Just A Little Time Chapter 5 Not So Great Detectives, a ranma fanfic

Just a Little Time
By Douglas Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl
Continuing a Ranma ½ story kernel by Dark Oni

Those characters that are original and the story "Just a Little Time" are copyrighted ©2003-2004 ShoujoFiction dot com domain by Douglas Helm and Will Wolfshohl. Original kernel copyrighted ©1998 by Dark Oni.

This story and dozens of our other stories reside at ShoujoFiction dot com . Comments are welcomed.

Chapter 5 - Not So Great Detectives

Dr. Tofu was standing at the door of his Nerima clinic seeing off one of his more elderly patients when a tiny blur in the shape of Nabiki Tendo crashed into him. The good doctor toppled to the floor with a thud. However, the juggernaut didn't stop; it continued on its course unabated. The sound coming out of the small figure might have been an apology, or just the sound barrier being broken.

"You okay, Doc?" came a familiar male voice. Tofu, who had become interested in a water stain he hadn't noticed before, remained lying on the floor.

"I think so, Ranma... What was that?"

"Looks like Nabiki has to use the bathroom," Ranma supplied.

"I thought that blur looked like little Miss Tendo," Tofu commented. Still on the floor, he turned his head slightly. "You know, that water stain on the ceiling resembles Kodachi." Ranma blinked and looked up at the mark on the ceiling. "But if you turn your head like so," the doctor demonstrated then continued, "It looks like Kasumi."

"Come on, Doc," the martial artist said and lifted the doctor off of the floor, "You sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?"

"No..." Tofu began.

"Whatcha looking at?" Nabiki asked as she skipped back into the room. "Sorry, Dr. Tofu, I really hada go." The last part was said in a whisper.

"That's all right, Nabiki," Tofu replied and patted her head reassuringly.

"Hey, Nabiki, the Doc thinks that stain up there looks like Kodachi," Ranma announced, pointing at the stain. Nabiki came over and looked way up towards the ceiling.

"I think it kinda looks like your daddy."

"There's a difference?" Ranma asked.

The little girl giggled then she put her hands on her hips and scolded, "Ranma, that ain't very nice."

"Yes," Tofu interrupted, finally turning his gaze to his two visitors. "You should show more respect for your father."

"I meant," Nabiki said emphatically, "That Kodachi's MUCH prettier."

"In a demented sorta way I suppose."

"What's d-dem-demented?" Nabiki asked in a puzzle tone. She hated not being able to understand everything as well as she used to.

Wanting to stop that line of conversation, Tofu asked, "What can I do for you two?"

"Oh yeah, Doc," Ranma piped up, "We were wondering if you had any stories about monsters?"

"Several as a matter of fact. Any particular one?"

"Turns people into little kids." Ranma continued answering the question the doctor was about to ask. "Nabiki's been wondering..." The little girl felt a little annoyed that Ranma was putting it all on her. Tofu looked puzzled.

"Ah, regression... Not that I... Well maybe. Why?"

"I saw it!" Nabiki burst out with earnestness. "It had long arm thingies 'n' wasn't there... sorta."

"Transparent," Ranma offered.

"Trans... What he said... 'N' it wiggled around 'n' got me 'n' Ranma 'n' Yuki 'n'..."

Tofu held his hand up. "Hold on, young lady," he interjected, "Come into the office." The pair followed him into an adjoining room and sat down where he showed them. "Okay, start at the beginning..."

"Nabiki's worried that there's a monster hanging out in the canal, Doc."

"Shhh!" Nabiki giggled, trying to look stern. "Akane might hear you." Then she turned to Dr. Tofu. "Akane says I'm makin' it up."

"Oh?" the young physician questioned, "Why?"

"Just 'cause," the youngster answered.

"Nabiki..." Ranma said with mild annoyance.

She rolled her eyes and added, "The monster got Ranma too."

"It did, did it?" Tofu asked.

