New E-mail address: 2: The Spring of Lost Souls
'Noon. Must have over slept.' Akane awoke to the sounds of Ranma snoring loud enough to wake everyone on their floor. It was a wonder she could sleep at all with that kind of noise, but she had grown used to it.
"Ranma. Wake up."
" GROAN Akane? Why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"
"Ranma, it's past noon." "Really?" he asked, sitting up abruptly, "Damn! We missed breakfast."
"Well…we were up pretty late last night." She said, smiling slyly at Ranma.
" COUGH Umm…yeah. Ha, ha." He replied, blushing a bit and smiling somewhat embarrassingly.
Akane continued to smile. She couldn't help but smile at seeing the mighty Ranma Saotome look so unbalanced.
"Today I think we should go to the other side of the island, I hear they have some hot springs there."
"Sounds good to me." he replied, throwing on some clothes, "But could we get some lunch first. I'm starving."
"Gods, Ranma! Are you ever not hungry?"
After lunch the duo left their hotel for the hot springs on the islands adjacent side. Earlier, however another group was making preparations for the day ahead.
Cologne inhaled the fresh morning air. If there was one thing she would agree with, even if it were coming from the elder Kuno, was that the islands were indeed a place of great pleasure. The atmosphere reminded her of days long ago, when she would play on the beach with her sisters in the tribe. Those days of youthful and carefree joy seemed like a distant dream. These recent years had been complicated to say the least.
'No need for such recollection.' She thought, 'When we have Ranma, then I shall have some peace.'
"Ahhh, Shampoo, child. You are awake." She spoke without turning around to see her great granddaughter coming out of the tent they had shared, "Be a good girl and start breakfast for us."
"All right, great grand-mother." Shampoo began the preparations for breakfast.
Cologne could still since some hesitance in Shampoo. 'When it is over, when she and Ranma are together, she will be fine.' Cologne thought. Soon the awakening Kuno family interrupted her peaceful thoughts.
"HOW DARE YOU! How dare you destroy my precious picture of my darling Ranma!"
"I won't allow such a despicable image to be near my person."
The Kuno children were at it again. Shampoo simply shook her head.
"Stupid bokken boy and gym girl always fight for stupid reasons. Annoy Shampoo."
"Silence girl!" shouted Kodachi at Shampoo, "You were only allowed on this voyage because you knew were to find Ranma darling and that dreadful girl who dares to call herself his wife."
Shampoo rose to her feet, ready to force silence upon Kodachi. Cologne held up a hand, a sigh for her great granddaughter to hold.
"No need to become involved in such childish bickering."
"ENOUGH!" shouted Kuno. "No one may insult Akane Tendo in front of Tatewaki Kuno. Prepare yourself, twisted sister!" The two began to fight.
Cologne turned away from them and towards Shampoo. "Little fools."
"Hey Now! What's all dis commotion bout? Keiki! You're not pickin on your little sista again, are you?" The eldest Kuno appeared from his tent. Somehow he managed to calm down his two children.
"Is all stupid family." Spoke Shampoo, finishing the last preparations for breakfast. "What we do now great grand-mother."
"Let everyone come to breakfast, child. I shall explain everything." The Kunos sat down on the grass opposite Cologne and Shampoo. Breakfast was quickly served and as they ate Cologne divulged her plan.
"As you know, I came up with the idea to bring Ranma to this island. I chose it because I knew it would be a perfect place to attack our enemy."
"This trip was quite expensive, old woman." Interjected Kuno, "Why bother bringing Saotome to this island."
The amazon eyed the kendoist, "The coward Saotome will have no where to run here. He is all alone against us, and he doesn't even know we are here. We will see that he pays for deceiving us."
" Humpf This is all that fool Akane's fault." Spoke Kodachi, "She has bewitched my Ranma."
"I warned you twisted sister…no one may insult Akane while I live."
"Silence! Both of you!" Cologne shouted, "Before we can extract our revenge, we must find them."
"Then the task is a simple one." Said Kuno, drawing his sword, "We know that Saotome resides in the hotel. I shall go there and flush that coward out."
Before he could do anything else, a large, pineapple shaped explosive flew towards him.
BOOM!
"He, he, he. See now? Dis is no job for you Keiki, dis is a job for de "Big Kahuna!" Suddenly black rose pedals flew everywhere.
"OH HOHOHO! Before either of you even lay a finger on my Ranma, I will save him from the bewitchments of that dreadful girl." Kodachi leaped off in the direction of the hotel, followed closely by her father.
"You had better hurry boy." Cologne said to the recovering Kuno, who quickly shook off the effects of his father's bomb and dashed after the rest of his family, his bokken cutting a path through the forest.
The two amazons turned to each other. "Stupid Kuno's is gone. Now, what is real plan."
Cologne smiled, happy her great granddaughter had see through her plan to rid herself of the Kuno's. "This island has many springs, but only one is the spring that will cure Junsenkyo curses."
"Where is?" Shampoo asked.
Cologne reached into her robes and removed a small, jewel like stone.
