own happiness, but owing that obligation to more people than she could ever possibly satisfy. Not even when there were three of her could she meet those expectations. All she could do was live up to the commitment she had actually made, however unusual the circumstances.
Ryouga sat across from them, feeling deafened by the crackling of the fire in the ensuing silence. The wash of light created a faint curtain that blurred the fine details on each of their faces. She was grateful for that, since her own face betrayed a strange mixture of guilt and elation. Her fragile hopes of happiness with Ranma had taken a beating since they had blossomed on their fateful date. Her fears, that this latest confirmation of Ranma's feelings might also be thrown into confusion and doubt, had been soothed by Ranma's words. Ryouga still felt concerned about the cost to Ranko and Fa Shen, sharing Ranma's feelings for Ryouga but being unable to share Ryouga. After that day, Ryouga would never really be able to think of them as people separate from Ranma. All she could really do, however, was hope that a person like Ranma could find happiness down other paths. Paths they would be forced to take, because the path leading to Ryouga was already taken. That hope was denied to them as surely as Ukyo's hope for Ranma was denied.
Ukyo finally sighed and reached out to Ranma, "It's not like I wanted you more than Ranko. It's just… I needed to believe the option was there, Ranma. You were the only reason I had to remain a girl."
"Ucchan!" Ranma gripped the chef by the upper arms.
"No, Ran- Ran-chan," she shook the red-head's hands off. "I appreciate you trying to keep me from making a mistake. I've been listening to what you've said, though, and the more I hear, the more I think it's exactly what I need to do. Maybe it will make things possible for me and Ranko, but there are too many other reasons for me to get cursed. I have to live a man's life now. There's no way around it anymore, without losing the last shred of honor I have left. If what you say is true, that curse might just make it possible for me to live a normal life, find some kind of happiness as a man, even if I don't end up with Ranko."
"But it's not fair," Ranma whimpered.
"When did that have anything to do with anything, Sugar?" Ukyo looked up and smiled crookedly at Ranma, "Stop worrying about me, Ran-chan. If I were you, I'd be more worried about Akane. I'm not the only fiancée you've jilted here, and she's already given herself a guy curse."
Even the crickets seemed to go silent in shock.
"What are you talking about, Ucchan?" Ranma panted.
"What happened to Akane!?" Ryouga jumped up.
"Oops. Forgot you didn't know about that yet…" Ukyo mumbled before the two neo-girls swarmed her demanding explanations. It took a moment to calm them down enough to deliver a brief recapitulation of Akane's chi-wielding accident that afternoon, and the effects it had on her. If Ranma had not been forced to race back and grab Ryouga, who sprinted off in the opposite direction, Ukyo might not have even seen the pair of them take off. With a heavy sigh, she hefted her giant spatula and pursued them back to the village.
Ranko lay perfectly still as consciousness returned. Her last memory was of the most excruciating pain she had endured since her neko-ken training, and the lingering ache was warning enough of potential danger. Expanding her senses, she was surprised to detect two familiar presences. One lay stretched out beside her on the pallet, while another hovered over both of them in maternal concern. Sensing her mother, she was inclined to relax, but she could not help but frown as she tried to identify the other. Letting her aura expand below the visible threshold, she was even more startled to feel a similar probing aura reach out to her. Intimately familiar, but instantly polarizing her own. Lurching upright, she turned to stare into the eyes of, "Ranma?" she chirped in surprise. To her shock, he had uttered the same name, and his automatic retort echoed the one that sprung to her lips, "No. I'm Ranko, dummy!"
"Ranko," Nodoka spoke up at once, reaching out a hand to each of them. In the moment, she forced herself to ignore the fact that the blankets she had pulled over their nude forms were now pooled around their hips. Her gentle touch drew their attention to her, even as alarm spread through their features.
"Mom! What's…" even as their question began, they both realized what was going on, and turned to stare at each other aghast. Cringing at the sight of their feelings reflected on the other's faces, they groaned, "How can I be split AGAIN!?"
Nodoka sighed heavily, pulling their gaze to herself again, "I'm sorry dear. The water you used was for Akane…"
"What!? Why was Akane trying to split herself?" they demanded.
"Oh, dear. This is going to take some getting used to," Nodoka murmured, disoriented by the stereo quality of their outbursts. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Do you know about what happened to Akane?" They nodded, the look of anxiety they shared explaining their fears. "Well, one of the village elders, Po Shen she's called, made an instant curse that would split Akane into cursed and uncursed forms. That is, to find out if she had a normal form to return to. I should have warned you when you came in, but I just didn't think…"
"It's okay, Mom. These sorts of things just seem to happen to me," Ranko confided. She ignored the fact that her opposite did too, and tried not to freak out at him studying her as intently as she was examining him. With a smirk, they said, "Well, it's an amazon village…"
"So that means I have precedence?" Onna-Ranko finished.