"Yep!" Nabiki chirped. She jumped from her chair and ran from the room.

Puzzled, Ranma got up to follow her but Tofu gestured for him not to. "Ranma? Everything okay with her?"

"She's been a little cranky," the teen admitted. "I think her and Akane must've had a fight or something, Doc."

"Why?"

Ranma scratched his head for a moment then guessed, "'Cause Nabiki keeps saying Akane's going to be mad at her."

"Hmmm..."

An afterthought occurred to Ranma, "Say Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Have a look at her back when we get done with this monster thing. She keeps wanting somebody to scratch it. Akane can't see a rash or nothing." Tofu opened his mouth to reply but stopped when Nabiki came running back into the room. She had a glass of water in her hand.

"Jeez, Nabiki, you can't be thirsty already," Ranma chided. Nabiki, by way of answer, threw the remaining contents at Ranma. As the cold water contacted him, the change occurred. Instantly well-trained muscle disappeared, limbs shrunk, and torso and frame diminished by several degrees.

"See!" Nabiki pointed out triumphantly, "The monster got him!"

Ranma looked around in a confused sort of way and upon spotting Dr. Tofu, she shrieked shrilly, "Me not want needle!" cowering behind Nabiki.

The doctor just shook his head. There were many pitfalls in being general practitioner to Ranma Saotome.

# # # # #

Nine year old Usagi Tsukino, the mysterious sailor-suited warrior Sailor Moon to be, was in the park with her mother Ikuko. This particular day in the Azuba-Juuban District of the Minato Ward of Tokyo was fine and clear and, for once in the thirty-three year old mother of two's opinion, relatively peaceful.

"Mommy," Usagi observed as she stood on the middle rail of the metal fence surrounding the lake, "Lookie, that duck has glasses."

"Don't be silly, dear," Ikuko said disbelievingly.

The third-grader frowned. She leaned out to get a better look causing the navy blue skirt of her sailor-style elementary school uniform to ride up. The fowl was floating near the opposite shore of the lake. "It does, Mommy! Look!"

"Usagi," Ikuko snapped. She walked over to where her daughter was standing. "Get down off there before you fall in." Reluctantly, the little pigtailed blonde did so. "That's better. Now, Usagi, where is this duck?" The young girl pointed. The mother looked in the indicated direction. "I think someone's put a fake duck in the water."

"Oh..." The girl sounded crestfallen.

Ikuko grinned. Her daughter always had an active imagination. "Come on, Usagi," she prodded. The child hesitated. "Besides, I thought you liked bunnies better."

"I do, Mommy!" the tween assured her mother with excitement, showing off her ability to switch moods in a heartbeat. Neither saw the silent, transparent tentacle slip from the water's edge and rise towards them.

Whether by fate, by chance, or by the monster's design, it bypassed Usagi as she stepped away from the railing to watch some nearby birds. Instead, the appendage slowly encircled the mother's ankle tightening its hold. Neither mother nor daughter noticed anything out of the ordinary until it was too late.

Usagi, scared out of her daydreaming by her mother's high-pitched cry. Turning around, she stared in fascinated horror as her mother, now a beautiful coed, rapidly grew even younger. First, the legs shortened and then curves disappeared. In a matter of moments, Ikuko Tsukino had dropped from her lofty adult height to Usagi's level and then below that. Her clothing piled up on the ground below her. The nine year old looked about to see if anybody could help them but the park seemed to be oddly quiet; nothing stirred.

Ikuko Tsukino was too stunned to do anything. She watched silently as her arms shrank. Arms that swaddled two children, had hugged a husband this morning, became stubby and padded with leftover baby fat. Her fingers and toes shrank, matching the new limbs they were attached to. Her chest flattened as her stomach rounded a little. Her hips and buttocks became less trim as curves were lost or repositioned. Her hair, a long flowing black mane, shortened to suit its body's new, smaller, proportions.