"This crystal can detect magical vibrations. It was used thousands of years ago, when the very first Joketsuzoku discovered Junsenkyo. It will lead us to the magic spring."
"Shampoo see. We go to other side of island. All springs there."
"Yes." Said Cologne, nodding, "That would be the best place to begin our search."
"What about stupid Kuno family?" Shampoo asked.
"Ranma can deal with them. At the very least they should keep him busy long enough for us to find the spring. Now come, we must locate the spring quickly."
The two amazons began to move towards the other side of the island. Shampoo still did not know what good a curing spring would do, but she had faith in her great grandmother. She would not have come all this way for nothing. Whatever she had planned, Shampoo was unsure she would like it.
'Now I know how Ryoga must feel.' Ranma thought, noticing they were fairly lost.
Finding the hot springs didn't seem like a hard task at the time. They were almost adjacent to the hotel.
'Right through the forest.' He thought, 'This looks like some left over set from a cheap horror flick. All this fog. Where did it come from any way?'
The fog had set in with out warning. One moment it was clear, the next a "pea soup," like fog had hit. The pair continued to make their way through the fog, hoping to find something soon. After a distance Ranma suddenly stopped.
"Hey Ranma. Why are we stopping?"
"You hear that? It sounds like running water."
"Running water?" said Akane, with a confused look on her face.
"Yeah. Come on." Ranma took Akane's hand and led her through towards the sound.
It became louder as they moved towards it, and the fog seemed to get lighter as well. Soon the couple found themselves at a raging river that led into a huge waterfall.
"Whoa! They didn't mention this in the brochure."
Ranma began to search up and down the river for a place to cross. He soon noticed some stepping stones going to the other side.
"Yo. Akane. I think we can cross here."
Akane looked at the path across, and felt a chill crawl up her spine. The stones had quite a distance between them, and the water was flowing rapidly.
Ranma saw the hesitance in his wife's face.
"I can carry you across if you want." He offered.
"I'm not helpless Ranma! I can make it across on my own."
"Of course." He sighed, "Okay, I'll go first."
Ranma hopped onto the first stone, landing silently on a single foot. Easily he cleared the water to the second stone, and with no hesitance leaped to the third.
"Okay Akane, now you cross."
"All right." Akane swallowed, regretting somewhat that her pride hadn't allowed her to take Ranma up on his offer to shuttle her across. "Here I go."
Before she could make her first leap, a loud haunting laugh filled the area.
"OH HOHOHO!" Black rose pedals fell by the hundreds, coming seemingly from nowhere.
Ranma felt as if his heart had fallen into his stomach. "Oh GODS! Please let that be the wind, some animal, somebody falling out of a plane, ANYTHING but…"
"KODACHI KUNO!" Akane shouted, confirming Ranma's fear.
"Ranma, Darling!" the "Black Rose," cried, "I have come to take you away from this dreadful girl."
"How dare you!" Akane shifted into a fighting stance, "What are you doing here?"
"I go were my heart leads, and it leads me to Ranma darling."
Kodachi moved into a stance of her own. The two girls squared off. Ranma quickly moved in between them.
"Okay! No fighting. I want some answers."
"Oh Ranma!"
"HEY!"
Kodachi grasped on to him, squeezing rather tightly, a look of surprise hitting Ranma's face.
"What do you think you're DOING!" Akane shouted, pushing Kodachi off him.
"So you desire combat?" Kodachi unfurled her gymnastics ribbon, Akane moved into another stance.
'Great.' thought Ranma, 'I'm gonna have to get in between this. The only way this could get any worse is if…'
"SAOTOME! You WRETCH!" Tatewaki Kuno emerged from the forest, drawing his blade perpendicular to Ranma's chest.
"KUNO! What the hell are YOU, doing here?"
"You dare call yourself the husband of Akane, and yet you act so flirtatiously with my sister?"
"HEY!" Ranma shouted back, "I was NOT acting "flirtyatious" or whatever you said!"
"Enough of your lies." Kuno barked back, "I, Tatewaki Kuno, shall vanquish thee."
The kendoist swing his weapon at Ranma, who nimbly dodged the attack, stepped forward suddenly and nailed a stiff punch to Kuno's chest.
"You're messing up my vacation!"
"Grrrr…Take THIS!" Kuno yelled as he swung his weapon again.
Ranma leaped into the air to dodge, flipped over his opponent and delivered a kick to his back.
"How dare you, you…peasant!" Kuno drew his bokken back. "I will not be defeated by the likes of you! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!"
Kuno jabbed his sword forward, faster than the human eye could follow, the air pressure from the rapid attacks cutting like knives.
Ranma moved back, avoiding the attack. The kendoist moved forward, continuing his rapid attack.
"Soon you will be out of room to run, Saotome!"
'DAMN!' thought Ranma, noticing his heels near the edge of the river, 'He's right.'
Kuno had left zero openings for a frontal attack, but he still had one trick to win.
"NOW THE FINISH!" Kuno shouted as he swung forward.
Ranma flew through the air towards the water, back flipped, and landed on the first stone he had crossed earlier.