"Unless you think we could argue over it and not go nuts," Otoko-Ranko laughed. "At least we've got some experience with this."
"But who'da thought it'd be a necessary skill?" Onna retorted.
They both laughed, but at least not in perfect unison. Taking a deep breath, Onna turned to Nodoka, "You said it was an instant curse?"
"Yes. Oh, except the elder put-"
"Salt in it, right?" Otoko asked, exchanging a nod with Onna.
"Why, yes. That is correct, how-?"
"It explains why we're in different forms," Onna explained as rapidly. At their mother's reproving look, silently rebuking them for cutting her off, they blushed and laughed nervously.
"Sorry," they echoed.
"Very well. I take it you understand the situation then?" After a pair of nods, Nodoka gave them both a concerned look, "Will the two of you be okay?"
They exchanged a look, reading their thoughts on each other's faces. "I think we can handle this. I think we're more concerned about Akane," Onna spoke for them.
"Well, I think they continued without me. If you feel up to it, we could go down and see how she is doing," Nodoka offered, rising to her feet. In reply, they silently rose and made to follow, noticing at the same time that they were both naked.
"Ah, I need to get dressed first," they announced bashfully. As Nodoka blushed and excused herself, they shook their heads. "I can't believe I was staring at you the whole time and didn't notice," they both complained. Catching each other's eye, they blushed, "I guess you enjoyed the view?"
The question filled both of them with an odd feeling. The reality of the situation suddenly gripped them as the implications of their current state began to unfold in their minds. The pair of them began to glow a darkening shade of crimson as the means, motive and opportunity became crystal clear, and each noted that the desire was mutual. "Oooooh, that's one problem solved," they breathed, eyes locked together in understanding. Thankfully, the need to follow their mother downstairs, and the certainty that she would come back in to check on them if they delayed, made them pause. "Akane first," they agreed. "But later…" the promise was left unspoken. What more needed to be said?
After getting dressed, they made their way down to the dining room. There was the usual round of questions and discussion attendant upon the sort of fiasco they had brought upon themselves, but soon enough they had been brought up to date on Akane's situation. Most of the discussion had unfolded while the two split individuals stared at each other in unremitting fascination. It was not until the Ranko twins were informed that Akane was remaining split for the week, and they were encouraged to do likewise, that Ranko remembered to ask about Fa Shen.
"I don't suppose Fa Shen's been by?" Onna-Ranko spoke up, tearing her eyes away from Otoko-Akane. "I kinda threw her off in my rush to check on Akane."
"Fa Shen arrived just after you were split, Ranko-chan," Otoko-Akane answered, trying to draw her attention back his way. As she looked up at him, he filled her in, "She was pretty upset at you, but seeing what happened, she got distracted. Then she, ah, well, she became Ranma for a while, and he took both of you upstairs. Then after I was split, Shampoo came and asked to speak to Fa Shen, so she took over and they went off together."
Otoko-Ranko jumped in, looking as startled as his Onna, "Fa Shen became Ranma? What- why?"
"Apparently, while trying to explain Ranma's feelings for Ryouga," Cologne cut in, with mercilessly amused look, "Fa Shen found it easier to let Ranma speak for himself. Don't look so surprised. If you had been willing to confide in me, about your threesome, I could have warned you this was going to happen. I suppose you are lucky that the twins water does not divide a person on the basis of personality. Two forms and three personalities, I suspect there would have been at least six of you right now, and I hesitate to think you would have survived the experience, Ranko."
"Ehhrrr," the two of that name slurred intelligently.
"I am glad to see the two of you are well, however, and I suggest that everyone turn in for the night. It's been a long day and tomorrow promises to be even longer." As she rose, she was nudged in the ribs by Po Shen. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot. The, er, four of you find yourselves in something of a unique position. If you should happen to find yourselves tempted to, ah, indulge in a more intimate examination of your split-cursed states, I should remind you that sex could easily burn off the instant curse and leave you without the means to become the individuals you started out as." Even through the amused expression, the seriousness of her warning was written on her face. Leaving the blushing duos, and the perfectly flustered Nodoka, the two elders silently excused themselves and went to the front door.