The woman had regressed to a child of perhaps six although her awed offspring was having trouble telling. Neither party noticed the tentacle slip off young Ikuko's leg and retreat into the lake. A few seconds later, the adult clothing glowed for a moment shrinking to fit the new child's form then altering into a blue and white elementary school uniform similar to Usagi's even including a pair of black Mary Jane's.

"'Sagi?" Ikuko asked her now much bigger daughter.

"Come on," Usagi urged, "Time to go." The new child whipped around and surveyed the lake intently. "Don't be a brat, 'Kuko. I've gotta enough trouble. 'Sides, we girls gotta stick together 'cuz Shingo's enough of a pain in the butt."

"Don't talk to your mother like that, young lady!" Ikuko hissed sternly to her daughter before turning her attention back to the lake. She leaned through the gap the middle railing just below her shoulders and stared down at the tranquil water. Where had the creature gotten to?

"You ain't Mommy," Usagi declared. She sounded amused. Her little sister had quite the imagination. Still, she didn't have time for this. "Now come on, Ikuko."

Ikuko turned back to her daughter and stated, "'SAGI! I AM YOUR MOMMY!" She remembered Usagi being inside her tummy although the little brunette wasn't sure why she had gone in there in the first place. But Usagi wasn't so big then.

The nine year old gave her a long-suffering look and said in a firmer voice, "We don't got time to play, Sis. I gotta meet Naru." Not that she didn't love her sister but... 'Naru's got some really cool new CDs.' "So... COME ON!" She gestured with her arm and turned around.

"No!" the first-grader replied in a very defiant voice, "I'm stayin' here 'n' gettin' the monster!" Usagi stopped. Turning, she gave her sister an exasperated look. The former adult stood her ground and scowled at her daughter. The pigtailed blonde's resolve seemed to waver for a moment as she tried to figure out what to do next. Making her decision, she marched over to the smaller girl. The girl only had a few seconds to feel satisfied before her much stronger daughter took hold of her by the arm. Before she could protest this injustice, Usagi raised her other hand and brought the palm sharply down onto the six year old's bottom.

This move was so unexpected that at first, Ikuko simply blinked, standing stock still. Then as her brain registered what had happened, she became angry. How dare her baby hit her! "Now come on, young lady," Usagi commanded firmly.

"'Sagi! I'm tellin' your daddy!" Ikuko wailed. She wrenched her arm free and ran away from the big meanie.

"Ikuko! Wait!" Usagi yelled and rushed after her. 'Little sisters.' She sighed. At least, she didn't have to walk her brother Shingo home too. Still given the choice, she'd rather be hanging out with her best friend Naru, although that dweeb Umino might be around, and that was always bad.

# # # # #

After returning Ranma to normal and squelching the ensuing squabble, Dr. Tofu turned his thoughts to the question his visitors had posed. "There is a legend. It's very old," the young physician began as he lifted down first one and then another book from the large bookcase in his office. "I don't really recall the details though."

Nabiki stared grumpily at him. She gave a squeak of surprise as Ranma lifted her up and settled her onto his lap. "That's okay, Doc. Nab... We just wanna know if it's real or not."

Tofu gave him an odd look before turning his attention back to the book. "I think one of these had a picture of it."

"WHAT?" both of his visitors exclaimed.

"A rough one."

"Cool!" the little girl squeaked excitedly.

His first attempts to find it were fruitless and soon Nabiki grew restless. She wandered in and out of the office until the doctor, in desperation, gave her a coloring book and a can of crayons. The child promptly became engrossed in what she was coloring seemingly forgetting why they were there. Ranma was also becoming impatient but having seen Nabiki's behavior, he was determined to set a better example for the young girl.

"Ranma," Tofu remarked quietly and motioned the martial artist away from his charge. Puzzled, he got up from where he had been sitting and walked over to the corner where the doctor was standing. "Perhaps," he began softly, "You should take Nabiki home. We can always discuss this later... privately."