"So, the rat still has a few holes to crawl into." Kuno spat towards his opponent.
"Rat, huh? For that Kuno, you're gonna pay."
Ranma knew the specialty of the "Saotome School of Martial Arts," was mid-air combat. If Kuno dared to follow him, he would gain the advantage.
"Come on Kuno! I ain't got all day." Just then Ranma felt a presence moving near him.
"I got you now boy!"
"PRINCIPAL KUNO!"
The man in Hawaiian clothes lunged at Ranma, who leaped to the next stone to avoid the attack.
"HEY!" shouted Akane, who had been watching the fight, "There's two of them! That's not fair!"
"Humpf. Ranma is more than man enough to deal with them." Kodachi chastised, "Your concern is with me."
The two girls again faced each other.
Kodachi smiled. "Make your move."
"OUT OF MY WAY, MADMAN!" Kuno shouted, as he leaped onto his father's face, using it as a stepping stone to his opponent. Kuno kicked off the old man's head, nearly knocking him off the stone he stood on, and soared towards Ranma.
"NOW SAOTOME!"
"Ha! An opening!" Ranma shouted, leaping into the air towards Kuno.
The two met mid-air, Kuno swung but Ranma easily dodged and nailed an elbow to the kendoist's back. Kuno dropped from the sky into the raging river, but managed to grab hold to the stone Ranma had previously occupied.
Ranma landed on his head and quickly leaped across the remaining stones to the river's other side.
"Come back here you coward!" Kuno shouted.
"Excuse me, keiki." Said the elder Kuno as he bounded off his son's head and followed Ranma to the other side.
Ranma saw the man, armed with his hair cutters, move towards him.
"Now I'm gonna give you yo weddin present, boy!" yelled the principal as he lunged at Ranma, who dodged the high attack and answered with an ax kick to the odd man.
"I don't think I want anything from you, ya old weirdo."
Ranma turned to see Kuno bounding across the river. "I have returned!" he shouted, raising his bokken to strike at Ranma.
His attack met with air as Ranma moved in low and struck with a stiff elbow to his opponent's mid-section.
"You should have stayed gone." Ranma replied. Just then he caught a glimpse of something moving in the air towards him.
Ranma leaped as the object, apparently a pineapple bomb, exploded, sending its smoke everywhere. Suddenly a figure moved through the smoke, he couldn't quite make it out.
"I have you now!"
Before Ranma could react a hard strike from Kuno's bokken struck his left side.
"ARRGH!" Ranma fell to the ground hard. He felt his injured side. He could fell his warm blood flowing from the wound.
"Damn it Kuno! You'll pay for that!"
Akane rushed forward with a strong right. Kodachi dodged right to avoid the attack.
"HOHOHO! Too slow!"
The Kuno girl snapped her ribbon like a whip at Akane, who had to roll to avoid the attack.
Again she rushed forward and launched a string of kicks and punches at Kodachi, who nimbly dodged the attacks, and retaliated with a high roundhouse kick.
Akane ducked the high attack and, seeing an opening, landed a hard left to Kodachi's mid-section, knocking her back a few steps.
Akane tried to press her advantage and launched a flying kick at the Kuno girl. Kodachi recovered and flipped over the incoming attack.
"Damn you!" she yelled, favoring the area Akane hit.
Akane was pleased she was holding her own against the Kuno girl, but her true concern was with Ranma, and his two opponents.
'Gotta take care of her first. Then I'll help Ranma.'
"You've lasted longer than I expected, Akane Tendo, but now I shall finish this fight! BLACK ROSE STORM!"
Kodachi spun her ribbon, creating a whirlwind that spread black rose pedals like a smoke screen.
Akane instinctively shielded her eyes; suddenly she could fell something binding her wrists, like a steel coil.
"It seems you've lost your edge girl."
Akane could now easily see Kodachi's ribbon binding her wrists together.
If Akane held any advantage over Kodachi, it was that her combat style was more pure than Kodachi's. Hers was straightforward martial arts, while Kodachi used a form of martial arts combined with gymnastics.
Kodachi depended on weapons, her ribbon specifically. By binding her Kodachi was neutralizing a considerable advantage.
Akane struggled to break free of the ribbon.
"I have you now!"
The Kuno girl pulled Akane towards her, and connected with a punch to her mid section.
"A little payback."
Another pull, and Akane flew into a side kick.
'Urrrgh! I'm not gonna last long at this rate.' Akane moved back, hoping to get some breathing room.
"Oh no girl." Kodachi laughed, "You won't get away."
Again she pulled hard on her ribbon and Akane flew towards her, but this time she wasn't content to allow her to attack freely. As Kodachi swung at her head, she fell onto her back and then buried both feet into Kodachi's mid section.
The Kuno girl flew back and landed on the ground with a thud. Akane rose to her feet and using all her considerable strength, broke the ribbon binding her wrists.
"Looks like the playing field's even." Akane said towards her recovering foe.
Kodachi rose to her feet, she now openly held her mid section.
"You…will regret this, Akane Tendo!"