Under her breath, Ranko muttered to her Otoko, "The old ghoul never misses anything, does she?"
He shrugged and replied, "Maybe not, but did you see the guilty look on Akane's faces? I guess I'm not the only frustrated virgin in this group."
"What are you two whispering about!?" the Akane twins demanded suspiciously, ecchi senses on full alert.
Feeling a bit reckless, or perhaps suicidal, Ranko leaned into her double, trailing a hand over his chest and sighed heavily, "I was going to loan him to you, but it looks like even such generosity on my part won't convince you to loan me yours now." She raised the back of her hand to her forehead in a parody of lament. The moment while Onna- and Otoko-Akane gasped in apoplexy gave Ranko plenty of time to grab her counterpart and flee the room in laughter.
"You perverted, sex crazed maniac! You BETTER run!" Akane roared, in stereo, and took off in pursuit. Nodoka propped her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands. She was not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry and proceeded to do a little of both, simply overwhelmed.
Fa Shen realized she was staring at Shampoo, mouth agape. Even catching herself, she could hardly shake off her shock at what Shampoo had confronted her with. Unfortunately, after tonight, she could not argue with the other amazon's logic. In spite of everything, Shampoo's desperate gamble to head off competition from Mousse and Ryouga had worked. Technically, she had consummated her marriage to Ranma through Fa Shen. It hit her at the same time that the same logic guaranteed that the council of elders would also find that a marriage had been cemented between Ranma and Ryouga. The only surprising thing in this nasty development was the fact that Shampoo had implied a willingness to try and conceal the truth. That much had been clear in how she presented the problem to Fa Shen, saying, "Do you realize, if the elders find out about us, now that we know the truth about the three of you, they will declare our marriage to be official?"
"You don't seriously think we can keep them from finding out, do you?" Fa Shen finally demanded, slumping to the ground in dismay.
"I don't know," Shampoo continued in their native language. "All I know is that you might never forgive me for this, and that would make it impossible for us to live together."
Fa Shen laughed bitterly. "I'll tell you what would make it impossible for us to be married," she snorted, cursing herself for the truth she was about to speak, "You are not the one who brings out Ranma in me. If anything, you bring out me more than anyone else."
Shampoo tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Fa Shen sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She did not want to admit it to Shampoo, but more she hesitated to admit it to herself. The problem was, she was perfectly aware of everything she had said, and felt, when she had slipped into Ranma's personality to confront Akane. "Do you remember what Ranko said about the copies?" she asked instead, delaying her revelation.
Shampoo nodded, "She said that Copy-chan had been her girl side and Copy-kun had been her boy side. Only, that doesn't explain why the girl became Ranma when the boy became you."
"Who we thought we were isn't as important as what we were made of," Fa Shen confided grimly. "Ranko was right, mostly. The copies reflected each side of her. The problem was, she was a fusion of Ranma and me, and when she delved into her psyche and pulled me and Ranma 'out of herself' she broke her hold on us. Our essence spilled out into the reflections. Fa Shen's essence was poured into the girl copy and Ranma's essence was spilled into the boy copy. But on the way, each of us crashed into the mind of the other, so we woke up with the opposite memories. I woke up as Fa Shen, because I had just absorbed all of her memories."
Shampoo squatted down to look into Fa Shen's eyes. "Are you trying to tell me you are really Ranma?" she asked in disbelief.
Fa Shen wrinkled her nose. "We're all Ranma. We're all Fa Shen. What's different is how we mix the two together. But, most of what was Ranma, Ranma's original ki, is in me. Also, my experiences as Copy-Ranma were different than the experiences of Copy-Ranko. I was supposed to be the one who took over as Ranma. I remembered that when I 'woke up' as Fa Shen."
Shampoo scowled. "Every time someone explains what 'really' happened that night, the story changes."
Fa Shen laughed merrily, "Oh, yeah. I guess it does sound like that. It's funny how neurotic we are about trying to explain things. Still, I suppose the explanation should change. What happened was pretty hard to understand to begin with, but I can remember the experience. Spiritual things are never easy to explain, but we do our best to describe what we understand. As time goes on, though, that understanding changes. Things we missed or ignored the first or second time suddenly become obvious. But, wrong or not, explaining these things to ourselves keeps us from panicking, I guess."
Shampoo nudged the other girl to her feet and they resumed their walk through the sleeping village. "So, there is a lot of Ranma in you, but I bring out everything that is Fa Shen?" she probed.