"Huh?"

The physician took a quick glance to make sure the youngster was still absorbed in her coloring before continuing, "I don't want to give her nightmares." He gave Ranma a weak smile. "I understand you're desperate to discover a cure to your unwanted transformation but you don't want to terrify little Nabiki."

"No way," Ranma said while shaking his head. Tofu gave him a relieved look. "But she wants everything to be normal too." The teen grinned. "Look, if you're worried about gory bits, just leave 'em out."

"But..."

Ranma's frown made the young doctor pause. "Nabiki wants me to find this as much as I wanna find it. We're partners." Tofu sighed. He had obviously told her all the details of his latest quest. "Like I said, Doc, I don't want the crap scared out of her either. I just wanna know if it's for real."

"Very well," Tofu agreed in a begrudging sort of voice and turned his attention back to the bookcase. Nabiki was blissfully unaware. She had her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on coloring a large flower on the page bright green.

# # # # #

"FOUND IT!" Tofu announced. The doctor was standing amid a small pile of old texts. Nabiki looked up from her coloring while Ranma sat up looking expectant. "Let's see... It's been around for about a thousand years. Maybe more."

"Dr. Tofu, how much is a thousand?" the kindergartener wondered. "Is that more than a zillion?"

"Uh... no," Ranma said, trying not to appear shocked.

"If I may continue... It says that the creature hibernates..." He paused sensing the impending question. "Sleeps for long periods, waking up when it gets hungry."

The girl frowned slightly then questioned, "Hungry?"

"Yes, it sleeps a long time and then it wakes up and is hungry. Like you."

"Me?" Nabiki squeaked in surprise and pointed to herself.

Tofu nodded. "You go to bed and then eat breakfast because you're hungry, right?" The youngster nodded. "Well... It's the same thing but the monster sleeps much longer."

"Oh..." The five year old got a thoughtful expression on her face. "Maybe it can come to our house for supper 'stead of makin' people into little kids." Ranma, staring with disbelief at his young charge, wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream.

"And here's what it looks... Oh dear."

"What?" Nabiki and Ranma asked.

"That page is missing."

"No!" they both cried at once.

"I'm afraid so. This text is quite old and..."

"Now what?" Nabiki asked the pigtailed teen in a tone of voice that suggested that Ranma had been the one to take the page from the book.

"Now we give you an examination, young lady," Tofu replied.

"I don't think so, buster," the youngster countered, giving him her most authoritative look.

# # # # #

Ranma, still unsure if he wanted the lollipop Tofu had given him, left the clinic with Nabiki beside him. One hand was holding onto his hand swinging his arm back and forth while her other twirled her own lollipop around in her mouth.

"You were mean, Ranma," Nabiki pouted. She was still miffed that Dr. Tofu had found something medical to treat on her.

Ranma, completely ignoring the child's complaint, offered, "Well, we know it's been around for awhile."

"Huh?" the little girl questioned around her sweet.

"The creature," the teen repeated, "The Doc said it's been kicking around Japan for awhile now." Unfortunately, there had been nothing in the book about how to defeat it.

"Oh," Nabiki said after pulling the lollipop from her mouth, "Why'd you tell Dr. Tofu to look me over?" The martial artist gave her a puzzled look. "We could've just talked to him 'n' left."

"First, Akane might wanna know why we went there. Ain't like before with him and Kasumi." He gave her a tight smile before adding on a more serious note, "And besides, Nabsy, you kept wanting your back scratched."

"Rubbed!" Nabiki corrected with annoyance, "I like it."

"Oh... Sorry..."

"Ice cream. Now," Nabiki demanded.

"You ain't even done with that sucker the Doc gave you," the teen argued.

"Well, can I have yours?"

"No way," Ranma snapped possessively, "It's mine." The little girl giggled then inserted her lollipop back into her mouth. "Let's go have a look at where we got attacked, Nabiki."