The two girls rushed at each other.
Kodachi blocked Akane's first punch and landed one of her own. She attacked freely, landing nearly every punch and kick.
Finally Akane countered with a palm strike to Kodachi's chin, a chop to the back of her neck and knee to her injured mid section. Kodachi staggered back, and Akane could see she was reeling. Kodachi desperately launched a low kick, but Akane saw it coming, leaped over it, and hit a devastating roundhouse kick right on her head. The Kuno girl hit the ground, barley conscious. Akane stood over her foe.
Kodachi finally managed to rise to her feet, supporting herself on a nearby tree. She had blood running from the corner of her mouth, her hair was a total mess, and she sported a large bruise on the side of her head where Akane's last kick had connected.
"You…have improved since I last saw you."
"Its over, Kodachi. This battle is mine."
"Indeed, you are victorious this time, Akane Tendo."
Akane locked eyes with Kodachi. "For your information…my name is Akane Saotome."
Kodachi looked towards the ground, the usual gleam in her eyes gone at the bitter realization that not only had this girl taken the man she loved, but had bested her in combat.
"I…see. Very well then, Akane Saotome, we will fight again another day. And on that day, I will crush you."
With those words the "Black Rose," turned and walked into the forest, fading from sight in its fog.
"Kodachi…we will fight again." Akane turned and looked towards the opposite shore. "Ranma! Hold on!"
Ranma moved towards principal Kuno, who lashed out with a strike. With ease, Ranma countered and booted the old man to the ground. Without turning to face his attacker, he ducked a slash from Kuno and, moving at high speeds, landed a punch that sent the son near where his father fell. Slowly the two Kunos rose to their feet.
"You gonna pay for dis, boy!"
"Enough talk, I ATTACK!" The Kuno boy dashed towards Ranma.
"Time to end this fight!" Ranma shifted into a seemingly vulnerable position.
Kuno neared his foe and prepared to cut him in half.
Just as he was beginning to bring down his blade, Ranma thrust both of his hands forward at Kuno's chest.
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"
With those words a large ball of chi shot forward from his hands and blasted the kendoist, sending him flying into a nearby tree that shattered on impact.
Principal Kuno looked at his now unconscious son in shock.
"H…H…How did you?"
Ranma looked at his shocked opponent. "You're next, old man."
Ranma moved into an attack stance, ready for the principal. His attention suddenly diverted to a figure moving across the river.
"Akane!" He could see her moving stone to stone towards him.
'One more to go!' she thought as landed on the next to last rock.
She leaped from it and began to descend onto the final stone, but this stone held perils. Akane landed and instantly slipped on the algae and gunk that had accumulated there.
"YAAAAA!"
SPLASH!
Instantly the powerful current caught her, and she struggled with all her might against it.
"AKANE!"
Ranma moved like the wind towards the water, dove in and swam towards the spot where she had submerged. She saw her underwater, fighting to bring herself up.
Now transformed, Ranma-chan grabbed Akane's waist and shot up like a bullet towards the surface. Holding her, she swam towards the final stone against the strong current, and upon reaching it, helped Akane up on the slick surface.
"Jump to the shore!" she yelled.
Akane took a great leap and landed with a thud on the shore.
"Ranma!" Akane yelled towards her, as she pulled herself up on the stone.
Ranma-chan looked up to see a figure descending on her.
"I know that's you boy. No escape now!"
"NO! YOU IDIOT!"
It was too late.
The principal collided with the cursed girl, sending them both into the water.
"Ranma! RANMA!" Akane screamed, her heart felling like it would stop.
Suddenly the whole area, which had been filled with such activity, was quiet except for the sound of raging water. Akane fell to her knees near the edge of the river, tears coming from her eyes.
"Any moment now," she said, almost praying, "he'll come up. Any minute now."
She knelt there, hoping against hope that he would return to the surface. "He has to."
But she knew these were words of defiance, and that an exhausted Ranma very well could have been taken over the falls. Akane ran towards the fall's edge, and gazed over. They were huge, more than 50 feet up. The rising mists of the falls covered the bottom, but Akane knew that the bottoms of waterfalls were often shallow pools that contained jagged rocks. If Ranma had gone over, not even he could have survived.
"No…" Akane spoke quietly, more tears falling from her face. "He died saving me…cause I can't swim."
'NO!' a voice in her head seemed to scream, 'Ranma's survived too much to be killed by a damn waterfall! If that were you, he would never give up and just say you were dead.'
Akane looked around and saw a path leading from the falls.
'I hope this leads down from here.' She took one last look at the water where he had gone under.
"Ranma…please be all right." She turned and ran down the path.
Cologne and Shampoo returned to their campsite. The day for them had not gone well.
'Damn it!' Cologne cursed mentally, 'All those damn springs, and not one of them the right one.' She sat on the grassy ground, holding her cane and thinking deeply.
"Great Grand-mother! I prepare meal for us."
"Thank you, Shampoo." Cologne pressed her ancient fingers into her cane.
'Where could it be?'