"Something like that," Fa Shen smirked, looking ahead as they walked, rather than at Shampoo. "My personality is better for dealing with you than Ranma's. He's sort of conditioned to flee from you, what with the kiss of death, the kiss of marriage and the c-c-cat thing I've been infected with."
Shampoo nodded, not surprised to hear that Ranma had built up an aversion-in-depth to her presence. "If I can say it without offending, I'd probably be happier married to you than to Ranma. I don't think Ranma would ever be happy living in the village."
"Not as a man, no. I don't think I would be either," Fa Shen growled.
"And that's the problem, isn't it. I forced you to be a man."
"You caught me in a receptive mood, and to be honest, it was a lot easier than I could ever have imagined. The body and the spirit were both willing, and the mind was pleasantly distracted," Fa Shen chuckled, admitting at last that the experience had been far from unpleasant. "I enjoyed being with you. I just didn't count on it meaning more that that."
"Does that mean you could stand to be married to me?"
Fa Shen bit her lip. "I could stand it. If I loved you. If you loved me," she began, turning to raise a hand to cut Shampoo off before she could say anything. "We both know you don't love me, Shampoo. If Ranko was more of a man, it would be safe to say you love her, and certainly you find Ranma attractive enough to bed."
Shampoo hugged herself, dismay and frustration apparent in both stance and expression. "It's Akane, isn't it? She's the one who brings out Ranma in you."
Fa Shen shrugged, then nodded. "It's pretty obvious now."
Shampoo stared off into the dark. "Is that what you want? Do you want to be Ranma for Akane?"
Fa Shen sighed, "That's the problem, isn't it? I am Fa Shen. That's the last thing I should want, but if she can summon Ranma with a look or a motion, I don't exactly get a say in the matter. My siblings have both managed to blend Ranma and Fa Shen together in a way they can live with. I am still at war with myself."
Shampoo seemed to come to a decision, turning to face Fa Shen. "Mousse knows about us. He knows what I figured out. He has gone back to the Musk, I am sure, to encourage Herb to defeat you as soon as possible. He wants you married to someone else before anyone can learn about our marriage. The elders would far rather see you recognized as a bride than a groom."
"I'm not surprised," Fa Shen noted irritably. "I am sure he actually thinks he can discourage you from trying to claim me as your husband with the threat of co-marriage to Herb. Keeping you away from anyone else is all he seems to really care about."
Shampoo grinned, "Stupid Mousse. If I thought you would love me back, I would share you with Herb, Ryouga, Akane, even Mousse if that was that it took to be married to you. Ranma would have been a good husband, but now that I know you better, I want much more. Don't think I don't love you because you're not Ranko or Ranma. I love all of you, and all of you come to think of it, and I'm starting to think you're my favorite part. The only thing that has changed is that I want more than your hand in marriage. I want what can never be bought, bartered, sold or stolen."
Fa Shen found herself staring at the purple-maned amazon again.
Seeing the confusion on the other girl's face, Shampoo leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. When she pulled away some moments later, she caressed Fa Shen's cheek and sighed, "What I want, is to look in your eyes and see love looking back at me. Nothing else is important, so nothing more will I dare to claim."
Fa Shen let out a shuddering breath. "Damn, woman. If you could speak Japanese half as well, you would have had Ranma wrapped around your finger a long time ago."
Shampoo smirked in self-satisfaction, "There was never enough time, my lips and tongue were too busy practicing… other things."
"Er… you're not kidding," Fa Shen blushed.
Herb glared at Mousse, while he considered the news the blind boy had brought. The two of them stood before the pavilion at the center of the Musk encampment, Lime and Mint standing sentry just behind Herb at the entrance to the palatial tent. Once the prince's bodyguards grasped the import of Mousse's visit, they had roused him from his bed. Herb showed his displeasure at the interruption of his rest by not inviting Mousse inside, but pleasantries and formalities had evaporated from his mind once he heard the amazon boy's report.
Since Mousse had been out of the loop, the most he could reveal about the newest developments in the triplet's lives came from Cologne's speculation. Herb already knew the trio intended to apply Fa Shen's Shokei Fist training to master their curses, from an earlier disclosure by Mousse, but the only way he had to interfere in their efforts required the use of the Kaisuifuu, which had been reclaimed by his father after his visit to the amazon village a couple of days ago. Unlocking their curses would make it more difficult for the red-headed twins to master them, but Herb had been forced to wait until the kettle was returned to him.