"'Kay," the youngster mumbled around the sweet.

# # # # #

The day was pleasant and Nabiki was in a good mood. She skipped ahead a few yards before running back to walk with Ranma. At one point, the pigtailed martial artist had taken several steps before noticing that Nabiki was no longer with him. Looking about, he spotted the youngster with her face plastered to a store window.

"What is it?" he asked, coming to stand behind her.

"Puppies," the five year old breathed. He had a sinking feeling. "Ranma, can I have one? He could play with Mr. Saotome. Please?" she pleaded, turning hopeful eyes towards Ranma.

"Uh... You'll have to ask Mr. Tendo."

"Come on. If you get it, then Akane can be mad at you."

"I DON'T want Akane mad at me."

"Please?"

"No, Nabiki," Ranma replied. The little girl pouted. "But if we see the monster, you can take it home." Oddly enough, Nabiki brightened at this prospect.

# # # # #

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, the creature that had reduced Nabiki and her friends to childhood was nowhere around. Nabiki showed him, as best she could remember, where she had been when things had changed for her and her two friends. As will sometimes happen though, children's tales get embellished.

"Nabiki," Ranma interrupted with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "If the thing was as big as you say it was..." He hadn't seen the creature but this was ridiculous.

"It was!" Nabiki assured him. "And it had all these wavy tentacle thingies 'n' stuff!" She gestured wildly in demonstration.

"Come on, Nabiki. It'd be bigger than the Tokyo Tower. Nobody would've missed it."

"It was magic!"

"Okay, okay," he said in conciliatory tone, "I believe you."

"Good," Nabiki stated. "Can I have a puppy now?"

"No!" The youngster pouted. "Let's look around for a bit."

"'Kay," she agreed and started looking around shading her eyes with her hand. Trying hard not to laugh, Ranma started scouting the area as well.

Visibly there wasn't anything unusual to see although he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. It was hard to define. It wasn't evil or good; it simply existed. The teen martial artist shook his head after a few moments. 'It's nothing.' He was putting his hopes up for now.

"Well," Ranma announced, "Nothing."

"Didn't think so," Nabiki answered, looking disappointed. "There wasn't nothin' here when me and Maki and Yuriko came before."

"You and Maki and..." Ranma asked.

"Uh..." Nabiki backtracked, "I meant maybe we should see if Yuriko and Maki want ice cream too!" With that, she turned and raced off down the street. Ranma was momentarily stunned and then raced after the child.

# # # # #

"Good grief!" Akane grumbled as a haggard-looking Ranma nearly staggered into the living room carrying a sleeping Nabiki on his back. "What happened to you two? You look like you were out camping in the forest or something."

"Or something," Ranma chose. He sighed with relief as Akane removed the sleeping youngster. Nabiki stirred, yawned, looked, and blinked.

"Nabiki, go wash up for supper," her sister told her. Sleepily nodding, the girl headed off to the bathroom while Ranma sunk to the ground with a loud sigh. "So, what happened?" Akane wondered.

"Maki and Yuriko's parents decided that me taking their kids out for ice cream and to play was wonderful." The martial artist shook his head at the thought of keeping up with three five year old girls on sugar highs. "And to think I wanted kids of my own some day."

# # # # #

Ranma stopped in his telling of the story when all eyes in the room swung onto him. "Well, that was then," he explained defensively. "You know I'm very proud of you all."

"Except when we screw up," the second oldest grumbled.

"If you're going to cause mischief," Nabiki countered, "Be unique."

"You can go home now, Big Sis," Akane remarked jokingly.

"No thanks, Little Sister," Nabiki declined, "It's just getting good."

"Would you like anything to drink?" Soun asked. Of course, this required that he fill other orders too. Nabiki just grinned.