Suddenly she heard a noise and turned to where it came from. "Who goes there?"
"So…I see that you are still here." Spoke the emerging figure of Kodachi Kuno.
Cologne took a look at her. "My, my. You seem to be in some trouble, child."
Shampoo emerged from her tent. "Kuno girl…is hurt." Shampoo eyed the bruises and dried blood on the Kuno girl's face.
"It…is nothing." Kodachi responded, "I am fine."
"No, you are not." Cologne suddenly spoke, "You have taken injuries to your mid-section. I could tell by the way you moved."
Kodachi looked surprised at the old amazon's perceptiveness.
"Sit down here."
Kodachi was in no mood to argue, so she did as told.
"Take off your clothes, I need to get a better look at your injuries."
The spandex gymnastics outfit she wore was not easy to remove in her painful situation. Cologne could see her pain as she removed the clothing.
"Hmmm…" Cologne looked her over, her knowledge of the human body critiquing the injuries.
"Shampoo, fetch some water and cloths, and bring the wound salve and bandages for these bruises."
"Yes, great grand-mother."
Shampoo quickly gathered the items Cologne requested and returned, taking care not to spill the water, as it was cool enough to trigger her transformation.
"I need to wash your wounds, then I will apply this salve, it will allow you to heal faster."
The old amazon washed the blood and dirt from the wounded areas of the Kuno girl. She noticed the usual loud and obnoxious attitude of Kodachi was gone, replaced by a somber and quiet girl. Cologne could guess this had something to do with Ranma, as it was not unlike how Shampoo had acted after being told by Ranma that he had made his decision to marry Akane. He had given the same talk to all his fiancés and other women in his life, but perhaps the true impact of this had only reached Kodachi today.
"You have a cracked rib and some internal bleeding. This will heal you faster, but you still want to stay away from any physical activity, especially fighting."
Kodachi nodded and Cologne applied the salve to her injured mid-section, and began to bandage her up.
"Why are you helping me?" She asked,
"Because I owe you for this trip. The least I can do is fix your wounds."
Kodachi chose not to ask any further questions.
"There now, I am done. Now child put some fresh clothes on and sit down and eat with us."
"Thank you, for your hospitality." Kodachi turned into her tent and soon emerged with a new set of clothes on. She sat down on a cloth laid on the ground. Shampoo served them and sat near Kodachi.
"Kuno girl okay now?"
Kodachi turned to the amazon; surprised she was speaking friendly to her.
"Oh! Yes…I'm much better now thanks to your great grand-mother."
"Great grand-mother is good healer, your injuries not too bad. You find Ranma?"
Kodachi looked crestfallen, "Yes, we found them."
"You fight Ranma?"
"No…I fought Akane. She…beat me."
Shampoo looked at the heavyhearted Kuno girl. "Is Akane who injure?"
"Yes." Kodachi replied solemnly.
"Is not so bad. Akane pretty strong. Can be tough fighter."
Kodachi shook her head. "I had the superior skill. I underestimated her and was defeated for my foolishness."
"Not foolish, Akane have strong heart, determination. When she want, is tough opponent."
Kodachi looked at the Amazon girl.
"No worry, when get you better, you fight Akane again."
Kodachi smiled a bit, "I was under the impression you did not care to much for my family and I."
"Kunos…is weird to Shampoo."
Kodachi's smile faded a bit at these words.
"But have same principles as all. Never show true feelings and act strange to hide feelings. When Kuno girl is like she is now, Shampoo sees true feelings. Is strong and will fight for what she believes in, even if mean death. Would make good amazon."
Kodachi's smile returned, "Maybe if I had shown these true feelings to Ranma, I might have had a chance."
"We all never have chance." Said Shampoo, her tone changing suddenly.
Kodachi turned, surprised at these words. "Why do you say that?"
"When growing up, Ranma all alone. Always on the move, never make friends. Never trust anyone, cause he never know how long he stays. Stupid father no help, only make Ranma trust less. When older, Ranma trust only himself. Then he meets Akane. She not trust others either. They both stubborn, not want to trust other, but part of soul want them to trust. They learn more and more about the other. They see that they alike, that they both have same problem, they start to trust each other. Then they become close."
"How…do you know all this."
"Ranma tell me. When come to Nekohanten he tell about past."
Kodachi nodded. "I never realized Ranma had such a tough childhood." She felt pain in her stomach, her injuries notwithstanding.
"I…suppose he only thought of me as an annoyance. I doubt he ever thought I could fill such a void in his heart."
"Is not wrong to try. You love Ranma. We…all love him. Is strong, handsome, brave, noble, and honorable. Is good man, but not trust. Akane understand, cause she have same mind. They put trust…in each other."
The two girls stood silent for a moment.
"You…seem to accept his marriage to Akane. So why did you come here? Why do you continue to pursue him?"
"Shampoo…understands why he marry Akane. But not matter, Shampoo must make him husband. It is law of Joketsuzoku. If not obey, they punish Shampoo."
Kodachi sat a bit stunned. Compared to Shampoo's reasons for pursuing Ranma, hers seemed totally unimportant. Before she could say anything, Shampoo stood up and turned to where Cologne sat.