If Herb had known what Mouse came to reveal now, he would not have bothered waiting for such a slight advantage over Fa Shen. Finding out that the triplets could harness an awesome amount of power through sexual indulgence deeply disturbed the dragon prince. As long as two of them were free to engage each other in that way, Herb could not count on his own massive reserves of ki to outlast or overwhelm Fa Shen in combat. Learning at the same time that all three of them were gestalts of Ranma and Fa Shen, and not the discrete entities they had seemed to be at Jusenkyo, all three of them could legitimately answer his challenge to "Fa Shen".
"I cannot say that this news pleases me, Mousse," Herb finally declared, deliberately using the bastardized version of the amazon boy's name that was used so blithely by Ranma and his Japanese acquaintances. "It is, however, valuable intelligence, and thus you have once more lived up to the terms of our agreement."
"I am only doing what I must, Prince Herb," Mousse bowed crisply. Part of him hated himself, but that remained a true admission. All was fair in love and war. As there was a state of truce between the two ancient tribes, he was not quite committing treason. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his nerve to push, "Clearly, there is no time to lose. From what I overheard, the one who poses as Ranma has taken claim to Ryouga Hibiki. As with Shampoo, their relationship fulfills all the requirements of an amazon marriage that has been consummated. If you recognize that union, but not the one my beloved Shampoo has fallen into, with the one who poses as Fa Shen, Ranma can be forced to stand aside."
"I am afraid I do not quite follow," Herb frowned. "What is the relevance of that?"
"Well, as I said, all of them can claim to be Fa Shen, but they cannot participate in matrimonial combat unless they are eligible to be a bride. If all three fought, and you managed to defeat them together, they would all become your brides. But, if one of them is already wife to an outsider, only a male of the tribe has the privilege of challenging her for co-marriage," Mousse explained. "Recognize Ranma and Ryouga's marriage, and Ranma cannot interfere in the fight, even to help Ranko provide assistance to Fa Shen."
Herb rubbed his lower lip thoughtfully, "Why not then recognize the marriage of Fa Shen and Shampoo as well, and direct my challenge exclusively to Ranko? None have final claim to her, as yet, so there would be no danger of my marriage to her being annulled by your council of elders."
"Perhaps, but I have already claimed the right to challenge her, and have been waiting for her to be declared fit for combat," Mousse tucked his arms into the depths of his sleeves. Keeping his features composed, he nodded respectfully, "I mean no offense, but it is not to my advantage to have you wed Ranko and leave Shampoo married to Fa Shen. Under such circumstances, there is no reason for me not to pursue my claim to Ranko, and since my challenge proceeds yours, I guarantee you I shall defeat her and consummate the marriage at once."
"Indeed. I seem to recall that was our arrangement. In exchange for your information on Fa Shen, you would receive the training you need to be able to defeat her. Even though you do not truly seek her as your bride," Herb smirked haughtily. "I already know you have no qualms about thwarting my designs. Your interference in my battle with Ranma, misguided though it was, has not been forgotten. Still, your impertinence amuses me. See to it no other establishes a claim to Ranko, and I shall make my suit to Fa Shen first. As long as Ranko remains a potential bride, my options remain open."
"I wish you happiness and success in your marriage," Mousse bowed formally, eager to bless any arrangement that kept Shampoo available to him. Deciding to throw in a bone, he added, unnecessarily, "I would not be concerned about having your marriage annulled. To recognize Fa Shen as a mere husband would be intolerable to the council, especially if she could legitimately claim the status of wife, in marriage to you."
Herb nodded and turned away in dismissal, but paused to throw over his shoulder, "I also advise you to keep Ranko from interfering in the battle. I would take her involvement as an invitation to do with her as I see fit." Herb waited for Mousse's assurances and then marched regally into his pavilion to muse upon what he had learned.
Mousse turned to the silent young men that had witnessed this impromptu audience. Lime and Mint stared back at him impassively. Mousse counted down mentally, knowing what to expect from the duo, once their master was out of sight.
As Mousse reached zero, the pair lurched forward, and demanded in unison, "Do it again!"
With a sigh, Mousse turned away and muttered, "I should have known better than to try to learn chi attacks." Still, he was fortunate that shame was as powerful an emotion for him as pride. He had been quick to recover from his mistake, and so far this pair of imbeciles were the only ones to know of his folly. "I think it's time to work with a different emotion, now that I've mastered the basics," he replied, heading to where he practiced with Lime and Mint.
"Please?" they begged, dogging his footsteps. "We want to see your breasts again!"
Mousse whimpered. He had no chance of keeping his secret if they accompanied Herb to the challenge fight. "At least they can't expose me with a splash of water," he consoled himself.