# # # # #

Ukyo Kounji stood back from the grill, sighed happily, and looked around her okonomiyaki restaurant. A smile graced the chef's lips. For once, she was happy to see no customers in her place. Carefully but quickly stowing her latest creation in a box, she hopped over the counter and began closing up for the day.

As she worked, Ukyo hummed to herself. She was going to visit Ranma tonight. He had seemed depressed the past few days and it was her duty as a fiancée, the real one that is, to cheer him up.

'Though if Nabiki was older...' she grinned, 'To think their fathers buy that line.' The fact that Akane was accepted, or appeared to accept, Nabiki being Ranma's fiancée gave Ukyo hope. 'After all, I'm a real woman and he won't have to wait.' Her thoughts continued into this vein. 'And I wouldn't make him look after Nabiki, even though she is a cute kid.' Of course, Ukyo thought Ranma's girl side was the cuteness personified.

'I'd make sure to feed him properly.' Her culinary creations always brought a smile to his face. 'Then again,' Ukyo mused, 'Any food seems to do that.' She giggled. Yes, her longtime friend had an appetite for almost anything edible. 'If he'd had eyes only for mine...' She sighed. 'They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' And she cooked the best okonomiyaki in all of Nerima if not all Japan.

Within a few minutes, she had finished closing up. She picked up the specially prepared treat and headed off. The sun was settling into the west like a blazing ball of fire. The streets were growing dark as night began to fall.

The spatula-wielding chef walked through the narrow streets, weaving her way through the bustling crowd that had started to move about: people on their way to the movies, amusement parks, or other places that attracted young couples. This aroused fantasies about her and a certain handsome young martial artist.

'Oh that nice broad chest and strong arms...' Ukyo floated down the street, images of Ranma blurring out her surroundings. She giggled. 'We could snuggle together and then he'd kiss...'

# # # # #

Ranma paused in his story. The reason for the pause was that his wife had suddenly started emitting an intense battle aura.

"Heh..." the martial artist said nervously.

# # # # #

Ukyo was jolted abruptly from her thoughts as something snagged her foot. She stumbled, recovered quickly, and pivoted to see what it had been. She blinked. It was a long tentacle. With a rapidity that surprised her, the faintly glowing blue limb shot towards her. She dove out of its way. Then in one swift move, she placed Ranma's gift in a safe place while at the same time throwing several small spatulas at the attacker. Most, but not all, were batted from the air. However, a few reached their target. The sharp blades cut into the translucent limb causing it to ooze out a thick bluish goo.

For a moment, it pulled back and vanished through the chain-link fence that separated the alley from the canal. Ukyo moved forward slightly into a defensive stance getting more tiny spatulas at the ready.

"EEE!" she exclaimed as not one, not two, but four tentacles flew through the fence, ripping it apart like crepe paper. She flung another barrage of mini-spatulas and then drew forth her large battle spatula from across her back preparing for the worse.

The tentacles knocked all the mini-spatulas aside as if they were mere insects. While it was distracted fending them off, the teen seized her chance. She jumped upwards and swung her battle spatula's sharp edge decidedly down on three exposed tentacles, which were completely severed. Unfortunately, instead of bleeding, the severed ends exploded violently. The resulting concussion blew the martial artist chef up and backwards.

Landing on the ground about ten feet away with a crash, she scrambled dazedly to escape from the mass of tentacles that was rapidly descending upon her. However, her position was no longer as strong. She continued to slash; another tentacle was severed. It exploded with a hollow booming sound that made Ukyo's ears ring.

Then with a roar from beneath the peaceful water of the canal, something exploded upwards as tentacles seized the sixteen year old chef ripping her battle spatula away. She cried out reaching to retrieve her deadly kitchen utensil in a last desperate attempt to stave off the onslaught. Ukyo's cry died in her throat after she got a good look at the body that sported all those tentacles. Its cat-like eyes glowed bright green and its mouth spread into an evil toothy grin.

End of Chapter 5

Coming next in Chapter 6 - Young Rivals