"Great grand-mother?"
"Shhh…Someone approaches."
The women stood ready to attack when the figure limped into the camp.
"S… Saotome. Wh…where are you…" Kuno fell to the ground a boneless heap.
"Tatewaki!" Kodachi ran to the side of her fallen brother.
Cologne eyed the fallen boy. "Shampoo, bring the water and salve!"
"Unnnn…where the hell am I?" Ranma arose in a dimly lit cave.
'Wait…I Remember! That jackass Principal Kuno knocked me into the water. I was trying to get him off me when I blacked out.'
Ranma looked around the cave.
'Did I go over the falls? Am I…dead?'
Ranma felt his heart beating through his chest. 'I guess I'm alive. Hmmm…I'm a guy too.' He found that fact a bit odd, considering his last memories were as a girl.
Ranma stood up and walked towards the source of the cave's light.
'A hot spring?' The light was radiating from a spring in the cave. 'What is this thing?' The water was hot enough to change him back if he was transformed.
'Maybe I fell in here, that's why I'm still a guy.' He looked into the water. 'Huh? I can't see my reflection!' Ranma's face turned pale at the thought. 'I…can't see my reflection…ghosts don't have reflections.'
"NOOOO! I CAN'T BE DEAD!"
'Okay…get a grip Saotome. You can still touch things, you're breathing, your heart's beating. All signs point to alive.'
Ranma looked around the cave; he saw a small sliver of light in the distance.
'I gotta get outta here, gotta find…' "AKANE! SHIT! She was still up there!"
Ranma dashed towards the sliver of light. It expanded as he neared into a tunnel large enough for him to walk through. 'Guess I can get out here. Hope it leads somewhere.' He took a last look around the cave. He had many questions, and few answers.
'No time to think, gotta get to Akane.' Ranma dashed through the tunnel, oblivious to something beginning to move on the other side of the cave.
"Unnnn…where the hell am I." The figure sat up holding her head. She glanced around the dimly lit cave in confusion.
"W…what's going on. Where am I? And where are my clothes?" As she tried to collect herself she could feel something, like the point of a needle, seeming to pierce her very mind.
"Agh…my head. Damn! What's wrong with me?"
She staggered towards the cave's apparent light source. The spring radiated with an errie light that seemed to come from nowhere.
"This spring, why does it look familiar?" Suddenly a white flash appeared before her. As she looked towards it, the cave seemed to fade away.
"What's going on!" She yelled, though she could just tell by the way her voice echoed, no one would be able to hear her. The white light grew brighter, forcing her to shield her eyes. When, at last it subsided, she opened her eyes and saw that she now stood in what appeared to be a run down city. The buildings were in shambles, with pieces of glass and building materials lying all about.
'What a dump.' She thought as she carefully maneuvered around the wreckage, hoping to find somebody or something. She kept to the shadows as much as she could, despite her desperation to find at least one living soul, as she was still naked.
"Wandering through a city, naked and lost. Boy, what a day." She tried to recall when she had ever had a day like this, when it suddenly occurred to her, she couldn't think of any days, prior to this one. She thought back to the strange feeling she had in the cave.
"Did I hit my head? Did someone do something to me? ARGH! Why can't I remember?" She stopped to gather herself, when she noticed a puddle of water at her feet. She made no mind of it at first, but she noticed something odd about it. The water was clear, and as she drew closer to it her reflection began to form. As it took the most recognizable shape, she was startled.
"Is…is this…person, ME?"
The reflection in the puddle had been like the face of a stranger, but it was her face. It was all hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"My…my brain. My memories. Something's wrong with my mind. I don't remember anything about myself. I can't remember my own face." She staggered from the puddle, the shock threatening to bring her to her knees.
"I…I don't even know my name. Who am I?" She looked towards the red sky above. "WHO AM I?" She collapsed to the ground in a heap, sobbing, tears flowing. "Who…am…I…"
"You're whoever you want to be."
She looked up at the figure standing above her. She had red hair like fire, done up in a pigtail and green eyes. She wore a Chinese styled outfit. This girl looked just as she did, but there was something familiar about her hair, her outfit and the way she carried herself.
"You…you look like me."
"Do I?" The other girl shot back, "I guess it's because I'm a part of you. I'm also a part of someone else, but he doesn't talk to me a lot."
She pulled herself to her feet, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I am a part of you that you've forgotten."
Her tear burned eyes widened, "I forgot you? Then you're here to help me remember?"
"No. I'm sorry, but you've changed too much. Those memories would bring you nothing but confusion and pain now."
"But…why? Why would my memories hurt me?" She asked.
"Well, because they're not really yours anymore. They belong to that guy I was talking about."
"What? If they're mine how can they belong to him? How did I lose them? Did he take them away from me?"
"No, no," the other girl answered, "He was just sharing them with you. They were his to begin with. But now you can't share with him anymore."
"This doesn't make any since. Why is all of this happening?"
The other girl placed her hand on her shoulder. "You're not the same as him anymore. We're not the same. We don't need his memories anymore. We're going to make new ones of our own. And no one will be able to take them away from us."
She looked at the other girl with confusion in her eyes. "The same as him. What do you mean?" As she spoke the white light began to envelop the broken city.
"Oh oh. That means time's up."
"No, wait!" She shouted as her double began to ascend into the red sky. "Please don't go. I still don't understand. What's going on? Why is this happening?"
"You'll figure it out when you meet him. Just don't get discouraged. I know you can make it."
The light continued to swallow the city, as well as the other girl. "At least tell me what my name is."
"I don't know. Pick something good."
With that, the light grew it's brightest and when it dissipated, she found herself back in the cave, lying by the glowing spring.
"Now what… What do I do?"
She looked around noticing the only other light in the otherwise dark cave. She began to move towards the exit and noticed a figure on the ground. She moved towards the figure, and stopped as it came into view.
'I… I know this man!' It was principal Kuno. He lie there, unconscious.
Images of the principal shot like an arrow through her head.
"Uhhhh… I don't have time for this." She said, shaking off the feelings in her mind. She again eyed the fallen man.
"Well… I can't very well leave you here, can I?" She sighed. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow your clothes."
She removed the man's Hawaiian shirt and shorts, leaving him in nothing but his boxers, and threw them on.
'Gods!' she thought, 'how can anyone ware this out in public?'
Now clothed, she draped the old man over her shoulder. "Man, you need to lose some weight."
She took one last look around the cave. She pondered the strange things she had seen and her own lost memories. She could feel the depression of uncertainty fill her mind and body again.
'No. I won't find any answers here.' She turned to the dim light of the cave's exit. "Okay… here I come…"
'I hear…running water." Ranma had been using the side wall of the tunnel to navigate the dark path. Hearing something, even just water, gave him something else to use as a way out. He continued to move towards the sound.
'Light!'
Small amounts of light led Ranma through the passage. As he moved through the lights grew brighter and the sounds louder until he found the exit to the cave. The water fell neatly over the entrance of the cave, like a raging curtain.
'Don't tell me…I'm under the falls!' he thought, the evidence seeming to indicate such.
Ranma looked at flowing water. 'Well, can't stop now.'
He geared up and with a shout leaped through the falling waters. He could fell the weight of the gallons of water hitting him for the split second he flew through.
Ranma looked down as he exited the water, and his face turned pale. He noticed the lack of ground under his feet, and the fact that he was more than 60 feet up in the air.
"Ahhh! I guess this cave wasn't ground floor!"
Ranma fell from the sky towards the rocks below. "Well if I'm not dead yet, soon I will be!"
He moved his hands in front of him. "I only hope that I can generate enough power in this…body..!"
Ranma looked at his chest and noticed it was still flat, and…manly.
"I'm still a man. I touched cold water and didn't transform. I…I'm cured. I AM CUUUUUURED!"
There was a bright flash of light that grew huge and caused the winds to blow wildly.
Akane made her way towards the bottom of the falls. The path she had taken lead safely down the cliff and now she headed towards the bottom of the falls, although she feared what she might find there.
"Ranma…please just be alive."
She picked up her pace towards the falls. Suddenly she saw a bright light, bright enough to be seen in plain daylight. As suddenly as it appeared it grew large and engulfed the area. Wind kicked up and blew wildly.
She shielded her eyes from the light.
"What's going on!"
The wind and light died down.
"What…was that!"
Akane looked towards the area where it had come from. "It came from the bottom of the falls."
Akane ran towards the area. The forest path abated and she could see the falls. She noticed a figure in a sleeveless shirt kneeling on both knees by the water. Akane could feel her heartbeat increase.
"Ranma…RANMA!"
Ranma turned at the sound of the voice, and saw her standing on top of a nearby hill.
"Akane?"
"Ranma…you're alive."
Tears fell from her eyes, and a smile hit her face.
"YOU'RE ALIVE, RANMA!"
Akane ran down the hill, the tears flowing as she moved towards him.
Ranma ran to her and she leaped into his open arms when they drew close and embraced him passionately. Ranma looked into her eyes and saw the tears flowing from them.
"I…when you didn't come back up…"
"Hey. It will take more than a stupid waterfall to kill me."
Akane smiled at his words. "That's…what I said."
She brought her lips to his suddenly.
"Whoa…I should let you think I'm dead more often."
"You jerk. Don't even joke about that."
Ranma took Akane by the hand. "Come here, I've got to show you something." She followed him as he led her to the edge of the water.
"Ranma? What are you doing?"
"Look." He said pointing at the water. Without warning he leaped right into the water and fell below the surface.
Akane stood confused at her husband's antics. "Ranma, what in the world are doing?"
He rose from the water and looked at her. She looked back in shock.
"You…you're still…a boy!" Akane fell back; Ranma quickly grabbed her before she hit the ground.
"Ranma…you didn't turn into a girl."
"Yeah!" he smiled broadly.
"But how…was it that weird light?"
"Light? Oh yeah, that. I don't know what happened, but when I went under, I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in some weird cave."
Akane looked at him. "A cave? How in the world did you end up there?"
"I don't know. It was weird, there was this glowing hot spring in there."
"A glowing hot spring?"
"Yeah. I couldn't even see my reflection in it. I thought I was a ghost or something."
Akane nodded, "What about the light?"
"Well, I found this tunnel that led out, 'cept the exit was through the falls. I couldn't tell the exit was like 60 feet in the air, over some rocks. I was about to use a Moko Takabisha to cushion my landing, when I first noticed I didn't change when I hit the water. I guess I got too exited and went overboard with the attack…but hey! It worked."
"So…you have no idea why you're not cursed anymore."
Ranma shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. I don't have to be a girl anymore! No more curse, no more stupid girl body. This is the happiest day of my life!"
Akane shot him a look.
"Err. I mean the second happiest day of my life! Next to our wedding day of course."
She smiled and embraced him. "I'm just glad you're okay."
Ranma held her close. Despite the Kuno's attacking them, this had been a momentous day.
He suddenly felt a presence, a strong aura. Only one who had engrossed themselves completely in the study of the martial arts could since such a change.
Akane noticed him. "What's wrong."
"I since something, but I can't tell where it is, or what it is." Both shifted into defensive stances, ready for anything.
'Where is it?' Ranma scanned the area, taking a look up at the falls. "WHAT THE…"
A figure descended from the falls.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" The figure shot a hand forward, and a light began to form. Ranma looked at the ki forming in the person's hand.
"Akane, we need to move." The chi grew large as she descended.
'Here goes.' A ball of chi flew towards the ground and impacted with a large explosion.
Ranma and Akane shielded themselves from the blast. As the smoke cleared they looked back towards the blast spot.
"Now what?" The pair moved towards the water where the blast hit. Something floated to the top.
"It's…that idiot principal!" Ranma eyed the man, noting that he hadn't really thought of what had happened to him. He hadn't seen the crazy man since the fight at the falls.
Ranma moved towards him, to see if he was even alive when something shot out of the water. He leaped back into a stance, then his eyes went wide and the color left his face as he caught sight of the figure.
"Damn! I'm glad I remembered how to do that. What was that anyway?"
She turned to see her onlookers, who stared at her, their mouths hanging open.
"Is something wrong? Who are you people?"
"I…I'm…Ranma S…Saotome."
The girl's eyes grew wide and her pupils grew small at those words.
"Ran…Ranma…Saotome."
"Ranma…" Akane gasped to her equally stunned husband. "This…girl. She's…you!"
"That…name… I know that name!" The girl shouted suddenly.
"Who… What are you?" Ranma asked.
He stared down at her. She looked exactly as he did when transformed. Same red hair, same pigtail, same cute figure, she had even used a chi attack just as he had.
The girl Ranma fell to her knees, grasping her hair in pain and frustration.
"Hey." Ranma spoke with concern towards the girl. "Are you okay?"
"AUUUUGH! That name! My head! What's wrong with me?"
"Hey!" Ranma shot towards the girl.
"Stay back!" She shouted, jumping away from him.
"Don't be afraid." Akane spoke up, trying to calm the girl. "We won't hurt you. We just have some questions."
The girl looked at Akane. Again, her mind felt pierced. Akane's face sent memories shooting into her head. Memories of a man in glasses going through katas with her beside him. Memories of a friend, asking her to look after her always. A boy promising to never forget a transgression on her part. Swimming for what seemed like days. Traveling through a foreign land. Arriving at a certain place. A fall, into a pool of water and then, darkness. As she replayed the images over and over in her head, she began to see that it was not her, but a boy in those memories.
"A…Akane…" She choked out, again slumping to the ground.
"You… You know me?"
"Akane." Ranma spoke. "I think she remembers you."
"You… You're Akane."
"Yes."
"…and… I'm… I'm Ranma?"
Ranma looked at her with uncertainty. He knew who he was, but how could he tell this girl that she was not who she believed herself to be. He had no idea who she was if she was not the same as him.
"No." She responded.
She looked deep into the eyes of Ranma, the truth of her situation finally beginning to dawn on her.
"NO! I'm not Ranma! You! You're Ranma!" She shouted pointing in Ranma's direction.
Ranma could only look upon her stunned and confused.
"Ummm…are you okay?" He weakly asked at her.
"Am I okay?" She snapped. "All this has happened and you ask am I OKAY!"
She rose up with tears flowing from her eyes.
"I wake up not knowing where I am or how I got there, I can't remember a damn thing, and now find out I'm not the person I'm thought I was. HELL! I don't know what in the world I'm supposed to be."
Ranma stepped back surprised at her reaction.
"I'm not Ranma Saotome, I don't know who the hell I am."
Ranma walked towards her. Without thinking he put his arms around her in comfort. She put her head into his chest and cried, it was all she knew to do.
"Ranma." Akane saw his face, the concern he was showing. She put her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her.
"Akane, for the first time in my life…I have no idea what to do."
End of Part 2